How Will They Know?

John 13:37

Jesus said

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples.

If you love one another.”

Who is it?

Who is that one person…..

That one person you will love…….

Today?

What will it look like?

A smile?

A kind word?

A gift?

A moment of your time?

Who is it?

Who will Father bring my way today……

So that He may love……

Through me?

Guys,

Let’s do what we do today….

So that Christ in us….

Can Live through us.

Father

I pray all men know that I am Yours today…..

Because of Your Great Love in me……

Being lived out through me.

Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CobNWUXb1M

Check out the link above.

Yes......and so.....Hope Turned to Love

1 John 4:10

This is Love…

Not that we Loved God,

But He first Loved us and sent His Son

As an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

As soon as she said yes……

Hope turned to Love.

I remember…..

Being a senior in high school…...

Cruising the hallways between classes….

Hangin’ with the Fellas

When…….

There she was……

I had seen her before….

I had talked to her…..

I had even given her a ride home once……..

But now…..

This time……

Something was different.

She was different.

Her eyes…..

Her smile……

Her laugh…….

Her……. Beauty.

Hope began to rise……

I wondered……

Does she see me?

Would she talk to me?

Could she possibly be interested……

In me?

Now I want to  tell you all-

I wasn’t exactly a ladies’ man-

I had been burned a few times-

There’s nothing quite like the pain of rejection…..

To shake a man’s confidence.

Should I or shouldn’t I….

What if she said no……

Is it worth the risk……

I was so lonely….

She was so……

Everything….

Everything good.

Maybe I should just talk to her….

Yeah that’s it……

I’ll just talk to her a little…..

Check her out.

That would be safe….right?

I asked my best friend what he thought……

“Talk to her Charles……

You better talk to that girl”

I can still hear him in his broken Chinese English.

Okay then…….

Here goes.

Hey.

Hey, she smiled as she fiddled with her locker.

How’s it going?

Great- Headin’ to class.

Oh….. yeah, me too.

I was wondering….

You know……. there’s a basketball game this week….. at A.C.

I was thinking I might go….. and I wondered…….maybe if you might like to go….. with me…..

I mean I understand if you’re busy and all, but you know… I was wondering….

Yes

As soon as she said yes……

Hope turned to Love.

I think it’s like that with God.

We notice Him.

We have questions.

We see His Beauty in the Life of Jesus.

We see how He operates in the World.

We see His Power.

He’s such a mystery……… Even dangerous.

We feel somehow…… He’s maybe even beyond us.

Friends who know Him encourage us…….

But……….

I mean look at Him…..

He’s so…..

Everything…..

Everything good……

And I’m not.

I mean…….I hope that He might notice me…...

I hope that He might care for me……

But is it worth the risk?

I mean….. I have been burned before.

And yet…..

There He is…..

Smiling…… Inviting….

“I have what you’re looking for Charles”

“I have……. Life”

Okay then……

Here goes…….

Father…..

Will You have me…..

Will You have me to be Your own…..

Yes

And as soon as He says yes….

Hope turns to Love.

1 John 3:1

How great is the Love the Father has lavished upon us….

That we should be called the children of God.

Thank You Father for…..

Yes.

I Love You Jesus.

Amen

Psalm 118 It's Yours!

Psalm 118:29

……….His Love endures forever.

God’s Love;

Christ for us,

Christ in us,

Christ through us.

God’s Love Endures Forever!

Even though It come under attack…

Even though our enemy assaults It with lies….

Even though the power of sin opposes It at every turn…..

O’ Christian……

Make no mistake;

God’s Love…….

It cannot be extinguished…

It cannot be stamped out…

It cannot be defeated.

O’ Christian……

Know this Truth;

God’s Love…….

Demonstrated by the sacrifice of His Son….

Brought to Life in you by the Resurrection Power of Christ Jesus…..

Poured out through you by the Indwelling Holy Spirit……

This Mighty, Mighty Love…..

Is Yours!

Now receive It, and so…….. Live!

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

I pray we all begin to comprehend Your Great Love for us….

I pray we all begin to live in the Freedom and Power of that Love….

And so come to live the Life You made us for.

Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLuQw9oyEug

Psalms 112 Fear and Love

Psalm 112 Excerpts

¹ Praise the Lord.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord……….

⁷ They will have no fear of bad news;
   Their hearts are steadfast,

Trusting in the Lord. ………

Their hearts are secure; They will have no fear……..
…….. But the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

What are you afraid of?

Put a different way………

What carries weight in your life?

Or……

What do you take seriously?

Personally, I have a great fear of……..

Failure…..

Embarrassment…….

Being seen as weak…….

Not being taken seriously……..

By  mere men.

I have wasted a great deal of energy in this life worrying.

Worrying over…….

Fearful of……….

What men would think of me.

It has paralyzed me at times…….

I wonder if it’s even possible to Love men

As long as we……..

Fear men.

Dominated by a fear of men,

Our longings will come to nothing.

Ah……. but Living from a fear of God-

God who is Good,

God who Loves me,

God who is able to do more than I can ask or imagine…..

Living from the Power and Love of The One who lives in me and through me……

Oh, living from that place……

Yes, Living from that place where we no longer fear men….

Yes, Living from the fear of God......... maybe……

Just maybe……..

We can truly Love men.

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

Move deeply  in me today to live from a fear of You

To live from the weight of Your Glory

So that I am empowered to Love the people You bring my way.

Amen

Psalm 111 Redemption.... I Wonder......

Psalm 111:9

He provided redemption for His people….

Redemption-

Being bought back…….

Bought back  from………

Slavery.

Slavery to Sin

And

Separation

and

Death.

Redemption-

Being purchased…….

Purchased, and then……….

Set free.

Set Free by the very Blood of Christ.

Oh, the wonder of it all………….

That I might be…………

Be Loved this way!

There are some who believe…..

This redemption points to our great worth-

That Father would  love us so much that……….

That He would give………..

The Life of His Son.

Others don’t think that’s it at all-

They are quick to say He has not loved us because of our great worth….

No instead, it is quite the opposite………..

We have great worth because He loves us.

I wonder…………

Psalm 111:9

……He ordained His Covenant forever-

Holy and Awesome is His Name.

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

Thank You.

Amen

Psalm 93 Why Fight It?

Psalm 93:1

The LORD reigns

He is robed in majesty

The LORD is robed in majesty and

Armed with Strength.

The LORD Rules-

This is His Show-

He is the Hero of this Story-

His Purposes will be accomplished-

His Will cannot be thwarted.

God is………..

The LORD.

Creator, Sustainer and Ruler……….

Of

All that was-

Or is-

Or ever will be-

Get the picture?

Believe it?

Then stop fighting it.

Oh…………

And don’t forget-

There is a bit more to the picture.

This Sovereign Ruler-

This All Powerful LORD-

This Creator God-

Guys……….

Get this now…….

He Loves you

Stop fighting it.

1 John 3:1

How great is the Love

The Father has lavished upon us

That we should be called children of God

For that is what we are.

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit

I pray You be at work in us today-

To bow to Your Power-

And

Live from Your Love

And

So truly to…..

Live.

Amen

Psalm 88 This Changes Everything

Psalm 88:16-17

Your wrath has swept over me;

Your terrors have destroyed me.

All day long they surround me like a flood;

They have completely engulfed me.

No more……..

No more is this so for………

The one who gives his life to the Savior.

All God’s Wrath-

All of His Anger-

All of His Fury-

All of it-

Was taken-

By Christ………

For me.

Yes indeed-

This changes everything!

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath,

But to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 ¹⁰ He died for us so that………………. we may live together with Him.

Father-

I read the words of the Psalmist,

And I do not take Your Wrath lightly.

In his words I feel the pain of my Savior and

I say

Thank You my Jesus-

Thank You my Savior-

Thank You.

Amen

 

Psalm 86 Christ Died for My Whole Heart

Psalm 86:11

…..Give me an undivided heart……..

Surely Christ deserves……….

My whole heart.

Isaiah 53

He was despised and rejected by men,
   a man of suffering, and familiar with pain…………

Surely He suffered-

That I might have……….

A  new heart.

He was pierced for our transgressions,
   He was crushed for our iniquities;

Surely He was pierced and crushed-

That I might have………

A pure heart.

The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
   and by His wounds we are healed.

Surely my Savior deserves........
My Undivided Heart.

Father God-

Thank You for the gift of a new heart-

A whole heart.

Lord Jesus-

I give You my whole heart.

I renounce any lesser thing that would seek my allegiance-

Any lesser thing that would divide my heart.

Lord Jesus-

I give You my whole heart.

All of who I am…….

Is Yours.

Holy Spirit-

Bring to life-

The Heart of Jesus in me…….

Today.

Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGNA2_2WhpA

Psalm 71 The Real Value of a Man..........or Woman Comes from...........

Psalm 71:9

Do not cast me away when I am old;

Do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

I wonder what will happen to me when………..

I am not useful to anyone anymore-

When my energy is spent-

And I have nothing left to give.

It feels so good to be needed.

There is such a sense of……………….

Validation.

And yet, truth be known-

God has never needed me-

Or anything from me.

If there is work to be done for Him-

It is not because He needs me-

Truly the work………….

Is one of His many gifts to me-

That I may participate in His………….

Glory.

No…………..

Truth be known-

Father doesn’t need me-

Father simply………..

Loves me.

It’s a truth that will never change.

Not when I am old-

Nor when all my strength is gone.

He Loves…………..me.

Hebrews 13:5

……….God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

Never will I forsake you.”

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit

Move in me to live today from Your unfailing Love-

Help me to get past the notion of how much I do for You-

Help me instead to go out powerfully in this life knowing-

Really knowing

From the top of my head to the tips of my toes-

Knowing and finding all my strength in Your Great Love.

Amen