August 23, 2020: SOAP #3916:  Jeremiah 31-32; 1John 4

Scripture:  1John (NIV) 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world….
6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood….
13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit….
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Observation:   We know that we have a relationship with God because we interact with God through His Spirit.  The problem is that there are many spirits not from God who are moving around our world.  We must learn to recognize the Spirit of God from the spirit of antichrist. 

Application:  How can I know to whom to listen?  First: I must acknowledge that Jesus came in the flesh; He is different than all other humans born on this earth.  His is God!   Second:  John said that those who know God, listens to him and those with him—those who wrote the scriptures.  The better I know God’s written Word, the better I will be able to recognize God’s spoken word!   Third: knowing that God has given me His Spirit, I expect Him to speak to me.  I must pay attention.  I prepare myself to hear His voice.  I become familiar with how He speaks.   Fourth:  God always works in love.  God is holy and God is loving.  Fifth: God’s word is confirmed through others to whom and through whom He speaks. 

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that it is your nature to reveal yourself.  You speak.  Your Son, Jesus, speaks.  The Holy Spirit speaks.   It is for me to listen.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!