1 John 4

In this day and age, there are many persons who want to lead but who are not called to lead. They tell people things they want to hear but they did not hear it from God, the Holy One. Even as John indicates how we will know the spirit of the antichrist, Jesus tells us that we will know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-20).

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name, I have not sent them, says the Lord. Jeremiah 29:8-9 (NKJV)

As God is not of this world, so are we not of this world. As Jesus says in John 18:36, 'My Kingdom is not of this world.' In the kingdom of God, there is love. God is love. Everything that God does for us, is because He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). God thinks about us all the time (Psalms 139:17-18) and He is gracious towards us, His people (Micah 7:18-19). This is why He sent His only Son to save us in order for us to have everlasting life with Him. We should be more loving like Him. We should desire to follow His commandments and hide them within our hearts.

Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)

If God dwells in us and we in Him, the Holy Spirit therefore dwells in us and we live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. As we live by the Spirit, we leave behind the things of this world and most of all the flesh (Galatians 5:24-25).

As we love God, we begin to trust Him and His power to take care of every situation and trial that we go through. As we cast our cares on Him (Matthew 11:28-30), we no longer fear what this world will bring or do to us because perfect love casts out fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

Even though we cannot see God, we know Him through His Word and His Holy Spirit who dwells in us (John 14:17). Let us come to know the God who is love and who loves us unconditionally. Let us hide His Word in our hearts and become hungry for Him.