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The Apostle John in his first letter writes some intriguing words, "Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you." The old commandment he is referring to is the "Shema," the confession of faith in the one true God to whom we owe full allegiance and devotion. In answer to a scribe's question in Mark 12:28-33 as to what is the greatest commandment, Jesus answers, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. He  also relates the second greatest commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (This latter commandment is a phrase attached to a list of various laws in Leviticus 19.)

The new component is Jesus' own love for his disciples. He loves us so much that he laid down his life for us on the cross. John 13:1-5, 34f records John's own experience of the love of Jesus shown by his washing their feet. In this context he gives the new commandment, “A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

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Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday in America dates back to 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaim the 4th Thursday in November a yearly day of thanks.  "It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens."

However the tradition of giving thanks to God for his providential care goes back to the Pilgrims who had come over from Holland on the Mayflower. Governor Bradford reports that Plymouth had been stricken with a severe drought. "Upon which," said William Bradford "they set apart a solemn day of humiliation, to seek the Lord by humble and fervent prayer, in this great distress." That same evening it began "to rain with such sweet and gentle showers as gave them cause of rejoicing and blessing God… For which mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of thanksgiving." 

They had lived for 10 years in Holland to escape religious persecution from King James toward the Separatists. There they had contact with Anabaptist and Sephardic Jews who observed a feast of thanks known as Sukkot  (Feast of Tabernacles or booths). Our Thanksgiving festival probably goes alway to the Torah indirectly through the Pilgrims having such a feast in 1621. George Webb records a prayer like the one they would have offered on that November 29.

O Lord our God and heavenly Father, which of Thy unspeakable mercy towards us, hast provided meate and drinke for the nourishment of our weake bodies. Grant us peace to use them reverently, as from Thy hands, with thankful hearts: let Thy blessing rest upon these Thy good creatures, to our comfort and sustentation: and grant we humbly beseech Thee, good Lord, that as we doe hunger and thirst for this food of our bodies, so our soules may earnestly long after the food of eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen. 

George Webb, "Short direction for the daily exercise of the Christian," London 1625. Courtesy of Plimoth Plantation 

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The main idea that drives the Apostle John's first letter  is fellowship with God. He makes this clear when he starts his letter. "What we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3 He then addresses the need for knowing the truth about God as light and the truth about our sin as a necessity for true fellowship to exist. He presents 3 false ideas that some have. If we assert the believes that sin is a non entity or that humans do not have a sinful nature or that we have not actually sinned we are not speaking according to truth. We lie about the reality of sin and human nature and actually call God himself a liar!

With repentance that is a change in our mind about our sin and God the holy righteous One who has acted on our behalf we can know fellowship with God through Jesus atoning death. John presents Jesus work as the corrective for these false beliefs.  " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. v9 

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. v7

John is a realist and says, My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:2

At the letter's conclusion John writes, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13

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The Christian message and life begins not with man, humanity, but with the being of God himself. In fact the Apostle John begins with the One who was in the beginning and with whom he had had physical emotional connection. He is writing about the incarnation of the Word in the person of Jesus the Christ. John's letter to the churches begins at the same place as the Gospel of John! Compare 1 John 1:1-5 with John 1:1-4. He writes of the Word, Life and light. In his letter he adds the eternal life and fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. His climatic statement is- God is Light! At the conclusion of his letter he summarizes in these words, "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true one—that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." 1 John 5:20 CSV

If we are to understand the gospel, and the Christian life correctly then we must begin at the right place. We must begin with God, the God who is Father and Son, Jesus Christ- the true God who is the Holy, the Light!

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John the Apostle was the youngest of Jesus' apostles and he had a unique relationship with the Lord Jesus. Both his gospel testimony and his letters to the churches convey a warm pastoral heart of loving care for the Lord's people. One thing I value in his writings is his stated purpose for writing. In his gospel he states, " Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." JZohn 20:30f

in his letters of 1 John he states several times why his writing and to whom he is writing. "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled. JZohn 1:3-4

My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. 1 John. 2:1-2

He addresses all the people under their spiritual maturations of young believers, adult father believers and young adult believers. To each group he gives a reason such as assurance or encouragement in spiritual warfare.

a number  of other reasons are given but end his letter with this one. " And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." 1 John 5:20

His letter to them will function in like manner for us who pick up and read.

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The various Reformers during the Protestant Reformation restored New Testament worship emphasis especially the centrality of the Bible in the language of the people. Preaching and the public reading of the Scriptures was the focus in the services. They looked to such Bible passages as John 4:24 and Phillippians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 14:16-18,26 and Acts 2:42 for direction. 

John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Phil 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh

Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them

Acts 2:42 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

1 Timothy 2:1-8

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

2 Timothy 4:1-2

 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Colossians 3:16 6 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

1 Corinthians 14:15-19, 26

15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up

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There are a number of very important issues that were addressed by the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Among them is the recovery of biblical spiritual worship offered to God alone. How we worship must be in accordance with God's special revelation first to Israel under Moses and then to the fullness of truth given in the person and actions of Jesus of Nazareth. "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17

This episode looks at God's first revelation under the Old Covenant through Moses. The first 3 commandments God spoke from Mount Sinai concern his worship. God alone is the object of our worship. His worship is exclusive and tolerates no idols. Under the Old Covenant God's worship involved an elaborate priesthood, sacrifices ,vestments , days, ect. An imitation of these practices rose in the history of the church and is seen in the worship practices of Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The various Protestant Reformers rejected the use of idols in God's worship. They looked to Christ as the fulfillment of the law and ground worship on the New Covenant spoken of in the New Testament.

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Some of the great truths recovered at the Protestant Reformation are summarized in some slogans first enumerated as a list in the mid-20th century as the Five Solas. Although the phrase Soli Deo Gloria seems like an outliner it actually moves to the heart of the recovery of the great truth that God alone is the Savior of sinners. Paul expresses this truth well in Ephesians chapter 1, "to the praise of his glory." God does not share his glory. Not to us Yahweh, not to us but to your name be the glory. Psalm 115

I, even I, am Yahweh, And there is no savior besides Me. Isaiah 43:11

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A Reformation Sunday sermon on the Sola - Soli Deo Gloria. Ephesians 3 contains Paul's prayer for believers to glorify God. The church is theater in which the glory of God in salvation and worship is to be displayed. A major concern at the time of the Protestant Reformation was the diversion of the glory of God to idols and ceremonies that center on man himself. Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and others called the church back to God as the sovereign and only Savior to whom people are to give worship alone. 

In the 20th century the primary concern of the Reformers for guarding the Biblical teaching of salvation by God's grace alone through faith  alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone was summarized in which is known as the 5 Solas. The ultimate issue is that God alone is the Savior to Him alone is glory due. Psalm. 115:1 

Not to us, Yahweh, not to us,
    but to your name give glory,
    for your loving kindness, and for your truth’s sake.

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This podcast is of this past Sunday. I was not sure I would be preaching after a medical crisis on Thursday into Friday but God gave me strength. Ordinarly I just post podcast but this is a full sermon on Jesus Christ as our perfect and one Mediator between God and humanity. The concept of his unique person that qualifies him to be the Savior is unfolded in the sermon epistle of Hebrews 2, 5, 7,8.  Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent[a] that the Lord set up, not man. Hebrews 8:1 -2.

Please share the podcast with others and let us hear from you by message or email. 

Bible Insights with Wayne Conrad
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Spirit, Truth and Grace Ministries
Phone # 214-324-9915 leave message with number for call back
Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.