Where is the Love? Part 6 of 6

Our main verse comes from Matthew 22:37- 39. Jesus replied, “You must love The Lord Your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself." (The Living Bible)

Recap from: Where is the Love? Parts 1-5

HOW DO WE SHOW THAT WE LOVE GOD WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS?

Ø WE TRUST HIM – Proverbs 3:5-6

Ø WE OBEY HIM – Deuteronomy 26:16-18

Ø WE SERVE HIM – Ephesians 6:6

HOW DO WE LOVE GOD WITH ALL OF OUR MINDS?

When we love God with all of our mind, we will:

Study…(2 Timothy 2:15)

Pray …(2 Chronicles 7:14 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17)  and

Praise Him (See the Book of Psalms for awesome examples of praise)

HOW DO WE LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR SOUL?

Since we are made in the image of God, Who is a Spirit, we are also all spiritual beings living in fleshly bodies. Our souls are what survive death which is why accepting Jesus as your own Savior matters so much. Your soul will live on, but where?

Simply put, according to Joyce Meyer, “We are a spirit. We have a soul and we live in our bodies.” So, we are to love God, who by His Breath gives life to our spirit. Without Him we cannot exist. We’d have no breath, no heartbeat, nor life without His Faithfulness.

Equally important to know is the fact that soul winning is very important to God. Look at James 5:20: “let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” How about that?

This is why our job as soul winners is so important.  The directions that our spirit follow here on earth determine our spiritual placement in eternity.

Since we are all here on earth to help one another, I shall borrow a line from my culture, “Let’s NOT be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good!”

That means we can’t be so wrapped up in church traditions and church politics that we can’t relate to the people who need Jesus. In fact, the outcast was not an outcast where Jesus was concerned. He met people where they were and we are to do the same. 

So, loving God with all our soul means loving Him completely, which will show up in how we live.

TODAY’S FOCUS:

HOW DO WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES?

First of all, Jesus warned us to JUDGE NOT in Matthew 7:1. 

Jesus also teaches us about criticizing others.  God never called us to judge one another for Only God and God Alone has the right to Judge.  Man sees the outer being, but God sees the heart.

A closer look of Matthew 7:3-4 will show that Jesus gives three things to consider: a reason, a ridicule and a rebuke.

THE REASON
Whatever measure we use to judge, that same measure will be used to judge us.  

In other words, we must be careful about what we say, because it has a way of coming back up again.

THE RIDICULE 

How can you criticize a speck in someone else’s eye, when there is a beam or even a plank in our own eye? What we point out in other people’s eye (symbolizing one’s life) is often small compared to what’s in our own eye (life).  Often times what we have in our own life is far bigger, far greater, and far worse than what we try to identify in someone else’s life.

Many times when we spotlight a shortcoming in someone else’s life, we are really trying to minimize and/or deflect the shortcomings in our own life.

THE REBUKE

Jesus called us hypocrites to point out someone’s shortcomings and failing to address and correct our own shortcomings. It’s like Jesus is saying, Work on yourself.  Get the beam out of your own eye and then you can see more clearly how to live in relationship to other people.

Now that we have discussed what we shouldn’t do with regards to being judgmental, let’s look at what we should do to love our neighbors as ourselves.

We must be able to forgive, to serve and to love.

WE MUST FORGIVE

In the eighteenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus says that we should forgive not seven, but seven times seventy.  That’s a whopping 490 times that we are to forgive the same person for the same offense.

Since it would be completely insane to use the time we have on earth keeping an accurate record of when this landmark is reached, get in the habit of making forgiveness a way of life.  

By doing this, we are able to experience God’s Peace even as people are treating us badly.

WE MUST SERVE

Now in John 12 we get a glimpse of what it looks like to serve.  Martha served as she prepared dinner for Jesus, Lazarus, Mary and herself.  Her service was required to make it happen.  It was also recorded, hence we know that it was recognized by God.

When we serve, we must be careful not to make the same mistake that she did in being so caught up in the work aspect that she missed an opportunity to sit down with The Savior. In essence, she really dismissed and discounted an opportunity to worship Him.  God must get glory whenever and wherever we serve. As we serve others, it should be fueled by our love for God.

In Luke 22:25-26 Jesus reminds us that a real leader has the experience and the qualities of a servant. 

The New Living Translation says it like this:  “Jesus told them, ‘In this world the kings and great men order their people around and yet they are called ‘friends of the people.  But among you, those who are the greatest should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.

Finally, to our list of being able to forgive and to serve we must add the ability to love.

WE MUST LOVE

1 John 4:20-21 asks us how can we say that we love God whom we’ve never seen and not love our brother or sister that we see every day? Wow!

The NLT says it this way, “If someone says, ‘ I love God but hates another Christian, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen? Then verse 21 says, “And God Himself has commanded that we must love not only Him but our Christian brothers and sisters, too.

Simply put, we are commanded to LOVE!  John 13:34-35 identifies us stating, “So now I am giving you a new commandment:  Love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

It’s easy to love people who love you back. Anyone can do that, which may be why Jesus told us:  

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate." (Luke 6:35-36)

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I pray that this blessed you as much as it did for me to do it. Thank you so very much for Reading and Sharing the Love! May God Bless You Most Abundantly!!!~~~

Photo Credits: Google Images, 
Mike Waters of Joyful 'toons,
and www.joe-ks.com

Please note that I combined the last two installments to complete the series with this entry. I appreciate you!

Thank you so very much for Reading and Sharing the Love!

I Should do 'WHAT' for My Enemies? Ok, that's surely worth it! * Proverbs 25

Welcome to Day 25 of this daily walk through the Proverbs.  Verses as recorded in The Children’s Living Bible, Tyndale copyright 1971 follow. Feel free to add your favorite verses from this chapter in the comment section. All Photos Credit: Google Images.

Thank You and Welcome Today’s Readers from: United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Germany, Brazil, Netherlands, France, Australia, Canada, Philippines, United Kingdom, India, and United States. Thank You for Your Tremendous Support.

Since this month is short, we’ll be doubling up on post to complete book of Proverbs by the end of the month. God Bless and Keep You!

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PROVERBS 25

V1 These Proverbs of Solomon were discovered and copied by the aides of King Hezekiah of Judah:

V2,3 It’s God’s Privilege to conceal things, and the king’s privilege to discover and invent. You cannot understand the height of heaven, the size of the earth, or all that goes on in the king’s mind!

V4,5 When you remove dross from silver, you have sterling ready for the silversmith. When you remove corrupt men from the king’s court, his reign will be just and fair.

V6,7 Don’t demand an audience with the king as though you were some powerful prince. It is better to wait for an invitation rather than to be sent back to the end of the line, publicly disgraced!

V8,9,10 Don’t be hot headed and rush to court! You may start something you can’t finish and go down before you neighbor in shameful defeat. So discuss the matter with him privately. Don’t tell anyone else, lest he accuse you of slander and you can’t withdraw what you said.

V11 Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket.

V12 It is a badge of honor to accept valid criticism.

V13 A faithful employee is as refreshing as a cool day in the hot summertime.

V14 One who doesn’t give the gift he promised is like a cloud blowing over a desert without dropping any rain.

V15 Be patient and you will finally win, for a soft tongue can break hard bones.

V16 Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much of it, or it will make you sick!

V17 Don’t visit your neighbor too often, or you will outwear your welcome!

V18 Telling lies about someone is as harmful as hitting him with an axe, or wounding him with a sword, or shooting him with a sharp arrow.

V19 Putting confidence in an unreliable man is like chewing on a sore tooth or trying to run on a broken foot.

V20 Being happy go lucky around a person whose heart is heavy is as bad as stealing his jacket in cold weather, or rubbing salt in his wounds.

V21,22 If your enemy is hungry, give him food! If he is thirsty, give him something to drink! This will make him feel ashamed of himself, and God will reward you.

V23 As surely as a wind from the north brings cold, just as surely a retort causes anger!

V24 It is better to live in a corner of an attic than in a beautiful home with a cranky, quarrelsome woman.

V25 Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty.

V26 If a godly man compromises with the wicked, it is like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.

V27 Just as it is harmful to eat too much honey, so also it is bad for men to think about all the honors they deserve!

V28 A man without self control is as defenseless as a city with broken down walls.

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VERSES 21 and 22 hold the key to today's answer. 

Here they are again:  

V21,22 If your enemy is hungry, give him food! 

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink! 

This will make him feel ashamed of himself, and God will reward you.

ENJOY THIS FABULOUS SONG!

THANK YOU FOR READING! BIG BLESSINGS TO EACH OF YOU!

Should We Rejoice When Our Enemy Meets Trouble? It's tempting, but don't do it. Proverbs 24

Welcome back to the study of Proverbs. Thank You  and Welcome Today’s Readers from: United States, India, South Africa, Philippines, Pakistan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

Welcome New Readers from Faroe Islands, Country Number 106! 

Thank you for participating with such tremendous love and support. I’m grateful for Each of You!

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PROVERBS

V1 Don’t envy godless men; don’t even enjoy their company.

V2 For they spend their days plotting violence and cheating.

V3,4 Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.

V5 A wise man is mightier than a strong man. Wisdom is mightier than strength.

V6 Don’t go to war without wise guidance; there is safety in many counselors.

V7 Wisdom is too much for a rebel. He’ll not be chosen as a counselor!

V8 To plan evil is as wrong as doing it.

V9 The rebel’s schemes are sinful, and the mocker is the scourge of all mankind.

V10 You are a poor specimen if you can’t stand the pressure of adversity.

V11,12 Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die. Don’t try to disclaim responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it.  For God, who knows all hearts, knows yours, and He knows you knew! And He will reward everyone according to his deeds.

V13,14 My son, honey whets the appetite, and so does wisdom! When you enjoy becoming wise, there is hope for you! A bright future lies ahead!

V15,16 O evil man, leave the upright man alone, and quit trying to cheat him out of his rights. Don’t you know that this good man, though you trip him up seven times, will each time rise again? But one calamity is enough to lay you low.

V17 Do not rejoice when your enemy meets trouble. Let there be no gladness when he falls –

V18 for The Lord may be displeased with you and stop punishing him!

V19,20 Don’t envy the wicked. Don’t covet his riches. For the evil man has no future; his light will be snuffed out.

V21,22 My son, watch your step before The Lord and the king, and don’t associate with radicals. For you will go down with them to sudden disaster, and who knows where it all will end?

V23 It is wrong to sentence the poor, and let the rich go free.

V24 He who says to the wicked, “You are innocent,” shall be cursed by many people of many nations;

V25 but blessings shall be showered on those who rebuke sin fearlessly.

V26 It is an honor to receive a frank reply.

V27 Develop your business first before building your house.

V28,29 Don’t testify spitefully against an innocent neighbor. Why lie about him? Don’t say, “Now I can pay him back for all his meanness to me!”

V30,31 I walked by the field of a certain lazy fellow and saw that it was overgrown with thorns, and covered with weeds; and its walls were broken down.

V32,33 Then, as I looked, I learned this lesson:

“A little extra sleep,

A little more slumber

A little folding of the hands to rest”

V34 means that poverty will break in upon you suddenly like a robber, and violently like a bandit.

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Thank You All for Reading and Sharing. May God Bless those reading these words.  In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Enjoy this worship song, "Great Jesus"

and have a Super Blessed Day/Evening!

Thanks for Reading and Sharing the Love!!!

The Key to to Riches, Honor and a Long Life * Proverbs 22

Thanks for being with us for Day 22 of our Proverbs study. 

Welcome Today's Readers from:  Canada, India, Philippines, South Africa, Pakistan, Germany, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, United States, France, and Denmark.

Welcome New Readers from Vietnam, country 103!  I am so pleased that you have joined our global family. God Bless You All!

Thank you again!

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PROVERBS 22

V1 If you must choose, take a good name over great riches; for to be held in loving esteem is better than silver or gold.

V2 The rich and the poor are alike before The Lord who made them all.

V3 A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

V4  ***True humility and respect for The Lord lead a man to riches, honor and a long life.

V5 The rebel walks a thorny, treacherous road; the man who values his soul will stay away.

V6 Teach a child to choose the right  path, and when he is older  he will remain upon it.

V7 Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

V8 The unjust tyrant will reap disaster and his reign of terror shall end.

V9 Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor.

V10 Throw out the mocker, and you will be rid of tension, fighting and quarrels.

V11 He who values grace and truth is the king’s friend.

V12 The Lord preserves the upright but ruins the plans of the wicked.

V 13 The lazy man is full of excuses. “I can’t go to work!” he says. “If I go outside I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!”

V14 A prostitute is a dangerous trap; those cursed of God are caught in it.

V15 A youngster’s heart is filled with rebellion, but punishment will drive it out of him.

V16 He who gains by oppressing the poor or by bribing the rich shall end in poverty.

V 17,18,19 Listen to this wise advice, follow it closely, for it will do you good, and you can pass it on to others: Trust in The Lord.

V20 ,21 In the past, haven’t I been right? Then believe what I am telling you now, and share it with others.

V22-23 Don’t rob the poor and sick! For The Lord is their defender. If you injure them He will punish you.

V24,25 Keep away from angry short tempered men, lest you learn to be like them and endanger your soul.

V26,27 Unless you have the extra cash on hand, don’t countersign a note. Why risk everything you own? They’ll even take your bed!

V28 Do not move the ancient boundary marks. That is stealing.

V29 Do you know a hard-working man? He shall be successful and stand before kings!

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Verse 4 holds the key to riches, honor and a long life!

(Photo Credit: Google Images)

Here's a Love Song for You! Enjoy!

Thanks for Sharing the Love!!