OUR DAILY BREAD : THE POWER OF LOVE

[cimi]

February 26
Wednesday


THE POWER
OF LOVE

READ:
1 John 4:7-10
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In this is love, not that
we loved God, but
that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the
[atoning sacrifice] for
our sins. __1 John 4:10
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Books on leadership often appear on best-seller lists. Most of them tell how to become a powerful and effective leader. But Henri Nouwen's book In the Name of Jesus: Reflections of Christian Leadership is written from a different perspective. The former university professor who spent many years serving in a community of developmentally disabled adults says: "The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?... In our world of loneliness and despair, there is an enormous need for men and women who know the heart of God, a heart that forgives, that cares, that reaches out and wants to heal."

John wrote, "in this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the [atoning sacrifice] for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10).

"The Christian leader of the future," writes Nouwen, "is the one who truly knows the heart of God as it has become flesh... in Jesus." In Him, we discover and experience God's unconditional, unlimited love. __David McCasland

``````````````````````Father, please show the wonder of Your great love````````````````````````
`````````````````````through me to others today so that they might know`````````````````````````
`````````````````````they need not walk through life alone. Let my heart`````````````````````````
````````````````````````personally experience and display Your care.`````````````````````````````
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God's love in our heart gives us a heart for others.

*********************************today's Bible Reading __ 1 John 4:7-10**********************************

1 Beloved, let us love one
another, for love is of God;
and everyone who loves is
born of God and knows
God. 8 He hwo does not
love does not know God,
for God is love. 9 In this the
love of God was manifested
toward us, that God has
sent His only begotten Son
into the world, that we
might live through Him.

10 In this is love, not that
we loved God, but that He
loved us and sent His son
to be the propitiation for
our sins.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

John, who referred to himself as "the disciple [Jesus] loved" (John
13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7), wrote his gospel to show how God is
his great love, how God gave us His Son to die for our sins, and
how Jesus came to give us abundant life (3:16-18; 10:10; 17:3).
This new life is to be characterized by love (13:34-35). John wrote
1 John to show believers how to put love into action. In today's
passage, he reiterated the primacy and priority of the christian
to love. The person who lacks love shows that he does not really
know God nor is in close fellowship with Him, "for God is love"
(vv.7-8). In this letter, John reminds us once again of how much
God loves us (vv.9-10).