I John 4:9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.
God doesn't just talk about love, He shows it and lives it. It is easy to proclaim love for another, but it is another thing to actually show it. God showed us the ultimate example of love by sending His Son into the world to die for our sins. Jesus is God; therefore, He had never been away from heaven. He had always been in the presence of holiness and the glory of heaven. He had always been surrounded by the choir of heaven singing His praises. Jesus left all of that behind Him to spend time on earth to become our Savior. He did not have to do it, but because He loves us, He did it.
He came to earth knowing exactly what He was going to have to endure in order to save us from our sins. He knew beforehand the agony of the cross and the agony of actually carrying our sins upon himself to set us free. He did what He did for us at Calvary willingly because of His love for us.
Love is not just a nice thing to say, it's a life to live. Without actions to back it up, love is a meaningless concept. We tend to toss it around way too much. If we really mean it when we say it, our actions will prove it. We will act in a loving way towards those we say we love. If you are a believer, you will act in a godly love, for He who lives in you is
God himself.
The world doesn't need more talkers; it needs more doers. The world desperately needs to see God's love in action. They will only know God loves them when they can actually experience His love in their lives. We are God's chosen vessels of love to the world.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
REAL LOVE IN ACTION
I John 4:7-10 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God--for God is love. God showed how much he loves us by sending his only Son into the world so we might have eternal life through him. This is real love, it is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
You cannot love God and not love others. God loves everyone, no matter who they are, what they have done, where they live, what color of skin they have, or what church they go to. No one is excluded from God's love for them. We put conditions on who we love, but God doesn't. It is God's will that we let Him strip away our conditions of love. The more conditions we put on whom we love, the less like God we are. If we are not becoming more like God in His love, we are drifting away from God, for God is love.
You cannot love God and not love those in the church. We don't often get along well with each other in the church. The church is very segregated and isolated. We hold one another at arm's length and are suspicious of each other. We lack trust in each other and are fearful on one another. Think about it. How many people from other church bodies do you really know and have fellowship with? How many people from the church down the street can you honestly say you love, especially those churches you have strong disagreements with? When was the last time your church had a community church fellowship without any agenda except to have fellowship and grow in love for each other?
You cannot love God and not love yourself. The heart of love is respect and until you learn to respect yourself, you will never truly love yourself or God. I don't mean an ego gone wild. I mean that you must have enough respect for yourself that you live confidently before God. You don't see yourself as a nobody. Rather, you see yourself as the somebody you are in Christ; you are His child. Loving yourself means you aren't easily swayed by the critical spirit of others or those who simply disagree with you. It means you find your identity in Christ and not in the opinions of others. How we feel about ourselves directly affects how we feel about God and others.
God has shown us what real love is like by sending us His Son to die for our sins. Jesus lived sacrificially and gave His life for us unconditionally that we might be saved. Our natural response to Him ought to be for us to sacrificially and unconditionally engage ourselves in the lives of others. Let us ask the Lord to help us do just that today.
You cannot love God and not love others. God loves everyone, no matter who they are, what they have done, where they live, what color of skin they have, or what church they go to. No one is excluded from God's love for them. We put conditions on who we love, but God doesn't. It is God's will that we let Him strip away our conditions of love. The more conditions we put on whom we love, the less like God we are. If we are not becoming more like God in His love, we are drifting away from God, for God is love.
You cannot love God and not love those in the church. We don't often get along well with each other in the church. The church is very segregated and isolated. We hold one another at arm's length and are suspicious of each other. We lack trust in each other and are fearful on one another. Think about it. How many people from other church bodies do you really know and have fellowship with? How many people from the church down the street can you honestly say you love, especially those churches you have strong disagreements with? When was the last time your church had a community church fellowship without any agenda except to have fellowship and grow in love for each other?
You cannot love God and not love yourself. The heart of love is respect and until you learn to respect yourself, you will never truly love yourself or God. I don't mean an ego gone wild. I mean that you must have enough respect for yourself that you live confidently before God. You don't see yourself as a nobody. Rather, you see yourself as the somebody you are in Christ; you are His child. Loving yourself means you aren't easily swayed by the critical spirit of others or those who simply disagree with you. It means you find your identity in Christ and not in the opinions of others. How we feel about ourselves directly affects how we feel about God and others.
God has shown us what real love is like by sending us His Son to die for our sins. Jesus lived sacrificially and gave His life for us unconditionally that we might be saved. Our natural response to Him ought to be for us to sacrificially and unconditionally engage ourselves in the lives of others. Let us ask the Lord to help us do just that today.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
BE DISCERNING
I John 4:4-6 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won your fight with these false prophets, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. These people belong to this world, so they speak from the world's viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God; that is why those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
The Spirit of God will not lead you astray. He will not let false prophets lead you down a path that takes you away from God. He will not cause you to misunderstand or misinterpret the truth. If we embrace that which is not true, it's because we are not listening to Him. We are listening to the voices of the false prophets instead.
The Spirit is far more knowing, wise, caring and powerful than the voice of the false prophet. When we are in tune with Him, we have gained victory over the deceivers of our souls. We must be careful to discern the genuineness of those whom we listen to. It is one of the reasons why being a part of a local church is so important. We can best learn about the genuineness of the heart of our leaders by observing them in daily life. If their way of living does not match up to the Word they speak, no matter how well they speak, they are not worthy to be followed. It is only as we see the Word lived out in the flesh that we know it is true. Learn from those who speak the truth and live it so that you too can be inspired to live it. You will know the truth, and it will set you free.
Anyone who opposes the Gospel message is not a child of God. Anyone who tries to change the Gospel message is not a child of God. Anyone who will not listen to the Gospel message is not a child of God. Anyone who would selfishly use the Gospel message is not a child of God. Be wise and discerning. Do not cater to such people or listen to them. What they say will poison your mind and soul.
The Spirit of God will not lead you astray. He will not let false prophets lead you down a path that takes you away from God. He will not cause you to misunderstand or misinterpret the truth. If we embrace that which is not true, it's because we are not listening to Him. We are listening to the voices of the false prophets instead.
The Spirit is far more knowing, wise, caring and powerful than the voice of the false prophet. When we are in tune with Him, we have gained victory over the deceivers of our souls. We must be careful to discern the genuineness of those whom we listen to. It is one of the reasons why being a part of a local church is so important. We can best learn about the genuineness of the heart of our leaders by observing them in daily life. If their way of living does not match up to the Word they speak, no matter how well they speak, they are not worthy to be followed. It is only as we see the Word lived out in the flesh that we know it is true. Learn from those who speak the truth and live it so that you too can be inspired to live it. You will know the truth, and it will set you free.
Anyone who opposes the Gospel message is not a child of God. Anyone who tries to change the Gospel message is not a child of God. Anyone who will not listen to the Gospel message is not a child of God. Anyone who would selfishly use the Gospel message is not a child of God. Be wise and discerning. Do not cater to such people or listen to them. What they say will poison your mind and soul.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYONE
I John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.
In order to have a healthy soul before God, we must put into practice today’s verse. There are a lot of people in the church today who claim to be speaking by the Spirit of God. They portray themselves as children of God and they may even believe they are. They come across as strong in their knowledge and easily convince others that what they say is true.
But, it is not enough to just listen and believe what others may say. We must guard our souls by carefully examining what we hear in light of what the Word of God says. We must think for ourselves about things and let the Lord help us to come to reasonable understandings of the Word. Just because someone says something is true doesn’t make it true. We must be diligent about what we believe. Our understanding must always be Biblically sound and reasonable.
We test what we hear through the Scriptures and we as well test the genuineness of those who speak to us. Not everyone who portrays themselves as Christians are Christians. It is very hard to determine the genuineness of one’s faith by casual acquaintances. We must be careful in this area. Consistency in walk must be in agreement with the consistency in talk. If the walk does not match the talk, then be especially careful about what you accept as truth.
There are many false prophets who are in the world and in the church. They are full of religious jargon, but there is no real substance in what they say. They distort the truth because they are not being led by the Spirit. Stand guard over your soul by protecting your mind from believing that which is not true. The Spirit of God guides us into all truth, so ask Him to be your guide as you listen and study the Word.
In order to have a healthy soul before God, we must put into practice today’s verse. There are a lot of people in the church today who claim to be speaking by the Spirit of God. They portray themselves as children of God and they may even believe they are. They come across as strong in their knowledge and easily convince others that what they say is true.
But, it is not enough to just listen and believe what others may say. We must guard our souls by carefully examining what we hear in light of what the Word of God says. We must think for ourselves about things and let the Lord help us to come to reasonable understandings of the Word. Just because someone says something is true doesn’t make it true. We must be diligent about what we believe. Our understanding must always be Biblically sound and reasonable.
We test what we hear through the Scriptures and we as well test the genuineness of those who speak to us. Not everyone who portrays themselves as Christians are Christians. It is very hard to determine the genuineness of one’s faith by casual acquaintances. We must be careful in this area. Consistency in walk must be in agreement with the consistency in talk. If the walk does not match the talk, then be especially careful about what you accept as truth.
There are many false prophets who are in the world and in the church. They are full of religious jargon, but there is no real substance in what they say. They distort the truth because they are not being led by the Spirit. Stand guard over your soul by protecting your mind from believing that which is not true. The Spirit of God guides us into all truth, so ask Him to be your guide as you listen and study the Word.
Friday, November 25, 2016
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
I John 3:21-24 Dear friends, if our conscience is clear, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments live in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.
God gave us a conscience. It is that part of us that urges us to do what is right and when we fail to feel guilty about it. It is the working of the Spirit in us to help us become godly people. When we are doing right before God, we can come before Him with bold confidence. There is nothing to fear, even though we know God is holy and no sin can be near Him. It is Jesus alone who can keep our conscience clear.
God promises us that when we come before Him with a clear conscience, we will receive whatever we ask of Him. He does that because we obey Him and desire only that which pleases Him. He knows that we won't ask for anything outside of His will for us. And, God's will for us includes only that which is good for us.
God commands us to first believe from the heart in Jesus, His Son. Jesus is God's absolute provision for our salvation and means into His presence. There is no other way we can approach God. None.
Jesus forgives our sins and instills within us God's love. We cannot love God or one another apart from Christ in us. When we live in Christ we will live with each other in a loving way. We will have fellowship with Christ and each other.
The way we will know whether or not these things are going on in us is by the presence and working of the Spirit in us. It is the Spirit of Christ who confirms our standing with God and enables us to live lives that are pleasing to Him.
If there is any doubt at all in your mind today about your standing with God, I urge you to flee to Jesus now and get things right with Him. Linger at His feet until you know for sure all is well with your soul. Only Jesus can give you peace and bold confidence to approach God.
God gave us a conscience. It is that part of us that urges us to do what is right and when we fail to feel guilty about it. It is the working of the Spirit in us to help us become godly people. When we are doing right before God, we can come before Him with bold confidence. There is nothing to fear, even though we know God is holy and no sin can be near Him. It is Jesus alone who can keep our conscience clear.
God promises us that when we come before Him with a clear conscience, we will receive whatever we ask of Him. He does that because we obey Him and desire only that which pleases Him. He knows that we won't ask for anything outside of His will for us. And, God's will for us includes only that which is good for us.
God commands us to first believe from the heart in Jesus, His Son. Jesus is God's absolute provision for our salvation and means into His presence. There is no other way we can approach God. None.
Jesus forgives our sins and instills within us God's love. We cannot love God or one another apart from Christ in us. When we live in Christ we will live with each other in a loving way. We will have fellowship with Christ and each other.
The way we will know whether or not these things are going on in us is by the presence and working of the Spirit in us. It is the Spirit of Christ who confirms our standing with God and enables us to live lives that are pleasing to Him.
If there is any doubt at all in your mind today about your standing with God, I urge you to flee to Jesus now and get things right with Him. Linger at His feet until you know for sure all is well with your soul. Only Jesus can give you peace and bold confidence to approach God.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
A CLEAR CONSCIOUS
I John 3:21-22 Dear friends, if our conscious is clear, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him.
Having a clear conscious is a key to successful Christian living and an effective prayer life. A clear conscious is the result of a pure heart. There is only one way to keep our hearts pure before God, and that is to stay properly connected to Christ. There must be an active humility before Christ and a desire to not allow sin to take up residence in our hearts. A pure heart recognizes sin when it shows up and deals with it before Christ whenever it is known. A pure heart has a heart sensor that goes off whenever sin enters in. A pure heart does not excuse sin, but confesses it and seeks forgiveness for it. A pure heart is vigilant regarding sin and strives to avoid it.
Having a clear conscious enables us to approach God with bold confidence. We don’t have to fear that we will be rejected by God. We don’t have to wonder whether or not it is permissible to approach Him and ask for things from Him. When we have a clear conscious we are one with God in holiness and we become one with Him in our desires.
The Lord promises us that when we are one with God in fellowship, having our hearts and minds cleared of all that would hinder us, we will have our prayers answered. When our fellowship with God is right, we live to obey Him and we seek to please Him in all we do. We ask for things that honor and please Him. We ask in total submission to His will. We ask knowing that our Father knows best and how He answers our prayers is best for us and others whom we pray for.
So often we don’t have what we ask for because we fail to come before God with a pure conscious. We do not pursue godliness and expect God to be okay with that. We pray out of selfish hearts and often demand our own way. We have not because we ask amiss. First, deal with sin in your heart before Christ. Then, ask from the Lord what your heart desires with a submissive spirit. Boldly ask from Him expecting to receive what you ask for with the attitude always of not my will, but His be done. Then, put feet to your prayers by always living in submission to His Word striving to always please Him.
Having a clear conscious is a key to successful Christian living and an effective prayer life. A clear conscious is the result of a pure heart. There is only one way to keep our hearts pure before God, and that is to stay properly connected to Christ. There must be an active humility before Christ and a desire to not allow sin to take up residence in our hearts. A pure heart recognizes sin when it shows up and deals with it before Christ whenever it is known. A pure heart has a heart sensor that goes off whenever sin enters in. A pure heart does not excuse sin, but confesses it and seeks forgiveness for it. A pure heart is vigilant regarding sin and strives to avoid it.
Having a clear conscious enables us to approach God with bold confidence. We don’t have to fear that we will be rejected by God. We don’t have to wonder whether or not it is permissible to approach Him and ask for things from Him. When we have a clear conscious we are one with God in holiness and we become one with Him in our desires.
The Lord promises us that when we are one with God in fellowship, having our hearts and minds cleared of all that would hinder us, we will have our prayers answered. When our fellowship with God is right, we live to obey Him and we seek to please Him in all we do. We ask for things that honor and please Him. We ask in total submission to His will. We ask knowing that our Father knows best and how He answers our prayers is best for us and others whom we pray for.
So often we don’t have what we ask for because we fail to come before God with a pure conscious. We do not pursue godliness and expect God to be okay with that. We pray out of selfish hearts and often demand our own way. We have not because we ask amiss. First, deal with sin in your heart before Christ. Then, ask from the Lord what your heart desires with a submissive spirit. Boldly ask from Him expecting to receive what you ask for with the attitude always of not my will, but His be done. Then, put feet to your prayers by always living in submission to His Word striving to always please Him.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
DO YOU REALLY LOVE OTHERS?
I John 3:18-20 Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other, let us show it by our actions. It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord, even if our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, he knows everything.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were to just pay attention to God's Word? Talk is cheap. We can talk all we want to about loving each other, but until we actually do it, it means nothing. There is far more unloving things being said and done in the church than there are loving things. Think about it. How many churches are there that are not "one of us" does your church have real fellowship with? How many churches in your community do you work closely with to reach your community for Christ? How many churches do you treat with suspicion or out rightly have nothing to do with because you don't agree with some of their teachings? Let's be honest. All of us are guilty of doing it.
Now look within your own church. Can you honestly say that you truly love those you worship and serve with? How do you show it? Are you on speaking terms with everyone? Do you really care what is going on in their lives? Do you desire good for them? Are you willing to come to their aid in times of need?
It matters to God how we treat each other. God's love is an action word. We cannot say that we really love someone until we do things for and with them that prove it. If you are acting like a child of God, you can be confident about your standing before God. God knows everything and He knows if your heart is in the right place, if you really do love othes as you claim to do.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were to just pay attention to God's Word? Talk is cheap. We can talk all we want to about loving each other, but until we actually do it, it means nothing. There is far more unloving things being said and done in the church than there are loving things. Think about it. How many churches are there that are not "one of us" does your church have real fellowship with? How many churches in your community do you work closely with to reach your community for Christ? How many churches do you treat with suspicion or out rightly have nothing to do with because you don't agree with some of their teachings? Let's be honest. All of us are guilty of doing it.
Now look within your own church. Can you honestly say that you truly love those you worship and serve with? How do you show it? Are you on speaking terms with everyone? Do you really care what is going on in their lives? Do you desire good for them? Are you willing to come to their aid in times of need?
It matters to God how we treat each other. God's love is an action word. We cannot say that we really love someone until we do things for and with them that prove it. If you are acting like a child of God, you can be confident about your standing before God. God knows everything and He knows if your heart is in the right place, if you really do love othes as you claim to do.
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