Joy, Love, and Peace

January was Joy.

February was Love.

March will be Peace.

Philippians 4:7, "The peace of GOD that exceeds all (your) understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

 



The Greatest of These Is Love

I Corinthians 13:13, "Faith, Hope, and Love; but the greatest of these is love."
                                       *
Love comes very hard for many people. Yet Christ said to Love GOD with all your heart, soul, body, and mind; and the second was to love you neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, James 2:8, Galatians 5:14)
                                     *
Neighbor doesn't mean just those who live next door to you, but anyone you come into contact with... even your enemies! (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27) How we love others (not just people we know) shows how much we love ourselves. That self love is not selfish, but a healthy love.  
                                     *
II Timothy 1:7, "For GOD did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-control." Love for ourselves  is self discipline, and self control. (I Thessalonians 5:8, II Timothy 3:3, Titus 2:2) This can't be done in the physical unless it has been done in the spiritual aspect of our lives first, by the very Nature of GOD giving us the power to love. His Love is a boundless love!

    


Spiritual Love verses Physically Love

John 21:15-18 Jesus questions Peter about his love for Him. Three times Christ asked Peter if he loved Him. Three times Peter said yes and three times the LORD told him, "Feed my sheep." He wasn't talking about physical food, but spiritual food. Spiritual food is the WORD of GOD. Christ is spoken of as the Shepherd of His Church (John 10:14) and the Church is spoken of as lambs and sheep of Christ. Pastors are the shepherd of their churches. The Spiritual food of our LORD GOD is the love of His WORD that leads to salvation, how to live our lives, and how to share the love of GOD with others. Our love for GOD is in reading and studying His WORD, prayer, and sharing with others His Love, truth, and salvation. GODS's  Love is like a river!

 

Love Beyond Our Understanding

GOD's Love is pure. GOD's Love is everlasting.

GOD's Love was shown when He became a Man in Jesus Christ, taking our sin upon Him so we can have everlasting life with Him. Past, present, future sin has been paid for on the Cross. Each person has a choice to make; accept or reject His sacrifice for their sin. GOD's Love is so far beyond man's comprehension that we will spend eternity being in the presence of our Awesome, Almighty, Creator, Savior, Holy Father GOD learning of this Love that begins at salvation.

  



Jesus Loves Me!

 

"This I know, for the Bible tells me so!" His Holy Spirit in me also tells me so!

                                      *

John 14:23, "Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will Love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him!' "

                                       *

Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of GOD who loved me and gave Himself for me."

                                        *

Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16; Christ spoke saying, "Suffer not the little children to come unto Me, for such is the Kingdom of GOD!"

                                       *

Christ also talked about suffering, "In this life you have many trials. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!" John 16:33

                                       *

Christian friend, persevere this world, for in doing so "A crown of (eternal) life awaits you!" James 1:12



 

 

 

 

 

Deeply Rooted in GOD's Love

I am using Joyce Meyers study today from her book, "Power Thoughts Devotional, February 16, 'Healthy Roots Develop Healthy Fruit.' "

                                      *

Ephesians 3:17, "May Christ through your faith dwell in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love."

                                      *

"When you become a student of GOD's WORD, you begin to desire a change in your behavior. But so often, as soon as you deal with one bad behavior, another immediately pops up to replace it.  Why? Because bad fruit  comes from a bad root. For example, as long as we feel bad about ourselves, we will produce bad fruit of some kind. It might be anger, insecurity, fear, or indecision. But, it will show up in our behavior. We must deal with the root of the problem. No matter how good things look outwardly, if they are not right on the inside, sooner or later it will be revealed on the outside. Your worth and value are not based on outward things; they are based on GOD's Love for you. Receive His Love, learn to love and value yourself, and you will begin to produce better fruit in your life. The Power Thought: I am rooted and grounded in Christ!"



The Love of Friendship

 

 

 

I retired from teaching going on three years ago and the number of friends (and family) that were there had my heart in joy overdrive! Many of them I had taught with for over 23 years! I have brunch dates set each month with a special friend every month. I stood beside her as she married the man of her love!

                                       *

The English language only has one word for "love," however there are many different kinds of love. One kind of love is for friends and extended family. Another kind of love is husbands and their wives. But, the greatest kind of Love is God's Love for His redeemed! I pray your know personally this greatest Love of our Creator that lasts throughout all Eternity! 





For GOD So Loved the World

"For GOD so Loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth upon Him shall not die but have Eternal Life!" John 3:16

 

Our Awesome GOD Loves us so much that He made way for fallen man to receive Eternal Life and never die. Unbelievers don't understand this because they have not the knowledge of our Almighty GOD that is departed to us upon our salvation in accepting His free gift of Life. Their response is "everyone dies!" They know not that death is the door to Eternal Life. Everyone is going to live forever. The question is where are you going to be for Eternity! That decision has to be made on this side of death. Man has tried to satisfy that by "inventing" the purgatory theory. Purgatory is not found in the Bible! Christ's death for the sins of mankind is once and for all the only way! Christ said, "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life no man comes to the father except through Me." (John 14:6) Works in purgatory for redemption is a lie from Satan. 

                                       *

Accept the greatest Love that has ever been! Those accepting His free gift of Eternal Life are told things concerning death for Christians, "To be absent from the body (death) is to be present with the LORD." 2nd Corinthians 5:8 To not accept Christ's salvation brings Eternal damnation. Mark 3:29
                                       *
Accept and know now the Almighty Love GOD has for you and find out what our Awesome GOD has in store for you now and throughout Eternity!

Husbands Love Your Wives

"Husbands love your wives even as Christ Loves the Church and gave His life for her..."   (Ephesians 5:25). "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." (Colossians 3:19). In GOD's Love, He created woman from man's rib, (Genesis 2:21-22) not from his backbone for her to always follow behind him, not from his foot for him to trample upon her, but from his rib for her to always be at his side with his loving arm around her.
                                         *
Wives love for their husbands shows in Ephesians 5:22, 24 "Wives submit to your husbands as to the LORD. As the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands." Men, this is a great responsibility upon your part to not abuse what the WORD of GOD says. You will be held accountable for your actions (Luke 16:2), your words (Matthew 12:36), and your thoughts  (2nd Corinthians 10:5) as will everyone, believers and unbelievers alike.
                                        *
The love children should have for their parents is one of the ten commandments in honoring their parents (Exodus 20:12). "Children, obey your parents in everything for this pleases the LORD." (Colossians 3:20)
                                       *
Love brings great responsibility whether you are a son, daughter,  father, mother, husband, wife; but most of all your love for your Awesome, Almighty, Creator, Savior, Holy Father GOD is above all!

What is Love?

I Corinthians 13:4-8 Tells what love is and what love is not, "Love is patient, kind, does not envy or boast, is not proud or self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, but rejoices with truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."

                                         *

Webster's dictionary says love "is to hold dear, cherish." GOD's Love is perfect and expects perfection which fallen man can only become perfect through Christ Jesus. (John 3:3, I John 5:1-2)
                                        *
GOD's Love will not allow sin to stand between Him and His creation. That's why Christ paid the penalty for all sin upon the Cross. (John 3:16, Romans 5:7-8, Ephesians 2:1-5) Those accepting His gift of salvation will experience GOD's perfect Love forever. Those rejecting His gift of salvation will experience GOD's perfect Love in justice in the Lake of Fire forever. (Revelation 2:11, 20:6, 20:14, 21:8)
                                       *
If you don't know this perfect Love of GOD, please come to His Love by accepting Christ as your Savior for all Eternity. See what happens when His Holy Spirit comes into you revealing the Love of Almighty GOD and Christ Jesus to your soul!!! "GOD is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24) That can only happen if you belong to Christ by His salvation for those who accept His sacrifice for their sins. Such Love is unknown to unbelievers. To them it is foolishness.  (1st Corinthians 1:18) Come to Christ and His Love for you, today!
 

Christ's Love Past, Present, Future (Cross TV) Part 3

"Future - 1. Jesus Christ will keep us safely in His arms forever. (John 10:28)

2. We will be collected to Christ into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 24:31, I Thess. 4:16-17 Our citizenship will be in Heaven and our bodies will be like His. (John 6:40)

3. This Eternal Kingdom has been created for us since before creation. (Matt. 25:34)

4. Jesus Christ is coming again! Will you be ready to meet Him in the air! If not the tribulation will be waiting for you. Please don't put salvation off and find yourself in hell on earth!                                            
                                        *

What Love our Awesome, Almighty, Creator Savior, Holy Father GOD has for us! Those who have taken Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior will have an Eternity beyond our comprehension. The Book of Revelation speaks of the foundations being made of precious jewels, streets of gold, gates of ivory; it's amazing the criminals today that commit their crimes for what will be building materials on the New Earth! GOLD is asphalt in the New Jerusalem! (Revelation 21:14-21)

                                        *

There will be no more pain, sorrow, heartache, disease, aging! (Revelation 21:4)

                                        *

We will be ruling and reigning with Christ! (Revelation 20:4,6) These are only a few things mentioned in the Christians' Eternal future with our Almighty Savior GOD! What a loving Creator!  I can't help but play again below, The Hopper's song, The New Jerusalem!

                                                                                                          

Christ's Love - Past, Present, Future (Cross TV) Part 2

"Present - What is Christ doing for you now? 1.  'He is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us.' Romans 8:34. What does this interceding include? The prayers we lift up to Almighty Father GOD, are being 'interceded' in a Holy Love by Christ. He is our arbitrator speaking to GOD the Father in Holy utterances that we can not comprehend and have no knowledge of the Holy WORDs! 'The Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express' Romans 8:26.
2. He is preparing a place for us! John 14:2 'In My Father's house are many rooms...I Am going there to prepare a place for you...and I will take you to be with Me' He also promises, 'To be absent from the body (physical death) is to be in the presence of the LORD!' 2nd Corinthians 5:1.
                                       *
There are so many more to explore! This  Love the LORD has for us makes us want to sing, dance, and play instruments to His Glory!

    

Christ's Love - Past, Present, Future (Cross tv) Part 1

 

"Past - What has Christ's Love done for us?

     1. Christ left Heaven to come down to earth to assume human form in a fallen world. 'Christ Jesus Who being in the very nature GOD...taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness...humbled Himself even unto death on the Cross.' (Philippians 2:5-8).

    2. 'Jesus was led of the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.' Matthew 4:1-11, He was tempted in every manner man is, but never fell to the temptation by finishing up His rebuke of Satan, 'Worship the LORD your GOD and serve Him only.'  The strength of His Love for us allowed the harsh cruelty of man to be put upon Him.

    3. Christ's Love for man was fully manifested on the Cross. 'Greater Love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.' John 15:13. Again in Ephesians 2:4-5, 'because of His great Love for us, GOD, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. He raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms.' "
                                       *
Man's comprehension of Almighty GOD's Love is so minute! Praise Him that He realizes our frailty and that we continue to grow in His knowledge and wisdom of this fantastic Love!
                                      *
Next time we will look at Christ's Love in the present. (Cross TV)      

Love

God is Love. 1st John 4:8, "Whoever does not love, does not know GOD, because GOD is Love."

                                       *
"For GOD so Loved the world He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ-who is GOD in the flesh) that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Jesus has taken upon Himself every sin committed from Adam and Eve to the last human being He will ever create. The penalty for sin has been paid. It is left up to each person to decide to accept or reject His free gift of Eternal life in Heaven with Him or separated and in the eternal Lake of Fire.
                                        *
Many unbelievers question, "If GOD is Love, why are so many going to hell?" First of all GOD's Love is pure and just. He can only have perfection. Jesus has made that perfection available to man by the shedding of His blood that washes away the sins of those accepting His free gift of Eternal life. Man "sends" himself to hell by rejecting the gift of salvation which only comes through Jesus Christ. Christ said, "I Am the way, the truth, and the life. NO man comes to the Father (in Heaven) except through Me (Jesus)."  John 14:6
                                       *
Pure Love casts out all fear. (I John 4:18)