Jesus replied to his disciples, “For you always have the poor with you” Mt 26:11. That certainly seems to be the case in America today. Although it could be argued that even the poorest in America is wealthy compared to others elsewhere, I choose to keep it within the confines of the USA. I just read that one out of five families owes more on credit cards, medical bills, student loans and unsecured debt than they have in savings coming out of the recent economic downturn. Nearly one in four families has no savings at all! This says to me that there are a lot of our fellow-citizens hurting financially. When Jesus made the statement referenced, he was not encouraging a baize attitude to those who are struggling. Compassion demands empathy and love calls for a helping hand. Jesus was shutting the mouths of those who murmured. Please don’t get the wrong idea. I am not arguing for supporting those who refuse to work. But I am encouraging that we have a sense of understanding for others who struggle, whether through no fault of their own or the result of poor choices (who hasn’t made many of whose?). Love demands no less.
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Ed Boggess
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Eugene Adkins
Who’s the Crazy One?
My wife left this message for me on my dry erase board: “My husband thinks I’m crazy…But I’m not the one who married me!”
“And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”” (Genesis 2:18- NKJV)
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Eugene Adkins
Faith Old, Evil Bold, Love Cold
As Jesus gave His disciples a private enlightening lesson on what would become a publicly dark time in Jerusalem’s future He said, ”Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:11-14, NKJV)
What Jesus warned His people about then is something that the church must still keep in mind today as it can still sadly be seen to some extent in the lives of many former brothers and sisters in Christ. When the faith becomes old in our heart, the evil will grow bold and push out the love that we are called to have for each other.
Faith Old, Evil Bold, Love Cold – It will get us somewhere, but it won’t take us to the end that Jesus talked about.
“And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:” (1 Peter 1:22, BBE)
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J. Randal Matheny
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Eugene Adkins
To the best of my knowledge it is an “original thought” if such exists. :)
When I think of sayings like that I write them down on a dry erase board on my wall for later use in articles and sermons and stuff. It’s been up there for a while so I decided to do something with it.
Thanks for the encouragment, Randal.
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J. Randal Matheny
Tremendous! Very cool.
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Eugene Adkins
When you look at those verses, the three points are almost literally spelled out. Feel more than free to use it my friend in any way you wish. The scriptures gave me the idea anyways so I don’t exactly think I can put one of those c’s with a circle around it on there. :)
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J. Randal Matheny
If I can remember, maybe I can fit that into a poem. Tomorrow. I’m calling it quits for the night. Have a great one!
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Ron Thomas
Interfaith Discussion (2)
In the last essay we talked about having clarity of understanding with regard to love. Love seeks to do that which is good to and for man, and we used John 3:16 to help us understand that clarity. In this essay we want to answer the questions that have been posed by those seeking an interfaith understanding in how people are healed in a world of divisiveness and confusion. Those questions are:
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Ron Thomas
Interfaith Discussion (1)
In our local newspaper (Mattoon-Charleston News-Gazette) there is a news brief/advertisement for an interfaith discussion in regard to the power of faith to heal. This sounds pleasant, but I have heard such nebulous titles before and have noticed there is a continuation of such topics in a nebulous sort of answering. The questions posed and to be addressed on this occasion are the following:
- What kind of love has the power to heal us – mind, body, and spirit?
- What did Jesus teach about the power of love to heal?
- How have you seen love heal tough issues in human experience – bodily, emotionally, socially, politically?
- How do we welcome more of the healing power of love into our lives on a daily basis?
- What if we are unwilling or unable to love others or open up to the power of love to heal?
I desire, in this essay, to address these questions. First, however, there needs to be clarity of understanding with the use of the word “love.” Exactly what does one mean when the word “love” is used in a sentence? If we use the standard of God to help us understand love, then we have a starting point to address the questions. Let us use John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” The word “love” means what in this passage? If we use the English dictionary we come away with this understanding (when used in the noun form): a strong affection for another, a warm attachment, an object of attachment, devotion, and finally, unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another (there are actually nine definitions, but only the first four did I make use of).[1] Will this give us clarity of understanding? If we apply the first three English ideas of love to John 3:16, we can say that it helps, but I don’t think clarity is in view. We still don’t know what love means, we only know that the Lord has an attachment to His creation.
If we make use of the fourth definition, however, and couple this with a dictionary based on New Testament Greek we learn this: “A biblical definition of love starts with God, never us…”[2] Using this as our starting point we learn that God always manifests His love toward man by seeking that which is good for man. What does that mean when we say that God seeks man’s good? When we read John 3:16 we learn that God manifested His love toward man by seeking that which is good for man; He sent His Son to teach us to deny ungodliness and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this world (Titus 2:11-12).
Note the clarity of understanding. We know that love is more than an attachment, warm affection, and even devotion. We now understand that love acts in a particular way, and is not necessarily tied to affection or emotion (though it can be).
Without this starting point there is no solution to the problems of our world, and neither is there a substantive answer to the various questions that are asked (and we will answer in our next post).
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Weylan Deaver
“A biblical definition of love starts with God, never us…” — that makes perfect sense. And if a thing be rightly defined in reference to its source, then you could not define humanity without reference to God, either.
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Ron Thomas
Amen, brother.
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John Henson
The Mom Who Loved
Part of the story of Stephanie Decker, and of us. Here: http://foolforhim.wordpress.com/
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John T. Polk II
Love Is Forever
Power Point charts are available at: http://doverchurchofchrist.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Feb12.swf
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John T. Polk II
Love Is Forever
This Power Point Sermon will be found under “2012 Power Points” on the website: doverchurchofchrist.info
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Glenda Williams
Diane Grantham leads Bible study at nursing home
“She goes about doing good,” could easily be said about Diane Grantham, a member of the Geneva church.
Residents at the local nursing home know and love Diane because she visits regularly. Always with a smile and a kind word, she does go about doing good. Often she will pick up some nice gift with a certain resident in mind. She gets great pleasure from making one of her beloved friends smile.
Recently one of the patients at the Geneva Nursing Home suggested to Diane that she should teach a ladies Bible class at the home. With her positive attitude, and love of teaching, she took the necessary steps to secure a time slot on the monthly calendar. She was given one Monday night a month. Recently she taught her first class with a total of six in attendance.
Diane taught the gospel to one of the female residents recently. Due to her size and being an amputee, she was baptized in a local swimming pool in her wheelchair. Diane’s love for the Lord is ever shining in all walks of her life. May her example encourage others to go and do likewise.
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TFRStaff
TFT: Heartprints
Whatever our hands touch…
We leave fingerprints.
On walls, on furniture,
On door knobs, dishes and books.
Smudges, showing we were there!Oh, Lord, please,
Wherever I go today…
Help me leave Heartprints…
Heartprints of compassion,
Understanding and love.
Heartprints of kindness
And genuine concern.I shall go out today…
To leave Heartprints…
And if some one should say…
“I felt your touch!”
May that one feeling be…
Your loving touch, Lord,
Through me!May my heart touch my lonely neighbor, with a smile,
A worried mother, with peace,
A runaway child, with safety,
A homeless person, with warmth,
And my dear friends, with love.My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin, (Prov 7:1-4)
“Thoughts For Today to Brighten Your Day” by Glenn Hitchcock
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Larry Miles
Love In Action
There are countless instances in God’s Word where the words on our title have application. Many of God’s servants in the past and many today fit the bill. Christianity is a religion of action. Since we have “been raised with Christ,” we are to live our lives daily for Him!
We read about such an individual in Paul’s Epistle to Philemon. In Philemon 1:5 we have these words: “hearing of your love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints.” Paul is commending Philemon for living out his faith.
As is the case, Philemon’s genuine love and faith in and towards the Lord Jesus resulted in his love for others. (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:6 and 1 John 3:14). Some other instances of hearing about the love and service of believers in the New Testament is found in 2 John 1:4 and 3 John 1:3-4
In Philemon 6, as a result of his love and faith in and for Jesus, Philemon shares his faith. He becomes a “doer as well as a hearer” of God’s Word (James 1:22). Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep on (keep on keeping) My commandments.” (John 14:15).
This results in a life where one’s faith rubs off on those around him. Folks see you serving God and knowing that it is real for you can motivate others to seek to serve Jesus more and more.
It can result in striving to reach the lost and strengthening the saved. It will motivate us to help the lost find their way out of the “kingdom of darkness and be conveyed to the kingdom of the Son of His love.”
You can, like Philemon, have a joy in your life because of the love you show, first of all to Christ, and then to others.
-Larry Miles May 18, 2011
John Henson
The Love of God
The lyrics for the hymn entitled, “The Love of God,” was written by Frederick M. Lehman in 1917 on a day when he turned his attention to an expression of God’s love.
Lehman, sitting on a lemon box pushed against a wall, picked up a scrap of paper and modeled the hymn after an old Jewish poem. He said he had seen it penciled on the wall of a room in an asylum. Evidently the patient, Lehman said, must have written the verse in one of his more lucid moments.
“The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Refrain
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.”
The love of God is seen in its greatest, finest and purest expression in the sacrifice of his son, Jesus, on the cross for the sins of all people.
The Apostle John wrote, “Herein 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 4:10). Paul penned, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8).
It is in Jesus dying on the cross for us ― all of us ― that God’s pure love is seen best.
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Richard Mansel
Love and Obedience
Love and obedience are inextricably linked and any doctrine that tries to separate them is dangerous. I discuss in my article today why this is true and what they say about our relationship to the Lord.
Some think today that if love and obedience are combined, it is a denial of the grace of God. We have to depend completely on Him for everything. Obedience would then constitute meritorious religion. This doctrine is proof that they do not understand God’s will.
It is interesting that 1 John discusses love and obedience more than any book of the New Testament. If they cannot be combined, then 1 John must be removed from the canon.
What thoughts do you have on love and obedience?
Oh, and I hope you will read my article. :)
Richard Mansel
Racism: Standing Above the Culture
I k new a Christian man years ago that actually made the argument that it was fine for the races to be together in heaven, but in the South, they were to be strictly separated. What a ridiculous idea! Read his letter and my thoughts on this very anti-Christian mindset.
johntpolk2 is discussing. -
johntpolk2
Richard,
Well done! Peter, a follower of Christ, kept his old prejudices, and needed rebuke. Do you think this echoed with his own rebuke of Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8? Peter could rebuke the sorcerer for keeping his pre-conversion arrogance (and rightly so!), but become hypocritical in his own view of Gentiles. Question: does being a hypocrite disqualify a person from being an apostle? preacher? elder? Christian? My point is, we seem too quick to “pare down” the church, when condemnation, repentance, forgiveness should be our “pattern.” It certainly was so between Paul and Peter. AND Paul did not become Peter’s enemy because he told him the truth (Galatians 4:16). Maybe these thoughts are helpful, but yours certainly are. God bless you.
Ron Thomas
Showing Much Love
One of the great teaching methods of the Lord was in the use of parables. In Matthew 13, the apostle decided to group many of the parables of the Lord together. In the teachings of our Lord, He made a comment that penetrates even the hardest of hearts and frightens it so. “Hearing you will hear and not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive.” This frightens many because they wonder if they are exactly in that spot. Who would these people be, and who would be guilty of such things? Well, apart from the majority of the people who exist today, take note of what Ezekiel said (by the Lord’s authority), “So my people crowd in to hear what you have to say, but they don’t do what you tell them to do. Loving words are on their lips, but they continue their greedy ways” (Ezekiel 33:31, GNB). “Going to church” is on the outside, what is on the inside?
Richard Mansel
Love and Commitment
The website For Christian Girls is featuring a new article written by a High School Sophomore on God’s love and what it means to us as His children. I hope you will read what this young person has to say.
Love is one of the greatest of motivators and it should perpetually loom before our eyes to keep us focused.
In a fleshly sense, love is a fickle, selfish emotion. However, in God’s eyes, love is action and commitment (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Jesus told us that if we loved Him, we would obey Him (John 14:15).
In our own relationships, love is always action and should reign supreme. In a marriage, we must always have scales ready to weigh our small arguments and disagreements against a lifetime together. They are all minuscule against the years we have entrusted to us. Commitment means that we persevere no matter what comes against us. We stand strong against the waves of pain, heartache and troubles in this world. Clasping our hands, we walk through them all together.
Let us always remember these noble goals and we will truly understand “until death do we part.”
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Mike Riley
A good article and good thoughts by a high school sophomore. May God provide us with many more such spiritually-minded individuals!
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Richard Mansel
Thank you for reading it, Mike.
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Richard Hill
Got Love?
Love covers a multitude of sins. Let the chips on our shoulders fall where they may.
John T. Polk II
“True Love”
While counterfeit religion gives us a “St. Valentine’s Day;” and worships the mythical pagan gods of “Lupercus,” protector of shepherds and flocks, or “Cupid” (later substituted with the Roman Catholic “Valentine”); and offers commercialized gifts of flowers, candy, or jewelry; I think of Dorwin Stoddard. Dorwin and Mavy were childhood sweethearts who in time married others, but when their respective mates died, they retired back to Tucson, Arizona, re-kindled their romance, and married. As Christians who worshiped with the Mountain Avenue church of Christ, they were beloved.
At a public gathering in Tucson, on January 8, 2011, Jared Loughner, whose works were evil (1 John 3:12), opened fire on the crowd killing 6 and wounding 13. Knowing that Ephesians 5:25 said: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” in a split-second, Dorwin threw himself down on top of Mavy. She was shot 3 times in the leg and he was shot in the head. She survived, he did not. It was not the 17 heart stents that had kept Dorwin alive for 76 years, but his deep, abiding love for Jesus Christ, and Mavy. Mavy will recover from the gunshots and live out her life knowing she has been supremely loved by 2 men, Jesus Christ and Dorwin Stoddard, both of whom gave their lives for her.
While Harlotwood propaganda continues to demean men (with endless “crotchshots,” humiliation, and stupidity) and inflate women’s individuality (fictionalizing them as men’s equals, superiors, or complete without men), suddenly God has thrust into the spotlight a couple who had it right. Mavy was a “helper comparable” to Dorwin (Genesis 2:18), and he loved his wife as his own body (Ephesians 5:28). Here was a husband who so loved his own wife as himself, and a wife who respected her husband (Ephesians 5:33), that he willingly gave his life to keep the best part of him alive.
Do what you wish on February 14, but I think The Day For Love occurred on 1/8/11, when a true “saint” demonstrated before the world what Jesus Christ did for the whole world centuries ago. Indeed, “precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15). Thank God for Dorwin Stoddard.
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Ron
Good words. I like this.
Richard Mansel
What Does it Mean to Love Our Enemies?
Loving our enemies is one of the most challenging things God has asked of us. What does it mean and not mean? Today, I have an examination of this important command.
Ron Thomas
Arrogate to ourselves the Lord’s perch
Why do people look at the outside and judge so quickly? Stephen said it was because of pride, and this would be true. But pride in what? He offers that we have pride in thinking our insights are better than another. Mike said it is because people are lazy and impatient. This, too, is true. But why are people lazy and impatient? Ed said it is because it is the nature of who we are, we are people of the flesh and those of the fleshly way of thinking need to retrain their mind. Paula said it is because with our own field of experience, and this certainly is true. Finally, Glenda said it is because we do not look at people through the eyes of love. In sum, the following is offered: pride, lazy and impatient, our fleshly environment is at war with God’s standard and we are susceptible to weakness, our point of reference encourages (allows) us to interpret quickly, and we refuse to operate by the standard of love.
All these answers, it seem to me, are “spot on” answers. Whatever it is that I say I can’t imagine it will offer any improvement. Nevertheless, not bet being one shy of sharing an opinion, I will offer what I think along these lines.
I think the best answer to this is associated with the following: we think our insights are ….well….insightful (Stephen); we believe our opinion of a situation gets right to the heart of the matter and because we have a frame of reference (Paula) we have utmost confidence that we have it exactly right. This is associated with that which Glenda offered, and that is the lack of the love of Christ in our heart toward another person. It might be that we are correct in our interpretation of a situation, circumstance, event, or matter, but are we so sure of that – especially since we have not enough information from which to judge? Because the Lord knew all things that were before Him, He could make a perfect judgment each time. We, on the other hand, have not that capability. Still, we arrogate to ourselves the Lord’s perch.
This brings us to what Mike and Ed offered. It is most definitely the case that we are rather impatient and that our struggles with the flesh is over-whelming. We drive up to McDonald’s and want it our way (Burger King), and if we do not get it, it is likely we will stop and take up the matter with the store. All this is likely to take 10 minutes at most. When we sit down at a restaurant if the waitress does not come by within five minutes of our arrival, this gets our attention. We have grown accustomed to moving quickly and receiving quickly (cf. internet traffic). This plays well with our problem of judging much too quickly. Add to this the constant struggle of wanting to interpret accurately what we witnessed and talk about things with other people – with no malice intended (presumably) we have a ripe situation for trouble. If one adds malice as an intention, then a disastrous conflagration is stooping at our door!
Glenda Williams
“I’d rather be thought dumb…”
Someone has said, ‘I’d rather be thought dumb than to speak and remove all doubt.”
Ron’s nudge today reminded me that I sometimes am too quick to jump to a conclusion about things without having all the facts. At this early morning hour, I asked myself why. I think being human would be my first answer. To that I would add not looking at others through the eyes of love as I should, and being too quick to speak.
Someone has said to take three deep breaths before speaking. We should think before we speak. Clydetta Fulmer, well-known and respected Christian sculptor in Montgomery, AL, said as Christians “we need to be people of few words.” Ecclesiastes 5:2 says “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few.” Remember we have two ears to hear and one mouth with which to speak.
Mike Riley
Am I a candy or cake sort of person? No, not in the least. I’m a pie person. Love most pies – my favorite being the chocolate pie. Ummm, Yummy!
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Laura
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Laura
Well… I had written “” without the spaces. Interesting…
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Laura
okay…
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J. Randal Matheny
I’m sure you have an explanation for that.
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Laura
Yes. The software is interpreting the left and right angle brackets as html tags. Since “like” isn’t a legitimate tag, it is simply ignoring it and deleting it.
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J. Randal Matheny
I knew we could count on you for the geek explanation.
BTW, on the individual post pages, we do have Like buttons.
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Laura
I don’t see a like button, but I’m looking at the main wall.
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J. Randal Matheny
Only shows up on the individual pages, not on the main wall, unfortunately.
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J. Randal Matheny
“Fit for a King.” That’s the latest UPLift offering, posted today on RandalMatheny.com and sent to the email list, the Guarantee of getting your latest UPLift fix.
UPDATE: I fixed the last word from “fox” to “fix.” Reading too much from Fox News website lately?
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John Henson
Probably not. The “i” and “o” keys are “hard against” each other.
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J. Randal Matheny
I have been reading a bit more, because of the elections. But maybe it’s evidence I’ve not been send many a “fax” these days. And thanks for your defense in my favor.
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Richard Mansel
A Godly Woman
I hope you will read my tribute to the life of my mother, Carolyn Mansel. She was a godly example for all of us. I point out three lessons from her life that will edify all of our lives.
Tina Cutsinger and 
stevelucas are discussing. -
stevelucas
Richard, You are most fortunate to have had such a Christ-like mother! I really appreciate your perspective of being joyous! Though we all do grieve, as humans, over the loss of our loved ones, it is for eternity that we must focus. This is merely a journey, and for others like you, it includes being surrounded by a parent that desired a heavenly home. Steve
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Tina Cutsinger
Your mother sounds like she was a wonderful christian wife, mother, sister and friend. I know you all will miss her. My sympathy to your family and you.
drkenney
Good Marital Sacrifice
My favorite story outside of the Bible of marital sacrifice is “The Gift of the Magi” by William Sydney Porter (aka O. Henry).
The best lesson for marital sacrifice is Christ (the Bridegroom) and His sacrifice for His Bride (the Church):
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-33, NKJV)
Stanley Adams and -
Laura
“The Gift of the Magi” is an excellent story.
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Stanley Adams
I suggest go back a verse. There is a mutual submission in marriage. There must be a mutual submission to make marriage work.
J. Randal Matheny
Daily Nudge: Marital sacrifice — and news
Marrieds and singles can have a go at today’s Nudge, but the former might have an edge over the latter in experience: How does a spouse sacrifice in a marriage in positive ways that contribute to the relationship?
I ask since tomorrow Vicki and I will teach in Sao Paulo in a marriage seminar, which I’ve entitled something like (loose translation), “Love is Too Little, But Sacrifice Gets the Job Done.” Obviously, the word “love” is used in the phrase in a restricted sense, that of romance.
No word from Richard M. that I’ve seen, recently, about his mother’s funeral, nor from Jody Apple about his father-in-law’s funeral, but I’m sure they’re all busy in those said moments. Last night we took son Micah to the airport to return him to the daughter-in-law. No plans to see family in the US now until 2012.
You got news?
Richard Mansel
Persecuted for Righteousness Sake
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). There is a big difference in being persecuted for being a Christian and living by the Word and having people angry at us for being bullies. If we violate Ephesians 4:15, we have no right to claim persecution.
The Apostles were persecuted because they stood up for the Word of God. Countless others have, as well. Yet, we know of those who speak the truth with venom and then lift themselves up as victims when the screaming starts. It is abominable to stand with Christ with such an attitude (Matthew 5:44).
If we do, it won’t be long before we begin preaching our own word alongside the truth. Satan will gladly help us along until our word become predominant, so he can pull more people away from God. Let us never allow our emotions to become his weapon!
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Mike Riley
We can “Amen” it!
Glenda Williams
“I wanna go home.”
From time to time mother says, “I wanna go home.” I have learned she is referring to her physical home with her mother and daddy. “Up yonder where they live,” she will reply when queried. We’ve revisited how her parents have passed away, funeral, burial spot and how we put flowers on their graves. We’ve covered their being saved and that one day we will have a grand reunion with them once again.
No matter the age, we never lose our desire to go home. Mother’s parents have been dead 46 years. She is ninety-nine years old and still wants to go home. The desire to be home with loved ones resides deep within and never leaves us.
A girlfriend used to bring her accordian to school occasionally. At lunch time she would sing and play for us. One of the songs she sang was “I’m homesick for Heaven, I’ve got a longing to go.” Today I can still see her loving smile and hear her beautiful, deep, voice as she sang the song.
We can look back through the eyes of memory to the homes we once had, but we look forward to a far greater heavenly home that is being prepared for those who love Him. It is a good thing to be homesick for Heaven and have a longing to go.
J. Randal Matheny
You up for some love poetry, short and sweet? And original. “Had I Been Given.”
John Henson
Where does love come from?
People often think love is a human emotion and came from humans. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Where did love come from? Love was created by the same being that created everything else in heaven and on earth. God created love. That’s right. No matter how much Hollywood wants to claim to be the purveyor of love, no matter how many want to claim love is of human origin, it was God that created love because God himself is love.
The Apostle John, by the inspiration of God, wrote much about love. In the gospel that bears his name, Jesus said, and John wrote, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,” (John 3:16) and John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” and “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love,” (John 15:10).
True to form, John wrote from inspiration, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God: and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God,” (1 John 4:7). Love is of God, which is to say, it belongs to God because he created it. One commentator wrote, “Love is a reflection of something in the divine nature itself.” Yes, human love is such a reflection, but the very definition of love must be that it was created by and comes to us through the knowledge of God.
For how is love defined apart from God? It cannot. Apart from God there is not love. Surely, there can be physical attraction, but that is not love. Everything mankind knows of love has been revealed from God. Think of how God demonstrated his love in giving his only begotten son to die for us. The Apostle Paul wrote, “But, God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8 NET). How many times have human beings learned the meanings of words by a demonstration? We learn love by the demonstration of Almighty God from whom love descends. John wrote very much the same as Paul in 1 John 4:10, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
It is through God, and only through him, that we come to know what love really is.
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J. Randal Matheny
A good reminder, John, that “every perfect gift is from above,” as Jas. 1:17 puts it. And love is not just a gift but God present himself, for “God is love.”
Richard Mansel
Love Is…
Love is a renewable resource. Let it fill your heart & its fragrance will touch everyone around you. Spread its beauty liberally for God is its source and He will be glorified (1 John 4:8; Ephesians 3:20-21).
Richard Mansel
The Savior of the Undesirables
“I once preached for a congregation with a shameful past. In previous years, a man would stand in the door and not allow anyone of a different skin color to enter. Yet, Christ is the Savior of those man rejects.”
Tim Hester is discussing. -
Tim Hester
Several years ago in a little church in Mississippi one of the members was also the county sheriff. When visitors would come in whom he did not think belonged (usually skin color) he would go out to his car, strap on his gun belt, and then sit on the pew right next to them. It is heart warming to know now that this congregation does not hold this same attitude.
Mike Riley
Where is our confidence in the day of judgment? (1 John 4:17). If we pattern our lives after Christ (1 John 2:3-6), we should have confidence in the day of judgment. The previous verse (1 John 4:16), tells us that we must continually “dwell” in God’s love in order to maintain that confidence.
That successful “dwelling” is also contingent upon our confessing Christ as God’s Son (1 John 4:15), and the keeping of God’s commands (1 John 3:24). Another criteria for our having confidence in the day of judgment is for us to maintain God’s standard of moral purity in ourselves and in our everyday living (1 John 3:2-3; cf. 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 1:13-16).
All of the above can only be achieved “through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Mike Riley
I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
Martin Luther King Jr., American civil rights leader (1929-1968), from his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech
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J. Randal Matheny
Interesting that Steve Preston’s BibleTalk deals with respect of persons, and though he doesn’t touch directly on racism, the principle laid down speaks directly to the issue.
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Mike Riley
Yes, God is no respecter of persons, and neither should we be.
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Mike Riley
The “little ones” in my life is my congregation of loving and caring people who help me when I’m in financial straits. Conversely, I help them in preaching and teaching the sound gospel of Christ (or whatever else needs to be done). We help one another, and in so doing, both of us are richly blessed by the Lord.
Mike Riley
It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.
Leo Buscaglia, author and university professor (1924-1998)
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John Henson
Amen. And obeying the will of our God and father in heaven.
Glenda Williams
I love you….
Much of my time I spend attending to the needs of my elderly, dearly loved mother. On June 11, if God spares her life, she will be 99 years old. She has called me almost all of her sisters’ names at one time or another in the near seven years she has lived with us, and sometimes some of her brothers. I answer to any name because I know she is calling me. Sometimes I ask her if she knows who I am and she will say, “Yes, you’re Glen-dah.” No one says my name like my mother. I have many precious memories to feast on when she crosses over, if she goes first. But tonight when I tucked her in and told her I loved her, she looked up and said, “I love you better than anybody I can think of.” I repeated that I loved her too. Sometimes she will say, “I know you do.”
How sweet it is to hear those precious words, I love you. My mother lived with my daddy for 55 years. He never told her he loved her. After he got sick she was bathing his back one night in the bathroom and he told her she had been better to him than anyone else would have ever been. She called his name and said, “Grady, we’ve lived together all these years and you’ve never told me you loved me. Didn’t you love me?” He replied, “You know I did or I would have never married you.” He still didn’t say it. As far as I know my daddy went to his grave without ever telling my mother he loved her. That breaks my heart.
Let us tell our loved ones that we love them. Not only do husbands and wives need to convey their love in words, but children need to tell their parents, and parents need to tell their children. We never grow too old to hear and know that we are loved.
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Mike Riley
Glenda, I don’t know why it’s so difficult for some folks to say, “I love you,” but it is. My father is the same way. I have never heard him say those words to my mother or to us three brothers. He’s almost 89, and I’m pretty certain we’ll never hear those words escape from his mouth.
Ron Thomas
No Iniquity in Jacob?
How can the Lord say to Balak (through Balaam) that He saw no iniquity in Jacob when time and again he gets angry at their rebellion?
It is an interesting question, but one, I think, that is easily answered. Israel, as a nation, was blessed. The only one who can curse is the same one who blessed – in this case, God. No matter prophet is asked, no matter how “saintly” he may be, he can only do that which the Lord allows, and the Lord was not going to allow Israel to be cursed by a people whose interest was harm to God’s chosen.
This encourages us to note that what the Lord blessed (protects), no man or superhuman power can undo (cf. John 10:28-29). It was not a matter of there being no sin in Israel for it is abundantly clear that there was; it was a matter, however, that when the Lord is on the side of one (or many), He will “air” no dirty laundry, but to those who need washing.
Here is an illustration that most accept: my wife can look at me and note the many failures in my life as a husband, but only she can speak about them – she will let no one else speak of them; this is her love protecting me (and I need a lot a protection!).
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Mike Riley
Good points Ron! Yes, I need a lot of protection myself – thank God for those women in our lives who can see our faults and shortcomings, but love us anyway.
Mike Riley
The Lord Is Good Because…..
The Lord is good (see below). I know the Lord is good because He takes care of my every need (Philippians 4:19; cf. Psalm 23:1)
Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures for ever (Psalm 106:1-NIV).
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant (Psalm 135:3-NIV).
Let us give thanks for the Lord’s goodness toward us.
Mike Riley
A Short Poem – “Faith Is The Hand”
Faith is the hand that reaches out
Accepting the love of God;
Guiding our every daily walk
As down life’s road we daily trod.
Faith is the hand that turns the key
To heaven’s golden door;
Leading to abundant joy
And life forever more.
—Ruth H. Underhill
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Randal
Ah, ha, trying this reply in Safari, while I hit the like button on Mike’s choice of poem. Working so far.
Is that your original phrase in the title? Good one!