love God, love My rag dolls

The Disgraced Love...

Bombarded by Hollywood's shallow, depraved yet indelible expression of "love" - a physical appeal that has somehow been made equivalent to intrinsic goodness - the three typically-nonverbalized yet powerfully implied notion of "loves" to which we are daily exposed are;

The "because" love that says, I love you because you are beautiful...because you make me feel special...;
the "when" love that says, I love you when you are good...when you're obedient...; and,
the "if" love that says I'll love you if you measure up to my expectations...

These are birthed from what is termed eros in the Greek language. Though eros itself is not necessarily a bad kind of love, to build any kind of relationship solely on eros will always prove devastating and even fatal in the end.

The Divine Love

The love that God has shown us through his Son, Jesus Christ...love beyond reason, love unconditional, love sacrificial...

It is the kind of love that makes the recipient of that love beautiful like Barbie's ragged doll, Pandy.

There is nothing we can think, say or do that can ever lessen or increase God's love for us. Such is the kind of love with which God woos us daily into His presence.

The Decree of Love

Love God, Love People...It seems an impossible command to obey, but as A.W. Tozer said:

"Love is the will to, the intention..."

God's command to love our neighbor as ourselves is not an option, and it has nothing to do with how we feel toward our neighbor.

Love is an act of obedience to God's command rising from willingness to love God with all that we are, a command indivisible from loving our neighbor as ourselves.

To show them the same mercy we show ourselves each day after countless faults and failures...that is what God requires of us.

May Jesus not be ashamed to call us His own when we confess our love for Him...

"If you love Me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15

-From August 13th Sunday 2:30 PM EM Service