Gary Gleans

Now I want   to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that   Jesus, who saved   a people out of the land of Egypt,   afterward destroyed those who did not believe.    And   the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as   Sodom and Gomorrah and   the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and   pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Rebellion against God and unbelief has consequences.  There is a sense that people have that God ignores sin.  People wrongly mistake His graciousness and patience for indifference.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  God hates and judges sin.  It might not take place instantaneously, but it will take place eventually....

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.     Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.     For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. It would be interesting to know what Jude would have written about our common salvation.  We can speculate that he would have written about how the Gospel unites both Jews and Gentiles through faith in Christ.  He could have simply written about salvation through faith in Christ.  What he might have...

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.     So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.     Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.     Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.     I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink.     I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.     Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name. Examples can be both positive and negative.  We can learn from both....

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for   these brothers,   strangers as they are,   who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner   worthy of God.    For they have gone out for the sake of   the name,   accepting nothing from the Gentiles.    Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. The furtherance of the Gospel requires cooperation within the body of Christ.  Everyone has a role to play, and every aspect of the mission is important.  Gaius was a leader in a local church that was given the opportunity to cooperate with missionaries who were striving to advance the Gospel to unreached places.  John encouraged these practices that we too would do well to emulate. PRACTICE HOPITALITY: The word for hospitality is derived from two words: love and strangers.  Gaius and t...

The elder to the beloved Gaius,   whom I love in truth.    Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.    For   I rejoiced greatly when the brother s  came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth .   I have no greater joy than to hear that   my children are walking in the truth. John writes this personal letter to a church leader named Gaius.  We really don’t know who this man is or where he ministered.  This introduction to the letter teaches us some valuable lessons about relationships between brothers in Christ and the ministry of encouragement. LOVING THROUGH PRAYER: It is a blessing to see John practice his preaching.  He communicates his love for Gaius in the introduction to this letter and demonstrates that love through prayer.  We don’t really know who Gaius is or where this letter was sent....

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.     Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.     Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.     If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.     Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.     The children of your elect sister greet you. The hope of the Gospel and the fellowship of believers are blessings of inestimable v...