9 Ways To Respond To God's Love

Some food for thought in the area of love. 

Love conquers all.

God Bless.

9 Ways to Respond to God’s Love

It’s easy to feel bombarded with information about what it means to love and to be loved, with advice on everything from self-care to saving our marriages.

These messages tend to focus on self-serving, conditional love—love that can result in disappointment or confusion.

We have to remind ourselves that the template for true love isn’t found in cultural definitions, it was given to us by a God who represents the concept itself.

There is more.

God’s love is different from any other kind of love. In fact, the Bible says that God is love.

God sent His only Son to die for the sins of every person. There was only one reason for God to experience that kind of heartache: His love for us.

God didn’t need us, but He wanted us. He fought to give the furthest heart a gift we could never earn or deserve: eternal life. God’s love is unconditional, extravagant, and everlasting. And, it’s for everyone.

Love God.

It can be challenging to love others (and ourselves) if we don’t love God first.

Seeking God consistently is one of the best ways to learn about His perfect love, and to show Him devotion and honor in turn.

Loving God can look like:

1. Getting to know Him by reading the Bible
2. Honoring God in worship
3. Having a conversation with God through prayer

Love yourself.

While there will always be areas of life where you’ll need to grow, allowing God’s love to transform the way you view yourself is essential.

God bought us with a price and calls us His own. He gives us a future full of hope, to carry out the good works He created us to do.

When we choose to respect and value ourselves, we choose to honor God.

3 ways to practice self-love:

1. Create habits that nourish your mind, body, and spirit.
2. Ask God to show you how He sees you.
3. Set aside time to rest in God’s presence.

Love your neighbor.

When you see yourself the way God sees you, you can love others the way God loves you.

God intended healthy relationships to be compassionate, sacrificial, and forgiving. God wants us to love one another the way He loves us.

3 ways to love others:

1. Pray for the people in your life.
2. Serve someone with your time, talent, or finances.
3. Be quick to listen

YouVersion

Pretty Vs Beautiful

Some interesting thoughts below. Just wanted to share and keep ya on thinking about the issues of life.

God Bless.

Pretty vs. Beautiful

On a daily basis we interchange the words pretty and beautiful. “You look so pretty in that dress!” “Your hair is so beautiful today!” Our culture has confused the meanings of the words beautiful and pretty. Though they seem the same, when we get down to it there is a real difference between pretty and beautiful. Pretty describes things that are temporary, constantly changing, never going to last.

For example, our wardrobe is pretty. We are always buying new clothes because they go in and out of style. A shirt is cute one day, and ugly the next. One day jean skirts are in, the next day they are out. Beauty, on the other hand, is constant, never changes, and eternal. Beauty lasts forever.

Our outer appearance is constantly and continually changing. We will all get wrinkles, grey hair, and saggy skin. That’s life! So then why do we waste so much time and effort trying to make ourselves look good every morning? You need to look at the heart behind it. It’s not bad to put makeup on and dress up every day; your job might even require it. But if you are changing your outer appearance to please others, get attention, or non-verbally asking for confirmation that you look good or you are liked, then you are doing it for the wrong reasons.

Think about the most beautiful person you know. What makes them so beautiful? Is it their long skinny legs, luscious hair, and dark skin? Or is it their patience, how kind they are to others, how they are constantly joyful and always make you laugh? The most beautiful people I can think of are pretty on the outside but what draws me to them is their beauty on the inside. I long to be that kind of person. Do you?

Would you rather be friends with someone extremely pretty, but they put others down, make you feel bad about yourself, and are completely selfish? Or would you rather be friends with someone who is just normal looking, but they encourage you, make you laugh, and always ask how you are? So we need to be like those people that we believe are the most beautiful. People don’t want to be friends with someone pretty, they want to be friends with someone beautiful.

Think about it: How will you be beautiful today?

Verses for further reflection: 1 Peter 3:3-4 Song of Solomon 4:7 Proverbs 31:25-26

-Author Unknown

May Our Hearts Overflow

This is such an awesome, encouraging little devotional.

Who am I to not to share the wealth.

God Bless.

May our hearts overflow with praise for the victory God has given us in Christ. Christ rose from the dead, He was triumphant over death. Therefore we also will be triumphant over death. That is the victory! May our lives abound in praise to God for giving us this great victory!

Knowing that because of Christ we will be triumphant over death, we should be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. The gospel gives us the motivation to stay the course and do the work of the Lord.

If you find yourself weary, burned out, not seeing fruit of your labor or any host of other thoughts and feelings that come from doing the work of the Lord, know this and cling to this promise: in the Lord your labor is not in vain! What a great promise it is that if we are doing the Lord’s work it is not in vain. Hold fast to that promise and continue in your work of the Lord!

-Author Unknown

I Come To You For Protection

I promise, He will come and save you from all evil works as long as you eyes stay on Him.

Be encouraged.

God Bless.

I come to you for protection, O LORD my God. Save me from my persecutors--rescue me! (NLT) -Psalm 7:1 

Do you feel distressed or worried about today because you may encounter badgering or harassment? No person deserves this treatment, no matter what caused the situation. It's not an enjoyable experience, by any means, but in all situations God can rescue you. Not only is He capable, but He wants to be the one you turn to for protection. Memorize this verse and speak it out loud when you need protection. 

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Thank Him Now

Food for thought, then thank Him for all He gone through for you.

God Bless.

Thank Him Now

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. - Isaiah 53:5, NIV

Perhaps thinking to satisfy the crowd’s thirst for blood without actually going so far as to execute Jesus, Pilate had Him flogged. The flogging would have ripped the flesh off of His back, exposing His internal organs. History records that flogging victims either passed into unconsciousness, went insane, or died. The miracle is not that Jesus survived the whipping, but that He submitted to it! How easy it would have been for Him to defy them and, without cursing but in righteous judgment, send them all to hell!

Why? Why would God allow His Son to endure such physical torture? The answer had been given years earlier, when Isaiah solemnly prophesied, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. . . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:4-5, NIV).

Thank Him now for bearing God’s judgment that should have been yours!

From Just Give Me Je

The Gospel Saves In Every Situation

Amen! Let His word sooth our weary body, soul, and mind during in any given situation.

God Bless.

The Gospel Saves In Every Situation

Romans 1:16
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…

Each time you hear the gospel of Christ, you are hearing God’s good news for you. And the Bible tells us that the gospel of Christ — the good news that God wants all men to hear — is the very power of God for your salvation, not just from hell, but also from illnesses, financial lack, harm, a failing marriage — every aspect of your life that needs saving!

You may say, “Pastor Prince, I’ve heard the gospel of Christ, but it seems like I am one of those whom the power of God has missed.” My friend, when you hear the gospel of Christ, do you really believe it? You cannot just understand it in your mind. You must know and believe the good news in your heart, and then you will see that it is the power of God for your salvation.

But what is the good news that God wants you to know in your heart, which will release the power and salvation of God into your situation?

“For in it [the good news] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith…” (Romans 1:17) The good news is that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, which you receive from faith to faith.

This means that this righteousness comes because you have faith in His blood, not your good behavior, to make you righteous. It is from faith to faith, not faith to works, or works to works.

The good news is not preached to show you what is wrong with you. It is preached to show you what is right with you because of Jesus’ work at Calvary, in spite of what is wrong with you!

There is nothing left for you to do to earn God’s blessings for your life. You only need to hear and believe the all-encompassing saving power of the gospel of Christ to heal you of diseases, preserve you from danger, bless your finances and bring well-being to your family.

The world may say that the good news is too good to be true. But for those of us who are the righteousness of God in Christ, the good news is so good because it is indeed true!

Thought For The Day
Hearing and believing the good news will release the power of God into your situation.

Today I am reading day 7 of Joseph Prince's Devotional: http://bible.com/r/S

Never Get Tired

This is so true. May you find encouragement as much as I have.

God Bless.

Never Get Tired

As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.  (NLT) -2 Thessalonians 3:13

Doing good and right things can be hard and is not always easy. We must think clearly about the right reactions to have and the right actions to take. We must have courage to do good and bring light into others. If we aren't careful we can easily tire, so be mindful. Nevertheless, challenge yourself to do one good thing for someone else today.

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/

We Should Have

Amen! 

He is the reason and the answer to all things.

God Bless.

We should have Christmas every day of the year, and by that, I mean we should celebrate Christ every day of the year. Let’s keep Him in the center of our hearts and lives all the time!

-Author Unknown

Quote Of The Day - Word's Are Powerful

Wow, okay then. However, wisdom abounds in this devotional so stay encouraged.

God Bless.

Quote of the Day -Joyce Meyer

“words are powerful and should not be spoken frivolously.” 

-Joyce Meyer, Change Your Words, Change Your Life: Understanding the Power of Every Word You Speak

Pray Of Thanks

Prayer from our hearts to God.

God Bless.

God, You are good, and Your steadfast love endures forever! Even in the hardest seasons, I always have a reason to worship You.

Thank You for giving me victory and abundant life in Jesus Christ! Although I don’t deserve it, You shower me with unconditional love and forgiveness.

And so no matter what the future may hold, I will shout for joy because You are with me. You comfort me and bless me in the presence of my enemies. Nothing compares to You and no weapon can stand against You. In all things, I am more than a conqueror through You!

Be glorified through me, God. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart bless Your name.

I want my life to bring You praise.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

-Author Unknown

What You Love To Do

Love this and some good advice. And to me, full of wisdom and encouragement. May you find something in the word's below to be encouraged with.

God Bless.

What You Love to Do? Do That!

We’re all built by the same Creator. And we’re built by Him to “come home,” every so often. This coming home is integral to the lives we're meant to live. God’s built us to need, and to receive, His loving care. He’s built us to be restored by Him. (Psalm 23:1-6; Matthew 11:28).

The thing is, many of us men don't know how to come home. We’re each designed to do it uniquely, so it takes some discovery. Few of us do that. If we do discover how, though, and if we begin to come home regularly, we live in a condition of abundance. We get filled up—and are able to overflow onto others, onto spouses, children, friends, people in need. We are able to give, for we’ve first received. We’re able to love and serve as we were meant to. We’re able to be who we were created to be and to do the work we were created to do.

If we neglect the task of discovery, if we fail to learn how to come home, we operate instead in a condition of depletion. We tend to try to pull what we (think we) need from other people. We tend to try to take from them, rather than overflow onto them.

Okay, so what do we do?

Make a list of ten to twenty things—things you truly love doing. Avoid obligations or things you “love” because other people might think you’re cool for doing them. List things that move your heart, calm your heart, or make it beat fast. List things that restore you, excite you, connect you to God, things that allow you to truly worship Him in the doing. Once you have your list, commit to inserting your things generously into your daily, weekly, monthly calendar.

-Author Unknown

Wake Up Call

We all need a wake up call from time to time and this little devotional is one of them. Be encouraged.

God Bless.

Wake-up Call

Imagine yourself, for a moment, standing before our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Imagine feeling, at first, a bit apprehensive. Imagine lifting your eyes to His. Imagine His face, when you meet His gaze. Imagine His strength, His goodness. Imagine the sound of His voice as He, like the master in His Parable of the Talents, speaks these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:14-30). How would that feel—from the One who sacrificed His life for yours—that He’s pleased with the life you’ve lived?

Each of us has work to do before we actually stand face-to-face with Jesus. “He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing” (Ephesians 2:10 MSG). Like the servants in the parable, we, too, are given resources for the Master’s work. They were given money; we’re given money too, but also time, energy, natural talents, spiritual gifts, and help from the Holy Spirit. We must waste these resources no more. We must spend them for His work—not just for ourselves.

We must also, though, check our hearts. Doing “good work” isn’t about earning our way into Heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, it’s about trusting our Master and following Him into a better kind of life.

Okay, so what do we do?

Take a few minutes to list the extra resources you’ve been given. Write down everything you possibly have to give, just as you are, right where you are, right now. Next, pray and see if you can connect a person (or group of people), and a need, to each resource you’ve listed. What you’ll end up with is the beginnings of a roadmap toward Jesus’ kind of life.

-Author Unknown

I Will Praise

I love the devotional's that really make you put on your thinking cap. And this is one of those. So, I will just say, we should meditate on this one and let the Lord of Host speak to us.

God Bless.

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30)

There are two kinds of magnifying: microscope magnifying and telescope magnifying. The one makes a small thing look bigger than it is. The other makes a big thing begin to look as big as it really is.

When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean, “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means, “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.”

We are not called to be microscopes. We are called to be telescopes. Christians are not called to be con-men who magnify their product out of all proportion to reality, when they know the competitor’s product is far superior. There is nothing and nobody superior to God. And so the calling of those who love God is to make his greatness begin to look as great as it really is.

That’s why we exist, why we were saved, as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is. Be a telescope for the world of the infinite starry wealth of the glory of God.

This is what it means for a Christian to magnify God. But you can’t magnify what you haven’t seen or what you quickly forget.

Therefore, our first task is to see and to remember the greatness and goodness of God. So we pray to God, “Open the eyes of my heart!” (Ephesians 1:18), and we preach to our souls,

 “Soul, forget not all his benefits!” (Psalm 103:2)

-Author Unknown

God Of The Plot Twist

Plot twist in a very good way. Stay in encouragement and encourage others along the way.

God Bless.

No condition is too dark, no situation is too difficult, no problem is so severe that God can’t intervene, overturn, and reverse the course of events. Isn’t this the promise of the story of Esther? “…On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them” (Esther 9:1).

God is the God of the plot twist.

Exactly what did happen in Esther’s case? Well God softened a hard heart. “That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king…” (Esther 8:1). With an impression of his ring, Xerxes could condemn an entire race. Yet a higher king was at work, and he still is.

-Author Unknown

Get Rid Of Your Clutter

Here is some wisdom to live by. Stay encouraged.

God Bless.

Get Rid of Your Clutter

Adapted from the resource Starting Your Day Right - by Joyce Meyer

Sometimes we complicate our life by taking on things that God has not told us to do. We add stress, confusion, and clutter with the unnecessary things we take on and hold on to. We need to use our faith to let go of whatever clutters our mind and keeps us from peace.

Ask God to show you ways to simplify your life. Take an inventory today and start throwing out whatever is filling your life up with unproductive distractions. God wants you to enjoy your day, so get rid of whatever He shows you to give up.

Prayer Starter: Lord, help me to simplify my life and get rid of whatever is taking my eyes off of You and the life you have for me to enjoy, amen.

The Goodness And Mercy

Thank God for His goodness and mercy without it, where would we be.

God Bless.

Reading: Luke, chapter 1

Devotional: The goodness and mercy God displayed in the past are not limited to those ancient times. God continues to manifest the same grace toward us. He speaks to us daily through the Scriptures, which is His powerful Word. The question is, how do we respond to His message? By unbelief, like Zechariah did, denying that what he heard could be true? Or by humbleness, like Mary, accepting what she heard? Do we seek, listen to, believe, and fulfill the Word of God?

To think about: Do you truly believe all God says?

-Author Unknown

Quote Of The Day - He Did Not Send

May have shared this before but we need to get tough i knowing who He is and what He has done for us.

God Bless.

Quote of the Day -Joyce Meyer

“He did not send the power of His Spirit into our lives so we could be weak-willed, wimpy, or the type of person who gives up when the going gets tough.” 

-Joyce Meyer, The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Inspirations

Quote Of The Day - Get To Know

Wow, this little devotional states it like it is. May the words go down deep in our souls eventually baring fruit.

God Bless 

Quote of the Day – Mother Teresa

Get to know the poor in your country. Love them. Serve them.

– Mother Teresa

John The Baptist

Love the question this little devotional puts forth. May you find this devotional not only encouragement but also a stirring to help prepare the way.

God Bless.

Reading: Luke, chapter 3

Devotional: John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to repentance and baptizing them with water, which was a public display of faith. How do we prepare the way for Jesus today? How do we represent Him in the world around us? Your example matters. 

To think about:  Is your life an example for people to learn about Jesus? 

-Author Unknown

The Healing

This little devotional gives you something to think about. Wanted to share the wealth.

God Bless.

Reading: Luke, chapter 5

Devotional: The healing that Christ offers to people is not only physical but also spiritual. He doesn’t only heal at the surface, but in-depth; He doesn’t only heal the body, but He also heals the mind and soul. Anyone who is facing an identity crisis of any sort can call out to Jesus, and He will renew their minds and anchor it till eternity. This is the good news - anyone can have their soul forever healed! 

To think about: Are there people around you who need this kind of healing? Call them, pray with them, and talk to them. 

-Author Unknown