Month: June 2023

Love For God

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hand all the law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22: 37 – 40)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

According to Jesus, loving God with every ounce of our being is a natural response exhibited by those who have received the Gospel message. Dedicating our hearts, souls, and minds toward serving our heavenly Father first isn’t easy, but it is of the utmost importance. He must become our priority, He must become our emphasis; upon Him we focus our lives. Because He has saved us, we must then serve Him.

As the story goes, a violent thunderstorm once preserved the town of Basle from the shells of the Russians and Hungarians who were besieging the city. These pious people, as a thankful offering in gratitude to God, founded a school for the training of Christian missionaries. This was the origin of the great Basle Missionary Society which sent out hundreds of missionaries from 1815 – 2001. Because they had felt the love of God, they were compelled to make serving God their top priority.

We who have known the love of God are called to love Him First. In turn, we dedicate our hearts, minds, and souls to the Lord. Our salvation has made Jesus and His message our top priority. His ways become our ways; His path becomes our path. If we remain focused on loving God, we will never fail to love everyone else.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You as humble servants. We are eternally grateful for Your salvation and we have felt Your love. In return, may we love You with every fiber of our being. May You remain our first priority, as we dedicate our lives to serving You in Spirit and in truth. We love You, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ name. Amen.” God bless all of you!   

Moving Mountains

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

“Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11: 20-24)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Jesus reminds us to place our faith in God, who is the true source of all power. The things that are impossible for man, like moving an entire mountain, are easy for God. No matter how large the obstacles in our lives might be, if we have faith in the Lord, we need only ask Him, and those hindrances will be removed. In turn, we can then continue our journey toward eternal life.

We read in the old testament that after being led out of the land of Egypt, the Jewish people encountered an impassible obstacle. As they stood on the shore of the red sea they could go no further. With Pharaoh’s army bearing down on them they faced certain annihilation. And yet God parted the sea, creating a pathway through which they could escape. When the Jews had safely crossed over, the waters returned; drowning the Egyptian army.

There is nothing that is impossible for God. There are no obstacles He cannot remove, nor barriers He can’t break through. According to Jesus, if we remain faithful, then we can ask the Lord for anything and it will be done for us according to His will. May we never underestimate the abilities of our heavenly Father. Through Him all things are possible.

“Lord Jesus, forgive our unbelief and fill our hearts with faith. No matter what obstacles we might encounter, we trust that You can remove them and give us victory. As we place our confidence in the Father, may we become more like You. May we do amazing and wonderful things in Your name. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ name. Amen.” God bless all of You!

Giving

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

     “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20: 35)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

    The word ‘blessed’ most commonly translates into the English word for ‘happiness.’  Those who live a ‘blessed’ life regularly experience joy, peace, and contentment, despite the presence of any challenging circumstances.  Such a pleasant existence can only be achieved and maintained through daily acts of sacrificial service.  And yet, most human beings are resoundingly selfish.  In an endeavor to acquire as many possessions as possible, some have become isolated, discouraged and depressed. They remain unaware that genuine happiness doesn’t come from selfish gratification; but instead, is the product of selfless giving.

     Michael Norton, a Harvard business professor sought to discover a link between overall happiness and daily giving.  He conducted an experiment in which a small amount of money was given to a group of test subjects.  Half of the participants were instructed to spend the money on themselves; the other half were told to spend the money on someone else.  When researchers contacted the subjects at the end of the day, they found that those who had spent the money on someone else reported feeling much happier than those who had selfishly squandered their allotted funds.  [Note:  In another study, Norton found that sales team productivity and relationship quality increased as salespeople were given money to spend on other team members.]

     Professor Norton had discovered that, although selfish gain seems appealing, it also lacks the power bring about lasting joy.  Genuine peace and contentment are the result of selflessness and sacrifice.  By serving and giving we can demonstrate the generosity and love of Jesus Christ. May we never forget that happiness doesn’t originate from what we might receive, but rather, from what we are willing to give.

     “Lord Heavenly Father, continue to shower us with Your many blessings.  As we love and serve our fellows, may we be filled with Your unending joy and peace.  May our selfish desires come to an end; that through us, countless wandering souls might come to glorify Your Holy Name.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you!