Call to me, and I will answer thee

Call to me, and I will answer thee

Scripture:-

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth Jeremiah 33:6

Observation:- In chapter 3 of Jeremiah 33, there are two verses that particularly spring up to my attention. The first is a famous and marvelous verse. Jeremiah 33:3 gives us the picture of us calling out to the Lord, and the Lord answering us, and showing us great and mighty things, we which never could have imagined.

Driven into a corner, with no hope left, many a sinner has called out to God “God, if you are real, show yourself to me.”, and God has answered, and turned their lives completely round. This is God’s promise “Call to me, and I will answer you”. In the Psalms, there is a wonderful verse which says “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the sons of man, to see if there are any who understand, any who seek Him”. The Lord’s eyes are looking for those who will look up to heaven and seek Him. Later, in the Acts, it is written that God is not far from anyone of us and we need only to reach out and find Him.

The second verse highlighted in this chapter, is about God’s healing power and peace. Jehovah Rapha means God is my healer, and indeed it is in God’s nature to heal, to cure. When Jesus came, He went throughout the land, healing every disease and sickness among the people. Sickness is a symptom of sin, brought about by the fall of men, but in Jesus, we are cured from sin, and from every disease.

It is further written that God will reveal His abundance of peace and truth. In God, there is always abundance, more than we could ever need. In Him is overflowing peace, overflowing truth.

We would do most well to seek Him and to ask for His abundant healing, peace and truth.

Application: Call to God, really call out to Him. Ask Him to be real in your life. Without Him, there is no true meaning or peace in life. If you are sick, believe that God can heal you, that He wants to heal you. Keep believing, even if doctors say there is no hope. See Jesus on the cross, taking all our sickness and infirmities. It is written, He bore our infirmities and our sicknesses. Ask God to show you His abundant peace and truth. Ask Him to show you great and unsearchable things.

Prayer: Lord, open the eyes of my heart, that I might see You. In You O Lord is hope and peace. Show me the abundance of your peace and truth. Show yourself so real in my life O Lord. You are worthy of all honor and praise. In Jesus name, Amen.

From potential suicide bomber to Pastor

From potential suicide bomber to Pastor

This week, we were privileged at FGB Chapter Jaya One to have Pastor Daniel Tavackolian share with us.

Pastor Daniel was born in Tehran, and trained from young to be a suicide bomber in the Iran-Iraq war. Children were brainwashed in school and thought from a young age about tanks and military camps. Daniel himself, because he was tall, was made a group leader of ten, and carried a flag heavier than himself. In those days, it was not uncommon for a young teenage boy to sacrifice himself by rolling down a hill full of mines to clear a way for the troops to advance. For sacrificing themselves, they were promised by the clerics that 75 virgins would be waiting for them in heaven. Deeply concerned for his safety, his parents decided to send him to his uncle in Stockholm, Sweden.

Now, from 5 years old, Pastor Daniel shared that he had already met the Holy Spirit and often talked to Him, though he did not really understand about Jesus and Christianity. When he went to Sweden, he again felt the presence of God in his room. From that time, he no longer used his prayer mat or prayed towards Mekkah. Having some interest in graphic design, he went on to study in Seattle, America, and there very providentially, God only gave him Christian friends. They were not spirit-filled, they did not evangelize to him, but he was touched by their love, and visited their churches. He felt happy when he saw people worshipping and lifting their hands to God, so he also followed. Two of his favorite songs to this day are “Open the eyes of my heart” and “Our God is an awesome God”. He proceeded to go for Bible Studies, Camps, and visited 8 churches in his time in America, but he was not a believer yet.

In his last semester, around May 2000, he happened to attend a service at a small Methodist chapel. The Pastor preaching kept on mentioning the name of Jesus, and somehow he felt as if his heart would jump out of his chest every time he heard the name. The Pastor gave him an NIV Bible and told him to go back and read John and everything would be ok. He went back and read but nothing happened. Angry, he called up another Pastor friend, who told him to read it 3 times. The second time, read it in Jesus name, and the third time, read it after praying to the Holy Spirit. Still nothing happened. Nevertheless, he attended a Christian camp and was greatly intrigued went the Speaker spoke from the book of Daniel, mentioning King Cyrus and King Darius. Daniel had always been intrigued by his Persian roots, and studied the history of his country deeply. Coming back from the camp, Daniel continued to have a bubbly feeling inside him, and when he entered his room, the glory of God filled his room. There was a sound of rushing wind in his room, but when he went out, there was nothing. The Lord spoke to him in Swedish. “It is not by chance that you got Christian friends. Receive me into your heart before you go back to Sweden.” Daniel had no doubt that the living God had spoken to him. In obedience, Daniel went to a Methodist church, kneeled down and repeated the sinner’s prayer.

Upon going back to Sweden, Daniel began to seek out a church. The first church he went to was a 1000 year old Lutheran church with a tower of 99 feet. The priest instructed him to spend 11 weeks reading the Bible and some Christian teachings. Somehow, he was not comfortable being baptized in the Lutheran church and searched out other churches, before finding a Pentecostal church, where was baptized by the Pastor there. Initially he asked if the Lutheran pastor could baptize him in the Pentecostal church. The Pentecostal Pastor said no, but said the Lutheran priest could read a Scripture. Daniel gave a testimony for 45 minutes, and there was a congregation of 2,000 there with the unusual incidence of having a Lutheran priest presiding over his baptism in a Pentecostal service. As David came up from the waters, he saw himself in the spirit being carried up by 4 angels.

Not long after that, Pastor Daniel was led by God to write 61 poems in only a few weeks, and the poems were so powerful that Media and TV Networks came to interview him. In heavily secularized Sweden, less than 2% of the people go to church. Every time he was interviewed, Daniel prayed that Jesus Christ might be known. One particularly memorable incident was when he read his poem “Church Phobia” on live broadcast to his city council.

Church Phobia

Non believers and logical thinkers

Prejudice and judgements, diverse

They all suffer from one disease

One that never seem to cease

Blinding all of their senses

Imprisoning and building fences

Provoked and encouraged by mass media

No true perception, merely phantasia

Seek the truth from the source

Reject others’ opinions’ force

Loving thoughts, human philia

The cure for thy church phobia

Today, Pastor Daniel pastors a church in Stockholm, Sweden consisting mainly of Persian speaking Ex-Muslims. He has his own radio ministry Nejat4stockholm which is broadcast in 24 countries.

After sharing his testimony, Pastor Daniel continued to share with us deep and insightful teachings for our contemplation and learning.

Happiness is feeling good about one’s self. There are 2 forces vital for happiness, relationship and achievement. There is the Son of God and there is the system of God. One is heart, and one is mind. Mind management is the first priority for the over comer. A productive life is not an accident. Goals should have order. Never speak words that make you think you are losing. Words are life. Everything that is created is a solution to a problem. Successful people solve problems. Have something that meets a need. Doctor solve health problems, mechanics solve car problems. Take inventory of yourself. What would you do if you could do something where it was impossible to fail? Doubt is deadly, believe in your brother. Thoughts are life current moving through the air. Thoughts draw people towards us or chase people away. You won’t succeed in any business until you really know it. If you promote Jesus, you must believe Him. If you want to sell a product, you must take the effort to know a product, even if it is boring and laborious. Do you have an awareness of your business? How much have you invested in being informed? Speak and act the truth. Anyone who does business seeks the truth. People fear misrepresentation. Focus on the advantages of your business. An honest relationship is worth 100 sales. Give another what he cannot find anywhere else, and he will keep returning. Your integrity will be rewarded. First impressions last. Be content in all that you have. The more debt you have, the more you spend. It costs more to have more. The grass is always greener on the other side, because the water bill is higher. Don’t starve today for the salary you dream of having. A laborer has a good night’s rest but a rich man is worried about his many possessions. Don’t do what and when thinking i.e. when I get married, then I will be happy, when I get children, then I will be happy, when the children grow up, then I will be happy. Happiness is not getting everything that you have but enjoying what you have. Use what you have to create what you want. Don’t be bogged down by something that you don’t have. Plant seeds for a specific harvest. If you plant seeds of diligence, your harvest will be promotion. Everything begins with a seed. Seed is anything you can multiply. Love is a seed. Money is a seed. The solution to your problem is nearer than you think. Sometimes you have to do something you hate to gain something you love. Goals and dreams last longer than reputation. Not everyone will like you. Your contribution is necessary for someone’s success. In sales, if 14 out of 15 say no, keep going so you can reach the 15^th faster. No means no. No means to ask again.

Thoughts of peace and not of evil

Thoughts of peace and not of evil

Scripture:- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD Jeremiah 29:11-14a

Observation:- Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the Bible’s most beloved verses and embodies the thoughts of our great and loving God. As is written, the Lord thinks about us, and his thoughts are thoughts of peace, not evil, and He desires us to have a hope and a future. This does not mean that all in life will be smooth sailing and a bed of roses. Even Jesus Himself and His disciples endured very difficult times as they served God, but despite everything that happened, they always had that firm confidence that God loved them and was with them through everything, even death.

The second part is a promise for us, that if we call upon God, and pray to God, He will listen to us. If we seek Him, with all our heart, He will let us find Him. Deep in each person’s heart is a desire to seek God and to know God. The things of the world may come to the forefront, and distract her for a while, but in the quietness, if we truly reflect within ourselves, we will find that we are looking for God. It is in our nature, as beings specially created in God’s image.

Perhaps some of us are in a bad situation, when calamity and misfortune seems to be upon us. Can we still believe that the Lord’s thought are upon us for peace and a future? Can we still believe God’s Word is true? This is where faith comes in, to see beyond the physical but into the future, like Abraham who believed God for a son through Sarah, like Noah who believed God would send the Flood, like Job who refused to forsake God even when every calamity imaginable had struck him.

Application:- Praise God for His thoughts of peace and goodness to us. Submit our future to God who makes all things work together for those who love Him. Be quiet and seek God with all our hearts.

Prayer: Lord, I praise You for Your loving kindness and faithfulness towards me. I entrust my future to Your hands O Lord. I seek You in the morning, dear Lord. Reveal Yourself to me, I pray. In Jesus name, Amen

By my great power and outstretched arm

By my great power and outstretched arm

Scripture:- I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me Jeremiah 27:5

Observation:- Firstly, we observe that God has made the earth. All creation is made by God. It did not come into being by an accident or by chance. The earth came into being because God had a purpose and will behind it. He is Creator God.

Secondly, God made man and beast that live on the ground. The world of animals is so rich and vibrant with countless miracles operating within each individual habitat and specie. Think of the way the little ants work together unceasingly in a marvelous network to build a home for their queen. Marvel at the industry and expertise of the beaver in building a dam on the river.  How incredible it is to watch a little bird hopping to and fro within the jaws of the mighty crocodile picking at the meat in between the teeth. The crocodile will not harm her but appreciates her for cleaning its teeth. The way a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, the skill with which the mongoose battles a king cobra, the way the little mammals hibernate in the winter. Truly God has made an amazing world of animals.

However, chief of God’s creation is man, and we must never forget that it is God who created us and it is us God is most concerned about. Just as a vase is made by the potter to be a vase, just as a builder has built a house to be a home, we too are created for a special purpose, and we can only find true meaning in life if we do what we are created to do. Why did God create us and give us our intellect? - So that we might know Him, so that we might please Him in living good lives with Him and with each other.

Thirdly, God created the earth and all things by His great power and outstretched arm. The outstretched arm gives us the impression that God held nothing back, but created marvelously and beautifully according to the full passion of His creativity. How beautiful the evening and morning skies. How beautiful the great mountains, and vast oceans, the deserts and the snowy plains. God has certainly made all things well.

Finally, God has given the earth to whomever He saw fit to give. Throughout history, we have seen the rise and fall of great kings and dictators, great empires, and powerful armies. Yet all who have power over the earth for a time are allowed that authority by God, according to His wisdom. Many times, we do not understand, and despair at the ruthlessness of poor governments and corrupt leaders but behind the scenes, God is there, and holds all things in His hands. Nothing is impossible for God. We need only be patient and wait for His timing, which is perfect.

Application:- Thank God for the wonderful earth that He has created. Learn to enjoy the simple things in nature, a evening sky, the birds calmly flying overhead, a nearby stream, simple trees growing by the side of the road, and thank God often. If we are in despair or in a difficult situation because of those in authority above us, do not give up. Keep praying, and thank God that He holds all things in His hands, and He will give us great deliverance at just the right time.

Prayer: Father God, I praise You for the great works of Your hands. How amazing you creation, the skies, the moon and the sun, the beautiful trees and the incredible animals and insects that roam across the earth. Father God, Your will is sovereign and I submit my situation to you. I trust that You, O Lord will make everything work perfectly in Your good time. Bless You Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.

The most important thing

The most important thing

This Friday, we were privileged at FGB Chapter Jaya One to have Pastor James Alexander share with us on the topic “Finding your life”.

Many of us all around the world are drifting, wondering, looking to find that anchor in life, what is the most important thing, what truly matters and what can help one find true fulfillment and satisfaction.

There was a president of a successful business. Successful, burly, he thought he had it all in life but as he grew older, he suddenly found himself at death’s door, discouraged and depressed. However, one day, an idea came to him – to read his bible. Having never really read the Word all his life, it was not easy for him, but he grasped one simple understanding from the Words of Jesus – What the Lord did so many hundreds of years ago, he is still able to do today. And so the man prayed to God and simply asked God to heal him. In a short time, his strength returned and from then one, he kept going with God. In particular, he found Luke 17:33 especially meaningful to him. ”Whoever seeks his life will lose it but whoever loses his life will preserve it.” From this verse, the man realized that he was losing his life because he was not giving it away.

For us too, we can only find our life by giving it away. From young, I have always been particularly impressed by missionary stories, their great stories of sacrifice and service to the global community. Through these great tales, I have found a pattern of personal, strength, significance and fulfillment in their lives. In India, Calcutta, there is a building called the “Sisters for Charity”, and it is there that Mother Theresa labored for 16-18 hours a day giving her life away to help the dying. Contrast it to our pampered lives here where we clamor for vacations and personal time from our busy jobs. We are constructed to give, not to take. However, our culture today is all about consummation. Yet does all our getting and self-gratification bring us happiness? God’s preoccupation in a way is not so much to make us happy but to build us up into men and women of faith. Money should never be our goal but our goal should be to walk in faith before God. God can do in one day what we can never do in a lifetime. We learn by teaching, and we grow by helping. Find a need and meet it. Find something outside yourself that is bigger than yourself so that you might forget yourself so that you might give of yourself. All of life’s problems are because we are so concerned about ourselves.

In giving, we are not talking about just tithes, but giving everything that we are. We can indeed make a difference, each one of us. The truth is we were not born for ourselves but to give. Lazarus was 4 days dead in the tomb, and the rotting flesh would have given off a dreadful smell, but Jesus told Martha “I am the resurrection and the life.” When Jesus is there, everything begins, everything comes to life.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-3, is a very interesting passage. It starts “Cast thy bread upon the waters and after many days you will find it again”. The bread in the Old Testament was fundamental to life sustenance and nourishment. Your bread is you, your time, your talent, your money, your warmth. The waters are symbolic of the people. We need to go to the people and give what we have away.  You may think you have nothing of value, but you have a handshake, you can show kindness, you can show warmth. And after many days, it will always come back to you. Such is the law of heaven. If you send out mercy, kindness, goodness, it will come back in due time. If you send out cruelty, selfishness, arrogance, it will also come back in due time.

Verse 2 continues, give a portion to seven and also to eight for you know not what evil shall be upon the earth. Seven is the number of wholeness, of completion. We must not be like the sad man who always had half a mind to do this, and half a mind to do that. We need to be wholehearted in giving. 8 represents new beginnings. When we give in everything we have, we will break out into new beginnings. The boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish gave everything he had to Jesus, and witnessed a great miracle. To live a miraculous life, we must realize that God doesn’t need much, but He needs something. It’s about God’s reputation. In Him we will always be moving forward. Love and serve with all we have and we will never run out as we run into what He has for us.

Verse 3 says If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. There are empty clouds and there are clouds full of rain. If you live a life of giving, clouds of blessing will follow you. The north represents adversity and the south represents prosperity. However, for those in God there is no difference whether in good times or bad times. God is interested in finishing, and he wants us to finish strong.

In Mexico 1968, the main highlight and final event was the Marathon and one of the favorites was the Tanzanian John Stephen Akhwari, the hope of gold for his country. However, as the first runners reached the finish line, there was no sign of Akhwari. More finished, and still no Akhwari. And then suddenly, they saw a lone runner hobbling in from a distance. Injured, bleeding, John Stephen had fallen over the side of a hill but he did not give up, but kept going. Amazed, they asked him “Why did you continue running? Help would have come.” He replied “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to run a race, but to finish a race.” God doesn’t want us just to start but to finish.

God may have put something in our hearts to do for him and we may have come to a point where we are weary and discouraged. Don’t give up, ask God for strength and keep going. Finish it. Our time and God’s time are not always the same. Trust God, in the end all things will work out for those who love Him. At the 2004 Olympics, the announcers remembered Mexico 1968, and they remembered not any of the winners but only John Stephen Akhwari, the man who wouldn’t quit.

If we find ourselves at the edge of a cliff looking down, that is a good place to be for we can depend on nothing else but God. And when God lifts us up, we will suddenly find that we can fly, with wings of eagles. If we find ourselves in a dark tunnel and can’t see any light, do not despair, for we can see God in the dark and God is all we need.

May the Lord enable us to live lives of passion, giving of ourselves freely for His glory according to all He has called us to. May we never give up but keep going and fulfill the destiny He has placed in our heart. In Jesus name, Amen.

I will build them, I will plant them

I will build them, I will plant them

Scripture:- For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart Jeremiah 24:6-7

Observation:- It is God’s natural desire to bless, to do good to His creation, to let them live peacefully and enjoy their lives. Our Lord Jesus said that God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. In all creation, we can see the inherent goodness of God. Even in the seasons, summer and winter, spring and autumn, we see the faithfulness and goodness of God.

Prophesying of the future, the Lord tells the people through Jeremiah of a time when His eyes will only be upon them for good, when they will be built up and planted in the land. In the Psalms, it is written that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain, and unless the Lord stands guard over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. Our bodies are said to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, and as the Spirit dwells in us, our spirit man is built up strongly in the Lord. In every congregation of believers, small or big, it is also the Lord who builds up and strengthens the church.

Another picture painted here is the Lord planting his people. In Isaiah 61, it is prophesied of our Lord Jesus that the Spirit of the Lord will anoint him to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, and to set the captives free, and they will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. In Psalm 1, also, we see the picture of the man who loves God Word being like a tree planted by streams of living water.

The Lord builds us that we may become strong, and plants us where we might receive living water and nourishment.

And the Lord goes on to say that He will give His people a new heart so that they may know Him. To know God is our primary purpose in life. It’s so important for us to set our hearts to know God and He will reveal Himself to us through His Holy Spirit. In the end, we are destined to be with God, living together with Him – God as our God, and we are His people.

Application:- Open our eyes and see that God is building us strong and faithful in Christ, and He is planting, setting us near His living Word which gives us life and nourishment. Desire in our hearts to know God more and ask God to reveal more of Himself to us. Look forward to the day when we will dwell with God and with Jesus forever.

Prayer:- O Lord, continue the good work you have started in me. Build me, plant me in Your great love and wisdom. O Lord Jesus, I desire to know You more. Show more and more of Yourself to me I pray. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Lord our righteousness

The Lord our righteousness

Scripture:- Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jeremiah 23:5-6

Observation:- Wow! What a wonderful Scripture! It speaks about a glorious day in the future, when God will raise up a King born in the line of David who would reign and prosper, and execute judgment and justice in the earth. Judah and Israel shall dwell safely and the name of the King will be called “The Lord our righteousness!”

This prophecy of course can be about none other than our Lord Jesus Himself. When Jesus came as a man the first time, the Jews expected Him to immediately fulfill this prophecy, to overthrow the reign of Rome, and establish His government on the earth in Judah and Israel. However, this prophecy speaks not of His first coming but His second coming, which has yet to occur.

We get a glimpse of the Lord’s rule in Revelation 19 where we see Him coming down from heaven on a white horse, and ruling the nations with a rod of iron. In Revelation 20, it is written, that Jesus is to reign for a thousand years with His saints before the Final Battle.

In today’s world, governments are corrupt, and the rich become richer while the poor become poorer. However, when the Lord comes, He will rule with justice and righteousness. There will be peace in the land and safety. Imagine a world with no crime, no poverty. The name of the Lord is so important.

The Lord our righteousness. We should learn to call our Lord by His name. Why is He our righteousness? Because He died for us, our Lord Jesus has become our righteousness. As Paul declared in 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us so that we might be the righteousness of God in Him. This is one of the most important exchanges that Jesus Christ did for us when He died for us on the cross. He took our sin, and gave us His righteousness. What does it mean to be righteous? It means to be blameless. Imagine if you were wearing a dirty, smelly, wretched coat, and you came to Jesus who was wearing a bright, clean, white coat. He takes off his nice, beautiful coat and gives it to you and instead wears your dirty coat. Think of the terms robes of righteousness. The righteousness is not our own. Our human righteousness are really like filthy rags. It is our Lord Jesus’ pure, holy, perfect righteousness.

As we begin to see ourselves wearing robes of righteousness, we will begin to see our lives changing as the Holy Spirit works in us.

Application: Meditate on the name the Lord our righteousness. Thank Jesus for becoming our righteousness. See ourselves wearing robes and righteousness throughout the day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You that You are our perfect righteousness. We thank You, Lord that on the cross You took all our sin, that we might receive all Your righteousness. Help me see Your robes on righteousness on Me, O Lord. It is only in You that I have life. Praise Your Holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.

A new commandment?

A new commandment?

I was recently privileged to listen to a recorded Bible Study teaching by my father-in-law, Prof Dr.Lee on John 13:34-38. Here the words of Jesus are written “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this will all men know that you are my disciples because you love one another.”

As we can see, our Lord heavily emphasized on the phrase “love one another”, underlying its supreme importance but the question was raised: How is it a new commandment. In another instance, a teacher of the law had asked Jesus what was the most important commandment of the law and the Lord answered him “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The word “new” means “fresh” in the Greek, but it seems just like the second greatest commandment. However, when we read more carefully, the old commandment says “Love your neighbor as yourself” while the new commandment says “Love one another as Jesus loved you”. How did Jesus love us? - Far more than we could ever love ourselves or love others. He died for us the most painful death on the cross that we might have life.

Reading from 1 John, we get a better understanding of this difference. 1 John 4:10 says:- Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The old commandment emphasizes our effort to love God in our own strength but the new commandment focuses first on the Lord’s love for us, and as we receive His love, we learn to love like Him. John also says “we love because God first loved us”.

Therefore, the new commandment is actually a higher commandment, higher because the way Jesus loves is higher than the way we could love ourselves. At the same time, it is a natural love emanating from God’s love itself that overflows from us because we realize how dearly we are loved.

May each one of us truly know and feel the great and wonderful love God and our Lord Jesus has for us, and as we allow His love to flow through us, to also love others as Jesus has loved us.

God bless, Jason