You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV)
Love,
Joelene
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I had to re-ordered personal checks yesterday, and I splurged and got fancy. Yeah, call me reckless -- I do throw caution to the wind every now and then :-) Since I do so much automated banking these days, I write fewer and fewer checks, so I figure they will last me a long time (the last box lasted a year, I think!)
So, I ordered my checks with the Peanuts characters on them, because they just make me smile. And then I added a couple of options. I put a symbol in the upper left corner, of which they had many, many to choose from. I could've chosen anything from hobbies to patriotic messages to Christian sayings. I chose the word 'LOVE' in a block formation, and I also added a "one-liner" that goes above my signature, that says, "Loving, Caring, Sharing".
Yeah, I paid a little more for all of these extras, but they spoke to me. That's right. They spoke to me. Most people want other people to see their check personalizations, because it says something about them. But, most people who will receive my checks will never see or know me at all. No, these messages are for me . . . to remind me what my calling is from Jesus. To love. To care. To share.
Jesus said...
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." ~ John 13:34-35 (NIV)
...and this love is not just for your friends. Jesus made that very clear in Matthew 5:43-48...
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends. So you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (NCV)
The reason love is the avenue of Christ is because that is the essence of His nature, the motivation for pursuing the hearts of men. Because it is the antithesis of the essence and nature of Satan, the prince of the air, the prince of this world, who is filled with hatred and destruction. Jesus says to us who believe in Him, Walk the avenue of love, pursue it and live it for the people around you, because they need to know there is another way. This world doesn't have to be about greed, hatred, distrust, betrayal, hurt, death. I have come to give LIFE! Live a life of love, with all of its sacrifice, to point them to Me, because I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
You are a letter from heaven, if you have chosen Jesus Christ...like a ticker tape parade!
So, I ordered my checks with the Peanuts characters on them, because they just make me smile. And then I added a couple of options. I put a symbol in the upper left corner, of which they had many, many to choose from. I could've chosen anything from hobbies to patriotic messages to Christian sayings. I chose the word 'LOVE' in a block formation, and I also added a "one-liner" that goes above my signature, that says, "Loving, Caring, Sharing".
Yeah, I paid a little more for all of these extras, but they spoke to me. That's right. They spoke to me. Most people want other people to see their check personalizations, because it says something about them. But, most people who will receive my checks will never see or know me at all. No, these messages are for me . . . to remind me what my calling is from Jesus. To love. To care. To share.
Jesus said...
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." ~ John 13:34-35 (NIV)
...and this love is not just for your friends. Jesus made that very clear in Matthew 5:43-48...
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends. So you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (NCV)
The reason love is the avenue of Christ is because that is the essence of His nature, the motivation for pursuing the hearts of men. Because it is the antithesis of the essence and nature of Satan, the prince of the air, the prince of this world, who is filled with hatred and destruction. Jesus says to us who believe in Him, Walk the avenue of love, pursue it and live it for the people around you, because they need to know there is another way. This world doesn't have to be about greed, hatred, distrust, betrayal, hurt, death. I have come to give LIFE! Live a life of love, with all of its sacrifice, to point them to Me, because I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
You are a letter from heaven, if you have chosen Jesus Christ...like a ticker tape parade!
Let people find you on the streets of their daily lives and read what's in your heart . . . may it be authentic love, the essence of our God!
Love,
Joelene
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