FEBRUARY 14, 2012 - Valentine's Day
| From Pastor Roger - Love Letters Ashley Fantz, CNN, wrote about a book published in 2008 called Love Letters of Great Men. The book's author, John Kirkland, "plundered the depths of cheesy writing throughout history by revered, infamous and just plain awful people." The CNN article focused on excerpts of love letters written by infamous tyrants Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler, and Mussolini. In each case, what started out as loving relationships ended in cruelty in all four, and death in two of them. The greatest love letter of all time shares the greatest love story ever told. "For God so loved the world …" John 3:16. This story has moments that look pretty bad, unless you dig deeper. You'll find a love that doesn't stop when scorned, abused or rejected. Nor does it end when love's greatest gift is destroyed on a cross. 1 John 3:1 (NLT) tells us to "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children …" In the chapter before, John says he is not writing a new commandment. "…rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment – to love one another — is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it." 1 John 2:7-8 NLT The mystery of this love causes angels to marvel at God's constancy, his faithfulness to his ungrateful children. And it is an angel who says, "Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true." Rev. 22:6 NLT There's a lot of hype around Valentine's Day and love, romance, chocolates, gifts, but how much of it is trustworthy and true? As you honor the special person in your life today, also take a moment to tell someone in your church family that you appreciate them. It may be a Sabbath School teacher, a Pathfinder leader, the greeter at the door, the cook in the kitchen, the person who picked up the bulletin you dropped as you juggled children or packages, the person who took time to pray with you, or one of those precious people who always smiles when they see you. Or better yet, try it on that grumpy sales clerk! Love one another. It works miracles.
| What's happening Thursday: 7pm - Keepers of the Faith Quartet. THIS WEEK Tuesday, Feb. 14 NEXT WEEK |
