Word for Today, Tue, 1 Feb 2005: The Law of Love
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Today's devotional message contains the Weekly Verses compiled
from the collection of Daily Verses by Phil Ware. In this week's
collection, Phil writes an entire series on the love of God and
our appropriate response to that love. Interesting that in
Monday's message, we discussed The Laws of God. Once we get a
grasp of the great love of God, we can gain fresh perspective of
the Law. What God's Law really does is convict us of our sin,
helping us realize our desperate need. Once we can see our need,
we can then see the remedy - God Himself. This is love: not
that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an
atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10).
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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Weekly Verses
from Crosswalk.com
http://www.crosswalkmail.com/ooxuoo_nndhoh.html
January 31, 2005
These verses are taken from Heartlight Daily Verse, by Phil Ware
http://www.crosswalkmail.com/fajmax_nndhoh.html
~~~~~~~~~
MONDAY
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.
--John 3:16
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Did you know the Bible doesn't just say, "God loves you?"
Now don't let me confuse you, it does say God loves us many
times, but each time it does, it shows us that love as well.
God loved us so much time he didn't just say I love you with a
valentine, he showed he loved us by sending his Son!
MY PRAYER...
Loving and almighty God, thank you for loving me. Thank you
for both saying it and showing it. Please know, dear Father, I
love you, too! Accept my words and actions today as a
testimony to my love. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
TUESDAY
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you , so you must love one another. By this all men will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
--John 13:34-35
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
How do you recognize Jesus' followers? How do you find
Christians? Jesus said they love each other just as he loved
the disciples. In the immediate context, this means he is
willing to give sacrificially and extravagantly by dying for
them on the cross, and he is also willing to love selflessly
and practically by washing their feet. His ministry reveals he
also will do almost anything in between extravagant and
practical. Imagine if we all read the Gospels, and committed
to love each other in the same way Jesus showed his love to his
disciples!
MY PRAYER...
Father of Compassion and God of all grace, I thank you for
teaching me to love through the example of Jesus. May my words
and actions reflect some resemblance of his love toward your
people today. Through Christ, my Great Example, I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
WEDNESDAY
This is love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and
sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
--1 John 4:10
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
He loved us first! He offered his Son to save us regardless
of our decision to believe or ignore his grace. We are given
the ability to accept or reject the death of his Son as the
sacrifice for our sins. The only condition, as 1 John 2:1-2
emphasizes, is that we realize that he died for everyone else
in the world, too!
MY PRAYER...
Precious King, God Almighty, why you should love me and send
Jesus to die for me I will never fully understand. Thank you
for your love. Thank you for your sacrifice for my sins.
Thank you, Jesus, for coming to save me. I pray in your name
and by your intercession. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
THURSDAY
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should
love one another.
--1 John 3:11
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
The original message - love one another. The enduring
message - love one another. The most convicting message - love
one another. The most difficult message - love one another.
I'm reminded of the little verse: To dwell above with saints
we love, O that will be glory. But to dwell below with saints
we know, now that's another story. But it's the story we're
called to write!
MY PRAYER...
Loving Father, I commit to you that I will intentionally
show my love for your children this week in what I do and say.
I do this, trusting your grace to empower me to do more than I
would do on my own. Through Jesus my Savior I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
FRIDAY
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble
or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him
who loved us.
--Romans 8:35-37
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Conquerors! We win!! When you open up the final book of
the Bible, Revelation, that is the message - Christians win
because Jesus is the one true conqueror. No matter how the
battle is going for you right now, remember that in the end, we
win!
MY PRAYER...
El Shaddai, God Almighty, thank you for securing the
ultimate victory for me by raising Jesus from the dead. I know
he is coming with victory on the day you have determined, but I
pray that I may live victoriously for you until that day.
Through Jesus my conquering King I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
SATURDAY
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither present nor the future, nor powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
--Romans 8:38-39
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Separation is something we fear whether it's from a child, a
parent, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, or from God. Because
Jesus bore the separation from God, becoming and going to the
cross, we can know we won't have to ever be separated from
God's love.
MY PRAYER...
Great Father of all peoples, thank you for loving me. Thank
you for giving me the promise that nothing can separate me from
your love. Please fill me with your Spirit and make me more
aware of your accompanying presence in my life today. I pray in
Jesus' name. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
SUNDAY
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another,
God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
--1 John 4:11-12
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Can you imagine what an honor it is to have the Creator of
the universe, the Lord God Almighty, living inside of you! But
when we love each other, that is exactly what happens. When
our hearts are full of love, there is room for God. When they
are not full of love, we leave God little room to take up
residence and produce his character in us. Let God complete
his love in you. Make a commitment to do loving things for
other believers today!
MY PRAYER...
Abba Father, it is so comforting to know that you are not
far away - that I live in you and you live in me. Help me see
others with your eyes, and respond to their needs with your
heart, so that your love may be complete in me. Through Jesus
I pray. Amen.
=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
__________________________________
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