Matthew 22:37

‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

DAILY READING – Ephesians 5:21-33; Ezekiel 16; Isaiah 45

The spread of the Christian church in its earliest centuries is one of the most amazing phenomena in all of human history. It was unthinkable that a small, despised movement from a corner of Palestine could move out to become the dominant faith of the mighty Roman Empire. Prior to that time, the Roman empire was steeped in traditional pagan religions, which they defended fiercely.

The church was considered a ‘religio prava’, an illegal and depraved religion. Wave after wave of persecution was unleashed to squash it. At least two of the persecutions were empire-wide and intended to destroy the church. Yet, despite the persecutions the church only seemed to wax stronger and stronger. One of the powerful ways in which the church grew was through the show of love. Early Christianity was primarily an urban faith, establishing itself in the city centers of the Roman Empire, and most of the people lived close together in crowded tenements. The Gospel  spread as neighbors saw the lives of the believers close-up, on a daily basis. Those opposed to Christianity were often won over as they saw the extraordinary lives of the early Christians, noting their amazing love for God and for their neighbors. Christians became known as those who cared for the sick. Many people experienced healing that resulted from their prayers. Early Christians also started the first “Meals on Wheels.” By A.D 250, they were feeding more than 1500 of the hungry and destitute in Rome every day. And through the loving service rendered to strangers by this believers, many came to the faith leading to the rapid advancement of Christianity.

in Matthew 22:37 Jesus says ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

As believers we are to love one another. It’s not an option or a suggestion. It’s a command from Jesus himself:  In John 13:34 Jesus says “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other”. God is love and we are never more like Him than when we are loving others. The early Christians shone the light of God’s love into the dark world around them and many were drawn to that light. Likewise today ,we are to shine the light of God’s love to those around us. 1 Corinthians 13:7 lets us know that Love never stops being patient, that means that love extends grace; Love never stops believing, that means it expresses faith. Love never gives up, that means you can look at the other person and say, “You can throw everything at me, but I’m going to keep loving you, no matter what.”

Ultimately, loving others begins by receiving God’s love. And  the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by The Holy Ghost. It is through the knowledge of God that His love is imparted into us. As we study The Word, The Holy Spirit gives us a deeper revelation of  who God really is and fills our hearts with His love. And as we freely receive the love of Christ we are also empowered to freely release to others. The more we accept God’s love, the more love we will be able to give in return—both to Him and to the people around us!

PRAYER: Lord, please let Your love dominate my heart and  flow through me  so that I can reflect Your love to everyone I come in contact with today in Jesus Name.

quote :

It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.