God so Loved the world that He gave; John 3: 16 ... In 1 John 3: 16 we read - Hereby we know Love because He laid down His life for us - can we lay down our lives for the brethren? In Heb. 1: 3 we read that He Jesus was the very form of God, all that God was, He was. He thought as God thought, He lived as God lived, He loved as God loved.. He was so at one with Father God that He said to Philip in John 14: 9 He that hath seen me hath seen the Father..

Our infinite minds have great difficulty grasping the full meaning of our Father God - yet He tells us in Philippians 2: 5 to let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.. (That was the mind of Father God) Jesus believed in Love, He obeyed the dictates of His Father in Love, He knew Love would conquer, in fact He gave His life in love so that we could live.

He is telling us to love as He loved, look up and read the following scripture references --

Romans 5: 5 -- Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts--

Ephesians 3: 16-19 -- Being rooted and grounded in love --

Romans 15: 1-3 -- The strong bear the infirmities of the weak --

1 John 4: 7-12 -- Love one another: for love is of God --

1 John 3: 14 -- He that loveth not his brother abideth in death --

That last reference seems a really hard stand, but what He is saying is that if we do not love (regardless of our religious profession) we are abiding in spiritual death! - - Separated from God.

Jesus said, a new commandment give I unto you, Love one another. As we take on the nature of Christ and are filled with and guided by His spirit, we will manifest the very nature of God within ourselves and it will spill out from us unto others.

We are to love even as He loved ! Yes we - you and I are to take His place on this earth.. we are to speak His words, do His deeds, share His compassion, show His love.

Try it at the office, on the job, in the school or college. LOVE WILL TRANSFORM THE WORLD!

The kind of love we are talking about (the Jesus kind of love) shines out as a beacon, inviting the world to a higher and better way. It lifts us above the strife and bitterness around us. It keeps us above the sordid life around us.

Phil.1: 9 "I pray that your love may abound in all discernment" - then in 1 Peter 4: 8-9 above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves. Fervent (white hot) or heated to a welding point, we will all be welded together as one people. What a beautiful site that would be, fitly framed and welded together, made after the design of the Father. Jesus said in John 17 that ye may be one even as the Father and I are one..

Col. 2: 2 That our hearts may be knit together in love and unity.. then our spirits are illuminated and our understanding of the mysteries of God is increased.. Vs. 3 says, In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.. Praise His name!! Vs. 10 says "In Him we are made complete '.. Hallelujah.

Oh that we could grasp it, we are complete in Him - - resident in us is His nature, His love, the very sufficiency of God. When we can comprehend it and take hold of the nature of God we will become God minded, which is Love minded. Our eyes will start to see needs and minister to them, our ears will become sensitive and we will have the compassion of Christ for people around the world.

The Jesus kind of love would eliminate war, destroy selfishness and greed. It would solve every economic problem. There would be no more lawsuits, no more divorces. Our courthouses would be turned into houses of praise.

John 15: 9 Just as the Father has loved me, I (Jesus) have also loved you, abide in my love..(live in His love). If we live in love, we will bear the fruit of love -- the days of hating, jealousy, bitterness, offences, will be a thing of the past.

The Jesus kind of love has never broken a home, it has never wrecked a life, it has never made a criminal out of a single child.

Love promotes health, God is love - Love is my healer -- now I understand why bitterness, hatred, jealousy etc. causes so many ulcers. Oh to live in the love realm and learn the language of love, the methods of love, the ways of love.. God is my Father I am His child therefore I am in a family of love and I need to act as such.

Psalm. 133: 1 David says, behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers (sisters) to dwell in unity.

Eph. 4: 1-3 Forbearing one another in Love -- keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Vs. 13 Until we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ... Can you see what would happen if the body of Christ was welded together in Love, supporting one another, edifying one another? As we said earlier - - IT WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD!!

Jesus said, in John 14: 23 "If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our home with him."

What a home that would be. What a place for babies to be born into! What a place for them to be brought up in, a place to learn the ways of life, a home where love reigns.

All this is possible. This is not some philosophy, this is the everyday life of the man or woman who walks in Gods love. Love is the reason for creation's being.

Ephesians 3: 17 says we are "to be rooted and grounded in love." That we may be strong to grasp with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God." Then He tells us so gently about "forbearing one another in love and giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit."

We must watch over our words so that we will not do or say anything that would break the tranquility of the atmosphere of love. We must speak the truth in love, tenderly, gently.

The words that fall from the Jesus-Man's lips, the Jesus-Woman's lips, may be words of correction but they drip with love. We think in love terms.

Out of the heart where love reigns, tender words spring into being. They fill the air around us with the very fragrance, the aroma of heaven.

We become tender-hearted and gentle with each other, even as God also in Christ has been gentle and tender towards us.

When we live in love, think in terms of love, we will bless the world.

Read once again 1 Corinthians 13, the Love chapter --

Love is -- patient

Love is -- Kind

Love is -- Generous

Love is -- Humble

Love is -- Courteous

Love is -- Unselfish

Love is -- Good tempered

Love is -- Sincere

There is a love that can stand the test of modern life.

There is a love that will enable us to love the unlovely and the disagreeable and the hateful.

There is a love that will lift us up into God's class where we love the ungodly and the unworthy.

There is a love that will make us just like the Master so that we would not only live for men, but also die for them.

There is a love that will enable us to love mankind even when they are doing all they can to injure us.

There is a love that will whisper, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Let this love exercise its Lordship over your life from this hour on. It will make life a wonderful experience for you and will make you a blessing to the world.

Love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God

MARANATHA MINISTRIES