Coffee and Devotions

A - About: This passage assures believers that God's presence is confirmed not by visible signs but by love, confession of Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When we love others and confess Jesus as Lord, we demonstrate that God abides in us. B - Best Verse: 1 John 4:13 – "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." C - Called to Do: Confess Jesus as Lord, trust in His redemptive work, and live a life of love toward others as evidence of God's abiding presence within.

A. What is this passage about? This devotional centers on discerning between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. It explains that Christians must not believe every spiritual claim but must test the spirits to determine whether they are from God. A key marker is whether the spirit confesses that Jesus came in the flesh. False teachers and the spirit of the Antichrist deny this truth. The devotional emphasizes relying on Scripture, listening to apostolic teaching, and being confident in God's power within believers. B. What is the best verse to summarize this passage? "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." – 1 John 4:1 C. What are we called to do? Test all teachings by comparing them with biblical truth. Confess and believe that Jesus truly came in the flesh. Stand firm in faith, knowing that God's Spirit in us is greater than the enemy. Reject false doctrines, especially those that deny Christ's incarnation. Be like the Bereans, examining the Scriptures to confirm truth.

A - About: This devotional emphasizes that true Christian love is rooted in God's love for us. It challenges believers to express genuine, sacrificial love for others—not out of fear or obligation, but because we have first been loved by God. B - Best Verse: 1 John 4:10–11 "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." C - Called to: We are called to love one another as God has loved us—practically, sacrificially, and sincerely—even when it is hard. This love is not permissive of sin but committed to others' eternal good.