Tag Archive for love one another

Undiscovered Blessings

2015-08-13 Devotional with Hymn, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Deuteronomy 15:1-15, 18

God’s blessings are often dependent on our receiving them. To receive them, we must obey Him.

As God was forming the people of Israel into a holy nation – a nation to be His light to all the peoples of the earth – He laid out for them in great detail the blessings He would pour out on them if they obeyed, as well as the curses that would come if they disobeyed. Many of the laws they were called to obey concerned how they should treat each other. For example, consider these passages from Deuteronomy:

  • Every third year the Israelites should use their tithe to feed the needy in their town (14:28-29).
  • Every seven years creditors should release their debtors from what they owed (15:1-11). The exact details of this release are uncertain, but it is clear that creditors were to show mercy to those caught in the grip of debt.
  • Jewish slave owners were to release their Hebrew slaves in the seventh year (15:12-15, 18). They were not to send these slaves away empty-handed but were to freely share their own goods with them.
  • Israelites were forbidden to charge interest to their fellow Jews (23:20).
  • They were to leave part of their harvest in the fields and allow the poor to gather it free (24:19-22).

The rights of individual ownership were tempered with the absolute necessity of compassion and generosity toward the needy. God continually prodded them to treat their fellow Jews like family – like brothers. He reminded them that He had been generous and compassionate toward them, delivering them when they were in helpless bondage. He had never treated them with a tight-fisted, “This is Mine!” attitude, nor had He withheld His gifts because they didn’t deserve them. He now expected them to treat each other the same way.

God is still eager to bless His people in all our endeavors. He wants to lavish on us the many undiscovered blessings of love and unity. But we have to follow Him in treating His people with open hands and open heart.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Open Your Hand
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Let Love Fill My Moments

2015-08-02 Devotional with Hymn, Prayer No comments

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water. 

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
(Psalm 63:1, 3-8, NIV)

Lord, help me spend my thought time
more wisely.
Let’s keep an open conversation
between You and me,
talking and listening,
no matter what else is going on.
As we face each other, Lord,
let Your love fill
all my spare thoughts and moments.

Make my life a constant gift of love
from You
to Your children. 

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Lord, May Our Thoughts Begin with You
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Live Love

2015-01-11 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Imagine a world where everyone loves everyone else, sincerely, from the heart.

Imagine a place where people speak of each other only what is true, and only what will build each other up;

  • a place where everyone treats others the way they themselves want to be treated;
  • a place where self-centeredness, greed, and fighting are gone;
  • a place where people live each day as joined to everyone else, as part of each other, as members of one body;
  • a place where gentleness and kindness are highly prized;
  • a place where forgiveness, patience, and forbearance are the norm;
  • a place where need is no more, since each person shares what they have, freely and unafraid;
  • a place where everything, everything is done in love.

Wouldn’t you like to live in such a place? That’s the kind of world our Creator is building. And that’s the kind of life He wants for you. He wants to grow it in you. He wants to help you live such love in your home, on your job, in your neighborhood, among your friends. And He wants to start today.

But how could anyone live such a life in this world of greed and brute force? What’s more, how can we live that kind of love when selfishness is so deeply rooted within us?

The good news is this: God is love (1 John 4:16). Our Creator is love. The One who designed this world designed it for love. The One who designed us designed us for love. Love is our purpose, our heritage, our destiny. Love is the rich life, the full life, the natural life that He is giving to every one of us.

A life of love is not an heroic feat of self-control. As we trust Him simply, step-by-step, we grow in Him. As we grow in Him, He grows in us. His love grows in us. It begins as a tiny seed and grows into a beautiful tree that gives shelter and nourishment to everyone around.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Lord, You Are Love
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Which Is More Valuable?

2014-12-25 Devotional No comments

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 

For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:8-13, NASB)

Imagine how our society would rank the following in value:

  • an intelligent person
  • one who could foretell the future
  • a loving person

It’s obvious. Highly intelligent people are put on a pedestal. Those who can foretell the future are almost gods. Being loving is “nice” and admirable, but it’s not highly sought or greatly esteemed.

But read the scripture above. Knowledge is partial and temporary. Is anything more riddled with error than an outdated science textbook? True prophecies are rare. But even they, once fulfilled, simply become part of yesterday’s newspaper.

Love is the one treasure that time and change will never supersede. It becomes more precious as the years pass.

Kind to the Unkind

2014-12-24 Devotional with Hymn No comments

If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:34-36, NASB)

Most of us treat others the way they treat us.
We “give them what they deserve.”
That only seems right…
Right?

But that’s not what God is like (thank goodness!).
He gives lovingly and generously to His enemies.
He is lavishly, ridiculously kind to the most undeserving people.

And He wants us to be the same.

Jesus, help me to be kind to the unkind.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: As You Love
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Keys to Happy Relationships

2014-12-18 Devotional No comments

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32, NASB)

Good relationships within the Church aren’t automatic. They require effort: compassion, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness. Good relationships in the Church require the same effort as good relationships in the home:

  • Remember to think of the other person’s feelings and welfare first, and yourself second.
  • Be willing to “go the extra mile” again and again and again.
  • Give of yourself freely, without keeping a balance sheet.
  • Even in their weakest moments, when they seem the most annoying and unreasonable, even when you are absolutely positive that the blame is entirely theirs, go out of your way to understand them and care about their feelings and see the situation through their eyes.

Individuals, Not Issues

2014-12-09 Devotional with Hymn No comments

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. (James 2:8, NIV)

I remember when my brother first told us he was gay. For a while, homosexuality itself was the issue. He was anxious for us to understand him and be open to his viewpoint. We wanted him to know that we didn’t read the Bible that way.

But eventually, we moved beyond dealing with homosexuality as an issue and got down to personal relationships. The real question for me became, “How do I treat my brother who is gay?”

The answer soon became obvious: I love him like a brother. That’s my sole responsibility toward him. It’s really that simple.

Then the broader question for me, and for all of us, is, “How do we treat our ‘neighbors’ who are gay?” And again the answer is simple and obvious: we love them like neighbors. We love them as we love ourselves. We love them as Christ loved us.

The natural concern may be, “But aren’t we obligated to let them know we don’t condone their life-style?” Believe me, gays are deeply and painfully aware that many of us don’t approve of them. They don’t need reminders.

The real question for us is, “Have we shown them that Christ likes them and loves them, personally and unconditionally?”

When Jesus was on earth, He was accused of being a friend to those considered morally repulsive. “Religious” people wouldn’t get near them, but He spent time with them, went to their parties, and in general seemed to like them and care about them. And they liked Him and gladly listened to Him.

While we tend to focus on issues and overlook individuals, Christ did the opposite. He looked past politics and concentrated on persons.

In that spirit, my point is not political or social, but personal. Our responsibility is not to try to change people. We are not responsible to try to convert homosexuals into heterosexuals. Our challenge is first and foremost to be Christ-like so that people are attracted to Him. And we can’t do that as long as we are fearfully shaking our fingers in their faces.

Nothing should ever distract us from showing that genuine, face-to-face love of Christ. Nothing. He is the force that changes hearts, not laws.

Do I pray for my brother? Of course. Daily. I pray for him just as I pray for all those I love: that he would enjoy all the riches and fruitfulness of the living Christ.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Prayer of Intercession
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

More Loving

2014-12-08 Devotional with Hymn No comments

This Christmas, Father, help me to be more loving.
Reshape me by the Spirit of Christ.
Make me more like You.

Add or subtract from me.
Edit and revise me as You see fit.
Tune me up, Lord.
Challenge me,
teach me,
inspire me by Your example.

I am listening, Father.
Lead, and I will follow.

Open my eyes to the needs all around me.
Help me to see You standing among us,
eager to supply each need from Your great abundance.

This Christmas,
make me as humble as the newborn Christ.
Keep me as patient as You, my Father,
and as faithful as Your unfailing promises.
Help me to share the good news about Jesus
as naturally and eagerly as the shepherds.
With the magi, may I bow in worship and
offer You only my very best.

Bring your love to life, O kind, compassionate Father.
Make it flesh and blood in me.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Christmas Love
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

In Someone Else’s Skin

2014-12-04 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32, NASB)

The next time you have a headache or are tired or have a sore throat, look at the people around you and ask yourself this:

What would it feel like to be in their skin? How would it be to deal with their discomforts,

  • to be their size, shape, and weight?
  • to wake up every day in their home, to their family, with their concerns, temptations, and weaknesses?
  • to see the world through their eyes, as colored by their memories?

We are frail, physical creatures. Everyone around you is a frail, physical creature. Today each of them could use a little patience, a little understanding…a little compassion.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Love One Another
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

I Lay Down My Life

2014-11-13 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Bear one another’s burdens, and
thereby fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2, NASB) 

Lord, there is one near me who is
tired,
stressed,
overworked,
anxious,
carrying a burden too heavy to bear.

Lord, please help them.
Lift their load.
But can I pray this way without being willing to help them myself?

God, please help them, and
use me however you choose.

Lord, use me
to lift someone’s load
today.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Be Love in Me
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

« Older Entries   Recent Entries »