♥an inspirational message♥

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  The Love Test

by Max Lucado

Have you ever made decisions about your relationships based on your feelings instead of the facts? When it comes to love, feelings rule the day. Emotions guide the ship. Goose bumps call the shots. But should they? Can feelings be trusted? Can a relationship feel right but be wrong?

Feelings can fool you. Yesterday I spoke with a teenage girl who is puzzled by the lack of feelings she has for a guy. Before they started dating, she was wild about him. The minute he showed interest in her, however, she lost interest.

I’m thinking also of a young mom. Being a parent isn’t as romantic as she anticipated. Diapers and midnight feedings aren’t any fun, and she’s feeling guilty because they aren’t. Am I low on love? she wonders.

How do you answer such questions? Ever wish you had a way to assess the quality of your affection? A DNA test for love? Paul offers us one: “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6 NIV). In this verse lies a test for love.

Want to separate the fake from the factual, the counterfeit from the real thing? Want to know if what you feel is genuine love? Ask yourself this:

Do I encourage this person to do what is right? For true love “takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6 JB).

If you find yourself prompting evil in others, heed the alarm. This is not love. And if others prompt evil in you, be alert.

Here’s an example. A classic one. A young couple are on a date. His affection goes beyond her comfort zone. She resists. But he tries to persuade her with the oldest line in the book: “But I love you. I just want to be near you. If you loved me …”

That siren you hear? It’s the phony-love detector. This guy doesn’t love her. He may love having sex with her. He may love her body. He may love boasting to his buddies about his conquest. But he doesn’t love her. True love will never ask the “beloved” to do what he or she thinks is wrong.

Love doesn’t tear down the convictions of others. Quite the contrary.
“Love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1).
“Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light and will not cause anyone to stumble” (1 John 2:10).
“You are sinning against Christ when you sin against other Christians by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong” (1 Cor. 8:12 NLT).

Do you want to know if your love for someone is true? If your friendship is genuine? Ask yourself: Do I influence this person to do what is right?

WHAT WE DO NOT SEE by Bro. EddieCVillanueva

Hudson Taylor once said, "All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on God being with them."

If we think that we are followers of Christ, then we must believe that He is with us all the way (Matthew 28:20) and that He is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). This is faith.

There is no sense in our decision to follow Christ if we doubt His power to make His promises real to us. For a true disciple depends on his master,  whatever He has to teach him. If he has placed allegiance on Him, he must entrust to Him his all including his worries. After all, God is able to carry out what He had promised for as long as we believe He will. He does not lie and never He will. (Numbers 23:19)

One author wrote, "Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins when man's power ends."

George Mueller attests to this truth when he said, "The province of faith begins where probabilities cease and where sight and sense fail."

Jesus had an encounter with a man who was trying hard to fight his unbelief. He begged His help while he fainted to see his son being seized by an evil spirit. But Jesus did not heal his son at once. Instead He dared him. "If you can believe, all things are possible to Him who believes."

Immediately he cried out and said with tears, "Lord I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:23-24)

The world mocks faith. But God has a habit of putting the world in awe. One time, He caused the walls of Jericho to fall down flat just by mere marching around and shouting of the Israelites, Joshua led the people to do just that  in obedience to what God had told him. Indeed they looked insane but it worked! (Joshua 6:1-29)

The pure faith of a disciple gives glory to God. It places Him in His rightful place, proving Him as the only One who is worthy of trust.

Unbelief on the one hand accuses God of lying. (1 John 5:10). It does not seek to honor Him. It sets an end to what He can actually perform. (Psalm 78:41)

The faith that God looks for in His disciple is one that depends on His supply and abilities. God wants His disciple to trust Hum  - first, foremost, and only.

C.H. Mackintosh once said, "To make known my wants, directly or indirectly, to a human being is a departure from the life of faith, and a positive dishonor to God. It is actually betraying Him. It is tantamount to saying that God has failed me, and I must look to my fellow for help." It is forsaking the living fountain and turning to a broken cistern. It is placing the creature between soul and God. Thus robbing my soul of rich blessing, and God of the glory due Him."

The fountain of faith is the Word of God. It will strengthen our faith if we constantly feed on it. It will help us see things beyond what we see at the moment.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) 

-really inspiring me. All I can say is Thank You Lord! 

Hello blog world. I'm back. 

Fresh. Had new beginnings. 

Full of hope, faith and love.

Changed and in the process of transformation.

Devoted to HIM.