JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons

1Corinthian 13:8, 1 John 4:19,

1 Corinthian 13:8

"Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."
NKJV

Have you ever thought about love in the light of eternity? One day all that we know here on earth will be changed. When Christ appears in all His glory, heaven will come to earth and our lives, homes, bodies and relationships will change forever. Yet, there is one thing that will never change. That thing is love. When we see Christ face to face, we will no longer need faith. As we glimpse the realities of heaven all around us, we will no longer cling to hope of a better day. But love will never disappear. The love that created the world and gave life to humanity will still sustain the saints in heaven. The love that walked out of heaven and went to the cross is the same love that prepared a place for us for all eternity. And, the same love that strengthens us in this life is the same love that welcomes us into the next. This love never fails, never wavers and never grows weary. This love is the love of God.

1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He first loved us." NKJV

Because this love will always remain, let us begin loving even now. We will spend eternity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, so why not love them now? As we love each other with the love given to us through Christ, the world will see it and desire the same. When they do, we can point them to the never-ending source of love, Jesus.

Life Lesson: Love releases the power of the Spirit in our lives and in our churches.

Dear God,
Thank You for the love You have shown me. Help me to love others in the same way You have loved me. Use me today to share the love of God with someone I see. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee of Back to the Bible Ministries

My Comments: There is not much one can add to the Cross the Bridge Ministries thought for this day other than if He did not love us so much He would never have left heaven to become a human baby (after all what baby would if given the chance?); He would never have agreed to go through human suffering that comes from family; He would never willingly have lost his Step-Father or been shunned as He must have been due to the circumstances people gossiped about His birth; and He definitely would never have willingly let Himself be nailed to a Cross, the most abhorrent way to die, if He did not have so much perfect Love for us His creation.

If the Father did not love us He would have wiped out the world completely rather than keep a remnant during different times in human history and He certainly would never have sent His Son to be humiliated, whipped and crucified on a Cross. Any of you who are parents have a small inkling of what this means.

Yet we will never totally understand it from either point because we are human and have limited understanding. It is enough to know that He first loved us and His love never fails nor is it based on what we do for Him or others. He always will be there waiting for us to be with Him and He loves us so much He makes it our choice whether we want to be one with Him through the suffering and resurrection of His Son Jesus the Christ. He leaves it up to us whether we want to be Born Again. I pray loved one you will pray to accept His loving gift of grace and you will become one with Him who loved you from the beginning of creation.

Abba, we give you praise and glorify Your Holy Name and want You to know how thankful we are for ALL You have done in Your Love for us. We repent of our sin which separated us from You and ask that You make us Your own through the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus the Christ.

May we Love with Your Love and not with our limited and conditional Love. We pray You fill us with Your Love for You, each other and for the world. Amen