God's Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21 (The Message)

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
 ¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
   God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
 ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. ²¹ And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

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Do Unto Others Revisited

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

So in everything...Wow!  We are to treat others and do for others what we would want them to do for us in everything! Not just when we feel like it or when it is convenient but all of the time, in everything.  I have heard it spoken of once or twice in the past as doing to, not not doing to.  Does that make sense?  We are to do to others what we would want done to us, not avoid doing what we wouldn't want done to us.  This implies action not inaction.  Every day all day long we are to go out of our way to do things for those around us, the others, all others, not just our family and friends.  We are to treat people with dignity and honor.  We are to encourage people and show preference to all others.  We are to engage in simple acts of kindness all of the time!  What a different world we would live in if we truly lived as we are commanded to live.

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'"  Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5 (NASB)

"Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor."  Romans 12:10  (ESV)

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."  Galatians 6:2  (NIV)

"Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out."  1 Thessalonians 5:14 (The Message)

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."  1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)

"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."  John 13:34-35 (The Message)

"My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!"  1 John 4:11 (The Message)

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"  Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

So your assignment today is to engage in an unexpected act of kindness.  Leave an encouraging book on someone's porch (someone did that for me once-I never found out who left it there!), pick flowers (from your own garden!) and leave them for someone to find, give someone a special treat, take someone somewhere they would rather not go alone.  There are so many ways we can show His love.

Dear Lord,  Make us a people who love others and do things for others the way we would want them done for us. Help us to truly love one another and to show Your unfailing love through our actions...Use us to change the world one act of kindness at a time.

What Marvelous Love...

1 John 3 (The Message)

 ¹ What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to.  ^2-3But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own.
 ^4-6All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God's order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They've got him all backward.
 ^7-8So, my dear children, don't let anyone divert you from the truth. It's the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil's ways.
 ^9-10People conceived and brought into life by God don't make a practice of sin. How could they? God's seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It's not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin. Here's how you tell the difference between God's children and the Devil's children: The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't love brother or sister. A simple test.
 ¹¹For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other.
 ^12-13We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.
 ^14-15The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together.
 ^16-17This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.

When We Practice Real Love

 ^18-20My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.  ^21-24And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God's command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

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You've Touched My Heart Revisited

We all have a heart.  Our hearts beat and pump blood throughout our bodies, providing oxygen and nutrients.  Without our hearts, we would not be alive.  In our culture you can be hard-hearted, cold hearted, broken-hearted, good-hearted, etc.  The list goes on and in English, we think of the word "heart" as the center of emotion and kindness.  The Hebrews, however, had a broader meaning for the word "heart".  It goes beyond the Western cultural idea of it being the center of emotion and kindness to including a person's thoughts, reason, and logic, in essence, the "mind" is included with the word "heart".  So a heart can think, understand, and be intentional.  A heart can be a storehouse for God's word.  It can be full of deceit.  It is capable of love and hate, joy and sorrow.  Here is a word study on these aspects of the word "heart"  in God's word.

The heart is capable of understanding:

"Since you have closed their hearts to understanding,  therefore you will not let them triumph."  Job17:4 (ESV)

"For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul."  Proverbs 2:10 (NIV)

The heart is where you can store scripture:

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."  Deuteronomy 4:9  (NIV)

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."  Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

The heart is capable of deception:

"'How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart, who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal?  The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?' declares the LORD."  Jeremiah 23:26-28  (NASB)

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"  Jeremiah 17:9  (KJV)

The heart can be intentional:

"When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  Acts 11:23 (NIV)

"The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; in the last days you will clearly understand it."  Jeremiah 23:20  (NASB)

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)

"Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart."  Ephesians 6:6  (NIV)

The heart is capable of love and hate:

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."  1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)

"He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants."  Psalm 105:25 (ESV)

The heart is capable of joy and sorrow: 

"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken."  Proverbs 15:13 (NASB)

"But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart."  John 16:6 (NASB)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27  (ESV)

In closing, we want to have the heart of God within us as it says in Exodus 34:5-7, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."(NASB)  And we need to be ever conscious of the fact that our hearts reflect who we are.  "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man."  Proverbs 27:19  (ESV)  And we need to be aware that God looks not at our outward appearance but at our hearts.  "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" 1 Samuel 16:7  (NIV)

Dear Lord,  We ask that You shape and mold our hearts.  Let our hearts be as Yours, full of kindness and compassion, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth. 

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You've Touched My Heart

We all have a heart.  Our hearts beat and pump blood throughout our bodies, providing oxygen and nutrients.  Without our hearts, we would not be alive.  In our culture you can be hard-hearted, cold hearted, broken-hearted, good-hearted, etc.  The list goes on and in English, we think of the word "heart" as the center of emotion and kindness.  The Hebrews, however, had a broader meaning for the word "heart".  It goes beyond the Western cultural idea of it being the center of emotion and kindness to including a person's thoughts, reason, and logic, in essence, the "mind" is included with the word "heart".  So a heart can think, understand, and be intentional.  A heart can be a storehouse for God's word.  It can be full of deceit.  It is capable of love and hate, joy and sorrow.  Here is a word study on these aspects of the word "heart"  in God's word.

The heart is capable of understanding:

"Since you have closed their hearts to understanding,  therefore you will not let them triumph."  Job17:4 (ESV)

"For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul."  Proverbs 2:10 (NIV)

The heart is where you can store scripture:

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."  Deuteronomy 4:9  (NIV)

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."  Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

The heart is capable of deception:

"'How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart, who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal?  The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?' declares the LORD."  Jeremiah 23:26-28  (NASB)

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"  Jeremiah 17:9  (KJV)

The heart can be intentional:

"When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  Acts 11:23 (NIV)

"The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; in the last days you will clearly understand it."  Jeremiah 23:20  (NASB)

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)

"Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart."  Ephesians 6:6  (NIV)

The heart is capable of love and hate:

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."  1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)

"He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants."  Psalm 105:25 (ESV)

The heart is capable of joy and sorrow: 

"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken."  Proverbs 15:13 (NASB)

"But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart."  John 16:6 (NASB)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27  (ESV)

In closing, we want to have the heart of God within us as it says in Exodus 34:5-7, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."(NASB)  And we need to be ever conscious of the fact that our hearts reflect who we are.  "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man."  Proverbs 27:19  (ESV)  And we need to be aware that God looks not at our outward appearance but at our hearts.  "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" 1 Samuel 16:7  (NIV)

Dear Lord,  We ask that You shape and mold our hearts.  Let our hearts be as Yours, full of kindness and compassion, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth. 

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Do Unto Others...

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

So in everything...Wow!  We are to treat others and do for others what we would want them to do for us in everything! Not just when we feel like it or when it is convenient but all of the time, in everything.  I have heard it spoken of once or twice in the past as doing to, not not doing to.  Does that make sense?  We are to do to others what we would want done to us, not avoid doing what we wouldn't want done to us.  This implies action not inaction.  Every day all day long we are to go out of our way to do things for those around us, the others, all others, not just our family and friends.  We are to treat people with dignity and honor.  We are to encourage people and show preference to all others.  We are to engage in simple acts of kindness all of the time!  What a different world we would live in if we truly lived as we are commanded to live.

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'"  Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5 (NASB)

"Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor."  Romans 12:10  (ESV)

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."  Galatians 6:2  (NIV)

"Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out."  1 Thessalonians 5:14 (The Message)

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."  1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)

"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."  John 13:34-35 (The Message)

"My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!"  1 John 4:11 (The Message)

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"  Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

So your assignment today is to engage in an unexpected act of kindness.  Leave an encouraging book on someone's porch (someone did that for me once-I never found out who left it there!), pick flowers (from your own garden!) and leave them for someone to find, give someone a special treat, take someone somewhere they would rather not go alone.  There are so many ways we can show His love.

Dear Lord,  Make us a people who love others and do things for others the way we would want them done for us. Help us to truly love one another and to show Your unfailing love through our actions...Use us to change the world one act of kindness at a time.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Lord is My Shepherd

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. (NIV)

Dear Lord, Thank you that You are ever with us, through the valleys, beside still waters, and on stormy seas. Thank you for Your comfort, Your restoration, Your righteousness, Your provision.

Love

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)

Dear Lord, Teach us to follow these words and to remember that no matter what amazing and wonderful gifts that You may have given us, none is more important than the kind of love which You showed us at the cross, and without that love our gifts are worthless. Please Lord, let Your version of love be the great motivator of our hearts...

Who is Your Neighbor?

This is the first and greatest commandment, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. That seems pretty self explanatory, doesn't it? Even if it is extremely difficult, we do seem to understand what is being asked of us. And the second commandment is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. Why is this one so much more difficult to "get"? Who is our neighbor anyway and how are we supposed to love them?

Well, we are supposed to love them as we love ourselves! How much do we love ourselves? We love ourselves more than almost anything, especially if we are still living in our natural, selfish state. If we are walking a walk of faith in Jesus Christ, we might be a little less selfish, but this is a lifelong struggle for most of us. We want what we want when we want it! We want to be liked/loved, served, made to feel special, showered with gifts, needed, cherished, respected, admired, taken care of, deferred to, thought well of, and we take extra care everyday to be sure that we have that place in people's lives, the lives of our families and friends. This goes back to the post a few days ago when we ask ourselves, "What is my motivation for the things I do?" But if we want to be treated this way, (and I think most of us do!), now we are being asked to treat our neighbors the same way! But who is our Neighbor?

Our Neighbor is anyone we come into contact with. This could mean our actual neighbors, the people who live next door to us or across the street, or it could mean the person who delivers our mail, or bags our groceries. It could be the people who work at the dry cleaners or the store we frequent most often. It could also be the person standing on the street corner asking for help... It isn't just the people we love and those who love us! It isn't just our friends and families! I would venture to say that we all need major, serious work in this area. I know I do.

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another." Galations 5:13-15

"But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" 1 John 3:17 (NIV)

"If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." 1 John 4:20 (NASB)

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death." 1 John 3:14 (NIV)

"If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:3 (ESV)

"By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world." 1 John 4:17 (NASB)

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5 (NASB)

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6 (NIV)

Go out and show your love today! Do something kind and loving for your neighbor today and then do it tomorrow and the next day... I hear if you do something for 15 days, it becomes a habit! Let's get into the habit of love.

Dear Lord, Make me to see my neighbor's need and to actually do something to help. Let all of my good intentions become reality today so that You may be glorified in my life. Teach me to love my neighbor as myself.