Tag: love

  • Revelation of God’s Love

    Loev jumping out of the Bible - showing John's revelation of love

    I’m reading through the Gospel of John again.  I’ve challenged a couple of young men to read it as their starting point for a structured Bible-reading program. If John hadn’t written Revelation first, this gospel could be called John’s Revelation of the Love of Jesus.

    He uses the word love 57 times. Mostly it’s from a form of the Greek word agape, meaning sacrificial, unconditional love. It’s an incredibly powerful word.

    We throw the word love around flippantly, but it is seldom used in the same way. “I loved the movie the other night” just doesn’t stand up to “Jesus loves me enough to die for me.”

    The love that comes through John’s gospel revelation is stronger than even the love of a spouse, or even that of a parent for a child. Jesus’ love will never waver or falter.

    As Christians, we throw John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”, around a lot. We know it’s both true and important, but we seldom meditate on how strong that love is.

    John reveals not only how Jesus loves us, but also how we ought to love one another. If we could truly grasp how much He loves us it might be easier to love one another.

    A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34

    This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. John 15:12

    Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. John 15:9

    By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

    Fortunately, we have the Spirit dwelling in us, enabling us to love as Jesus loved. We won’t get it right this side of glory, but we can gradually improve until then.

    My prayer for you today, my friends, is that you grasp Jesus’ love for you and try to love others the same way.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Kingdom Diversity

    Summary

    John’s Gospel is a revelation of overwhelming, sacrificial love of Jesus—a love that not only saves us but also becomes the model and power for how we love others.

    Key Points

    John emphasizes “agape” love, showing that Jesus’ unconditional, sacrificial love is far deeper than the casual way we often use the word “love.”

    You may also enjoy

    All You Need is (agape) Love –
    Every Member Is Necessary — 1 Corinthians 12
    Big News – Gleanings devotionals now also on Instagram

  • They’re Watching

    Do they see us love one another?

    squirrel playing peek-a-boo

    As we walked down the wooded trail, this curious squirrel was keeping an eye on us. He was curious but didn’t fully trust us. He was wise to be careful because we might have been predators.

    In the same way our furry friend was keeping a watchful eye on us, our friends, neighbors, and coworkers who aren’t believers are watching.

    They might appear indifferent, or even overtly hostile, but they are watching. Is this faith thing real? Do we live it out? What happens when we stumble or bad things happen?

    Sometimes, they are watching to make fun of us, but God can change the hardest of hearts. Sometimes, the hardest skeptic becomes the most enthusiastic of converts once the Lord gets a hold of them. The apostle Paul is an excellent example of that.

    At other times, they might be curious but leery. At “the cowboy church,” we had a motto: “Don’t scare the sheep.” We were overtly and strongly Christian but strove intentionally to welcome everyone.

    It takes time for hearts to soften. At “the cowboy church,” we ran ads in the local newspaper. Each ad featured a different picture and included a pithy or scripture quote. Over time, we learned that many people, including unbelievers, stopped to check out the ads each week, to see what we had to say.

    It took most people about a year from the first time they saw the ads until they showed up for a service. Even then, they were watching to see if this was for real.

    People need to hear the truth, but we need to be in a position to share it with them. As Christians, we need to strive to live the life Jesus calls us to and be transparent about our failures and His grace.

    God doesn’t put watchers in our path as projects. They are there for us to love and bear witness to.

    A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

    And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31

    Allow them to see our love for God and for them. Let them see us love one anither. Show them His faithfulness even when we stumble.

    The Spirit will witness to them through our lives. Let them watch.Show them how we love one another

    Engage them in spiritual conversations when you can, but spend as much (or more) time listening as you do talking. Get to know them and learn where they are coming from.

    Invite them to church when it seems appropriate. Don’t give up if they reject the offer, try again another time.

    Be present, be yourself, and let the Spirit do His work.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    You might also like

    Right belief must become right living

    Your identity in Christ

    The Standoff

    A chubby cheeked squirrel teaches us a lesson