How's That Relationship Going?

  Many a person will seize the moment and boldly inform someone they L.O.V.E. them.  It is special for those in love, whether those dating or married when they will in some way, reinforce, maintain and turn up the intensity of their emotion and commitment.

To some, the relationship means nothing.  The excitement, emotion and thrill are gone.  They will intentionally never give or receive a gesture of love on Valentine or any other day...  Soon a friend asks; "How's that relationship going?"   To hear the answer; "It's gone."

Throughout the Bible and centuries, it has been the same for God's people. We "fall in and out" of Love with Him, often being unfaithful.

God told Hosea in the Bible to marry a woman that would be unfaithful.  The amazing thing is not that Hosea obeyed but that he did come to love her!  "How could you love someone who is continually unfaithful?  It seems impossible and crazy."  The correct question is "How could a Holy God, love and forgive a people that were always unfaithful to Him?"

Hosea's wife finally left and while he looked and looked for her (as God often looks for you and I), he found her. She had ended up at the slave table.  "Stop. Leave her alone!  That is my wife I shouldn't have to buy her but...How much does she cost?"   Oh God, is that what you did for me? While we were unfaithful and breaking your heart breaking our relationship. We ended up on the Devil's slave table and you paid a great price.

God says in Chapter two; "And it shall be in that day, That you will call me my Husband and no longer call me my master."   At the end of Hosea; "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely......."

*****************************************

A man from the crowd yelled:  "Hey Jesus, What's the greatest commandment?"  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all soul, with all your mind and with all your strength."

Let today be the day you decide to commit to following and loving Christ!  

Remember GOD IS LOVE!

FACE the BOOK.

  A great avenue of communication, community and College party pictures has been FaceBook. For me I have communicated through pictures, posts and messaging relatives I haven,t see since childhood.  It is both a deep as well as shallow channel for community relationship and conversation.  Face book also opens the door for ministry to scores of people anywhere at the same time.

  God's book is Him, communicating to us. It is His revelation of Himself and His desire for relationship, reconciliation and love!  Through the Holy Spirit the eyes of our hearts are enlightened by the Word as to what God's will is.  Similar to someone commenting just a few minutes ago on Face book, this word written long ago is just as real, personal and fresh today!
 
  As cool as everyone considers Face book (and Twitter), Don't even think, I compare it to the relevance and importance of this Holy Word.

 God said to Joshua and us "You shall not let the law of the Lord depart from your mouth but meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it." 

  No matter your education level, finances or percentage of body fat, we are to face this book and respond to what it is saying.  Let me challenge us both to open its pages, and post back to God:  "What are you trying to say to me?"

  In the New Testament James wrote a post:

  "But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing himself in a mirror, and walks away forgetting what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it,  and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."

  God had Paul post:  "For all  have sinned and fallen short of the glory of  God "
Paul also commented: "The wages or payment of sin is death." But the gift of God is eternal life.."
Jesus said:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."   later Paul wrote; "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved"

  After we believe in Him and God miraculously makes us new?  We share it.

   It's time to face the music.

     It's time to face the book!