The Love of Jesus
Is Greater Than Anything on Earth!
“Oh Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ The King!” This second week of Advent is saturated with love. It is the love that Jesus has for you every moment of your life. It is the love that brought Him to this earth in a lowly manger. It is the love that took Him to the cross to die for you. It is the love that will bring Him back to earth again. It is the love that has prepared many mansions in heaven for those who love Him. This is the love of profound width and length and depth and height. This is the love that is yours if you choose to follow Him. This is the love that will give your heart wings to rise above the turmoil of life events.
Where Do You Seek Love?
Often in life the search for love takes you to all the wrong places and connects you with all the wrong people. Many of us are challenged with issues of rejection, abandonment, betrayal and abuse. When such heart issues (and it is always a heart issue) are not dealt with at the root cause, they continue to send out symptoms throughout your life into every relationship you have.
Just remember, Jesus Christ came to this earth and took on a human life. He walked out His Father’s will all the way to the cross to set you free and provide eternal salvation and life in Him. Such love! During this Christmas season take time to seek Him. If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, do it now. If you are a Christian yet you are living beneath your Kingdom heritage, fully relinquish your heart to Him this week. His love for you is real. It will fill every broken and empty place in your heart.
How Much Are You Willing to Give?
Truly walking with the Lord is an all or nothing venture. You cannot have one foot in the world and one in the Kingdom. To claim the promises of God’s Word you must commit to walk in His ways.
What part of your life are you holding onto so tightly? What desires are you choosing not to turn over completely to Him? He wants all of you, not just what you want to share. After all, He died for you. Reread that a few times. He died for you. What are you withholding from the One who gave His life so you could live? It cannot be said enough that we live in treacherous times. Are you willing to dilute your relationship with the One who loves you unconditionally? Is some human desire you have worth tarnishing the most important relationship you will ever have?
We had thirteen baptisms at my church today. Each person being baptized expressed their own personal journey to baptism. One little girl said she wanted Jesus, “…to be the boss of me.” What a precious way to express allowing Jesus into her heart to be her Lord. Another little girl glowed as she expressed, “I can feel Jesus in my heart.”
I also noticed that a life group had come to our church today to honor a couple’s baptism. Part of this particular life group attends another church of a different denomination yet they came with their children to witness their friends’ commitment to Christ through baptism. This shows Christian love and support across denominational lines. This shows how Kingdom unity and love can rise far above the exclusionary tactics so prevalent in our churches and our world today.
The Lord Is Come!
This month we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ as a baby. We also joyfully anticipate His coming again. When He first came to earth there was no room at the Inn for His family so He was born in a manger. If He returned today, is there room in your heart for Him? Or, must He seek a different place to dwell? Make room in your heart this Christmas for Him. Let Him take up residence there now and forever.
I wish you and your family and friends a week filled with His love and grace. Whatever your circumstances thank Him for the blessings you do enjoy. God bless you and keep you under the shadow of His wings this week and always!
Quotes To Ponder This Week
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. “~Jesus, Matthew 22:37-40
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” ~Jesus, John 15:13-14
“Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” ~2 Corinthians 13:11
“…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” ~Ephesians 3:17-19
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is not law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” ~Galatians 5:22-26
It Is Never Too Late!
If you have not yet made the decision to accept Jesus into your heart, do it now. Do not wait another minute. Speak to Him from your heart (for it is always a heart issue). Tell Him you have fallen short in your life. Sincerely apologize for your sins. Ask Him to cleanse you and come into your heart and be Lord over your life. From this moment forward let His Spirit guide you along the narrow road that leads to everlasting life. Let Him be your Christmas miracle!
Please Join Me In Prayer
Father God, We thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to set us free. As we await His coming, cleanse our hearts of every evil work. Heal every cooked place in each of our hearts. Wash us white as snow. Prepare our hearts to receive Him fully and welcome Him as Lord of our lives. Renew a steadfast spirit in each of us. Let love overflow in each of our spirits and spread exponentially to all we encounter. Empower us to walk in Your love and to take Your love to a dark and dying world. Great is Your faithfulness, oh God! We thank You that You keep Your hand on America. Forgive our sin and heal our land that we will remain One Nation Under God. We pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen and Amen.
A Prayer Request
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Please keep all who serve our country, our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our front-line on the battlefield, let us be their front-line in the spirit. Also, let us cover all who have come home wounded that they and their families will receive the kindness, help and support they need to go forward in their lives. God bless all our diplomatic and military personnel and their families. May the Lord keep them safe.
Pray for all throughout the world for hedges of protection against radical Islamic extremists and all forms of terrorism. Pray for Christians who face violence and death for their faith. We have long prayed for spiritual victory over radical Islam in Esther’s Warriors Ministry. We now see the reality of this threat come to the forefront in this time in world history. As Iranians and Islamic extremists are shouting ‘Death to America,’ let us speak life, hope and a return to God in America! Pray that leaders will arise ‘for such a time as this’ to take our country back from those who would destroy all that we have historically stood for since our inception.
Please pray for all in authority over us. Pray for the full truth to come forth concerning #Benghazi. Pray for Representative Trey Gowdy as he leads the House Select Committee on Benghazi. May God richly bless the United States of America, bring to light every single crooked place and keep her safe. We continue to pray for truth to prevail.
Pray for the families who have lost loved ones, especially those slaughtered by Islamic terrorists in San Bernardino, California this week: Shannon Johnson, 45, Los Angeles; BennettaBetBadal,46,Rialto; AuroraGodoy,26,SanJacinto; Isaac Amanios, 60, Fontana; Larry Kaufman, 42, Rialto; Harry Bowman, 46, Upland; Yvette Velasco, 27, Fontana; Sierra Clayborn, 27, Moreno Valley; Robert Adams, 40, Yucaipa;
Nicholas Thalasinos, 52, Colton; Tin Nguyen, 31, Santa Ana; Juan Espinoza, 50, Highland; Damian Meins, 58, Riverside; Michael Wetzel, 37, Lake Arrowhead.
Pray for those relentlessly targeted and for all of us who are proud to call ourselves American.
May we may arise united once again as One Nation Under God in this auspicious season in our country’s history. These are treacherous times and now more than ever we must maintain our walk with the Lord, saturate this country in prayer and stand for all that is right in America. Fail not in this hour.
Pray for peace in Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Pray for all affected by this week’s natural disasters.
Pray for American Pastor Saeed Abedini who has been held, tortured and denied medical care in Iran for being a Christian. He was captured in 2012. Let us join our prayers with others across the globe for his release and safe return to his wife and children. Pray for all in the persecuted church.
#PrayforAmerica, #AmericaLoveitorLeave it; #GodblessAmerica; #WakeupAmerica