THE PRE-EMINENCE OF LOVE!
✝️ 🍉🍒🍇 🫵🙏
Our *GOOD NEWS* this morning – Tuesday, 27th August 2024 – is *_PRE-EMINENCE OF LOVE ❤ _*
👑🦅 *_May God’s LOVE manifest in everything you think, say and do henceforth, in Jesus’ Name!_* 💕
🎊 *_AMEN!_*
It shall be so. 😇
🦅💕 Our *THEME:* 💕🦅
*_PRE-EMINENCE OF LOVE!_*
🦅💕 *The Hymn: EMHB. 321.* 💕🦅
1: LORD, I hear of showers of blessing,
Thou art scattering, total and free;
Showers, the thirsty land refreshing;
Let some drops now fall on me;
Even me.
2: Pass me not, O gracious Father,
Sinful though my heart may be,
Thou mightst leave me, but the rather
Let Thy mercy light on me.
3: Pass me not, O gracious Saviour.
Let me live and cling to Thee;
I am longing for Thy favour;
Whilst Thou art calling, O call me.
4: Pass me not, O mighty Spirit,
Thou canst make blind people to see;
Witness of the Saviour’s merit,
Speak the Word of power to me.
5: Love of God so pure and changeless,
Blood of Christ so rich and free,
The grace of God is so strong and boundless,
Magnify them all in me.
🌹
Source:
MHB 321.
Courtesy- Dynamic Choir.
🦅💕 *EXHORTATION!* 💕🦅
Let us pray:
💕🦅 *_The KING OF LOVE, My Shepherd. Impart Your Life into Your People and I so that Your word may impact our lives._*
*_Let me become unseen while you become ‘visible in love’ to the hearers and readers of this message so they will receive the power to worship you in love._*
*_As we enter your presence, let your Holy Spirit illuminate our hearts and spirits so that your unconditional love may empower us to do exploits for you in the matchless Name of Jesus Christ – Our Love._* AMEN.
🦅💕 *THEME:* 💕🦅
*_The Pre-Eminence of Love!_*
🦅💕 Our *TEXT:* 💕🦅
*John 15: 13, 16-17._* 💕
- *_“Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down HIS LIFE for his friends.”_*
- *_“You did not choose Me, but I choose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My Name he may give you._*
- *_These things I command you, that you love one another.”_*
– John 15: 13,16-17. (NKJV) 💕
🦅💕 *_PRE-EMINENCE OF LOVE._* 💕🦅
From the archives of:
The Rt. Rev. Michael A. Femi-Adebanjo, MFA, PhD.
Living a Christ-like life often acquaints Christ’s true believers with the truism that *_‘One Day, we shall leave this world of extreme challenges and join the Saints in blissful living, in heaven, with the Church Triumphant.’_*
Hence, there is a need to take Christ-ordained sharing of Love and Communion more seriously.
This reminder also hastens to quicken the mind of the Believer about Christ’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
Truly, the success of our evangelical zeal is embedded in the greatest love of all (John 15:13). *_“Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down HIS LIFE for his friends.”_*
Let us concentrate on Jesus as we sing: *“As we gather, may your spirit dwell within us…”*
It is God’s will to lay this foundation in our hearts before we proceed:
LOVE is a perfect state of mind that builds a fulfilled life. It is expressed through emotions, speech and deeds.
It has four major types:
*PHILIA* – Love of knowledge and knowledge acquisition.
*EROS* -* Romantic love that exists between Man and Woman.
*STORGE* – Parental or family love also includes platonic love between friends and compatriots.
These three varieties above are *“need love”* because they are conditional.
Need love is a kind of affection exhibited due to a specific situation or need.
The fourth kind of love, which *we shall focus on*, is the sacrificial kind God gives, deserves, and prescribes, which we give in Jesus’ Name. It is *“the gift of love.”* It is called: *AGAPE* – The unconditional love.*
Christians are always expected to *“Watch and Pray”* (Matt.26:41a).
I would like to know if we can actually *Watch and Pray* without a focus on LOVE. *Will any success manifest without a seed of LOVE?*
That is why we shall call the giver of the promise to empower us to worship GOD better, with a genuine appreciation of HIS LOVE, in Jesus’ Name!
*THEME:* *Pre-eminence of Love.*
*TEXT:*
*John 15: 13, 16-17.*
- *_“Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down HIS LIFE for his friends.”_*
- *_“You did not choose Me, but I choose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My Name he may give you._*
- *_These things I command you, that you love one another.”_*
– John 15: 13,16-17. (NKJV).
*_Pre-eminence of Love_* is a state, or character, of love being superior above any other craving of anyone who claims to believe in Christ Jesus. It is a submission to God – who made man’s complicated hearts – to fulfil His word that teaches that it is possible to live in love in a world filled with innocently – or deliberately – hurting and hating. Only LOVE inspires us to give valuable things to other people.
*“Pre-eminence of Love”* becomes very important and timely since Jesus is the primary instructor, an example Christians must follow.
Genuine Christians must be attentive to Jesus’ guidance.
After silencing the Sadducees… and the Pharisees plotted to tempt Jesus with the question on the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus quoted the Old Testament Scripture in response to the one who questions Him (in Matthew 22:37), and it was quoted from Deuteronomy Chapter 6, verse 5 (RSV) thus:
*_“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”_*
That scripture even commands that the words be learnt by heart and transmitted to generations yet to be born! Applying these words of life gave birth to a great Pauline teaching about Agape Love in that Epistle we read from 1 Cor. 13:1-13.
Please consider this *Situation:*
If the law (says that *the word*) must be in the heart of Israelites (God’s believers), then Jesus had fulfilled that law… for he knew the law to quote it by heart without reaching for the scrolls!
Beloved, humans always have a *Complication:*
From our study, the legalistic Religious Authorities never loved God as prescribed by the law, which they knew by heart. They prioritise the observance of traditions – chasing shadows of the law and staying away from what Jesus personified and exemplified: *the substance of the truth!* No wonder 2 Cor.3:6 says it is better to be ministers, not of the letter (like those religious leaders) but *‘of the spirit’*: The letter kills while the spirit gives life.
JESUS is the actual *Resolution:*
The Greatest of all Commandments emphasises the need to love one’s neighbour – in the Gospel Lesson… and our Epistle Lesson exhorts that all gifts, however excellent, are nothing without Love… Our passage from Deuteronomy also concludes, *_‘To love Jehovah is the essence of the law!’_* Only Jesus can bind His Church in His Love, without which our struggle cannot yield the divine result.
Analytically, the scriptures we use today discuss the hidden treasures in the Pre-eminence of love, showing that when we are truly surrendered to Christ, it is practicable for us to LOVE GOD whole-heartedly, giving our emotion, worship, gifts, and entire being to satisfy His perfect will! God does not expect us to fold our arms and ask him to act: He wants us to act right first.
By loving God with all your soul, you submit your being to Christ-like righteousness, with the Kingdom of God as your final expectation.
Loving God with ‘all our might or mind,’ we direct our intellectual development into meditating on God’s will (through the obedience to His written word) with all our zeal (Psalm 1:1-3, 2 Tim.2:15.)
The Lessons we read today also agree with what Romans 13:10 says in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible:
*“Love does no wrong to a neighbour;
therefore, Love is the fulfilling of the Law.”*
Most importantly, achieving all these righteous feats without unconditional love is impossible. Conditional love incapacitates humans from excelling spiritually.
We must realise that no one can love God if he finds it impossible to forgive, forget the harboured dissension against ‘someone’, or love his neighbour who he physically sees… no matter how disgusting that neighbour might be!
A highly successful woman in one Church used her influence to put the great Church where she worships (with her husband) in the heart of God and the town… Members marvelled at the Church edifice’s splendour – She made her Church’s physical appearance (in and out) as comfortable as a wealthy home. She spent heavily to ensure that Church equipment and furniture were first-class. She also made it possible for that Church to give godly assistance to orphans, widows, the needy, and the inmates of the Government’s Correctional Centre in that Community. Moreover, the Philanthropist was the outsider sought after, making people in need struggle for her attention on Sundays when they should be worshipping God.
But her children could not attend the Church due to the impression their mother paints at home. And her husband seemed to be tied to her apron strings – and would always obey the iron lady. Call it humility or weakness, but the Man fears the LORD and is genuinely focused on the heavenly race.
The great lady is “feared”, having stooges at her command – even at the Church: She either approves who pastors her Church – and what happens in the Parish Meetings – or she gets the cleric fired! She was ruthless and unforgiving, yet a kingmaker in Church and that town… Even if the priced lady basked in the glory of her success, wouldn’t she be justified to boast that she had paid her dues?
On the day of reckoning, I ask what the God of Love would say about this endowed but controversial benefactor: *_“Thank you, profitable servant. This is your mansion. Enter into the joy prepared for you by the Almighty Father?”_*
Apostle Paul berates philanthropic gestures that are not grounded in love in our Epistle lesson. And something makes me feel that Jesus would remind each of such people about what Rev. 22 12 says,
*“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”*
Let us Sing this Song:
*“Let there be love shared among us…!”*
I put famous words on FORGIVENESS together, and Christians should feel better hearing them…
*_“He who forgives ends the quarrel.”_* -African Proverb.
*_“Every person should have a special cemetery plot to bury the faults of friends and loved ones.”_* -Anonymous.
*_“The best way to get even is to forget wrongs.”_* -Anonymous
*_“The habit of judging and condemning others is usually a great deal more serious blemish than are the things we so glibly point out as flaws or faults.”_* -Anonymous
*_“They who forgive most shall be most forgiven.”_* -Bailey
*_“‘I can forgive, but I cannot forget,’ is another way of saying, ‘I cannot forgive’.”_* -Beecher.
*_“Life has taught me to forgive much, but to seek forgiveness still more.”_* – Otto Von Bismarck
*_“Good, to forget; Best to forgive.”_* -Browning
*_“Never does the human soul appear so strong and noble as when it foregoes revenge and dares to forgive an injury.”_* -Chapin
*_“Little vicious minds abound with anger and revenge and are incapable of feeling the pleasure of forgiving their enemies.”_* -Lord Chesterfield.
*_“They never pardon who commit the wrong.”_* -Dryden.
*_“His heart was as great as the world, but there was no room to hold the memory of a wrong.”_* -Emerson.
*_“The noblest revenge is to forgive.”_* -Fuller.
*_“He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for everyone needs to be forgiven.”_* -Herbert
*_“In the sphere of forgiveness, too many hatchets are buried alive.”_* -Hubbard.
*_“Forgiving the unrepentant is like drawing pictures on the water.”_* -Japanese proverb.
*_“A wise man will make haste to forgive because he knows the true value of time and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain.”_* -Johnson
*_“We pardon in the degree that we love.”_* -La Rochefoucauld.
*_“He who has not forgiven an enemy has never yet tasted one of the most sublime enjoyments of life.”_* -Lavater.
*_“Doing an injury puts you below your enemy; revenging one makes you even with him; forgiving it sets you above him.”_* -Nylic Review.
*_“It is only one step from toleration to forgiveness.”_* -Pinheiro.
*_“To love is human; it is also human to forgive.”_* -Plautus.
*_“Good nature and good sense must ever join; to err is human, to forgive, divine.”_* -Plautus.
*_“A brave man thinks no one his superior who does him an injury; for he has it then in his power to make himself superior to the other by forgiving it.”_* -Alexander Pope
*_“We win by tenderness; we conquer by forgiveness.”_* -Robertson
*_“The narrow soul knows not the Godlike quality of forgiving.”_* -Rowe.
*_“There is a noble forgetfulness-that which does not remember injuries.”_* -Simmons.
*_“Pass smoothly over the perverseness of those you have to do with and go straightforward. It is abundantly sufficient that you have the testimony of a good conscience toward God.”_* – Rev. John Benjamin Wesley.
*_“It is manlike to punish, but godlike to forgive.”_* – Winter.
*To the Nation.*
Brethren, Individuals make up the nation. Have you considered your answer to the testiest question in Christendom: Do You Love Christ? Have you decided to forgive that person who had deeply wronged You?
When we are faced with severe pains… Or we cannot understand what the hand of God is doing concerning those realities in our nation, we throw away patriotism or love for other people who are not from our tribe, crying marginalisation and wondering if God truly exists… Do we blame God, blame someone, throw away hope or take every corrupt way out?!
Do we love God only when good things come our way? Do we support ethnic strife or schism?
Brethren, You are not in these alone: We all have pains. We cannot solve it alone. We need one another. We all need God’s help to Bind Us Together In Love!
*To the Individual.*
In most difficult circumstances, One man needs to sow deeply into another person’s life. When your provision is insufficient to sustain you, it is a seed: Don’t eat it!
Selfless giving – without seeking instant harvest or reward – attracts God’s compassion to us, For the Lord considers it that we have given to God indirectly.
Show love to someone, will you? When you least expect, your rejoicing and favours will find you through these acts!
Proverbs 11:24-25 (God’s Word Version) says:
24 *_“One Person spends freely and grows richer, while another holds back what he owes and yet grows poorer.”_*
25 *_“A generous person will be made rich, and whoever satisfies others will himself be satisfied.”_*
And Matthew 5:7 (KJV) says:
*_“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”_*
Do you wait to be buoyant before you show generosity to others? Or do you vent your anger on others when you lack? Love is selfless, persevering and kind… in whatever situation.
*To the Church.*
People – Christians inclusive – have no faith in one another. Besides being easily suspicious, we are daily divided along religious, ideological, and ethnic lines. We even degenerate into being jealous of one another’s gifts or blessings! Yet, only love brings unity, and our success is guaranteed in love alone.
Romans 13:8 (KJV) says, and we need to comply with this if we must win:
*“Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another
hath fulfilled the law.”* KJV
Even the Universal Church is united only in faith and hope… This is why doctrinal issues still bring mutual suspicion and unhealthy rivalry among Church Denominations! We may confess Spiritual circumcision by faith. But, alone, It does not help: faith works with love (Galatians 5:6)
It is time to pray to God: *_“O LORD, Bind Us Together In Love!”_*
*To the Government.*
Have you paused to ponder why most African Nations – including our Country, Nigeria – are perpetually under-developed?
We are less committed to communal interest being disunited in love (less patriotic) than other countries on other continents. Hence, our natural resources are usually plundered by godless people; a few (mis) leaders daily mismanage funds because of self-love… Covetousness. Our leaders need to consider the masses and be compassionate.
People are dying daily of hunger and the biting repercussions of our government’s heartless reforms(?!). In contrast, those in government live in ostentation and make it legal to loot the public treasury to earn what a hundred citizens should have as emoluments. How can selfishness move any nation forward?! Let not self-aggrandisement and corruption destroy us; we pray: *_“O LORD, Bind Us Together In Love!”_*
Dear Brothers and Sisters, we must imbibe the culture of living out our beliefs. In praying for God to bind us in love. The love we share should go beyond ‘need love.’
The times are becoming more challenging, and we should lend a hand of hope. We must forgive ourselves and shun myopic, ethnic-biased evil propaganda if we must build one another’s hope and faith… and give agape love to one another.
Believers need to seek the heart of God (loving God), not seek his hands (blessings and protection). It is another time to pray to God:
*_“O LORD, Make Your Love Pre-eminent in my soul’s search!”_*
The Gold Diggers only seek God’s hands, for they do not love Him. So they find it more fulfilling to criticise others rather than tolerate them and live for what is right, not lip service. Hypocrites complain rather than seek God’s face.
Unfortunately, GOD reads our minds effortlessly… and would not give His heritage to plunderers! That explains why most Christians still lack after the prophecies of their blessings have been released: Why would God bless a person not living according to His purpose? When we are broken (humble), it becomes easier for God to lead us into our fulfilment!
Please accept this simple truth that unbroken people miss: *_You need to love the messenger of God’s Word before you receive the favours that must pass through God’s message!_*
Let us learn a lesson from Queen Esther (Esther 2:15). One Queen (Vashti) had just lost her position due to Pride. Now, Esther contested the position of Queen with others who were probably more beautiful than herself. Other contestants made use of what they thought was right. But Esther made use of wisdom. She listened to Hegai, the King’s Eunuch (the chamberlain who knew the King better) and used only what was prescribed for her without pride.
Today, those Eunuchs are typical of your Pastors who daily seek God for your sake, even with lack: Listen to them, care for them – not by giving them reports that will divide the Church – but love them as unto God!
Esther chose to seek the King’s heart, not the Kingdom’s splendour. She sought the King’s heart and not his hand… for she knows of the possibility of being unfortunate to gain the King’s hands without seeing his face.
*_Serving God in our way is Dead Work. We cannot make it without Jesus. We must give Jesus our lives; assume a new identity (2 Cor.5:17); be Changed to love God with all our soul, mind, and being (Deut.6:5, Matt.22:37); become happy with GOD in all situations till eternity, having life and joy of Salvation first before giving same to others; become heaven-focused, realising that heaven and hell are real; and be His loyal disciples… We should not aim to enforce rules only because it makes you “deal with someone!”_*
When we are in love, our main aim will be to be united with Christ in giving God’s type of joy to humanity – reconciling Man to God.
It is another time to pray to God: *_“O LORD, Bind Us Together with You In Love!”_*
To enjoy God’s blessings to the full, we must *abstain from sins and gain these values of Christianity:*
(i) Jesus becomes our advocate. (1 John 2:1, Rev.1:5.)
(ii) Obeying God’s will, we become receivers of God’s favours and supply of our needs. (Eccl.7:12, 2 Peter 3:18, Ph.4:19.)
(iii) Becoming Christians in practicality separates us from the doom that will soon come over this present world (Ps.103:4).
(iv) We shall not witness the tribulation period. We shall be taken up in rapture (Matt.24:1-51).
(v) We shall be with Christ if we have acknowledged our sins and prayed for mercy before the great purging and death comes! (Luke 23:43, 2 Cor.12:4, Rev.2:7)
God created Mankind to love him for the abundance of all good things! We must seek the blessings and not the blessings. Humanity does not need a hundred days in God’s presence to be established: Only one sustained moment will do. One moment of Divine Favour (which you are having TODAY) shall be of more excellent value than a lifetime of labour! Will YOU allow your Faithfulness to lead you in your favour now?
Song:
*_“O LORD, Bind Us Together with You In Love!”_*
*Prayer Points.*
PREEMINENCE OF LOVE!
*Scriptures are taken – (Song Of Solomon 2: 8-15 (Or Deuteronomy 6:1-12); 1 Cor. 13: 1-13; John 15: 7-17.)
‘Bind us together, Lord…with cords that cannot be broken…with Love.’
‘I’ve got peace (joy) like a river…’ Isaiah 48: 18.
‘Jesus, Let me be your friend…’ John 15: 12-14.
‘Jesus loves me; yes, I know…’ John 15: 13.
Read *Rom. 6: 23* & Pray for forgiveness of Sins, Then…
1) [Rev.1: 5] I cover myself, my family, my ministry and all my endeavours with the Love and blood of the lamb, in Jesus’ Name!
2) [Gen. 18: 1,2] Today, let me receive the Love of God that will make me recognise my divine visitation and act aright, in Jesus’ Name!
3) [Isaiah 8: 9-10] O ye forces of hatred blocking my receiving blessings and the heart that Loves, I break you into pieces with the hammer of God, in Jesus’ Name.
4) In Jesus’ Name, I reject that demonic husband (or wife) sent to trouble my marriage: I have received Jesus’ Love for good!
5) [Isaiah 59:19] Every abortion of honour and blessings from the subconscious, with every arrow fired against me in the spiritual, return to sender in Jesus’ Name.
6) I neutralise every effect of meals taken in my dream by the power of Jesus’ Name.
7) [Micah 7 11] By Jesus’ blood atonement, I overthrow the strength of every destroyer of my relationships, in Jesus’ Name.
8) [Mark 4: 39] Today, I receive the Power that will overcome the effects of all spells and machinations of the evil one against me and my home, in Jesus’ Name.
9) [Luke 10:19] I crush every satanic power holding on to my rejoicing, by fire, in Jesus’ Name.
10) [Luke 12:7] Let every evil power against me find a lasting friendship in all endeavours, be consumed by fire as l possess my favours in Jesus’ Name.
11) [John 14: 27] By the power of Jesus’ Love, I confuse every evil plot against my Progress. Let the enchantments of my enemies be confused forever, in Jesus’ Name.
12) [Gal.5:1] I stand steadfastly in Christ’s Love, to repossess all my possessions from the enemy of my soul, in Jesus’ Name.
13) [Phil. 1:6] Today is my day of manifestation as Christ’s Beloved. Let every evil planted in my life be removed by fire in Jesus’ Name.
14) [Eph.2:14-15] Let Jesus’ Love conquer all my lapses!
Thank You, O God, for restoring love all around me.
AMEN! 💕
*_As for me and my household – including these prayer partners reading, hearing and praying along – we shall serve the living God in sound health, good wealth and prosperity of our souls, in Jesus’ Name!_*
*God Bless You!*
🦅 *Enter To Worship… Depart To Serve!* 💕
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🦅 *Bless Someone Today: It’s Your Good Morning, and HAVE A BLESSED, VICTORIOUS LAST TUESDAY in the Month, in Jesus’ Name.* 🌹
✝️ 🍉🍒🍇 🫵🙏
