Tuesday December 13, 2011

Read John 14

 

Take a moment to complete the following sentence "I feel loved when..."  You can talk about 5 or 6 or even more things if you like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obviously we feel loved when people act and speak and treat us in certain ways. While there may be some variation in answers I suspect that most people would have a similar range of answers.  I suspect that certain things would be excluded from almost everyone’s list. What would these things include? Can you list 5 or 10 of them?

 

The reason that we are all so similar is that God created us in His own image and He made us in a certain mould that knows good and evil, right and wrong and so on. When it comes to feeling loved we have an inbuilt radar that knows when someone is for us or against us by the way they speak to us, treat us and even their body language. That creation also governs the way that we relate to God. God knows when we love Him or hate Him or are indifferent to Him (which really is hatred of Him) by the way we relate to Him.

 

Jesus made it very clear. There is no ambiguity or uncertainty about Jesus’ words - if you love me you will obey what I command. What we have is a simple conditional statement which says that if this is true then

something else will follow. OBEDIENCE is the hall mark and trademark of Christian love for God. It is the essential element of spirituality above and beyond all spiritual gifts and miraculous works etc. Quickly read Matthew 7:21-23 and take note of the type of people that Jesus sent to eternal condemnation! It was the miracle workers, the demon exorcisors and the prophets who were DISOBEDIENT. That’s a scary passage.

 

Obedience speaks volumes to a world living in hatred of God. Obedience challenges and threatens the world. My own family get annoyed and angry when they realise that I tithe and give to the Lord at least 10% of my income. Friends and acquaintances are irritated when I put the Lord first and foremost in all of my life. Obedience is challenging. Obedience to Jesus shows where your allegiance lies and people will find that threatening.

 

The good news, however, is that many will see your obedience and will be drawn to find the Saviour that has empowered you to walk in such radical obedience.

 

Prayer:

¨ Give thanks to God for the commitment of many ladies to came to  the Itchin’4Stitching nights through this year.

¨ Ask God to bless the recipients of the lap quilts made, that they would see the love of Christ through these practical gifts provided to them.