The Apostle John was the last living apostle and was the only apostle who was not martyred.  Before his death, Jesus gave John the responsibility of taking care of His mother. John was exiled to the island Patmos (Greece) by the Roman government around 94 AD.  There he received “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” and wrote the book of Revelation. 

Revelation 1:1-3 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

The angel instructed him to write all that he saw.

Revelation 1:19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.

While imprisoned on the island, John received the revelation concerning the end times. After being released, he wrote 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd John.  Even though he had received the greatest revelation while on the island, when he returned, he was an old father, writing what was on his heart to his children. From his epistles, we can see his care and concern for the family of God was on his heart.   No grand utterance.  No blow-by-blow details of what had happened.  Just a letter from the heart.

Brother and sisters, as you read the following verses, substitute your name for the word “children.” Let’s listen and hear the Lord speak to us through the Apostle John.

1 John 2:1 My little children (Marion), I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

1 John 2:12-13 ¹²I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. ¹³I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

1 John 3:1-2 ¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  ²Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

1 John 3:10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Gracious Lord, please give us Your children ears to hear and a heart to receive Your speaking to us today.

In Him,

Marion