Month / June 2017

by The Monahans

There’s A God in Heaven Who Loves You!

heaven 3 According to an article published in Psychology Today1, all of us have an intense desire to be loved. The article was written by Raj Raghunathan, PhD, who wrote, “The need to be loved…could be considered one of our most basic and fundamental needs.” But, it seems, this basic desire is a need that tends to go unfulfilled in many people. The Guardian2 reported in 2014, that one in five people feel unloved and one in ten people reported they don’t have a close friend at all.

Further, CBS News3 reported last fall on a Harris Poll that reveals 72% of Americans have experienced loneliness, and about a third of those say they feel lonely at least once per week. Perhaps it’s a result of the digital age, but whatever it is, there is no denying that people are longing for love and a sense of belonging. And with all the busyness most of us contend with, it can be hard to find the time for pursuing our needs.

But there is good news! There is a God in Heaven who loves you! His love is real, demonstrated, tangible. The psalmist, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote: “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15) The Apostle John said it even more succinctly: “God is love.” (1 John 4:16) Yes, indeed, we find that love is God’s very character, the essence of who He is.

And he lavishes His love on each and every person. Just read through the following verses and see how God makes evident His love for us in real and sacrificial ways:

 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)

“Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” (Ephesians 5:2)

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

When God gave us the Ten Commandments, He did so not to limit us or restrict us. Quite the opposite, His commandments are given to guide us and protect us. They are the curbs alongside the road of life that keep us from harm and they are a mirror for self-examination. In Moses’ sermon recorded in Deuteronomy chapter five, we are taught that God promises us that if we “stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow…you will live long and prosperous lives…” (Deuteronomy 5:33) And that is a promise from our Creator born out of the deepest love we can ever know. A love that wants to see us have long and satisfying lives.

As human beings we instinctively long for love, we long to know we are cared for, and in God we will find everything that we could ever ask or hope for. Yes, there is a God in heaven who loves you, and if you haven’t yet discovered “how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is,” (Ephesians 3:18) may today be the day you find His perfect love – the perfect love that casts out fear, that forgives absolutely, and that promises us eternal life.

Have questions about God? Want to know more about how to experience His love? Please visit KnowGod.org

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
1 The Need to Love, posted January 8, 2014, Psychology Today
2 One in 10 Do Not Have a Close Friend and Even More Feel Unloved, Survey Finds, published August 12, 2014, TheGuardian.com
3 Feeling lonely? So Are a Lot of Other People, Survey Finds, published October 12, 2016 by CBS News
by The Monahans

Thru the Storm

Storm  In today’s world, it doesn’t seem to matter where you live, there are hot button issues of all kinds. News headlines, editorials, blogs, and social media feeds flow readily with various viewpoints in support of, or rallying against, just about any issue you can think of. People cry out for tolerance but often intolerance seems to rule the day. Sadly, I have witnessed in my own social media feed friendships and family relationships strained over strongly held positions on one issue or another.

Without a doubt, there are many issues that have significance in our daily lives. But no matter where you stand on these issues; regardless if you are pro-life or pro-choice, for Brexit or against, a climate change skeptic or believer, for same sex marriage or against; whether you favor a more global governance or oppose it, support open borders or don’t support them; or whatever other issue may be of specific importance to you right now, the day is coming where none of it will matter except for one thing.

That one thing is this: what do you say about Jesus Christ. Here there is no middle road, no compromise position, no negotiation. You either accept the free gift of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus or you don’t. Jesus plainly said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

And the psalmist wrote: “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” (Psalm 46:10)

And the Apostle John wrote: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” (1 John 5:12)

There’s no intolerance or exclusion here, because Jesus makes his grace equally available to all. In fact, the only way to be excluded is to opt out, but even then, you will one day realize that Jesus  is Lord.

The great prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 45:23) and the Apostle Paul (Romans 14:11 & Philippians 2:9-11) both assure us that every man, woman, and child will one day acknowledge God: “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

It is important to be involved in our world and to do what we feel best for our communities and our neighbors, but the reality could not be more clear: whether we consider ourselves conservative, liberal, or something in between; a day is coming where the only thing that truly will matter is what we decided about Jesus Christ. We all instinctively know that we are sinners and we all fall far short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) so it reasons that we also instinctively know, deep down inside, that we need grace.

So the fact remains that all those issues we feel so strongly about will one day pass away, just like the earth itself. For Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” (Luke 21:33) And the Apostle Peter tells us: “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.” (2 Peter 3:9-11)

While he was here on earth, Jesus told us this plain truth: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.” (John 3:16-18a)

And, dear friends, there you have it. God loves you and wants to extend his grace to you. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, or what storms you’ve been through, God longs for you to return to him. But to receive his grace you have to do two things: repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus. Won’t you please do this right now, before it’s too late?

To learn more about accepting God’s free gift of grace, please visit:

KnowGod.org

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

To stay current on Reign Drops, like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReignDropsBlog/

Or follow us on Twitter: @ReignDropsBlog

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.