Got Change?Sample

LOVE Love is central to God’s nature; God is love (1Jn4:8). Whatever God does is motivated by His love for us. No greater love has anyone ever had for us, in that He laid down His life for the forgiveness of our sins; He loved us while we were still sinners, lost, following the dictates of our heart, unrepentant and wayward; nothing can separate us from this amazing love that God has toward us (Rom8:38-39). His commands are hinged on love – Love God- Love people. John 13:34–35 Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We are able to love others because of the love we receive from Him. There are many stories of entire villages coming to the saving knowledge of Christ because of love. When Jim Elliot and his four companions took the Gospel to the primitive Auca tribe, deep in the jungles of Ecuador, they were fiercely opposed and later, brutally killed, but those who were left behind responded in love and forgiveness, reflecting Christ’s own love that turned the hardened hearts of those people. Today if you are struggling to believe that God loves you, surrender your unbelief and accept His love. The Bible is filled with evidence of this love. The world has taken the word love and given it a different meaning, confusing it with lust. The unholy trend today is instant gratification, loving yourself, rather than reaching out and loving others. Love always requires an “other” as an object; love cannot remain within itself, it always surfaces, and that is part of what makes love the greatest gift (1Cor 13:13). It is time for us who have tasted and experienced the love of God to reflect that light to this word and give it the right understanding – that people may see us and know Christ. As the old saying goes, you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar! How long are we going to walk in envy and jealousy, anger, unforgiveness and revenge? How long are we going to fight each other and harbor divisions and hatred? Christ appeals to us today,’ through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another... enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, disagreements, divisions, envy…and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God…If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become proud, provoking one another, envying one another. (Gal 5:13-26). The CHALLENGE to Change: Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and Romans 12:9-21 and make note of the qualities/ description of love that is to exist among us. Start working on one quality each day – praying and receiving help from God to change us so that His love is visible in us and among us.