OUR DAILY BREAD : FAMILY TRADEMARKS

[cimi]

July 30
Wednesday


FAMILY
TRADEMARKS

READ:
1 John 4:7-16
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Beloved, let us love
one another, for love is
of God; and everyone
who loves is born of
God and knows God.
__1 John 4:7
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The Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland, are known for their beautiful sweaters. Patterns are woven into the fabric using sheep's wool to craft the garments. Many of them relate to the culture and folklore of these small islands, but some are more personal. Each family on the islands has its own trademark pattern, which is so distinctive that if a fisherman were to drown it is said that he could be identified simply by examining his sweater for the family trademark.

In John's first letter, the apostle describes things that are to be trademarks of those who are members of God's family. In 1 John 3:1, John affirms that we are indeed part of God's family by saying, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God!" He then describes the trademarks of those who are the children of God, including, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God" (4:7).

Because "love is of God," the chief way to reflect the heart of the Father is by displaying the love that characterizes Him. May we allow His love to reach out to others through us__for love is one of our family trademarks.
__Bill Crowder

````````````````````````Father, teach me to love with the love of Christ``````````````````````````
````````````````````````that others might see Your love reflected in my``````````````````````````
``````````````````````````care and concern for them. May Your love````````````````````````````
``````````````````````drive and dominate my responses to life and to others.``````````````````````
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Love is the family resemblance the world should see
in followers of Christ.

*********************************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 John 4:7-16*****************************

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 who 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. 13 Beloved, if God
so loves us, we also ought
to love one another.

12 No one has seen God at
any time. If we love one
another, God abides in us,
and His love has been
perfected in us. 13 By this
we know that we abide in
Him, and He in us, because
He has given us of His
Spirit. 14 And we have seen
and testify that the Father
has sent the Son as Savior
of the world. 15 Whoever
confesses that Jesus is the
Son of God, God abides in
him, and he in God. 16 And
we have known and
believed the love that God
has for us. God is love, and
he who abides in love
abides in God, and God in
him..

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
In 1 John 4:9, John's words parallel those of Paul in Romans 5:8,
which reads: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Notice
that with both Paul and John the emphasis is on how God's love
has been proven through the sending of His Son to us. Paul's
perspective, however, is rooted in our unworthiness while John's
focus is on the gift of life in Christ.