Love One Another

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.    

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

 

By this the love of God was manifested in us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  

 

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 

1 John 4:7-11

In the comic strip Peanuts Linus once said, “I love humanity.  It is people I can’t stand.” 

 

Human nature is a lot like that.  It is difficult for us to love people who are not lovable, but those are the people who need love the most. 

Once we have experienced God’s love, His love begins to work in us.  We see people not as they are on the outside, but as people who God loves and we begin to love them.  

 

We offer kindness and understanding and love to others, because when we are filled with God's love it is bound to spill out. 

 

So, remember God loved us, so we ought to love one another. 

  

While We Were Helpless

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for a good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

God does not limit His love to only good people or people with small sins.  God's love is for everyone. He dares to do what no one else ever has done.  He loves us when we are sinners, when we are not good.  

Jesus came for all men, women and children.  And, He is waiting for you.

This is possible, not because we are good, but because God is good.  

Invite Jesus into your life today, be forgiven and feel God's love. 

God Is On Your Side

 

The Lord sustains all who fall

And raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to You.

And You give them their food in due time.

You open Your hand

And satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways

And kind in all His deeds.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

He will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him;

He will also hear their cry and will save them.

Psalm 145:14-19

God completely cares for us.  When we are down He lifts us up.  He meets our needs.  And, He is kind to us.

When we call on God, He hears and answers.

We are never left alone, because God is always with us.  

Trust God, He is on your side. 

Speak Up

 

Open your mouth for the mute,

For the rights of the unfortunate.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Did you ever see something happen that you thought was unfair and did not say anything?  I have.  Afterwards I got a double whammy of discomfort caused by witnessing an injustice and doing nothing to stop it. 

Why don’t we speak up?  Are afraid of being told to “mind your own business” or being ridiculed?  If we think about what Jesus would do, there is no doubt that He would intervene.   

Speak up.  It is the right thing to do.

Comfort Those Who Are Suffering

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

God’s comfort brings us peace in the worst of times. Because we have this great gift from God, we are able to comfort those who are suffering.

Comfort, like all the gifts we receive from God, is ours to give away.

A Place of Forgiveness and Grace

 

And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 

Romans 11:23

How far from the grace of God can someone fall? 

Atheists say there is no God and agnostics are unsure if there is a God.  Yet, for atheists and agnostics even in their state of unbelief and uncertainty, God is waiting to restore them to the place He has for them – a place of forgiveness and grace. God never stops loving anyone.

We are His and He is waiting.

Be Kind To Seekers

 

So I say to you, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 

 

Luke 11:9-10

 

Seekers are everywhere. 

Jesus knows that people take all sorts of routes to find Him.  Some come to God after exploring other religions and some have a lifetime of struggling with different ideas and beliefs before they reach out to Jesus.  Some come because they want more out of life, but they are not sure what that more is. 

Our call is not to trample these people because of their ideas, but to lead them with kindness to knock on the door where Jesus waits.

 

Be kind to seekers.