Tag: Love God
The most important commandment!
Scripture reading for February 25th: Mark 12
As the earthly ministry of Jesus came to a conclusion, He was questioned by the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Their goal was to trap him and Jesus knew it. (Mark 12:15) These religious leaders were hypocrites! They claimed to love God and love their neighbor, but they were seeking to kill Jesus. He was the Son of God and their neighbor! Jesus answered their questions and amazed them at His simple wisdom and ability to answer.
One of the teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31) Jesus answered this teacher with simple truth and the man agreed! Jesus told him that he was not far from the kingdom of God.
This man was close, but still could not get into the kingdom by keeping this great commandment. Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, perfectly loved God. He demonstrated this love by keeping all the commandments. He, alone, has loved God with all His heart, soul, mind and strength. He, alone has loved His neighbor as Himself! In faith in Jesus Christ we are given the righteousness that we need to enter the kingdom of God. (2nd Corinthians 5:21) Strive to love God and obey Him but believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and given the keys to God’s kingdom!
Let’s go to the Mountain!
Scripture reading for September 20th: Micah 3-5
“Because of you (prophets and leaders), Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.” Micah 3:12
Micah wasted no time in telling the leaders of Israel and Judah their sins. These leaders had loved evil instead of good and failed to provide justice for the land. (Micah 3:1-2) The prophets of the land were no better. If they were given food or pay, they would bring a message of “peace”. If they were not paid, the message would be of coming war! The results of the failures of leadership were the destruction of the temple and of the city of Jerusalem. The leaders thought that they were safe because they called on the Lord and stayed near His temple. But Micah was a true prophet of the Lord and warned them free of charge!
Leadership is so important for the people of God! Wise leaders model godly behavior and love to see justice done. They live by God’s word and call the people to follow. They punish those who stray from the truth and reward those who are doing right. As we look at our nation today, many claim to be Christians, but their actions betray their words. Where are the godly prophets who will confront sin in the leadership?
“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.”” Micah 4:1-2
God would establish Mt. Zion as the place of rule for all nations and peoples. (Micah 4:6-7) Micah also spoke about the city of Bethlehem in Judah. From this city would come the One who would rule over Israel. He would shepherd the flock of God’s people and His greatness would spread to the ends of the earth! (Micah 5:2-4) He would establish justice and teach mankind to walk in His ways! Micah spoke of Jesus Christ 700 years before His coming! God provided the godly Leader who would model justice and righteousness for the whole earth!
“Listen”
Scripture Reading for February 22nd: Deuteronomy 5-7
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
This passage is known by faithful Jews as the “Shema”. The Hebrew word means “listen”. The Shema is quoted twice daily by devout Jews around the world reminding them of the importance of a relationship with the one true God. This passage was quoted in part by Jesus when he was asked which was the greatest commandment. He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)
God wants us to have ears to hear His voice! Remember that the nation of Israel did not want to hear God’s voice speaking His commandments. They had asked Moses to hear for them so they would not die. But faith comes by hearing the Word of God! (Romans 10:17)
There is no other God but God, the creator of heaven and earth. He is holy and complete in Himself. He loves them, desiring the best for them. His love is expressed in his Word and commandments. When we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we are actively responding to His Word. Because we love Him, we obey His commands. (John 15:9-11) His joy will be in us and our life will be full!
We need to impress these commands of the Lord on our children. The most effective way to pass them on is to live them out and speak about them in the normal flow of life. Live them out from morning to night. Make them the focus of all you do because they are on your own heart! What an impact on the next generation! Are you listening?
Be a Neighbor!
Scripture reading for April 3rd: Luke 10:13-37
Jesus was tested by a teacher of the Law with a question. “Teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” He replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you strength and with all your mind’, and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Luke 10:25-27) This teacher had done a good job of distilling the Law of God into a concise statement of love and relationship. However, he had one more question for Jesus: Who was his neighbor?
Have you ever thought about that question? Is our neighbor simply the man or woman next door? Could my neighbor be someone I may not even know or like? It is one thing to know the command to love our neighbor but quite another to put it into practice consistently.
Because of sin we are centered on ourselves. We love ourselves pretty consistently by giving ‘self’ what it wants or feels it needs. God used the statement ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ because everyone would understand the love of self. Now to define a neighbor, Jesus told a story of a man who was robbed and beaten, laying beside the road naked and half-dead. Passing him by was a priest and Levite. A Samaritan happened by and took time to bind up his wounds and care for the man. Jesus asked the teacher of the Law which one of the three proved to be a neighbor to the wounded man. He responded with the obvious answer. (Luke 10:30-37) Jesus told the law expert to go and do likewise.
Being a neighbor where ever you are to those around you is what Jesus taught. The law of loving your neighbor involves doing to others what you would like them to do to you if you were in need. It shows no respect for persons and is not prejudiced. This love seeks to do what is best for the person in need near us. It comes from the heart of God and fulfills these great commandments of Scripture: “Love God and love your neighbor!” Be careful to be a good neighbor today!
The most important commandment?
Scripture reading for March 5th: Mark 12:18-37, Psalms 48:1-14, Proverbs 10:26
Men are always trying to reduce the requirement to get into heaven to a simple formula. They seem to want to find the line that God requires and then get as close to it as possible and still maintain their freedom to do as they please. Instead we should be seeking complete obedience with joyful and thankful hearts!
“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 28-31)
Jesus did not give this teacher one of the ten commandments that he may have been expecting. Instead, Jesus gave this man the greatest commandment. It is the law of love that God Himself set in place and which, if kept, can fulfill all the requirements of the ten commandments. Loving God involves keeping the commandments. “Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.” (John 14:21) True love of God involves obedience to His commands. If we keep His commands, we will love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the first five of the ten commandments. We will also love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the second half of the ten commandments.
Jesus commended the teacher when he agreed with His instruction. He told him that he was not far from the kingdom. (Mark 12:34) The last step needed would be to place faith in Jesus Christ. Confessing our sins to God and asking Him for mercy would bring the needed cleansing. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives us power to love God and our neighbor as God does. Have you repented of breaking God’s laws? Do you know you are in His kingdom (not just close)? Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit?
Hear, O Israel!
Scripture Reading for February 23rd: Deuteronomy 5-7
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
This passage from our reading today is known by faithful Jews as the “Shema” and was to be quoted twice daily. This Hebrew word simply means “listen”. Jesus used this passage to define the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37-38) This ancient word from a sermon of Moses around 1500 years before Christ was foundational in the devotional life of Israel and has meaning for us today.
First, hearing is important! God wants us to have ears to hear His voice! Remember that the nation of Israel did not want to hear God’s voice speaking His commandments. They had asked Moses to hear for them so they would not die. (Exodus 20:19) Moses was repeating what God had told him. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God! (Romans 10:17) God sends His people out to speak His Word to bring faith and obedience and the resulting blessing to those who will listen.
Second, the Lord is One! He is the Creator of heaven and earth. He is holy and complete in Himself. His love is expressed in his Word and commandments. When we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we are actively responding to His Love. If we love Him, we will obey His commands. (John 15:9-11) His joy will be in us and our life will be full!
The last point to look at in this devotion is the need to impress these commands of the Lord on our children. If these commands are on our hearts, we will pass them on. The most effective way to pass them on is to live them out and speak about them in the normal flow of daily life. This will impact the next generation! Are you listening?
Be a neighbor!
Scripture reading for April 3rd: Luke 10:13-37
Jesus was tested by a teacher of the Law with a question. “Teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” He replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you strength and with all your mind’, and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Luke 10:25-27) This teacher had done a good job of distilling the Law of God into a concise statement of love and relationship. However, he had one more question for Jesus: Who was his neighbor?
Have you ever thought about that question? Is our neighbor simply the man or woman next door? Could my neighbor be someone I may not even know or like? It is one thing to know the command to love our neighbor but quite another to put it into practice consistently.
Because of sin we are centered on ourselves. We love ourselves pretty consistently by giving ‘self’ what it wants or feels it needs. God used the statement ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ because everyone would understand the love of self. Now to define a neighbor, Jesus told a story of a man who was robbed and beaten, laying beside the road naked and half-dead. Passing him by was a priest and Levite. A Samaritan happened by and took time to bind up his wounds and care for the man. Jesus asked the teacher of the Law which one of the three proved to be a neighbor to the wounded man. He responded with the obvious answer. (Luke 10:30-37) Jesus told the law expert to go and do likewise.
Being a neighbor where ever you are to those around you is what Jesus taught. The law of loving your neighbor involves doing to others what you would like them to do to you if you were in need. It shows no respect for persons and is not prejudiced. This love seeks to do what is best for the person in need near us. It comes from the heart of God and fulfills these great commandments of Scripture: Love God and love your neighbor! Be careful to be a good neighbor today!
The Most Important Commandment!
Scripture reading for October 19th: Mark 11-13
As the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry approached, many of the religious leaders were looking for ways to trap Jesus and have Him arrested. They plotted together as to how they might get Him to do or say something that would enable them to get rid of Him. Jesus answered their questions with skill and wisdom, avoiding their traps and silencing them with His replies. His good answers caused one of the teachers of the law to ask Jesus a serious question. “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28b-31) To answer this teacher of the law, Jesus quoted from the book of Deuteronomy for the first commandment. (Deuteronomy 6:4) God had impressed the need for loving relationship with Him on His people. What Jesus quoted was known as the Shema (Hebrew for “listen”), and is still recited twice daily by faithful Jews. This commandment was to be taught to the children and passed on from generation to generation. They were to share it as often as they could in every day life and find ways to so impress this on the children that they would never forget.
The second part of this greatest commandment came from Leviticus 19:18: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” God desired good relationships between His people as well. Love was the word God chose to describe His people’s responsibility to act towards their neighbors. After all, God is love and love is of God! (1st John 4:7-8) He is the Lord of love!
As New Testament Christians, we are people known for our love. We are people that love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength! We love because He first loved us and we have experienced that love in Christ. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit brings a river of God’s love into our hearts. (Romans 5:5) We are then able to love our neighbor as ourselves.
“Hear, O Israel”
Scripture Reading for February 23: Deuteronomy 5-7
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
This passage from our reading today is known by faithful Jews as the “Shema”. This Hebrew word simply means “listen”. The Shema is quoted twice daily by devout Jews around the world reminding them of the importance of a relationship with the one true God. This passage was quoted by Jesus in part when he was asked which was the greatest commandment. He answered with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) This ancient word from a sermon of Moses around 1500 years before Christ was foundational in the devotional life of God’s people. Let’s examine it closer today and seek to apply it to our lives as twenty-first century AD Christians.
First, hearing is important! God wants us to have ears to hear His voice! Remember that the nation of Israel did not want to hear God’s voice speaking His commandments. They had asked Moses to hear for them so they would not die. Moses was repeating what God had told him. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God! (Romans 10:17) God sends His people out to speak His Word to bring faith and obedience and the resulting blessing on His own.
Second, the Lord is one! There is no other God but God! He is the creator of heaven and earth. He is holy and complete in Himself. He desires the love of His children and loves them infinitely, desiring the best for them. His love is expressed in his Word and commandments. When we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we are actively responding to His Word in obedience. If we love Him, we obey His commands. (John 15:9-11) His joy will be in us and our life will be full!
The last point to look at in this devotion is the need to impress these commands of the Lord on our children. If these commands are on our hearts, we will pass them on. The most effective way to pass them on is to live them out and speak about them in the normal flow of life. Live them out from morning to night. Make them the focus of all you do because they are on your own heart! It’s pretty simple really! What an impact on the next generation! Are you listening?