Category: encouragement

Posted in encouragement, theology

Praises and Encouragement

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Have you had a good week in Jesus? I have. I wrote a praise poem recently, thanking Him for His manifestation in my life of His patience, (through loving kindness from fellow church members), His sovereignty as Creator (the full moon so beautiful over the silvery lit pastures), and His providential care (even the smallest needs do not escape His notice.) His involvement in our lives is thorough and constant. The more I walk with Him the more I see this, and I praise Him. But the more I praise Him the more I see His faithfulness and His constancy. It is a glorious circle, one that will never be broken.

It is good to begin with praises, because, as we know, the news in the world is not so good, but we are not of the world. If you walk closely with Jesus the news of the world will affect you only in that it helps you see and understand God is sovereign and everything He does is good. Actually, it is awe-inspiring because the closer I walk with Him and the more news I read that lines up with what He said would happen, it makes me feel more humble and grateful that a God such as He wants to interact on a personal basis with His people.

No matter how serious the news is, His constancy, His sovereignty, His plan, and His ways are Good. Even if you feel you do not have much to praise Him for, you DO! Seek ways to thank Him. He is active in our lives to the n-th degree. Nothing escapes His hand, from the most high work of salvation of souls, to the smallest sparrow’s needs. How much more, then, are YOU valuable to Him? (Matthew 6:25-26).

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
Psalm 34:1-3

collage verse 4

Posted in encouragement, theology

Springtime! Flowers! Butterflies!

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

It’s spring, full-on, here in the South. I was reading a passage with one of my students this week called From Chrysalis to Butterfly. It’s that time of year we start seeing the flowers bloom and then come the butterflies. I started thinking about butterflies. I like butterflies. See?

Toshiba Exif JPEG

butterfly 4

butterfly 5

There is a documentary about butterflies that I found fascinating and extremely well done. It’s called Metamorphosis: The beauty and design of butterflies

metamorphosis
Description:

Throughout history butterflies have fascinated artists and philosophers, scientists and school children with their profound mystery and beauty. In METAMORPHOSIS you will explore their remarkable world as few have before.

Spectacular photography, computer animation and magnetic resonance imaging open once hidden doors to every stage of a butterfly’s life-cycle. From an egg the size of a pinhead…to a magnificent flying insect. It is a transformation so incredible biologists have called it “butterfly magic.”

The superbly engineered body of a butterfly is magnified hundreds of times to reveal compound eyes made of thousands of individual lenses, wings covered with microscopic solar panels that warm the insect’s muscles for flight, and navigational systems that unerringly guide Monarch butterflies on their annual migration from Canada to Mexico.

How did these extraordinary creatures come into being? Are they the products of a blind, undirected process? Or, were they designed by an intelligence that transcends the material world?

Filmed in the rain forests of Ecuador, Mexico’s Trans-Volcanic mountain range, and leading research centers, METAMORPHOSIS is an unforgettable documentary filled with the joys of discovery and wonder.
—end documentary description—-

Here is the trailer for it

It is told from a Christian perspective. The movie is great family viewing, for adults just wanting some encouragement of the beauty of creation, or for homeschooling parents doing a science unit (aimed at adults, some of the documentary will have to be explained to little ones). The photography is super and it leaves you with the unavoidable conclusion that God and only God can have made this amazing creature.

Happy Spring!

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. (Song of Solomon 2:11-12)

Posted in encouragement, theology

Encouragement for ladies living with an abusive past

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

A friend of mine sent these recommendations to me. You might consider these two resources if you are struggling to shed the baggage of an abusive past, need some encouragement, or just want to read about how God’s love triumphed in these womens’ hearts. I personally haven’t read them but here is what my friend said:

I wanted to share with you two books I recently read. They are great books for anyone, but especially helpful for women who suffer from an abusive past. Both books were recommended to me by my Biblical counselor from the Master’s Seminary. You may have heard of them or read them, but just in case I thought I’d pass them along for you to read or share with other women you know that may need some encouragement 🙂

Glenda’s Story: Led by Grace : by Glenda Revell (forward by Elisabeth Elliot). Amazon blurb:

Unwanted from birth and abused throughout her childhood, Glenda was desperate for love and a sense of belonging. Her only respite from a miserable home life was school, and the welcoming shade of her favorite willow tree, under which she would dream of another life, another family, and pray to a God she did not yet know. Ultimately, Glenda’s afflictions became the cords with which God drew her to Himself. Receiving His salvation, she understood that God had saved her from her own sinfulness, more than horrid conditions and treatment by others. This is a story of great hope, an amazing account of how our merciful Savior brings light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and peace out of pain. Highly recommended by Elizabeth Elliot.

Dorie: The Girl Nobody Loved : by Dorie Van Stone. Amazon blurb:

“Someone has said that when you have nothing left but God, you realize that God is enough. God had stood beside me when no one else wanted me. He was not going to abandon me now. God would have to heal the emotional pain that throbbed through my body.”
As a child, Dorie was rejected by her mother, sent to live in an orphanage where she was regularly beaten by the orphanage director, was beaten time and again by cruel foster parents, and was daily told that she was ugly and unlovable. Dorie never knew love until a group of college students visited the orphanage and told her that God loved her. As she accepted that love, her life began to change.
Dorie is a thrilling true account of what God’s love can do in a life. Doris Van Stone takes readers through the hard years of her childhood into her fascinating years as a missionary with her husband to the Dani tribe in New Guinea. With the rise of illegitimate births, the increase in divorce statistics, and the frightening escalation of child abuse, this story stands as a reminder that God’s love, forgiveness, and grace are greater than human hurt and sorrow.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)

be strong verse

Posted in encouragement, theology

There is true freedom in Jesus

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I’m originally from New England. New Hampshire’s state motto is “Live Free or Die”.

It’s so cold in NH, locals say ‘live, freeze, and die.’

That witticism aside, the motto actually comes from a letter penned by a veteran of the French & Indian Wars and the American Revolution, General John Stark. In 1809 Stark sent a letter to his compatriots at a reunion long after the war had ended. His letter included a brief passage to be read as a toast to the veterans: “Live free or die. Death is not the greatest of evils.”

The secular person’s view of freedom is quite different than a saved person’s view of freedom.

The Revolutionary War veterans fought to get out from under the yoke of tyranny. The tyrannical entity in that case was Britain. But there was a greater tyranny under which they were living, if they were not in Jesus: the tyranny of sin.

There IS a greater evil than death. It is our sin against a holy God. The Revolutionary War was considered treasonous by the king of Britain. However, sin is “cosmic treason” as RC Sproul famously said.

“Sin is cosmic treason.” What I meant by that statement was that even the slightest sin that a creature commits against his Creator does violence to the Creator’s holiness, His glory, and His righteousness. Every sin, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is an act of rebellion against the sovereign God who reigns and rules over us and as such is an act of treason against the cosmic King. Source

There is something worse than death, and that is eternal death in the Lake of Fire enduring God’s wrath for our treason. Sins, that great evil, must be repaid, and thus God has made a plan for those who perpetrate it will pay.

But God!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:4-6)

Consider your freedom today as you go about in worship of the Lord. My gratitude for Jesus having set me free flows through my soul as a balm. He set me free…

Free from the wrath of God
Free from the guilt I carried
Free from the burden of worry
Free from ignorance
Free from enslavement to sin
Free from pursing a vain life
Free from biblical blindness
Free from darkness

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1).

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17).

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2).

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:22).

free indeed verse

Posted in encouragement, theology

Mail Call: Our identity in Christ

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

mail
Mail Call from the old TV show M*A*S*H

I was asked-

“What does it truly mean and practically mean for us to find our identity in Christ? What does that look like daily?”

I know a lot of younger women ask this or wonder this.

I personally don’t think it’s as big of a deal as a lot of people think, but that could just be me.

Who are we?

Before salvation, we were in satan. After salvation, we are in Jesus. Having our identity in work, children, hobby, etc prior to salvation just means that it was a masked idol with satan behind the mask. If we find identity in those things after salvation, it’s sin blocking us from seeing Jesus.

Our identity is “in Christ”

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith (Philippians 3:9)

Actually, all of Philippians 3 is helpful. Also, this from RC Sproul is helpful here-
Our True Identity

But even if we are sinning in finding identity in other things besides Jesus, what does God see when He looks at us, whose identity does HE see? Jesus’. He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us by faith.

Where we begin to have questions about our identity is when we wonder if He sees that righteousness of Christ imparted by the Holy Spirit working its way out into our attitudes and behaviors. In other words, are we living it?

In practical terms, our identity IS in Christ. Nothing we think or say or do changes that. We can wonder, mull, question, or believe anything we want, but our identity is in Christ. That is how God sees it.

LIVING like we are in Christ is another thing. Daily, that means we–

–pray
–read our Bible
–give
–worship
–repent
–sacrifice for others (be a doer not just a hearer)

Just keep putting one foot in front of another every day doing the above, and we will daily know in greater measure that we are in Christ. The more we perform the outworking of our salvation the more we will see HIS outworking of our sanctification (via answered prayer, shifted affections, more diligent works, less pride, etc) and grow more sure.

PS focusing on our identity after a certain point, and only the individual would know that point, is navel gazing and not edifying. It’s a good question to ask, but obsessing over it is inward thinking and not outward Jesus focusing.

The Sproul piece is short.

in him

Posted in encouragement, theology

Falling overboard…will he remember me? A Sailing Story

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I lived aboard a sailing yacht for two years and sailed up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Here is our boat.

china doll
At anchor in the Chesapeake
china doll2
Upping anchor at dawn in a Georgia river

Looks peaceful, doesn’t it? Many days, it was.

But the sea can a capricious enchantress, and sometimes it kicked up wildly.

wave
Sailing south of the FL keys. HUGE wave, photo doesn’t do it justice.

If we made an overnight offshore passage, it meant that when one of us was at the wheel, the other was resting or sleeping below. We did not have an automatic pilot (a yacht’s gizmo for cruise control). One of us just stood there in two hour shifts, hands on the wheel at all times. If the wind changed, we left the wheel and went forward to deal with changing the sails to adjust.

That was the most dangerous thing we had to do in the whole cruise. Leaving the cockpit and walking forward, at night, alone, with one of us sleeping below. You could easily get knocked overboard and the boat would sail on without you. Cries for help would be meager and immediately drowned out by the swish of the boat, the knocking of the sails and lines and anchor chain, the waves lashing against the boat, and the wind. When there is a storm the last thing the place is, is quiet. A human voice cannot compete.

My fear of falling overboard was palpable and never left me. Just thinking for a moment of the stern of the yacht sailing on and me in the cold, cold water probably to die, was a specter in front of my eyes all the time.

The way that small boat sailors dealt with that was to install jack lines. These are:

a rope or wire strung from a ship’s bow to stern to which a safety harness can be clipped, allowing a crew member to move about the deck safely when there is risk of falling or being swept overboard. At sea, falling overboard is one of the leading causes of death in boating; fastening oneself to the ship with a safety harness reduces this risk.

jack line
Source. Photo credit Frank van Mierlo

Many men in small yacht sailing avoid jack lines, something to do with machismo, I suppose. I’m glad my husband didn’t feel that way. He installed and actually used jack lines whenever we made an offshore passage. Insisted on it, actually.

I watched the PBS show Carrier, about sailors on a US Navy Carrier, and in one episode, a sailor fell off the ship. He was not found.

I often think about how hard it would be to spot a tiny dark head in the swishing ocean. What insignificance we would feel being a tiny bundle of flesh in the mighty and expansive sea.

God is like that ocean. Sometimes we might feel tiny and insignificant in the face of His majesty and power. He created the universe with a word, flooded the entire earth with His power, named all the billions of stars. Does He remember me, a small package of flesh yawping and lumbering about on the earth? Does He recall my name, see this forgiven sinner in the vast ocean of humanity?

Yes.

Yes, He remembers you (and me). (See Genesis 21:14-17). There is no fear that one lone person will get lost in the shuffle. He formed our soul, wrote our names in His Book since before the foundation of the world, anticipated us through His sovereign plan, formed us in the womb, and guarded us until the appointed day of salvation. Then-

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. (John 10:28-30)

Moreover, his Son died for us, for each tiny bundle of flesh bouncing around in this world of sin and death and activity and humanity. Jesus died for us, each of us, the elect. We will not get lost in the shuffle. He will remember me.

Posted in encouragement, theology

Where everybody Knows Your Name

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In the 1980s, the Cheers television show dominated the comedic airwaves. It was hilarious and maintained its high-ratings almost throughout its historically long run, 11 years, from 1982 to 1993. Thus, its weekly entry into American living rooms meant that the theme song was destined to become entrenched into the psyche of the viewer for decades afterwards. “Where everybody knows your name” was the theme song and it goes a little something like this –

The lyrics say:Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.

As the song played, I used to admire each attractive painting of each tinted character, and I’d yearn for the bonhomie the show promoted. Yes, I want to be where everybody knows my name. Yes, I want to be in a place where I am recognized, and loved for who I am. Yes, I want to be where they’re always glad I came. Is there such a place? Yes, and it’s not in a bar.

The place where everybody knows your name is heaven. And for each person either the homecoming is either joyful or fearful. There are books kept, and your name is in those books. Your deeds are kept in the books. And He knows your name – and He knows your deeds.

“And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” (Revelation 20:12)

“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

On the one hand, your homecoming may be brief. They will know your name but if your name is not found written, you will be thrown into torment, receiving your wish to be forever separated from Jesus. On this earth, when the person in authority opens your file, and stares at you, it is a heart-stopping moment. Have you ever been to the principal’s office? And he opens your file? It makes your toes curl. Have you ever been to the doctor’s office? And he opens your file? It makes your stomach drop. Have you ever been to court? And he opens your file? It makes your heart beat faster. This will be like that but infinitely worse.

On the other hand…

“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angel.” (Revelation 3:5)

On the other hand, if you believe, confess, and repent, when they open the book and find your name in it, Jesus will confess your name to the Father and to the angels. You will be admitted permanent entry into the most glorious place possible…the place where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.

*This essay was published on The End Time in March 2010.

Posted in encouragement, theology

Fasting: What it is and what it isn’t

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Spiritual disciplines. We all know that they are. Reading the Bible. Praying. Giving. Attending church. Doing good works.

Fasting.

Fasting isn’t talked about much and when it is, it’s sort of either glossed over or it’s folded in as part of the latest diet-fad-plan.

What IS the spiritual discipline of fasting, then?

Jesus said that we will be fasting as part of the spiritual life. In Matthew 6:16-18 He said what to do and what not to do when we do it.

And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

If you haven’t thought of fasting like this, please do: It’s possible to fast in hypocrisy.

Just as with anything we do for the Lord, it’s possible to mix in personal motives that outweigh or outbalance why we’re doing it for Him, making it a hypocritical exercise. That’s why it’s important to know what fasting is and why we do it.

fasting final

 

These books above are just a very few of the books that pop up when searching for “fasting”. You can fast for breakthrough, to get an edge, to lose weight, to formulate atomic power with God, to feed your soul, to spark an awakening, to receive rewards, to cause a miracle, to start a revival…

Those are a few of the subtitles to the books that came up on my search for ‘fasting.’ If you’re new to the faith or unfamiliar with the discipline, the dangers are real in that you might accidentally absorb the simply wrong or even heretical, written by heretics. They look good, they may sound good to the newbie, but they would steer you in the wrong direction.

Solid ministries that teach rightly would be John MacArthur at Grace to You, RC Sproul at Ligonier, CARM.org, Monergism, and more.

Here is a John MacArthur sermon about Fasting without Hypocrisy. The sermon begins this way:

Now fasting is a very popular phenomenon today, but that is not to be confused with what the Bible is teaching us about fasting.

What DOES the Bible teach us about fasting? It is not to lose weight. It is not something to do for medical purposes, though your doctor may recommend fasting before taking certain tests. But that is not spiritual fasting. Spiritual fasting is not to “get” something. It is not to empty one’s self in order to receive a revelation or to go mystical via dreams or visions in an altered state.

Biblical fasting has variously been defined as-

  • Abstaining from food or drink in order to focus on prayer and seeking God’s will.
  • Abstaining from food for spiritual purposes.
  • Abstaining from food for the purpose of focusing on God

John Piper said, “Fasting is a temporary renunciation of something that is in itself good, like food, in order to intensify our expression of need for something greater — namely, God and his work in our lives.”

The Bible never deals with fasting on a physical level. John MacArthur

Examples of fasts in the Bible:

Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness prior to beginning His public ministry. He was there to be tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1, Luke 4:1-2, Mark 1:13).

Nehemiah fasted in spiritual grief when he heard the state of Jerusalem. He fasted to confess the sins of Israel and gain permission to rebuild. (Nehemiah 1:4).

David fasted when his enemies were treating him unjustly (Psalm 35:13).

The Ninevites fasted after they heard Jonah’s proclamation (Jonah 3:5) and all of them from greatest to least, fasted in repentance and humility, wearing sackcloth.

Acts 13:2 recounts the members of the early church ministering accompanied by fasting, to seek confirmation of elder appointments. (see Acts 14:23 also).

Paul fasted for three days after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:9).

Fasting is always combined with prayer. Paul fasted often. (2 Corinthians 11:27). He could have been thinking of fasting in this verse:

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:27).

So it seems from these examples and of course many others not listed here, that fasting is a regular spiritual activity for the Christian. One can fast for guidance, to gain spiritual strength, for clarity on a situation, to commune with God, to rectify a situation, to dispel self-sufficiency, to renew zeal (Mark 2:18-20), and other spiritual reasons, fasting is something that any Christian can and probably should do. Jesus seemed to say that it would be a regular activity, and gave directions for its proper implementation, though He did not command it. (Matthew 6:16-18).

I’ve fasted several times. I fasted for 3 days when I discovered a previous pastor had plagiarized all his sermons from other people and pretended they were his own. I needed God’s guidance to determine what I should do and how to approach the situation, or with whom.

I fasted prior to approaching a Ladies’ Minister who loved Beth Moore with my concerns about Beth Moore.

I fasted when our elders were planning and planting our new church.

I fasted on behalf of lifting a person to the Lord who was in a bad way.

All those were accompanied by prayer, too.

How do you deal with fasting? Have you done it? Do you enjoy it?

John MacArthur ends his sermon linked above this way:

God has given us every good thing to enjoy. Beloved enjoy it. But when you’re in a spiritual struggle and you’re consumed with the things of God, know this, that it’s right to abstain from those things to continue your concentration and your focus on that which is spiritual and divine. God help us to be more sensitive so that fasting in its truest sense can be a part of our lives.

 

Posted in encouragement, theology

“Dear Woman Feeling Called to Ministry…” By Ayanna Thomas

Posted on by elizabethprata

I like what Ayanna Thomas has to say. She makes sense, is humble, insightful, and joyous. Here is the start of her Instagram piece today: Read the rest here.

ayanna

“I know how you feel. You see so many women around you “stepping into their calling.” And you feel this urge to do something too. You scroll your feeds, wishing you could just launch your blog, start a local women’s group, deliver talks at conferences, like everyone else. It feels like you’ll never be able to walk in the gift(s) God has given you and you aren’t really even sure if you’re convinced of what that looks like.” 

“But let me encourage you with something…“

 

Read the rest of her encouraging comment, then browse her Instagram account, lots of good stuff!

Posted in encouragement, theology

What is Love?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Valentine’s Day is done and in the books. When you work in an elementary school in a lower grade, V-day as the kids call it, is almost as popular as Christmas. Even more so, because we’re in school for the cupid holiday and out of school for the Santa one.

The kids are so cute exchanging cards and little candies and they get excited over all of them. My teacher had brought in donuts and a juice box and they ate their snack and drank their drink and watched an old Disney movie for a few minutes, continued from the Christmas party. They considered the Valentine’s day ‘party’ a huge success.

But the day of love brings about thoughts on What is Love? as Haddaway sang in 1992. (Yes I’m that old). My notion of love was certainly different back then, as I was not saved. I often asked that question. I Wanna Know What Love Is, Foreigner asked and so did I. I was a child of divorced parents. I saw adultery, abuse, open marriage, betrayals, and disownments within the family and out. Growing up in the 1950s and 70s was confusing and a child of the world certainly had no clue about what love was. Cupid and Aphrodite didn’t help explain it, either.

Well, if one is saved by the grace of Jesus through the cross, one knows what love is. It’s not the ephemeral, cupid-like arrow dart Shot Through the Heart, which fades away. Eros is a fickle friend. It’s not the false promises that Whitney Houston sang in I Will Always Love You, because the flesh only loves itself.

Love is the love that Jesus gives and is. (1 John 4:7-21). It is sacrificial, endless, and pure. It will never die and will always surround us with its promise and never fade away. Jesus loved His disciples to the end and (John 13:1) He loves His people forever. (Romans 8:39). And so we love Him because He first loved us.

Here are a few resources for you about love-

The Prominence of Love (sermon)

You say, “Well, where does it [love] come from?”  Well, we’ve said this last time, I’m simply going to remind you of it:  When you walk in the Spirit – and to walk in the Spirit means you turn your life to His control, you confess your sin, you allow the Spirit of God to govern your thought patterns – as the Spirit of God controls you, He produces fruit, and the fruit of the Spirit is love, and love will only come in that way.  So the way you approach it is not in a self-righteous determination of your own mind; the way you approach it is simply to yield your life to the Spirit of God, “Holy Spirit, control me today, take over my life, live through me,” and the fruit of love will be manifest.

To Those Who Crave Controversy (Essay by John Newton)

If you account him a believer, though greatly mistaken in the subject of debate between you, the words of David to Joab concerning Absalom, are very applicable: “Deal gently with him for my sake.” The Lord loves him and bears with him; therefore you must not despise him, or treat him harshly. The Lord bears with you likewise, and expects that you should show tenderness to others, from a sense of the much forgiveness you need yourself. In a little while you will meet in heaven; he will then be dearer to you than the nearest friend you have upon earth is to you now. Anticipate that period in your thoughts; and though you may find it necessary to oppose his errors, view him personally as a kindred soul, with whom you are to be happy in Christ forever.

How does a person love Jesus? What does it mean to love Jesus?

Jesus said that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends (John 15:13). Jesus did this and more by dying for us while we were still His enemies in order to make us His friends (Romans 5:8). Much of what it means to love Jesus comes from understanding and appreciating what Jesus has done and is doing for us. We love Jesus because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

How Can I Love Christ More? (essay)

In his book, The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ, the Puritan Thomas Vincent offers nine directions that will lead you to your desired destination. Meditate on Christ – Direction 1: “Be much in contemplation of Christ.”

Still (!!!!) Single

I am 25 years old. I have been single for the past…25 years. I have never been kissed. I have never gone on a date. I have never received a note in class that said, “Do you like me? Check yes or no.”

 

love verse 4