Thursday, January 5, 2017

One year ago today...



Yesterday evening, I had the thought for this post – love. I voice recorded a rough draft into my phone to complete later. Last night, I did not post this, but rather posted another thought. Later that night, a post came up on a group site requiring admin approval. It was a post on love. I was surprised because that was what my thought had been on 7 hours earlier. I went to my email to compare the thoughts I had with the post I had just read for the group.

When I opened the email, it jumped to another email, as it often does. The email it jumped to was from the Chabad website. The title of the email was, “Daily Dose: To Love.”

I was very surprised to see this, and concluded it was another confirmation to write this post.

This evening, I went to transfer my notes from my email to a word document. This has never happened to me before…

I copied the words of the email, and when I pasted them, the entire copy is in red letters.

My first thought was, the blood of Christ…

I began reading my notes, which appeared in the middle of the post and which are now beginning the post below…

The Love of God

Love came first to us from God when we were not worthy of His love. Love is so indescribable. It is so difficult to comprehend, that God could give us His love when we’ve done nothing to deserve it, and rather done much to turn God away from us.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 KJV

How do we respond to such love? Do we love God in return? Does His compassion on us and love for us move us to respond, or do we shun Him, and turn to fulfill sinful lusts and unrighteous living.

What do we count as important in our life? To respond to the olive branch of our Creator, our God, and choose righteousness? Or are the pleasures of sin that our carnal nature desires more important to us. Do pleasures come before pleasing God? Do we really care about God, the one who loves us so much that He left His throne of glory, humbled Himself by taking on the form of the flesh and blood of mankind, suffered, and finally died the death of shame on a cross for us?

"But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." - Philippians 2:7-8 KJV

God loves us, but He hates sin. There will be no sin in heaven. This is why our heavenly Father robed Himself in flesh (which is the Son of God, His body) and died for us. He paid the price of death for us so that we could be set free from sin and its curse.

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." - Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV

Moses chose God and to face the consequences of his choice, turning from the pleasures of sin that his position in Egypt offered him.

"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." - Hebrews 11:24-27 KJV

God is calling us to turn from our sins, bury them by baptism in Jesus name, and receive the gift of God’s Spirit within us.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 KJV

He desires to truly be our God, to walk with us, and for us to be His sons and daughters.

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 KJV

God’s love for us is truly beyond understanding.

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