True love- God's way

God's definition of true love is sending His only Son to pay the price for our sins. Jesus died on the cross to make atonement (Atonement:The reconciliation of God and humans brought about by the redemptive life and death of Jesus) for our sins. Do you get me? Are you following me here? The meaning of love comes from the fact that Jesus sacrificed His life for us- for sinners. We are so undeserving of this and yet He loves us anyway- so much so, that He died in order that we would be able to gain eternal life by believing that He is the Son of God. It is as simple as that. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us,

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if

anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet

closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed

and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18

If the answer is yes, then we can learn that from the verses above, we have the opportunity to know the love of God and put it to use. The way that we can "lay down our lives for the brothers" is by sharing what we do have in this life with the Body of Christ in need- not just with words, but with our actions. In my NKJV study bible, the commentary on this passage of scripture says, "Believers can lay down their lives for fellow believers by giving some of their livelihood to those who are in need. By giving our material possessions to others, we can demonstrate the same type of self-sacrificial love that Christ demonstrated on the Cross." This is challenging to me because I know that there are so many people who are in need, right inside the walls of the church, that I can be showing God's love to. I don't necessarily have wealth or many worldly possessions to give, but I'm sure that if I sought God enough about this, He would be able to reveal what it is that I have to offer. I hope this challenges you as a believer to seek God for what He would show that you can do to demonstrate His love to a fellow believer in need today.

If the answer is no, then let me know. I'd love to answer any questions or pray with you about whatever your need could be. I definitely don't have all the answers to life's ups and downs, ins and outs, but I do know the One who can help. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. If you don't know Him or haven't experienced His love, I would love to pray for you or with you so that you can be transformed by His amazing love. Life is hard, yes. Life is unfair at times, yes. Life is painful at times, yes. But the reason Jesus came to earth in human form is so that we could know Him and experience life in abundance. I pray that you will begin to have the desire to know who Jesus is.

May the Lord's blessings abundantly overflow in your life as you seek Him! Love, ApRiL n AnDy

Resting in God

Today I have been at the most incredible peace I have had thus far in my walk with the Lord. I know He has great things in order. Yesterday I was directed to 2 Peter 1:1-11, which the Lord used to speak to me so clearly! At the beginning of August, I was given direction from the Lord to let go of all resources that I trusted on in gaining insight on the path to the Lord. I started out at the beginning of 2008 looking for God anywhere I could possibly find Him- books, email subscriptions, online articles, facebook, oh goodness, you name it I looked for God there! I suddenly was so fed up with where I was at with God that I just knew I needed to take a time out from everything that was weighing me down in my email, unsubscribe to all of those emails and just take time to sit down with my bible and journal. After that day, I have just learned to depend on God to be my one and only Source to go to for direction.

This passage talks about how to grow in our faith. A portion of this scripture says, "...add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)

These 7 steps of growth are how the Lord is jump starting this new level in relationship with Him:

Virtue means= moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.
Knowledge= gaining wisdom from the scriptures and putting them into action in my life.
Self-control= mastering one's emotions rather than being controlled by them(NKJV study bible, p.2130).
Perseverance= viewing all circumstances as coming from the hand of a loving Father who is in control of all things is the secret of perseverance(NKJV study bible, p.2130).
Godliness= continually being aware of God's presence; living for God and not ourselves.
Brotherly kindness= loving and serving the brotherhood.
Love= This love comes from God and reaches beyond the brotherhood to anyone, anywhere, seeking that person's highest good- even at a cost to ourselves(NKJV study bible, p.2130).

I don't know how or where to even start, but this new stage in my life will begin with these 7 fruits of growth in my faith. Whatever that looks like, I know God will lead me as I continue to seek Him and give Him the rightful first place position in my life. I encourage you to begin by searching for God! Pray and ask Him where you can find Him. He will lead you by divine power and give you strength to keep on searching for Him. Always seek the truth. The truth is found in God's word.

Now that I am at this new place, I have such peace and rest in God! More-so than I ever have before! Don't you want that!?? Go after HIM! What are you waiting for? Go! Go now!!

Blessings and love in Christ! April & Andy