And Jesus Said ~ LOVE
There was a young woman. She had a troubled upbringing, a tormented childhood.
This led into a troubled and misguided adulthood.
One day, this woman decided to go to church again. Maybe it was a cry out for help, for attention, for love.
Sadly, she received none of these things.
She did get something though ~
Ignoring.
Condemning.
Hurt.
She left the church again.
There was another woman.
A married woman who could no longer endure the relationship.
There was a divorce.
One day this woman found love again.
She had found a second chance.
She had found a Godly man, from a Godly church family.
She needed acceptance.
She needed love.
She needed hope.
Thankfully, she found those things in her Savior, Jesus.
Sadly, she did not receive those things from His church.
Instead she was shunned, along with her new fiance.
She was frowned upon,
cried over,
condemned.
Hurt.
She was a divorced woman.
And that left a stain.
Two 'stained' women.
Two groups of 'Godly' people.
Both these women longed for Jesus, and both have now received His love.
And that's a beautiful thing.
I just wonder why His people, His church, sometimes behave the way we do.
Because,
~ God is love.
~ God lives in those who believe.
~ the Character of God is what we need to show the world.
~ the world needs God's love.
1 John 4:7-21 presents this nicely.
God IS love.
He lives in us, so we should BE love too.
And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. (vs.17)
I think of that woman in the Bible who Jesus saved from a stoning death from men accusing her of adultery. (This story is found in John 8:1-11.)
She was being condemned - deemed worthy of a stoning death.
And Jesus said ~
"... let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!"(vs.8)
Oh, those accusers left in a hurry.
Then there was just Jesus.
He asked her where her accusers went, and if they condemned her.
She had to answer that they were no longer accusing.
They were no longer condemning her.
And Jesus said ~
"Neither do I. Go and sin no more."
Everyone has a story.
The accusers and condemners even have stories.
Whether they are brought to light or not, we all have stories - secrets, sins, hurts, unbearable situations.
For everyone's sake, for healing in the church, for love to shine into the world, we need to LOVE.
Period.
The message of the Gospel.
The heart of Jesus.
LOVE.
And Jesus said ~
"... Love each other." (John 15:17)
So we need to welcome and love that single mom.
We need to welcome and love that divorced woman.
And there are so many more to love - a vast assortment of people.
Every day - love isn't reserved for a Sunday.
Love isn't narrow-minded and selective.
Love is good.
Love is pure.
Love is what we all need.
Love is the most fantastic gift to give
Love is the most fantastic gift to receive.
Love is a smile-inducing, joy offering, warm hug of beauty.
Love is God.
This led into a troubled and misguided adulthood.
One day, this woman decided to go to church again. Maybe it was a cry out for help, for attention, for love.
Sadly, she received none of these things.
She did get something though ~
Ignoring.
Condemning.
Hurt.
She left the church again.
There was another woman.
A married woman who could no longer endure the relationship.
There was a divorce.
One day this woman found love again.
She had found a second chance.
She had found a Godly man, from a Godly church family.
She needed acceptance.
She needed love.
She needed hope.
Thankfully, she found those things in her Savior, Jesus.
Sadly, she did not receive those things from His church.
Instead she was shunned, along with her new fiance.
She was frowned upon,
cried over,
condemned.
Hurt.
She was a divorced woman.
And that left a stain.
Two 'stained' women.
Two groups of 'Godly' people.
Both these women longed for Jesus, and both have now received His love.
And that's a beautiful thing.
I just wonder why His people, His church, sometimes behave the way we do.
Because,
~ God is love.
~ God lives in those who believe.
~ the Character of God is what we need to show the world.
~ the world needs God's love.
1 John 4:7-21 presents this nicely.
God IS love.
He lives in us, so we should BE love too.
And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. (vs.17)
I think of that woman in the Bible who Jesus saved from a stoning death from men accusing her of adultery. (This story is found in John 8:1-11.)
She was being condemned - deemed worthy of a stoning death.
And Jesus said ~
"... let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!"(vs.8)
Oh, those accusers left in a hurry.
Then there was just Jesus.
He asked her where her accusers went, and if they condemned her.
She had to answer that they were no longer accusing.
They were no longer condemning her.
And Jesus said ~
"Neither do I. Go and sin no more."
Everyone has a story.
The accusers and condemners even have stories.
Whether they are brought to light or not, we all have stories - secrets, sins, hurts, unbearable situations.
For everyone's sake, for healing in the church, for love to shine into the world, we need to LOVE.
Period.
The message of the Gospel.
The heart of Jesus.
LOVE.
And Jesus said ~
"... Love each other." (John 15:17)
So we need to welcome and love that single mom.
We need to welcome and love that divorced woman.
And there are so many more to love - a vast assortment of people.
Every day - love isn't reserved for a Sunday.
Love isn't narrow-minded and selective.
Love is good.
Love is pure.
Love is what we all need.
Love is the most fantastic gift to give
Love is the most fantastic gift to receive.
Love is a smile-inducing, joy offering, warm hug of beauty.
Love is God.
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