Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.
1 John 2:18 NLT
There’s something about a fire that makes truth easier to hear. No podium. No performance. Just warmth, crackling logs, and the quiet sense that Someone is already here — waiting for us to sit down.
John opens this passage with a tender word: “Children…”
Not soldiers. Not scholars. Children.
That alone sets the tone. This isn’t a lecture on theology — it’s a loving warning from someone who cares deeply about where we’re headed and who we’re riding with.
Trust: Who Are You Riding With?
John says, “This is the last hour…”
He’s not trying to scare us. He’s trying to wake us up.
There are voices everywhere. Some sound spiritual. Some sound wise. Some even quote Scripture. But not every voice carries the heart of the Father.
Trust begins here:
- We trust God.
- We trust the written Word.
Not trends.
Not charisma.
Not what feels good in the moment.
Trust means believing that God is good — even when the road narrows. It means believing His truth doesn’t need our editing or softening. It can carry the full weight of our questions.
Sometimes trust looks like staying when it would be easier to drift.
Sometimes it looks like releasing a voice that once helped us but now pulls us off course.
That’s not betrayal. That’s maturity.
They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
1 John 2:19-20
Listen: What Voice Is Speaking Right Now?
John talks about those who “went out from us.” Not because they lacked information — but because they stopped listening to the right voice.
This is where it gets personal.
As we sit with the Word and invite the Holy Spirit near, we begin to notice the difference between:
- His voice — steady, convicting, full of hope
- The flesh — loud, impatient, self-protective
- The enemy — subtle, divisive, accusing
The Holy Spirit doesn’t shout over the noise. He waits for us to lean in.
So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.
And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
1 John 2:21-23 NLT
So let’s pause for a moment.
- What phrase or truth from 1 John 2:18–23 keeps rising to the surface?
- What stirs — peace, resistance, curiosity?
That’s often where revelation begins. The Spirit breathes understanding into our spirits.
Obey: What’s the Next Step?
Our next step of obedience rarely arrives like a thunderclap. Most of the time, it whispers.
“Stay.”
“Speak truth with love.”
“Let that go.”
“Come back to Me.”
Obedience isn’t about striving — it’s about staying close. It’s choosing to keep riding with Jesus even when the road curves and the scenery changes.
Just like a faithful dog only wants to be next to his master, we desire to remain close with ours.
John reminds us that those who remain in the Son remain in the Father. That’s the promise.
Not performance.
Presence.
And here’s the quiet miracle: when we obey — even imperfectly — our lives begin to change without us forcing them to. Love deepens. Discernment sharpens. Peace takes root.
Let’s Sit With This
Where might God be inviting you to trust Him more deeply?
What is He inviting you to listen to — or stop listening to?
And what simple act of obedience is rising gently in your heart right now?
No pressure. No pretending.
Just stay with Him.
Because the safest place to be… is riding with Jesus.
Father in Heaven, we give You all the glory. Thank You for including us in Your story of redemption. Give us wisdom and patience as we abide in You and You in us. Let Your love transform our hearts, our homes, our neighborhoods and the world. Amen.
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
Luke 9:23 NLT
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