LOVING PEOPLE TODAY

1 John 3:11

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

As I am writing this, I am setting a goal for today. That goal is to let my family know I love them and to contact several of my close friends and let them know I love them too. With the technology we have available to us it's so easy to send text messages, emails and call people on the phone and say “ I love You”. If you don't feel comfortable telling them you love them, how about letting them know that you appreciate them and you are glad they are your friend.

There are many ways to let people know we care about them, I personally enjoy getting surprised with small gifts. Sometimes friends or family will just surprise me with a card in the mail or leave a gift by my front door. Be creative, find ways to tell those you care about how special they are to you, do it today!

REJECTION

John 13:34

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Something to keep in mind today is that Jesus will never leave you and I. Many times in our lives we will experience the pain of being rejected by others, remember Jesus is faithful to always be with us. The pain of rejection is a very strong emotion. One way to overcome rejection is to reach out to others in love!

If you have experienced the pain of rejection by others, turn that pain into love for those around you. Touch everyone with a smile, or a kind word and encourage them to enjoy their day. Everyone experiences difficulty, that’s the way life is, therefore, everyone needs to feel loved. Love one another as Jesus loves you. Jesus is faithful to love you, consider being faithful to love those around you today.

LIVE THIS WAY

Ephesians 4:1-2
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.



This is enough for us to focus on for today!! Only by the power of Christ in us are we able to live this way.

FAITH FOR TODAY

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

God is able to do more than we could ever ask, so we can never ask for too much. His supply is abundant so keep asking. The key word seems to be “able” that’s the one that brings a realisation that I can trust God with all of the difficulties of life. Rejoice ever more today!

GOD HAS A PLAN

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God has a plan for our lives. That plan includes doing good works. The Bible says, in the book of Acts chapter 10 verse 38, that Jesus went about doing good and healing all...This was the plan for Jesus' life, and it is the plan for our lives as well. Jesus healed many people everywhere He went and taught them how to live a victorious life.

When we surrender our lives totally to Christ we begin to step into the plan God has for our lives. We then can discover the good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. A friend of mine once said, “God is serious about His business.” Doing good and filling heaven is God’s business. So being Christ like, we should also be about the Father’s business.

THE POWER IS FOR US

Ephesians 1:18-20
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms."


This is one of my favorite verses. The power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us who believe. When I meditate on this verse, I am always filled with faith and the realisation that I am on the winning team. Often times when I am praying for someone who is weak and tired, I pray that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will strengthen their weak body. On many occasions I have been really exhausted and suddenly by the power of God, became full of energy. He is so wonderful, He loves us His children a lot.

THE LIVING WORD

1 Corinthians 2:4-5
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.


1 Corinthians 2:13
This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

I recently met a stranger at a local park where I was taking a walk. Within a few minutes I discovered that this woman was a Christian. After about 10 minutes of talking, suddenly her words began to come alive in me, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. This lady was saying things that were in perfect relation to what had been happening in my life over the past two weeks.

She said things that only God and I knew about. Her words were so spot on that at one point, I wondered if she was an Angel. A friend, who was with me, was listening to the stranger speak to me... Then the stranger began to say things that were identical to what my friend and I had just talked about on our walk earlier that morning. This was without a doubt, a demonstration of the Spirits Power. We hugged the stranger with gigantic grins on our faces, what an awesome God we serve.

As Christians, that’s the power we need flowing through our lives to win souls for Christ. Jesus said “my sheep know my voice”. We really need to hear God’s voice as we are interacting with others. Obviously this woman was hearing God’s voice as she was speaking to me and I was hearing God’s voice through her words that were filled with the Spirit.