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Tomorrow, June 7, 2026, will be our 57th wedding anniversary! I used this same photo last year when I wrote about our anniversary. Instead of a traditional bouquet, I had chosen to carry yellow roses attached to a Bible. The yellow roses also appear on the wedding cake. I still love yellow roses! All roses are beautiful, but for some reason the yellow ones speak to my heart. I look back at this…

3 John 1: 5-8. Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: Because that for His Name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers…

3 John 1: 2-4. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. John’s love for Gaius is clear throughout this epistle. John refers to him as…

3 John 1:1. The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. The elder is the title which John uses, again, to refer to himself. He had certainly earned such a title! Who, though, was Gaius? We’re really not sure. There are other men by this name mentioned in the New Testament: (Acts 19:29, 20:4; 1 Corinthians 1:14; Romans 16:23). Since John is writing this epistle toward the…

II John 1:12-13. Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen. We have quickly come to the end of this brief chapter. John’s closing remarks show his care and concern for the believers to whom he writes. He says he has a lot more to…

II John 1: 10-11. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. I have always taken this warning from the Apostle John at its face value. Anyone who comes to my door offering me literature or wanting to enter my home and discuss their beliefs with me is…

Today is the last Saturday in May, 2026. Looking back over this year so far, it’s hard for me to take in how fast the time has gone. Some weeks–even months–have blurred together in my memory. I’ve had some fairly severe physical difficulties that have disrupted sleep and normal routines. I’ve spent a lot of time in my wonderful recliner in the living room, just barely keeping up with household…

2 John 1:9. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. John, the Apostle of Love, doesn’t mince words about the importance of acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. What he says, in plain words, is that you either have the Father and the Son, or you don’t. I…

II John 1:7-8. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. I addressed how we can identify some types of deceivers in an earlier post: Walking in Truth, published two days ago. There is one…

2 John 1: 5-6. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. In verse 5, John beseeches the elect lady that they, the believers she influences, love…

2 John 1: 3-4. Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. Verse 3 ends John’s greetings to the elect lady. I love the blessing he speaks over her: Grace, mercy, and peace from the Father and…

2 John 1:2. For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Continuing in his greeting to the “elect lady” and her children, and the fellow believers she influences, John makes a simple statement: “I am writing to you for the sake of the truth. That truth is with us now, and it will be with us forever.” Of what truth is he speaking? The truth is that Jesus Christ…

If you don’t have grandchildren yet, you’re in for a real treat. I loved them when they were babies, of course. What I’m learning now, however, is that I’m REALLY enjoying them as adults. My youngest is 16. Two of my grandsons are married to lovely girls. One just graduated from college and is hoping to get into the Air Force. One loves fishing. One of my married grandsons, with his wife, is…

II John 1:1. The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; John begins this letter by introducing himself as “the elder,” a title which is most fitting. He was in his 90s when he wrote this epistle. He goes on to address the individual to whom he writes as “the elect lady.” There is some dispute as to his…

I John 5: 19-21. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. We are told, in Ephesians 2:2, that Satan is…

I John 5: 18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. Some use this verse to teach that a believer can reach sinless perfection in this life. A careful study of the verb tense in the Greek, however, clears up that misconception. The verb sin, in this context, would be roughly equivalent to the…