Dear Friends,

You can go right to the devotion of the day shared below, yet, I hope you will take time to read the short devotion as well as this Scripture Introduction.  It is so heavy on my heart to share this message with you today!  Beginning with a Scripture from last night’s Ministry Leadership Meeting; and including a letter to the world that I dictated on my phone yesterday on the way to work.  I can’t walk away from sharing this.  I hope you can’t walk away from seeking what God is saying to you, so that we can reach the world with the love of Jesus in a powerful and effective way!

Paul’s Final Advice … Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance

2 Corinthians 7:1-13; Focus on Verse 8 ! 

But please open your Bible and read before and after this verse!  If we get this, we will never be the same!

⁸ I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 

Please find attached after the Devotion:  The Dictation…

Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.

Daily Devotion to God’s Holy Word

Are You ALL IN LOVE?  By Karen Rowe

 

The Dictation.  And, To God be the Glory!  Holy Spirit you are welcome here!

Is Jesus on the cross or off the cross?

 

How can we know and believe in love, unless we know the love God has for us?

 

Is Jesus a religion to you; or a relationship?

 

What is the difference between religion and relationship?

 

How does religion make you feel?

 

Define the different relationships that you have experienced.

 

How do you compare your relationships to the love God has for you?

 

These are questions that the Lord is laying on my heart to bring love to the Forefront in a living manner for you to seek and experience what love truly is; a love that is from God; and it is a love that is to you, for you, with you … if only you can believe.

 

Now we’re back to believe

 

How Do You Believe in Love, unless you first are loved by someone, who knows love?

 

Can we begin there?

 

If you will allow me to share with you what I have learned in my time and experience, with God , as only God himself has helped me understand love, I believe you will feel a nudge in your heart to seek to know more about this love that God has for you.

 

A love so great that when you discover This Love that God has for you; if you get this you will never be the same!

 

Love is not a competition.

 

Love is not about being right.

 

Forever giving love is about perfection …

 

Now that intrigues me!

 

Who would not like to have the perfect relationship?

 

God paints a picture of our relationship with Him in Christ as a marriage proposal!  Will you say YES to JESUS and become HIS Bride?  How a husband is to love His wife is only a mere reflection in the mirror to the way God has SO loved us and forever has chosen us as the CHURCH to be HIS Bride!  And how a wife is to love her husband is a mere reflection of how we are to Respect and love our Father God, whom comforts us in all our trials and afflictions, with patience and kindness!

 

I love my husband; and my husband loves me, but even our marriage is not perfect … and even our love is not perfect; as we struggle in our understanding sometimes of how can we be one; and yet so different in some certain ways; and yet the core of who we are is the very same!  Our Core is Jesus and the love whom Unites us as one!

 

Over the last 30 years of marriage we have gone through many different levels of communication; and we have grown in many different levels of love; as we have grown in our knowledge of what true love is together!

 

Now back to the beginning; what is love?   My answer is God IS love, because the Bible says so; and is written in 1 John 4:16.  Who lives in you?  GOD does, when we receive His Son as our Savior and commit to Jesus as our Lord and Savior!

 

“For we have known and believed in the love God has for us. God Is love and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

 

This is the perfect marriage where Jesus is our husband, and the church is the bride of Christ; and in this life that we have the opportunity to learn what marriage is to God!

 

The world paints a picture of prenuptial agreement … BUT

 

God writes about a forever love; an ever loving and faithful and true love.

 

God writes about a love that never gives up on the one whom we love; and this is the way God loves you!   The Bible also says in John 3:16

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

 

If we will also consider one confusing thing that is in this world about love; Clarity can be answered in John 3:17:

 

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him, the world might be saved.”

 

Now back to the beginning of is Jesus on or off the cross to you?

 

This should Define your relationship with God because Jesus is not on the cross!  He went to the Cross; He died on the cross!   Jesus was Buried for 3 days; and was resurrected on the third day with a body, a sound mind, and the power of God!

 

Jesus returned to the disciples to show them, because God is kind!  Do you want this kind of kindness?

 

We all might have a little doubting Thomas in us at times, until we believe; and how do you believe unless you receive love?

 

So back to the beginning we don’t Love first!  We love God and we love one another,  because we were first loved by God!

God is love; and we are created in love; and we were created to love, and to love each other!

 

But what does this love look like?

 

We can also read in 1st Corinthians chapter 13 that “Love is patient.  Love is kind.  It is not rude.  It does not envy.  It does not boast.  It does not dishonor others.  It is not proud.  It is not self-seeking… Love always hopes!  Love always trusts!  Love always believes!  Love always perseveres!  This is from memory and as God brought to my remembrance.  Please open your Bible and study to learn more and more and go beyond the ordinary love!!!

 

The world paints a different picture of love. The world says love yourself, as being entitled with conditions.  The world says to the world to grab all the you can; but this kind of method will leave you always feeling hopeless. Lacking, and ever wanting … and fear is liar, because you are loved by God!

 

God is for filling us up with love! God is filling us with a love that has hope; and a love, whom we can always trust!  A love that you can trust always is from God, of God and IS God living on the inside of us when Jesus enters our heart to make our spirit alive in Christ!

 

A love so powerful from God that there are even burdens we can leave them at the cross, because Jesus isn’t there anymore!  If we feel burdened; we can go to the word and release it to God to be freed In Love.  To give it all away to be in love with God!

 

Okay the Lord’s telling me to pause right there….

 

… You can’t go to the cross; and release your burdens, until you believe Jesus is off the cross!

 

A dead savior can’t save; but Jesus is Alive!

 

A dead savior can’t release your burdens, but Jesus is Resurrected!!! … To help us!   To teach us!  To bring us “as His spiritual wife” to a safe and happy place with God!  And, to give us the truth; and  to move our feet in action to release us!  And, to free us to place of Happiness; a position with God is a happy heart, yet willing to serve!

 

I’ll leave you with this final thought:  These are questions for you; not because I’m right & not because I want to be right;  not because I think I know everything, but rather because God loves you enough to challenge your mind open up enough to seek the truth!

 

There’s no fear in the truth!  God had no hang ups / nor restrictions on giving all that HE had to save us!  Will you give it all away to follow Jesus?  What hang-ups would restrict you from forgiving yourself?  What Hang-ups would you hold on to that would keep you from Forgiving others?  Give them all away, because God gave it all away for you!

 

Don’t let your hurt HURT you!

 

Fear comes from hiding from (denying) the truth, but my friends I truly believe with all my heart, because I experience God’s freedom in my personal relationship with HIM; that when we seek the truth, we discover what God knew all along!

 

God is not stingy with the Truth.  Sometimes, the truth hurts, but only for a little while!  Freedom is worth the pain and sacrifice!

 

God loves us; and Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, whom calls us friend when we commit to believe and follow Him!  Jesus is kind enough to teach us and unselfish enough to send us the same Helper He had when He walked upon this earth like we do!  Because of Jesus and God’s love for us, we don’t have to go through this world alone!

 

Jesus makes life trials / adversities bearable; Adversity is our schooling!  And Christ Jesus also gives His power and position in a friendship with God to overcome all things that come against us and overcome them with peace and joy!   And, all the glory goes to God!

 

If you have questions; Thank God first and Recovery will be added to your unanswered questions.  Get understanding about how another feels!  This is Gods method of love that helps us to hold to the methods in the relationship with Jesus in Love; the love that God reveals to us in His Word; and a love that we need to take in this life to pursue…

 

Now the devotion of the Day.

 

What is it that you are pursuing in this life?

 

…   Is it love?

Love in Christ,

 

Karen Rowe

 

Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.