Tag: 28 day challenge

Day 23:Putting Christ First
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love

Day 23:Putting Christ First

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Thought long and hard about walking with the Spirit; about being one with Chist.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

From my birth as a Christian, the Holy Spirit has stayed with me.  But across my life there are times I am close to the Lord and there are times when He feels very far away.

The times when He felt far away, the Spirit had gone no where, but I typically had.  Those were the times when my prayer life grew less and less.  I stopped reading the bible.  I did not do any of this dileberately.  I just slid away.

At other times there would be something I wanted that I knew was wrong.  I convinced my self that God would understand.  Sure he wrote in the bible it was a sin, but it would make me happy and didn’t God want me happy.  I would ease into a life style I knew violated God’s will.  Justifying everything.

It’s not hard to find the times when I walked with the Spirit.  They almost always follow a time of straying.  My world starts falling apart.  Those God would want me happy activities start blowing up in my face and I am broken.  I don’t normally run back to Jesus as fast as I should, but I always run back.  A broken person, I fall on my knees and beg God to heal me spiritually.  I want back next to Him more than anything.

Those times when I can say I have walked with God.  Those days when I have heard the Spirit and know I am walking with Christ are the best periods of my life.  What they have in common are time of bible study, times of listening to sermons on the radio, but mostly, I spend time through the day asking God what I should do on the little things.  I listen for His voice.  I am in tune to His desire for my life and I try to follow his guidance.

These times of joy and closeness have actually occurred in times of quite in my life and in times of great stress.  The closeness comes from my putting Christ first.   My talking to Him through the day about all the issues, about all the problems and about all my choices.

If I am to love with Agape love, then I must be walking with the Spirit so that the Spirit can love through me.  I must not just have a quite time that I spend with Jesus (which I need big time), but I must be talking with God about everything through the day.  I must discuss the people who come into my life and ask for His guidance.  Or when my temper wants to flare, to ask him to calm me and direct me.

Day 20:Investing Hope in Others
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love

Day 20:Investing Hope in Others

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First bible verse I ever memorized.

Hebrews 11:1  Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Hope is the belief that a desire we have will happen. Or to wish for something with the expectation that it will occur.

Our hope for salvation in this life and the next rest in Jesus.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life

I understand my hope in Christ; it provides my purpose in life.  I think about the lyrics to an old hymn when I think of the word hope.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

But when we look at agape love; a characteristic of this type of love is hope.  Agape hopes always.  This is a hope not directed towards ourself, but a hope focused on others.

I started looking up quotes on hope and hopelessness.  The concept of hopelessness almost depresses you just thinking about the word.  People face moments of hopelessness during their lives, we are called to share our hope with others.  Not just the hope of salvation and heaven.  But we should share our hope in the day to day.

But I also think we are to hope for our fellow Christians, our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We desire good things in their life and we believe through Jesus these good things will come to them.  We share hope for the day to day.

Think about it.  Agape hopes all things.  We hope for others the good things of God.  We desire the rich life, the full life, the promises of Christ and we believe the Holy Spirit will provide them.  When you invest this level of care for another, it is hard to tear them down.  You build up those who you desire to see reach the heights of the Christian life.  You won’t sabatoge them, you will be patient with them because you trust they will succeed.

Hope directed towards others makes it difficult to not care.

Day 19: Agape Trusts, Believes, Has Confidence In
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love

Day 19: Agape Trusts, Believes, Has Confidence In

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Let’s parse this one.  Agape trusts all.

I understand my love for Christ is a love which trusts Jesus in all things in all ways.  Why?  Because He has proven himself trust worthy to me.  I know that even when things seem strange and out of sorts that Jesus has it all under control and eventually it will work out for good.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Love requiring trust makes sense to me when it is us loving Jesus.  Why?  Because Jesus is trust worthy.

But turn it slightly, I know Jesus Agape me.  But I am not a trustworthy person at all.  I mean to be.  I really do.  I am like the disciples who kept falling asleep while Jesus prayed.  My spirit is willing but my flesh weak.

Matthew 28:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Why would Jesus have any trust in me?  I know He knows I will fail Him.  Yet Jesus loves me with agape love.  Jesus believes in me.  Jesus believes in you.  Jesus spoke about you and about me in his prayer.  He believed in us.  See His words.  He trusted us.

John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

We trust Jesus, that is the foundation of our relationship with Him.  We trust him for salvation and we are to trust Him through every stage of our lives.  We see He actually has faith in us that through our walk with Him we will grow towards the perfection of being one with Him and the Father.

But we are also called to have faith in our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We need to show them we have confidence in them.  We know if they hold on tight to Jesus he can do a great work in them.  When they are weak, we may have to help them hold on.  But Agape love trusts.  We are to believe in our fellow Christians just as Jesus believes in us.  They may fail us on occasion, but we are all in this growing process together.  Jesus believes in me even when the flesh is weak.

Day 18: Agape ___?____ All
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love

Day 18: Agape ___?____ All

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In 1 Corinthians 13:7, the word translated beareth can also be translated cover, protect, keep secret, conceal, endure.

Thus our sentence could read

Agape beareth all. And we could make an argument that deep love endures the problems and issues of others.  You take onto yourself a portion of their burden.

Love protects all.  I think Agape love protects others from the evil of this world when possible.  You may have to allow someone you love to face the results of their decisions, but that also is a type of protection.  Allowing someone to learn in a safe environment so they do not have to learn in an unprotected environment.

Love covers all.  Think deck or roof.

My vision of this is a protective cover.  I see someone throwing themselves over a friend to protect them from harm.  It makes me think of Jesus’ comment during the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. 

Luke13: 34 

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

Love endures all

Love endures the pain and the problems of others.  We suffer for another.  Think how much our Lord endured for us.

Hebrew 12: 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

He endured the cross not for anything he had done but he took upon himself our sins and our punishment.  He endured it all out of love for us.

Day 17: Rejoice/Don’t Rejoice–An Example
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love

Day 17: Rejoice/Don’t Rejoice–An Example

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Luke 19:19 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

Zacchaeus represents our unrighteous one. As the chief tax collector Zacchaeus worked for the Romans to gather taxes.  His income came from the additional money he charged above the money actually owed to the Romans.We see he was rich.This implies he charged quite a bit above the required tax.

We should not rejoice in the sins of Zacchaeus, but what does that look like:

Luke 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

Jesus tells Zacchaeus that he will dine with him.  We never see Jesus condoning the actions of the man, but we see him still caring and loving the man.

Then we see Zacchaeus moving to the truth.  He makes a commitment to change his life.  He seeks righteousness.

Luke 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

And Jesus rejoices in the man finding the righteousness and the truth.

9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

But those in the crowd do not rejoice that a man who had been walking in unrighteousness might discover the truth if he speaks with Jesus.
Luke 19:7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
They have no Agape love for this sinner.  They hold it agains Jesus for being with this man who is a sinner.  A common used phrase these days is “hate the sin and love the sinner”.  I think this is what is meant here.
While they are yet a sinner, we should love them like Jesus did.  And like he still does.
Day 16:Rejoicing and Not Rejoicing
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love

Day 16:Rejoicing and Not Rejoicing

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Agape does not rejoice in unrighteousness of heart and life

Agape rejoices in truth

 

 

We do not love others with true love if we rejoice in the unrighteousness in their hearts and lives.

Roman 1 discusses unrighteousness.  We should never rejoice when lives slip into these harmful ways of living and thinking.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

 

But we rejoice that God loved us and loved all the people in the world so much that He sent His only son to die for our unrighteousness. Agape love longs for those who have fallen into the unrighteous life to turn back to the truth.  There is joy, happiness and peace in the truth.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

 

Let us rejoice in the truth.  Let us desire the truth in the life of all who love.  Let us rejoice in Jesus.

Day 15:Keep No Record of Wrongs.
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love

Day 15:Keep No Record of Wrongs.

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What seemed tough before just got impossible.
Let’s look at the logic here.  A person makes a rude comment hurting your feelings.  A few moments later  they apologize; they never meant to say something so mean. You accept the apology. A day or so later, the whole scene repeats itself.  And again a week after that.  Each time they say, “I am so sorry”.  Now how can you not at least in your head say, but you keep doing these things.  You keep hurting me.  And if you are like me.  You might actually say it out loud detailing each time you have forgiven them in the past and question just how sorry they really are.

First Jesus says He expects us to forgive them.

Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Forgiving includes not bringing it back up again.  When God forgives our sins, our sins are not flung back at us.  They are separated from us.

Psalm 103:11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

We love that God forgives us over and over if we are honestly sorry and trying to change.  There

are so many times when I hate what I have done.  I mean it when I say I will not repeat what I have 

done, but I fail.  Each time my God forgives me.   If I expect forgiveness, I must also forgive.  

Mark 11:

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

A person who forgives Keeps no record of wrongs.

 

 

Day 14: Let’s Hang On Selfish
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love

Day 14: Let’s Hang On Selfish

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The words “do not seek their own” or selfish hung over me all day.  They convicted me. I felt the Holy Spirit saying don’t move on.  This one is a biggie for you.  I love to help others.  But I have realized that I have expectations.  I grow a little bitter and resentful if those I help don’t live up to my expectations.

I started thinking about those embers of resentment, the anger and even the hurt feelings that grow just under the surface.  They fester in my mind.  I care about the person, but a hedge grows.

Let me explain.

Those times when you feel pressured to give money to a friend.  They tell you their health is failing and ask for help with their bills because they are paying for medical.  You know you don’t have it to give, but you can’t leave the family hurting.  You charge it on a credit card or you empty the coin jar to find the money to help.  Then a few weeks later you see them driving a new “used” car that didn’t come cheap.

Resentment grows.

Or on a lesser front.  You are there for your friend.  They say they need you and there you are.  You care and you try to be there.  Then you want them to help you.  Just be there for your or to work on a project with you.  Suddenly, they can’t do it.  They are busy or not interested.  They decide to not be their for you.

I step into situations not meaning for it to be about me, but then later I realize I had expectations.  I expected them to not waste money after asking me for help.  I expect them to be there for me if I have been there for them.

The ‘I expect’ is the problem.  Agape, I expect, should not have the selfishness of ‘I expect’ connected to the love.  The I expect is selfish.

I don’t believe you have to be a doormat.  I mean Jesus doesn’t give us everything we want.  And when we don’t handle what he gives appropriately, God does not give us more.  But God cares about us even in the limitations.  My expects are not about the other person.  It is not about setting boundries. It is about why are you not living up to my expectations.

I spent the day thinking about this issue.

I am like Paul in Romans 7. ” For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”  I want to be the person who loves without seeking self, but the reality is I am selfish and expect specific behavior when I give to others, or care for others, or do for others.

The one who has never let me down is Jesus.  I love Jesus because He first loved me.  He sought me when I was not looking for Him. When I messed up, He brought me back.  He walks with me and cares for me.  Jesus loves me.  Jesus gives to me.  All I have is His.

Today, I realized to love with Agape, I have to love others as if they are Jesus.  If He wants me to care for someone, then it does not matter what they do, because Jesus always meets my expectations.  Maybe it is not totally selfless.  I mean I am loving Jesus because He loves me.  I am loving the other person because Jesus first loved me.

Matthew 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

For me, the only way to love with Agape love which does not self seek is to see Jesus in them.  To ask Jesus what I should do, and then any thing I do for my friends, my neighbors, the strangers who pass through my life is my gift to Christ.  I owe Him everything.  I want to give Him my all.

In addition, at this moment, any ill feelings I am harboring in the back of my mind for people who have not lived up to my standards have to be let go.  I forgive them any slight they may have done me.  I need so much forgiveness from God and from others in my life.  I want mercy.

Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Day 13: A little for you, a little for me
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February

Day 13: A little for you, a little for me

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Agape is not self seeking.  Self seeking means self centered, self absorbed, selfish.

I once knew a person who believed no one ever did anything except for selfish reasons.  No one cared about another person unless something was in it for them.  They found a rationale for ever kind deed done; they explained away friends as being friends for what they could gain.

Agape says we are not to be a person who cares for others based on what we can gain.  You do not choose your friends because they provide something you need.  Boast about charity and the charity becomes about you.  Use the charity to gain power and again the charity is about you.  Same thing with friendship and love.  Choose your friends because they are popular and make you look popular there is no love there.  Choose your friends because they have things and the friendship is about you.

We are to love with unselfish love.  We are to love those from whom we can not expect anything in return.

Luke 6:32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 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. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

We are not suppose to love those who are wealthy more or less than we love those who are poor.  There are situations where people show more kindness to someone who has a great deal of wealth hoping to gain in some manner.  But there are also people who practice a different type of bias.  They hate those who have a great deal and only care for those who have less financially. James 2:8-9 tells us we are to love others as our self; to show favoritism is a sin.

Agape love seeks what is best for others; it does not seek what is best for itself.  Periodically we should look at our relationships.  Do we seek those from who we can gain, or do we treat all people the same?

The Twenty Eight Day Love Challenge
28 Day Love Challenge · February · Love · Valentines

The Twenty Eight Day Love Challenge

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28-Day Challenge

 

Join me in a beginner’s fitness course in love.  Not the ooey gooey bubble gum love of a crush.  Not romantic fluttery type of love.  I am not even talking about the love of a mom who is totally responsible for the well being of a newborn baby.  Nope.

This challenge is for Christians who want to grow stronger in the one-way Jesus specifically asked us to grow if we loved Him. I plan to study what the bible has to say about agape love translated originally in Latin as caritas (preciousness, dearness, high price).

Just remember, according to 1 Cor 13 if you can speak with all the languages of men and angels, but do not have Caritas then you sound like a big brass gong.  Loud and jarring.  Or if you can teach and you understand the greatest mysteries and you know just about everything and you actually have enough faith to move a mountain but you do not have charitas you are nothing.

If you take everything you have and give it to feed the poor or you are willing to sacrifice your body to the flames but don’t have charitas then it means nothing.

Each day we will look at what the bible says about the love Christ expects from us. There will be questions for journaling or meditation.  And on most days there will be challenges (actions) to start getting us into the habit of acting on what we read.

I hope you will come along with me as I dig deeper into this type of love Jesus said we should practice if we love him.