Valentine's Email February 13, 2009

Hello Ladies!

Around this time in February I like to send an email out to my sisters in Christ. Basically it is to remind both you and me, how important and amazing God's love is. When Valentine's Day comes around, the single women seem to find a fun way to spend it, or sulk about singlehood and the attached women seem to plan a romantic day with their partner. What's wrong with this picture? We tend to forget God. As christians, we are to give God all things, we are to give Him our whole heart, even if we have given it to someone else. God should not be neglected, and for a single woman to be depressed on Valentine's day is as much of a sin as an attached woman spending the whole day with her partner without any dependence or love towards God. In order to prevent you and me from sinning this Saturday in this way, I've looked up some verses to remind us of how amazing God's love truly is. I hope you will read and gain insight and encouragement from it, and possibly fall in love with God again.

Starting off in Isaiah, God speaks of the future hope to the Israelites as they were betraying Him,

Isaiah 54:4-7,10
"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgraces; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
For your Maker is your husband--the LORD Almighty is his name--the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit--a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God.For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
(10) Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you."

Even when Israel commited adultery against God with other idols, and even though they refused to give up their sin in front of God, even though they were as bad as Sodom (Ezekiel 16:49) even though God burned with anger towards them, He did not destroy Israel completely. He kept His promise, He longed for them to come back to Him and He brought them back.
Again another instance in Isaiah of God's heart towards rebelious Israel,

Isaiah 49:15,16
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."

Isaiah 46:4
"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

Isaiah 41:10
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

In the midst of God's anger, He still promises these things to Israel. Just sit back and meditate on that, Israel has become just as bad as Sodom, the wicked city God destroyed back in Genesis, they knew they were rebeling against God, they refused to listen to His prophets, they ignored God and rejected God, after He had given them prosperity and safety. Israel completely rejects God, and what does God promise? The suffering of His servant. (Isaiah 53) His Son. His Son who is going to come and die for sinful Israel and the rest of the world. Why? because God loves us.

Not only has God loved us by sending His Son, but His Son also loves us. (Philippians 2:6-8) (John 17:20-26)

John 17:24-26
"Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me, I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

True love, doesn't come from people, it comes from God. "We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

1 John 4:16-17
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him."

Through God's love, we are made complete in Him. We are made complete! God's love is the only love that can fill us in this way.

Psalm 73:26
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Habakkuk 3:19
"The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights."

Isaiah 40:29-31
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

So, as the day approaches, what is going to drive your motivation for the day? The joy of God's amazing love for us? or the fleeting joy of human love? My hope and prayer for this weekend, is that none of us live like the rest of the world does. (Romans 12:1-2) We are called to be set apart. This is the perfect time for Satan to disable us from doing the work God has called us to do. That is, love one another, to clothe ourselves with Christ. (Romans 13:14) To not think we are better than others, but to serve one another. We are the light of the world, (Matthew 5:14-16) meant to shine in dark places. How much more of an impact God can make on other's lives through us, when we share this amazing love with others in the way we present ourselves. My challenge for you and me is to live out the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13, to not envy others, to not boast of what you have, to not be self-seeking, but always trust, always hope, always persevere. Don't complain, but rejoice in the truth! :-) I love you ladies, and I hope this is helpful for you. I have some passages and verses at the bottom of this email I haven't referenced that maybe you can look up and meditate on your own this weekend. Plus, if you have any insights or encouragements to share, please do! Hit reply to all and type away. :-)

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19

God bless! :-)

Your Sister In Christ,
Amber



Fall in Love with God:

Isaiah 40:25-31

Psalm 119Psalm 107:10-16

Psalm 37:23-24

Psalm 27:13-14

Romans 8:38-39

1 John 3:1,16-20

1 John 4:7-21

Our response as godly women:

(for single women) Song of Songs 2:7

Galatians 5:22-25

1 Peter 1:13-25

:-)

The Incomprehensible Sleep

The most influential band in my spiritual growth, Cool Hand Luke, wrote this song. This is what they say it's about,

"The incomprehensible sleep is the sleep Christ’s disciples fell into as he prayed in Gethsemane. Jesus’ only request to them in his darkest hour was to stay awake and pray, yet, they failed him. We, too, have all fallen into this incomprehensible sleep. We can wake up. Indeed, we will wake up. Do you hear Him calling us? “Set your hearts on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1,2)
The title for this song was inspired by a sermon by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who knew suffering better than I can imagine. The sermon is entitled Judas. It was preached in Finkenwalde, Germany on March 14, 1937."

Enjoy the lyrics, I hope they inspire your life as much as they have inspired mine.
-Amber

The Incomprehensible Sleep:
Matthew 26:36-46

Our lives up to this point have lead to this
A garden in the dark, a deadly kiss (Matthew 36:47-49)
If you want to follow me
We’ll walk into suffering
It’s this act that will distinguish us

My disciples, those I’ve chosen (John 15:16)
Don’t listen to the sirens
Don’t you know that I would never lead you astray
Tie yourself to the mast and cover your ears with wax and
Keep your gaze on me, for God’s sake stay awake

Sometimes you have to close your eyes to see.
Sometimes to walk you have to get down on your knees.
All I ask is that you pray
All I ask is that you stay awake
But your dreams betray me

My disciples, those I’ve chosen
Don’t listen to the sirens
Don’t you know that I would never lead you astray
Tie yourself to the mast and cover your ears with wax and
Keep your gaze on me, for God’s sake stay awake

Wake up.

Are you resting?
Are you still asleep?
Wake Up, O Sleeper (Ephesians 5:14)
Wake Up and say a prayer
Wake Up, O Sleeper
Are you my betrayer?
Wake up, O Sleeper
Wake up, O Sleeper

Incomprehensible, Incomprehensible