14 Days of Love – Day 14 – God is Love

 “God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son, that whosoever should believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
 

Happy Valentines Day.  Today is the day that millions of people will go to any means to express to their spouse, children, parents, and friends that they love them.  Some will give flowers, some will give candy and still, others will give jewelry.  It represents a need deep inside every one of us to feel loved and to hear from others that we are loved.  But what about the giver?  How do they benefit from the giving?  I, for one, love giving gifts.  I love seeing the joy and happiness that is derived from receiving gifts that I have put thought and effort into.  It’s not just physical gifts though.  In many cases, it’s serving and helping others, without their knowledge or request.  Taking a warm bowl of soup to a homeless person, or buying the lunch for a soldier before they head off to serve our country.  It warms the heart to do something for others, without any visible gain from it, but often times an enormous spiritual and emotional gain. 
 
A simple example happened to me just today.  I came out of the store with several things in my shopping basket.  I arrived at my car, and proceeded to load them into the backseat.  As I stood to push my cart back down the parking lot to the cart return area, a gentlemen looked up from his car and walked toward me.  “Are you all set there, you want me to take that for you?”  He then proceeded to push my cart 100 feet down the aisle to the cart return area and then walked back to his car.

Certainly, one of the most recognized verses in the entire bible is John 3:16.  Its popularity has been broadcast worldwide on sporting events, from concerts, journalistic events and a plethora of other entertainment events.  Where it could be predicted that millions, if not billions, would be watching there was always someone who was willing to stand up for God and in doing so spread His good news.  This one scripture sums up God’s plan of salvation for mankind.  To once again draw them close to His side, He took it upon Himself to bridge the gap. 

God so loved the world.  I tell my wife, “I Love You Most” and it comes from deep within.  The deepest feelings I have for anyone in this world are shared with one person only.  This love exemplifies the emotional as well as physical love that brings two souls together.  One step removed is the love I have for my children, grandchildren, parents, and family, often greeted with “I Love You More”.  I would cross the ocean, desert or tundra to help any single one of them, because we share a bond of blood that cannot be reversed or unseeded, there will always be an emotional tie between family.  Finally, there is the love I have for my friends.  A love that is bound by values and life’s experiences.  A loving relationship that develops stronger over time.  Do I love the world?  Could I?  Certainly not.  Trying to put logic around God’s statement of loving the world, one must first realize that God is omnipotent and omnipresent and solely capable of loving every person in the world at the same time with the same depth.  Without first accepting this fact, one can never fully embrace God’s ability to love the world and everyone in it.

God gave His one and only Son.  I have 5 children and 5 Grandchildren, and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for them.  I would give up my own life before putting any of them in harm's way, so I can’t fathom the type of love that is referred to here.  How can a loving God ever consider sending His Son to become the sacrifice for all mankind?  It wasn’t that God sent His Son to die, for this result was predetermined and God knew the glorious events that would unfold 3 days afterward.  It was the pain, temptation, suffering, rejection, humiliation, and degradation that Jesus Christ would have to endure leading up to Calvary.  Jesus even asked for another way but ensured his Father that if not, he would follow through.  God gave His Son to establish a path of salvation for mankind and to demonstrate the love of the Father for everyone forever more.

The path to eternity was clearly articulated in John 3:16.  “..whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life.”  It seems straight forward.  Many claim that they don’t understand the Christian faith and all of the rules and guidelines.  They don’t comprehend the differences between Catholicism, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Methodist, Calvinistic or Reformed Baptists.  Partially because of these differences the world has been led to believe that there are many paths to heaven.  The truth comes from the scriptures.  Salvation is derived from believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah, and will return one day to bring His children home.

When we reflect on the last 14 days of devotionals on God’s Love for mankind, it all boils down to one thing, which is captured in 1 John 4:8; “…God is Love.”  That sums it up.  You can’t escape this definition of God, for everything we understand of love – emotions, serving others, words of affection, time with one another, and even the physical touch; it all stems from what God has given us through His Son - Jesus Christ.


Prayer:
Loving Father,
You have given us love.  You have shown us the truth in how to love one another and the future in how to receive salvation.  You have given us Your Son to teach us and to demonstrate Your unending love which is available to all mankind.  We rejoice in knowing that You love us and want us to be with You in heaven.  Thank You, Father, for providing a path of redemption, sanctification and eternity in Your presence.  I tell my wife, “I Love You” and it comes from deep within.  The deepest feelings I have for anyone in this world are shared with only one person.  One step removed is the love I have for my children and grandchildren. In Your name we pray – Amen


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14 Days of Love – Day 13 – Amazing Love

 “No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”  – John 16:25

 

It was the day after Sabbath and the people stood along the pathways into Jerusalem, waving palm branches and laying them upon the ground as he entered the city.  Riding upon a small colt, the King of Kings was received by all of those in Jerusalem as Hosanna, the chosen one.  Cheering, reaching out for him, singing praises and worship, the crowds accepted him as their savior.  In a matter of a few days, less than one week, oh how their attitudes and opinions would change though.

It was Friday and the people once again had gathered together.  No love in their voice, no reception or greeting with praises and worship.  They had gathered once again to ensure that this man was put to death for all his supposed claims of blasphemy.  They yelled from the crowd, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”  What had happened in 5 days?  This man must have been a serial killer, a complete heathen, an enraged convict escaped from prison, a man who had stolen from the temple or something outrageous like this in order for the entire population of Jerusalem to be up in arms and insisting on his death.  We are told of his week throughout the gospels of Matthew, Luke and John.  In them we clearly see the amount of love, compassion, joy and peace that he had lived for.



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He challenged the authority of the time with the truthful and righteous love of the Father and in doing so, drove a wedge between them and the people.  He opened up the gates of heaven to all people, not simply the Jewish brethren of that day.  This contradicted everything the leaders had been teaching, and was seen as a challenge to their authority.  In dealing with this challenge their choice was to put him to death, and they stirred the crowd with enough distorted perspective to create this demand for his life.  They could not see that he had come from the Father to usher in eternity and the Kingdom of God.  Their blindness was prophesied by Isaiah and lived out during the life of Jesus Christ.

Jesus took the pain, humiliation, guilt, suffering and death on that cross for one purpose and one purpose only.  YOU!  As the blood dripped from his back, arms, legs, chest and head; he was completely focused on fulfilling his mission.  His mission was to sacrifice himself for the sins of mankind, such that we all would one day enter into eternity with God the Father.  That’s it in a nutshell.  He came and loved all of those he met.  He shared God’s love through parables, actions, words, joy and laughter; so that we could see the beauty of our Father.  He healed people, performed miracles and even rose the dead in demonstration of his authority granted by God above.  But, his most enduring and meaningful action of his short 33 years on this earth came 3 days after he had died.  When he rose from the grave and ascended into heaven, he put to rest the questions about who he was.

For the last 2000 years (or so) people have had to make a choice regarding their salvation.  Those who have chosen to follow this man – Jesus Christ – and accepted Him as Savior and Lord, have been promised God’s love and eternity in heaven one day.  Those of you that have denied this man, still have the opportunity to realize the truth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our salvation.  If you have questions or would like to discuss this, please email me directly at sondove1@yahoo.com  or leave comments on my blog at http://sondove.blogspot.com .  Be blessed.



Prayer (in a song):
I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.
Amazing love, How can it be
That You, my King, would die for me?
Amazing love, I know its true.
Its my joy to honor You.
    - Chris Tomlin, 2010




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14 Days of Love – Day 11 – Nothing to Hide

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  – Galatians 5:22-23
 

Hypocrites!  They are all hypocrites.  How many times have you heard someone say something like, “If they got to know me, they would know that I am a good person.”  As we walk the streets and shopping centers of our life, this includes school, work, the mall, the hairdresser, the gym, the playground and yes even the bar.  We are making an impression on those around us everywhere we go.  Oh they won’t always tell you what they are thinking, but they are sizing you up and making an assessment.  The language, the mannerisms, the embrace, the tone and the body language all tell a story of who you are.  When you walk into the church on Sunday morning or Wednesday night are you the same person as when you walk into the office each morning?  I’ll be the first to admit, I struggle here.

A typical Sunday morning for us is unbelievably hectic.  Many times Lisa handles it alone, because I have already left early, usually with Sam, to help out at church.  Getting three teen agers around on a Sunday morning, includes some type of breakfast, brush your hair and your teeth.  “No, you’re not wearing that to church, it’s God’s house.”  “Seriously, you’ve worn those jeans for 3 days straight.”  “No, I said brush your hair, not put it in a rubber band.”  Everybody pile in the Suburban, what do you mean we’re out of gas?  Looking in the rearview to see one missing.  HONK-HONK-HONK. Come on.  Finally, we’re pulling out of the driveway only to see the dog running down the driveway after us.  “Who left the door open?”  Back it up, catch the dog, put him back in the house, try not to hit the kittens as we squeal the tires out of the driveway. 
 
It’s like putting on a theater production, and I must admit it’s hard to maintain my composure each week.  I’m a time watcher and I know it takes exactly 27 minutes from the moment I pull out of my driveway until the moment that I am sitting in the sanctuary at The Crossing Church, and this assumes that I hit all of the green lights and there are no bicyclists on Honea Egypt road (another pet-peeve of mine).  Lisa will be the first to tell you that as I stare at the clock on Sunday morning and watch the minute hand progress my patience is wearing thin.  If we leave home and I realize that we won’t make it on time, my whole attitude is going to reflect it.

It’s funny though, as soon as I take those three steps leading up to the church, and reach my hand out to shake the hand of the greeter, my entire attitude displays joy, stability, peace and love.  I move through the congregation and take my seat and for the next 90 minutes or so, there is not a person in that sanctuary that realizes the chaos our family just went through.  We’re really good at putting on the face of Christ when we need too, aren’t we.

God’s love needs to show from you always.  You never know who is watching, who is taking note and who is sizing up the Savior of the world based strictly on the Christian they see standing in line at the grocery store or on the stool at the local pub.  When the Holy Spirit took residence within your heart, He brought along a few characteristics, just to make sure you knew He was there.  The love of the Father is within you, and available to everyone you come in contact with.  It’s likely that you aren’t really good at sharing it with everyone you meet, all the time; but it is intended for that purpose.  The Spirit of the Lord is not within you to be kept in the shadows until you’re home and alone in your quiet time.  NO, the Holy Spirit is alive, has much to say and wants the world to know – “This one is mine.  Hear him/her and listen to what they say.  The Lord Almighty has something to say though him/her.” 

Hypocrisy is the act of saying one thing and doing the exact opposite.  You cannot always be perfectly in line with the image of Christ, it’s impossible.  But as you mature you need to let God’s love show through you, so others you encounter will see.  You are a child of the most High God.  It’s not an on-again/off-again switch.  When you step outside of your front door, your neighbor sees your actions and hears your words.  Maturity comes when you are able to realize this and know that you are an ambassador for Jesus Christ all of the time.  Do those around you know you are a Christian?  If not, don’t feel guilty, but do something about it.  Why don’t you want them to know it?  Is it because once others know it, they will expect you to carry it with you and live up to it all the time?  They’re right, you do.  But, there is nothing more important for others to see in you than the love of God the Father on display. 


Prayer:
Loving Father,
Your love is amazing and fills us to the point of overflowing.  Let it always be upon our lips and in our actions as we make our way through this day.  Fill me with Your words and allow me to display Your love to all that I meet. Let the world see You when they glance upon my image.  In Your name we pray – Amen


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14 Days of Love – Day 10 – It’s in the Book

“For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not difficult”  – 1 John 5:3

 

Seriously, are we to believe that we are expected to follow the commandments handed down to Moses on stone tablets.  This is the 21^st century.  We can’t be expected to follow the law written by God’s own hand, and delivered to the children of God in the shadows of Mt. Sinai.  How absurd it is to think that we are to abide by these principles from 3500 years ago.  Times have changed and society is much more mature and advanced today.  We know so much more about the world and the psychology of mankind and human relationships than they did in those days.  Just because these laws were acceptable through the times of King David, the Prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and His disciples, in no way implies that they are still valid today.  Right?

Ummm… no – this assumption could not be farther from the truth.  God did not reign down from heaven one day in the 3^rd or 4^th century AD and state, “Hey, all those rules and laws I gave to Moses.  Eh, just kidding.”  These are God’s laws and like everything else about God, they aren’t up for debate.  He’s not looking for our input on what the law should be, He’s already established it and made it broadly available to all mankind.  Consider that He carved them out of stone, so as to last for all time.  This leads me to believe that they were not temporary, but very important to all of us.  Just to review what is contained in Exodus:
   Have no other Gods before me
   Do not have idols
   Do not take the name of the Lord in vain
   Keep the Sabbath Holy
   Honor Your Father and Mother
   Do Not Commit Muder
   Do Not Commit Adultry
   You Shall not Steal
   You Shall not bear false witness
   Do not covet your neighbor’s things, wife or servants

It is so unbelievably easy to discount these as old school, just because the appeared in the Old Testament.  Upon the entry of Christ many will interpret the 10 Commandments as less important.  Christ did not come to abolish the laws (Matthew 5:17), but to provide a path of righteousness and salvation for all of mankind, not just the Jewish population of the time.  He broke down the barrier between Jew and Gentile, and opened up the opportunity for eternity to all.  Keeping in mind that at that time the Jew attempted to live strictly by the Mosaic law from the 10 Commandments and would require atonement for their sins when they would fall short in any area.  Jesus Christ was the final sacrifice, the final atonement for all sins; but in no way abolished the laws of God. 

Jesus Christ lived perfectly within the Father’s laws and set an example by His life of how we ought also to live.  These commandments did not dissolve or become obsolete upon Christ’s birth or death and resurrection, but rather are even more engrained as the proper way for us to live our life.  As we strive for these laws, we will stumble and fall short, and this is where Christ’s grace picks us up, washes us clean and strengthens us to continue.  We are redeemed in our unrighteousness and transgressions by the blood of Jesus Christ, just as the Jews are.

If you look closely at the 10 Commandments, they are structured in a perfect way to demonstrate God’s love.  #1 - #4 – provide a structure for loving God the Father; while #5 - #10 give us a glimpse of how we should love one another, based on how God loves us.  These need to be engrained in our memory and in our hearts.  We need to demonstrate them to one another in our daily walk and focus on them when we are tempted to step outside of the bounds.  God loves us so completely that He wants nothing more than for us to abide within these laws and bring Him honor in the process.  Even more so, He knows we cannot because of our humanity and our propensity to sin.  This is why He offers us His grace, even though we don’t deserve it.  That is true love.

Prayer:
Loving Father,
We lift up Your law and honor it before You.  We acknowledge that Your commandments are alive today as much so, if not more so than they were when Moses brought them to the people.  Help us Lord to live within Your law and convict us Holy Spirit when we are tempted.  Thank You for Your grace, to redeem us when we stumble.  We love You for what You have given for us.  In Your name we pray – Amen

14 Days of Love – Day 5 – I’ll Always Love You

“The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness”   Jeremiah 31:3

The act of giving birth was the often considered to be the most painful experience a woman would ever endure, but I posit that it is actually the second most painful thing a mother would ever have to endure.  Do you know what the first was, and still is to this day?  It is not a physical pain, as in the act of labor, but much deeper and long lasting.  I have watched my wife give birth five times and I’ve observed that despite the pain experienced during the delivery.  Her love for the newborn child significantly outweighs any of the discomforts leading up to that moment.  A woman’s relationship with her new born child is stronger than any relationship she has encountered up to that point, including her relationship with her parents, her siblings and even her spouse.  The act of carrying a child for nine months and then giving birth, creates such a strong bond, there is often times nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her child.  But still, this pain of childbirth is only the second most painful thing a mother will encounter.  The most painful thing that a mother will encounter is the act of rejection from one of her children.


There is a love in a family that is community bred.  An invisible tie that binds all the members together in support of one another.  It is stressed from time to time as conflict arises, but it is always present in our awareness of each other.  This love that exists between family members is different than the love that exists between a mother and her child.  The difference can be characterized in something that is learned verse something that is inherent.  The mother and her child share a physical bond formed during the pregnancy that cannot be replicated in any other relationship.  The internal development of a fetus inside of a mother’s womb, the sharing of blood, creation of cells and movements is unlike anything else in this world.  Siblings learn to love one another, because they are supposed to.  A husband and wife fall in love over a period of months or years during courtship, as they learn about each other and accept each other for who they are.  The mother/child relationship is unique and the closest thing we can draw from to understand the love of God for His children.


God loves you uniquely.  He loves every person on the earth today, in the past and in the future equally.  There are no degrees of love that differentiate His love for you verse His love for your neighbor, because God’s love is constant and unchanging.  God does not play favorites, and love one more or less than another.  This means that His love for you is equal to His love for Adam, Eve, King David, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Ruth, Esther, Joshua, Caleb, Jeremiah, Isaiah, John the Baptist, Peter, John the beloved, Mark and even Jesus Christ.  You must realize that He loves you completely and wholeheartedly.  Every ounce of His love He showed for the Egyptians as they came out of captivity and finally entered into the promised land is there for you as well. 


In Genesis we read of Noah and the ark.  After the flood subsided, how many people were alive?  According to Genesis 7:13, there were 8.  Eight people entered the ark and stayed there for forty days.  During which, as we read in Genesis 7:21, every living thing on earth perished, including mankind.  If you could imagine being the only person in the world today, God would love you exactly the same as He did Noah and his family upon the ark.  He loves you for all of your uniqueness, your potential and your ability to love Him in return.  He loves you despite your iniquities and transgressions, your faults and propensity to sin.  Despite your age, your weight, your hairline or your handicap – He loves you because you are His child. 


From Adam and Eve, through Noah and his three sons, we are all children of Almighty God.  He created you for a purpose and forgetting all of those around you, gives His love uniquely to you.  The responsibility is upon you to accept that love and the grace of salvation that accompanies it.  He cannot love you more than He does, nor less than He does.  God’s love for you is not like that of a family though, it is not formed through experiences and learning.  It is formed through creation.  He created you and in doing so loves you so immensely that it cannot be measured by human standards.  A mother’s love for her child does not change when a child rejects her.  Oh, on the surface she might be angry and portrait otherwise, but deep inside of her heart and mind her love for that child is as deep as the day the child was born.  The thing is, God loves you so much and knows that you cannot love Him equally in return.  The beauty of His grace is that His love for you is not dependent upon your love for Him.  He will not force you to love Him, you have to choose too. 


Prayer:
Loving Father,
You have given us life, created us from the seed of Adam and through generations continued to pour out Your love upon us.  Through Your love we find completeness and stability in life.  There is nothing more constant than knowing that You are in love with us, despite our inability to love You in return.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy, that we might one day be with You for eternity where we bow in humility and adoration before Your throne. 

In Your name we pray – Amen



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Fourteen Days of Love – Day 4 – I Can Love You Like That

“"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."”  – 1 John 4:19-21

 

Who taught you how to love?  Is this something that you had to learn from watching Sesame Street or The Electric Company, or is it something you learned in Elementary school?  At what point in your life did you discover that you could love another?  I’m not talking about that tingling in your toes when the cute girl (or boy) from across the room smiled at you, I’m talking about truly loving someone, faults and all.  I look at the little children in pre-school and even the toddlers at the Day-care and ask myself – do they have the capacity to love the other children they are playing with in the same way that God loves them?  Is love inherent or is it learned?  The golden rule is, “Treat others as you would have them treat you.”  can also be stated, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (John 15:12),  and these make complete logical sense.  But, the question still remains: “How?”

Jesus Christ came to this earth fully God and yet fully man.  Born to take away the sins of the world, and usher us into eternity with God the Father.  Yet, at the same time, to live amongst us and struggle with life’s challenges just like us.  He was thirsty, he was hungry, he bled when his skin was cut, the sun caused sweat to form upon his brow and at night he slept.  He learned from Joseph to be a carpenter, and he learned from Mary to play nicely with the other children.  His knowledge of the scriptures did not come from man but from God Almighty and in this knowledge was the depth of understanding God’s love for the world.  He spent his later years sharing this love with everyone he came in contact with.  Those that hated him, those the adored him – it mattered not.  The love he would share was not a love between mankind, but a greater love that had no boundaries.  The example set forth for us to love one another as God has loved us, is impossible.  You cannot love one another in the same manner as God does, because His love is immutable – unchanging.

Is this love inherent?  I don’t think so.  I personally believe we learn to love others by first realizing how much God loves us.  As the scripture states, it is easy to love those who you can see, speak to and engage with; how much more difficult is it to love God who you cannot see.  Understanding that God’s love is unchanging is difficult to grasp, because our love for one another is constantly changing.  I know we say, “I Love You.” to our family and friends, but is it 100% authentic and true every time the words come out of your mouth or is it by habit.  Can you say without question that you love your fellow man (your brother or sister) with an immutable love, never changing?  It is likely that when something goes wrong between you and another, your feelings for that person will change based upon the severity of the event.

When we say “I Love the Lord” we are using our limited knowledge of the word love to represent the emotion similar to love we have for one another.  In doing so, we are stating a feeling at a given point in time.  Can you say, “I Love the Lord” when you child dies, when you have lost your job or when your spouse has left you for another?  Can you love the Lord with the same passion and desire the day after your home is foreclosed, or a natural disaster destroys everything you have?  Let’s face it, loving God with the same unchangeable characteristic as He loves you is impossible.  So when the word says we are a liar to claim that we love God, it is a very high standard we are being held to.  It is the standard taught by God Himself through His son Jesus Christ.  This is where we learn to love.  It’s not on TV, the big screen, the romance novels or the trashy magazines.  Love comes from within and is drawn out by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.  God is going to love you regardless of your reciprocation.  God is love.

Prayer:
Loving Father,
Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for showing us through Your son what true love is.  Help us to live with this love in our day to day encounters with others.  Help us to realize that we must be able to share You with others and in doing so truly demonstrate the ever present, unchanging love that you have demonstrated for us.  In Your name we pray – Amen



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Fourteen days of God’s Love: Day One

“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God” – 1 John 4:7

 

When the crying had stopped the little girl managed to tell her father just what had happened.  Apparently there had been an argument over a toy, and the young boy had gotten somewhat aggressive with the little girl.  Both kids were prone to fighting and arguing from time to time as all brothers and sisters do.  But this time, the tears in his daughter’s eyes were much more real and the situation she described was far beyond the average spat between siblings.  The boy had lost his temper and physically hit his sister, who was 2 years older, but still much more fragile.  The father quickly analyzed the situation and had to make a prompt decision.  He could scold the boy, discipline him and try to enforce their policy of peace rather than violence, but this wasn’t the first time, so obviously it didn’t work before.


The father called the boy into the room.  As he stood by the door, head hung in shame and guilt, the father called him closer.  “Joey, did you hit your sister?” the father asked.  “She pushed me and wouldn’t give me the game.” he replied.  “That is not the answer to the question I asked you though is it?  Once again, did you hit your sister? Yes or no.”  “Yes”, Joey said with defeat in his voice.  “Joey, tell me the bible story about Jesus beating up the men in Jerusalem who arrested him.  Is that in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John?”  Joey thought a moment and answered that he couldn’t.


“Oh come on, there must be a story of Jesus beating up someone.  After all, they arrested him, beat him, spit on him, called him names, nailed him to a cross and killed him.  You mean he never raised a hand against them?” 
“No sir.” 
“Well, he must have cursed them from the cross – right?” 
“No sir.” 
“Well, tell me what he did to those men who beat him and spit upon him and nailed him to the cross?”
“He forgave them.”
“Really, just like that, he forgave them?  Wow.  Now tell me, what was it that your sister did to you that made you think you should hit her so hard that her arm is bruised and she had to come to me crying?”

How often do we over-react when someone wrongs us?  It is common for us to seek some sort of revenge when we are taken advantage of, or hurt in any way.  God teaches us throughout the scriptures that vengeance is His and that we are to love our neighbor.  Who is our neighbor?  I propose that it is all of those you come in contact with throughout the day.  It is not only those who live on your block, but those that live on the earth.  The need for God’s love to be shared is not limited by the physical address you happen to live at.  If you wander across the railroad tracks to the “other” side of town, your neighborhood just doubled in size.  If you are traveling abroad, your neighborhood just expanded by thousands of miles.  God’s love is for all mankind, who are we to decide who is and is not worthy of receiving it.

The key is to seek the love of others as if God Himself were looking through your eyes.  There may be times when you find yourself beyond control, than look to Him for the strength to forgive and love them.  God has given everything for you and asked that you give everything for Him in return.  Who is it that you need to forgive today?  I think it’s time, take that step won’t you?

 

Prayer:
Loving Father,
Give us the strength to love our neighbor and mankind with Your love.  Let Your words be upon our lips as we extend Your grace to those that we meet.  Help us to demonstrate Your love, mercy and kindness in all that we do today.   In Your name we pray – Amen



© Sondove Enterprises, 2019
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Love – Beyond Compare

Make 2014 a year of Sharing

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with loving kindness.” – Jeremiah 31:3

Who do you love and why do you love them?  It’s easy for us to set here this morning or evening and claim to love our spouse, fiancé, children, parents, family and friends.  But, what does it mean to love them, and why do you?  When did you first love them?  If it’s your girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse, perhaps you can remember your first date.  I certainly remember mine, but that’s a story for another time.  If you’re thinking of your children, I’m sure you first loved them the moment they were born, and you first held them in the delivery room.  What about your friends?  How and why do you love them and what does that even mean?  Now, I want each of you to carefully think about the time you started loving your parents.

For most you can’t remember an act of falling in love with your parents.  Your love for them began with your first breath, and the comfort that you felt when they held you close.  For some, you may not have experienced the love of a father for one reason or another, but there is not one of you reading this today that did not at one time feel the love of a mother.  You see, from the moment God created you in your mother’s womb, her blood began running through your cells and feeding the growth that would form your body, brain, heart and other organs.  You come from a creation process that is so incredibly linked to her it cannot be replicated in any other relationship in the world, despite our attempts.

This love you first experienced in this life was not something that you fell into.  No, it was created uniquely between you and your mother.  It was the single thing in your life that even comes close to the love of God the Father.  His love for you goes even beyond her love for you.  He loved you before you were created, from the beginning of time.  It cannot be measured by any earthly reference, for it surpasses our understanding in this life.  His love is eternal both in the past and into the future.  It has no end and cannot be changed.  One cannot escape His love, despite their actions and attempts (either intentional or not).  We cannot fathom the depths of what it means to love someone in this manner.

Do you love God?  We all want to immediately answer yes.  Do you love Him because you’ve been told too, or do you love Him because you don’t want to go to Hell, or do you love Him because you want to serve Him, or do you love Him because He is everything to you?  Generally, when people are honest with themselves, they fall into one of these four areas.  But, I’m sure you can see the depth of love increases through each of these stages to the point where He is your very breath, your heartbeat and your all-consuming spirit.  At the epitome of loving God, you are willing to walk away from your own desires completely and pursue nothing but His will in your life.  Even in that state, which some of you can claim, you are barely scratching the surface from experiencing His true love for you. 

You see, despite how much you may or may not claim to love Him.  He loves you everlasting.  It cannot be measured in this life, for His promise is for life eternal for those that will accept and believe in the life, death and resurrection of His Son – Jesus Christ.  You cannot love Him in equal measure because you have nothing to give Him other than yourself, and because you are born into sin, your gift to Him is imperfect, despite how wonderful of a person you are, and how much you give to your local church, community, shelter or charity.  You are incapable of loving God as much as He loves you, but that’s the greatest thing, He knows it, and doesn’t require it.  Loving God is simple.  We try to complicate it through our actions and words and money, but all He really wants is you, just as you are.  Bring Him praise and worship, glory and honor, and all of your love through Jesus Christ.  For then you are open to experiencing His great love for you.     

© Sondove Enterprises, 2014
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Happy Valentines Day

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

Honey, Does This Look All-right?

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." - Ephesians 4:15

 Face it men there are some absolute no-no's in creating and maintaining a loving relationship. 1) She never looks fat in anything; 2) Her casserole is always the best at the potluck; and 3) When she comes home with 2 for the price of 1, it's always a good deal regardless of how much it cost. As much as you may want to follow the normal trend of today's society and speak the "truth at any cost" we are reminded by scripture to speak the truth in love. It's okay to be truthful, but doing so with self restraint and humility is expected. Yet, we see in Proverbs 29:11; "A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back."

   So, we see from a biblical perspective we are to hold back feelings that are hurtful, yet at the same time speak the truth in love. This love represents agape love which comes from self-less servitude, humility and unconditional love as portrayed by Jesus Christ. In acting and speaking out in this manner we come closer to emulating our Savior. This is the desire of our Father in heaven, for us to grow up as Christians to represent the fullness of His Son.

  Putting it into place will take discipline and compassion for your fellow man/woman. When the opportunities present themselves, take a moment to quickly cast a prayer to the Lord for wisdom and discernment. He has promised that the Holy Spirit living within us will provide the right words at the right time. Do not hide behind lies or hurtful words, seek the direction of God and respond with truth in love.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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