Do We Have To Worry?

 As the new year approaches, as God's children, as those who believe, those who put their trust in God for their lives, and live their lives by faith in Christ Jesus, I want to remind you of a few things. 

Where does our help come from with whatever we face in life? It comes from the only true and living God, the Maker of heaven and Earth. If the God of all things watches over us, why worry? Why be afraid? Look at these passages and renew your mind with them. Trust on these promises because God cannot lie, as the new year approaches:

Psalms 121:1-8 NIV

[1] I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? [2] My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. [3] He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; [4] indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. [5] The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; [6] the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. [7] The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; [8] the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalms 91:4-12, 14-16 NIV

[4] He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. [5] You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, [6] nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. [7] A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. [8] You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. [9] If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, [10] no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. [11] For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; [12] they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

[14] “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. [15] He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. [16] With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalms 103:2-22 NIV

[2] Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— [3] who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, [4] who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, [5] who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. [6] The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. [7] He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: [8] The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. [9] He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; [10] he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. [11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; [12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. [13] As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; [14] for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. [15] The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; [16] the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. [17] But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— [18] with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. [19] The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. [20] Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. [21] Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. [22] Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.

Psalms 138:7 NIV

[7] Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.

Psalms 103:12 NIV

[12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Isaiah 43:25 NIV

[25] “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

This is the new covenant of the blood of Jesus Christ that we are under today:

Hebrews 10:16-17 NIV

[16] “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” [17] Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."

Being "born again" by the Holy Spirit because we believe in Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us, we are adopted children of God and added to His Kingdom forever. So God watches over us, protects us, forgives all our sins and remembers them no more, and heals all our diseases. He takes care of us now and we can always rely upon Him to do so. With that, I want us all to enter the new year with this final passage. Don't worry or be afraid as we enter this new year:

Joshua 1:9 NIV

[9] Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Praise God!! Happy New Year!!

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Do You Have The Gift?

As we celebrate Christmas and we get together with friends and family, exchange gifts, and experience a time of peace, love, and generosity, do you have THE gift? 

It's no mystery, especially this time of year, as we celebrate the birth of God's one and only Son. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who came to save all mankind from their sins, the One who made a way for us to live for all eternity with God. Jesus died on the cross to take away the penalty of sin, to truly take away the sin of the world. He laid down His life so that you and I could live. He was raised from the dead and now sits at the Father's right hand in heaven right now, so that you and I could receive the free gift of eternal life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you have the greatest gift ever offered to all mankind? God wants to give you this free gift right now!! What is the gift? Eternal life in heaven with Him!!!!

John 3:16-17 NIV

[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.3.16-17.NIV

He wants you to be born again by the Holy Spirit, so that He can adopt you into His family forever, which is the Kingdom of God. He wants all of us to be His sons and daughters forever. He loves you and I THAT MUCH. God made a way for all mankind to live with Him forever.

How? By believing in His Son, Jesus Christ.

When you believe that Jesus Christ is real and that He died on the cross for you and was raised from the dead for you, then you are born again by the Holy Spirit and adopted into the family of God. You are given eternal life right then.

John 3:3-8 NIV

[3] Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” [4] “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” [5] Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. [6] Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. [7] You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.3.3-8.NIV

1 John 5:1a. NIV

[1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,...

We celebrate Jesus coming into the world. He is the Light that came to shine in a dark world. Whenever you believe in Him, you are born again by the Holy Spirit and become a child of God.

John 1:9-13 NIV

[9] The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.1.9-13.NIV

When you believe in His name, you are born again. You receive the gift of eternal life by being adopted into the kingdom of God, by God!!

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

[8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. 

https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.2.8-9.NIV

1 John 3:1 NIV

[1] See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 

https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.3.1.NIV

Do you want to live with God forever in heaven?

Then believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God right now! Do what Paul tells you to do now!

Romans 10:9-11, 13 NIV

[9] If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. [11] As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 

[13] for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.10.9-13.NIV

Call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!! Be born again and adopted into God's family!! 

Acts 2:38 NIV

[38] Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

https://bible.com/bible/111/act.2.38.NIV

God made you. He loves you. Jesus loves you. He wants to add you to His family. He wants to give you eternal life by adopting you into His family. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus? Then come to Him today!! Come to Jesus Christ today!! Make Him your Lord and Savior today!! And you will receive the gift of eternal life today and you will become a child of God forever!!

Come to Jesus now!!! I love you today!! Whoever you are!!

I Love You All Dear Readers!!

Jeffrey Post

Why Love People?

These past few days we have studied and taken a deep look into what it means to love people. We have learned how to treat all people. So now we look at why we are supposed to love people. What's the purpose of loving those around us?

As Christians, Jesus said we are "the light of the world."

Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

[14]  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We bring something into this dark world that people around us can see, that they do not experience everyday. We bring something different into the world around us. 

When we love them and show them love by our good deeds, this points to God, this points to Jesus. This makes people take note. This gets their attention. This makes people wonder why we are different from everyone else. All of this should point to Jesus Christ, THE TRUE LIGHT.

When we love people, we reflect the love that Jesus has for all mankind. We reflect THE LIGHT that has come into the world. We reflect Jesus. We do not love people for our own praise, admiration, or attention from those around us. We love people to draw attention to Jesus Christ, who first loved us. We love people to draw them to Jesus Christ. That's why we show love to all those around us. So, they can come to God and be saved by their faith in Christ Jesus.

All this points to Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer. Everything that we are in this world should point to Jesus Christ, not ourselves. So, others can be saved Church. Like John the Baptist said:

John 3:30 NIV

[30] He must become greater; I must become less.”

Our lives and how we love people should point them to Jesus, like John the Baptist's did. We should reflect the light of Jesus in our lives by our love for all people.

We have a great example of this in nature. The Moon reflects the Sun's light. We should reflect Jesus's light into the world. It all begins with our loving all people. 

We love all people to point them to Jesus Christ.

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Loving People Is Serving Them

 In this new text and study, Jesus gives us all a way to truly love all mankind, which is by serving them. First, we humble ourselves like Jesus did in the text, and serve them. No one should be so arrogant as to think it is beneath them to help or serve someone. If the Son of God served people, we should too. Later in chapter 13, Jesus gives a new command to love one another as he loved them. That would be how people would know that we belonged to Him, by how we loved each other. John would further this thought in First John. We truly love people when we serve them by helping them and meeting their needs. We show them we love them with our actions. We don't just say we love someone, we show them we love them with our actions, just like Jesus did. 

John 13:1-17 NIV

[1] It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. [2] The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. [3] Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; [4] so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. [5] After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [6] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” [7] Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” [8] “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” [9] “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” [10] Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” [11] For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. [12] When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. [13] “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. [14] Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. [15] I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. [16] Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. [17] Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 13:34-35 NIV

[34]  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So, now John tells us how to love them, which is by serving them, just like Jesus did. We lay down our lives for people and serve them, just like Jesus did. Friends, family, Church family, co-workers, strangers, and anyone else you can think of, this is how we "love" all people. This is how we know what love is. Look at this:

1 John 3:16-23 NIV

[16] This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. [19] This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: [20] If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. [21] Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God [22] and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 

So, we can rest assured that when we love people by serving them and helping them, that we are doing what pleases God. We are showing people God exists as we love them with our good deeds and then they will glorify God because of it. 

Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

[14] “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

So, we love people by laying down our lives for them, and by serving and helping them in whatever way we can. We do this with our actions. Then they will know we care about them and truly love them. They will experience the love of God through us. So awesome!!

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Diving Into Love: Closing It Out

 As we continue our study on how to love people, which is learning how to treat people, I will close out this study on the last 4 things that love does.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

To the best of our ability, we decide in advance to "protect" people. Whatever situation arises, whatever that looks like for you in your capacity, in your life, protect all people.

The next 3 can be summed up in saying never give up on people. Expect the best from people. Look for the good in all people. Always trust in them, always have hope for them, and always persevere with them. God never gave up on us and is always faithful to us. So, we never give up on people either. 

We never do anything that deters us from treating all people in the ways we have learned in this passage through this series.

This whole series can be simplified to a single verse in the Bible, which is one of my favorites:

Romans 13:10 NIV

[10] Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Love does no harm to anyone that crosses our path in life. Period. We never do harm to another person. When we never bring harm to people in actions or words or deeds, then we are loving them. That's the whole point of the Bible. Love God and love all people like Jesus told us to.

So, now, let's get out there and truly love people.

I love you dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Diving Into Love: "Love Does Not Delight In Evil"

 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

We continue in our study about how to love people, which is learning how to treat them. We have been learning how to treat people. The anchor passage has been showing us how to treat everyone, no matter who they are. When we treat people in this way, then we are loving them like God wants us to, which is the whole point of this study.

So, the next characteristic of love is that "it does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."

The easiest way to explain this is Romans 12:9,

Romans 12:9 NIV

[9] Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

We "hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

We turn from evil and do good. We cling to the truth in God's Word. That is how we learn what is good in this life, by the truth of God's Word. So we cling to that instead of doing evil. We hate evil and rejoice with the truth of God's Word, which shows us what is good.

We treat all people with the goodness we learn from the Word of God, never evil. 

Let's look at scripture now:

Psalms 34:12-14 NIV

[12] Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, [13] keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. [14] Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Psalms 97:10 NIV

[10] Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Psalms 101:2-5, 7 NIV

[2] I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. [3] I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. [4] The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil. [5] Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.

[7] No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

This is saying that we will not tolerate evil in our lives or those who practice evil.

Proverbs 8:12-14 NIV

[12] “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. [13] To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. [14] Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power.

This personification of wisdom shows us how to be wise in turning from these behaviors.

Proverbs 10:23 NIV

[23] A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

Proverbs 11:27 NIV

[27] Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.

Proverbs 24:19-20 NIV

[19] Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, [20] for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Romans 12:17-19, 21 NIV

[17] Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. [18] If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. [19] Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

[21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 NIV

[22] reject every kind of evil.

2 Timothy 2:22 NIV

[22] Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Peter 3:9-12 NIV

[9] Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. [10] For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. [11] They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. [12] For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

So, we always turn from any kind of evil and treat people good when we love them.

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Diving Into Love: "It Keeps No Record of Wrongs"

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

As we continue our study on how to love all people by how we decide to treat them, we come to the last phrase in verse 5, "it keeps no record of wrongs." Severeal other translations say "it does not hold a grudge." "Holding a grudge" is when someone treats you badly and you hold it against them. My friends, what does that sound like? It sounds like unforgiveness. So, this phrase deals with unforgiveness in our hearts. 

If we truly love someone we always forgive people. You might say, "But you don't know what they did to me." Doesn't matter. God says forgive them. You let it go, get it out of your spirit, and move on. Forgiveness helps you move on with your life, and allows you to love people no matter what has happened in the past. God gave us mercy and forgiveness through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, and He expects the same from us, His children. We give the same mercy and forgiveness that has been given to us. Therefore, we never hold a grudge, but we always forgive everyone, no matter what happens.

Let's look at scripture regarding forgiveness:

Look at this great example Joseph gave to us on how to forgive people. Remember how badly his brothers treated him when he was a child. Look at his response years down the road:

Genesis 50:15-21 NIV

[15] When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” [16] So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: [17] ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. [18] His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. [19] But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? [20] You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. [21] So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Proverbs 19:11 NIV

[11] A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Matthew 6:14-15 NIV

[14]  For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Folks, we cannot hold anything against anyone ever! This will allow us to truly love people.

Matthew 18:21-22 NIV

[21] Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” [22] Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Wow!! Look at this!!

Matthew 18:23-35 NIV

[23] “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. [24] As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. [25] Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. [26] “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ [27] The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. [28] “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. [29] “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ [30] “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. [31] When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. [32] “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. [33] Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ [34] In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. [35] “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Mark 11:25 NIV

[25] And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Luke 6:37 NIV

[37]  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Luke 17:3-4 NIV

[3] So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. [4] Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

2 Corinthians 2:5-8 NIV

[5] If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. [6] The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. [7] Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. [8] I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 

Ephesians 4:26, 32 NIV

[26] “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 

[32] Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 NIV

[13] Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

All of these passages are self-explanatory. We always forgive because God forgave us. Never hold a grudge.

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Count It All Joy?

Taking a break from our study about love, I want to clarify a passage of scripture that has been misunderstood a lot over the years. The Holy Spirit just showed this to me.

James 1:2-4 NIV

[2] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The first part of this passage has been singled out and misunderstood. 

[2] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

This singled out is how it has been taught. That we're supposed to be happy about all the bad things that happen in our lives. It is NOT saying that at all. 

The whole passage is saying that we should be happy about the end result. When we go through a lot of trials and trust in God to bring us through them, and He does, this strengthens our faith, our trust in God. This builds our dependence upon God. So when trials come, we should see it as an opportunity to build our faith, our trust in God even more. This makes us stronger Christians. 

Don't be happy about the specific trial you have to go through. Be happy about the end result. God will bring you through it as you trust in Him.

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Diving Into Love: "It Is Not Easily Angered"

As we continue our study on how to love people by how we treat people, we see an issue that runs rampant across the world today. People are "easily angered" or offended at the least little thing. We know what it means to get angry. In our anchor passage, it says that love does not get "easily angered." When we love people, we decide in advance how we will treat them. Thus, we decide in advance to control our tempers and not get easily angered or offended. When we lose our tempers we are not loving people.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Let's look at the scriptures now.

Psalms 37:8 NIV

[8] Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Proverbs 14:17 NIV

[17] A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.

Proverbs 14:29 NIV

[29] Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

Proverbs 15:18 NIV

[18] A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

Proverbs 19:11 NIV

[11] A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 22:24-25 NIV

[24] Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, [25] or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.

Proverbs 29:22 NIV

[22] An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 NIV

[9] Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

Matthew 5:22 NIV

[22] But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

This is saying that it is not good to get angry with people and call them names of contempt like "Raca." Simply? Don't get mad at people and call them names. 

Ephesians 4:26, 31-32 NIV

[26] “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 

[31] Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. [32] Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

This is one of the greatest verses to live by:

James 1:19-20 NIV

[19] My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, [20] because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

We can't love people if we lose our tempers, are easily offended, or easily angered. So, we decide in advance not to do it. Easy peesy.

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Diving Into Love: "It Is Not Self-Seeking"

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

As we continue our study on how to truly love people, we look at this next phrase,"it is not self-seeking." Other translations simply say "it is not selfish." So "self-seeking" is being selfish. We all know what being selfish is. However, let's see the proper definition for it:

Selfish- concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself: seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others. 

I think the biggest idea here is that selfish people have no regard for others. They do not care about others. They only think about themselves. We all know this kind of person. We know what selfishness looks like. 

It is easy to see how love is not selfish. Love involves our decision on how we will treat other people. If we are selfish, then we are not thinking about other people, only ourselves and our well-being. So, if you're selfish, you will not care about the people in your life. Thus, you will not be loving them.

What does it mean to not be selfish? It means living your life concerned about the well-being of others. We care about them and help them in whatever way we can. This is loving them.

Jesus was our perfect example. He took care of himself, but lived to serve others. We take care of ourselves, but should live to serve others.

We humble ourselves before God and mankind to be servants to all mankind just like Jesus did. Look at the example he left us:

John 13:1-17 NIV

[1] It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. [2] The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. [3] Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; [4] so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. [5] After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [6] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” [7] Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” [8] “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” [9] “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” [10] Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” [11] For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. [12] When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. [13] “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. [14] Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. [15] I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. [16] Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. [17] Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Loving people we take care of our needs, but live to serve others. We never neglect our well-being, but attend to it daily, while we meet the needs of others. This is how we decide in advance how to treat people, how to love them.

We "deny ourselves," "lay down our lives," "lose our lives," in service to others as Jesus did:

Mark 8:34-35 NIV

[34] Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [35] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 

1 John 3:16 NIV

[16] This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 

This is what Jesus meant when he said:

John 13:34-35 NIV

[34]  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Another term used to describe this is:

Self-sacrifice- laying aside one's personal interests or well-being for the sake of another.

Let's explore scriptures about this:

Matthew 16:24-25 NIV

[24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Here are two examples of self-sacrifice:

What Jesus said to the rich young ruler and what the Samaritan did in the Parable of the Good Samaritan:

Matthew 19:21 NIV

[21] Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 

Luke 10:30-37 NIV

[30] In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. [31] A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. [32] So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. [34] He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. [35] The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ [36]  “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” [37] The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Don't cause someone to stumble in their faith:

Romans 14:21 NIV

[21] It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

1 Corinthians 10:24 NIV

[24] No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

We live for Jesus now as we follow Him.

2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV

[15] And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

We serve Jesus now by serving others:

John 12:25-26 NIV

[25] Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

[3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

1 John 3:16-18 NIV

[16] This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

So, let's not be selfish. Let's live to serve and help others like Jesus did. Lay down our lives for others like Jesus did. This is loving them.

Why do this? So they will experience the love of God through us. Then they might want to be saved too.

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post