MIND OF CHRIST MINISTRIES, INC.
PASTOR THOMAS E. OGLESBY
P.O. BOX85
NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY 07110
E-mail:mindofchrist@verizon.net
February 2020
“The Love of God”
Dear Believer:(s)
We have realized that we cannot live by nor trust man’s definition of Love. Today let’s look at God’s Love.
John 3:16(KJV) says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (The world-God is referring to in this scripture, arepeople who are lost, and live in darkness. They are people who are not saved, and live in sin, and live for the devil.)
The Bible tells us that the devil is a prince. The devil controls those who are not saved. The Bible is clear about this“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”(Ephesians 2:2)
All unbelievers walk as the devil leads them. Paul said, “We (as unbelievers) ourselves also were sometimes FOOLISH, DISOBEDIENT, DECEIVED, serving divers LUSTS AND PLEASURES (that is, we were servants, slaves to lust and pleasure, led of the devil to serve these things), living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.”(Titus3:3)
The Bible goes on to tell us, “Since Adam sinned, all men have been born in sin and shapen in iniquity.”(Psalm51:5)“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world-and death by sin-and so death passed upon all men, for that ALL HAVE SINNED.” (Romans 5:12)Romans 3:23 says, “For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
John 3:16tells us,God loved the world, and He loved us so much, He gave His only Son-Jesus to die for those who lived in darkness. Bydoing so we would be forgiven of our sins, and those who believe in Jesus,could be freed from the power of the devil and become children of God. It also tells us, that we would not perish but would live eternally. The physical body dies and is buried in the ground but our spirit goes to be with God in the heavenlies. John 3:16CEVsays, “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.”
1John 4:7-21 (CEV),“My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life. We are now God’s children, and we know him. God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known him. God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. Real love isn’t our love for God, but hislove for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other,God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts.God has given us his Spirit. That is how we know that we are one with him, just as he is one with us. God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We saw his Son and are now telling others about him. God stays one with everyone who openly says that Jesus is the Son of God. That’s how we stay one with God and are sure that God loves us.God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won’t be worried about the day of judgment. A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love.We love because God loved us first. But if we say we love God and don’t love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don’t love the people we can see? The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”
Deuteronomy 6:5says. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Finally, let’s look at 1Corinthians 13:1-8, “If I speak in the tonguesof men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poorand give over my body to hardship that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing.Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhoodbehind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”(NIV)
Let us pray;“Dear God, We thank You for Your love. We are beginning to realize, that there is no love greater than the love of God. Lord, without Your love, we are nothing and we cannot know You. When we have the love of God in our hearts, we can love each other. As we pray together today, Lord we ask Youto fill us with Your love, and let it be manifested in all that we do. Love conquers hate and evil, allowing man to serve God in all situations and circumstances. Lord we pray, that all of Your children will use love to bring the unsaved to You. We thank Youfor giving us love because love is God. We pray this prayer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen!”
2Corinthians 9:7 says, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”I want to thank all of you who show your love with your financial support and prayers for this ministry. Without your help I could not reach others with the love of God. Thank you, and thank you again.
With God’s Love,
Thomas Oglesby
PastorThomas Oglesby
