Being part of a family means contributing to family life, and maturing as we practice patience, and learn how to encourage and how to forgive. The disciples did not go from temple to temple listening to other teachers. They had found Jesus. He taught the TRUTH and they followed Him.

The answer to our lack of understanding is Jesus! Spending time with Him will help bring clarification. There will always be things that we do not understand, truths that we cannot get hold of this side of Heaven. But chatting to Jesus, the King of Heaven can help a lot.

Some of us pray for local leaders who affect our lives more directly than those in higher authority. But do we seriously pray for government leaders? There are battles all around us, in every government. And believing Christians have a responsibility to lift those people up to The Lord regularly.

Once converted, these people were expecting Jesus to come back very soon, and basically got tired of waiting and were wondering about going back to Judaism. The writer of the letter is suggesting they go back, not to Judaism, but to learn the basic truths of Christianity all over again.

If only all of us could hear the voice of God as clearly as Isaiah did, the world would be a different place. Thankfully there are many prophetic voices who are speaking out the word of God today. Sadly many of us, are not listening too well. Read Isaiah 45.

1 John 1:5-6. Every day we have choices to make, and sometimes very subtly, those choices are between good and evil, truth and lies. Satan has never changed and still tries to persuade us that eating the fruit will not cause any problems. In fact we will be enlightened!

Jesus was always open with the truth and gave very clever answers to those who tried to trick Him. His answers were always truthful and usually helpful to those who wanted to listen, but very irritating to those who did not. Jesus has, and is the solution to every problem.

The Jewish people, in all their desert wanderings, had forgotten what it meant to live in one place. Or have regular church in a temple, be part of a static community. For generations they had been living on the move! Prophets called for the temple of God to be rebuilt.

This is a sentiment that most of us can identify with. John is talking about his spiritual children, and writing to those who have converted to Christ because they are a part of a church that he planted. But it is a verse that all of us can identify with.