Inspirational Words - Feb 2008

Be My Valentine!

Devotional:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Commentary:

Be My Valentine! We all want to hear that phrase. It simply means "you are loved." I am here to tell you that you are loved. God loves you and wants you to be His Valentine. The love that God gives us is not like the world's love. The World's love is as sturdy as the paper that most Valentine cards are made of. God's Love is not a flimsy cheap imitation. It is the real thing. It is an all giving love that was, and is, willing to suffer and die for our deliverance. God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to earth to die for us, and all He asks in return is that we believe in Him.

Will you be God's Valentine? It is your choice. Say yes and return in kind the love that God first gave you. And when you do, remember the first Valentine and the way he gave everything, including his life, to the God he loved. (See "Who Was St. Valentine?" further down on this page).

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Meditation:

Father we thank you for the blessings you so freely bestow upon us, each and every day of our lives; but most of all, Lord, we thank you for the gift of Your Son, Jesus. You gave your only begotten Son to die for our salvation, and you ask so little of us in return. Forgive us of our sins and help us to never forget the sacrifice you made and to always put you first and foremost in our lives. Thank you for teaching us what true love is all about and may we honor you by passing Your love on to others. In Thy holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Stories to Touch the Heart and Warm the Soul:

You'll Find Jesus There

"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart..."

"You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted.

The surgeon looked up, annoyed. "I'll cut your heart open," he continued, "to see how much damage has been done..."

"But when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there."

The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up and I'll plan what to do next."

"But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart."

The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I'll find out if I can make you well." said the surgeon.

"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there." The young boy reassured him. The surgeon left.

The next day, as he sat in his office, recording his notes from the surgery, "...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis: here he paused, "death within one year."

He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said.

"Why?" he asked aloud. "Why did You do this? You've put him here; You've put him in this pain; and You've cursed him to an early death. Why?"

The Lord answered and said, "The boy, My lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock, and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. His parents will one day join him here, and they will know peace, and My flock will continue to grow." The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter.

"You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?"

The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, shall return to My flock, for he has done his duty: I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb." The surgeon wept.

The following day, as the surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. The boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?"

"Yes," said the surgeon.

"What did you find?" asked the boy.

"I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.

~Author Unknown

Who Was St. Valentine?

Be My Valentine! This is a phrase that conjures up a lot of different images associated with the celebration of Valentine's Day. Cards with hearts and little poems on them... Candy and flowers given to someone you love... Images of cupids flying around shooting their arrows of love into unsuspecting youths... Young and old alike expressing their affection for their sweethearts. February 14th, for many, means cards, candy, flowers, and cupids.

Our forefathers in the Christian Faith would be surprised at what has become of Valentine's Day. What we call Valentine's Day was once the Feast of St. Valentine and was celebrated as a religious holiday. They would be especially shocked at the use of cupid since he was a character from pagan mythology. For Christians in the past this holiday was a day to remember and celebrate the life and death of a Christian martyr.

According to church tradition, St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor was imprisoning Christians for not worshipping the Roman gods. During this persecution Valentine was arrested. Some say he was arrested because he was performing Christian marriages, but others say it was for helping Christians escape prison.

During the trial they asked Valentine what he thought of the Roman gods Jupiter and Mercury. Of course Valentine said they were false gods and that the God that Jesus called Father was the only true God. Consequently, the Romans threw him in prison for insulting the gods.

While in prison Valentine continued to minister. He witnessed to the guards. One of the guards was a good man who had adopted a blind girl. He asked Valentine if his God could help his daughter. Valentine prayed and the girl was given her sight. The guard and his whole family, 46 people, believed in Jesus and were baptized. Because these people had come to know Jesus, Valentine praised God right there in his prison cell. When the emperor heard about this he was furious that Valentine was still making converts even in prison, so he had Valentine beheaded.

Valentine knew that he might get caught in his Christian activities. He knew that if he told the court the truth about the Roman gods that he would be thrown in prison. And he knew that if he continued to witness about Christ in the prison that he would make his captors angry. Yet he continued, because he loved the Lord and wanted to see others accept Christ as well. He was willing to risk his life to free the prisoners and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who needed to hear it.

The Bible Says: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."(John 15:13) God showed us this love by coming in the form of Christ to die for our sins. And, St. Valentine demonstrated this love when he died for his friends. This is the kind of love that Valentine's Day is really all about.

Give your life to Christ: God is love and the source of true love. God loved us enough to die for us and St. Valentine loved God enough to die for God's Truth. What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day then to commit or recommit our lives to Christ.

Stand up for the truth and proclaim the Gospel of God's love: Sometimes it is dangerous to stand up against injustice, hatred, and prejudice. Sometimes it is difficult to oppose the world's view of things to proclaim the truth of God's Love. But that is what Valentine did!

Die to self for another: The Bible says that this is love that a person lay down their life for their friends. I have counseled a number of couples before performing their marriage. Each time I have asked them if they would be willing to die for the other. Not once have they failed or even hesitated to say, "Yes!" In a clear cut case of life or death many would die for the ones they love. But in our day to day lives few are presented with a life or death situation. On the other hand, every day we presented with opportunities to die to self. In other words to sacrifice our wants for the wants of another. Try it this Valentine's Day. Sacrifice what you want for what your loved ones want.

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HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

For Bookings or Information:
Pam Powers Moore
Sweet Song Ministries
P.O. Box 1181
Buckhannon, WV 26201-1181
FaithAglow@aol.com
www.SweetSongMinistries.com
(304) 472-0296/ (304) 672-2821