Growing in Love

[Love] rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things…. Beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:5,7

Let me say something that may shock you but is nevertheless true: You don’t really fall in love with someone until after you’ve been married to them. All the other feel-good things that happen in courtship aren’t
real love. These things aren’t necessarily bad, and you have to admit
that they feel awfully good, but they aren’t real love.

You don’t “fall” in love; you grow in love. You grow love over time,
choosing again and again to take advantage of God’s love and power to
extend love to both your mate and yourself.

This is God‘s plan for marriage. Any time you tinker with God’s plan,
somebody pays a terrible price. Where divorce is concerned, not only…

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh

Genesis 2:24, NIV

Two Together Forever

Some people may consider the intimate side of marriage as somehow being “unspiritual.” Love expressed in marriage in a mutually respectful sexual relationship is God‘s idea, and it is pure, holy, and pleasing to Him.

Dr. Ed Wheat, a prominent marriage counselor, has pointed out that if the physical side of marriage deteriorates, every other aspect of marriage will soon be affected (Love Life).

When God commanded Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and increase in number” (Gen. 1:28, NIV), He seemed to be saying, “Make sex a priority in your marriage,” not only for the procreation of the race but also in order to maintain the intimate physical unity with each other we were created for.

Blessings

May…

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
NKJV

Romans 5:8

Ephesians 2:4-5

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”
NKJV

Two of the most important words in the entire Bible are “But God.” You and I were dead in our sins and trespasses… but God. Johnny was an alcoholic and Jane was a heroin addict… but God. The world needs to hear these words… but God. When I see both local and world news, it becomes more and more evident that this world is a mess… but God.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men…

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven…2 Corinthians 5:1-2

When I was a young boy, summers consisted of afternoons on the baseball diamond and meals at Mom’s dinner table. But Mom had a rule: dirty, sweaty boys could never eat at the table. “Go clean up and change your clothes if you want to eat!” And in my mind, a bath and a clean shirt were a small price to pay for a good meal!

From God’s perspective, death is a small price to pay for the privilege of sitting at his table. He said “This body that can be destroyed must clothe itself with something that can never be destroyed.”

Stained glass at St John the Baptist’s Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus’ description of himself “I am the Good Shepherd” (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God the Living Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1, NIV

John’s Gospel begins with the astounding statement that “In the beginning was the Word.” The Greek translation for “word” is logos, which means the outward expression of all that God is. Plato once said that he hoped one day there would come a “logos” from God that would make everything…

When you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand has just done

Matthew 6:1, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

MATTHEW 6:1-4

The motive behind our gift is more important than the gift itself. Paul said if he gave all of his goods to feed the poor, or if he made the ultimate sacrifice of giving his own life for someone else, and wasn’t motivated by love, his gift would profit him nothing (1 Cor. 13:3).

Many Christians give faithfully but never see the hundredfold return that the Lord promised because of wrong motives (Mk. 10:29-30). Paul said God loves a cheerful giver – not one who gives grudgingly or out of debt (2 Cor. 9:7).

Jesus gave us the key to…

Abide in Christ Jesus

John 15:5 says: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”

Jesus is the very source of our being. We exist in Him. He is the vine, and we are the branches. God has sent Him forth so that we might live through Him, so that we might be born again, grow, and bear fruit. Jesus is with us. We are in Him, and He is our source in life. He is the source of our love, wisdom, counsel, and strength. He is moving and giving, providing and supplying for our lives. He is making our lives fruitful. If we will simply abide in Him, stay connected, and live by the Word – that life-source that He came to give us – then…

He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death. —James 5:20

READ: Proverbs 4:10-19

The Dalton brothers were infamous outlaws during the late 1800s in the US. They started out on the right side of the law as officers. But then they followed a gradual descent into crime and became known for bank and train robberies. Their day of reckoning came when they tried to hold up two banks at once. Hearing of the robberies, the townspeople armed themselves and began to fire on the Dalton Gang. When the smoke cleared, Emmett Dalton was the sole survivor.

After serving 15 years in the penitentiary, Emmett was pardoned and set free. While in prison, he had come to see the error of his ways. So when he was released, he wanted to deter young people from a life of crime. Drawing…

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

John 14:2, NIV

How often I have dashed home from church to get things ready for guests I have invited to lunch! I want to get the ice in the glasses, take the roast out of the oven while I pop the rolls in, make the gravy, steam the broccoli, and generally get things organized so that when my guests walk through the door everything is prepared for their enjoyment. I want them to know by the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen, and the elegant setting of the table, and the sideboard laden with dishes brimming with steaming food that they are expected and they are welcome.

In John 14:2, Jesus was telling His disciples that He was going to dash…

A LOVING FATHER

Matthew 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

MATTHEW 6:9-13

Although God was referred to as “our Father” 13 times in the Old Testament, Jesus’ frequent use of this title brought a whole new understanding of our relationship with God. Jesus referred to God as His father over 150 times, and He spoke of God as being our father 30 times. This infuriated the religious Jews of Jesus’ day who considered it blasphemy to call God their father, because they understood that to mean they were equal with God (Jn. 5:17-18).

This title has become so common in the church today that we, many times, don’t perceive its real significance. The revelation that we are instructed to call God “our Father” reveals the kind, gentle, loving nature of our God (1 Jn. 4:8). Paul amplifies…

Glorify God in your body & spirit

1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

Just think about it, we understand “one in flesh” so let “one in spirit” sink in. We know our bodies are the temple (dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit. That is why it’s important to keep ourselves pure and clean, because God is Holy! “We were bought at a price, therefore GLORIFY GOD in your body & spirit, which is God’s.”

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Remember the Lord Your God; for He is the One that gave you power to get wealth

Get the Root!

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth
thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which
he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day
Deuteronomy 8:18

Notice that God has not promised to give you wealth. God’s covenant
promise is to give you the power to get the wealth. You can’t focus on
the fruit and not the root!

If you have just the money and not the power to get the money, you’re
going to be broke when the money runs out. The fruit is good, but if
you want the fruit, you have to get the root. The root is the power!
The root is the blessing! The root is the grace! When you get…

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 NIV

Religious rule-keeping can sap your strength. It’s endless. There is always another class to attend, Sabbath to obey, Ramadan to observe. No prison is as endless as the prison of perfection. Her inmates find work but they never find peace. How could they? They never know when they are finished.

Christ . . . fulfilled the law for you. Bid farewell to the burden of religion . . . God pledges to help those who stop trying to help themselves.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we…

Own Up to Guilt

And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman,
What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, “The serpent
beguiled me, and I did eat.”
Genesis 3:12, 13
Where sin is concerned, there is no difference between men and women.
Both are equally quick to pass off their guilt. This, too, is a
favourite tactic the enemy uses against believers. God is always
interested in honest confession, repentance and complete forgiveness,
but satan only wants us to point the finger in endless blame games that
combine guilt and shame with the sins of being a false witness and
judging one another.

Once God heard what Adam and Eve had to say, He dealt with each party
to the sin one…

Our loving God is always near—forever by our side

READ: John 20:19-29

Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” —John 20:26

At our church we often sing the beautiful song by Ron and Carol Harris: “In This Very Room.” It begins, “In this very room there’s quite enough love for one like me.” This song reminds me that although there is great encouragement in gathering with other Christians for worship, the important thing is that Christ is present. But it goes beyond that. He is with us not just at church but in every room of our lives.

I wonder where you’re reading this—a kitchen, a coffee shop, a prison cell, a military post? Perhaps you’re in a hospital or a courtroom. It may be a room that reflects everything that’s right in your life or a place that represents all…

Stained glass at St John the Baptist’s Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus’ description of himself “I am the Good Shepherd” (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it

Micah 2:1-2

“Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, because it is in the power of…