Love as I Have Loved You

Our Love for God

Loving God, Trusting Christ

Hold Fast to God's Love

John 15:12-17 The Message

11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.
16 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
17 “But remember the root command: Love one another.

For Reflection

John suggests that God's intention for humankind is to enjoy life.  God's wish is that we share God's joy and that our joy would continue to grow into maturity.  The key to achieving a level of joy that approximates the joy God experiences is to love.  Such unreasonable love for God, self, friends, and enemies is the process of fulfilling the promise of our lives.

Pray

Pray so that you will be more able to love as God loves.


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Multiply God's Gifts

Our Love for God

God Commands Our Love, Respect, and Obedience:
Modeling God's Love

Matthew 25:14-30 The Message

The Story About Investment

14-18 “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.
19-21 “After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
22-23 “The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
24-25 “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
26-27 “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
28-30 “‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’

For Reflection

Throw caution to the wind. Take a chance on the promise of God. Mimic the faith of Christ. Copy His style, His Grace, His wisdom, His courage, His compassion, His love of God and humans, His willingness to serve, His willingness to sacrifice himself.  In short, strive to become equivalent to Christ in form.

Pray

Pray so that you will be more like Jesus each day.

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Keep Awake and Ready

Our Love for God

God Commands Our Love, Respect, and Obedience:
Modeling God's Love

Matthew 25:1-13 The Message

The Story of the Virgins

25 1-5 “God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep.
6 “In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet him!’
7-8 “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’
9 “They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’
10 “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.
11 “Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’
12 “He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’
13 “So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

For Reflection

So here's the deal Sillies.  One never knows when the opportunity to serve will appear.  So one must stay vigilant and prepared to witness to the grace of God,

Pray

Pray so that you will be ready to meet the opportunities God places in your path. Read scripture and discuss it with other believers so that you can expand your ability to serve. Pray and receive the joy of treating others with kindness.

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Serve the Lord

Our Love for God

God Commands Our Love, Respect, and Obedience:
Modeling God's Love

Mark 9:33-37 The Message

So You Want First Place?

33 They came to Capernaum. When he was safe at home, he asked them, “What were you discussing on the road?”
34 The silence was deafening—they had been arguing with one another over who among them was greatest.
35 He sat down and summoned the Twelve. “So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all.”
36-37 He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said, “Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—God who sent me.”

For Reflection

Humility is natural for those who live in Christ. How one compares to another is irrelevant. Each person has his or her own calling.  Each person is equally valued by God.  

Pray

Pray so that you will embrace all as you would welcome a child, gently and tenderly.  

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Rewards for Hospitality

Our Love for God

God Commands Our Love, Respect, and Obedience:
Modeling God's Love

Matthew 10:40-42 The Message

40-42 “We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

For Reflection

As God has bestowed upon you, bestow on others.  As you grow in grace, you will become more like God in Christ. Giving help is God's work through you.

Pray

Pray so that you will be more able to give of yourself to God and others.

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Live by Faith

Our Love for God

God Commands Our Love, Respect, and Obedience:
Modeling God's Love

Habakkuk 1:2-4; 2:1-4 The Message

Justice Is a Joke

1 1-4 The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it:
God, how long do I have to cry out for help
    before you listen?
How many times do I have to yell, “Help! Murder! Police!”
    before you come to the rescue?
Why do you force me to look at evil,
    stare trouble in the face day after day?
Anarchy and violence break out,
    quarrels and fights all over the place.
Law and order fall to pieces.
    Justice is a joke.
The wicked have the righteous hamstrung
    and stand justice on its head.
-----
2 What’s God going to say to my questions? I’m braced for the worst.
    I’ll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon.
I’ll wait to see what God says,
    how he’ll answer my complaint.

Full of Self, but Soul-Empty

2-3 And then God answered: “Write this.
    Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
    so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
    pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
    And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
    It’s on its way. It will come right on time.
4 “Look at that man, bloated by self-importance—
    full of himself but soul-empty.
But the person in right standing before God
    through loyal and steady believing
    is fully alive, really alive.

For Reflection

Prophets describe the vision of what they see.  It is difficult for us to see the hidden purposes and functions of God and God's universe.  We tend to block our understandings of God's intentions because we are so self-absorbed.  It sometimes takes a prophet to awaken that spark in our souls that counsels us to have the patience and discernment to look beyond what interpreted in common ways to see the perfection in God's plan.

Pray

Pray and listen to the wisdom in your soul.  Pray and discover the patience to wait for God's plan to unfold. Pray and receive the key to see beyond the temporal truths and into the eternal realities.

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Angels Announce Good News

Our Love for God

God Commands Our Love, Respect, and Obedience:
Jesus: God's Loving Promise

Luke 2:8-14 The Message

An Event for Everyone

8-12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”
13-14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

For Reflection

Shepherds were among those engaged in the lowliest vocations. Not only was shepherding a lonely job but spending most of the days and nights in good and poor weather made it also a hard life. The Angels visitation was a sign that all of humanity the elite and the wretched were invited to participate in the new Kingdom of God.

Pray

Pray for all those who have rejected God's overture for salvation.  Pray for those who have seen the light of God's witnesses and have accepted the call.  Pray so that you remain faithful and earnest in your ministry to others.

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