260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 235 - 1 John 5: THE Relationship That Brings Assurance

What is the strongest thing you possess? Brains? Braun? Personality? Your truck? (hehe…) John says in this chapter that it is our FAITH! John again stresses that love for God = carrying out His commandments – AND they’re not burdensome. I need to hear this because often I feel the heavy burden of ministry (Paul did too 1 Corinthians 11:28). But somehow it need not be my burden, but I am to “cast my cares on Him.” (1 Peter 5:7). Then John begins a bit of courtroom talk as he uses the word testimony & testify 8 times in 6 verses. God’s testimony (the Bible) is true and is verified by multiple witnesses. Verses 11-13 were some of the first verses I memorized as a new believer and they have stuck in my heart! “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” These verses ROCK! Basically if you’ve got Jesus, you’ve got life, if ya’ don’t, ya’ don’t! And for us who do have Jesus it gets even better: 1) We can KNOW we have eternal life! 2) We can receive anything from God that He wants us to have! “Jesus Christ – He is the true God and eternal life!” SO WHAT?! *How’s your faith? We don’t need big faith in a small god, but rather small faith in our BIG God! Never forget it! *What “burdens” are you carrying right now that you need to give to Jesus? Take some time right now and pray them over to Him – you’ll be glad you did, He’s big enough to handle them! *Are you 100% sure that if you died tonite that you’d go to heaven? I’m not talking 99%, I mean 100%. You can be! And it’s not based on how you feel or what kind of a day you had. It’s also not arrogance. It’s based in what God says in 5:13 and it’s TRUE! There is nothing that gives me more peace than to know my eternity is secure NO MATTER WHAT! Believers in Jesus totally have “Hakuna Matata” = No Worries! Ohhhhh yeah!!!!