Happy Valentine's Day

February 14, 2012 "For God So loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shold not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Valentine’s Day is a day to express our love to others. Over the years this expression has evolved from just our sweetheart to anyone and everyone we care about. The post office and the flower shops say this is the busiest holiday of the year. It is good to know there is still a lot of love going around. God created us to love and desire to be loved - love is giving. Our love is manifested to man by “sacrifice” – to give. Just as God the Father gave His Son for us (and it was a Great Sacrifice). And Jesus gave Himself for us (the ultimate sacrifice) - “But God proves His love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This kind of love (Agape) is inconceivable. Jesus is the personification of love in that He made the ultimate sacrifice for man – His life. But when we truly love someone we are willing to “sacrifice” ourselves (time, energies, resources and even our life) for them. Our love is manifested to God by our “obedience” to Him. We give all we have, all we are and all we ever hope to be, (I John 5:3) “For the true love of God is this: that we do His commands. And these orders of His are not burdensome nor repressive.” Only when the love of God lives within us can we love Him back, then it is a joy to obey Him because we know He knows what is best for us, and not only to love Him and live in His presence, but only then can we truly love another. To love God is to have a deep desire to please Him; and to please Him is to obey Him. There are five different kinds of love: 1) Epithumia, this is a love that is a strong desire to have or own - controlling. 2) Eros, this is love most associated with romance. It is a sexual love. Eros love is wholly emotional and cannot be summoned at will. 3) Storge love is described as a comfortable old shoe relationship comprised of natural affection and a sense of belonging to each other. 4) Phileo, This love cherishes and has tender affection for the beloved but it expects a response. It is a love of relationship, comradeship, sharing, communication and friendship. 5) Agape, this is a love that loves completely and unconditionally, but expects nothing in return. Agape love is usually associated with God’s love – unconditional and everlasting. I read an article a long time ago about a study done on the orphanages in some of the Soviet block countries where the child-care people were not allowed to hold or caress the babies. Even when the babies were being fed the bottles were just propped up. The only time babies were touched was when they were diapered, bathed and dressed. These studies showed these babies who were never touched or showed any kind of love were sickly and many died. A follow-up study showed the survivors of these orphanages were emotionally maladjusted and never knew how to accept or give love, even after they were adopted and cared for. God created us to love and be loved and although we may never know the love of a person, our Heavenly Father wants to manifests His Agape love to all of us. Four of these loves come and go but Agape love, God’s love for us, is unconditional and forever. The following writing is by Charles Stanley, and is a meditation on: ____________ “Our Heavenly Father’s Unconditional Love.” Scripture tells us that love is the very essence of who God is. God is love (I John 4:16). So if you don’t believe that He loves you unconditionally, you’ll never really know Him or have genuine peace about your relationship with Him. How do you define “love”? It is Jesus unselfishly reaching out to mankind, giving Himself to us and bring good into our life regardless of whether or not we accept Him - “God shows and clearly proves His love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). His care and concern are so immeasurable that He laid down His life for us while we were still His enemies. In fact, the Bible says that He first began to express His love toward us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-5) That means your actions had absolutely nothing to do with His love for you! God’s commitment to us has absolutely no conditions or restrictions and isn’t based on whether we love Him back. Nor does He have more love for “good” people who may strike us as more worthy. He loves us even in our sin, even when we don’t repent. Does that give us license to disobey? No, It gives us power to follow Him is to receive the love He has been offering all along. Every single moment, whether awake or asleep, we all live under the canopy of the Lord’s wondrous, absolute love for us. But to fully experience that love, you must receive it. Say yes to this amazing gift that God wants to pour out on you. Bask in it, and let it overflow to those around you. ______________ O Love That Will Not Let Me Go George Matheson O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in You; I give You back the life I owe, that in Your ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. O Joy that seeks me through pain, I cannot close my heart to You; I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain That morn will tearless be. --------------- I send my love to you and pray you will experience God’s Agape love that will not let you go!