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We come to the end of this little journey in this little letter of First John.\\xa0

\\xa0We have heard of the broad sweep of what God has done for the word he loves in the Son he gave for the life he calls us to live. It is very grand in scale and yet practical in the living of it. Faith, love and obedience to what the Apostles reveal of God from what they saw and heard and touched in Jesus of Nazareth is the life to which John calls us.\\xa0

\\xa0Today we hear this rather abrupt and very direct little directive in the last sentence of this letter.

\\xa021 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

\\xa0I wonder why John ends his letter speaking of idols?\\xa0

\\xa0Idols are part of this anti-messiah world that have their pull on our heart strings. John did warn us not to give our hearts to the world because this will destroy love and hope. John has also shown us that God\\u2019s heart for us is lavish in scale and that this can make our hearts lavish in love for each other. Idols must be a threat to this love.\\xa0

\\xa0We will reflect on idols and John\\u2019s remedy for how we guard giving our hearts to them and instead, keep our heart firmly attached to God\\u2019s truth in Jesus so we can love.

\\xa0May you know God\\u2019s heart of love for you today so that your heart is full of love for people around you. This love between people is how the world comes to know Jesus\\u2019 love and hope.\\xa0

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