“Let brotherly love continue.”–Hebrews 13:1

Love is one of the most powerful motivators. A perfect example of such motivating love comes in the form of an old Baptist preacher from early America. The American Revolution was just beginning in the hearts of the American people, and many were pushing for the colonies to go to war with England. Unknown to many people, English loyalists, who supported their homeland, despised the Americans’ audacity to break free from England, and sought to defeat the colonists from inside their own country. One such man was Michael Wittman, an evil loyalist who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. In the same town lived a Baptist minister named Peter Miller who was close friends with George Washington. Miller did all he could to reach out to everyone in Ephrata and invite them to church, but by far his biggest critic was Wittman. Wittman did all he could to publicly humiliate, denounce, and ridicule Pastor Miller, but Miller continued to love him.

As was bound to happen, word came out that Wittman was a loyal defender of England and a traitor of America. He was brought before a judge and was condemned to death. Because of his love for Wittman, Miller walked seventy miles from Ephrata to the military prison in Philadelphia where Wittman was being held. Knowing General Washington was in charge at the military compound, Miller sought him out and pleaded for the release of Michael Wittman. Washington replied, “I am truly sorry, Peter, but I cannot release your friend Michael.” “My friend! Why, he is my worst enemy,” remarked Miller. Washington was shocked, “You mean you traveled seventy miles on foot to plead for the life of your enemy? Why that does put things in a different light. Wittman will be released.” That day Wittman and Miller walked home not as enemies, but as friends.

What made the difference in Washington’s view of Miller’s request? The fact that Miller would go to great lengths for an enemy, a man who had wronged him many times, showed his genuine love for Wittman and swayed Washington’s approval of the pardon. Miller didn’t simply show love when it was convenient; he truly cared about Wittman.

The ultimate example of true love is in Jesus Christ. His love for others, even those who rejected Him, led Him to endure this world’s trials and die a cruel death on a rugged cross. His wasn’t a convenient love, but a genuine love to all.

Often a person’s actions can affect our love for them. We’re wronged, mistreated, forgotten, or abused in some way, and as a result our love for that person ceases. Have you ever been wronged by someone and simply wrote them off your “list” as a result? God reminds us that just as He was rejected and rebuked, so sometimes we will be as well.

People will make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes will adversely affect you. Sometimes a hurtful word will be spoken, or some action will offend. God’s desire is that apologies would be made and relationships would be restored, yet some people would rather ignore someone for years rather than making things right.

“Let brotherly love continue.” God’s desire is for you to love all people, the friendly ones and the bitter ones. Even when others mistreat you, let love continue. Even when you’ve been backstabbed or wronged, let love continue. Even when the other person wants no part in your love, let love continue.

Is there someone whom you’ve stopped loving? Don’t allow petty arguments, hurtful words, bitter feelings, or mistakes affect your love for another person. If Christ can endure a crowd of His people yelling for His crucifixion and still pour out His love for them on Calvary, you can forgive someone’s wrong actions and continue loving them. Seek today to let your love continue to all people.-By Dr. Paul Chappell

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). The psalmist does not say, “I thought the Lord kept us out of afflictions. I thought that if I read my Bible every day and prayed and tried to obey His will, I would never have any afflictions.” Instead, he says that we will face many afflictions.

Why do we have afflictions in our lives? We have some afflictions simply because we are human. They are just a part of human life. We get older, and our bodies begin to run down. Not every sickness, every accident or every problem we face comes because God is angry at us or is disciplining us. They may just be a part of life.

We also have afflictions because Satan is against us. He’d love to destroy us. Or, afflictions may come because we have disobeyed the Lord. I’m glad for those; I’m glad that God loves me enough to “spank” me when I’ve disobeyed Him.

But often, afflictions are God’s tools for helping us grow. We don’t really grow until we’ve been through the furnace, through the storm or through the battle. God is not raising hothouse plants that shrivel when the hot wind blows on them. No, He wants to raise mature sons and daughters, and that’s why we have afflictions. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (v. 19). He doesn’t keep us out of them. He delivers us from them. Sometimes He changes the circumstances. Sometimes He changes us. The real secret of deliverance is not the circumstance around you but the faith within you. Expect affliction, but trust God for deliverance.(Warren Wiersbe)

Do you feel up to a challege this morning? Try reading Romans 9:1-3 and then ask yourself this question–“Do I see any similarities between me and Paul? He said,”I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”(Rom. 9:2-3). What about you?   In this age of self-love and self-centered giddy “worship” the last thing people want is “great heaviness and continual sorrow”. They do everything possible to avoid such feelings.They hire “worship leaders” to pump them up and pastors to tell them how they can live their “best life now”. Let a Spirit-filled believer, with a burden on his heart and a tear in his eye, come into their presence and he is looked down upon, not admired. He is criticized, not commended.    I don’t know of anyone who is the equal of Paul and he had what most people despise–a broken heart! He was more concerned about lost souls and God’s kingdom than anyone I know. He never preached with a take it or leave it attitude. He was heart broken over the pitiful condition of the lost.   Here’s an interesting thought–What do you suppose it would be like to be in the presence of Paul, maybe spend the day with him? Would you be able to see any difference in the way he prayed or preached? I suspect some would think that he was too emotional, too sad, or too radical. If my guess is right, we would come away thinking–this is the most unusal person I’ve ever met. Why do we fear being different?   Paul had the boldness of a lion and yet the tender heart of a mother caring for her infant. He had the courage to confront the false teachers, yet enough compassion to speak the truth in love. He was brilliant enough to confound the wisest scholars and yet he communicated in such simple terms that a child could understand him. There was no an ounce of showman in Paul.   Now, here’s another question–“Would you feel comfortable in the presence of Paul?” I’ll admit, I think I would be embarrassed by my failures to be in his presence. Maybe that’s why he had so many critics. His devotion to God was an embarrassment to their complacent spirit. They tried to drag him down so as to make themselves look better.   So what’s the point? Hopefully this will encourage us to examine ourselves. Maybe we’re not as normal as we would like to think. We might look fine compared to today’s standard, but we fall far short of the norm for first century Chriastians. If you’re honest, you will have to admit that the pattern of Paul is much better than the standard of our day. Considering Paul’s example it seems to me that the calm, well-adjusted, got-it-altogether,”happy” Christian isn’t always the best example. Such people might just be backslidden, cold, and indifferent. They would be much better off if they had “great heaviness and continual sorrow” in their heart. We are pretty much useless without that kind of compassion!

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle… –Job 7:6

Where are we going so fast? Scientific measurements indicate that we are moving even when we are standing still. Continental land masses sit on enormous slabs of rock that slide very slowly at the rate of 1 to 8 inches per year. In addition, America is gradually moving westward, away from Europe, at the rate of 3 inches per year.

Consider this: our Milky Way galaxy is hurtling through space at 375 miles per second or 1.3 million miles per hour. And within our own galaxy, the sun and its solar system are zooming along at 12.4 miles per second toward the star Vega in the constellation Lyra.

If you were to lie on your back in a quiet park on a cloudless day, you may feel as though all time and movement have stopped under the warm rays of the sun. And when you’re walking down the street, you don’t notice the earth spinning beneath your feet. But the scientist and the Christian know otherwise. Just as we are hurtling through the heavens at unimaginable speeds according to science, so too are we moving from here to eternity.

Our days and opportunities to live for the Lord and share Him with others pass so quickly that we cannot afford to waste any more time. It is important that we remember our days are numbered and life is but “a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Time is God’s gift to you, so worship Him, live for Him, and bring others to the saving knowledge of His grace and forgiveness in the days you have left. Live dynamically for Christ today because tomorrow may not come.

Ask the Lord to help you live without desperation or futility as you travel quickly from your earthly home to your heavenly home. (From Senior Living)

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

Philippians 4:4

Rejoicing is a lost art today. People complain about their work, the weather, their sports team, the economy, the government, or their family. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Have you ever met those people who seem to have nothing going right in life? You might ask them how they’re doing, then regret asking when they tell you everything that’s wrong!

We all know things go wrong in life. If we wanted to, I’m sure we could all list things we wish were going differently for us. However, rarely do people focus on all that is going right in life. How about the fact that we all woke up this morning? We are all still breathing, living human beings. The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is their paradigm of life.

What paradigm, or view of life, do you have today? Do you see life as a giant series of events that go wrong? On the other hand, do you see it as a divinely guided series of events that ultimately lead to a home in Heaven? God desires that you view life as a God-designed plan personally for you.

The greatest joy that can be had is in living for a higher purpose, a purpose given by God. When we focus on ourselves and the pains and trials we endure, our joy is diminished. Only as we look toward Christ and live out His perfect will for our lives will the trials be seen as opportunities to praise God.

Even in his day, Paul realized the pessimistic view some people had on life, and reminded Christians to be joyful, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” Notice that Paul didn’t simply tell the believers at Philippi to be happy. He told them to rejoice in the Lord. —-

Because God created you, you can rejoice. Because God loves you, you can rejoice. Because God sent His only Son to die on Calvary for you specifically, you can rejoice. Because death means an eternity with God for believers, you can rejoice. Because God has ordered your life, you can rejoice. Because even in difficult times God is working through your trials, you can rejoice. Because no matter what happens on earth God is still on His throne, you can rejoice.

Have you rejoiced yet today? Have you praised God for the fact that you’re alive? Don’t take each day on earth for granted. Take time now to rejoice in the fact that God loves you and is watching over you right now. Rejoice always because God is your Heavenly Father.–By Dr. Paul Chappell