“So then, when you come together to eat, wait for each other.” 1 Corinthians 11:33
When a family is not in agreement, the disunity brings about confusion and chaos. More importantly, it takes the focus off of the main thing: Jesus Christ. In Corinth, there were two cultures clashing -- Jew and Greek. The clashes could be seen in a number of ways, but particularly in the way they worshipped and shared the Lord's Supper. It actually brought about confusion and chaos surrounding the purpose behind the Lord's Supper. Paul wrote to the Corinthians to remind them that their relationships with Jesus and with one another were far superior to the meal itself, and that the real meaning for the Lord's Supper was to remember Christ's sacrifice and to make sure relationships with Christ and with one another -- were right or were being made right. What are some ways you can place Jesus at the center of your heart in preparation for the next Lord's Supper?
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“Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:9
With this statement of Jesus, believers get an inside look on the relationship between the Father and the Son. Jesus knew that He was object of the Father's love before everything came into existence (John 17:24). While Jesus followers will never know the inner workings of the divine Trinity, what has always been and will always be present in the trinitarian relationship is a depth of love that earthly minds can only begin to understand -- one that is pure, perfect, and eternal. How does the divine love between the Father and the Son impact your life today? In what way do you see this love in your own life? “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life my lips will glorify you.” Psalm 63:1-13
We all know what it is like to feel thirsty. Maybe after a workout, a long walk, or even just when you first get up in the morning there's nothing quite like quenching your thirst. When the water hits your lips, your desperate need for refreshment is met! "Desperate" doesn't even begin, however, to describe our thirst for God! God is the strongest need we have. As Scripture reminds us, apart from Him we can do nothing, but through Him we can do all things (John 15:5, Phil 4:13). When we see our need in light of this fact, then, we can freely drink of His goodness and grace, and be more than satisfied! Do you honestly see your need for God as a stronger need than anything else in your life? “Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” John 13:1
Contrary to popular belief, love is not a feeling. Love is a choice: a conscious decision to overcome challenges and struggles and show grace to another person. Challenges and struggles in loving relationships can be formidable. Jesus' love extended to the disciples, for instance, despite their lack of faith (Mark 4:40), and despite the chaos and confusion of the days prior to His crucifixion. He even loved a disciple who completely doubted Him (John 20:25). The Gospels show that, no matter what, Jesus loved His disciples. Today, no matter what, Jesus loves you, and it is with that love that He desires to love others through you. Have you made the conscious choice to love others around you? If not, what is stopping you from doing so? Ask God today to help you to love others around you the way He wants you to love them. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
Our lives would look so different if we deeply believed what was written in the Word of God. You show the depth of your belief when you place an order in a restaurant, for example. You sit and wait patiently for the waiter to return with your meal. You can't see the chef at work in the kitchen preparing your food, and you can't see how it is all put together. You don't question what is happening, and you don't doubt that what you asked for is coming. Yet, you wait. You may not be able to see the perfect love of God at all times, but Paul says of those in Christ, that there is not one thing that could ever separate each of us from the love of God. Pray for that love to fill your heart. Wait on it to do so. Then enjoy it to the fullest. If you truly believed the inseparable, unconditional love of God, what is one thing that would be different in the way you act? Ask God to help you in growing your faith and ask Him to transform your life through that faith. |
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June 2018
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