Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

March 27
Saturday


LOVING GOD

READ:
1 John 4:7-21
__________________________________________________________

Beloved, if God so
loved us, we also ought
to love one another.
__1 John 4:11
__________________________________________________________

Early in our marriage, I thought I knew the ultimate shortcut to my wife's heart. I arrived home one night with a bouquet of a dozen red roses behind my back. When I presented the flowers to Martie, she thanked me graciously, sniffed the flowers, and then took them into the kitchen. Not quite the response I had expected.

It was an introductory lesson in the reality that flowers are not my wife's primary language of love. Whlie she appreciated the gesture, she was mentally calculating the cost of an expensive bouquet of flowers--a budget breaker for a young couple in seminary! And as I've discovered through the years, she is far more interested in my time and attention. When I devote myself to her in an uninterrupted and attentive way, that's when she really feels loved.

Did you ever wonder how God wants us to show that we love Him? We get a clue when we read, "He who loves God must love his brother also" (1 Jhn 4:21). It's that simple. One of the primary ways we show our love for God is by loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we genuinely love each other, it brings pleasure to our heavenly Father.

So watch for opportunities to tell Jesus that you love Him. He's infinitely worth whatever it costs. __Joe Stowell
_____________________________________________________________

```````````````````All those who say they love the Lord````````````
```````````````````````But don't love one another,```````````````
````````````````````Should question the relationship``````````````
`````````````````They have with God the Father. __Sper```````````
_____________________________________________________________

To show your love for God,
share your love with others.

*************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 John 4:7-21**************

7 Beloved, let us love one
another, for love is of God;
and everyone who loves is
born of God and knows
God. 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.

11 Beloved, if God so loved
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.

17 Love has been perfected
among us in this: that we
may have boldness in the
day of judgment; because as
He is, so are we in this
world. 18 There is no fear in
love; but perfect love casts
out fear, because fear
involves torment. But he
who fears has not been
made perfect in love. 19 We
love Him because He first
loved us.

20 If someone says, "I love
God," and hates his brother,
he is a liar; for he who does
not love his brother whom
he has seen, how can he love
God whom he has not seen?

21 And this commandment
we have from Him: that he
who loves God must love
his brother also.