Frank's Bible Blog

1 John 5-- The Fireproof Secret

In the movie Fireproof, firefighter captain Caleb Holt is accustomed to rushing into burning buildings and rescuing total strangers. But in his own life, Holt watches as his marriage burns to the ground. With a dare from his father, and an inward desire to never quit, Holt embarks on a 40 day challenge to try and rescue his marriage from its burning embers. But half way through Holt realizes that this is much harder than anything else he had ever attempted--he needed a strength and a power that he just didn't posses. In 1 John 5, God gives us the secret to fireproofing our lives--the secret to being able to love others and live victoriously. That secret is found by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (vv1-5) and walking in Him. When we place our faith and trust in Christ, we are able to overcome the challenges of this world (v5). The Trinity--God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ("these three are one" vv7-8) bear witness to this truth. That faith not only gives us eternal life (v13) but the opportunity to have our prayers answered by Almighty God (vv14-16). It also gives us the ability to overcome sin, so that sin no longer characterizes our lives and we no longer have to abide in it (vv16-18). For those who fail to fireproof their lives, they may actually see their lives cut short as there is a sin that leads to death (vv16-17). So, lets examine our relationship with Christ so that we can fireproof our lives and have the confidence that "he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him" (v18).
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

1 John 4-- Watch the Runner. Pitch to the Batter

It is the bottom of the ninth inning and your baseball team is up by one run. You are on the mound pitching for the visiting team. You give up a single to the lead-off hitter--who happens to lead the league in stolen bases. As you prepare to throw to the next batter, there are two things very clear in your mind: you have got to watch the runner at first base and you have got to make a good pitch. If the runner gets too much of a jump, he could score if the batter hits the ball well. You cannot let that happen! Like that pitcher, when it comes to living the Christian life, 1 John 4 tells us that there are two things that must be clear in our minds. First, we have got to watch the runners--the false teachers and philosophies that actually deny Christ (vv1-6). There are many of them manifesting themselves in various ways. But you can successfully overcome them because "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (v4) and because "we are of God and he who knows God hears us...By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error" (v6). Second, we have to throw the right "pitch" to everyone, and that is genuine love (vv7-21). Love is the fundamental proof that we belong to God and are walking in Him (vv12, 16). This love comes as a result of us first experiencing God's love by committing our lives to Christ as our Savior (vv14-16). Watching for deception and living out a life of love--two very important things that should be clear in all of our lives.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

1 John 3-- Just a Word?

Some words tend to be over used and misunderstood. Take for example the word love. We love certain foods (ice cream!), sports teams (anything Dallas), and favorite activities (travel). We fall into love and then before we know it fall out of love. We love our spouse, but we also love our dog. For Christians, however, love is something that we must not only understand but also practice. I John 3 makes it clear that love is central to who we are as God's children. We have received God's love (vv1-3), which was evident to us by Christ laying down His life for us (v16). Love must not be something that we just talk about. No, love by its very nature must be demonstrated (v18). Love shows God that we are serious about Him, and it shows the world that we know Him (vv1, 13, 14). So what does this love look like? It is first and foremost marked by righteous living (vv3-12) that seeks to honor God and follow His ways. Then it tangibly shows itself in how we treat other believers (v14-15). We are willing to make incredible sacrifices for others (v16). We take from our abundance to help those in need (v17). In other words, we don't just talk about love--we actually do it (v18). So, if you want to talk about how much you love your cat or lasagna or that favorite fishing spot, go ahead. But when it comes to true love for God and others, you won't just talk about it. You will do it.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

1 John 2-- Gold Medal Living

It must be an incredible feeling to be an Olympic athlete and find yourself standing on the gold medal platform as the ultimate athletic recognition is placed around your neck. The years of hard work, the sacrifices, the endurance have all paid off as you bask in international glory. But before you know it, that moment is gone. Sure, you still have the gold medal, but before long life quickly returns to something much less dramatic and exciting. But what if you could have gold medal living everyday? What if each day was a special victory that you could celebrate? Well, you can have that kind of accomplishment--maybe not in the athletic arena but certainly in life. 1 John 2 gives us seven insights into making gold medal living a reality. First, know and follow God's ways (vv3-6). Understanding what God expects of us, as laid out in His word, is critical. Next, watch your attitude towards others (v9). Unforgivingness and selfishness can quickly turn into bitterness and even hatred of others. Third, know your spiritual growth level (vv12-14). There are certain things that we must grasp and model in each of these stages. Next, avoid having a love affair with the world (vv15-17). Lusting after temporal things will only distract, derail and detain us from victory. Then watch out for deceivers (vv18-23) who may look "Christian" but actually are against Christ. Sixth, allow the Holy Spirit to guide you (vv26-27). By actively listening to Him, we will know right from wrong. Finally, abide in Christ (vv28-29). Maintain your love relationship with Him by talking to Him through prayer, listening to Him speak to you through the Bible, and obeying what He shows you. You may never stand on top of the gold medal podium at the Olympics, but you can have a gold medal life each and every day.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

1 John 1-- I'm So Excited

Have you ever had such great news that you could hardly wait to tell someone? You were bubbling over with so much excitement that you wanted to shout it out to the whole world! Well, I think that is how the Apostle John must have felt as he wrote John 1.  You can just feel the excitement as John launches into his epistle. He had found something so exciting, so amazing that he could hardly wait to share it with others. What is it that he found? The Word of life--the ability to have joy-filled fellowship with God. John wrote from personal experience having walked with Christ and went on to experience a continuously intimate fellowship with God. You and I, said John, can have that same kind of joy-filled life. What does it take? First, we have to have received eternal life by committing our lives to Christ (vv1-4). Then, we must "walk in the light" (v7). We must walk in God's holiness, His righteousness. When we walk in sin we lose our fellowship or closeness to God (but not our relationship--we are still His child) vv5-7. To stay in the light, we must be quick to confess sin and seek God's forgiveness as soon as we become aware of it (v9). The issue is not being sinless, because that is impossible for everyone but God (v10). Rather, the issue is being aware of sin and quickly turning from it. This will ensure that we are walking in the light. When we do that, we not only enjoy an intimate relationship with God, but with other believers as well (v7). Walking in a dynamic and close relationship with the creator of the universe--now that is something to get excited about!

Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.