{"id":23607,"date":"2014-12-26T00:20:32","date_gmt":"2014-12-26T05:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=23607"},"modified":"2014-12-25T22:24:58","modified_gmt":"2014-12-26T03:24:58","slug":"week-love-advent-week-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2014\/12\/26\/week-love-advent-week-four\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week…LOVE (Advent, week four)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SHadventlovegraphic\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Merry, blessed Christmas to each of you! \u00a0How encouraging it has been to read the Seeking Him<\/em><\/strong> devotionals each day during this Advent season focused on the themes of Hope<\/span>, Peace<\/span>, Joy<\/span>, and Love<\/span>. \u00a0The Scriptures and the encouragement shared have reminded me of God\u2019s goodness and helped me to prepare my heart for the celebration of Jesus\u2019 birth.<\/p>\n

We all know how easy it is amidst all the hubbub\u2014the list-making, and shopping, and baking, and caroling, and visiting, and wrapping\u2014to be distracted from the true importance of the season. \u00a0Jesus\u2019 birth changed EVERYTHING. \u00a0His first coming as Emmanuel, God With Us, redeemed the past, gave purpose for that present time, and hope for the future.<\/p>\n

…while we wait for the blessed Hope\u2014the glorious appearing
\nof our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
\nWho gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness
\nand to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.
\nTitus 2:13-14<\/p>\n

This week, Ahmee, Ann, Cynda, Laura, and Tina have helped us to keep our focus on the love<\/span> <\/strong>that Jesus\u2019 birth showed to mankind.<\/p>\n

For God loved the world in this way:
\nHe gave His One and Only Son,
\nso that everyone who believes in Him
\nwill not perish but have eternal life.
\nJohn 3:16<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0\u271d \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2605\u00a0 \u00a0 *<\/span><\/h4>\n

Laura<\/span> wrote in God\u2019s Love Abounds<\/em><\/strong> that \u201cIf 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.<\/p>\n

Loving<\/span> <\/em>God means knowing<\/em> God.<\/strong>
\n Knowing<\/em> God means showing it through prayer and service to others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
\nEveryone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
\n1 John 4:7<\/p>\n

\u2764<\/span><\/p>\n

In God\u2019s Banner Over Us is Love<\/strong><\/em>, Ann<\/span> reminded us of the truth about LOVE<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Love is patient, love is kind.
\nIt does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
\nIt does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
\nit is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
\nLove does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
\nIt always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
\n1 Corinthians 13:4-8<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Christmas is also a season of love\u2014a 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!<\/p>\n

\u2764<\/span><\/p>\n

Cynda<\/span> shared\u00a0in Love Is Action<\/em> <\/strong>of God and Jesus\u2019 proven love for us. \u00a0She wrote, \u201cChrist made the ultimate sacrifice, knowing all the while we were not worthy. \u00a0He came for us because He loved us. \u00a0Romans 5:8 (NLT) makes that clear \u2013 \u2018But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.\u2019 And 1 John 3:16a (NLT) ties it up in a neat little bow: \u2018We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us.\u2019<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the reason He came.
\nThat\u2019s the reason for Christmas.
\nTo put love<\/span> in action.<\/h4>\n

\u2764<\/span><\/p>\n

Ahmee<\/span> wrote in Love Is A Choice<\/strong><\/em> the following. \u00a0\u201cLove<\/span> is\u2014and will always be\u2014an action. Therefore, since love is a verb and requires us to do something\u2014it 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\u2019t 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<\/span><\/em> choose.<\/p>\n

As John said in 1 John 3:18:<\/p>\n

Dear children, let\u2019s not merely say that we love each other;
\nlet us show the truth by our actions.<\/p>\n

\u2764<\/span><\/p>\n

And Tina<\/span> reminded us of Jesus\u2019 perfect example of love in No Greater Love<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Greater love<\/span> has no one than this: to lay down one\u2019s life for one\u2019s friends.
\nJohn 15:13 NIV<\/p>\n

Ponder those words<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* \u00a0 \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0\u271d \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2605 \u00a0 \u00a0* <\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you, ladies, for reminding us and compelling us to be loving as we have been commanded AND enabled to be! \u00a0As you have prayed with us this week, may our prayer today continue…\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Father, we thank You for the love<\/span> that You have for us. \u00a0Teach us, Lord, to love<\/span> one another as Christ has loved us. \u00a0Help us also to practice love<\/span> not only in this season but all the days of our lives, Lord. \u00a0Thank You for showing us Your love<\/span> <\/strong>through the birth and death of Jesus. \u00a0Without Him, we would not know You or be able to show Your love<\/span> <\/strong>to others.
\nThank You for sending Your son Jesus to live among us. \u00a0Thank You for the many times You give us to live for You. \u00a0Please let Your love<\/strong> <\/span>flow through me each day but especially during this wondrous time of year.
\nLord, may we come to understand and embrace love<\/span> as an action. Let us show Your love<\/span> to the world. \u00a0Let us strive to show this type of love<\/span> to all. We as the Church are Your example of how love <\/span>functions. Christ is Your ultimate example of love<\/span>. \u00a0May You receive all the glory and praise! \u00a0We love<\/span> You!!! \u00a0And pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Merry, blessed Christmas to each of you! \u00a0How 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. \u00a0The Scriptures and the encouragement shared have reminded me of God\u2019s goodness and helped me to prepare my heart for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":23511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3020],"tags":[2461,1834,8075,4866,4651,3367,425,441,8097,1832,566,620,5908,3174,8115,8114],"class_list":["post-23607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-devotions","tag-1-corinthians-134-8","tag-1-john-316","tag-1-john-47","tag-4th-week-of-advent","tag-advent","tag-daily-devotions-2","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-gods-love","tag-jesus-is-love","tag-john-1513","tag-john-316","tag-love","tag-romans-58","tag-seeking-him-devotional","tag-sharing-gods-love","tag-titus-213-14","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/SHadventlovegraphic.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p39pHp-68L","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23607"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23611,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23607\/revisions\/23611"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}