"Only Life Changes"

“So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27. God created Adam from the dust of the ground by breathing life into him. So, he literally carried the “breath of God” inside of him. We were given physical bodies, but the Lord also gave us spirits, the way He exists. God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, were not inactive before creating the world. God planned and purposed it before humanity came onto the scene. Once we were created, God then directed His love and energies toward us. All we need to know about God is what He has done and what He plans to do in the future. He has revealed this to us in the Bible – the Word of God. As we read the Bible we will see as we read and study and pray that God is all and all. Nobody created God because He has always existed. God is supreme above all things. He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. We will never be able to comprehend the great depths of who God is. From the Bible, we know that God is necessary for the creation of all things. God is a purposeful, personal, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient Being. God is one Being in three divine Persons. Yes, God created the universe. There’s just one almighty God “LORD” who created this whole world. Scientists claim that the universe was created by an explosion of energy and matter. Which then assembled to form the different planets and eventually life started after millions of years. There is one black hole where universes are created and expelled but they are still related to their origin which brings the concept of the Trinity and beyond so yes, every universe was created by God who has the purpose of administrating it. Briefly summarizing all living good or evil are loved by God as all are his creation. The reason God created the universe is the same are the reason he created humans. In both cases, it is because God, by his very nature, is relational. God himself exists as three–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Son loves the Father. They are one, the Father gives glory to the Son and the Son loves the Father (John 17:20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.). God seeks relationships. Throughout His earthly life, the Lord Jesus was demonstrating to His disciples that He was fully God yet fully Man. John 20:23, Jesus tells His disciples, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 17:23, NIV: I in them and you in me–so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. So, we can’t miss it. Ironically, there are wide differences of opinion on the subject of unity among those who profess to follow Christ. As believers, we are called into one body, the body of Christ Jesus. We are to strive for unity among ourselves in all things. Unity is the state of being one or single of minded. The God we serve is a God of unity who desires that His church lives in unity and harmony built on the foundation that is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who draws us together and the power of the Holy Spirit that makes our bond stronger between believers and unbelievers. Our triune God is the supreme example of unity. Adam and Eve enjoyed peaceful fellowship with God, but their sin brought a great division between them and God, and consequently, between us and God (1 Corinthians 15:22 NIV For as in Adam all die, so in Christ, all will be made alive.) Through the cross, Christ brought us into a loving union with God.

( 1 Peter 3:18 NIV: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. ). Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

James 5:16 ESV

{Let’s Pray}
Father God, I thank You and praise You that You created all and all that by grace through faith I have the privilege to enter into the presence of the Lord and abide in Jesus Christ and He in me. I believe that I may walk with integrity, truthfulness, humility, and grace. I believe that in Your strength, I may bring forth godly works of righteousness for Your name’s sake. May my actions and attitudes reflect the godly characteristics that are pleasing in Your sight. If there is someone out there in this world that wants to know You and repent let them speak this prayer with me from the heart. Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I ask You to please forgive my sins. I believe in my heart that Jesus is Your Son; that He died for me on the cross and that You raised Him back to life. Jesus, I declare that You are my Lord and I open my heart to You in Jesus’ Precious Name Amen.

{Power Verses}
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:37–38, NIV

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
“Prayer”
Father God, what You have to say to us is vital. Help us to listen; help us to hear in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

For this reason, he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:17-18
“Prayer”
Lord Jesus, I thank You and praise You that You came to this earth to walk among us and was willing to suffer so You could help me when I am tempted in Your Precious Name Jesus Amen

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 10:27-28

“Prayer”
Help me, Heavenly Father, to find the time this day to be alone with You in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8
“Prayer”
Our Heavenly Father, we are Yours; makes us, mold us, and use us in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Father God! What a victory! To think that we are part of it. “As my Father has sent me, even so I send you, the hope and glory in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8
{Prayer}
Lord, I am unworthy of all the kindnesses You have showered upon me in the past. I thank You for Your great love to me. Help me to trust You for what I need in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. Isaiah 58:9

{Prayer}
Thank You, heavenly Father, for Your plan of prayer. We are glad You want us to keep in close touch with You in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

“Pinecones” If you put them in water to wash them off; they close up! They are clean! If you put the pinecone on a towel to dry! They open up and look clean and free! Imagine what baptism can do to a person as they walk right! Just saying! Have a fabulous day full of blessings. 🙂

In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
Job 12:10

Father God let this reading today touch someone’s heart in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

As it reads in John 13:34-35 Jesus taught, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Then He added, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”. How do we do this? Listen, be concerned about their situation and pray for them. What does it mean to love one another? Loving others isn’t always easy, but a Christlike love means forgiving, accepting and honoring even those who are different and difficult. Our ability to love others comes from God (1 John 4:7, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knows God. KJV) We can only give love when our hearts are full of God’s love. That is the formula. Any other attempt at loving one another simply does not work.
The “one another” in these verses is a reference to other believers. A distinguishing mark of being a follower of Christ is a deep, sincere love for brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. The apostle John reminds us of this fact elsewhere: 1 John 4:21, And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. NIV

In giving this command, Jesus did something the world had never seen before; He created a group identified by one thing: love. There are many groups in the world, and they identify themselves in any number of ways: by skin color, by uniform, by shared interest, by alma mater, etc. One group has tattoos and piercings; another group abstains from meat; another group eats just vegatables yet another group wears toe rings. Just some examples the ways people categorize themselves are endless. But the church is unique. For the first and only time in history, Jesus created a group whose identifying factor is love. Skin color doesn’t matter. Native language doesn’t matter. There are no rules about diet or uniforms or wearing funny hats or dyed hair etc. Followers of Christ are identified by their love for each other.

The early church demonstrated the type of love Jesus was talking about. There were people in Jerusalem from all over the known world (Acts 2:9–11). Those who were saved got together and immediately began meeting each other’s needs: “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (Acts 2:44–45). This was love in action, everyone knew the needs of others and you can be sure it made an impression on the people of that city.

Jesus’ statements in John 13:34–35 raise a couple of other questions that may be good to answer. First, how does Jesus love? He loves unconditionally (Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.), sacrificially (2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. NIV), with forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32,Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ), and eternally (Romans 8:38–39, For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ). At the same time, Jesus’ love is holy, characterized by transcendent moral purity—because He is holy (Hebrews 7:26, Such a high priest truly meets our need, one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.). The culmination of Christ’s amazing love for us is His death on the cross, burial, and bodily resurrection (1 John 4:9–10, This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. NIV). Believers are to love each other like that.

Second, how then can the believer in Christ love as Christ loved? The believer in Christ has the Holy Spirit living within him (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. NIV). By obeying the Spirit, through the Word of God, the believer can love like Christ does. He shows that unconditional, sacrificial, forgiving love to fellow believers, but it doesn’t stop there. He also shows the love of Christ to friends, to family members, to coworkers, etc. (Ephesians 5:18, {NIV} Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, – Ephesians 6:4; Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. ) (Galatians 5:16, So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. {NIV}). Even enemies are the recipients of Christ’s love.
Matthew 5:43–48, Love for Enemies! {NIV} “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus’s love displayed through the believer is unlike the “love” brought about by the flesh, which can be selfish, egotistical, unforgiving, and insincere. gives a wonderful description of what Christ’s love will be like in and through the believer who walks in the Spirit.

People don’t naturally love with agape love like Christ. It reads in 1 Corinthians 13- If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Sometimes I think back on this chapter because of hot tempered others. I pray for them to have this kind of love, but then I remind myself of this type of love that is to love like Jesus. To love like that, there must be a change of heart. A person must realize that he is a sinner before God and understand that Christ died on the cross and rose again to provide him forgiveness; then he must make the decision to accept Christ as his personal Savior. At that point he is forgiven by Christ and receives God’s gift of eternal life, in fact, he becomes a participant in the divine nature. In Jesus he knows that he is genuinely loved by God. The new life the believer receives includes a new capacity to love like Jesus loves, for the believer now has living within him the unconditional, sacrificial, forgiving, eternal, and holy love of God (Romans 5:5, And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.).
To love one another is to love others as Christ loves us. Those who love like Christ in the Holy Spirit’s power will give evidence that they are disciples, or learners, of Jesus Christ.

{Prayer}
“Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I ask forgiveness for my sins and receive you as my Savior and Lord Jesus thank You for Your Agape Love for me in Your Precious Name Jesus Amen.

{Power Verse}

Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 NIV

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Psalm 25:9
{Prayer}
Dear Heavenly Father, when I am tempted to be prideful, help me to rely on Your loving and powerful instruction in Jesus Precious Name Amen.