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"LOVE: Antidote for Darkness" by Edith Miller
John 13:30 As soon as he had taken the piece of matzah, Y’hudah went out, and it was night.
31 After Y’hudah had left, Yeshua said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If the Son has glorified God, God will himself glorify the Son, and will do so without delay. 33 Little children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and, as I said to the Judeans, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ now I say it to you as well.
34 “I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other. 35 Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you have love for each other.”
36 Shim‘on Kefa said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Yeshua answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow later.” 37 “Lord,” Kefa said to him, “why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 38 Yeshua answered, “You will lay down your life for me? Yes, indeed! I tell you, before the rooster crows you will disown me three times.
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Betrayal shatters lives. Judas walked with Jesus daily, listened to Him, watched Him interact with people. Then he allowed darkness to obscure his relationship. Thirty pieces of silver enticed and Judas discarded three years of close association and betrayed his Master. Remorse would set in, but the deed was done, and darkness claimed him.
Knowing what Judas intended when he departed the table in the upper room for nighttime darkness, Jesus still gave a startling directive: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
There are no recriminations from Jesus about what that love will cost Him personally, no anger with thought for revenge, no monologue to those surrounding on the grave injustice that will be done to Him. Instead, the unlikely command: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Love that actively does what is good, no matter the situation; that seeks the best for the other; that is kind and doesn’t demand its own way. A forgiving and enduring love. Thought by thought, action by action, loving as Jesus commands becomes darkness prevention.-------
Hymn for Today: "Jesus Loves Me" by Anna B. Warner
1. Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
2. Jesus loves me! This I know,
As He loved so long ago,
Taking children on His knee,
Saying, “Let them come to Me.”
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
3. Jesus loves me still today,
Walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
4. Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
5. Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
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Thought for Today: 1 John 3:23 This is his command: that we are to trust in the person and power of his Son Yeshua the Messiah and to keep loving one another, just as he commanded us.-------
Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Sri Lanka.
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