1 John
4:4-12
You, dear
children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is
greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore
speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 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.
Dear friends,
let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been
born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God
is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son
into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved
God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our
sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his
love is made complete in us.
If
there is a subject that has been historically near and dear to the hearts of
believers through the centuries it is the return of Jesus Christ. Without a
doubt the return of Christ is going to be an exciting event! Through the years
there’s been a lot of debate about it. There’ve been false Christs, false
prophecies, false teachings, date setters and more, but they’ve all been wrong.
Some people spend their entire lives trying to figure out everything they can
about the end times and the second coming of Jesus. They’ve got charts and
graphs and a storehouse of Scriptures memorized. They can debate the debaters.
They can tell you who the two witnesses will be, where the antichrist lives and
what the bride’s going to eat for dinner, but I’ll have to right here: I’m not
one of them. I don’t mind telling you I don’t have it all figured out. As far
as I’m concerned, I have enough concern for today – wait the bible tells us to
live one day at a time – Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God.
That
is not to say don’t study end times scripture, don’t learn all you can about
the return of Christ – we need to know that we HAVE a future – so that we can live today – in light of eternity. How do we do that – by realizing that we were
born out of town.
Where
were you born? What were the circumstances around your birth? I was born 8-23-1959. To Phyllis &
Richard Cooper.
I was born at Mt
Carmel West.
It was the hottest
part of summer
Dad was a sweeper
salesman and my mom was a stay at home mom.
Dr. Chosy & Dr.
Buttler
Parents not in a good
relationship – dad gone most of the time.
Very middle class –
Columbus West side – much like twin falls.
Georgian Heights /
585 / house
/ baseball / red rover & Red light green light &
mother may I and capture the flag.
I love my upbringing – I love where I
lived – I get home sick for it. But that
is not my home – I was born out of town.
My home is in heaven – Georgian Heights in Columbus Ohio, Elgin Illinois,
Kansas City Kansas, Mt Vernon and New Albany Ohio, Twin Falls, Idaho – none of
them are my permenant residence – my address is in God’s Kingdom located in the
only place a person can live forever – HEAVEN.
How do I know that, because I know the
only person who can take me there and I can relate to him because he too was
born out of town.
BETHLEHEM
The
city of Bethlehem, located about six miles southwest of Jerusalem, is the
birthplace of our Savior Jesus Christ. Meaning "house of bread," Bethlehem was also the
renowned City of David. It was there in young David's hometown that the prophet
Samuel anointed him to be king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13).
And
in Micah 5, the prophet foretold that Messiah would come from the small and
seemingly insignificant town of Bethlehem:
Micah 5:2–5 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all
the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose
origins are from the distant past. The people of Israel will be abandoned to
their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth... And he will stand to lead
his flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his
God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored
around the world. And he will be the source of peace...
Jesus should have been born in
Nazareth – the home town of Mary and Joseph. (Census)
Luke 2:4-7
So Joseph also went up from the town
of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he
belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary,
who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they
were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her
firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because
there was no room for them in the inn.
Bethlehem
was an unimportant village with some important Biblical people associated with
it. Naomi and Ruth (a Moabite through whom Jesus comes) they go to live in
Bethlehem.
Jacob’s wife Rachel
was buried in Bethlehem.
Jesse of Bethlehem had
7/8 sons – the last was a boy named David whom Samuel anointed as the second
king of Israel.
As unimportant as Bethlehem was, some
important people were already associated with it when the most important person
ever was born there – but remember he too was born out of town – OH I DON’T
MEAN NAZERETH TO BETHLEHEM! I MEAN HEAVEN
TO EARTH. Jesus was born WAY out of
town. Don’t live beneath your privilege.
God has a greater home you were originally designed for but you chose to
design your own home – How is that working for you? Come, come home, Jesus is waiting – come home.
The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the
world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the
world. We are from God – and our home is with Him!
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