Songs: Jesus is Love, Lionel Richie / Commodores (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS7Uf2uTd5o&playnext=1&list=PL51A35B19FBC1804A&index=26)
Name of Love, Israel Houghton, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOTzq-H02jU&feature=related)
Scripture:
1 John 4:7-12, 19-21, New Living Translation (NLT)
Loving One Another
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
19 We love each other[a] because he loved us first.
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister,[b] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.[c]
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 4:19 Greek We love. Other manuscripts read We love God; still others read We love him.
b. 1 John 4:20 Greek hates his brother.
c. 1 John 4:21 Greek The one who loves God must also love his brother.
Name of Love, Israel Houghton, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOTzq-H02jU&feature=related)
Scripture:
1 John 4:7-12, 19-21, New Living Translation (NLT)
Loving One Another
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
19 We love each other[a] because he loved us first.
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister,[b] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.[c]
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 4:19 Greek We love. Other manuscripts read We love God; still others read We love him.
b. 1 John 4:20 Greek hates his brother.
c. 1 John 4:21 Greek The one who loves God must also love his brother.
Hebrews 1:1-3, GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
God Has Spoken to Us Through His Son
1In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. 2In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son responsible for everything. His Son is the one through whom God made the universe. 3His Son is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he received the highest position, the one next to the Father in heaven.
Matthew 22:37-40, Amplified Bible (AMP)
37And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).
38This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.
39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.
40These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.
God Has Spoken to Us Through His Son
1In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. 2In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son responsible for everything. His Son is the one through whom God made the universe. 3His Son is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he received the highest position, the one next to the Father in heaven.
Matthew 22:37-40, Amplified Bible (AMP)
37And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).
38This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.
39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.
40These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.
Romans 8:18-30, The Message (MSG)
18-21That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
29-30God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
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My plan to do my Bible reading was interrupted recently by a phone call from a friend. We were discussing difficulties experienced in relationships when, for no apparent reason, the call dropped. As we tried to reconnect, nothing was working. I had picked up my Bible to get back to my planned reading, (since I didn’t think I was going to be on the phone) and of course it opened to a passage directly addressing the subject of my previous conversation. Just then my phone rang as my friend got through, and our discussion continued with a readjusted focus, “a more excellent way”: the Word of God instead of just what we thought or felt.
Another call came in for my friend, and while I was on hold, something like the following “dropped in my spirit”:
18-21That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
29-30God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
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My plan to do my Bible reading was interrupted recently by a phone call from a friend. We were discussing difficulties experienced in relationships when, for no apparent reason, the call dropped. As we tried to reconnect, nothing was working. I had picked up my Bible to get back to my planned reading, (since I didn’t think I was going to be on the phone) and of course it opened to a passage directly addressing the subject of my previous conversation. Just then my phone rang as my friend got through, and our discussion continued with a readjusted focus, “a more excellent way”: the Word of God instead of just what we thought or felt.
Another call came in for my friend, and while I was on hold, something like the following “dropped in my spirit”:
God is love. As His children, our job / assignment is to love others with His love in such a way that their response will be to love (us and others) and act according to God’s Word…
- bringing them closer to God
- glorifying God
- magnifying God in their lives, our lives, and in the earth.
It seems to me as though the onus is on us – we who consider ourselves part of the Body of Christ, followers of Jesus. Everyone has the choice in how to respond to love. If we say that we love God, our response to His love is obedience, and the command is to love. (See previous blog entry for September 28, 2009, Christ Our Example.) It is to us, His children, that this knowledge, this assignment, this “call” has been given. And because of Christ Jesus and all that He has done (and continues to do) for, in and through us, it is to us that the power to obey and to love like this as His children, through His Holy Spirit, has been given – we are not without help; we can steep in His love.
1 Peter 3:8-18 (New King James Version, GOD'S WORD translation)
Called to Blessing
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;[a] 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For
“ He who would love life And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”[b]
Suffering for Right and Wrong
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”[c] 15 But sanctify the Lord God[d] in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
18This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Peter 3:8 NU-Text reads humble.
b. 1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:12–16
c. 1 Peter 3:14 Isaiah 8:12
d. 1 Peter 3:15 NU-Text reads Christ as Lord.
or, the same passage in The Message translation says:Suffering for Doing Good
8-12Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good,
Here's what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
run after peace for all you're worth.
God looks on all this with approval,listening and responding well to what he's asked;
But he turns his back on those who do evil things.
13-18If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.
Matthew 10:8 (New King James Version)
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
James 4:17 (New King James Version)
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Romans 12:9-21 (New King James Version)
Behave Like a Christian
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”[a] says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“ If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”[b]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Footnotes:
a. Romans 12:19 Deuteronomy 32:35
b. Romans 12:20 Proverbs 25:21, 22
Luke 6:27-38 (New International Version, 2010)
Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Ephesians 4:1-6 (CEV, MSG, NLT combination)
Unity with Christ
1As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own, worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. I, a encourage you to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you. 2Always be humble and gentle in every way. Patiently put up with each other and lovingly accept each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives, trying your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
4All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. 5We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. 6There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in and through all of us.
Unity with Christ
1As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own, worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. I, a encourage you to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you. 2Always be humble and gentle in every way. Patiently put up with each other and lovingly accept each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives, trying your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
4All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. 5We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. 6There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in and through all of us.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Contemporary English Version (CEV)
18God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
19What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God.
…and my journey with Him continues…
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