The title of this weeks letter is : GOD WANTS YOUR LOVE Dear friends and co-workers, This week we will focus on the love of God and the love that he desires in return. To start, I feel a strong need to define “love” in the sense that that it is used in most of the Bible and in the heart of God! Love: the basic, first cause and ultimate expression of God and man, the Christian Gospel and church ethics; same as Charity: Love of humanity; benevolent actions, see Benevolence: affection, goodwill, and kindness, see Kindness: Favorably disposed; gentle; forebearing. The definition of love is very deep, I could keep listing definitions but I think this is sufficient, I hope this will help us better understand the following scriptures. Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. 2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. 3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. 4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them Throughout history Gods people have strayed, been ungrateful, and have just been ignorant to the things God has done. This has been going on for thousands of years, and will probably continue until the return of the Lord. The love God has for mankind is so great that he continues to pull us back when we stray, forgive us, and bless us! God desires our love in return, for example, you love your wife, husband, children, parents, etc. , I am sure that you have a deep, unbreakable, unconditional love for each of them. What if that love wasn’t mutual, one of them told you they don’t love you, or it is evident according to their actions? It would break your heart, you would be devastated wouldn’t you? God feels the same way when we don’t return the love he shows us. By the way, it is also a commandment, #1: “have no other Gods before me”, #2: “thou shalt not make any graven image………………..thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I am a jealous God.” God loves us and wants us to love him and only him! God tells us again, and more straight forward in Deuteronomy 6: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. John 13: 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. This is not necessarily a new commandment, we are told to love our neighbor in Leviticus 19:18, but Jesus commands this of us so that as he says in verse 35, we will be known as belonging to him by the love we show for him and others. Christ confirms this command in Matthew 25: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. In essence the more we love one another, the more we love God. My study bible says “the purpose of this parable is that we are to love every person and serve anyone we can. Such love for others glorifies God by reflecting our love for him”. Before ending this letter I wish to add a few passages for you to meditate on this week. The first is described as “The characteristics of love”: 1Corinthians 13: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. This is the second and we will end with this, this passage is called “The greatest commandments of the law”: Matthew 22: 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 02:52:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015