Why I Live

Deuteronomy 6:5 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and might.”

 Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?”

 Deuteronomy 11:1 “You shall therefore love the Lord your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances and His commandments.”

 Your love for earthly relations such as that between you and your pastor, between you and your brother, between you and your sister, between you and your workmates and the list is endless should be low as compared to your love for God.

Matthew 22:37 “And He said to them, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND’”.

Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

 John 21:15-17

Vs 15 “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to Him, Yes Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Tend my lambs.

Vs 16 “He said to him again a second time, Simon son of John, do you love me. He said to Him, Yes Lord. You know that I love you. He said to him, Shepherd my sheep.

Vs 17 “He said to him the third time, Simon son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me. And he said to Him. Lord you know all things; you know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Tend my sheep”.

 

It has been said that “You can do without loving but when you love, you will do it automatically”

The evidences that show that you love Jesus are;                                                  

a.       Service. I Peter 1:12 “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things into which angels long to look. I John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth

b.      Second evidence is Surrender. John 21:18 “ Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Peter surrendered to Christ Jesus and History has it clear that he refused to be crucified the same way Christ was. He was crucified upside down. His head down while his legs up.

c.       The third evidence to your love for Christ Jesus is submission. John 21:19 “Now this He said signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this He said to him, Follow Me”

 

Valleys in a Christian's Life

Have you ever thought as a Christian that there are valleys that each and every Christian encounters in his/her life? These valleys are from the Bible and I thought of sharing with those who might have an opportunity to visit this blog.

-                           The first Valley is the ‘Valley of Elah’ where we have to conquer our emotional, physical and spiritual ‘Goliaths’ who their main goal is to enslave and conquer Christians. In this valley, there is war and there is no substitute for war. You are either victorious or defeated.

-                           The second Valley is the ‘Valley of shadow of Death’. Psalm 23:4. In this Valley, as Christians we should not allow fears to take control of our lives for the Lord is always with us and it is in this Valley that as Christians we get disciplined by our Father who really loves us.  Read more on what the Jewish shepherds used to do with their rods and staffs while taking care of their sheep and you will see how correction brings comfort in the Valley of the shadow of death.

-                           The third valley is the ‘Valley of Fears’. I Samuel 30:4. This is the worst day of your life. The day when your nightmare becomes a reality. This is a time when trouble hits you so much that you feel as if the earth has come to an end. When trouble hits us so much as Christians, what do we do? Do we go ahead and weep or what do we do? Psalm 30:5 (b) ‘Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.’ Romans 8:28, ‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’ Ecclesiastes 3:4 (a) ‘A time to weep and a time to laugh.’

 God bless you richly.