December 25, 2024

This Week…LOVE (Advent, week four)

December 26, 2014 by

SHadventlovegraphic

Merry, blessed Christmas to each of you!  How encouraging it has been to read the Seeking Him devotionals each day during this Advent season focused on the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.  The Scriptures and the encouragement shared have reminded me of God’s goodness and helped me to prepare my heart for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

We all know how easy it is amidst all the hubbub—the list-making, and shopping, and baking, and caroling, and visiting, and wrapping—to be distracted from the true importance of the season.  Jesus’ birth changed EVERYTHING.  His first coming as Emmanuel, God With Us, redeemed the past, gave purpose for that present time, and hope for the future.

…while we wait for the blessed Hope—the glorious appearing
of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness
and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.
Titus 2:13-14

This week, Ahmee, Ann, Cynda, Laura, and Tina have helped us to keep our focus on the love that Jesus’ birth showed to mankind.

For God loved the world in this way:
He gave His One and Only Son,
so that everyone who believes in Him
will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Laura wrote in God’s Love Abounds that “If we love God then we should show that same love to our neighbors. We should be helping our neighbors when trouble hits as well as during the good times. This is showing godly love.

Loving God means knowing God.
Knowing God means showing it through prayer and service to others.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7

❤

In God’s Banner Over Us is Love, Ann reminded us of the truth about LOVE.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Jesus gave us the commandment to love one another as He had loved us. And for us to show that we are His disciples we must love one another.

Christmas is also a season of love—a season to give and a season to care. Therefore choose someone you can bless with food items, clothes, etc., as an act of love. God freely gave us His Son. We should also freely give what we are blessed with!

❤

Cynda shared in Love Is Action of God and Jesus’ proven love for us.  She wrote, “Christ made the ultimate sacrifice, knowing all the while we were not worthy.  He came for us because He loved us.  Romans 5:8 (NLT) makes that clear – ‘But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.’ And 1 John 3:16a (NLT) ties it up in a neat little bow: ‘We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us.’

This year for Christmas I want to focus not only on the miraculous birth but also on the love that was made real in a tiny manger in Bethlehem. I want that real love to flow through me to those around me. I want His love and His light to shine through me.

That’s the reason He came.
That’s the reason for Christmas.
To put love in action.

❤

Ahmee wrote in Love Is A Choice the following.  “Love is—and will always be—an action. Therefore, since love is a verb and requires us to do something—it is a choice. Love will always be a choice. You choose to love your coworkers when they annoy you. You choose to love your boyfriend or your spouse, even when you don’t agree. I fear the day our actions are no longer something we choose to do, and are simply things that happen. Until that day, though, you choose.

As John said in 1 John 3:18:

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other;
let us show the truth by our actions.

❤

And Tina reminded us of Jesus’ perfect example of love in No Greater Love.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13 NIV

Ponder those words. Do you have a friend that would do that for you? You know that you do. If you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, He has already paid that price for you. You see, Jesus knew from the Creation of man, that His Father meant for Him to come dwell among us, to be an example of how we should live in this broken world. God knew it would be better for us to see how to live a perfect life. And Jesus is the example of living a selfless life.

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Thank you, ladies, for reminding us and compelling us to be loving as we have been commanded AND enabled to be!  As you have prayed with us this week, may our prayer today continue… 

Father, we thank You for the love that You have for us.  Teach us, Lord, to love one another as Christ has loved us.  Help us also to practice love not only in this season but all the days of our lives, Lord.  Thank You for showing us Your love through the birth and death of Jesus.  Without Him, we would not know You or be able to show Your love to others.
Thank You for sending Your son Jesus to live among us.  Thank You for the many times You give us to live for You.  Please let Your love flow through me each day but especially during this wondrous time of year.
Lord, may we come to understand and embrace love as an action. Let us show Your love to the world.  Let us strive to show this type of love to all. We as the Church are Your example of how love functions. Christ is Your ultimate example of love.  May You receive all the glory and praise!  We love You!!!  And pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

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No Greater Love

December 25, 2014 by

SHadventlovegraphic

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13 NIV

Ponder those words.  Do you have a friend that would do that for you?  You know that you do. If you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, He has already paid that price for you.

You see, Jesus knew from the Creation of man, that His father meant for Him to come dwell among us, to be an example of how we should live in this broken world. God knew it would be better for us to see how to live a perfect life.  And Jesus is the example of living a selfless life.

We are blessed to know God and His Son. Not all that are called accept true life.  Not all that accept true life follow Him.  All we can do is pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We can pray for their acceptance,  and we can pray for our ability to accept them, not judge them.  We all have to keep our thoughts and actions in check. We get so busy with life that sometimes we forget to check in with our Father. We can change and begin to seek our heavenly Father more.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us,
not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
Whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that, having been justified by His grace,
we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things,
so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves
to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Titus 3:4-8

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Father, thank You for sending Your son Jesus to live among us.  Thank You for the many times You give us to live for You.  Jesus, we thank You for interceding on our behalf every day….even when we don’t deserve it.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Love In Action

December 24, 2014 by

SHadventlovegraphic

Christmas—the time of year our focus shifts to the birth of Christ.  That Holy baby Boy born in a manger.

This year, I have been thinking of it in a different light.  This year, God has been speaking to me about love.  Christmas is when unconditional, self-sacrificing, all-forgiving love was shown to us.  Christmas is when the ultimate Love came to earth in human form.

Christmas is love in action.

For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son,
so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 HCSB

Who does that?  Who gives up their one and only Child for a group of stubborn, stiff necked people?  And it was voluntary!  Look at John 10:18 HCSB…

No one can take My life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily.
For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.
For this is what My Father has commanded.

Christ made the ultimate sacrifice, knowing all the while we were not worthy. He came for us because He loved us.  Romans 5:8 (NLT) makes that clear – “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”  1 John 3:16a (NLT) ties it up in a neat little bow:

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us.

This year for Christmas I want to focus not only on the miraculous birth but also on the love that was made real in a tiny manger in Bethlehem.  I want that real love to flow through me to those around me.  I want His love and His light to shine through me.

That’s the reason He came.
That’s the reason for Christmas.
To put love in action.

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Father, thank You for putting love into action all those many years ago.  You have shown us what real love is.  Please let Your love flow through me each day but especially during this wondrous time of year.  In Your Holy name I pray, Amen – so be it!

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Love Is A Choice

December 23, 2014 by

SHadventlovegraphic

So, I have heard it said that love should not be a choice, and, that if you have to “choose” to love someone then that was not love.  I’ve also heard it said that love is not something you have to work at.  I have heard it said, too, that love is something that when the good feelings are gone, the love is gone.  I’ve heard it said that love is supposed to be all rainbows and sunshine.

I disagree with all these statements.  Here are facts that I know about love:

Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice
but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith,
is always hopeful,
and endures through every circumstance.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I can understand how reading this passage would make one think that love is a feeling. All of those words have some sort of feeling attached to them.

Here’s the deal, though.  Love is—and will always be—an action. Therefore, because love is a verb and requires us to do something—it is a choice.  Love will always be a choice.  You choose to love your coworkers when they annoy you. You choose to love your boyfriend or your spouse, even when you don’t agree. I fear the day our actions are no longer something we choose to do, and are simply things that happen. Until that day, though, you choose. Look at what choosing to love does:

Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ
to be holy and without fault in His eyes.
God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family
by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.
This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.
Ephesians 1:4 and 5

In a perfect world, love would be perfect.  Those we love would not hurt us and bad things would not happen.  In a perfect world, love would be all rainbows and sunshine. Sadly, we don’t live in a perfect world.  Therefore, what God created to be simple and natural and easy, now comes to be through much effort.  We cannot passively love and feel like we are making an impact on those we say we love.  What is passive love?  Are they just words we speak? Say “I love you,” and yet, no evidence is seen of this. We have all heard, that actions speak louder than words.  Love as actions speak louder than love as words.

As John said in 1 John 3:18:

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other;
let us show the truth by our actions.

   *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Lord, may we come to understand and embrace love as an action. Let us show Your love to the world. Worldly love may be fickle and pass with time, but Your love is an everlasting love. Let us strive to show this type of love to all. We as the Church are Your example of how love functions. Christ is Your ultimate example of love. So, let us shine. Let us penetrate the hearts of the world and our fellow brothers and sisters. Let us love. Let us love.  Amen.

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God’s Banner Over Us is Love

December 22, 2014 by

SHadventlovegraphic

He has brought me to His banquet hall,
And His banner over me is love.
Song of Solomon 2:4

There is this song that we used to sing in Sunday school…

  ♫ ♪ ♫ Behold what a manner of love that the Father has given unto us
That we should be called the sons of God   ♫ ♪ ♫

Back then I could not understand what I was singing; but now that I am saved I do understand that God’s love for us is SO great.  He gave us His begotten Son so that we should not perish (John 3:16).  His will for us is to have eternal life.

God’s love is wide enough to embrace all persons (1 Timothy 2:4).  God gave His Son as an offering for sin on the c\Cross.  The atonement proceeds from the loving heart of God.  It was not something forced on Him (Romans 8:32).

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1st Corinthians 13:4-8

We see this is the demonstration of God’s love to man, and since we are also created in the image of God let us also exercise it.  Jesus gave us the commandment to love one another as He had loved us.  And for us to show that we are His disciples we must love one another.

Christmas is also a season of love—a season to give and a season to care.  Therefore choose someone you can bless with food items, clothes, etc., as an act of love.  God freely gave us His Son.  We should also freely give what we are blessed with!

   *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Father, I thank You for the love that You have for us.  Teach us, Lord, to love one another as Christ has loved us.  Help us also to practice love not only in this season but all the days of our lives, Lord.   This we ask in Jesus name.   Amen.

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God’s Love Abounds

December 21, 2014 by

SHadventlovegraphic

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7

In the last week, many parts of the world have been in turmoil.  Terror has stricken many people in our Allies across the world.  The world is in chaos, and it is going to get even more chaotic as the prophecies of the Bible come true.  However, as the world starts to wither, there are people out there who are still showing love during the thick of the trouble.

When Jesus was born, the world was a whole lot quieter than it is now.  The only real chaos that was facing Mary and Joseph was the fact that they had to report to Bethlehem as Jesus’ birth neared.  They were required to be counted as part of the Roman census.  Just Mary being pregnant by the Holy Spirit had already made life chaotic!  Joseph loved Mary, but he was going to divorce her because of the pregnancy.  However, God’s love and Joseph’s love for Mary saved Mary and Jesus. Jesus was given an earthly father—one that God approved of from the start.

As the world continues to live in chaos, there are people who are following Mary and Joseph’s example.  They are showing God’s love through the turmoil of life in today’s violent and noisy world.  In Australia and across the world, people are praying for and helping those who have been effected by this week’s tragedies.  People here in the United States are trying to help those that are less fortunate through donations and sponsoring families to help them have a good holiday season.

God loved us so much He sent His son to live among us and to die for us. If we love God then we should show that same love to our neighbors. We should be helping our neighbors when trouble hits as well as during the good times. This is showing godly love.

Loving God means knowing God.
Knowing God means showing it through prayer and service to others.

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us Your love through the birth and death of Jesus.  Without Him, we would not know You or be able to show Your love to others.  We would not have the ability to love. In this season of hope, peace, joy, and love, please bless those who need it the most and show Your love in ways that we can’t imagine.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Shout For Joy

December 20, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

Pour out your fervent praise
There’s a song to raise
Like a banner high

Lift up your grateful heart
To the Morning Star
He’s alive and here with us

Shout for joy
For the Son of God
Is the Saving One
He’s the Saving One

Shout for joy
See what love has done
He has come for us
He’s the Saving One

All night in Bethlehem
Heaven came to man
Born the Son of God

Sing out the LORD has come
Oh Emmanuel
Now our God is here with us

There is no other God like You
We’ll sing the praises that You’re due
Jesus, You have saved us

There is no other God who reigns
You are the name above all names
Jesus, You have saved us

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Joy In Song

December 19, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphicJoy: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness; “tears of joy”

During this Christmas season, we are reminded of the reason for a commercial celebration. We get so caught up in buying things, baking things, making things and sending things.  But that is not what it is all about.
We all know that joy is a choice.  We can choose to be caught up in the hustle and bustle, or we can choose to be joyful.  Henry Van Dyke wrote a wonderful song that has been in my heart this season.  It is Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.  It is the perfect way to express our love and gratitude for what God has done for us.  He has given us His Son. He knew Jesus was going to die on the Cross for us.  But God knew the only way to reach us was for His Son to become like us—to walk among us, to speak to us, to cry with us, and to die like us.   But we know how He rose again to bring hope to our dying world.
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee
God of glory, Lord of love
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee
Opening to the sun above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
Drive the dark of doubt away 
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day

All thy works with joy surround Thee 
Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays 
Stars and angels sing around Thee
Center of unbroken praise
Field and forest, vale and mountain 
Flowery meadow, flashing sea
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee

Thou art giving and forgiving
Ever blessing, ever blest
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest
Thou our Father, Christ our brother
All who live in love are Thine
Teach us how to love each other
Lift us to the joy divine

Mortals, join the mighty chorus
Which the morning stars began
Love Divine is reigning o'er us
binding all within its span
Ever singing, march we onward 
Victors in the midst of strife 
Joyful music leads us sunward 
In the triumph song of life


Henry Van Dyke ~ Ludwig van Beethoven ~ Arranged by Edward Hodges
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What IS Joy?

December 18, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

As I began to study JOY, one question kept coming to mind – what is joy?  The more I researched…the more frustrated I became.  Oh, there is LOTS of information out there about joy.  Most of the information is very vague and I wanted concrete.

Then I stumbled across Rick Warren’s definition of joy:

“Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life,
the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright,
and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”

I love that!  Joy is a ‘settled assurance…a quiet confidence’ in God.  Lexham’s Bible Dictionary defines joy as “a natural result of having received salvation.  Joy comes on account of what Christ has done, irrelevant of whatever circumstances are happening in one’s life”.

Psalm 92: 4 (NLT) puts it like this,

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.

When I recall all He has done for me, I can look forward to what He will do with assurance and confidence. I trust Him.  That is true joy.  According to Matthew Henry, “From a joyful remembrance of what God has done for us, we may raise a joyful prospect of what He will do.”

As I continued to think about what Christ has done for me, two things came to mind:

  1. He has given me a future
  2. He has given me hope

Jeremiah 29:11 (HCSB) states “I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope….”

And Psalm 16:11 (HCSB) says “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.”

Happiness is often associated with joy.  Joy is so much more than being happy. Happiness is a temporary emotion while joy is an attitude, a state of being. Happiness often comes from external situations or material things. The joy of the Lord is found within and gives us strength no matter what we are experiencing.  Joy is the result of our choice to trust Him.

That’s where I find my joy – in Him alone.

   *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Father, thank You for being the source of my joy. You are my Strength and my Portion forever. Remind me when I struggle that joy and happiness are not the same thing. May I always look to You and recall all You have done, and will do, in my life. That is my true joy. In Jesus’ name I ask this – Amen, so be it!

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JOY

December 17, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

You know when you have a lack of joy in your life.  I would say right now is such a time for me.  I am desperately in need of some joy.  Joy gives you true motivation to sanely make it through each day.  It’s what makes it easier to get out of bed. It is closely related to hope and peace.  If you are not at peace then it is hard maintain joy and hope.

My pastor says you choose joy. I believe this is true. Which means that the lack of joy I am experiencing right now is my own doing.  However, I’m lacking the motivation to do anything about my current situation.  You could say that I am weary—I’m tired and I just want a break from life.

Romans 15:13 is my prayer.

“Maythe God of hope fill {me} with all joy and peace as {I} trust in Him,
so that {I} may overflow with hope by the power of His Holy Spirit.”

See how closely related joy, peace, and hope are?  Joy, hope and peace are all things that are only possible when we keep our eyes firmly focused on God.  And even though sometimes we may get weary of doing right and good, pushing forward through our feelings is the way to go.  The Bible clearly tells us…

“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

My pastor says, do what you do know to do when you don’t know what to do.  And above all honesty helps…honesty and friends.

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