The community John is writing to has been shaken, not only by people denying Christ and leaving the church, but also by people staying and lying to the church. And he shows us, in 1 John 4:1-6 … How to Recognise the Fakes How to Defeat the Fakers

In his opening chapters John has been at pains to call us to remain in Christ, to remain in the light. Chapter 3 begins to address what it looks like to do that and the heart of it is this appeal, See what great love the Father has lavished on us 1 John 3:1 In…

In 1 John 2:15-29 we come to an event which has profoundly shaken the confidence of the believers, and which may well be the reason why John wrote. Some of their number had left them, denying Christ and trying to lead them astray. And the question they are facing is, What does this mean? John…

In 1 John 2:7-14, having called on his readers to walk in the light, John assures them that they can do exactly that because – in Christ – something has changed. Jesus has changed our capacity to keep the law Jesus has changed the signs by which God’s people are known Jesus has changed all…

In 1 John 1:5-2:6 we are presented with a spiritual catch-22, we cannot claim to have fellowship with God while we are walking in the dark, but if claim to be without sin we are lying … so how can we come to God. John’s answer is Christ, because Christ is … A Light A…

John begins his letter, discussing How to Know, by making three simple points Something has happened What has happened has made us one Our joy depends on what has happened

John explains his motivation in writing 1 John towards the end of the letter, and he says it was … 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. 1 John 5:13 But one of his dominant themes…

In Numbers 9:15-10:36 Israel are finally ready to leave Mount Sinai. The time for preparation has ended and their final directions relate how they are to come and go as they travel. This is unfolded in: The Cloud The Trumpets The Invitation

It’s one thing to set people free, but how do they stay free? Numbers seems to present the Passover in Numbers 9 as the answer, that the way they’ll stay free is by remembering how they were delivered. The regulations given here highlight: The Importance of Remembrance The Indispensability of Remembrance The Universality of Remembrance

Numbers 8 presents, rather unexpectedly, specific instructions for one item of furniture in the Tabernacle – the lampstand. It is clear that, with the dedication of the Tabernacle, the privilege of being able to walk in its light has profound significance. This is only underscored by the fact that the next thing narrated is the…