“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” [1 John 4:10-16]
Do you love me? You should, and I should love you – especially if we are Christians. It is so sad to see conflict, animosity and even hatred between Christians. The truth is, when we fail to love each other, we dishonor God. ”Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
When Christians gather, love should be so prevalent that we could almost see it. [“So thick you could cut it with a knife” ] Give this some deep thought. When we go to church on Sunday morning, do we feel an atmosphere of love? When you greet a fellow Christian, do you have a conscious thought of “I love you”? God expects us to feel that way.
“We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar.” [1 John 4:19-20] That is stern language, but we know it is true. “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” [20-21]
It is hard – perhaps impossible – to love someone because we are commanded to, even if it is from God. But if we are truly walking in love with Christ, who loved us enough to die for us, we should be able to feel a deep, spiritual love for all our sisters and brothers. Think about it, when you are experiencing a deep, spiritual closeness to the Father, don’t you feel love for everyone? God is love, and His Spirit lives in those who have accepted Christ. When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, love is the guiding force. We cannot truly walk in the love of the Spirit and feel hatred or bitterness toward another. Therefore, God commands us to walk in love. “And this is love, that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love.” [2 John: 6]
That does not mean that we will always like the things that some folks do or the way they behave, but we should still love them. We don’t always like some of the things our children or other loved ones do, but we still love them. By understanding the love commandment from God, we should be able to separate our not “liking” something about a sister or brother and our “loving” them as a sister or brother in Christ. If we could grasp that and put it into practice, perhaps we would all get along much better, and the things that cause dissention between Christians could be overcome. By overcoming our differences, which are many times so petty, the church could become much more effective in its divine mission – bringing the lost to Jesus.
If there is anyone whom you can say you do not love, for whatever reason – especially a fellow Christian - try to apply God’s Word to the situation. For the truth is, you cannot be complete in your walk with the Lord and feel unloving thoughts toward another. If we harbor unloving feelings toward any one, we should begin by praying for that person and for God to strengthen us to over come those feelings. If God loves them, and He does, so should we love them. And we pray that they love us, as well.
This verse from 2 John bears repeating often:
“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love.” [2 John :6]
Contact Dr. Sam Smith, Butterfly Ministry, at ssmithkate@aol.com.
Religion
His command: Walk in love
- Religion
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Where to look in the Bible when we are in danger
When we are in danger, read Psalm 91. Verses 9-13 tell us some of the ways the Lord protects us, “If you say, ‘The LORD is my refuge, and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.” -
Prayer request challenge extended
Grace Beal of Cuney drops her prayer request in her church’s prayer request box. She has extended her challenge for prayer requests. The minister of the New Testament Holiness Church at 160 CR 3510 has been holding open air services each night at the church. The services are held at 6:30 p.m. Beal said people should “believe God. He is the one who will answer prayers.” People may drop prayer requests in the box in front of the church.
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What would you ask of God?
If God spoke to you and told you could ask Him for one thing and He would grant it, what would you ask for? Before you read any further, take some time to think about that question. If the Creator of all there is offered to grant you one request, what would you consider the ultimate gift from Almighty God?
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Perry’s prayer plan should be supported
I am so tired of being worried, upset and depressed about the future of our nation. There has to be hope somewhere.
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Church News for July 8, 2011
Get your church or religious organization’s fundraisers and other events in the Daily Progress’s What’s News calendar free of charge by e-mailing event information to editor@jacksonvilleprogress.com. The newspaper reserves the right to edit any submission for space and content.
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It’s not Ozzie and Harriet anymore
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”
(Proverbs 4:23) -
It all belongs to the Lord
“To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.”
(Deuteronomy 10:14) -
Church News for June 24, 2011
Get your church or religious organization’s fundraisers and other events in the Daily Progress’s What’s News calendar free of charge by e-mailing event information to editor@jacksonvilleprogress.com. The newspaper reserves the right to edit any submission for space and content.
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Listening for that trumpet call
I was awakened recently by a loud blast that sounded like a horn blowing. Guess what my first thought was. Yep, I wondered, “Is this it? Is that the trumpet call?”
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Church News for June 17, 2011
Get your church or religious organization’s fundraisers and other events in the Daily Progress’s What’s News calendar free of charge by e-mailing event information to editor@jacksonvilleprogress.com. The newspaper reserves the right to edit any submission for space and content.
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Where to look in the Bible when we are in danger
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