2022 Annual Meeting. Elder Jeremy Wise considers the commitment of Daniel and his young friends that despite the pressures from the wicked world around him to not defile themselves with the Babylonian king’s meat. In a spiritual sense today, we must also make a personal commitment in our heart to not defile ourselves with this world and God will bless in an expected way, the same way he did Danie.

As we embark on an exposition of the gospel of John, we consider the overall them and structure of the book. John was written different than the other three synoptic gospels for a unique purpose. The Spirit wanted to expressly testify that Jesus was the Son of God so that we might believe on his name. Therefore, they are stories and mircales and I Am statements in John’s gospel that are not anywhere else to affirm the divinity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

The life of God’s people should look radically different from the world. Especially our repentance should look radical to others. That is how we let our light shine in this world. In America, we have idolatry ingrained in almost every aspect of our culture, and we don’t even realize it – sports, music, hobbies. We can even make good things like our families, homes, and jobs idols. Let us repent from any degree of idolatry in our lives that prevents us from fully serving the one true and living God.

Click here to read the article Revival’s Call for Radical Repentance

God offers forgiveness and healing of the land for his humble, prayerful, and repentant children. This humility and repentance is perfectly exhibited in King Josiah during the revival in his day. Josiah was trying to live godly and make changes, but was still lacking when he heard the word of God. He humbled himself and prayed and most importantly changed his actions that healed his land.

In conclusion of the topical survey of 1st John, we examine godliness. God’s children are called to obey all of Christ’s commandments. We are called to walk even as Christ walked. Our manner of life should be reflective of our state of God’s children and the light of this world.

When we see spiritual drought, famine, or even locusts in the kingdom of God, it should lead us to consider our ways. God will send judgment upon his people when we do not place the kingdom of God first and foremost in our lives. God will send a famine of hearing the words of God, if we are disobedient in service to the Lord. Thankfully, God is always listening for our prayers of repentance, ready for restoration and revival.

Arguably the greatest danger for God’s people has always been excess prosperity. Dating all the way back to the Israelites entering Canaan, when God’s people encountered prosperity that they did not earn, we always get full, lazy, complacent, and ultimately sinful. When we sin, God will send spiritual drought, famine, locusts, and pestilence. Thankfully, God is always gracious to hear his repentant people when we turn from our sins.

In considering a topical survey of 1st John, we see the strong emphasis by the Apostle John on believing on Jesus Christ. Belief in Christ is the only public identifier by which we have biblical authority to offer assurance to children of God. Also, belief is a daily activity, not a one-time action when we join the church. Lord bless us to believe in Jesus Christ more fully and completely!

When we consider the spiritual condition of our churches and the kingdom as a whole, it would be hard to reach any other conclusion than we are in a spiritual drought and famine. If that is the case, if we are in a drought, that is evidence that in some area, we are disobedient to the Lord. Let us examine our spiritual condition and make the changes necessary for God to “heal our land” in the kingdom of God.

When we consider God’s salvation of sinners, if we properly understand man’s dead in sins, totally depraved state then we can easily see that our only hope must be in God’s unmerited favor and grace. In our sinful natures, there is none good, none righteous, no not one. Man is not sick or drowning, but he is dead with no ability to come unto God. Then, when we see how wretched we are in our nature, what a sweet sound when we hear the message of salvation by grace alone and the finished work of Jesus Christ and God’s incomprehensible love towards us!