I have found myself pulled down by the heaviness in the book of Jude having read and reread it and written and rewritten words about it in the previous blog. But before I get caught up in Revelation, I want to quote some of my favorite love verses from the first little book of John nestled in the Bible between Peter's and Jude's exhortations. These are good crockpot words. Put them in your spirit and let them simmer for awhile. Print them out and hang them on the doorposts of your wall so they can keep watch over the doorposts of your spirit.
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Love
Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 Jn. 2:5,6)
He who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. (1 Jn.2:10)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 Jn.2:15)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 Jn.3:1-3)
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. (1 Jn. 3:10, 14)
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 Jn. 3:16)
And this is His commandment; that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (1 Jn.3:24)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 Jn. 4:7,8)
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Love has been perfected among us in this; that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 Jn. 4:16-21)
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. (1 Jn. 5:2)
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