RHEMA From Heaven

Love, just like any other virtue, has a reward when obeyed or practiced. Aside the beauty and the kindness loves bestow on others, God also rewards the one who walks in love. Thus, in exercising love towards others by helping them, you also attract God’s help and blessings.

Thus, walking in love brings a double blessing. That’s why you must not see God’s instruction to walk in love onerous. Rather see it as an opportunity for God to bless you.

When you love God and walk in love towards others, it becomes a memorial
before God. Just as you refreshed others with the love of God in your heart, you shall also be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25 says “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Never relent when it comes to walking in love. Do it willingly and do it cheerfully, knowing that there is a pay day!

Read: Luke6:35, “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for rewarding me for walking in love.

As Christians we must see to it that, the virtues and values bestowed upon us by grace and by the impartation of the Spirit is every now and then emphasized in our midst. Doing so will always put us on the right ancient path. Not only that, with your words and actions, you must encourage
people to walk in love. You see, as a Christian in the body of Christ, your love life must be an example.

In fact, it must be an encouragement for others to walk in love. Know that what you do or don’t do goes a long way to encourage someone or discourage someone. That’s why Paul admonished Timothy to be an example in love to the believers.

1 Timothy 4:12 says “Let no one despise
your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in
spirit, in faith, in purity.”

Thus, be deliberate when it comes to encouraging people to walk in love. Don’t sow seeds of discord amongst people or be the reason why someone must hate, betray, or envy someone. Be a positive influence on people going forward.

Read: Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens
another.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to always be a positive example in love to encourage others do same.

Many people act under and from different influences in life. Some people are influenced by money, power, sex, political party affiliation, and religious persuasions. Not only that, but some people are also influenced or controlled by demons, or evil spirits.

Ephesians 2:2 says “in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God]”. Meaning that, some people are controlled by this world or the devil.

But what must control or influence the Christian? The Christian ought to be influenced by love for God and man. Your love for God and man, which was imparted into you by the Holy Spirit must be the reason why you do something or not do something.

When the love of God controls and compels you, you will never live in disobedience to the Lord, nor will you become an agent of destruction in the life of another believer. Let love lead! Let love influence your actions, not offence, not envy, not pride, and certainly not the devil.

Read: 1 Corinthians 16:14 “Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us]” (AMP).

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to always give myself to the leadings of the love of God shed abroad in my heart.

Love and hatred are two opposite forces. Both can’t spring forth from the same person. Just as love is of the heart, same applies to hatred. They are first spiritual before physical. That’s why the bible says you are a liar if you say you love God and hate a brother or sister.

The Christian walk is not about living out virtues and vices at the same time. When we are brought into the new life, we have been given power over our earthly nature. Thus, the deeds of the flesh like hatred, jealousy,
envy, can’t operate in your life.

From, our opening text, God’s word wants us to see that it is possible to walk in love and not hate anyone. Don’t have reasons to hate someone. 1 John 4:21 says “And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God
must also love their brother and sister”.

Read: 1 John 4:7 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from
God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for always walking in love and having no hatred
for anyone.

Anytime you walk in love, it can be seen. Love has deeds. This deed makes the virtue of love visible to people. That’s why, instead of saying how you love someone you must rather live it out.

Our opening text was the statement made by some Jews that saw the love Jesus demonstrated when he came to the family of Lazarus. Jesus was called by the sisters of Lazarus to come and restore the health of their sick brother (See John 11:3). But Jesus arrived at a time when Lazarus had been
dead and buried four days ago.

How did Jesus love Lazarus? Firstly, Jesus was never inconvenienced by the call of the family to come and attend to Lazarus. Rather upon hearing the news of his sickness he prayed for him. See John 11:4 “When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”

Secondly, Jesus came. He needed to respond to their call. Thirdly, Jesus gave them hope and assurance that Lazarus shall rise. Fourthly, Jesus shared in their grief, not as someone who is helpless but out of concern. He wept for joy because he (Jesus) knew what God will do. Finally, He raised
Lazarus from the dead. This is all nothing but love at work.

Can your love for people be seen? Do you go the extra mile for people? Do you attend to the needs of people by letting go of yours? Remember that when you walk in love, it can be seen.

Read: 1 John 3:18 “Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words]”. (AMP)

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to act out the virtue of love

Nothing can derail you in your walk with God like your love for pleasures in this present world. When you allow the things of this world to become the source of your joy or happiness, it won’t be long, and your heart will follow suit.

1 John 2:15-16 says “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”.

It is important to assess yourself from time to time to see what you love or
what you are building affection towards. Is your love growing for God, or your love is growing for fame, money, power, and the pleasures from giving yourself to unholy acts. Although most people will refuse to admit that they are turning to loving the wrong stuff in life, be sincere to yourself when such sacred matters come up. That’s the only way to safeguard yourself from carnality or corruption. Loving the world, no matter how small it may seem, will hinder your life spiritually.

Read: Colossians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on
the earth”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the grace that you have made available to keep
me from giving in to the pleasures of this life.

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must
respect her husband.” (NIV). Colossians 3:19 “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them”
(NIV)

When it comes to the subject of marriage, it seems like many are searching for explanations and reasons, everywhere apart from God’s word. But one thing is certain, no book apart from the bible accurately teaches about marriage. This is because, marriage is not man-made, but God-made, thus, it’s God’s word on the subject that must prevail over all others.

When it comes to marriage, love plays a crucial role. Regarding love and marriage, many people also say things that cannot be scripturally proven or inferred. For instance, people say, marry the one you love. But there is nothing like this anywhere in the bible. These falsified statements sometimes hinder Christians from accurately applying the truth.

From two books in the bible, as captured in our opening text, the bible rather admonishes or teaches that, love the person you marry. You see, as a man, that’s God’s charge to you when you marry. You must love your wife. Thus, all the virtues that is embedded in love must be demonstrated
towards your wife. You must guide her, promote her, build her and forgive
her when she goes into sin or error.

Instead of listening to false statements or biblically unverifiable statements from social media on how to walk in love in marriage, give yourself to the word of God and you will be assured of success.

Read: Genesis 24:67 “Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah [in marriage], and she became his wife, and he loved her; therefore Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” (AMP)

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you grant me wisdom on the subject of love and marriage. May I not be carried away by error or wrong teachings on love and marriage.

Even though the bible teaches us to love or express the love nature of God imparted into us, it is also important to note that you can misdirect the love mandate. This also means that we can abuse love.

The Bible talks of a man by the name Diotrephes, a church leader in the epistle of John. Diotrephes was described as someone who loves to put himself first. Thus, he loves himself more than anyone else, and by that he also loves to be notable amongst people or take the first place. This action of Diotrephes made him refuse to accept or welcome other apostles into the church and withholds hospitality from other believers.

The misdirected love of Diotrephes made him walk out of love. You see, when you think of yourself more than you should or make yourself overly important, you will not walk in the Godkind of love. All you will manifest is selfishness, because in everything, you think you must take preeminence for yourself.

When what you claim is love does not promote godliness or doesn’t align with God’s word, then it can’t be the Godkind of love. It may be your selfishness manifesting in self-love or love for things for the sake of gaining control over others. That’s not to say that a person should not love him or herself, but it must be within the boundaries prescribed in God’s word. Your love for yourself should not destroy other people or hinder the things of God or what God wants to do in the lives of others.

Read: Romans 12:3 “For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service]” (AMP)

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to exercise love rightly.

As Christians, God’s word directs us to love the Lord, the things of God, and the people that God has created. Most importantly too, we must love the gathering of believers.
You can’t be a Christian and not develop and direct your love for Church meetings or gatherings where you will meet believers. Our opening text reads clearly “love the brotherhood of believers.”

You see, don’t be a Christian who likes and loves social gatherings where people engage in pleasure to satisfy their selfishness without recourse to the Lord. If your interest in these earthly amusements overrides your interest in holy and solemn gatherings of Christians, there is something fundamentally wrong with you. You have either set your affection on earthly things or you are not born again.

When you love God in word and deed, you will always gravitate towards places where God is lifted and praised.

Read: Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for
worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching” (AMP)

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to have a sincere love for the gatherings of believers and to give it the highest priority

Remaining in the love that God demonstrated towards us means that we
must appreciate and keep what he got for us by loving us. When you keep your faith in the Lord, you are keeping the love of God, when you walk in the will of God you are remaining in the love of God.

God does not want us to only walk in love, but to also remain in his love. It is without doubt that we have been loved by the Loved. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”.

When you remain in the love of God, it is also a way you are demonstrating
your love for God. It is a way to say that you don’t trivialize or take for granted his love for you.

How can one remain in this wonderful love of God? Our opening text tells it all- “keep His commands”. The word of God will tell you how great and deep the love God has for you. This is what will set your heart on fire always for him.

Read: Ephesians 3:17-19 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to remain in your love always. Thank you for
loving me!