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(1 John 4:19) [ESV] "We love because he first loved us." [Message] "We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first."
In this upcoming series, we're going to take a closer look at the teachings Jesus left us to follow. We begin by reviewing the first and most crucial element: LOVING GOD.
I've received two wonderful responses so far. Here's the second from our sister Jo:
“The Hebrew word for 'father' is אב (pronounced av). It is an ancient word with a deeper meaning of 'strength of the house' based on its root letters, aleph (strength) and bet (house).
“I will go up to the ‘house’ of the Lord“ because that is where I find my “strength”.
The house of the Lord is where? It's in my heart because that is where God resides. In my heart, your heart… any heart that accepts him. God is Love, so strength is love.
Jesus taught us that "a man stores up treasures in his heart" (Matthew 12:35 and Luke 6:45), which means a person's true character is revealed by what they hold dear in their heart.
It reminds me of a famous quote by Maya Angelou. "Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better," which means that all of us make choices based on what we hold dear in our hearts at the time. With more insight and understanding, we can enhance our actions. I remind you in love that mistakes are opportunities for learning and improvement, not something to be embarrassed about. JoXx
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Let us pray, Heavenly Father, as Jesus did, help me to be Father-focused and to resist the temptation to make a name for myself or to seek worldly power. Strengthen me with Your Word so I can find victory over temptation and reject what leads me away from You and harms others." Amen!
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URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS (Please keep checking as more are being added almost daily)