Love Prevails!: Sweet Jesus!

My people,

Good Morning! Love makes the world go round. It does, doesn’t it? Do you, begin the day with the thoughts of the one you love?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

At some point in our lives we all face trials. It is an ongoing process.

This is a classic Hymn and one that I love, it’s called; ‘One day at a time, Sweet Jesus’.

One day at a time sweet Jesus
That’s all I’m asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.

Do you remember, when you walked among men?
Well Jesus you know if you’re looking below
It’s worse now, than then.
Cheating and stealing, violence and crime
So for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time.

Attitude is in. Love is expressed in the form of expensive gifts. Gone are the days, when you had to wait days and weeks on for the post to arrive. And it was so difficult if the person was overseas. The wait was unbearable. You learnt two most valuable things to be patient and the other most important of the two-to rely on God most completely-for the safety of the one you love.

Love is a CHOICE. There are no two ways about it. I choose LOVE always and forever. Amen.

When it comes to Love songs, it will always be Bryan Adams with ‘Everything I do’. And even if say, there comes a song 10 years from now, the words would never be and never thought to be in comparison with this. From the words to the one who sings the song, there is the complete rendering of ones heart. And that is what is really needed. Part of the lyrics of the song:

Look into my eyes – you will see
What you mean to me.
Search your heart, search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more.

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for.
You know it's true:
Everything I do, I do it for you.

Look into your heart – you will find
There's nothin' there to hide.
Take me as I am, take my life.
I would give it all, I would sacrifice.

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it, there's nothin' I want more
You know it's true:
Everything I do, I do it for you, oh, yeah.

There's no love like your love
And no other could give more love.
There's nowhere unless you're there
All the time, all the way, yeah.

Search your heart and your soul
You can't tell it's not worth dying for
I'll be there
I'd walk the fire for you
I'd die for you
Oh, yeah.
I'm going all the time, all the way.

Today, the world we live in – we have come to accept everything to the matter of convenience. Love is the giving of ones heart, never expecting anything in return. I miss that part of the world. We need to train our hearts, we need to let it hurt, we need to believe. We need to be open….In our thoughts, in our words and in our views.

We can’t label anyone as good or bad. God is the only one who can look into our hearts and read our very thoughts. I am of the belief that we cannot ascertain which man is a man of faith. Just because someone goes to Church everyday does not make him or her more religious.

My cousin he attends mass on a Sunday, and yet there are so many things that I learn from him.

Lets sing this hymn-Into Your hands, you know it kind of makes you feel, that there is so much you can do and you need to do. I love this line particularly the most (IN BOLD)

Into your hands we commend our spirits O Lord
Into your hands we commend our hearts
’For we must die to ourselves in loving you’
Into your hands we commend our love

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:12-14

Christ is telling us that we must overcome ourselves, we must die to the self, and we must do so out love. We give ourselves to the other, so that what we then give can be and will be appreciated by the one who receives our gift of self to them.

As we spiritually develop, we will become people more concerned about others than ourselves. We should want to do what we can to help them, even if it means our own desires end up being unfulfilled. True love will be concerned about the well-being of the other. One who loves will act out of that love, and they will act without counting the cost.

O God, My God, Why have you gone from me
Far from my prayers, far from my cry
To you I call, but you never answer me
You send no comfort and I don't know why

Trouble does not knock on the door. There is no warning. It comes and when it does, it turns things around. We often wonder, and question God? We wonder why God let it happen.

And still there is no answer. There is only silence.

You’re in complete agony. You want to be heard and understood. You wish for someone to put their arms around you and say ‘you are not alone, I’m with you. But nobody seems to reach that hand to you.

You feel the silence. You know the pain. And you watch the world, and there is nobody by your side.

And you have cried and cried miserably! You called out to God, and ….

Could I say it again? ‘You are not alone, you never are’.

Let’s take a walk, shall we? Jesus went with His disciples Peter, James and John to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus tells them that He is distressed to death and He asks them to stay awake while He prays.

Jesus throws Himself on the ground in prayer and prays that if possible this suffering be gone.

Mark 14:36 states-And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

How many times, we have prayed that our suffering, our trials be lifted. Have we ever asked the loving God for His will?

Do you remember ever praying this way? Maybe you did and later you just got your will done.

Look carefully at Jesus words, He calls “Abba, Father….. and yet from a Son to His Father, He prays with humility for the will of the Father and never ever demanding. Look at the words, there is faith, there is an asking, and there is humility and a total surrender

When Jesus comes back, He asks Simon to stay awake and pray. And again Jesus went away and prayed saying the same words.

The third time, when Jesus came, He found them asleep. On finding them asleep, He tells them the hour of His betrayal is at hand.

Every time, that Jesus came back after praying, He wished to be in a way understood, but He found no one, who did. Jesus was alone. You and I are not the only ones. Jesus hurt too.

Maybe you did and maybe you just went and got your will done.

Among all the things I love about JESUS, this is something I absolutely adore. Jesus spoke only when He thought it necessary.

The whole council was looking for a testimony against Jesus, to put Him to death. But they were not succeeding at it.

The High Priest asked Jesus, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? Jesus said, “I am.’

Jesus could have continued maintaining His silence. He could have escaped the Crucifixion-He could have done His will?

But no-even unto death-He is the Obedient Son of God! He is humble to do what is expected of Him!

JESUS meek and humble of heart make my heart like unto thine!

So what am I trying to say? Actually, it is this, trials they do come, what you would need to do is follow JESUS. On Good Friday, Jesus suffered and died for our sins, something we dread to imagine or understand. But let us hold on to what we know best, Jesus rose from the dead. Easter Sunday, is coming—We are forever triumphant-in the name that is above every name. Forever JESUS!