February 28 - 1 John 3
This is one of my favorite passages. John was an old man by the time he wrote this. He had seen so much. His friends had died and many of them had traveled so far away that by the time they had died horrible deaths, he hadn’t seen them in years. He was the Bishop of Ephesus and loved those in his care deeply.
Many believe that he cared for Mary, Jesus’ mother, in Ephesus until she died. He had already been on Patmos and had seen the glories of heaven. Now … all he wanted to do was to ensure that the love of Jesus would spread and would be lived out in those he shepherded.
Rather than spending time reading my words … on this final day of February, read John’s words:
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Love One Another
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
February 27 - 1 Peter 3:8-9
Sunday, February 27, 2011
February 27 – 1 Peter 3:8-9
“Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
In Galatians 5:22, Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit – those things our lives should show to the world in order for the world to see the Spirit of God working within us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul lists those things that show love to the world: Love is patient, kind, never envious, boastful or proud. Love is not rude, self-seeking, easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres. Love never fails.
Peter calls Christians together in unity. A unity that will bring blessing. This spirit of unity separates Christians from the world, where there is discord and separation. The world constantly batters at us, attempting to find ways to break us apart.
In this spirit of unity, there is found sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart and a humble mind. Each of these attributes is set in place so that we never believe we are greater than another and we never attempt to separate ourselves from needing each other.
We are called to bring unity to the body of Christ. Each of us is important and necessary. Repaying evil with evil or insult with insult will leave holes that separate. When evil and insult come … repay them with blessing.
We are called to bring unity wherever we can. God wants us to be blessed. He wants to pour out blessings upon us. It is love which binds us together … love which brings unity.
“Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
In Galatians 5:22, Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit – those things our lives should show to the world in order for the world to see the Spirit of God working within us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul lists those things that show love to the world: Love is patient, kind, never envious, boastful or proud. Love is not rude, self-seeking, easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres. Love never fails.
Peter calls Christians together in unity. A unity that will bring blessing. This spirit of unity separates Christians from the world, where there is discord and separation. The world constantly batters at us, attempting to find ways to break us apart.
In this spirit of unity, there is found sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart and a humble mind. Each of these attributes is set in place so that we never believe we are greater than another and we never attempt to separate ourselves from needing each other.
We are called to bring unity to the body of Christ. Each of us is important and necessary. Repaying evil with evil or insult with insult will leave holes that separate. When evil and insult come … repay them with blessing.
We are called to bring unity wherever we can. God wants us to be blessed. He wants to pour out blessings upon us. It is love which binds us together … love which brings unity.
February 26 - 1 Peter 1:22
Saturday, February 26, 2011
February 26 - 1 Peter 1:22
“Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.”
Loving each other from the heart seems like such a simple thing, doesn’t it?
Yet at the same time … it is so difficult.
We protect our hearts from each other because we know how easily they can be broken and wounded.
‘Genuine mutual love’ is actually brotherly love … ‘philadelphia’ … the love that comes from each other. The love that is absolutely necessary in the face of all we confront daily. We are confident in the love that comes from God until we are faced with the fact that those whom we need to love us and care for us with no strings attached, aren’t there to do that. Then it becomes easy for us to question the truth of God’s love.
One of the greatest purposes we have on earth is to love each other. Jesus said it … The greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul mind and strength … and the second is just as important … to love our neighbor (our brother … our friend) as ourselves.
The great commandments have nothing to do with rules and regulations, church buildings or programs, events and activities. They have to do with love. Genuine love that comes deeply from the heart.
The heart is where we find the connection to God. In Psalm 42, we read that ‘deep calls out to deep.’ The depth of God’s heart calls to ours. His love reaches to us in the very depths of our hearts. This is the love we share with others, this is the love He sends forth through us … like springs of living water … they will never go dry.
Genuine love … from the depths of our hearts. Nothing else is as important. Nothing else is needed so desperately. Nothing else can be so freely given.
“Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.”
Loving each other from the heart seems like such a simple thing, doesn’t it?
Yet at the same time … it is so difficult.
We protect our hearts from each other because we know how easily they can be broken and wounded.
‘Genuine mutual love’ is actually brotherly love … ‘philadelphia’ … the love that comes from each other. The love that is absolutely necessary in the face of all we confront daily. We are confident in the love that comes from God until we are faced with the fact that those whom we need to love us and care for us with no strings attached, aren’t there to do that. Then it becomes easy for us to question the truth of God’s love.
One of the greatest purposes we have on earth is to love each other. Jesus said it … The greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul mind and strength … and the second is just as important … to love our neighbor (our brother … our friend) as ourselves.
The great commandments have nothing to do with rules and regulations, church buildings or programs, events and activities. They have to do with love. Genuine love that comes deeply from the heart.
The heart is where we find the connection to God. In Psalm 42, we read that ‘deep calls out to deep.’ The depth of God’s heart calls to ours. His love reaches to us in the very depths of our hearts. This is the love we share with others, this is the love He sends forth through us … like springs of living water … they will never go dry.
Genuine love … from the depths of our hearts. Nothing else is as important. Nothing else is needed so desperately. Nothing else can be so freely given.
February 25 - 2 Timothy 2:22
Friday, February 25, 2011
February 25 - 2 Timothy 2:22
“Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
You know, as I approach that age of wisdom, (I don’t know what it is … I just know that I’m closer than I was twenty-five years ago!) I am more and more offended by our culture’s obsession with youth.
Paul speaks of maturity quite often in his letters, knowing that as youth we spend our time seeking after things that sometimes make no sense.
When I was teaching high school Sunday School classes, I remember listening to the kids talk about their passions – they changed every week and I’m certain that during the week when I didn’t see them, those passions changed pretty regularly. Every week there was some new crisis or uproar that flitted in and out of their minds and hearts. All I could think was that I needed to pray for them regularly so that they would not be damaged too severely.
The pursuit of righteousness, faith, love and peace doesn’t sound like it should be that difficult … but it is. Even as mature adults, we miss out on those things because we are busy chasing the deal of the day. Our priorities are based on those things that make us happy rather than the things that make the Lord happy.
Call on Him with a pure heart … He will give you the desires of your heart … not the desires of today or tomorrow, not the desires of the world … the true desires of our heart.
“Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
You know, as I approach that age of wisdom, (I don’t know what it is … I just know that I’m closer than I was twenty-five years ago!) I am more and more offended by our culture’s obsession with youth.
Paul speaks of maturity quite often in his letters, knowing that as youth we spend our time seeking after things that sometimes make no sense.
When I was teaching high school Sunday School classes, I remember listening to the kids talk about their passions – they changed every week and I’m certain that during the week when I didn’t see them, those passions changed pretty regularly. Every week there was some new crisis or uproar that flitted in and out of their minds and hearts. All I could think was that I needed to pray for them regularly so that they would not be damaged too severely.
The pursuit of righteousness, faith, love and peace doesn’t sound like it should be that difficult … but it is. Even as mature adults, we miss out on those things because we are busy chasing the deal of the day. Our priorities are based on those things that make us happy rather than the things that make the Lord happy.
Call on Him with a pure heart … He will give you the desires of your heart … not the desires of today or tomorrow, not the desires of the world … the true desires of our heart.
February 24 - 1 Timothy 1:5
Thursday, February 24, 2011
February 24 - 1 Timothy 1:5
“But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.”
Just prior to this Paul encouraged Timothy to teach against false doctrines, myths and those that would use these types of things to create controversies within the community. All of these things should be taught … within the heart of love.
The Lord has given us so much … all given to us in grace. However, it is so difficult for humanity to return the favor to itself. We treat each other was disdain and judgment when we disagree.
Timothy was being taught by Paul to be greater than all of that. He had the power of leadership and his teaching would affect the movement of the churches that Paul had entrusted to him.
We have that same power entrusted to us.
We teach in love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. It seems to me that this is the same behavior Jesus encouraged when he refused to cast a stone against the woman in John 8. Her accusers were more than ready to condemn her for her actions, yet the one man who was pure of heart … sinless, refused to take action. He preferred forgiveness.
This is not an easy thing to do … ignoring our tendency to judge. But, it is when we place love in its place.
“But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.”
Just prior to this Paul encouraged Timothy to teach against false doctrines, myths and those that would use these types of things to create controversies within the community. All of these things should be taught … within the heart of love.
The Lord has given us so much … all given to us in grace. However, it is so difficult for humanity to return the favor to itself. We treat each other was disdain and judgment when we disagree.
Timothy was being taught by Paul to be greater than all of that. He had the power of leadership and his teaching would affect the movement of the churches that Paul had entrusted to him.
We have that same power entrusted to us.
We teach in love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. It seems to me that this is the same behavior Jesus encouraged when he refused to cast a stone against the woman in John 8. Her accusers were more than ready to condemn her for her actions, yet the one man who was pure of heart … sinless, refused to take action. He preferred forgiveness.
This is not an easy thing to do … ignoring our tendency to judge. But, it is when we place love in its place.
February 23 - Ephesians 3:17-19
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
February 23 - Ephesians 3:17-19
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
What is the first word that you are drawn to in these verses?
After I moved past the initial two phrases and saw a large tree with its roots digging deep down into a well saturated with love, I skimmed through them because I have read them so many times in my life.
Then, I stopped.
Power? What does this have to do with love. Power … hmmm, over what?
Power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Oh my goodness … how glorious is that?
Not wisdom or knowledge or understanding … but power to grasp the wisdom and knowledge and understanding.
Power.
Not strength or leadership, ownership or management.
Power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
This isn’t about how we love or what we have to do to receive the love of Christ.
Power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Today, along with Paul, I pray that you and I all may have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
I suspect that it will be difficult to do.
Don’t limit this love. Don’t miss this love. Don’t run from this love. Don’t hide from this love.
This love is wider, longer, higher and deeper than anything you will ever know.
Grab the power that allows you to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
What is the first word that you are drawn to in these verses?
After I moved past the initial two phrases and saw a large tree with its roots digging deep down into a well saturated with love, I skimmed through them because I have read them so many times in my life.
Then, I stopped.
Power? What does this have to do with love. Power … hmmm, over what?
Power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Oh my goodness … how glorious is that?
Not wisdom or knowledge or understanding … but power to grasp the wisdom and knowledge and understanding.
Power.
Not strength or leadership, ownership or management.
Power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
This isn’t about how we love or what we have to do to receive the love of Christ.
Power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Today, along with Paul, I pray that you and I all may have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
I suspect that it will be difficult to do.
Don’t limit this love. Don’t miss this love. Don’t run from this love. Don’t hide from this love.
This love is wider, longer, higher and deeper than anything you will ever know.
Grab the power that allows you to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
February 22 - Galatians 5:22-23
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
February 22 - Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
The Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus to teach us how to live in the kingdom of God while we still live here on earth. Now, is it possible that we can actually show the world around us that the Spirit of God is encouraging us?
The fruit that we show in our lives of His activity in our lives is found in these seven attributes.
We show love – not just loving those who love us or those who are nice to us, but we show love always, no matter what.
We are joyous – not just when we are happy about things because life is going our way, but true joy that comes from the depth of our being. Joy that signifies the most important thing in our life is our relationship with God.
We show patience – enduring patience that remains long after we are tired of putting up with the things that annoy us. Patience that waits through everything else.
We show kindness – not simply to those who are clean and tidy, smiling and sweet; but even to those who are filthy and on the street corners, ugly and mean.
We share goodness – our lives truly reflect the goodness that comes from God. When the rest of the world thinks that getting away with something is the easier way to exist, we choose to do the right thing – no matter what.
We show faithfulness – the depth of our faith in God never gives up, no matter the cost. We will never allow the foundation of our faith to be shaken because God is our solid rock.
We show gentleness – when what we want to show is our strength and power, we back off and allow gentleness to overcome us.
We exercise self-control. We don’t need to have everything that we want, we don’t need to say everything that wants to come out of our mouths and we don’t need to do all of those things that make us momentarily happy.
There is no law that would stop us from living as the Spirit calls us to live.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
The Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus to teach us how to live in the kingdom of God while we still live here on earth. Now, is it possible that we can actually show the world around us that the Spirit of God is encouraging us?
The fruit that we show in our lives of His activity in our lives is found in these seven attributes.
We show love – not just loving those who love us or those who are nice to us, but we show love always, no matter what.
We are joyous – not just when we are happy about things because life is going our way, but true joy that comes from the depth of our being. Joy that signifies the most important thing in our life is our relationship with God.
We show patience – enduring patience that remains long after we are tired of putting up with the things that annoy us. Patience that waits through everything else.
We show kindness – not simply to those who are clean and tidy, smiling and sweet; but even to those who are filthy and on the street corners, ugly and mean.
We share goodness – our lives truly reflect the goodness that comes from God. When the rest of the world thinks that getting away with something is the easier way to exist, we choose to do the right thing – no matter what.
We show faithfulness – the depth of our faith in God never gives up, no matter the cost. We will never allow the foundation of our faith to be shaken because God is our solid rock.
We show gentleness – when what we want to show is our strength and power, we back off and allow gentleness to overcome us.
We exercise self-control. We don’t need to have everything that we want, we don’t need to say everything that wants to come out of our mouths and we don’t need to do all of those things that make us momentarily happy.
There is no law that would stop us from living as the Spirit calls us to live.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
