1 John 4:9 – Start The Day

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.” John 15:9

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:9

God of love,

I hope that as sayings go these come to mind I need assurance or help. God so loved and Jesus loves me. Verses most Christians can repeat by heart in whatever version they first learnt it! Your love, proved by sending Jesus to show love, be love and give us Your love.

The whole of Your Word, the Bible, tells us of Your love. Your desire to be in a relationship of love with us despite our rebellion, ignorance and sin. Your love, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, is patient and kind. It is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of wrongs. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Your love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Wow, that is how You love us. I will never tire of hearing that and how Jesus loved us even to death on a cross. And how nothing can separate us from Your love (Romans 8:3,39).

Today, we want, need to know Your love, feel Your love and understand it is not dependant on us. It is a gift and have to simply humbly accept it.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Suggestions for prayer . . .
God of love,

For our close family. Their individual needs and hopes.
For our extended family, friends, neighbours.
For our fellowship, ministers and congregations. To love one another.
For our king and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2).
For Parliament, house of commons and Lords. No hidden gossip.
For our NHS to be repaired not patched up. For all who are employed.
For the residents of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia as Storm Boris unleashed the worst flooding recorded in the region for more than two decades.
For Ukraine. Lord God, bring an end to war and an end to violence.
For Gaza, all the Middle East. Step into their midst with Your peace.
For those who foster and adopt children and young adults so they can know they are loved.
For teachers who spot children who need extra help or attention or to be placed in safety.
For those who take your love into and show love and care in hospices and retirement homes.
For us to be secure in Your love and know we are part of Your family. Wanted, cherished, loved.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Tuesday 17th September 2024
A brief story of this worship song is below the lyrics.

Here is love, vast as the ocean,
loving-kindness as the flood,
when the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
throughout heav’n’s eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion
fountains opened deep and wide;
through the floodgates of God’s mercy
flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
poured incessant from above,
and heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
kissed a guilty world in love.

The text of this hymn was originally in Welsh, “Dyma gariad fel y moroedd,” written by William Rees 1802–1883. It played a prominent role in the Welsh revival of 1904–1905, led by evangelist Evan Roberts (1878–1951) of Glamorganshire. An account printed in 1907, speaks of a young girls voice (Miss Annie Davies of Maesteg) emerging from a meeting in Pontycymer, singing this hymn.

“In the first part of the first day Evan Roberts was overcome, as at his initiation at Blaenanerch. He fell on his face in the pew beneath the pulpit, weeping aloud and interceding. When he was able to calm himself, he rose and left, and did not return till the evening—the service in the meanwhile conducting itself without a break. It was on Friday evening, at the closing service of the mission here, that the voice of a young girl of eighteen, Miss Annie Davies of Maesteg, came into the history of the revival. Professing Christ from childhood, trained in her home to serve Him with her vocal gifts. She sang, with tears on her face and victory in her voice, the mighty love-song of the revival—the hymn of Dr. William Rees: “Dyma gariad fel y moroedd.” The song is of the marvel of Divine Love, flowing as vast oceans of tender mercies in never-ebbing floodtide; of the very Prince of Life dying, dying to redeem our forfeit life.”

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9 NIV

God and Father of love,

I watched a TV programme, Lord, on old adverts. Memory lane of many things now long gone. But immediately I see the brand I remember the experience! OMO, Spangles, Woolworths . . . They bring memories of washing the whitest, fruit flavoured squares and being able to buy almost anything at a cheap price! We in the church have the cross, is that our brand? Visions of gruesome torture, punishment and death. Those of us who know the whole story, know the pain and sacrifice shows the depth of Your love.

The symbol of Your love God, is not a fluffy Easter bunny, not a promise of cheap promises. It is a stark instrument of torture and death. But also for us the experience of the depth and fulfilment of Your love. Help us live so we show what Your cross stands for. Love.

You, God love us completely. Though we are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, broken, not quite good enough sometimes . . . You loved us first. Help us to reflect the cross and what the church experience should be about – Your love and sacrifice.

In Jesus name, Amen

God wh0 is love,

For our family and friends. For all their needs today. For the best for today.
For our neighbours and neighbourhood to prosper and grow.
For our church, Ministers, lay leaders, members. To be there for their neighbours.
For the royal family. For peace of mind, healing and family support and unity.
For our Parliament. To find harmony not animosity and work together for national good.
For our local dentists, GP’s, chiropodists and those in training. Those choosing their careers.
For families recently bereaved. For those who work in and those who support hospices.
For all the maternity wards, the staff and those due to give birth.
For places struggling with shortage of trained staff.
For Your people and Jerusalem. For Your wisdom in making choices and peace (Psalm 122:6).
For Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, all places of conflict. Bring an end to war. Speak peace to stubborn hearts. Bless the peacemakers.
For other countries not to get drawn in to conflict except to speak ceasefire, peace talks and diplomacy.
For a day to notice new life bursting out in gardens, busy birds and bees and do our best at work and chores.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Thursday 18th April 2024
The “guilty pair” crucified with Jesus. One accepted the gift of life and the other sadly did not. A sobering thought.

The love of God is greater far
  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
  And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
  God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
  And pardoned from his sin.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.

Lyrics: Frederick M Lehman (1917)

Lehman emigrated to Iowa, America with his family at age four. He came to Christ at age 11. One morning about eleven o’clock while walking up the country lane, skirted by a wild crab-apple grove on the right and a fence with an old white-elm gate in a gap at the left, suddenly Heaven let a cornucopia of glory descend on the eleven-year old lad. The wild crab-apple grove assumed a heavenly glow and the fence an unearthly lustre. That old white-elm gate with its sun-warped boards gleamed and glowed like silver bars to shut out the world and shut him in. The ’form of the fourth,’ (Jesus who was the forth person in the fiery furnace) came into his heart. The weight of conviction was gone and the paeans of joy and praise fell from his lips. He later became a Pastor and devoted his life to writing hymns.