Examples of faithful followers of Christ and those who do not follow the way of Christ.

3 John

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Examples of faithful followers of Jesus Christ.
• Example of not following the way of Jesus Christ.

Examples of faithful followers of Jesus Christ. “The Elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 3 John verses 1-4

“The Elder” is the Apostle John who is writing to Gaius, a follower of Jesus Christ. John loves Gaius in the truth of God, coming from the testimony of Jesus, and in the presence of the Holy Spirit. As followers of Jesus Christ, there must be love in our spirit and soul for those who live for the Gospel of Christ.

The prayers of our heart, for the members of the family of Christ, should be that they are prosperous in all they do and to be in good health, just as their soul prospers. We would not want their spirit and soul to be impoverished of the Holy Spirit in exchange for prosperity and health, but to prosper in alignment with the prosperity of the Spirit. There is an atheistic entity that has power over physiology and can grant health and can manipulate behaviors, words, thoughts, and feelings, to cause worldly prosperity to be given. As followers of Jesus Christ, we want no part of this entity because it enlivens the image of the beast to live and speak through people who want its health and prosperity. Masses of people are being groomed to the mark of the beast because of their desire to prosper in this world.

There is no better cause for rejoicing than to hear of someone who is filled with the Spirit of truth, living for God and walking in the way of Jesus Christ. In today’s atheistic culture, it seems as though hearing about the prosperity of fellow Christians is non-existent. Today’s culture lives by the entity that gives them what to think, feel, do, and say. They do their part to eliminate belief in God, to do away with the need for Jesus Christ to forgive sin, and they suppress the presence of the Holy Spirit. That makes it all the more joyous to hear of a child of God walking in the truth of Jesus Christ.

“Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.” 3 John verses 5-8

The praise to shower on fellow believers is that whatever is done for fellow Christians and strangers it is done faithfully. When the Apostle John wrote this letter, the non-believing Jewish people refused to help strangers, and strangers were anybody outside of the Jewish culture. Jesus Christ gave the Parable of the Good Samaritan [Luke 10:25-37] to reveal that we should help others in their difficulties, to help strangers in their time of need. And of course, to help fellow Christians who are suffering in this atheistic world.

Let our light shine in such a way that when fellow believers in Jesus Christ see us, they can smile in their heart and be a witness of our love before the family of Jesus Christ. I wear my Jesus hat whenever I go anywhere, and from time-to-time, there are people who approach and share their joy of seeing that witness. Then again, there are the unbelievers who think the Jesus hat is an invitation to ridicule in some way. Even so, Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

When members of the family Christ see our witness, even if it is just a hat that says “Jesus”, we are sending them forward on the remainder of their journey through the day in a manner worthy of God. We are doing well in doing that because others are going forth with a ray of sunshine in the name of Jesus Christ.

When John wrote this letter, the Jewish people became Gentiles in their unbelief, and we Christians became the children of God through Jesus Christ, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11-13

The followers of Jesus Christ took nothing from the Gentiles, including they took nothing from the unbelieving Jewish culture. In fact, the believers were driven out of the Jewish family and if they ever took anything from them it would be because they had renounced Jesus Christ. As Christians, we would never take anything from anybody that would require renouncing Jesus Christ. In order to be part of today’s culture, they require renunciation of our Lord Jesus to live by the atheistic entity that gives people what to do, say, feel, and think.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should welcome all those who faithfully do for strangers and other Christians within this atheistic world system. In welcoming those who do good in the name of Jesus Christ we become fellow workers for the truth.

Demetrius was also an example of one who did good for others and Christians for the sake of Jesus Christ, “Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.” 3 John verse 12

Example of not following the way of Jesus Christ. “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” 3 John verses 9-11

The Apostle John wrote a letter to the Chruch, hoping to arrange a visitation with them but Diotrephes would not allow it. Diotrephes was the type of person who exalted what he wanted above everyone else, and he did not want the influence of Jesus Christ to come to the members of the Chruch through John. This is characteristic of people who live for the atheistic entity that gives them what to do, say, think, and feel. This entity is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Click for a post on the “man of sin”.

The Apostle John promised that if he did come to the Church, he would recall the deeds of Diotrephes, how he insisted on exerting himself above all the followers of Christ, how he spoke against those spreading the Gospel of Jesus, how he refused to welcome those living for our Lord Jesus, how he prevented people who wanted to join the family of Christ, and even put out those seeking God though Jesus. This behavior is typical of the leadership of the churches of today, and of people who detests the testimony of Jesus. They live for the atheistic entity that enlivens the image of the beast to live and speak through them by giving them their thoughts and feelings, “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” Revelation 13:6-7 The “him” is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we do not want to be like mainstream society who also dominate the seats in the churches. They are atheists who discourage belief in God, prevent the Gospel of Christ from being heard, oppress the presence of the Holy Spirit, and rid the churches of true followers of Jesus Christ. We are to imitate what is good, and God is good, who sent His Son Jesus Christ to atone for sin, and gives us the presence of the Holy Spirit. We want to live humbly with one another and to receive those who want to share from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We want to speak words that build each other up in Jesus Christ, to give a welcome to members of the family of Christ, to open the door to those who want to become members of the family Christ, and to embrace them as part of the Chruch of Christ.

“I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.” 3 John verses 13-14

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11