Tag: Loving others

God’s Desire

~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKING

On his way to Jerusalem, the inhabitants of a Samaritan village refused to allow Jesus to stay there for the evening. We read, “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did? (an old testament prophet) But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.” (Luke 9: 54 – 56)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

The primary purpose of Christianity is to seek out and save the lost. Succumbing to a spirit of hatred, the disciples had discovered some pleasure in the idea of destroying their enemies. For this reason, Jesus rebuked them. He also reminded them that He came to save sinners and to turn them away from eternal damnation. Therefore, everything we do in the name of Christ must be done in love.

All those who believe in Jesus and follow God will ultimately share His heart. We read in Ezekial 33: 11, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, oh house of Israel?”‘ We also read in Proverbs 24: 17 – 18, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls. And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles. Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.”

Our duty as believers is to share the heart of God. In accordance with His divine mercy, He sent His Son into the world to save those who are lost; to turn sinners away from evil, and to offer them eternal salvation through repentance and the remission of sins. May we never take pleasure in anyone’s destruction; or find joy in their sufferings. Instead may we accomplish all things in love, according to His mercy.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your compassion and grace. Cleanse our hearts of all unrighteousness. May we continue to hate sin, as we spread the gospel message to sinners. Help us to love those who are lost and to always speak the truth, that Your kingdom would grow larger with every passing moment. 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!

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!   

Compassion

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

    And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.”  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the Spirit and was troubled.  And He said, “Where have you laid him?”  They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”  And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11: 28-37)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

    Upon arriving, Jesus observed Mary and Martha weeping over the loss of their brother.  He was immediately filled with compassion and empathy; His heart was so grieved that He began weeping with them.  And yet not one of Christ’s tears was shed for Lazarus (whom He would soon raise from the dead.) Instead, Jesus cried because He empathized with those who were mourning.  Concerning empathy and compassion, God has no equal; He’s filled with it.  Compassion is defined as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another person who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate their suffering.”

    One day, many years ago, I happened by a man named Eric.  He was seated outside of a coffee shop, slouching down in a chair; he looked more dead than alive.  His skin was pale and clammy and he was sweating profusely. His clothes were also old and tattered.  Upon witnessing his pain, my heart was moved with compassion.  I promptly sat down and began speaking with him.  He informed me that he was withdrawing from heroine and was very sick.  I took him out to eat and provided him with some clean clothes; I ministered to him as best I could.  As his condition worsened, I drove him to the hospital and sat with him in the emergency room for hours; I even accompanied him in to see the doctor.  After being treated he was released.  Before dropping Eric off, I paid for his prescription and made sure he had enough food for the evening.  Nearly a year later, Eric showed up at the coffee shop to say hello.  He told me that after our interaction, he had nearly died of a heart infection and was hospitalized for an extended period of time.  He thanked me for my efforts, and said that without my assistance, he might not be alive.  He was grateful that (‘even when his friends had abandoned him’) someone had cared enough to help.  Despite his personal gratitude, I reminded Eric that it was God who deserved the credit; for it was God who had filled my heart with compassion; and in turn, it was the Lord who had moved me to act.

     Because Jesus Christ is filled with compassion, His followers are as well.  In turn, He moves human beings to accomplish great feats of kindness and mercy.  The closer we are to God, the more compassion we will feel for those who are hurting.  When someone is struggling, God feels their pain and inspires others to comfort them.  Wherever mercy and love abound, the Spirit of God is at work.  However, where there is indifference and a lack of compassion, there is an absence of Godliness.  There are so many broken people in this world who need to be loved.  May God’s compassion lead us to act; may we feel what God feels; may we see with His eyes; may we be filled with the mercy required to relieve the suffering of others.

     “Lord Heavenly Father, we desire to know You and to be filled with Your compassionate Spirit.  Inspire us, that our hearts may be sensitive to those who are hurting.  Give us the strength to be kind when others are in need. May we love our families, our friends, and even those who are complete strangers.  Use us to express Your merciful benevolence.  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 we pray.  Amen.”  God bless all of you!