Scripture Reading: John 21:15-17
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.” (I Corinthians 13:4-8)
God gives us an example of what true love is like.
Ephesians 5:25-27 says “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
https://www.southerndigest.com/article_3bcfe8ad-7fbf-5c6c-a400-46cde8907d8e.html
https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_bride_of_christ
Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV / 639 helpful votes
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Revelation 19:7-9 ESV / 580 helpful votes
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
2 Corinthians 11:2 ESV / 416 helpful votes
For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
Revelation 21:2 ESV / 412 helpful votes
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
John 3:29 ESV / 322 helpful votes
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
Revelation 21:9 ESV / 304 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
FOCUS SCRIPTURE OF LOVE: Look again at John 21:15-17
“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’
Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’
Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me?’
He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’
Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’
The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’
Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
“Now the overseer (an Elder) must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” 1 Timothy 3:2-5
Steven Curtis Chapman asked this question in his song, “How Do I Love Her?”
Lyrics
Well, you know it’s not the first time
And it will not be the last
When you find me here, on my knees
Praying for the storm to pass
But what I am really needing
Is much more than just relief
I am crying out for wisdom
Only You can give to me
Cause it’s such a mystery
I’m a clueless man, when it comes
To knowing how to love a woman
How do I love her
How do I let her know
She means more than anything to me
How do I love her
How do I love her
Love her
Out of all of the gifts You’ve given
Besides the very gift of life
There is none as precious to me
As the treasure of my wife
And still, all the love in my heart
Is like a raindrop to the sea
When compared to Your love for her
And that’s why I’m asking please
Will you teach me what she needs
How do I love her
How do I let her know
She means more than anything to me
How do I love her
How do I love her
Love her
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzSvDqBerHs
“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:22
Ephesians 4:29 says that we Christians should “…not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” – Matthew 18:15
Helen Keller, who completely lost her sight and hearing at 19 months from a severe infection, tells how she learned the meaning of love from Ann Sullivan, her teacher, who was half blind herself.
Helen told about their 1st meeting 3 months before she was 7 years old.
“The morning after my teacher came she led me into her room and gave me a doll… When I had played with it a little while, Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into my hand the word, D-O-L-L. I was excited when I finally spelled the word myself. And I ran downstairs to show my mother.”
Several days later, Helen told of how Miss Sullivan pumped cold water on her hand and spelled out water on her hand and spelled out W-A-T-E-R.
After learning to spell hundreds of words, one day Miss Sullivan spelled out he word, L-O-V-E in Helen’s hand. Perplexed, Helen spelled back, “W-H-A-T I-S L-O-V-E?”
That’s our objective as members of Christ’s bride… to trace into the hands of the people around us the love our Savior Jesus.
https://www.awakin.org/v2/read/view.php?tid=379
