Why is it wrong to hate?

Matthew 24:10
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

John 15:23
He who hates me hates my Father as well.

Titus 3:3
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

1 John 2:9
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

1 John 2:11
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

1 John 3:15
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

1 John 4:20
If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

Never washed away

In the past week, this verse has turned up in both my daily devotional book and in my box of little Daily Bread cards. Perhaps I should listen to it!

"Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it." - Song of Solomon 8:7

Hope

Read this quote from my beliefnet daily devotional. Thought it was neat so I decided to share it.

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don't give up. -Anne Lamott

1 John 4:7, 11-12

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God ... Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."

1 John 4:7, 11-12

John 4:19

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the satisfaction for our sins."

John 4:19

1 John 4:18

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear ... "

1 John 4:18

Ephesians 4:32

"And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

I got this email...

Usually a lot of the "chain" emails I get are not that great, especially from a Biblical perspective. I really liked this one so I thought I'd post it here.

Pray this even if you don't feel like it

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said, or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. And it's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank you that I believe. I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. I pray for each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes, that they are out of debt, and all their needs are met. I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees it. If you prayed this prayer, change the number in the subject box before forwarding the message so people can see how many people have done so. God bless! Just repeat this phrase and see how God moves! God I love you and I need you, come into my heart, please.

Isaiah 54:17

"No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD. (NASB ©1995)

Story

Just thought I would share a pretty neat story our church leadership gave us a copy of last week.

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled somec women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meantabout the charcter and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at the next Bible Study. That week the woman called a silversmith and made an appoint ment to go watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiousity about the process of refining silver.

As he watched the silversmith he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked if it was true the silversmith had to sit there in front of the firev the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver , but he had to keep his eye on the silver the entire time it was in te fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she aked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answeredf, "Oh that's easy-when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Proverbs 27:17

We need each other.

Thanks, Mike for helping to sharpen me.

Ancient of Days

We sang this song in church Sunday. It reminded me of my days in college back in the early 90's.

Ancient of Days
by gary sadler

blessing and honor, glory and power
be unto the Ancient of Days
from every nation, all of creation
bow before the Ancient of Days

every tongue in heaven and earth
shall declare Your glory
every knee shall bow at Your throne in worship
You will be exalted, o God,
and Your kingdom shall not pass away
o Ancient of Days

Your kingdom shall reign over all the earth
sing unto the Ancient of Days
for none can compare to Your matchless worth
sing unto the Ancient of Days

His Name

Lord we love Your name
Lord we love Your name
Lord we love Your name
Lord we love Your name

Lord we praise Your name
Lord we praise Your name
Lord we praise Your name
Lord we praise Your name

Your name has made the broken whole
Your name has saved my soul
Your name is what we're living for
Lord we love Your name
Jesus we love Your name

One more thought from today's sermon-
Take your mind, heart and home for Jesus then you can take your city, state, country and world for Him.

Indescribable

An awesone song by Chris Tomlin:

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing His majesty...
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring -
Every creature unique in the song that it sings,

All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name,
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim,
You are amazing God!

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go,
or seen Heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun and gives source to it's light,
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom...

Indescribable....

Revelation 3:14-17 (New International Version)

Just food for thought: Do we in America resemble this?

To the Church in Laodicea

14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Psalm 37: 7-11

Here is one of the passages that the boys and I read this morning before school and work...

Psalm 37: 7-11

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

But the meek shall inherit the earth ; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

-----

Brokeness

The world looks at brokeness as a bad thing. We as humans like to think we have it all together. However God sees our brokeness and has mercy on us.

Jesus was going up in a religious procession when a blind man, Bartimaes, cried out "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who were with Jesus tried to quiet the beggar, however he just cried out all the more. Jesus commanded he be brought to him and healed Bartimaeus.

Jesus loves and wants the broken things for His own. He wants our brokeness so he can heal us, use us and be glorified.

Psalm 23

The boys and I read and discussed this chapter last week before school...

A psalm of David. 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, [a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The Way of Love

1 Corinthians 13

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

John 11

I read and discussed these verses with the boys this morning before school...

11:38. Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the sepulchre. Now it was a cave; and a stone was laid over it.
Iesus ergo rursum fremens in semet ipso venit ad monumentum erat autem spelunca et lapis superpositus erat ei

11:39. Jesus saith: Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith to him: Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he is now of four days.
Ait Iesus tollite lapidem dicit ei Martha soror eius qui mortuus fuerat Domine iam fetet quadriduanus enim est

11:40. Jesus saith to her: Did not I say to thee that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God?
Dicit ei Iesus nonne dixi tibi quoniam si credideris videbis gloriam Dei

11:41. They took therefore the stone away. And Jesus lifting up his eyes, said: Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me.
Tulerunt ergo lapidem Iesus autem elevatis sursum oculis dixit Pater gratias ago tibi quoniam audisti me

11:42. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people who stand about have I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
Ego autem sciebam quia semper me audis sed propter populum qui circumstat dixi ut credant quia tu me misisti

11:43. When he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth.
Haec cum dixisset voce magna clamavit Lazare veni foras

11:44. And presently he that had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding bands. And his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them: Loose him and let him go.
Et statim prodiit qui fuerat mortuus ligatus pedes et manus institis et facies illius sudario erat ligata dicit Iesus eis solvite eum et sinite abire

11:45. Many therefore of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him.
Multi ergo ex Iudaeis qui venerant ad Mariam et viderant quae fecit crediderunt in eum

11:46. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus had done.
Quidam autem ex ipsis abierunt ad Pharisaeos et dixerunt eis quae fecit Iesus