"Whatever God does, the first outburst is always compassion." ~ Meister Eckhart

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." -- Mark 10:13-14

"But it will be bad for you Pharisees! You give God one-tenth of {everything you own}--even your mint, your rue, and every other little plant in your garden. But you forget to be fair to other people and to love God. These are the things you should do. And you should also continue to do those other things--{like giving one-tenth}." ~ Jesus, Luke 11:42 (ERV)

It is a great mystery of divine love, that not even in Christ was exception made of the death of the body; and although He was the Lord of nature, He refused not the law of the flesh which He had taken upon Him. It is necessary for me to die; for Him it was not necessary.

-- St. Ambrose

It is not that we keep His commandments first, and that then He loves; but that He loves us, and then we keep His commandments. This is that grace, which is revealed to the humble, but hidden from the proud.

-- St. Augustine of Hippo

Then Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet. But she washed my feet with her tears and dried my feet with her hair. You did not greet me with a kiss, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in! You did not honor me with oil for my head, but she rubbed my feet with her sweet-smelling oil. I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear, because she showed great love. But the person that feels only a little need to be forgiven will feel only a little love when he is forgiven." -- Luke 7:44-47 (ERV)

"Let us ask God to make us true in our love, to make us sacrificial beings, for it seems to me that sacrifice is only love put into action."

- Elizabeth of the Trinity

"I don't preach a social gospel; I preach the gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned with the whole person. When people were hungry, Jesus didn't say, 'Now is that political or social?' He said, 'I feed you.' Because the good news to a hungry person is bread."

- Desmond Tutu

“Keep giving Jesus to your people, not by words, but by your example, by your being in love with Jesus, by radiating holiness and spreading his fragrance of love everywhere you go. Just keep the joy of Jesus as your strength. Be happy and at peace."

~ Mother Teresa

We can love the world, or love God. If we love the world, there will be no room in our heart for the love of God. We cannot love both God, who is eternal, and the world, which is transitory.

-- St. Augustine of Hippo

"Compassion for the other comes out of our ability to accept ourselves. Until we realize both our own weaknesses and our own privileges, we can never tolerate lack of status and depth of weakness in the other."

- Joan Chittister

"As the [Lord] has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my [Lord's] commandments and abide in [God's] love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete."

~ Jesus, John 15:9-11, NRSV

"You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant."

- Martin Luther King Jr.

"Because we cannot see Christ we cannot express our love to him; but our neighbors we can always see, and we can do for them what, if we saw him, we would like to do for Christ."

 - Mother Teresa

"While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do, I'll fight; while there is one drunkard left, while there is a poor girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight -- I'll fight to the very end!"

- William Booth, Founder of The Salvation Army

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.   (Romans 12:9-13 ESV)

This nation is affluent and has more than it needs. The realization that what we have is a free gift can deepen our desire to share this gift with others who cry out for help. When we bless the fruits of the harvest, let us at least realize that blessed fruits need to be shared.

- Henri J. M. Nouwen, from his book The Genesee Diary

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before [God] whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and knows everything.

 - 1 John 3:18-20

You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

- Galatians 5:13-14

Better to love God and die unknown than to love the world and be a hero; better to be content with poverty than to die a slave to wealth; better to have taken some risks and lost than to have done nothing and succeeded at it. -- Erwin W. Lutzer

Only when enough adults practice and teach children love and respect at home, in schools, religious congregations, and in our political and civic life will racial, gender, and religious intolerance and hate crimes subside in America and the world.

To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name.

- Thomas Merton,
A Book of Hours

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.

- Luke 6:32-35

[Jesus said] "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." -- John 14:21

Christ demands that the driving force in your life must be love. All other things, although important, are secondary. Love is the sign of true discipleship. -- Solly Ozrovech

"The Father loves me because I give my life. I give my life so that I can get it back again. No person takes my life away from me. I give my own life freely. I have the right to give my life. And I have the right to get it back again. This is what the Father told me."  ~ Jesus

 -- John 10:17-18 (ERV)

"I loved you like the Father loved me. Now continue in my love. I have obeyed my Father's commands, and I continue in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will continue in my love." ~ Jesus

-- John 15:9-10 (ERV)

"I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy. This is what I command you: Love each other like I have loved you. The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do the things I tell you to do."  ~ Jesus

-- John 15:11-14 (ERV)

I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. ~ Jesus

~ Revelation 3:19, NLT

"I don't call you servants now. A servant does not know what his master is doing. But now I call you friends because I have told you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me; I chose you. And I gave you this work: to go and make fruit. I want this fruit to continue {in your life}. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. This is my command: Love each other." ~ Jesus

-- John 15:15-17 (ERV)

We are not asked to love the neighbor as neighbor, but as ourselves.

- Geevarghese Mar Osthathios, Metropolitan of the Orthodox Syrian Church in Kerala, India

"Father, you are the One who is good. The world does not know you, but I know you. And these people know that you sent me. I showed them what you are like. And again I will show them what you are like. Then they will have the same love that you have for me. And I will live in them."

 -- John 17:25-26 (ERV)

The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood.

- Martin Luther King Jr.

When it comes down to being a provider of God's love, there is really only one provider, who sends us out with nothing at all and with everything we need: healing, forgiveness, restoration, resurrection. Those are the only things we really have to share with the world, which is just as well, since they are the only things the world really needs.

 - Barbara Brown Taylor, from her book Bread of Angels

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -- Isaiah 9:6

In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV) "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Oh how I praise God that He had a plan of redemption for man. Even before the foundations of the earth, God knew we would need Jesus Christ.

The word of God tells us (John 1:1-5 NIV) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} He was with God in the beginning. {3} Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. {4} In him was life, and that life was the light of men. {5} The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." God wrapped flesh around the word and sent him to earth as a new born babe. They called him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.

If God cared enough about us to send his one and only son to earth to die for our sins, why don’t we, instead of spending countless time, effort and money on things that are temporal, spend countless time, effort and money on the real reason for the season, Jesus Christ? Take time to pray, read the Word, pray for someone in need and by all means be sure that when people look at you they see the love of Jesus Christ shining through your life. Jesus is the real reason for the season.

This month it has been five years since Greg and I founded Loving God Fellowship (LGF) in December 2005. We are currently ministering to 8,968 people around the world per day. Last month, Bible messages were listened to 5,964 times through Internet technology. We thank God for all those who send in monthly support that allows us to minister the love of Christ to people all around the world.

As you plan your end of year giving, please know for each ten dollars donated, we can reach 60 people per day with the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ.  By law, all contributions given for tax credit in the year 2010 will need to be received by midnight on December 31, 2010. Mailed in donations will need to be postmarked no later than December 31, 2010. All donations are tax deductible.

Please keep me, my family and the worldwide ministry of LGF in your prayers as we keep you in ours.

Partners in the Faith,
Rev. Becky Johnson
Co-founder
LovingGodFellowship.org

As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. Psalm 103:15-18, New International Version

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. -- 1 John 2:15-16

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. -- 1 John 2:15-16

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. -- Proverbs 3:3-4

I think that I have never lost the intuition that community life could be a sign that God is love, and love alone.

- Brother Roger,
Swiss theologian and founder of Taizé, an ecumenical monastic community in France

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

~ Psalm 23:6, NLT

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn ...
    -- Isaiah 61:1-2a

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

- Hosea 6:6

Then turning toward the woman, [Jesus] said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."

- Luke 7:44-47

You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt.

- Deuteronomy 24:14-15