From: christlife@googlegroups.com
Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:55:46 +0000
Subject: [ChristLife] Digest for christlife@googlegroups.com - 3
Messages in 3 Topics
To: Digest Recipients <christlife@googlegroups.com>
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Today's Topic Summary
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Group: christlife@googlegroups.com
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/topics
- WHAT MANNER OF LOVE! [1 Update]
http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/t/1ac36c43f5a16f5f
- 1 John 4:18 [1 Update]
http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/t/3f6c46e02e7a377d
- When we face uncertainty [1 Update]
http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/t/a632e4f8560331c8
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Topic: WHAT MANNER OF LOVE!
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/t/1ac36c43f5a16f5f
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From: Bayo Afolaranmi <spiritualdigest@gmail.com>
Date: Feb 11 07:43PM +0100
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/msg/6ba874022efe2273
Dearly Beloved,
WHAT MANNER OF LOVE!
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we
should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1 NKJV).
For some time now, many people have been talking about love, and they
will celebrate "love" on February 14, a day popularly known as "the
Valentine's Day." However, the kind of love that people are presently
talking about and that is been celebrated on February 14 is erroneous.
It is indeed "lust" not love! Even if one claims that "the Valentine's
Day" has to do with a love between a man and a woman in love (whether
married or not), the original intention of the celebration is to
demonstrate sacrificial love of one person to another.
This manner of sacrificial love was demonstrated by God. Hear Paul:
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NKJV). Apostle John
explained this in other words: "For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 NKJV). This sacrificial
love made everyone who accepts it to be a child of God! It made the
person to be a heir in the kingdom of God. Such a person like a true
son, not a servant or slave, can now come boldly to the throne of God
with confidence and freedom (see Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16;
10:19-23). It is a pity that the world does not know this kind of
love, hence, the wrong celebration of the Valentine's Day.
The manner of love that God had, and is still having, for the world -
the sacrificial love - the manner of love that will give out something
tangible and indelible to the recipient should be the focus of anyone
this Valentine season and all the time. The Valentine season should
remind us of a sacrificial love that we can give not only to our loved
ones, but to everyone that we encounter. It should never be a time of
satisfying one's lustful desires.
What manner of love do you want to demonstrate this Valentine season?
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
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Topic: 1 John 4:18
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/t/3f6c46e02e7a377d
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From: Anil Kumar <makforjesus@gmail.com>
Date: Feb 11 06:41AM -0800
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/msg/2cf242418d545691
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not
made perfect in love.
While I approach God with reverence and awe because he is the
holy and majestic God, I don't have to fear his presence. Because
of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, I know God is my Abba Father. He
longs for me to draw near him. He has shown me his heart by sending
Jesus. He has shown me his love by having Jesus die for me. If he
loves me that much, then I can trust that his desire is to save and
bless me. I don't have to fear his presence or his judgment. As his
child, his love has driven fear from my heart and replaced it with
love from his abiding presence, the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER:
Holy and Righteous Father, I thank you for your overwhelming
love demonstrated to me in Jesus. I thank you for providing the
atoning sacrifice for my sins and for adopting me into your family.
Father, please cast all fear from my heart and help me walk
confidently with you and for you, with character and purpose.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
--
*PRAISE THE LORD*
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Topic: When we face uncertainty
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/t/a632e4f8560331c8
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From: Jacob <jninan@gmail.com>
Date: Feb 10 05:02PM -0800
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/christlife/msg/841343055a953f9c
Faith is not the same as hope. Many time we pray in hope that God will
answer our prayers in the way we expect. But if God has not given us a
specific promise concering our request, either through a direct
promise in His word or an assurance in our heart (Ro.10:17), we really
don't know how God will answer us. If we are honest and real about
life, we have to admit that this is the case many times. After we have
prayed we wait in hope, but uncertain about the outcome. What is
certain for us is that our Father has heard our prayer, He is
almighty, all knowing, all wise and full of love for us, and that He
will answer us in the way that is really the best for us. That is our
faith in our Father.
To believe that God can do anything, or that He can do what He has
done for others, is faith in God's ability and power. But that in
itself is not the same as believing that God will actually do what we
have asked for. Has He told us He will do it, or are we just hoping
that He will do it? If He has told us in our heart then we can have
faith that it will happen just as He has said (Mt.8:13).
We shouldn't be confused between hope and faith. When we have an
assurance in our heart that what we hope for will come true, that is
faith (He.11:1). This assurance is given to us by God specifically in
different situations. We know it when we have it. But this is
different from us trying to make ourselves come to that assurance--by
repeating words from the Bible or 'positive' words and avoiding
'negative' words. That will be like us making things happen (which we
can't do; we are not gods), and not God answering our prayer through
His grace.
When we have prayed in hope, and when we are uncertain about how
things would turn out, that is when our faith in our Father will be
our strength. "We don't know the future, but we know the One who holds
the future." Just as a young child derives his confidence and strength
from his father's finger which he holds on to, we too can stand firm,
without wavering, knowing that our future is safe in our Father's
hands. Then we would be glad if our Father answers our prayer in the
way we want or the way He wants. We know He knows best, and that
knowledge helps us to have the attitude, "Not my will, Father, but
Yours."
Those who wait on God will not be disappointed (Is.49:23). We may be
disappointed when we don't get what we asked for, but we will not be
disappointed in the ultimate sense because our Father always plans for
our welfare and not for calamity (Je.29:11), and He causes even the
disappointing things that come to us to work for our eternal good (Ro.
8:28,29).
This kind of faith in our Father helps us not to be moved by things
that happen to us. People who have been taught to 'believe' that they
will always get whatever they ask for get disappointed many times, and
some of them even fall away from God. The fault is not with God, but
an unrealistic understanding of faith that they had.
--
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