Valentine's Day Greetings

This weekend billions of dollars will be spent in purchasing cards, flowers, candy, perfume and all the usual things people use to express their love to their Valentine. And while giving these gifts, they will (hopefully) say all the right words. 

I think we would all agree that we don't need a special day to show our love to that special someone, but there's nothing wrong with celebrating your love along with the rest of the world. And you should do it in a way that means something to both of you.

Often when I read the book of John where Jesus was, in effect, saying good-bye to His disciples, tears come to my eyes. Jesus, the greatest Lover the world has ever known, poured His heart out to His Father on behalf of these men. They had been his companions for a short time, but they shared a closeness deeper than that which He shared with His own family. Let's look at some of His words:

"I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours" (John 17: 9).

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name ... (v 11)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—

I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory ... (v 20 - 24).

Aren't those the most beautiful and loving words coming from the lips of our Lord and Savior? He prayed that the Father would protect His disciples when He was no longer with them; that they would receive glory, that they would have unity and that in the end they would be with Him in heaven. But Jesus didn't pray just for them alone. He prayed for everyone who would receive His gospel message. What a loving Savior!

On this Valentine's Day, before you celebrate with your loved one, why not pray for and with him/her? Pour your heart out to the Lord as Jesus did for us and then you would be a true Valentine. God bless.

Here's something else you might like to give your valentine. Click here
I like to suggest things I think you may like. If you do purchase, I will receive something from it. Thanks! 

How Do We Love?

Love ? I love love love you. (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

Valentine's Day has just passed, and many of us may still be basking in the afterglow of  time spent with that special person. Since I didn't post anything on Valentine's Day, I thought I would repost this article which I did last year. After all, love is timeless, isn't it?

The words of a song of yesteryear go like this: What the world needs now
Is love, sweet love, It's the only thing that there's just too little of
Remember that one? Do you agree that what the world needs now is love? That there isn't enough to go around?

From events taking place around us everyday it would certainly seem that way. So, if you agree there isn't enough love in the world, why don't you begin to share some? No, I'm not talking about man/woman love - not yet. I'm talking about brotherly love. Love for all mankind. Love for the people you know and the people you don't know. Love for the people who look, talk and act like you do and those who don't. The kind of love that Jesus exemplified. Giving love. Forgiving love. Helping love. Praying love. Saving love. Healing love.

We may not be able to do the last two. Only Jesus can save, but we can lead someone to Him. Only Jesus can heal, but we can pray that He will heal them. The clue is to do what we can. No one spoke more and did more in the name of love than Jesus did. He left the splendor of His heavenly home and came down to earth where He suffered hunger, thirst, pain and death. All in the name of love. And He commanded us, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matthew 22 : 37 - 39).

Simple, isn't it? But how close do we come to keeping that commandment? Do we love God the way we ought? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves? This month let us reflect on what it really means to love. If we find that we don't measure up, let us go to the Greatest Lover of all and ask Him to teach us how to love as He did.

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