Posts Tagged ‘ Love ’
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27, ESV
God made us, so He absolutely has the right to set the standard, tell us what is best for us, and how we ought to live.
We should listen and obey our Creator and love Him for loving us so much.
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21, ESV
Joseph and Mary were willing servants of God to bring the Savior into the world.
Likewise, we carry Christ to this world to show the world their need for the One who has removed their sins by His sacrifice.
We are finishing up our advent series, first shared five years ago!
It is now the fourth week of Advent! (See the last three weeks’ devotional thoughts here (and here) and here (and here) and here (and here).)
Again, Advent is a time to remember our Lord’s first coming as we look forward to His imminent return.
So, let us prepare hearts for encountering the Lord!
There is a slight twist today in presentation, as well, as we prepare for Christmas!
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
At first we are reminded that sometimes life is going well.
Then we are reminded that sometimes life is hard.
Life seems perfect and flawless.
Or we are dealing with an illness, a tragedy, or the loss of a loved one.
The answer, in any circumstance good or bad, is to fall on our knees and acknowledge that we need a Savior, to seek the God who came to save us from our sin and suffering by coming to us as an infant, the weakest of all things.
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
The Light of the world calls us to Himself, and only the wise heed His call. Only the wise understand that He truly understands all of our hurts and needs and can help us because He has been through it all.
And He deserves our adoration and worship.
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
It is not only our trials and pains which he helps, but He has called us to love all other people.
We not only see our need for salvation from sin and God’s wrath, we see our need for His love to fill our hearts, to treat our friends, enemies, and strangers alike as brothers and sisters, with love and compassion.
And for ever we shall worship Him and declare His awesomeness!
For He has come to save and will come again a final time to fully redeem His own, and that is the full promise of the gospel!
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Revelation 22:20-21, ESV
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19, ESV
When we think of how the Father sacrificed His Son for our forgiveness out of His loved for us, we should be overcome with love for God and the lost He came to save.
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:10, ESV
We take care of our own. Interestingly, if we live or Christ’s love, we will probably pass it on to our lost, hurting world, so that they then will see our good works and praise our Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Luke 6:35, ESV
Be like God, who could have simply destroyed all sinners (including you and me), but He showed kindness to us by making a way back to Him.
Love all people.
My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
Isaiah 26:9, ESV
When God ordains calamity and strife, the wise see His reproof and grow closer to Him. It is easy to grow complacent amidst blessing.
Seek God continuously.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
Matthew 6:3, ESV
We help others for love’s sake, to glorify God, not to get attention or rewarded.
Love God by loving others.
I preached again! I liked it. Like, wept some, got goosebumps some, enjoyed preaching it … a lot.
Please enjoy listening (click here if it does not work just below), and see my rough notes for all scripture references and basic thoughts. I am reading from the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible.
Read 3:10-11
1:1, 2:7: Nothing new, known from the beginning
Read 3:12
Genesis 4:3-5: Why did Cain murder Abel? His sacrifice was not accepted.
Why?
2 theories: 1) He could have asked Abel for an animal sacrifice. Could have, yes, but …
2) He offered “an offering of the fruit” versus Abel’s “firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.” Abel offered the first and best, but Cain went for the bare minimum.
Genesis 4:6-7: Bare minimum can lead, at best, to complacency, and at worst to proof of not being saved.
Genesis 4:8-9: Our selfishness leads us to hatred, as John reminds us …
Read 3:13-15
Testimony: Know I am saved, because I have loved the Church.
-Jim Harper – Pastor on the Titanic
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Pastor in Nazi Germany
Read 3:16-20
Two things to remember:
Read 3:21-24
What does this all mean for us?
So, then, what are the commands we are to obey?
a simple man of God 