Loving Others

February 10th – 1 John 4:7

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1 John 4:7

When you think of Jesus what is the first thing that pops into your head? For me it is His love. A love that He freely and joyfully gives to all. And a love that is so strong, He laid down His life to call us His own. And I in return love Him. But Jesus wants more than our love, He wants us to love others with the same passion that we reserve for Him. Every day society bombards us with false ideas of what love is. It makes us think that love just happens to us. And we have no control. After all, “the heart wants what the heart wants” right? But the Bible teaches completely the opposite. Love is a choice we make, something we can control, and the fruit of a spirit filled life. To love the Lord means loving all that He created.  Especially those created in His image. And no more is our love for the Lord evident than when we are loving others.

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February 8th – 1 Peter 4:8

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1 Peter 4:8

The one thing Peter wanted Christians to know above all else, was the importance of loving one another. Not because loving others earns God’s forgiveness. For we know that our sins are paid for through the blood of Christ. And forgiveness for sin comes only through trusting in Him. Instead it means that all, even Christians, are sinners who fail and need forgiveness daily. And by remembering the grace shown to us, we can love each when hurt, forgive each other when wronged, and build each other up when we fall. Because love makes it possible for us to be, “hospitable to one another without complaint”, and to use our God given gifts and talents to serve one another. All with the goal of leading others to the Lord, so “in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Pet. 4:11) And as the days grow darker, our love needs to shine all the brighter.

 

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February 5th – Matthew 22:34-40

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Matthew 22:34-40

All Jesus did and endured was because of His great love for us. And when approached by a Pharisee who asked what was the greatest commandment of all, the Lord’s answer? Love. Love for God, and each other. Love is so vital, Jesus adds, upon this is the foundation of the Law and the Prophets. But loving as Jesus loves can only happen if our love for Him is greater than our love for ourselves. And the proof of this is in the way we treat others. For as the apostle John points out, to say that we love God and yet not love others, makes us liars. (1 John 4:20) On our own a true, Christlike love may seem impossible. But through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can have hearts which no longer demonstrate a self centered, sinful love, but the completely selfless and sacrificial love of Jesus.

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February 2nd – Matthew 24:10

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Matthew 24:10 

The Bible gives us many signs to look for which signal we are living in the end of days. In Matthew 24 Jesus speaks of Christians turning from their faith. And hearts once belonging to Him growing hard, dark, and cold. We live in a world more divided than together. And hate is in ample supply. Over the years through movies, television, video games, and social  media, we as a society have been desensitized. Desensitized to the value of life, goodness, truth, and love. Yet as the world grows cold, we as followers of Christ need to keep our fires burning. To turn up the heat in our hearts, not letting our passion for Jesus die out. For this world is in desperate need of the love of Jesus Christ. And as His ambassadors we need to shine with the light of His love, and radiate the warmth of His grace.

February 2nd – Matthew 24:10 Read More »

December 7th – John 13:35

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John 13:35

As one of His last acts before His sacrifice on the Cross, the Lord performed a task usually reserved for the lowest slaves in the house. He knelt and began to cleanse the feet of the disciples. Such an expression of self sacrifice, Jesus did as an example of humble love. Throughout His life on earth, everything Jesus did He did in love. And He made it perfectly clear that we are to do the same. But such a calling isn’t easy. For undoubtedly as soon as you make a commitment to love others, along a person will come as a test to your resolve. But the goal of the Christian walk is to become transformed into the image of Christ. And God never calls us to go it alone, nor to do what He asks in our own strength. Our strength comes from the power of the Holy Spirt. And through His power we can walk like Jesus and serve others joyfully and humbly. Our strength comes from the power of the Holy Spirt. And through His power we walk like Jesus and serve others joyfully and humbly.

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October 24th – 1 Peter 4:8

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1 Peter 4:8

God’s Promise -“My love covers a multitude of sins.”

When Peter tells us that love covers sin, he doesn’t mean that loving others earns God’s forgiveness. We know that our sins are paid for by Jesus’ death on the cross. And forgiveness for sin comes only through trusting in Him. Instead, Peter is reminding us that even Christians are sinners who fail and need forgiveness daily. And in remembering the grace God generously gives to us, we can love each other when hurt, forgive each other when wronged, and build each other up when we fall. Because love makes it possible for us to be, “hospitable to one another without complaint.”  (1 Pet. 4:8) And to use our God given gifts and talents to serve one another. Doing so with the goal of lovingly leading others to the Lord. So, “in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11)

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October 14th – 1 John 4:16

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1 John 4:16

God’s Promise – “If you make your home in love, you live in Me and I live in you.”

John tells us that God doesn’t love, but rather God is love. It’s who He is at His core. And as Christians if it’s who we are at our core, God will abide in us and us in Him. That can only happen when we both know and rely on the deep, unending love God has for us. How do we know God’s love? Because He tells us so! In His Word, God repeatedly tells of the great devotion He has for each of us. And He proves it through the gift of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. How do rely on God’s love? By trusting Him with every area of our lives. And depending on His goodness to provide for our every need. It means going to Him first for guidance, aid, and provision, and knowing in His deep affection God will deliver. God’s love will never let us down. And out of overflowing thankfulness, we need to love others the way He loves us. For when we do, we show the world who we are living for, and who lives in us!

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August 11th – 1Corinthians 13:4-5

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1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Loving one another doesn’t always come easy. And some days, it doesn’t come at all. And although no one can love as unconditionally and perfectly like Jesus, still we are called to love like Him just the same. But what is Christlike love? Contrary to popular culture, it isn’t butterflies in the stomach, or a sappy song on the radio. Genuine, Christlike love isn’t found in a feeling. Rather it’s found in the way we treat others. Each time we show patience, kindness, and goodness to another, we are loving them the way Jesus does. Christlike love isn’t envious of another’s blessings or based in arrogance and pride. It doesn’t intentionally hurt others, nor keep a scorecard of another’s past mistakes. Instead it demonstrates it’s deep love for God by obediently loving others not in words, but in godly deeds.

August 11th – 1Corinthians 13:4-5 Read More »

Loving One Another – John 13

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John 13

When you think of Jesus what’s the first thing that pops into your head? For me it’s His love. A love so strong, Jesus laid down His life to call me His own. And I in return love Him. But that isn’t enough. Because Jesus wants more than my love. He wants me to love others with the same passion that I reserve for Him alone. …

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July 25th – Romans 13:8

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Romans 13:8

Freedom from debt is an exhilarating feeling. And owing nothing to a creditor or the taxman is a liberation that God wants for each of us. But there is one debt that we owe and can never fully pay off. And that is the debt of loving each other. Every day we wake up owing this debt. And every day is an opportunity to pay on it. God takes this debt so seriously, that in the Bible from start to finish, He gives the commandment to love one another. So if we are followers of Jesus and are truly becoming transformed into His image and likeness, we need to be faithful in paying our debt. That means loving others as God does. For the very foundation of Christianity is love. And in one of the greatest acts of love, God became flesh and allowed Himself to be nailed to a Cross to pay our debt. And out of hearts of obedience and thankfulness, we too need to follow His example of selflessness and let love for others be the guiding light in all that we do.

July 25th – Romans 13:8 Read More »