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Posts Tagged ‘love’

To the Letter

Posted in Devotional, tagged , , , , on August 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17

 

You probably know by now that I love words. Yesterday I looked at two of them:

WORD                   WORLD

The difference? An “L“.  For me it stands for “Law”.

The world is run by law, because it needs order. Otherwise there would be chaos. There is the law of nature, the law of the land, even the law of the jungle.  Paul explains in Hebrews, Chapters 7-9,  that God gave us laws for a reason — because humans, by nature, are lawless.  But he goes on to state that “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.” (Hebrews 10:1)

Jesus is the Word made flesh, according to John 1. When Christ came into the world of law, His job was to remove the L, leaving only His Word. The Word which lives eternally. Actually, in doing so, He replaced the “letter of the law” with another “L” – love.

By inserting Christ’s love into His Word, our worLd can become a very different place. That Love can then lead to Light and Life.

Don’t take my “word” for it. Seek out the Word:

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

So…let me ask you this. What “L” do you want in the middle of your world?

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Barriers

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on July 12, 2016| 2 Comments »

This week, after the horrendous massacre in Dallas involving twelve policemen and two citizens, close on the heels of the  massive bloodshed in the nightclub Pulse in Orlando, and with all the riots in major cities across our nation, one has to wonder where is God in all of this?

On His throne, probably with tears on His cheeks. He is also in the many good people who have rallied to pray, hug and help the victims’ families and friends.  As believer, we are called to be the light in the darkness, and His light shines the brightest when things are extremely dark.  Fred Rogers, of Mr. Roger’s fame, said his mother always told him to look for he helpers in times of tragedies–evidence of God at work.

In an effort to squelch any prejudice between the Jews and the Gentiles, Paul tells the Ephesians –

 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… (2:13-14)

God is calling us to destroy the barrier of hatred and prejudice that is dividing our nation. His command to us is to love Him and then to, by His Holy Spirit’s power, love our neighbors. This is the time for Christians to stand firm, stand strong, and stand united in love. Even if we do not approve of someone’s lifestyle, it is no reason not to minister to them in love. Jesus did to the woman at the well, to tax collectors and to the outcast. He even loved His enemies.

pray for our nationLet us pray away the barriers. Join many other Christians who are stopping each day at 8:00 p.m. CDT to pray for one minute for our people, our nation and for peace. I have set the alarm on my cell phone daily to remind me to stop, drop and pray.

Will you do the same?

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Umbrella

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 10, 2016| 7 Comments »

courtesy of faithshare.com

courtesy of faithshare.com

For the past several days we have had waves of rain in North Texas. Thus, I have been carrying a pop-out umbrella in my purse…just in case.  It caused me to ponder… how’s my spiritual umbrella?

Umbrellas do not stop the rain or even slow it down, they divert it.  They act as a circular barrier. They move with you so, as you go, the rain drenches the umbrella instead of on you.

Now, some  people find it a hassle to carry an umbrella. They dash through the rain trying to stay as dry as possible. Others stroll along as they get soaking wet as if accepting that as their fate.  Not me. I want protection.

Scripture is our umbrella. It will not stop the stormy days in our lives, but it will shield and protect us when they rumble through. God’s Word covers us in a peace that isn’t affected by circumstances. But we have to be prepared. It is up to us to carry it with us. We can choose to dodge the rainstorms of this life on our own, or resolved that we are inevitably doomed to get soaked. Or, we can open up God’s Word and seek shelter underneath it’s Truth.

Look at an umbrella. It is cloth covering spikes that start in the center and branch out. Christ is our center and branching out of Him are peace, trust, assurance, mercy, grace, everlasting life – all the reminders we need when we are faced with a sudden downpour of negativity, hurt, tragedy or despair. His love is our refuge, our shield, our strong cover against trouble (to paraphrase Psalm 46:1).

The next time your life darkens and thunder rumbles, what will you do? Dash to find shelter on your own, trudge through it with a frown, or  pop open the Word of God and be sheltered?

 

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Abide

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you, Abide in my love. John 15:9-11

????????????????????????????????????????February is the “love” month. The stores are filled with read and pink hearts, candies and flowers. I love going to the grocery on February 14th and  watching the last-minute-planning men standing in line, laden with flowers, cards, teddy bears and chocolates for their wives or girlfriends. They casually glance at each other to see if they have gotten enough, or maybe too much, as if there is some hidden rule of how much you should spend depending on the depth or longevity of your feelings.

How different is God’s unending love for us. It is not based on feelings or longevity. God doesn’t have a check list or ponders –  Hmmm. Let’s see…. I will love her more often because she has been a believer since she was six, or love him more deeply because he reads my Word twice a day, prays often, and volunteers at the homeless shelter.

All of us have the opportunity to abide in God’s infinite, abundant, and generous love. It is freely given, equally and fully, in spite of our emotions or actions.

But, what does it mean to abide? It is more than just accepting it. It is letting it absorb into the very fiber of us like permanent ink. It is a snuggle down, feel secure, dwell in total trust sort of attitude. Here are five steps to truly abiding:

A – Acknowledge He loves us more than we can imagine or love Him back.

B – Be thankful that He loved us enough to take on our sins and die, so we could once again be in relationship with Him.

I – In His likeness, try to love others as He loves us.

D – Dedicate ourselves to His ways being the best, not ours.

E – Establish a relationship with Him through prayer and reading the Scriptures.

Chocolates disappear within days, flowers wilt, cards get stuffed in drawers. Human love ebbs and fades. But there is one gift of love that abides – constant, pure, eternal and faithful – the of love the Father, given through His Son and expressed by His Holy Spirit who dwells in us. All we have to do is accept that gift at any time. No certain day on the calendar, red hearts  or check-out lines needed. So, if you don’t get roses or candy this year, know you have a gift that is worth so much more from the One who loves you so much more. It is available to you every single day.

Abide in the love of your Savior this day, this  month, and for the rest of your life. gods-love-2[1]

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