Happy Valentines Day

There are so many verses about the "heart" of Valentine's Day, which is L-O-V-E!

Probably the most well known and one of the best Bible verses on love is John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

God is Love

1 John 4:8 - "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

1 John 4:16 - "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."

God's Love Described

1 Corinthians 13 is typically called "The Love Chapter" because it describes love; verses 4-8 say - "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails;"  Verse 13 continues - "But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Jeremiah 31:3 says God loves with a never ending love - "The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness."

Why we can love

Matthew 22:37-40 records when Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest - "He replied And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Luke 10:27 records the same - "He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."

How we should love

1 Corinthians 16:14 - "Let all that you do be done in love."

1 Peter 4:8 - "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins."

John 13:34 - Jesus tells us to love others like He has loved us:  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

John 13:35 - Jesus goes on to say that when we love each other as His followers, all men (both other believers and unbelievers will see & recognize:   "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Take the time to share God’s love today and every day.

Dear Lord, we thank You for Your great love. Help us to show it to those You bring into our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen

Expectations for Valentine’s Day

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)

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.

There are a lot of expectations for Valentine’s Day. Someone, probably a Hallmark employee, decided that February 14th would be the day to declare and demonstrate your love to that special someone. Cards, flowers, and chocolates caught on quickly and became a near requirement even for preschool children. But what gets lost in finding the perfect card or gift is the very essence of what love is and how we can best share that with those around us.

I Corinthians 13 is the famous biblical love chapter in Christian circles and beyond. It’s beautiful because it describes the kind of perfect love that God has for us and through him we are able to love our spouses, children, extended family, co-workers, and neighbors this same way. It’s an active love; a love that is more committed to that person than our own feelings at the time. Gift giving isn’t even mentioned because this love, God’s perfect love, is worth so much more than anything money could ever buy.

Sometimes a gift is a hit and sometimes it’s a miss. In any case, as either the giver or recipient, let’s not fool ourselves into thinking the gift is the sum of how much we love or are loved. We can enjoy Valentine’s Day as a good excuse to spoil the ones we love and share God’s love in a special way with those who are lonely and hurting. But let’s stay focused: no material thing or sentimental card can ever replace the simple gestures of God’s love expressed every day. 

Dear Lord,  we ask that You would show us practical ways to demonstrate Your perfect love to others on a daily basis.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Ultimate Valentine

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.

This Valentine’s Day, remember that love is so much more than flowers and candy and cards.  It is even more than the deepest feelings you experience, because real love is expressed by unconditional commitment and unwavering dedication to our loved ones—which should be everyone!

That’s why God didn’t spend billions of dollars on us, He sacrificed His priceless Child.

He didn’t send us flowers, but He allowed a crown of thorns to be put on Jesus’ brow.

He didn’t send us a card, but He demonstrated the ultimate Valentine:

John 3:16 - The Ultimate Valentine

Let’s make every day a “Valentine’s Day” because God so loved the world, so should we.  Picture yourself as God’s living Valentine to a world that desperately needs to know what love is truly all about.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the greatest Valentine we could ever have received. Help us to share that same love with the world around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Ultimate Valentine

1 John 4:8 (ESV)

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

There really isn’t any other day on earth like it.  If you just look at Valentine’s Day by the numbers, it boggles the brain a bit:

♥  $130.97 – The average estimated amount an individual will spend on Valentine’s Day.

♥  224 million – The estimated number of roses grown for Valentine’s Day.

♥  $18.6 billion – The projected total amount Americans will spend for Valentine’s Day.

♥  $1.6 billion – The amount people will spend on candy

♥  $1.9 billion – The amount people will spend on flowers

♥  $4.4 billion – The amount people will spend on diamonds, gold, and silver

Not only that, but over 6 million folks will propose on February 14th, and if you are a member of the club that sees Valentine’s Day as S.A.D. (i.e., Single Awareness Day), you can actually pick up a Valentine’s card and/or treat for your pet!

Picture yourself as God’s living Valentine to a world that needs His love. Take the time this week to share God’s love.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would be Your love to the world today. Help us to look for the chance that You give us to reach out to those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

True love

1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

We live in a world that gives us all kinds of messages about what true love is.  The TV shows, movies and books we read all portray love in so many different ways. Sometimes with all the different portrayals of love, it’s hard to really determine what true love is. Let’s take a look at three things true love is.

1.  True love looks out for the best interests of the other person – This means thinking about what is best for the other person. Many times, dating relationships are centered around selfish motives. For example, someone might date the starting quarterback in high school because it helps their popularity, or it makes them look good.  This isn’t true love because true love looks out for what is best for the other person. True love puts its own best interests on the back shelf and is looking out for the needs and interests of the other person.

2.  True love is based on friendship NOT the physical – a relationship based on the physical stuff won’t last. Any relationship should focus on getting to know the other person long before the physical comes into play. That’s why God asks us to wait to have sex before marriage. Its one of the best ways to make sure your relationship will last, because it is based on something deeper than just the physical. Physical attraction isn’t a good judge of love. Attraction can fade, but a relationship built on a solid foundation of friendship will be much more likely to succeed.

3.  True love has its foundation in Jesus – The most important thing in a relationship is the other person’s feelings toward Jesus. If the person you’re dating doesn’t love Jesus like you do, run away from the relationship. It is never a good decision to become involved with someone that doesn’t love God like you do.  This will set you up for lots of heartache in the future.

The Bible gives us the best picture of what true love is. If you want to really understand what true love is, you will find it by reading your Bible. A good place to start is by reading 1 Corinthians 13, which talks a lot about what love looks like.

Dear Lord, we thank You for setting up a picture of what true love is in Your word. Help us be an example of true love to others and to let Your love shine through us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

How happy are you with what you have?

Luke 12:15 (ESV)

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Screech got his nickname from the noise he made whenever he skidded his bike to a stop. He was so obsessed with money that he would speed down the road, darting to examine every shiny thing that might be a coin—and every scrap of paper that looked like a dollar bill.

Screech knew how to work hard too. Between a paper route, baby-sitting, and caddying at a golf course, he had a lot of money. And with the money he raked in, he could buy almost anything his twelve-year-old heart desired.

Unfortunately, when Screech made it his biggest goal in life to pile up money, he didn’t have any time left for family, friends, or church. So even though his pockets bulged with cash, he had no one to enjoy it with. Screech thought that buying things would bring him total happiness, but it didn’t.

What’s on your wish list? What sports equipment or clothes or toys would stuff you full? Is it possible that you could ever get everything on your wish list and not want anything more? Or would you just start a bigger list?

In the Bible, Paul sounds like a man who had it made. He had what it takes to be happy. In one Bible book—his letter to the Philippians—he mentions joy or rejoicing seventeen times!

But wait a minute! Looking again at that book shows that Paul was in prison when he wrote all those words about joy and happiness. He had no comfortable home, few possessions, and no freedom. But he was happy. Later in his letter he wrote, “I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need”.

Happiness doesn’t depend on stuffing ourselves with stuff. As a matter of fact, real joy has nothing to do with how much we have. We can be joyful-whether we’re wealthy or needy-because we have Jesus. We can’t lose him. He can’t be stolen. He never breaks or goes out of style. And knowing him can give us joy that no mere ob­ject can bring.

How happy are you with what you have?

Is Christ your most prized possession?

Dear Lord, teach us to be content with what we have today. Help us to always remember how great You are. In the name of Jesus, Amen. 

Dog mushing and the Christian life

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

My wife and I had the opportunity to do some mission work in Alaska in January.  One of the highlights was to be able to assist in the Copper Basin 300. It was a lot of fun getting to talk to the mushers and to watch how excited each of the dogs were as the lined up and were ready to start the race.  It was also great to see the relationship that was built between the dogs and the musher.

This past week I have been tracking the Yukon Quest as the Dog mushers guide their team of dogs from Fairbanks Alaska to White Horse Canada.  As I laid in bed the other night while tracking the teams I thought “What do dog mushing and walking the Christian walk have in common?” I came up with a few subtle likenesses.

1.  A good dog musher always continues to be busy during mushing season. A Christian should always endeavor to tell people about Jesus, in season and out of season. Paul said to the Christians in Hebrews 12:1, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” We are to lay aside anything that hinders our progress.

2.  If a dog musher does not train his or her dogs, they cannot perform to their highest potential. The fact is, if they haven’t been trained at all they won’t function as a dog team.

A Christian who makes a hobby, his job or even his family No. 1 cannot grow spiritually and puts himself in a position to be deceived by the adversary. Usually, they get away from fellowship with other Christians and don’t attend church much. The Bible seems distant, and in fact the flesh will dominate their born-again spirit. Instead of walking in love, walking in the spirit will be just like the world — flesh rules looking out for only themselves.

I read a story from a musher that has raced in the Iditarod, here are some of his thoughts.

“I have raced the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race many times, and when you get up the trail a ways on the coast on a beautiful day where the sun is shining, you think you got it all together. It is exuberant; Utopia is a word I have used to describe it. Then the sun goes down and the wind picks up. The trail may have been wiped out and all you have is the next marker you can barely see with your headlamp. Then you feel very small and obscure.

I have heard of many mushers who have made a prayer to God in times like these to help them make it through, and if he does they pray they would do something, a promise, which most times they admit they don’t follow through with.”

When they pray, a lot of Christians ask God for something, but there are times we need to be quiet and listen. God speaks to his children through that still small voice, and sometimes he gives us direction. Right then, you know it’s from God, but if you do not move right away that inward witness prompting will become dull. Later, you try to reason it out in your head, and many times you will say that must have just been me and not do what God had asked.

3.  A good musher doesn’t speak of defeat, a champion speaks of success and victory.

Many Christians, during good times when everything is going smoothly, have a good confession speaking of their victory in Christ, but when things are not going well for them they speak of defeat, not proclaiming what God’s word says about them.

4.  As a dog musher, they are always faithful in their daily training of their sled dogs. As Christians, we should be willing and obedient to the walk set before us in the Scriptures. Jesus gave us a commandment — to walk in love, to love our neighbor — and it should be our daily goal to be obedient to walk the walk of love. We don’t want to be willing only, but also obedient. The love of God was shed abroad in our hearts when we were born again. We must allow that love to come forth.

Dear Lord , help us to be faithful in our Christian walk just as the dog mushers are in training their dogs. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.