DEMONSTRATING YOUR LOVE
DO YOU SNUB PEOPLE IN THEIR TIMES OF NEED OR RESPOND IN LOVE EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO HURT YOUR OWN SCHEDULE?

Memorise: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience" (Rom 5:3)

Read: Romans 15:1-3
Romans 15
1 ¶ We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
When Jesus went to see Mary and Martha after the death of their brother Lazarus, He was disappointed. Before doing anything for anyone, He sought for faith in that individual. By the time He met Martha, He told her plainly: "Your brother will rise again". But Martha deferred that miracle to the day of resurrection. Again the Lord told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. I can choose to bring him back to life anytime I please', yet, she would not believe Him. The next thing was that she dodged the issue. Later, when He met her sister, Mary, He saw the same unbelief. He looked round and saw all of them weeping in unbelief. So He wept. One reason He wept was because He could not find the faith He sought for in them. He wept because all His investments in them for the period He had been with them had not yielded a commensurate result. He wept because they had turned faith to hope. Whenever you approach God without faith, you cause Jesus to weep. Whenever your Christian life does not reflect God's immense investments in you, the Lord is disappointed and weeps. Whenever you are turning faith into hope, for instance by saying, 'If I cannot be so blessed to afford a car in my lifetime, at least one of my children will during their time', you make Jesus weep. Hebrews 11:6 says it is impossible to please God in anything you do except you add a measure of faith to it. Are you making Jesus weep?

On the other hand, He wept because He loved them. Love is more than getting from the other person. It entails transferring another person's burden to yourself (Rom 15:1). Genuine love can be demonstrated by bearing the sorrow of the one you love. Anyone Jesus loves is loved to the end except the fellow terminates the love link - severing one's relationship with the Lord (John 13:1). He will not leave you nor forsake you. He is ever by your side in spite of the trouble. Troubles don't scare Him: they tickle Him, preparing Him to demonstrate His Omnipotence and pre-eminence over all things. Jesus loves you so much. Do you love others? Do you love to the point of being burdened for that backslidden brother? Or, to the extent of praying, fasting and crying for their restoration? How are you demonstrating your love today?


THE FATHER’S BLESSING:”I pray for someone reading this today, before you leave this world, the Lord will bless you, grant you favour before men and heaven and advertising so you dinning with presidents in Jesus Mighty Name.”(Amen.).

ACTION P[OINT FOR TODAY
Look around your church and neighbourhood and prayerfully identify three backsliders. Use prayers, visits, encouraging words and other means of support to have them restored.
You are special,
You are loved,
You are appreciated
My promise is to reply all mails

Pastor  Emmanuel Baba Isiaka , Bsc, Msc, MPA, PGD Theology is a Senior Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Amazing Grace Parish, Leicester.  He is a National Elder Coordinator in UK and Ireland.  British-Nigerian Based in the UK