Sunday, September 27, 2015

What's Love Got to do With It

What's love got to do with it!
Everything!

Unlike the Tina Turner song,
love is more than an "old fashioned notion".
We were created to love by God, Who is love.

1 John 4:7-10 (NLT)
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.


So much of the time we put conditions on love.
We base love on a feeling or emotion.
God's love is unconditional.
It doesn't matter what we do or say, He will always love us.


The Bible has three words for love;
agape, phileo, and eros.
Eros is the type of love between husband and wife.
Phileo is the most common and generally means to love, to like,
treat affectionately and be friendly.
Phileo is the kind of love we share with family and friends.
Agape love is the highest form of love and often the hardest to attain.
It is a selfless love.
C. S. Lewis explained agape as "a selfless love, 
a love that was passionately
committed to the well being of the other".
This is the love God has for us.
It is this love which enabled Jesus to leave heaven
and sacrifice Himself for us.
It is this love that still saves and heals us.
God is committed to loving us unconditionally even 
when we turn our backs on Him.
Let God love you today.

1Corinthians 13:7
Love bears all things. believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Do Yourself a Favor

As we hold on to grudges
and resentment,
they have a way of gaining control over our lives.
They also grow out of proportion.
Resentment can materialize in many ways;
physically and emotionally making us sick.

It can cut off communication and isolate us
from family and friends.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 
The Message
Don't be quick to fly off the handle.
Anger boomerangs.

Psalm 37:8
NLT
Stop being angry.
Turn from your rage.
Do not lose your temper-
it only leads to harm.

Do yourself a favor!
Forgive!

Let go of anger, bitterness and unforgiveness.

Do this for yourself.
It may seem impossible, but nothing is impossible for God.

Ephesians 4:31-32
NLT
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander,
as well as all types of evil behavior.
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

God demonstrated His great love for toward us by sending Christ
to die for us even while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8

Put away all your anger, resentment and bitterness
and love one another just as God did for us.