Rev. Dr. Nelda Barrett Murraine, First United Methodist Church Kennedale
As Christians, we are not people of fear or violence. We are not people that condone, bigotry, hate, racism, and religious intolerance. Hate always leads to violence {{more: Read more …}} and that’s exactly what happened a week ago in Charlottesville, Virginia. Violence was the trigger in the murder of Heather Heyer and several injured on last Saturday.
We are people of faith. We follow Jesus’s example of standing up to hate and fear with the power of love.
God loves us. We know that in our hearts and minds, but often we don?t live that way. But the reality of God?s love surrounds us day by day, as revealed in Scripture. We know that?
- God?s love is steadfast and unchanging.
- God?s love comforts us.
- God?s love is revealed to us through Jesus Christ.
- God?s love is poured into us through the Holy Spirit.
- God?s love compels us to love one another.
During this week, meditate on these Scriptures about God’s love and ask God how you can reflect his love to others. There are many other Scriptures about love, take time to search for others that guide our lives and teach us about God’s love.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.
Psalm 86:15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast loveand faithfulness.
Psalm 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 15:9-17 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father?s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Romans 5:8 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
“I don’t know how, but I know WHO!”
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