Monday, August 25, 2014
Quote
Oh the infinite value and worth of one human being made in the image of God!
Ed Boasso - angelic encounter
Sunday, August 24, 2014
First Love
First Love in the letter to the Ephesians in Revelation 2, Jesus says.. 4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.
I then hear, "We love, because He first loved us." ( 1 John 4 :19)
So whose "first love" have we fallen from? Our own? I think that would be a pretty short hop!
He drew me back in my memory of when we "officially" met. I had no real love for God yet.....I was responding to His love.....I was overwhelmed by His love for me. That He would suffer torture and die for me, to make sure I spent eternity with Him. I just had the response of whole hearted gratitude..relief...peace....the love was pretty much one sided technically speaking. I didn't know this God that had just declared His love and desire for me. Yes...love started to blossom as a direct result of love being shown. And I had a honeymoon....but I still say, my love was small. What I was celebrating in the honeymoon was being wanted. I'm just a baby that has been cuddled and hugged tight for the first time.
I believe the love we have fallen such a great distance from is His for us. It wasn't long before I was trying to "serve" God as a way to love Him back. This is how the church teaches us to love God.
I'm going to depart from that teaching and say, the way to love Him, is to receive His love. Again and again. Works is just a natural out working of that great gift given. It's His love spilling over onto others! We will truly love what He loves, when we are filled to overflow with His love!
I don't know about you, but I can't remember any first deeds except just praise and worship, gratitude....marveling.....in awe of God....of desiring now to be "good" and make Him happy.
I enjoyed Him.
If the height we have fallen from was receiving His love and enjoying Him....it is a great height indeed. Repent and receive.
If you focus on your love for God it will never be enough. If you focus on His love for you, it will be enough. Bob Hartley
I then hear, "We love, because He first loved us." ( 1 John 4 :19)
So whose "first love" have we fallen from? Our own? I think that would be a pretty short hop!
He drew me back in my memory of when we "officially" met. I had no real love for God yet.....I was responding to His love.....I was overwhelmed by His love for me. That He would suffer torture and die for me, to make sure I spent eternity with Him. I just had the response of whole hearted gratitude..relief...peace....the love was pretty much one sided technically speaking. I didn't know this God that had just declared His love and desire for me. Yes...love started to blossom as a direct result of love being shown. And I had a honeymoon....but I still say, my love was small. What I was celebrating in the honeymoon was being wanted. I'm just a baby that has been cuddled and hugged tight for the first time.
I believe the love we have fallen such a great distance from is His for us. It wasn't long before I was trying to "serve" God as a way to love Him back. This is how the church teaches us to love God.
I'm going to depart from that teaching and say, the way to love Him, is to receive His love. Again and again. Works is just a natural out working of that great gift given. It's His love spilling over onto others! We will truly love what He loves, when we are filled to overflow with His love!
I don't know about you, but I can't remember any first deeds except just praise and worship, gratitude....marveling.....in awe of God....of desiring now to be "good" and make Him happy.
I enjoyed Him.
If the height we have fallen from was receiving His love and enjoying Him....it is a great height indeed. Repent and receive.
If you focus on your love for God it will never be enough. If you focus on His love for you, it will be enough. Bob Hartley
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