I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Loving God and Loving People
In Matthew 22, we see the religious leaders of Jesus’ day trying to trip Him up with hard questions. One of the questions asked of Him was this:
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
In an effort to trap Jesus, this Pharisee asked Him something designed to expose ignorance or false teaching or anything else they could hold against Jesus and His ministry.
But Jesus was ready.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-39 ESV
Such a succinct, truthful answer did the opposite of what the religious leaders had hoped for. It didn’t discredit Jesus. It validated that He was who He said He was. He didn’t get cornered. He didn’t get flustered. He simply and without wavering, clarified the foundation of everything.
What was Jesus saying?
Loving God with our whole hearts and loving others as we love ourselves—these two things are more important than anything else. They are the foundation of life as a believer. Not being right. Not obtaining possessions or wealth. Not having everything in life just the way we want. Loving God. Loving people.
But here’s the thing— the only way we can ever love people well is if we first devote ourselves to loving God and allow ourselves to be loved by Him. How? Like any relationship, there are ways to facilitate growth:
- Spend time in His Word
- Have honest conversations with Him
- Reflect on His character every day
As your love for God grows and grows, your heart for people often will, too. Showing love for God looks like doing what He commands—and that includes loving the people around us the way that God loves us.
The great news? God loves you so much. He loves you right now. And He is inviting you to know and experience His love today.
Luke 9
“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; and of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. And the ...
God Keeps His Promises
“'The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.”
Jeremiah 33:14 NIV
A lot of people would have laughed at Jeremiah when he said these words. Why? Because it seemed like God had abandoned both Israel and Judah.
At this point in the story of the Bible, Israel is gone—wiped out by an invading army. Now Judah is alone, and another massive army is at their gates to destroy them too. The situation couldn’t have been more hopeless.
Have you ever experienced a moment like that? Maybe it was a life-changing loss, or impossibly difficult news. In those painful moments, it can feel impossible to trust God’s promises. The people listening to Jeremiah probably felt the same way. But it wasn’t the end of their story because circumstances can’t ruin God’s promises.
Yes, the enemy broke in and took God’s people into captivity for decades. But God didn’t abandon His people or give up on...
