Friday Morning Prayer:)… August 9, 2018

August 9, 2018 - 8 minutes read
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
 
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
 
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.[1]
 
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”[2]
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It is impossible to love God with all of our being until mercy and grace have touched our calloused heart and illuminated our minds to understand the great love of God demonstrated through the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  As blind eyes are opened and ears are given to hear the gospel truth, we readily overflow and joyfully sing, “All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all!”[3]   “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling; naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.
 
 
In Christ, you and I are called to enjoy heart relationship with God.  Sterile religion with attempts to “be a good person” and attempting to live morally or keep the commandments, which are holy and good, was never regarded as adequate.  Adequate unto salvation is to know the Giver of the law through the Lord Jesus.  The apostle Paul makes it clear that through the law he died to the law so he might live for God.  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”  Moreover, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”[4] 
 
 
I am accountable to live this redeemed life as a stewardship.  Working out my salvation with fear and trembling is consistent with honoring the moral law of God in everyday reality.  In fact, through the cross, the righteous requirements of the law are fully met in us who live according to the Spirit.[5]  I fail at every turn which constantly reminds me that I need Divine aid to meet the divine requirement.  “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, ‘Do not murder,”… are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”[6]
 
 
Beloved in Christ!  Be ye encouraged this glorious day our Lord has made and rejoice in it!  “When we walk according to the Spirit, we fulfill the just requirements of the law.  That is, we keep the commandments.  That is, we love.  We are doers of the law, not sinlessly perfect law-keepers.”[7]  The fruit of the Spirit is love.  Through God’s empowering and indwelling Spirit we love God with all our being and we love others, not perfectly, but consistently by God’s amazing grace. 
 
 
We love God and he loves us.  God loves you.  The ultimate demonstration of his love is the death of his Son Jesus on the cross to rescue us from sin and death.  God’s ongoing supernatural love is demonstrated daily in various ways.  For example, we experience the love of God through brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are encouraged through the Scriptures.  A hymn moves the heart toward God.  I desperately need the body of Christ!  God’s family design for our good, to show love and be loved on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and anytime in between as the Spirit reminds me of someone to call, to pray for, send an email, a text, and consistently cry out to the God of all comfort on behalf of others.  That is what we do as Christians empowered by God and led by the Holy Spirit.
 
 
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
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Sisters are meeting to pray together!  First Baptist.  1912 Arnold Way.  Alpine. 0900.
 
You are invited!  Gals who love Jesus and one another will love you too!  If you are free this Friday morning go and enjoy our God through the fellowship of sisters in Christ.
 
Brothers are meeting too!  Mt. View Bible.  2710 Alpine Blvd.  Alpine.  0730
 
Men who love Jesus representing various gospel-centered churches gather to enjoy a time of fellowship and intentional prayer.  If your schedule allows, it would be a joy to see you and humbly pursue our gracious God together.   No expectations or requirements, just a hunger and thirst for righteousness that God initiates and fulfills through the power of the Holy Spirit.