Bible League: Living His Word “I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.”— John 13:34-35 ERV When I was growing up, I went to church camp every year. I have such fond memories of Camp LRCA in northwest Indiana! I loved swimming and sitting around campfires. I loved learning Scripture and making new friends. I didn’t like the food very much, which was kind of weird because I was “husky.” I liked to eat (and I still do)! I remember the songs that we used to sing. One song had the words, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, by our love.” This little praise song comes straight from the mouth of our Lord Jesus. In today’s verse, He gave His followers a new command. This command wasn’t external in nature. No, it was internal. He told His followers who were gathered together, on the night before He was crucified, that they were to love each other as He loved them. Jesus told them that the world would know that they were His followers if they would just do this one thing—love each other. Jesus didn’t say that the world would know we are His followers by the music we listen to or by the number of Christian bumper stickers on the back of our SUV. He didn’t say that the world would know we are His followers by the lever we pull in the voting booth or the number of church services we attend each week. He didn’t say that the world would know we are His followers by our tattoos or lack thereof. It’s not by our hairstyles or the Bible verses we share on social media. He said, “All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” Don’t get me wrong, some of these are very good things to do, and obedience to His Word is necessary. However, sometimes we get so focused on trying to follow all the rules that we forget to follow this command of Christ. If we can come together as the body of Christ and truly love each other, we will shock the world! Why? It is because the world is so devoid of love. Love is in such great demand, but is in such short supply. As followers of Jesus, we know the greatest love of all—GOD’S! If we can learn to truly love each other in the church despite all our differences, it will speak volumes to a world that is deeply divided. If we, as followers of Christ, can overcome that which separates us and can instead be united in God’s love, we will show the world that what we say we believe is true. The world will never believe that God is love if His own people can’t show it to each other. Let’s go out of our way to love one another in the Kingdom of God. The world will take notice of a bunch of people doing something so radical, and they just might want to know more about the God Who loves them and sent His Son Jesus to prove it. By Shawn Cornett, Bible League International staff, Illinois U.S. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingNumbers 7 Numbers 7 -- Offerings at the Tabernacle Dedication NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Mark 4:21-41 Mark 4 -- Parables of the Sower, Lamp on a Stand, Seed Growing Secretly, Mustard Seed; Jesus Calms the Sea NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. Insight Life is short no matter how long we live. If there is something important we want to do, we must not put it off for a better day. Challenge Ask yourself, “If I had only six months to live, what would I do?” Tell someone that you love him or her? Deal with an undisciplined area in your life? Tell someone about Jesus? Because life is short, don't neglect what is truly important. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Nahum 1:3 The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power.Jehovah "is slow to anger." When mercy cometh into the world she driveth winged steeds; the axles of her chariot-wheels are red hot with speed; but when wrath goeth forth, it toileth on with tardy footsteps, for God taketh no pleasure in the sinner's death. God's rod of mercy is ever in his hands outstretched; his sword of justice is in its scabbard, held down by that pierced hand of love which bled for the sins of men. "The Lord is slow to anger," because he is great in power. He is truly great in power who hath power over himself. When God's power doth restrain himself, then it is power indeed: the power that binds omnipotence is omnipotence surpassed. A man who has a strong mind can bear to be insulted long, and only resents the wrong when a sense of right demands his action. The weak mind is irritated at a little: the strong mind bears it like a rock which moveth not, though a thousand breakers dash upon it, and cast their pitiful malice in spray upon its summit. God marketh his enemies, and yet he bestirs not himself, but holdeth in his anger. If he were less divine than he is, he would long ere this have sent forth the whole of his thunders, and emptied the magazines of heaven; he would long ere this have blasted the earth with the wondrous fires of its lower regions, and man would have been utterly destroyed; but the greatness of his power brings us mercy. Dear reader, what is your state this evening? Can you by humble faith look to Jesus, and say, "My substitute, thou art my rock, my trust"? Then, beloved, be not afraid of God's power; for by faith you have fled to Christ for refuge, the power of God need no more terrify you, than the shield and sword of the warrior need terrify those whom he loves. Rather rejoice that he who is "great in power" is your Father and Friend. Daily Light on the Daily Path Proverbs 3:24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.Mark 4:37,38 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. • Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Philippians 4:6,7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. • And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety. Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. Acts 7:59,60 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" • Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep. 2 Corinthians 5:8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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