The Proper Sequence to Loving

Can you see anything wrong with this picture?

Kind of funny isn't it?  We have all heard the expression about "Putting the cart before the horse."  I have never heard of anyone actually, literally doing this; but I can only imagine what might happen if they did.  Figuratively speaking though, people do this all the time.  It means to do something out of the order of it proper sequence.  God put order into all things, and that order must be followed.  If it's not, then probably you will miss out on most of God's blessings in your life.

Take for example the power of God's love.  God gave us a proper sequence for every Christian to experience and exercise love.  I hope you can come out on Sunday morning to discover what is that sequence.  You might be pleasantly surprised.  We live in a society that certainly doesn't follow it, and even Christians tend to buy into the values of its culture and society.  In other words, we become by-products of our society in terms of its beliefs and practices.

Come Sunday and find out how to hook the cart up properly to the horse in terms of how we should love.  Only by following the proper sequence will you reap the full benefits of God's love for your own life.

Don't forget that the Shepherd's Care Ministry of our church has joined forces with our Christian Education Ministry to host a Sunday School and Church family lunch at Dave and Camille Vokey's.  Bring a lawn chair if you have one; and if you are brave enough bring a bathing suit as well.

See you Sunday!

Blessings,

-Leo

"Deep Cries Unto Deep"

There is a mystery about the love of God - the more you have of it, the more you want.  It might be considered selfish on your part if you are selfish with it; because God's love is given so that you can give it away.  Hoarding God's love is never an option.  Can you imagine what the outcome would have been if Jesus had kept God's wonderful love locked up inside His heart?  There would have been no suffering for our sins and sacrifice on the cross.  That's a scary thought!

God's love is given, to be given away.  The more that you search for it, the more you will find.  And the more you find, the more you will be equipped to give it away to others.  We are merely open vessels for God's love to flow in and flow out.  Romans 12:6 says,

"We have different gifts according to the grace given us."

An above verse says,

"Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought to, but rather think of yourselves with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." Romans 12:3

Notice I underlined certain words in each of those two verse.  In verse 6, "grace given to us;" and in verse 3, "the measure of faith God has given you."  I remember being taught many years ago that grace/love is given according to the measure of your faith.  The stronger your faith becomes, the greater portion of grace/love God will pour into you.

There should be a burning desire within each of our hearts to be constantly filled in fullness with God's love.  Last Sunday I compared God's love to a deep pool of fresh water.  You can find pools of fresh water at the end of running water, such as in a brook or river.

One day many years ago, while fishing down a river I came upon such a pool.  The water before it ran swiftly over the rough terrain of rocks and cliffs' then into a deep pool.  I stopped for a moment and gazed into the pool.  I could see clearly through the water for many feet, but then the light faded into darkness toward the bottom.

God's love is like a deep pool of water.  We can look into the pool and see quite clearly, but only to a certain distance, then it goes dark with mystery.  We can't really see the bottom.  That's because there really is no bottom to the pool of God's love.  It simply goes on forever.

But even though we can't see the bottom, God wants us to jump in anyway, and dive down deep.  The deeper we go the better; because it extends the measure of faith.  The measure of faith is never complete in this life.  No one has ever arrived to completion of faith on this side of heaven.

So dive deep!  The refreshing pools of God's love are inviting you to dive in a be refreshed, renewed, and filled.

Blessings,

-Leo