From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Wed, Aug 17, 2022 at 5:46 AM

Subject: 8-17-22 THOUGHTS

8-17-22   THOUGHTS

Following is an awesome summary of practical love.  At verse 11 of 1John 3,  John by God’s Spirit begins to hammer the power and necessity of LOVE!   LOVE is the principle ACTION  for God’s creation from the beginning. Our love is then said to be the CRITERION for the difference between life and death.  It seems to be a “right of passage”?  Failure means abiding in death!  Verse 16 says we can know love!  Wow... tell me how?   Jesus died for us!  There’s the answer!  It is followed by a most powerful implication for the receiving man!  Die for someone else!  In fact, die for Jesus,  so that you can serve him.  It then offers us an example. When we see need and “CLOSE OUR HEART”, WE FAIL AT LOVE!  Deed and truth are necessary for love to be real.  In this, we can ASSURE OUR HEARTS before HIM.   So what follows is not some option, it is ESSENCE from God!

1John 3:11-19     For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12  not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 13  Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. 14  We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15  Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16  We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17  But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18  Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19  We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him

John 13:35   "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."                                          
1John 4:20-21   If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.  21  And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

My Prayer:
By love, O God, you created us, and gave us to love as you love.  Help us to love, always, simply, and in deed and truth.  Thank you for Jesus in the flesh, the very picture of love.  Bless us, O Father, with true joy from pure love.  May we love you with our all, and love our brother also.  We pray in the name of our Savior who loved and died for us,     Amen.