Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts — Walter Brubacker

Greetings in the name of Jesus. Glad to be here this morning and a blessing to see all of you and especially that we can come together with this goal of honoring our King, walking in the light and following Jesus as he leads.

And last evening, the brother-in-law I talked about has died. So his page is closed. His book is closed, I should say. And what I said, my brother-in-law that I talked about earlier different times has died yesterday evening.

And it's like eight weeks ago. He didn't know that he was anything wrong with him. He's a little bit older than me, but not much. And so they went to the doctor at that time and said, it won't be long.

And it wasn't really long. It's kind of little, feels a little different. But we're still with the living and we can make choices today that will make a big difference in the future. Brother Adly brought out how we listen and how we hear.

And yeah, and how we obey. If you all want to stand for prayer and pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you. You have all things in your hand and the power to forgive whom you will, to save whom you will.

We thank you for your mercy and your kindness to all mankind and how mankind has hurt you and rejected you after you long for them and in so many ways have stretched out your hand to us and we thank you.

For what you have done. Be with us today. Be with us into eternity. In Jesus name. Amen. That's a lesson today. If I can call it such. I'm going to read a few of Jesus words out of Matthew 5 starting at three.

We know them by heart. But have we heard? Have we listened? Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who went before you. I think without these I've mentioned it before I guess but without these I don't think we can start the journey to eternity or eternal life.

It takes this for us to be able to grasp anything else that God's going to speak to us. And when he came when Jesus came was he not was he not lowly humbled himself emptied himself even though I was just looking at some of these wordings just looking at the words in the Bible and does anybody know what Emmanuel means?

Amen. God is with us. This was the vision that Joseph had that persuaded him to take Mary as his wife. Even though she was with child. I thought that's what it so God with us. Isn't that a isn't that a mystery?

He often referred to himself as a son of man in the search. I did he's he referred to himself as a son of man 87 times and the son of God. He called himself that I shouldn't say he called himself you find those words.

56 times in the search. I did this is this is the mystery. I think that stands between God and then some of the mystery in how he can how he's able to do this for for his for us for all mankind. He didn't humble himself just for any cause.

One place it says his his heart. I think not sure exact wording but his heart yearns for the souls that he has given us. We're all over the world. Not just ours, but all over the world. He's his heart yearns for us.

He's jealous for us. He desires that we hear that we listen to feel like John wrote a lot about this and it gives very he gives us things to listen for and things to hear. Beginning first John 1 we declare to you what from the beginning that from the beginning what we have heard what we have seen with our eyes and what we have looked at and touched with our hands concerning the word of life.

This life was revealed and we have seen it and testified to it and declare to you the eternal life that was with the father and was revealed to us. We declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ.

We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete things. He they saw the things they heard and the things they touched was actually flesh. He humbled himself and came from heaven. In became flesh.

This is what he's talking about when he talks. This is what we've seen and heard but he also talks about the eternal. This is the message. We have heard from him that proclaim to you that God is light and in him.

There is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness. We lie and do not do what he's what is true. But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light.

We have fellowship with one another darkness can't very easily walk together. They have the rules and laws and regulations and and still their fights and killings and murderings. This is darkness. But if we if we walk in the light of Jesus, we can have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanses from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sin, we make him a liar and his word is not in us little children.

I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone does sin, we have an advocate from the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now by this we may be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments by now by this we may be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. Whoever says I have come to know him and does not obey his commandments is a liar and in such a person the truth does not exist.

I think Jesus gave us plenty of commandments. More than we're going to obtain to perfection till we die. And when we fall can we can we confess and be reconciled or or have but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous but when we become proud is when problems really really escalate and we we no longer our perception our hearing is gone.

Our perception is gone. Whoever says I have come to know him and does not obey his commandments is a liar and in such a person the truth does not exist. But whoever obeys his word truly in this person.

The love of God has reached perfection, but whoever obeys his word truly this is Jesus words truly in this truly in this person. The love of God has reached perfection. I guess I'm kind of impressed with this reach perfection.

So we step by step we obey and we have reached a perfection by this. We may be sure that we are in him. I guess this is still continuation by this. We may be sure that we are in him whoever says I abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

He loved them writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true to him and in you because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

Whoever says I'm in the light while hating your brother or sister is still in darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light and in such a person. There is no cause for stumbling. Jesus had given some real clear teaching on that as well.

This would almost bring out that if we have love for the brethren brothers and sisters there will be not even be a cause for stumbling. This is not the rock Jesus talks about if you build on but whoever hates another believer is in darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know the way to go because the darkness has brought on blindness.

This is this blindness I talked about earlier. I didn't realize this verse was in here and Jesus said how great is that darkness? I'm writing to your little children because your sins are forgiven on account of his name.

I'm writing to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. I'm writing to you young people because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you children because you know the father I write to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you young people because you are strong and the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of God is not in those who love the world.

I had not intended to go into any not much at least. There were many things I could say and sometime will but I'm planning to do that today. But we all have we all have some perception of the world in us that would so gladly have control in us, but we cannot have that and the father both at the same time.

For all that is in the world and the desires of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the pride in riches comes not from the father but from the world. And the world and its desires are passing away and those who do the will of God live forever.

That's how frivolous even our own life is just all the ministers used to say like I'm not like a vapor I guess it's scripture but or like on a on a twine a little little tiny little string just breaks and it's gone.

I've observed this in animals. Their life goes from them and it's gone. It doesn't come back. It's gone forever. God can resurrect us and will resurrect us someday, but the world all these things are just just passing children.

It is the last hour as you have heard that Antichrist is coming so that so now many Antichrists have come from this. We know that it is the last hour. I guess I just have the Marvel little. John was a disciple of Jesus and he said there's many Antichrist Antichrist coming.

So and now many Antichrist have come from this. We know that it is the last hour they went out from us, but they did not belong to us for they had had they belong to us. They would have remained with us.

But by going out they make it plain that none of them belongs to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One and all of you have knowledge. I write not I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you know it and you know that no lie comes from the truth.

Who is the liar? But the one who denies that Jesus is Christ. This is the Antichrist the one who denies the father and the son. No one denies the son. No one who denies the son has the father. And everyone who confesses the son has the father also the father and the son.

They have a connection. That's very tight. If we confess Christ, we're also going to have the father let what you hear from the beginning. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you then you will abide in the son and in the father.

And this is what he has promised us. Eternal life write these things. I write these things to you concerning those who who would deceive you. As for you the anointed that you received from him abides in you and now and so you do not need anyone to teach you but as he's anointed as his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie and just as it has been taught you abide in him.

One thing I like to think about Jesus is all the way from Adam like this pointing to Jesus pointing to Jesus pointing to Jesus and after Jesus again, the disciples pointing to Jesus and we in the very last day we point to Jesus.

This is what I believe about the apostles. They were pointing to Christ, but as his anointing teaches you all things and is true and is not a lie and just as it has taught you abide in him in another place.

It says walk as you have received the Lord Jesus Christ walk in him in the same way by faith trusting him. It doesn't we don't get on some four-lane Highway after a while and and we we can forget about everything just be going down the road as we received him.

We need to walk in him and now little children abide in him so that when he is revealed we may have confidence not to be put to shame before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.

If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him. Do we hear have we heard what is right? Is it complicated to understand what what Christ wants of us what he what he taught us to do?

I'm sure at times. There's a lack of understanding but I think I think more often we'd have to confess that we just might not want to see what love the father has given us that we should be called children of God and that is what we are the reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

So we can't be friends with the world because the world the world doesn't the world doesn't know him. So they don't know us either. They don't know why we do things the way we do. They have a better way.

The governments are always trying to indoctrinate children. From pretty well anywhere in the world, whatever that's worth the love. We are God's children. Now what we will be has not yet been revealed.

What we do know is this so I think John is also leaving a mystery. We don't even know. What we will be I think this is why Jesus came in the flesh because we understand flesh. We can comprehend it. But then when it goes what happens to us after this time, who knows some is anybody sure can tell me for sure how it's going to be after this time John would have said what we will be has not yet been revealed.

What we do know is this when he is revealed. We will be like him for we will see him as he is and all who have this hope in him purify themselves just as he is pure these strong encouragements even if we even with it just this hope that we can be like him.

We will be like him causes us to purify ourselves just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins and in him there is no sin in him.

There is no sin. No one who abides in him sins. No one who sins has either seen him or known him. These are very strong words. I guess I would have to say without repentance. They're true. But because we can repent we can humble ourselves.

Thankfully, I think all of us have experienced the humility of of humiliation. I should say of ending up sinning in some way and we have to say we're sorry and we we ask forgiveness and we we make things right little children.

Let no one deceive you everyone who does what is right is righteous just as he is righteous. Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The son of God was revealed for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil.

Isn't that a great consolation Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. The son of God was revealed for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil. That's part of the plan those who have been born of God do not sin because God see the bites in them.

They cannot sin because they have been born of God. I have no explanation for how to now that all balances out with the ones that say that if you say you have no sin, then you're a liar. I'm sure there's a way that this all blends the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed in this way.

All who do not do what is right all who do not do what is right are not from God nor are those who do not love their brothers and sisters for this is the message you have heard from the beginning that we should love one another.

We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother and why did he murder him because his own deeds were evil and his brothers righteous. So why do we have bad thoughts about people?

Why do we why do we consider why do we get Jesus said if we hate somebody we already or if we're angry with somebody we already committed murder. Is it not because that other person is righteous and we are we are because his own deeds were evil and his brothers righteous.

I couldn't take that God came and warned him told him this is a problem and he's he couldn't take it. The answer to his problem was to get rid of evil. And so he did do not be astonished brothers and sisters that the world hates you.

We know that we have failed you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another whoever does not love abides in death all who hated brother or sister are murderers and you know that murderers do not enter do not have eternal life abiding in them.

We know love by this that we know love by this that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. Do we have any thoughts what that might look like?

Physical war. I think that would be a good example. And also another example is losing our life literally, you know, dying brothers and also lose our life in a way that we don't take care of a person in a wheelchair.

You know,.

Yeah, those are those are good. But I think this am I wrong that this might be a run amongst the brothers and sisters. How do we lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters? What would that look like?

Even helping one another does not make everybody exactly the same. Don't let your.

Don't let opinions divide you. Keep your heart with all diligence when it comes to opinions. So we give up, right? No, you don't give up. You just You. You let other people have their own opinions and you don't get offended if their opinion is different than yours.

I guess it was, you know, it relates to humility, just being humble. People disagreeing with their opinions. I think a lot of people make the mistake to get offended at opinions and they divide over opinions.

It's true. I would add to Brother Tao's too and say just like we have a tendency as human beings to want to show our rightness and and to prove someone else that their wrongness, I guess. And what if we just had to make a conscious decision all the time too?

It doesn't matter how right I am. It doesn't matter that I think someone else is wrong. That if we can't put that to rest, then we're really willing to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

It takes a conscious decision. And I see what Robert was getting at in verse 17. I think how does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees your brother or sister need and yet refuses help?

Um, He's probably not saying that.

That's what that scripture is saying. There's no private interpretation. You can't just you can't just say this is what it is. If it's not that. But if it's very, very clear in the scripture and it's it's scriptural, then that's different.

That's not an opinion. Opinion is just this is what I think it's saying.

That's your opinion. Yeah, that's my opinion. Exactly. Verse 18 little children. Let us love not in word or in speech, but in truth and action. So these things that Jesus did for us have to be coming out of us somehow.

I think they will. It can't be otherwise.

No, you know what I mean? I think that's that's a good opinion or brother that might like to eat a chocolate bar. And then you please let us know. We need that chocolate bar. I wasn't trying to disagree.

I know you believe that but I realize there was many divisions in Christendom. Yes.

And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will assure our hearts before him. Whenever our heart can hearts condemn us for God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything. Beloved if our hearts do not condemn us.

We have boldness before God. And we receive from him whatever we ask because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. We know that Jesus did not please himself. He did whatever the father told him and in the end he in the end he he just obeyed the father's will and this is what all these scriptures are for us that we be like him and this is his commandment that we should believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another just as he has commanded us and this is a commandment and this is his commandment that we should believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another just as he has commanded us all who obey his commandments abide in him and he abides in them.

By this we know that he abides in us by the spirit that he has given us. So would we all confess that we have been given a spirit that longs and desires that this flesh be denied and long and desire to, although it doesn't matter that we get beaten or persecuted.

I read in Matthew that we're blessed if men persecute us and it's just as he has commanded us. So we've been given something that we should take consolation and we should cherish. We should uphold this desire to do right because by all appearance it doesn't appear to me like most people in this world have that desire.

I don't know what to say about it. They desire good things. They desire some of the things we may have, but they're not willing to deny themselves for it. So we need to keep precious the spirit that he has given us.

And by this we know that he abides in us by the spirit that he has given us. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits and see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

By this you know the spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is from God. And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist of which you have heard that from the beginning that is coming and now is already in the world.

Little children, you are from God and have conquered them for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world, therefore what they say is from the world and the world listens to them.

We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us. And whoever is not from God does not listen to us. I'm sure John had many teachings other than what we read here. But are we in agreement, John? Whoever knows God listens to us and whoever is not from God does not listen to us.

From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another because love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God for God is love.

God's love was revealed among us in this way. God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we love God, but he loved us and sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

There's a real reason that we should love God and if we love God, we love one another. We respect one another. We care for one another. We help one another. We pray for one another. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is perfected in us. So we haven't seen God and we say we love him, this is a real challenge. I think he's saying no one has ever seen God and Jesus put the challenge on when he said that if we love those, if we say we love those, if we say we love God, that we cannot see and do not love the brother that we can see.

I forget what it says after that, but the love of God is not in us. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us his spirit and we have seen and do testify that the father has sent his son as the savior of the world.

God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the son of God and they abide in God. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the son of God and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has sent for us.

God is love and those who abide in love abide in God and God abides in them. Is this not a mysterious well? Who here can say he knows how God abides in him and explain it? We know the spirit comes here, we know he teaches us and he draws us and he helps us to, he guides us and leads us, but how does that happen?

How do we abide in him and God abides in us? Love has been perfected among us in this that we may have boldness on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. Because as he is, so are we in this world.

So Jesus had already ascended and they were still on the earth. Maybe I don't understand that right. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.

We love because he first loved us. Those who say, I thought Jesus had said this quote and maybe he did, but those who say I love God and hate his brothers or sisters are liars. For those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen cannot love God, whom they have seen cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

I'm still, I don't know. I love God, those who say I love God and hate their brothers and sisters are liars. For those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

The commandment we have from him is this those who love God must love their brothers and sisters. So when somebody walks in the light I think we have better be beware of judgment ourselves if we attract such a one.

Everyone who has believes that Jesus is the everyone who have who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. And everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments.

Now he's back intertwining this like we know we love the children of God because we love God and obey his commandments again. Earlier it said if we if we love if we love we know that we love God if we love his children.

For the love of God is this that we obey his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. For whoever's born of the born of God conquers the world and this is the victory that conquers the world our faith.

Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood Jesus Christ Jesus Christ this is the one who came by water and blood Jesus Christ not with the water only but with water and blood.

And the Spirit is the one that testifies for the Spirit is the truth. There are three that testify the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree. If we receive human testimony the testimony of God is greater.

I think we often I'm not knocking this I don't know that it's wrong but we often talk amongst ourselves and we try to figure things out but here it says the testimony of God is greater. What is that? Is it not the whole Bible?

Is it not what Jesus has has brought to us? This testimony is the greatest. I would hope our conversations and our discussions could be like a stepping stone to one more step closer to being in this true light that he talks about in here and to be and to be of God and abide in God.

If we receive human testimony the testimony of God is greater for this is the testimony of God that he has that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts.

Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. This is the testimony God has God gave us eternal life and this is the testimony God gave us eternal life and this life is in his Son.

Whoever has the Son has life. Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. This is repeated so often and often I'm going to have to point it out that believing in the Son of God it's either or.

If we do not believe in the Son of God we have no life. That doesn't seem to me like there's a middle road here and so pretty much on this testimony been all through John here. 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.

As much emphasis has been put on the Son of God in these chapters maybe we need to sharpen up. This is the boldness that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us and if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask we know that we have obtained the request made of him.

If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin you will ask and God will give life to such a one. To those who sin is not to those who sin is not mortal. There is a sin that is mortal.

I do not say that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin but there is a sin that is not mortal. We know that those who are born of God do not sin but those who are born of God protect those who are born of God born of God protects them but the one who's born of God protects them and the evil one does not touch them.

We know that we are God's children and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one and we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true.

We and we are in him who is true in his Son Jesus Christ. We are in him who is true in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children keep yourselves from idols. Feel free to share.

Correct? Thank you brother I appreciated that. I didn't.

Have a whole lot to share but one thing really stood out to me that you you said it and it just gave me so much hope and so much courage to just consider it. I think I want to write it on a piece of paper and put it by my front door but it was where you had mentioned that Jesus or not Jesus but Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.

Yeah that's it and that's so encouraging just Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil like he came like he Satan messed it all up and Jesus came to save us and destroy what what Satan had thought he was going to get away with but he did not get away with it.

He's he's just he's destroyed it then and he's continuing to destroy it and in each and every one of our lives on a day-to-day basis he wants to destroy the works of the devil. It's so hopeful you know just in the time and that this is this slot in history that we live in right now it can be so discouraging if you just look at it you know in a you know just I think there's a word it's called myopic when you can't see past the tip of your nose.

If you just look at it with that myopic I frame I'm not sure how to say that but it's just so discouraging but if you look at it with the big picture that Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil he is victorious.

It's really encouraging I think I appreciated that.

Thank you. Thanks for the reading of John or first John brother Walter. As a time we go through it especially my wife and I we we we take new correction and new hope from what John says in that book that epistle and my wife just pointed something out to me at the end that those who are born of God he protects which I it's easy to get discouraged.

I think brother Taylor just said that in in the face of some of the difficulties that are thrown at us right now and and probably throughout time I mentioned for all Christians and that just to be reminded that that although although suffering will come and and and even even death and things like this that that we are as Jesus says we're you know we're supposed to be blessed by these things these things are a blessing rather and that we should rejoice in that but you know these things may come but God will protect us and I don't think obviously that doesn't mean he's going to protect our life or he's going to protect our our liberty in our nation states that we currently reside in and but that he protects you know that thing which is his which is his his people his his commandments in us our walk and I just there was one we're reading through a book and probably many of you have read about glad to sail word and and it's just it's been interesting to to read her story she just knew she had a home in China she just had to go there and and she just set her sights on that she just walked walked all the way or not walked all the way but went to China and despite all the difficulties she faced she she arrived there and well I would hope she did the Lord's work there I mean but yeah the just in one of the parts of the book that we're actually reading she just says like God will protect me and and she just you know as a woman by herself she just believe that I believe that and we need to believe that.