John 3:16 — Page 2

DYING WITH CHRIST

May 11, 2015 by Ann Mwafulirwa

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,
Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

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In this Scripture I hear Paul telling us that those who have faith in Christ live their lives in intimate relationship with their Lord—both in His death and Resurrection. As Christians we have died to the Law as a means of salvation and now live through Christ for God. Sin no longer has control over us.

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world,
why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules?
Colossian 2:20

As Christ was risen from the dead we also now live with Him in Resurrection life. Christ and His Strength lives within us becoming the Source of all life and the center of all our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. It is through the Holy Spirit that Christ’s risen life is continually communicated to us.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3

Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with Him,
we will also live with Him;
2 Timothy 2:11

Our sharing in Christ’s Resurrection is appropriated through faith. The confident belief, the love, the devotion, and the loyalty we have in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us (John 3:16).

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Lord, we thank You, we bless You for Your grace and lovingkindness. We bless You because You are a good God, who loved us unconditionally and let Christ die for us Whose death paid the highest price of our sins. His death gave us salvation which is the biggest testimony every Christian believer has. We thank You for this price—the greatest price ever paid—for mankind. We honor You for everything, Lord. Help us, Lord, to appreciate this love for us by loving You back, Lord. For as we love You, we cannot do anything that You do not want us to do but always we strive to please You. We pray for Your grace so that we can be in an intimate relationship with You always and obey Your commands. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: 2 timothy 2:11, ann mwafulirwa, colossians 3:<3, daily devotions, Galatians 2:20, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, John 3:16, Seeking Him devotional

I Can’t Stop Singing

April 29, 2015 by coleen hayden

Your grace for me will always be
More than enough
More than enough
The power of Jesus Christ in me
Is more than enough
More than enough

Because my heart is full
And my soul is free
In my weakness You
Had a plan for me

And I can’t stop singing about Your love
No, I can’t stop singing about Your love
Jesus, forever You will be more than enough
No, I can’t stop, I can’t stop

You will provide, You will supply
More than enough, more than enough
Open Heaven, open wide
More than enough, more than enough

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
I can’t stop shouting
Can’t stop shouting

Because my heart is full
And my soul is free
In my weakness You
Had a plan for me
Now I sing the song
Angels cannot sing
I have been reborn
I have been redeemed

Covenant Worship
Songwriters: Joshua Dufrene, David Binion, Israel Houghton

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‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
I can’t stop shouting…because my heart is full and my soul is free!’

{ And all God’s people said, AMEN ! }

Psalm 107 is full of what ‘the redeemed of the Lord’ should say. (Click here to read Psalm 107.) The psalmist writes, in verse after verse after verse, of the awesome deeds and wonders of the Almighty, and repeatedly proclaims that the redeemed should say so in this manner:

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!
(verses 8, 15, 21, 31)

Oh, don’t we have so MUCH to give thanks for!?! And truly, we sometimes just can’t stop singing about God’s love!! Without God’s love, each of us would still be dead in our trespasses and sins…bound as slaves because of Adam’s sin. But because God loves us, we are redeemed by His Son and given new life.

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.
John 3:16

By this the love of God was manifested in us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world
so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9 and 10

I love the ‘more than enoughs’ in this song! Just think…we have been given not just enough but more than enough!

Your grace for me will always be more than enough
The power of Jesus Christ in me is more than enough

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness.”
Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

You will provide…You will supply more than enough
Open heaven, open wide more than enough

Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse,
that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it,
says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven
for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10

Jesus, forever You will be more than enough

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:8-14

Just like the writers of this song and the psalmist may we—the redeemed of the Lord—also say so!

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
Verse 43

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Oh, Lord, Your grace, Your love, Your mercy, Your goodness, Your provision are all more than enough! How awesome to know that Your sufficiency doesn’t mean “just enough” or “barely enough,” but way more than enough for whatever we face, whatever our need. Help us to rest fully in Your grace as we seek to live for You today. Thank You for Your love…we love and adore You! And we pray acknowledging these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: 1 john 4:9 and 10, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Can't Stop Singing, coleen hayden, covenant worship, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, John 3:16, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Malachi 3:10, more than enough, philippians 3:8-14, psalms-hymns-spiritual-songs

Grace Flows Down

April 22, 2015 by coleen hayden

Many of you have gone on Spring Break or are anticipating taking a vacation this summer. It is a time to refresh spirit, soul, and body. Over the next couple of weeks, our faithful bloggers will be taking a ‘spring break’ from writing so that they can come back to us refreshed and freshly anointed.
However, Girlfriends’ Coffee Hour website won’t ‘go black’! We will be revisiting some of our favorite blogs and daily devotions which have blessed us in the past. We pray that each of you, our faithful friends and readers, will continue to start your day meditating on the devotionals and songblogs, and be encouraged and blessed.

Let’s give each of our bloggers a big round of applause,
a hug, and the rest they so deserve. God bless you, ladies!

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
Amazing love
Now flowing down
From hands and feet
That were nailed to the tree
As grace flows down and covers me

It covers me, it covers me
It covers me, and it covers me

It covers me….

Grace flows down it covers me
All of my sin, all of my sin, it covers all of my sin
It covers my heart, it covers my heart
Thank You, Jesus…Thank You, Jesus…sweet Jesus

Christie Nockels
Songwriters: Louie Giglio, David Bell, Rod Padgett

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Y’know, I think that grace and love must be intertwined in the heart of God…what do you think? It seems to me that, whenever we see the grace of our Father being poured out, His love is evident also.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

God had a plan…He made a way…for the redemption of all mankind. Nothing but the grace (and, oh yes, the mercy!) of God manifested through the sacrifice of Jesus could have ever been enough to give us eternal, everlasting life. Throughout the ages, God’s love and grace kept His plan from being destroyed.

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done
but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus
before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed
through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death
and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:9-10

The apostle Paul was a man who purposed to magnify and speak well of the grace and mercy which he had received. Paul was humbly and completely aware that ‘grace flowed down and covered’ him!

…and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost,
Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example
to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life.
1 Timothy 1:14-16

In all of Paul’s encouragement and admonition through each of the Epistles, he wrote over and over again to the first century believers of the greatness of God’s grace. Paul seemed always to endeavor to help the people (and us, too!) to remain aware and thankful for God’s love and grace!

According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.
In whom we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;
Ephesians 1:4-7

But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy
the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,
Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses,
He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ;
[He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life
with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved
(delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).
And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together
[giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere
[by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come
the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace
(His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.
For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved
(delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith.
And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing,
it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;
Ephesians 2:4-8 AMP

Take a moment, would you, and just read that out loud to yourself…or go here and listen to it in a few different versions.

You and I have been so overwhelmingly covered by God’s free grace! Each of us, I am sure, has story after story to relate of the love and grace that God has shown to us. Would you share with us one time when God’s grace (and love) flowed down upon you? Please tell us below in the comments; we will all be so encouraged!

May I finish here today, speaking a blessing (written in the book of 2nd John) over each of you!

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father
and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
verse 3

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: 1 Timothy 1:14-16, 2 John 3, 2 timothy 1:9-10, Christie Nockels, coleen hayden, Ephesians 1:4-7, Ephesians 2:4-8, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Grace Flows Down, John 3:16, psalms hymns spiritual

I Choose Jesus

March 18, 2015 by coleen hayden

I have searched to find the meaning of this life
Something that would fill my empty soul
Some believe a lie, choose darkness over light
But I will stand and let the whole world know

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me

I stand unashamed trusting in one Name
‘Cause I have seen the Cross and I believe
This choice comes at cost, all other things are lost
No other love could mean so much to me

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

He chose to love me when I felt unlovable
He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable
He carried me out of my fear and doubt
How I want the world to know—I choose Jesus

Moriah Peters
along with songwriters: Tony Wood, Chuck Butler, Ed Cash

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Have you searched to find meaning and SOMEthing that would fill the emptiness of your soul? I have…. Oh, how I have yearned to KNOW I was l-o-v-e-d! Probably for most of the first quarter century of my life, I attempted to fill that void. But nothing…not accomplishments, not approval, not food, not inappropriate relationships…nothing was able to fill that hole in my heart. And, assuredly, there is nothing which COULD fill that hole in my heart…only Jesus. Perhaps you have heard this quote,

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person,
and it can never be filled by any created thing.
It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

(Blaise Pascal)

I think that describes it so well—a ‘God-shaped vacuum in the heart.’ I believe God created man (and woman) with that need. And I know He perfectly provided for the filling of that vacuum when He made Adam and Eve and gave them the opportunity to have perfect fellowship with Him every moment of every day. And I trust He would have always supplied their need…but they were deceived. They chose to think that something else—being equal and alike to God Almighty—was the true answer to their needs.

But the serpent said to the woman,
You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.
Genesis 3:4-6

And, because they chose the deception of the enemy of their souls and disobeyed the One Who truly DID love them, they lost that fellowship and perfect connection and the fulfillment that a relationship with their God gave them.

And mankind has suffered under the sin of Adam since. But God would not allow His plan, His desire to fail. And He provided so that all of humanity could have that ‘God-shaped vacuum’ filled in the way He has originally planned.

By this the love of God was manifested in us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son
into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9 and 10

Jesus IS the perfect and complete filling of that vacuum! We do not need to search or attempt to fill the void inside…we need to accept God’s perfect provision making Jesus our Lord and Master and live our lives in obedience to Him.

In this beautiful song, Moriah Peters sings, “He chose to love me when I felt unlovable…He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable…He carried me out of my fear and doubt.” No longer do I (nor you either!) have to search for something to fulfill the emptiness, the void. We need to choose Jesus! He has chosen me (you, too)!

Would you sing and praise along with me…

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: 1 John 4:9-10, coleen hayden, GCH, genesis 3:4-6, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, God-shaped vacuum, I Choose Jesus, John 3:16, Moriah Peters, psalms-hymns-spiritual-songs

Remain In Him

March 6, 2015 by Kim Spring

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

So Jesus and His disciples took many walks before they stopped at the final place—the Garden of Gethsemane. They fed the hungry, healed the sick and gave hope to the hopeless. As Jesus led them, He used every opportunity to teach them all that He could before He left this earth for Heaven. One day, as they were walking, they passed a vineyard…the vines were full of fruit. Jesus told them that He is the True Vine. And that if they would remain in Him, as branches connected to a vine, they would bear beautiful fruit. Beautiful for others to see. He said:

“If you remain in Me and My words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.
This is to my Father’s glory,
so that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be My disciples.”
John 15:7-8

God wants so much for us as His children and the best way to have the abundant life that He ordained is to remain in Jesus. The closer we get to Him, the more He pours into us. And then we begin to bear His fruit! Before you know it, you are equipped to lead others to the Kingdom. What kind of world would we live in if all those who are lost saw in us the hope that they have been searching for and we gave them the answer—it is Jesus!

The stronger you become in Jesus, the more the enemy seems to comes at you. He will tell you over and over how insignificant your life really is…and that Jesus isn’t enough to brighten your life…and that joy is temporary. (Remember after all, he is the father of lies. Jesus, however, is the Truth.) And God would haveve never sacrificed His own Son for us if He didn’t think we were really worth it.

He loves us so much…as much as He loves His own Son, Jesus. As Matthew 3:17 says, “This is My Son, Whom I love…with Whom I am well pleased.” Jesus has this same love for us, too. And He never gets tired of us. He only wants to give us all that He has and all the love that He can give. We need only remain in Him. He is the True Vine and we are the branches. Without the vine, and the nourishment that spreads through to the branches, there is no fruit. As Christians, without fruit, we cannot be a witness to others.

Maybe you just need to be still today and let Him love on you. Maybe you don’t feel lovable today and life has really been hard lately and you just need to be reminded that He really is for you and He is always working on your behalf. Please don’t forget that He died for you—even if you were the only one on earth that needed saving, He still would have gone to the Cross.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

I have loved you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

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I ask you today: do you know Jesus? Do you know God? He is waiting for you, my friend, with open arms. All you have to do is ask Him into your heart and to be your Lord. Will you pray with me?

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He came into the world as a baby, and walked the earth as a man then died on the Cross with my sins on Him. Jesus is the Savior and I need Him. Please come into my heart and be Lord of my life. I want to know You more. Walk with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: bearing fruit, encouragement blog, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, He is the vine, Hebrews 4:16, His love for us, Jeremiah 31:3, John 15:7-8, John 3:16, Kim Spring, matthew 3:17, Prayer of Salvation, Remain In Him, salvation message, scripture

At The Cross (Love Ran Red)

February 18, 2015 by Clella Fox

There’s a place where mercy reigns and never dies,
There’s a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide
Where all the love I’ve ever found
Comes like a flood
Comes flowing down

At the Cross
At the Cross
I surrender my life
I’m in awe of You
I’m in awe of You
Where Your love ran red
And my sin washed white
I owe all to You
I owe all to You, Jesus

There’s a place where sin and shame are powerless
Where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness
Where all the love I’ve ever found
Comes like a flood
Comes flowing down

Here my Hope is found
Here on holy ground
Here I bow down
Here arms open wide
Here You save my life
Here I bow down
Here I bow down

Written by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jonas Myrin, Matt Armstrong, Matt Redman

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The center stage of our Christian faith is the Cross. There our Savior, Jesus Christ, allowed Himself to be hanged on that torturous cross to bleed, suffocate, and die. Why would anyone do such a thing? Because,

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

Sin and shame imprison everyone. They bind us in chains that cannot be broken—but for God. God in His mercy (His compassion) and grace (unmerited favor) loved(s) us, His creation, so much that He chose to make the perfect sacrifice for all people through the crucifixion of His Son, Jesus. Jesus’ blood was more powerful than any sin or shame that we have ever endured or will ever endure. Jesus shed His blood for each of us. His blood dripping from that Cross was His love running red, flowing down into the very depths of our soul to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Here are just a few Scriptures that make it clear that we in our sins are powerless, but that the blood from God’s perfect sacrifice, Jesus His Son, is powerful enough to wash our ugly sins as white as snow.

All of us also lived among them (children of disobedience) at one time,
gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.
Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
But because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions
—it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:3-5

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous.
He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.
For God presented Jesus as the Sacrifice for sin.
People are made right with God
when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.
Romans 3:22-25

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

The Royal blood of Jesus is more powerful than all our sins. His “love ran red and my (our) sin washed white.” There at the Cross sin is powerless. There at the Cross is where love, forgiveness, hope, and peace are found. When we personally accept Jesus’ great sacrificial love for ourselves, we are made right with God. From that point on we can have a personal relationship with Him. His Holy Spirit will dwell with us. And we can be assured that we will spend eternity with God.

If you have not yet accepted God’s love for you, please take the time today to do this. God gave His Son. Jesus gave His blood. What are you willing to give for such love? I pray that you give Him your all.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3

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Dear Jesus, thank You so much for allowing Yourself to be the Sacrifice, once and for all, to save us from our sins and shame. We bow before You on holy ground with our arms open wide, because here at the Cross Your blood (love) ran red so our sins could be washed white. You have saved us. Herein is our Hope. Blessed be the Name of the Lord! In Jesus’ Name we praise and worship our God of Love. Amen, It is so!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: 1 John 1:9, 1 Peter 1:3, At the Cross(Love Ran Red), blood, Chris Tomlin, Clella Gilbert Fox, Cross, crucifixion, Ed Cash, Ephesians 2:3-5, Forgiveness, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, God, Isaiah 1:18, Jesus, John 3:16, Jonas Myrin, Love, Matt Armstrong, Matt Redman, psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Blog, relationship, Romans 3:22-25, sacrifice, Sin

Love Gives

February 15, 2015 by Ann Mwafulirwa

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need
but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:16-18 NIV

What made God give us Christ Jesus?—It is Love
What made Christ give us the Holy Spirit?—It is Love
What makes Holy Spirit give us gifts?—It is Love

For God gave us Jesus Christ (John 3:16) and Christ (as He was ascending into Heaven) said that He must go but gave the Holy Spirit who would be with us always (John 14), and the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us gifts (1 Corinthians 12).

So in our focus Scripture this week, we are commanded to act in love the same way we were loved and given the free gift of Christ as well as gifts of the spirit. Brethren, we are in this physical world and so our love can also be expressed by sincerely helping persons in need.

We can do this by sharing our earthly possessions with them (James 2:14-17)
If we refuse to give of our food, clothing, or money to help others in real need it is to close our hearts to them (Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
This also includes giving our money to help bring the gospel to those who have not heard (through evangelism) (James 4:9-10)

May the good Lord help us as we decide to express love
by giving with all our hearts without murmuring.

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Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You and we bless You because You are God. We honor You because You are the I AM who I AM, the omnipresent God. Blessed be Your Holy name in all the earth. Immortal God, invisible God, You are so great. Thank You for Your love for us. The free gifts to us are so precious that we glorify Your name because of such wonderful gifts. Teach us to love one another as You loved us, as Christ loved us, and as Holy Spirit loves us. Thank You for hearing our prayer and granting us the desire of our heart. It is in Jesus’ name that we have prayed. AMEN!!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: 1 corinthians 12, 1 John 3:16-18, ann mwafulirwa, daily devotions, deuteronomy 15:7-11, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, james 2:14-17, james 4:9-10, John 1:4, John 3:16, Love Gives, Seeking Him devotional

Can’t Stop Singing

January 15, 2015 by coleen hayden

Your grace for me will always be
More than enough
More than enough
The power of Jesus Christ in me
Is more than enough
More than enough

Because my heart is full
And my soul is free
In my weakness You
Had a plan for me

And I can’t stop singing about Your love
No, I can’t stop singing about Your love
Jesus, forever You will be more than enough
No, I can’t stop, I can’t stop

You will provide, You will supply
More than enough, more than enough
Open Heaven, open wide
More than enough, more than enough

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
I can’t stop shouting
Can’t stop shouting

Because my heart is full
And my soul is free
In my weakness You
Had a plan for me
Now I sing the song
Angels cannot sing
I have been reborn
I have been redeemed

Covenant Worship ~ Songwriters: Joshua Dufrene, David Binion, Israel Houghton

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‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
I can’t stop shouting…because my heart is full and my soul is free!’

{ And all God’s people said, AMEN! }

Psalm 107 is full of what ‘the redeemed of the Lord’ should say. (Click this link to read Psalm 107.) The psalmist writes, in verse after verse, of the awesome deeds and wonders of the Almighty, and repeatedly proclaims that the redeemed should say so in this manner:

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!
(verses 8, 15, 21, 31)

Oh, and don’t we have so MUCH to give thanks for and to sing about God’s love for us?!!? Without God’s love, each of us would still be dead in our trespasses and sins…bound as slaves because of Adam’s sin. But because God loves us, we have been redeemed by His Son and given new life.

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.
John 3:16

By this the love of God was manifested in us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9 and 10

I love each of the ‘more than enoughs’ in this song! Just think…we have been given not just enough but more than enough!

‘Your grace for me will always be more than enough’
‘The power of Jesus Christ in me is more than enough’

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

‘You will provide…You will supply more than enough
Open heaven, open wide more than enough‘

‘Jesus forever You will be more than enough’

Philippians 3:8-14

Just like the writers of this song and the psalmist may we—the redeemed of the Lord—also say so!

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
Verse 43

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Oh, Lord, Your grace, Your love, Your mercy, Your goodness, Your provision are all more than enough! How awesome to know that Your sufficiency doesn’t mean “just enough” or “barely enough,” but way more than enough for whatever we face, whatever our need. Help us to rest fully in Your grace as we seek to live for You today. Thank You for Your love…we love and adore You! We pray and acknowledge these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

This Week…LOVE (Advent, week four)

December 26, 2014 by coleen hayden

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

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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.

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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.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 1 John 3:16, 1 john 4:7, 4th week of Advent, Advent, daily devotions, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, god's love, Jesus is love, John 15:13, John 3:16, Love, Romans 5:8, Seeking Him devotional, sharing God's love, titus 2:13-14

Love In Action

December 24, 2014 by cynda cottrill

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.

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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!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: 1 John 3:16, 4th week of Advent, Advent, Christmas is love in action, cynda cottrill, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Jesus is love, john 10:18, John 3:16, Love, Romans 5:8, Seeking Him devotional

DYING WITH CHRIST