Ironworks

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another;” Romans 12:9-10            Love is commanded. Do you want real love?  Then it cannot be counterfeit. The world is full of pretend love. People who are infatuated with the idea of someone often mistake this for love. People who tolerate all kinds of evil claim they are loving an individual and thus become an accessory to that evil. The love God commands cannot be counterfeit; it must be authenticated by the only source of true love, Jehovah.  “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also." 1 John 4:20-21           Our love for one an...

     One of the ways we show our love for Christ is by our love for one another. Each time we gather, this is not the meeting of a social club, a group of individuals with similar interests, or hobbies. If we were to do that, there would be no difference between the Lord’s church and the Rotary club. We are called to be so much more. We are called to be the body of Christ (Rom. 12:3-5): that which is comprised of many members. If we only knew that we were one body comprised of many members, surely we would remember how we are to treat one another, and surely we would remember to love one another.       Paul further wrote, “Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, unto edifying. For Christ also pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me..” Romans 15:1-3       Je...

  “And Jesus answering said, Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine?  Were there none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger?  And he said unto him, Arise, and go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. “  Luke 17:17-19      I am so very thankful for the good Christians here in Grove. There are many faithful, kind, giving, and encouraging servants who work diligently for the Lord here, and we are truly blessed. Showing gratitude is something we all want to do because we have so much for which to be thankful. In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus healed 10 lepers, and, upon that healing, they were sent to show themselves to the priest. Only one of the ten turned and showed gratitude. He just so happened to be a Samaritan. How can we show the same thankfulness of this Samaritan? Thankful Children      Children can show thankfulness for their parents by honoring them (Eph 6:1-3). When we recognize how much our parents gi...