Tag Archives: Love

The Sound of God’s Love is Quiet

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One definition of ‘sound’ is the vibration transmitted through the air or other medium. (Dictionary.com) The sound is noisy, loud, and resounding. But in the Bible, John tells of a vastly different sound, one that reverberates through the body and throughout the world. I call this sound the sound of God’s love and this sound reverberates in the form of inner peace.

God loved us so much that He sent His Son to earth to take away our pain of living in eternal sin in exchange for His Son’s death. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us.

During His three years in ministry, He taught His disciples to love as the Father loves Him and He loves us. This type of love, agape love, is free of condemnation. He teaches us to listen beyond the words of those who betray us, hate us, and have disdain for who we are in Christ. He taught us to love regardless of personal interactions.

In the Old Testament David slayed Goliath hurling a stone that killed him to save his people. This young boy relied on his faith in God to slay a giant. It was not the noise of the stone jettisoning towards the giant’s head that he heard, it was the love of his Lord that spoke to his heart and gave him the confidence to take on an unimaginable task. Most of the stories in the Old Testament reflect quiet sounds when God communicated with His people, during other times it was verbal and often loud, as the Holy Spirit had not yet entered our hearts. All of the stories demonstrated the love of God for His people that reverberates in us and around the world today.

In the New Testament, we no longer audibly hear God’s voice, instead, He speaks through the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, and instructs us in the quiet still sound of His voice. His voice is the voice of God., God’s love emanates His Glory. His Glory reverberates in the hearts of believers and gives new life. God’s love is quiet yet reverberates throughout the world, calling all to join His family. God’s love is the love of a Father calling out to His children. the sound of God’s love is quiet, intense, profound, and peaceful, all in the same moment.

Associated Scriptures

John 10:27 ESV, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Hebrews 4:12 ESV, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of would and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

John 10:16 ESV, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock.”

Hebrews 3:7 ESV, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,”

Psalm 85:8 ESV, “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people…”

1 John 5:14 ESV, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him (faith), that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

John 3:16 ESV, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

“God loves each of us as tho there is only one of us.” St. Augustine

Scriptures – biblegateway.com, ESV; Itakeoffthemask.com

Images – The God of Love – NIV; Michael Dudlash, Pinterest; spreadinghopeeverywheretalks.com

What Proves Salvation?

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THOUGHT – Something that stood out to me in the BSF Study of the Book of John, Lesson 19. “Jesus taught that love for God motivates obedience, not that obedience is the method of salvation. A believer’s obedience does not contribute to his or her salvation but proves it.” Question – Why does obedience prove one’s salvation? (p.p. 269)

If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved (salvation). Acts 16:30-31

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (salvation). John 3:16

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (salvation). Romans 10:9-10

If you do not have the Spirit of Christ, He cannot live in you, and you do not belong to Him (no salvation). If you receive Christ is your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit lives in you. If the Spirit lives in you, He is your advocate, comforter, counselor, and teacher (salvation).

When we receive Christ, He enters our being in the form of the Holy Spirit who begins to change our lives. We move away from carnal desires and habits and exchange them for Jesus’ commands. Our new life reflects Christ’s command to Love God and obey His commands (salvation). (Romans 8)

For by grace, you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works (salvation). Ephesians 2:8

When we receive Christ, we are motivated, not by works, but through faith to obey the Word of God. Our behavior changes as we demonstrate the love of God. This demonstration drives our desire to obey the Lord’s commands and live them out in our daily lives.

God motivates our obedience. Our obedience proves our salvation.

Image: LAB Photos

Scriptures: Biblegateway.com


God Stretches Us

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Recently my granddaughter underwent scoliosis surgery. As I was going through videos of the surgery, which is amazing in itself, I learned that adolescent scoliosis surgery is even more amazing. In teen and adult surgeries, two titanium rods are placed along the perimeters of the spine to align the spine. However, adolescent surgery covers a much more amazing process. The rods have hydraulic lifts. As the child grows, the surgeons place a machine that looks much like a remote-controlled car transformer on the patient’s back to activate the hydraulic extension expanding the titanium rods to continue to brace the spine. They no longer need to have additional surgeries to account for growth and replacing the original titanium rods.

You may ask why I am sharing this technology with you. I am currently studying the Book of John. Jesus is nearing the end of life on earth and will soon return to His spiritual realm, heaven. John shares how Jesus prepared the disciples for His departure. He taught and loved His disciples who would continue His work on earth. Throughout the three- and one-half years Jesus spent with the disciples they received training and their faith shifted from focusing on the visible to the invisible, from thinking in practical terms to a spiritual understanding.

God stretched the disciples as He does us today. As we deepen our understanding of God’s word and application, He too uses a form of hydraulics. Jesus is the transformer forever ensuring that we grow and are erect. With each lesson, each study, each evaluative look at our past, He grows us. Our growth produces a deepened state of understanding. Our minds and souls mature and our relationship with God becomes increasingly fruitful.

Jesus referred to the disciples as my children, or in Greek, little children. When Jesus departed, He invested the responsibility of being disciples to each of us, His children.

The last command Jesus gave the eleven disciples finalized their preparation to carry on His work after He ascended to heaven. “A new command, I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 14:34-35.

To further explain this scripture, The Charles Stanley, Principals Bible lesson reads: “The method Jesus gave us to preach His message to the world is through love. The world knows we are his disciples, not through correct doctrine, or big buildings, but through our love for one another.” (John 13:35, pp. 1557, Life Lesson)

We must choose to become disciples. We must allow God to stretch our belief and understanding of how His work applies to our lives. This may feel uncomfortable, as I am certain a titanium rod corrects one’s spine during growth, but it is necessary if we genuinely want to disciple others and point them to Christ. It is through the agape love for others, Christ-like love, which draws others to say, there is something different about you, what is it? This is the opening to discipleship, to share how accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior changed your life.

Scripture: Biblegateway.com

Images: google.com; testifygod.com

Do You See His Glory

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Hi, Welcome to 2024! Food for thought.

How often do we overlook the glory of God in the things we see? His glory is evident if we shift our visual perception. Are your spiritual eyes targeting God’s glory?

We live fast paced lives and are rushing around throughout the day, trying to meet deadlines, packing our days. Our focus is on what lies before us, myopic and laser tight. The problem is, we are focusing on the world through our physical eyes. This daily chaos is detrimental to the development of our spiritual sight.

As long as Satan can deter our spiritual growth the greater his opportunity to control your life. If he can control you, unbelief will continue to separate you from Christ. Your faith will falter and you will experience a fissure in your faith which he uses to further separate you from God.

“God’s glory is the revelation or manifestation of His attributes or excellences.” (Veresbyversecommentary.com. John 11:40) This scripture in part is about delay. Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus that his friend, their brother, died and they wanted Jesus to come and save him. They lived in a time when it was a Jewish believe that it took three days for a body to begin decomposing and the soul to leave the body. So they felt that if Jesus was able to get there within that three day He could retrieve the body and bring Lazarus back to life. But Jesus, knowing the tradition chose to wait a fourth day to prove that he is Messiah by bringing Lazarus back to life after his soul left him.

Life presents situations and circumstances with a man-made deadline. We pray for answers that are parallel to the circumstances and situations. If the prayer is not answered within the timeframe expected, we consider it a delay, or that God is not listening, and is ignoring us. The truth is, God‘s timing is always accurate. His time may not be our time, but his delay may be for our spiritual growth. Once we shift our focus from a physical plane to a spiritual plane, we see God‘s glory in the entire timeframe of the incident. We should always look for the glory of God in everything that goes on in our lives from the breath that we take to the actions that are required of us, to the rest that we receive at nightfall. God‘s glory is prevalent in everything that occurs in our lives. We simply must have the faith to see and receive.

As in the case of Lazarus, Jesus wept when he saw Lazarus’ sister’s grieving. He weeps for us as well, he knows our grief. He knows our expectations, and he knows our joy. He knows what will strengthen our relationship with Him. The Lord listens to our prayers and petitions. The reality is, He knew we would make the petition long before we did. He also knows that blessing us in the form of our petition may not bide well. It may prove to be detrimental to us, the timing may not align with the lessons or timing with His next steps for us. What we can learn from this scripture is that our faith focuses on God’s glory, not the miracle, or the answered prayer, but on Him and Him alone.

Finally, know this, God will call us by name just as He called Lazarus to come out of the tomb and back into life. He will answer our prayers because He intimately knows each of us. His glory is always prevalent, even when we think it is not. “And whenever and whatever God speaks to the need you have, He will call you by name so that His glory is revealed in your situation.” (Wellspringchristianministries.org)

Photo – LAB Photos

We are God’s Light Bearers

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As we celebrate the birth of Christ and the light He brought to the world, we must also think of the way in which he treated people and how his love covered us in the worst and best of times. Our world is currently clouded in hate, the evil one is working through the hands of men to devastate the world, but we cannot be overcome by the darkness they launch into the world. As Christians, we must continue to project the love of Christ and not fall into darkness. We must see the good of humankind in the darkest of days. Most of the people in our world are not evil. They want nothing more than to live their lives in peace.

John 8:12 NIV so clearly reports Jesus’ words, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of

As Christians, we have been given the gift of light. It is time that as Christians, we pray, and act in the light. We cannot become laxed, feeling the weight of the world. We are the light bears that Christ authorized us to be. 

John 1:5 NIV, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

In the 18th and early 19th centuries men were hired to light gas streetlamps. Today we represent the street lighters, lighting and wrapping the world in the love of Christ.

When we pray and meditate, we must envision the world covered in light. The light represents love and love will always outweigh the darkness. Our prayers are important and collectively they can change the world.

Ephesians 5:8 EVS, chronicles our responsibility so well, “For at the time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

As children of light, we must exude the light in our daily walk and envision the world wrapped in light (love). 

We are the designated warriors, Ephesians 6:12-18 NIV, spells it out thusly, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 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. Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one period and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God; Praying always in all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to the end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

In closing, I listed scriptures that focus on the light. Keep them close to your heart, and in the darkest of moments, personal and universal, never stop seeing the light of Christ as the victor in the moments of darkness. Remember, God’s perspective of time is different than ours, therefore what may seem like an eternity to us is “but do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8 ESV) This scripture should encourage all of us to continue to walk in the light, spread the Good New and wrap the world in love when we pray.

Psalm 18:28, “You come a Lord, keep my light burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”

Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation dash whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life dash of whom shall I be afraid?”

James 1:7, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; That put darkness for light, and light for darkness..!”

The trumpet has blown, the war between darkness and light, good and evil is present, as the Lord’s warriors, we are to gird up and enter the battle, praying endlessly, presenting the light of Christ in our walk and living as God has empowered to live, regardless of what we see or read.

Scriptures: Bible.com; biblegateway.com

Images top to bottom: google pics; Dailymail.com; <a href=”https://wallpapers.com/wallpapers/armor-of-god-rtpefxpudnccuifc.html”>Image by severadrab</a> on <a href=”https://wallpapers.com/”>Wallpapers.com</a&gt;; Google pics; marquetteacademy.net

God’s Character Never Changes

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Humans are not steadfast. Our character ebbs and flows. Our sin nature does not allow us to be steadfast, we always falter, some more than others, until Jesus returns we are locked in the the fate of sin. The only constant in our life is that God’s character and standards never change.

This means the God who spoke in the Old Testament is speaking to us today. He spoke to His people through the disciples, prophets, and most importantly Jesus. The story always remains the same. Adam and Eve sinned and were thrown out of Eden. We entered eternal sin as the result of their disobedience. The Messiah will come and save us from eternal sin. Jesus will be crucified and return to heaven. He will return again to redeem His people, and we will live as one people in peace through eternity.

We all need stability. God’s character is our stabilizing force. Why? No matter what happens on earth, His plan is consistent, it does not waiver or deviate. The world today is not much different that the world of old. There are still false prophets and leaders who fail to surrender to the Will of God. Leaders still take bribes, or are rewarded by lobbyists. Many priests and religious leaders are bought by large contributions to their church, and fall pray to idols (money, fame, and fortune). Families still struggle to maintain the nucleus to hold the unit together. Economies and social justice are still at odds. And, the Word of God is still lost to many who only hear the noise of chaos.

This seems like desperate times, and in some respect it is. However, this world will operate in phases until the end. Our loving Father will love us, warn us of our wrong doing, judge us and restore us, each time hoping that we will turn back to Him.

The only thing we can rely on is His unfailing love and character that is ever-present, even when it seems He is not with us.

Our Lord never forsakes us or leaves us. He does not turn a blind eye to this world. He sees all, and remembers everything. He is always with us, holding us up when we cannot walk or take another breath. He provides for us when we cannot provide for ourselves.

He is here with us in the light and darkest moments. HE IS FAITHFUL throughout time. Rest assured, the sun will rise and set everyday as part of His creation and plan for our salvation. He is our loving Father who cannot fail. He is all truth and His character is unwavering.