Archive for love
Do Good Toward all People
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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
The Bible tells us that God is no respecter of persons. He values everyone: the young, old, rich, poor, man and woman. Every race and creed, He loves us all just the same.
God has a heart for us one and all. He doesn’t bless one and not the other. No, The Lord wants to see us all live a good, fulfilling life. But He also wants us to turn around and do good towards others.
Many have a tendency to do good to those in their close circle of friends. Others tend to get selective and show love towards a particular kind. But when we operate in the true love of Christ, we do good toward all people.
Don’t favor one over the other. Don’t be selective and picky when it Read More→
God Abides With Us
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“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” – 1 John 4:12
God has sown seeds of greatness in you. He has given you everything you need to show Himself strong in and through you.
He’s not off in a far distant place looking down from the heavens. He’s not in a church house where you have to attend just to experience His presence. No, He lives among us.
We can’t see Him, He’s intangible, we can’t feel him. But if we love and display good fruit, He abides with us and through us.
I’ve heard it said that for someone, you’re the only Jesus they’ll ever see. In other words, when you display the Fruit of the Spirit, you are displaying the essence of who He is.
I love how today’s scripture says, “no one has ever seen God at anytime. But if we love each other, God abides in us…”
Here’s another way to put it. When you’re joyful and patient, God abides. When you’re forgiving, loving, and kind, God abides. When you exercise temperance and self-control, God abides. When you’re a light in a dark world, God abides. When Read More→
ShareMaybe You Could be One of the Ones… (Compassion for a Good Cause)
Posted by: | CommentsYou have the ability to bring about a positive change in every area of your life. You can be the catalyst that brings about total change in your environment.
From time to time, we find ourselves putting off certain responsibilities for the next person. But God is looking for us to step outside of the mold. As ambassadors for Christ, He wants us to take initiative. He wants us to step up to the call of duty.
Maybe there was an opportunity to go against the grain. When everyone else is too busy to help someone in need, maybe you could be one of the ones to take time out of your busy schedule and lend a helping hand.
Maybe you could be one of the ones to do what everyone else is not doing. Maybe you have a service to offer. The world might say, “It’s crazy to offer your service for free.” But, I dare you to be bold and courageous. Remember, it’s not about what someone else can do for you, it’s about what you can do for someone else.
.Who knows, someone out may be in desperate need of the service you have to offer, but they may not have the resources to acquire it. My friend, what better opportunity is there to show compassion than this? I believe that God is moved with compassion for us, when we’re moved with compassion for others.
I’m reminded of the story about the Good Samaritan. It tells of a Jewish man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and Read More→
ShareBe a Light in The World (Even in the Last Days)
Posted by: | CommentsWe’re living in the days when it seems most people are in it for themselves. We’ve got our own agendas. We’re too busy to give the time of day. Hardly no one lends a helping hand.
In doing this, we’re doing the total opposite of what God has called us to do. Above all else, we should first love God, then love people. But instead, many are lovers of themselves.
In this day in time, many are boastful, proud, arrogant and uncaring. But that’s not the will of God. Instead of boasting about self accomplishments, God wants us to seek ways to build up another person. Rather than putting your own selfish needs first, look for ways to fulfill another person’s needs.
The bible fore-warns us of the perilous times. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 gives us a small summary of what it will be like in the end times. It says men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful and unholy. They’ll be without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, and brutal. They won’t be lovers of the good, they’ll be treacherous, rash, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
My friends, the only good thing about this passage of scripture is that it Read More→
ShareYour Light is Contagious!
Posted by: | CommentsIn the world today, it seems it’s more and more difficult to find “salt and light.” It’s not very often that we encounter people who go around looking for ways to bless others.
But know today that you can be the positive change that you want to see. You can be that contagious light that changes the world.
The sad thing is that there are some people who smile only when there’s a reason to smile. But the good news is that you can make a choice to smile and be a shining example even when there’s no reason to smile. In fact, when there’s nothing but doom and gloom all around you, that’s the time when you should be a positive light in the world.
The interesting thing is when, you’re a light in the face of adversity, others aren’t going to understand. Even when a wrongdoer offends you, and you choose not to payback evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good, people aren’t going to understand. In fact, the dark forces in this world will expect you to payback evil for evil.
But I want to encourage you to be a light in every area of your life. When you let your light shine in the dark, the darkness can’t comprehend it. The scripture confirms Read More→
ShareShow Random Acts of Kindness
Posted by: | CommentsDo you find yourself looking for ways to help others? Know today that there is something very liberating about showing random acts of kindness.
Throughout our day to day journey, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves. It’s easy to do the things that make us happy and make our day go smoother.
But I dare you to look for ways to show love to others. You can make a choice to be a light in a dark world. You can choose to be the Jesus that many have never seen.
In fact, 1 John 4:12 says, “No one has seen God at anytime. But if we love one another, God abides.” So as you can see, God is among us when we show love to each other. 1 John 3:18 urges us to not just say that we love one another but to show it through our actions.
When you seek ways to show love to others, it pleases the Father. And He abides in us when we have a heart of compassion for one another.
The world may not know Him, but they get a pure glimpse of Him through the love that we show. I want to encourage you to look for ways to show random acts of kindness.
You know, I can think back to a time when I was getting a soda out of the vending machine at work. This particular machine malfunctioned and instead of Read More→
ShareA Light in a Dark World
Posted by: | CommentsWe live in a day when it seems everybody is busy. It seems everyone is in a hurry to meet deadlines and get things done.
As Christians, we must remember that we can’t be in too much of a hurry to be salt and light. Jesus says that we are the light of the world. In other words, you are to be a positive example.
When the world is too busy to care, that’s your chance to extend a helping hand. Remember, for someone out there, you’re the only Jesus they’re going to see.
I’m reminded of the story of the good Samaritan parable that Jesus told in Luke 10:25-37. It was about a man who fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothes, wounded him and left him half dead.
And a priest and a Levite came, saw the man laying there, and passed on the other side of the road. But a certain Samaritan passed by and saw the man laying there and had compassion. He bandaged his wounds, poured oil and wine on him and carried him to the inn. The Samaritan left money with the innkeeper and told him to treat the man.
This story is a prime example of being salt and light. We can use this parable as an example of what we should do. Don’t be like the priest and the Levite who Read More→
ShareWhat Kind of Fruit Are You Producing?
Posted by: | CommentsIn this day in time, it’s not hard to distinguish the righteous people from the unrighteous. It’s becoming more and more rare to find those who are salt and light.
People should be able to determine if you are a child of the most high God by the fruit that you produce. All around us day in and day out we see fruit that is not of the Lord. People are power hungry. They’re in it for themselves. Everyone is in such a hurry that no one takes out time to lend a helping hand.
The scripture reminds us that you can identify people by the fruit they bear. Matthew 7:17,18 says, “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.”
Notice here that there’s no middle ground. In other words, you can’t wake up one day and say I’m going to bring glory to the Father by doing good deeds, then wake up the next day and do the exact opposite. No as God’s disciples, we Read More→
ShareLove Is Action!
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s not enough to just say I love you when walking the love walk. Many times we have to express our love to another by our actions.
Jesus taught us all throughout the Gospels of the New Testament that we are to love one another. In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, “A new commandment I give you. Love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Often times we make the mistake of simply saying the words ‘I love you’ and thinking that’s enough. But 1 John 3:8 says, “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”
Years ago, I read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. It’s a book that teaches us that people all around us have a love language in which to fulfill their needs.
1. Words of affirmation.
2. Giving gifts.
3. Quality time
4. Acts of service
5. Physical touch
We can find a person’s love language by how they relate to us.
Signs to look for.
If they’re always complaining about how you never come around then their love language may be quality time. If they’re always giving random gifts or asking for something from Read More→
ShareLove Covers A Multitude
Posted by: | CommentsAbove all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8
One of the hardest things to do is to continue to show love to someone who has wronged you. But remember to extend that same agape love that Jesus has shown for you toward someone else.
Continue to look for ways to extend warmth, love and kindness to others as you go along your journey of life. Think upon that grace and those tender mercies that God has shown toward you. When you stop to think about it, regardless of past mistakes, failures, and pure disobedience toward God, He loves us enough to show grace and mercy.
If you find that it’s rather difficult to show love toward a wrongdoer or naysayer , take some time to think about the love that God has shown you. Remember, those times when you’ve expected to be cursed with a curse. Or maybe you’ve even thought that God would revoke His favor from you. Regardless of that fact you’re still here, you’re standing and rising to a new dimension in life!
Whether you’re looking to forgive or be forgiven, remember that the type of seed that you put out is what will spring forth. In other words, if you put out a seed Read More→
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