Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “True Love” – Tuesday, 15 April 2014 - Scripture: Psalm 52:1-9

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “True Love” – Tuesday, 15 April 2014 - Scripture: Psalm 52:  For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to Abimelech’s house.”
1 Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man?
    God’s loving kindness endures continually.
2 Your tongue plots destruction,
    like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than good,
    lying rather than speaking the truth.
Selah.
4 You love all devouring words,
    you deceitful tongue.
5 God will likewise destroy you forever.
    He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent,
    and root you out of the land of the living.
Selah.
6 The righteous also will see it, and fear,
    and laugh at him, saying,
7 “Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength,
    but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
    and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house.
    I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever.
9 I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it.
    I will hope in your name, for it is good,
    in the presence of your saints.
“True Love” by Cynthia K. Stiverson
It’s hard to conceive “unfailing love.” Love has become synonymous with infatuation, lust, sex, and sensuality. Love is an excuse for abuse, catching a mate, for cheating and adultery, pornography, even for the purpose of sex trafficking and prostitution. On the lighter side, love is used to describe our favorite color, food or song. You name it-we “just love it!”
Is it any wonder that many of us cringe at the thought of love? As a minister, I’ve met far too many people who cannot trust God because they cannot fathom God’s love for them. They’ve either been deeply wounded by human love or the lack of it; or, they feel unforgivable because they have used love as a means to an end.
“If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:15b-16). Isn’t it refreshing to know that our associations with love have nothing to do with the love of God?
“God is love” (1 John 4:7). Seek His forgiveness today for your tainted vision of love.
Hymn for Today:
“The Love of God” by Frederick M. Lehman
1. The love of God is greater far
  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
  And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
  God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
  And pardoned from his sin.
Chorus:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.
2. When hoary time shall pass away,
  And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
  On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
  All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
  The saints’ and angels’ song.
Chorus:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.
3. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.
Chorus:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.
Thought for Today:
“See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.” (1 John 3:1).
Prayer Needs:
For those in Asia-Pacific showing the JESUS Film and for those doing follow-up work!
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Embrace holy living…visit reflectinggod.com.

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