“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” 1 John 4:9
Jesus Christ was deeply practical! As we study His life, we will see, along with the spirituality of His ministry, He had a practical nature. When He raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead, He told her parents to give her something to eat. True love and care requires more than mere words, it calls for action! It is to support someone in prayer, but also to do something practical to show our love; even if it is inconvenient. By demonstrating our love for others in a practical way, we follow the example Jesus set for us. He is our example because His love exceeds all other love! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
When we were baptized into Christ, we shared in His crucifixion and we were raised up to be a new person. Christ is alive in us. The real challenge is for us to be Christ alive in our world! Our motivation? Not to earn salvation, which has already been given us by grace, but to honor Him who sacrificed all to save us. See Romans 6:1-14 In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “Love must be sincere.” Romans 12:9
At times we may doubt the sincerity of people’s love who surround us. We never need to doubt the sincerity of God’s love for us! Love compelled Him to come to this world in the person of Jesus Christ to suffer and die on our behalf. It was love which gave Jesus Christ the victory over death and made Him ascend to heaven where He intercedes for us. It was love which urged Jesus Christ to forgive our sins and offer us the gift of The Holy Spirit! This world will never know any Love greater than Jesus Christ! Jesus gave us the example of sincere Love and urges us to Love one another as He loves us! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:26-27
Sometimes the pain is so deep that we can't even pray. We want God to make the pain stop, heal the disease, repair the relationship, restore the job. But deep down inside we know that may not be what God wants and so we don't know what to pray. When our hearts are at a loss for the right words the Spirit takes over. He lives within our hearts and He cries out to God for us. So when you can't find the words, be comforted the Holy Spirit is interceding for us, and God hears His prayers. In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV
When you face an impossibility, leave it in the hands of the Lord. Refuse to doubt; refuse to work it out by yourself; refuse to worry. Instead, say, “Lord, I’m carrying around something I can’t handle. Because You are not only able but also willing, take this off my hands. It’s impossible to me but is as nothing with You.” Persevering through the pressures of impossibilities call for that kind of confidence. “How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because of your victory.” Psalm 21:1
It’s not necessary to understand why God leads you in a certain way, it’s only necessary to obey Him. Even when He appears to direct you away from your goal, trust Him. This may not seem logical, but there are factors that affect your situation that you simply cannot see. Fortunately, God is well aware of those influences, and He sees the path ahead of you. He knows exactly what you will need to succeed. Trust Him and obey His instruction and soon enough, all of His seemingly illogical directions will reveal the straightest path to your triumph. Also, you’ll find that your victory was His goal the whole time. Amen! “He touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith will it be done to you.’” Matthew 9:29
There are some people who regard faith as a mere commodity. It is something which you have a lot of, very little of, or none at all, depending on the circumstances. We should understand the necessity of maintaining an expectation of hope towards life! Only those of us who have an unfailing faith and trust in God, will be able to face the future with courage and serenity. This great truth creates stability and enables us to face our tomorrows with confidence! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! |
Pastor Derrick RichardsonPastor of Community Abundant Life Church Archives
January 2025
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