Whats love got to do with it?

Whats love but a second hand emotion? These lyric lines were a HUGE hit for singer Tina Turner. She poured out all her pain from the depths of a broken heart. Based on sales and chart position, we can safely assume many souls resonated to the frequency of her pain. Truly, what does love have to do with it? The IT....... is US !

There are 349 instances in my Bible where the word love is used. The first appearance is: (Gen 22:2) He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

Abraham was, in all likelihood, devastated that God would require this of him. His son, his only son. But the faith, the trust, the love that Abraham had in his God, in his Creator, in his belief that God can do all things, gave this father the strength to follow through with the will of his Lord to the very point of exacting the execution of God's command. God loved Abraham, Abraham loved God.

Another Father, who loved His Son, His only son would undergo the horrible sacrifice of His blood in order to save all others; spilling that precious life sustaining blood; pooling at the foot of a cross on Golgotha. God wept.

Love is a commandment: (Mat 22:37) And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'; while loving your neighbors as you love yourself.

Love appears 28 times in Psalms. Eleven in Matthew, five in Mark. Luke uses love in 12 verses, in John, 26 events. You might be surprised which books contain the overwhelming use of the word love; 1-3 John; 42 times!

The final publication of the word love resides in revelation: (Rev 12:11) "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Beloved reader, the very next time you use, in casual conversation, the word love; “Oh I love that dress” or “I'd love to be rich”, or “I love my X-Box”.......reflect on the price that Jesus paid. Paid for you. Paid out of LOVE.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

Whats love got to do with it?

Whats love but a second hand emotion? These lyric lines were a HUGE hit for singer Tina Turner. She poured out all her pain from the depths of a broken heart. Based on sales and chart position, we can safely assume many souls resonated to the frequency of her pain. Truly, what does love have to do with it? The IT....... is US !

There are 349 instances in my Bible where the word love is used. The first appearance is: (Gen 22:2) He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

Abraham was, in all likelihood, devastated that God would require this of him. His son, his only son. But the faith, the trust, the love that Abraham had in his God, in his Creator, in his belief that God can do all things, gave this father the strength to follow through with the will of his Lord to the very point of exacting the execution of God's command. God loved Abraham, Abraham loved God.

Another Father, who loved His Son, His only son would undergo the horrible sacrifice of His blood in order to save all others; spilling that precious life sustaining blood; pooling at the foot of a cross on Golgotha. God wept.

Love is a commandment: (Mat 22:37) And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'; while loving your neighbors as you love yourself.

Love appears 28 times in Psalms. Eleven in Matthew, five in Mark. Luke uses love in 12 verses, in John, 26 events. You might be surprised which books contain the overwhelming use of the word love; 1-3 John; 42 times!

The final publication of the word love resides in revelation: (Rev 12:11) "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Beloved reader, the very next time you use, in casual conversation, the word love; “Oh I love that dress” or “I'd love to be rich”, or “I love my X-Box”.......reflect on the price that Jesus paid. Paid for you. Paid out of LOVE.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. – (John 17:4)

This morning I reflected on a conversation with a brother this week. He was concerned about where he was in his walk with our Lord. He expressed fears that he might be falling short of the expectation of Jesus.

I think we all need to periodically do a self inventory. A quick-check to confirm our direction and our devotion to do His will. It is so easy to slide back towards the worldly, since it is the most familiar to many of us. This is due to the number of years we wallowed in that mess, it became natural to us to be soiled. Like a pig that has been hosed down and cleaned, it takes great effort to avoid a return to the slop. It is with Christ that we have the will and stamina to be clean and to stay clean.

During this morning's devotion, Oswald Chambers filled this mental void with the following words of great wisdom. Read with me now, then check yourselves:

True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will— and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again.

Surrender for Deliverance. “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will— “Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming.

Surrender for Devotion. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Philippians 4:19).

Surrender for Death. “…another will gird you…” (John 21:18; also see John 21:19). Have you learned what it means to be girded for death? Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.

And after you surrender— then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God.

It is this last sentence that describes the test, the validation of our salvation. Eagerness for ONE-NESS with God! It is how you know where you are.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. – (John 17:4)

This morning I reflected on a conversation with a brother this week. He was concerned about where he was in his walk with our Lord. He expressed fears that he might be falling short of the expectation of Jesus.

I think we all need to periodically do a self inventory. A quick-check to confirm our direction and our devotion to do His will. It is so easy to slide back towards the worldly, since it is the most familiar to many of us. This is due to the number of years we wallowed in that mess, it became natural to us to be soiled. Like a pig that has been hosed down and cleaned, it takes great effort to avoid a return to the slop. It is with Christ that we have the will and stamina to be clean and to stay clean.

During this morning's devotion, Oswald Chambers filled this mental void with the following words of great wisdom. Read with me now, then check yourselves:

True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will— and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again.

Surrender for Deliverance. “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will— “Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming.

Surrender for Devotion. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Philippians 4:19).

Surrender for Death. “…another will gird you…” (John 21:18; also see John 21:19). Have you learned what it means to be girded for death? Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.

And after you surrender— then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God.

It is this last sentence that describes the test, the validation of our salvation. Eagerness for ONE-NESS with God! It is how you know where you are.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. (Jer 32:39)

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. -- Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

JER.32:39. Ezek. 36:26. Psa. 25:8 10. John 17:21. Eph. 4:1 6-Samuel Bagster

Have you read your Bible today?

I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. (Jer 32:39)

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. -- Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

JER. 32:39. Ezek. 36:26. Psa. 25:8 10. John 17:21. Eph. 4:1 6 -Samuel Bagster

Have you read your Bible today?

He makes me to lie down in green pastures

The wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud. "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. – Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him. – For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace. – As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love.

PS 23:2; ISA 57:20-21; MT 11:28; PS 37:7; HEB 4:10, 3:9; EPH 4:14-15, SONG 2:3-4

Compiled by Samuel Bagster

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

He makes me to lie down in green pastures

The wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud. "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. – Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him. – For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace. – As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love.

PS 23:2; ISA 57:20-21; MT 11:28; PS 37:7; HEB 4:10, 3:9; EPH 4:14-15, SONG 2:3-4

Compiled by Samuel Bagster

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?