ISAIAH 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has annointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to all [physical and spirtual] captives and the opening of the prison and the eyes to those who are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion- to give them an ornmament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment (expressive) of praise instead of heavy, burdened, and failing spirit-that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong and magnificent, distinquished for uprightness, justice and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.































































Monday, February 28, 2011

If I have no love, I am a useless body... I am nothing. I began thinking of the LOVE of Christ even more than usual. During my quiet times with the Lord, I sat in awe once again of what Jesus has done for me. As I continued reading the pages in my Bible, I realized just what LOVE was. I always knew and so often preached about it, but I began seeing LOVE in a different way. I often read 1 Corinthians 13, but one morning I decided to really dissect the words because I wanted to LOVE the way that Jesus LOVES us. I wanted to have the LOVE for people the way Jesus does, the LOVE that drew Him dying on the cross for us. I began searching out examples for each adjective that 1 Corinthians describes LOVE to be. Jesus was patient with Peter's lack of faith as he stepped out if the boat and then began sinking because he took his eyes off of Jesus. Jesus was patient with Peter even when he denied
Him three times. Jesus was kind to the lepers even when according to Scripture lepers were considered unclean yet Jesus showed kindness to then by touching and healing them of their disease that once made them an outcast. Jesus was never envious. No where in the Bible, will you find an example, where Jesus wanted to have what belonged to someone else. He was not jealous. He was content with what He had. He was not jealous of people. Jesus was not boastful. He did not approve of those who sat on their own pedestal wanting people to look up to them. Countless times in Scripture, you will Jesus telling somebody He just heaped to say nothing about what happened. Max Lucado writes "how can we point to God if we are only pointing to ourselves. Jesus swapped a spotless castle in heaven for a dirty stall. He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers, he could hold the universe in His palm but gave it up to float in the womb of a
maiden." Jesus was never haughty nor conceited. Jesus demonstrated the ultimate example of humility. He never ceased being God, but He set aside the glory He had with His father in heaven and humbled himself to become a man. Jesus himself and was crucified on a cross, a humiliating and excruciating way to be killed. Jesus was never rude. He treated people with dignity and respect. No where in the Bible, will you find where Jesus insisted on His own rights. He was selfless. You read all throughout how Jesus was all about the needs if others, and never about His own needs. Jesus Himself said, "I did not come to be served but to serve." Jesus was never resentful. He never held a grudge because when He forgave, He forgave completely tearing down any walls between Him and us. Countless examples show this very way of LOVE. Jesus forgave the paralyzed man lowered on a stretcher through the roof, He forgave the woman caught in adultery, Peter
denying Him, the thief on the cross, as well as those who crucified Him. Never does Jesus keep any record of wrong. Scripture says in Acts 3:19 "to repent and turn to God and your sins will be wiped out." He never delighted in evil but rejoiced in truth, no matter how deserving it may have seemed, for someone to get what was coming to him or her. In fact you see the injustice broke the heart of Jesus. Jesus bore all things, believes the best in all mankind and He never failed. He bore ourbsin, our shame, our beatings, and went to the cross for us, even when none of us deserved it. He believes the best about us, even when others can't see past the flaws. He endured it all, for the sake if LOVE.
As I really searched, I began to realize that WITHOUT LOVE I AM NOTHING, A USELESS BODY. We are designed to LOVE as Jesus LOVES. We have the best examples to follow. I left that quiet time very challenged. I examined the ways I LOVE and how often I fall short. I am not perfect but I have this feeling that if we as Christians make it our ambition to LOVE truly the way Jesus LOVES, then we will win more souls to Christ.
I challenge you to take ten minutes out of your day and examine the adjectives you demonstrate, when it comes to how you LOVE.
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