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The River Lives In You

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John 7:37-39

[37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
[38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
[39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

A river reaches places where it source never knows. If we have received His fullness than the rivers will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even to the ends of the earth. Hence Acts 1:8:

Acts 1:8

[8] But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

There may be objects or obstacles that may attempt to prevent the flow, or your continual relationship to God. The river of the spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. We never need to focus on the obstacles nor the difficulty.

John 4:10-14

[10] Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
[11] The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
[12] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
[13] Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
[14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

‘By this living water’ is meant to represent the spirit of God. Jesus showed that Jacobs well yielded a very short satisfaction. Whatever that we consume in life will prove itself unable to satisfy our lives. Carnal hearts look no higher than carnal means. If we learn to start partaking of the spirit of grace and the comforts of the gospel we shall not be in want of that which will only satisfy temporarily. Allow nothing to keep you from your sovereign source!

Wow God, You Are Amazing

How awesome is the God that we serve? How wonderful has God proven true for us? The amount of victories could never possibly be told. The benefits are excellent considering it is at a minimal cost to us. The joy is unspeakable. The peace is beyond understanding. The love keeps not only you but everyone who believes. When in God’s service your enemies will be caused to be peaceful with you. If you are faithful to see a mountain move it shall get out of your way. Not only are the hairs of your head numbered but your tears are even kept in a jar. The metaphors are speaking directly towards not only God’s knowledge of your life but the know-how to handle everything hard for you.

Not one battle has been lost. Not one time did the comfort of the spirit fail in its intended purpose. Not one moment of suffering has passed that God did not see and understand. Not one is sent away when it comes to having everlasting life. Not one is left behind even when we feel that all has forsaken us.

We not only have references to lead us into tomorrow, but we have the spirit of God to lead us to His perfect will. We not only have the ability to soothe our spirits with singing but will sing a song that the angels cannot sing. We are redeemed. We were purchased for a price that we were not worth. As many as believe in Christ will never taste the sting of death nor be bound for hell. We are a freed, healed and delivered people!

Take a moment to encourage yourself every now and then. You may be surprised with what you get up with after empowering yourself with just the simple thought of how amazing that God truly is!

Living From The Provision Of Christ

John 4:13-14

[13] Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
[14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

We have the promise of living water with the keyword “springing” up, or trying to bring life to you. Considering this, I have learned that by the waters of the spirit that I have in my life that I am continually refreshed and never have to be in a state where I walk in a desert without water. The benefits of the spirit and the comforter which is the Holy Ghost is there to provide your immediate help and refuge in your time of need!

John 6:32-51

[32] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
[33] For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
[34] Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
[35] And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
[36] But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
[37] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
[38] For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
[39] And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
[40] And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
[41] The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
[42] And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
[43] Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
[44] No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
[45] It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
[46] Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
[47] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
[48] I am that bread of life.
[49] Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
[50] This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Jesus is the bread of life and the very word that we live by, and if we partake of it we can live and bring life to a lost and starving world! In reading this, when I eat of the bread of life of the word of God (which is Christ), my spiritual self begins to grow. As my spiritual self begins to grow, I am able to overpower the parts of me that would have normally fallen to weakness of flesh. That is the beauty of the fellowship of the word of God and the spirit that dwells in your life!

John 10:27-30

[27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
[28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
[29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
[30] I and my Father are one.

We have the promise of eternal life and no man can pluck that away from you! When we seem to walk away from the cupboard of the waters and bread of life, there will be opportunities for you to be able to turn back to God and to feed that malnourishment. How? Recalling our salvation by restoring the joy of it! And if you have never established that first acknowledgement and relationship in belief through Christ and the crying out for the forgiveness of your sins, it is there for you also!

John 14:26-29

[26] But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
[27] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
[28] Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
[29] And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

Through the promise of what came to pass we can believe, we can hold fast and not be moved! We can begin to learn to use each and every aspect of Jesus Christ: the sacrifice for salvation, the word for the building up of our ability to resist sin, and the spirit to comfort us in the hard times in our lives!

Learning To Live

Deuteronomy 8:2-3

[2] And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
[3] And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

One of the hardest things that there is to do in life when you are in a tough time is to recall a prior one that was better. When God has provided time and time again it is for the building up of our faith! I thank God today for the fresh manna that He provides each time I get down and call forth for more strength, peace and joy! Remember that we are sustained by the word of God, spoken in and lived out! To me when this principle of building faith through your testimonies is put into application it will bring you into life beyond what you would ever expect.

John 5:24-26

[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
[25] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
[26] For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

Life is secured through faith and when we hear and believe! Life through the practice and demonstration! When you hear the voice of God communicate to you, regardless of how to which it does, let it be life to you! Even when things are to change or mold us, it is to bring us to a better life and living! This is how we learn to live greater and more improved!

2 Corinthians 4:10-14

[10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
[11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
[12] So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
[13] We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
[14] Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

Life brings death to the parts that want to bring you down or destroy you! Life working out the infirmities through the work of the spirit! If we already know that death worketh against our physical, mental and spiritual self than we need to use the life that is made manifest by believing and speaking it! I am not as though I was, and you are not either! Through Jesus Christ we are made new creatures.

1 Peter 1:18-22

[18] Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
[19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
[20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
[21] Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
[22] Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

A strong spiritual life will promote the love and fellowship of the brethren (your church, class, ministry, missionary group). Life shared in love with others is the best life to live. For that is how God walked with Adam in the beginning: in love and fellowship, right?  God still walks with us today! We must learn to be in perfect agreement with the Heavenly Father and receive His perfect love to remove every fear that would prevent us from enjoying life to the fullest.

Phillipians 4:8

[8] Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Always remember to keep your life full of things that will spiritually promote you! Life increasing through you by spiritual fulfillment!

Spiritual Quickening

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John 5:18-25

[18] Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
[19] Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
[20] For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
[21] For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
[22] For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
[23] That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
[25] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

The Jews were coming to slay Christ because he had moved to heal the lame man of 38 years at the pool of Bethesda. It was simply because the work was performed on the day of the Sabbath!

There will come a time in your life when you will be quickened by God to do something as bold as this, even in the midst of those who would reject it. The question we have to ask ourselves is: are we willing to be quickened?

If you read verse 43 (John 5:43), you’ll see that we’ll try to come our own way, which won’t work!

[43] I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Romans 8:8-17

[8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
[9] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
[10] And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
[11] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
[12] Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
[13] For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
[14] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
[15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
[16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We always begin in the flesh, for that is where we allow the enemy to win in our lives, our hearts, our homes, our services, etc.! We never get off the ground because we never get past our feelings that pull us down.

But how are we quickened? The spirit of Him that rose up Jesus from the dead dwells in you!

Therefore! We do not live to the flesh or to our will. We will never be stirred any other way lest we live in the deeds in the body of the spirit!

Isaiah 40:28-31

[28] Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
[29] He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
[30] Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
[31] But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

God faints not, nor is weary, but so often our faith and consistency is. We wait through our endurance and obedience to God in the midst of our trials!

I wait by believing and trusting the Lord and being who that God has called me to be!

How can a ministry perform outreach if we work upon stopping or waiting? We must be fluent and continual, always seeking God for those that stand in need beyond what we could comprehend.

God will renew your strength so that you can run! Fly! God will not let you be weary when you are working and waiting on Him!

Romans 12:1-2

[1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
[2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We are quickened not for ourselves, but by the spirit for the service of the lost!

If you read verses 3-12 (Romans 12:3-12), you might find yourself somewhere as I do every time I read over it.

[3] For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
[4] For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
[5] So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
[6] Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
[7] Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
[8] Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
[9] Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
[10] Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
[11] Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
[12] Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Ephesians 2:1-8

[1] And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
[2] 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:
[3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
[5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
[6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
[7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Even when we were dead in sin, he loved us! He raised us up to sit in Heavenly places!

By God’s grace we have the ability to be saved through faith and that not of ourselves. That is the gift of God towards us!

What Is Of True Worth?

Psalm 145:20 – The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

John 12:25 – He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

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Each and every day people are going after all the things they feel is of worth: money, fame, fortune, popularity, etc. We all have our actions that we prioritize based on what we want the most. I cannot help but ask where does God lie in priority in the midst of all your business? You see, He is my all in all and the one that I fully trust in. Even in recent events in my life I have found that the value of things that were once important to me began to lose their worth. Why? I would have to say it is because I finally realized that God can only be as valuable as you allow Him to be. I could have a million dollars or could only have a dime, but regardless of which I possess as long as I have Christ in my life I can remain constant. The peace, joy, and everlasting life that you began to inherit by believing upon Him are more valuable than anything else that you could chase out in this world. Over the recent months, I have strengthened my commitment to God and have seen things that use to be of worth fall away. I realize that if I lost it all and still had God, I would still be able to find hope! There might be some of you out there that are feeling hopeless or similar to this, but be encouraged! It is great to have lots of people that know you, objects you love to interact with, and emotional highs from being so love by all walks of life, but do not let these objects stand in your way of what is of most worth to you in your life: Jesus Christ!

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Put Into Practice:

This is a two-part challenge, and depending on your answer to the next few questions, I ask you to act accordingly. Are you saved by praying and asking Jesus Christ to be your savior? Have you asked for the forgiveness of your sins? Have you ever had an experience where you felt something inside that you had never felt before? Have you ever felt something that was leading you to believe there was something more to God and Jesus? If you have not asked Jesus Christ into your life, I pray that you take as long as you need and pray right now to have a change take place and a spiritual transformation take place in your life. There have been many books and methods that have tried to describe how to obtain salvation, but the most important part to know is that you have to recognize that you need Jesus Christ in your life. You have to know that you need to escape hell through the gift of Christ’s sacrifice, salvation. If you are saved, this is wonderful. I would ask you one thing: do you ask these same questions to the ones that you love? Make it your goal that you ask at least (at a minimum) on a quarterly basis through an entire year. That is not much to ask, right? You love your loved ones and those that God has place on your heart, right? Then get out there!

Draw From The Living Water

John 4:10-24

[10] Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
[11] The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
[12] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
[13] Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
[14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
[15] The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
[16] Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
[17] The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
[18] For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
[19] The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
[20] Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
[21] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
[22] Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
[23] But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
[24] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

A certain woman came unto Jacob’s well around the 6th hour. Jesus asked her of a drink of water, knowing good and well was not wanting earthly water.

When I think about water, I consider where it is located. In shallow ground, it is exposed and susceptible to all forms of bacteria and corruption, and therefore is not fit for consumption for survival. When God’s word is not drawn from nothing but from the surface, it has not been purified and will not take you very far.

The things that we need to draw from in God are in the deep! They are spiritual, and are drawn from that humble prayer and great leap of faith! When we draw from the living water, we won’t continually thirst every day because we will finally come into peace that we wouldn’t find elsewhere! A refreshing; like a cold glass of water that you could only get from the depths.

Jesus even said, if you knew who was that told you this! Sometimes we forget who it is that we serve, the all-powerful, miracle working God!

If we are drawing from earthly, fleshly water, we’re drawing from man, opinions, analysis, doctrine, and ideas, we will definitely thirst again! The water that Jesus gives shall spring up, giving everlasting life, where we won’t long for anything else, including this natural water, or this world.

I know that other people come in and worship because they know and understand what it is that they worship. The hour is now where people need to come together and worship God in spirit and in truth. We have to not only heed God’s spirit in a service, but also the truths of his word, for it are through the truths that we are made free!

The Love Of God

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Can anyone really comprehend “unconditional” love? It seems the love that parents have for their children is as close to unconditional love as we can get without the help of God’s love in our lives. We continue to love our children through good times and bad, and we don’t stop loving them if they don’t meet the expectations we may have for them. We make a choice to love our children even when we consider them unlovable; our love doesn’t stop when we don’t “feel” love for them. This is similar to God’s love for us, but as we shall see, God’s love transcends the human definition of love to a point that is hard for us to comprehend.

The Bible tells us that “God is Love” (1 John 4:8). But how can we even begin to understand that truth?  There are many passages in the bible that give us God’s definition of love. The most well known verse is John 3:16, “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.” So one way God defines love is in the act of giving. However, what God gave (or should we say, “who” God gave) was not a mere gift-wrapped present; God sacrificed His only Son so that we, who put our faith in His Son, will not spend eternity separated from Him. This is an amazing love, because we are the ones who choose to be separated from God through our sin, yet it’s God who mends the separation through His intense personal sacrifice, and all we have to do is accept His gift.

Another great verse about God’s love is found in Romans 5:8. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In this verse and in John 3:16, we find no conditions placed on God’s love for us. God doesn’t say, “as soon as you clean up your act, I’ll love you;” nor does He say, “I’ll sacrifice my Son if you promise to love Me.” In fact, in Romans 5:8, we find just the opposite. God wants us to know that His love is unconditional, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us while we were still unlovable sinners. We didn’t have to get clean, and we didn’t have to make any promises to God before we could experience His love. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love. I know a sister in Christ who makes this statement almost every time she gives her testimony; He loves me Just As I Am. This is such a true statement.

God is Love, and His love is very different from human love. God’s love is unconditional, and it’s not based on feelings or emotions. He doesn’t love us because we’re lovable or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son (who also willingly died for us) to restore that relationship.

God is Love! As such, true love — God’s love – can be summed up in this passage of scripture:  “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”  (1 John 4:7-11)