1 John 4 - Love

1 John 4:7-21

7) love one another. love comes from God (not from ourselves)

Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. (This is interesting to me bc i know nonbelievers that do love. That do give to the poor and do serve a lot better than some believers)

8) Anyone who does not love does not love God, for God is love. (In the same way, believers and non believers I know - love and hate almost equally..)

9) God showed us love by sending Jesus, so we might have eternal life through Him.

10) This is real love- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as sacrifice to take away our sin. (The part about SENDING Jesus sticks out to me today more than the sacrifice part. Like the fact that God was distant from Jesus for us, and THEN sacrificed him).

11) Since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. (It's that THAT much love should be inside us - pouring out of us to each other. Not that we owe it to God to love each other but that it should just happen! If THAT much love is here... there's no room for hate.)

12) If we love each other, THIS is how God is brought to full expression. (I see that He delights in our love for others).

13) God has given us the Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. (Bc if he was an unimaginable being-God, or a human-Jesus... then we can't picture Him living in us).

14) The father sent his son to be the savior of the world.

15) All who confess that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, have God living in them, and they live in God. (This verse doesn't say anything about action, just confession of the truth).

16) We know how much God loves us and we put our trust in His love. (I wonder who "we" is here. Because this is something I struggle with. His love is proven through sending Jesus and sacrificing Him AND saving us from sin... but its still unfathomable. I still have trouble "knowing" and "trusting"

17) And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgement, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. (living in God is loving. The more we love, the more perfect that love becomes).

18)

to be continued...

How to love others:

pray

give

spend time with them

correct them in their sin - Hebrews 12: 5-12. He disciplines us so we might know him and share in His holiness (10)

john 7 - the holy spirit will flow from us

with one drop in us He can become a river

Romans 5:5

"Sincere Love" - Paul Matthies

This is a sermon on the Village Church website.

PLEASE listen to it.

I pray for those in this nation that don't know Him.

...but more strongly for those that don't WANT to know Him because another follower has hurt them.

That breaks my heart. It hurts that a cause that I (try to) completely devote my life to is being crushed because of the name of the Christian.

"I bet we can list lost people in our lives that are loving their neighbors better than we are." How terribly sad this is. It is true. That is why it's sad.

Our job is to work on our hearts. If our hearts are well... the spirit will FLOW from us. It will be easy to love. Love will be all we can do. Let the intensity of your love be a reflection of your heart.

Common theme in bible - the book we believe in and say is true! -->

1 Corinthians 16:14 - let all that you do be done in the name of love.

Galatians 5:14 - "The whole law if fulfilled in one word: you shall love your neighbor as yourself".

2 Timothy 2:24-26

24 And r the Lord's servant [4]must not be quarrelsome but s kind to everyone, t able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents u with gentleness. God v may perhaps grant them repentance w leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from x the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

In other words - Be nice (love). Through you, someone might be SHOWN THE TRUTH (Jesus).

• See the love of God. 1 John 3:1 - See how great a love that God has given us that we should be called Children of God. See what type of love God has given us. Its the love of the gospel. The love of God is mind blowing.
• God's love is God given. 1 John 4.
• God's love is gospel centered. Its a self sacrificing. People should look at us and see that we are willing to lay ourselves down! Go out of your way! People should see our love and KNOW that it's different. Its a sacrifice.
• Heaven centered. You are being perfected. This is love that is not of us. This love is a fruit of the spirit! We can only LOVE if we have the spirit.
• His love is others focused. 1 John 4:12 - No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
• SEEK the love of God - 1 Corinthians 13:4. - pursue love.

Love 3/15/10

I want to know the LOVE Jesus has for me. I want to study how he shows it and gives it. I want to be challenged to evaluate how I give His love, and how He showers me with it every day!

I am loved through Grace. I am loved through constant forgiveness. I am loved through the cross and resurrection!

God, teach me to be:

patient,

kind,

happy with what I have,

humble,

considerate,

slow to anger,

forgiving,

happy in truth,

protective,

trusting,

hopeful,

and persevering.

Help me to evaluate where I stand with EACH of your criteria. Show me the ways you were patient and the ways you were slow to anger. I want to be like you and love like you Jesus.

Patience - I need to be more patient when I'm driving. Overall, I would say I am patient with situational events and the small things that come every day, which are totally out of my control.

Kind - I need to be more kind to myself and those closest to my heart. I feel like I am kind to most people and overly kind to those I do not know or those I need to impress. It seems like it's easiest to be rude to, and not kind to those whom I claim to love. If I tell you I love you, and you feel I am not always kind to you - I am sorry. I want to give my life away.

Happy with what I have - this I probably have to work on, but I feel like I have too much. I am SO thankful for what I have because I know its all a gift. This one is not hard for me because in a materialistic world, I have a lot of materials. This command in the context of love is different. "Do not envy". Does that mean if I am envious of someone else then I do not love them? Or does that mean I don't love Christ because it shows I am not grateful for what He has given me?Where does envy come into hate/love, good/evil? I know its not good or healthy to be envious but Jesus teach me why it's not loving to be envious.

Prayer Requests. Updated 3/11/2010

From Aimee Norman, a girl in my women's bible study group.
- Please send up a special prayer for my cousin Randy today. He is being shipped of to Afghanastan this morning and leaving behind a beautiful wife and baby boy. He will have to stay for at least a year before he gets to come home.I just want to pray for his safety and for strength for his wife and mom as they watch him go.Please pray for him. He is such a great guy, and we all want to see him again!

For Laura Rhea - Irving Bible Church's Early Childhood Director. She's pregnant and due any day! God has taken her through what seems like a breezy pregnancy but she is working until her water breaks! I pray for the ministry while she is gone. God please let her know that he work is in good hands, and that YOU will take care of everything. God THANK you for Laura and her motherly skills. Thank you for Scarlet. Thank you that she is healthy up to now. Jesus be here. Be in the delivery room. Hold their hands through their new family transition. God I pray for Clara, that she is not negitively impacted by sharing her family, but loves her little sister.

Jesus THANK YOU for the word and for our guidelines. We are not here to follow rules but we are here to follow you in faith. God i am so thankful for your simply laid out guidelines of HOW to look like you and love like you. You have given us a tool to bring ease and peace.

For Gary Brummett - Jesus thank you for showing the doctors what's been going on with dad's nose and helping them to fix it. God i pray for his stress level and his worry about work. Let him know you have it all taken care of and there's nothing for him to worry about. Let him recover like you have made his body to recover. Thank you Jesus for my dad.

Fasting

I am hungry.

I have been up since 6:15 and now all I want to do is eat! I went to work and got dizzy. I am weak. Thats the point. I'm not supposed to be comfortable. I'm supposed to need God. I find myself being really irritable and annoyed with small things because I'm hungry AND my one midterm is today too! How great. haha.

So the venting is done.

Suggested readings are Isaiah 58 and Psalm 131

True and False Fasting

58 “

6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
j to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps k of the yoke,
to let the oppressed [2] go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not l to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
m and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 n Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
o and your healing shall spring up speedily;
p your righteousness shall go before you;
q the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away r the yoke from your midst,
s the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 t if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
n then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be u like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
12 v And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

13 w “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure [3] on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking x your own pleasure, [4] or talking idly; [5]
14 then you shall take delight in the Lord,
y and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; [6]
z I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
a for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Psalm 131

O Lord, my heart is not s lifted up;
my eyes are not t raised too high;
I do not u occupy myself with things
too great and v too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned w child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 x O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

**Calm your soul by hoping in the Lord forever.

Psalm 69:10 says "humbled my soul with fasting"

Joel 2:12 - return to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning

...i'll let you know how the rest of the day goes!

So now I'm at school. Its 3:40pm and I ate Pretzles. haha. I don't feel further from God at all. I know its about the process and not the result! He is beautiful. I need Him. I am nothing without Him. Jesus thank you for today. Thank you for fasting. Thank you for teaching me to humble myself and use fasting to be BELOW you. God thank you for being soverign. Thank you for getting up. Jesus thank you for being KING so I can live and see you again. God I pray this day is yours and every thing I say/think/do/and touch is for you and your glory. God let me know and see that you are ALWAYS and forever and that my purpose here is soly to love and follow you. God this is your movie. I am one out of a billion characters and my 2 seconds on film needs to be FOR YOU and about you and making you look like the king that you are!

Thank you God for life.

Thank you God for wisdom and direction.

fruits of the Spirit - Patience

Patience

is showing tolerance and fortitude to others, and even accepting difficult situations from them and God without making demands and conditions.

Matthew 27:14 - But he gave him no answer, not even a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Romans 12:12 - Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

James 1:3 - for you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

fruits of the Spirit - Peace

Peace

is surrendering and yielding to the Lord’s control, for He is our ultimate peace! It is allowing tranquility to be our tone and to control our equanimity. This will be fueled by our harmonious relationship with God so we can hand over control of our heart, will, and mind to Him. Once we make real peace with God, we will be able to make and maintain peace with others.

Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

NIV. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace is giving up control. Strengthening my relationship with Him so I give up control. Peace can rule my heart. Unite me with the body. God’s peace is better than my understanding. Peace will guard me.

Fruits of the Spirit - Joy

Joy

will allow us to enjoy His creation, others, and our circumstances with an expression of delight and real, authentic happiness from and with harmony with God and others.

Proverbs 15:13 - A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed

John 15:11 - These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 17:13 - But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Joy can be inside us. It’s in the heart. Joy can fill us.

Fruits of the Spirit - love

22-23 But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

·Love will enable us to appreciate our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and, of course, our family, and others around us. Love is taking the initiative to build up and meet the needs of others without expecting anything in return.

John 13:1 1-2 Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal.

John 15: 11-15"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.

1 Corinthians 13:3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self. (patient and kind)
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. (doesn’t envy or boast)
Love doesn't strut, (is not arrogant)
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others, (does not insist on its own way)
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle, (is not irritable)
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, (or resentful)
Doesn't revel when others grovel, (does not rejoice at wrongdoing)
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, (rejoices in truth)
Puts up with anything, (bears all things)
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best, (believes and hopes all things)
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end. (endures all things, love never ends)

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never ends.

The Armor of God

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Armor of God - truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, word of God, praying at all times, perseverance, supplication (pray for help).

Proverbs 1 wisdom

I want to know God more. I want to know what He considers to be wise. I am seeking wisdom from other women around me to see what God has done in their lives, and wondering what wisdom God has given them. Wisdom, is it a gift? Is it learned? Is it something we have control over?

As far as I know, Proverbs is where wisdom is most elaborately depicted and explained.

Wisdom explained in Proverbs 1

ESV (The Message Version)

2 - to know wisdom and instruction (live well and right)

- understand words of insight (understand what life means and where it's going)

3 - receive instruction in wise dealing

4 - prudence, simple, knowledge, discretion

5 - hear, increase learning, obtain guidance

6 - understand a proverb

7 - fear the Lord (The message says to bow down to God)

8 - 19 - do not follow sinners or let others tempt you. (The more you get, the less you are)

33 - wise will dwell secure, be at ease, and not afraid of disaster. (you're in good hands)

God, let me live like this. Jesus, thank you for your example of wisdom and how to live and love. Holy Spirit, lead me in wisdom. Teach me to be wise. Show me what to read and who to go to for wisdom. God let this be really yours. Let me see these words as yours.