Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Roman 13:8-10 (NIV)

The scriptures clearly states it very simply, "Love your neighbour as yourself". We all know that some people can be so hard to love, even when you try your best to love them. You give your heart and your all, yet all your acts of love and compassion may be misunderstood as being nosy or as some would say too overwhelming. But the scripture is clear to say that, "love is patient, love is kind and love sees no faults" 1 Corinthians 13:4-13.

So to love your neighbor as yourself, you have to endeavor to close your eyes to their many faults and embrace them with the agape love of God. We are to love our enemies and those that spitefully use us. This can also be hard to do especially when you have been hurt badly by an individual that you trust, but  remember that love should give no records of those things others have done. 1 Corinthians 13:5  And the fear that you feel from the wound and pain of past hurts, the scriptures say that perfect love cast out all fear. So why be afraid to love? Why be afraid to give your all to others as commanded by God? Verse 8 of Romans 13 says that no debt should be outstanding except for the continuing debt to love one another. Love is a debt that we have do take care of on a daily basis.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)  Just as you love yourself to protect your interest, so also you should love others and protect their good interest. If we say we have faith and have not exercised our love muscles then all that we do is simply put, fake. To love others is to be tolerant.

For God so loved the world that he gave His only son, so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. So what excuse do we have, if God can give us the life of his son by sacrificing him on the cross to free us from sin and death, the only pay back for that is to in turn love others.

PRAYER
Almighty God, today I humble myself and ask for mercy for those areas of my life where I have not shown love to those that surround me the way you have commanded. Forgive me for keeping a record of others faults. Help me from today to see beyond the wrong that has been done to me and help me to begin to love unconditionally with the agape love of God, in Jesus Name. Amen

JOURNAL
Make a list of those that have wronged you and what it is that they have done that has affected the way you love and perceive others, present them to God in prayer. Release all the hurt and pain in those areas that you have listed and ask the Holy Spirit fill the vacuum that the hurt has left behind with the agape love of God and don't go back to revisit them again. 

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.  Isaiah 30:15 (NIV)

Repentance and rest is your salvation, that is what the scripture above reminds us. We all at sometime go through periods in our lives where we are worried, stressed and discouraged. At those times we begin to fret over little things, in the midst of that, some may fall into sin and make mistakes that eventually will take away the strength that God has freely given.  I want to encourage you today to learn to rest in the Lord. When you feel that situations surrounding you  cause you to be anxious, take a moment, pause say a little prayer and seek the Lord for His peace and direction. Most of all seek to know what God wants you to learn in the situation. A moment of pause and stillness, and you would be surprised how things can turn around. When you have done all that you know to do, be still.

Exodus 14:13-14 "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Moses told the Israelites to stand still when they started to be afraid of the Egyptians that were pursuing them at the red sea. Moses, having the presence of God in him knew that worrying and fretting about the multitude of the Egyptian army behind them was not going to help them. He told the people to stand still and that the Egyptians that was making them afraid they would see no more. And if you read the story you would see that when God intervened, the whole of the Egyptian army drowned and where never to be seen again. The same will be your story, that all those situations that causes your heart to fear and worry, you will no longer see them again. BE STILL AND KNOW THAT GOD IS STILL GOD!

Take sometime today to rest in the Lord as the scripture says that, " in quietness and confidence shall be your strength". Have a quiet moment with Him who knows all things and can do all things and he will increase you spirit, soul and body. When you are whole, you are confident. It is at this quiet moments that God gives direction and resolution to situations. You cannot hear God when everything is loud and distracting. But in a still and quiet place, God intervenes, speaks, instruct and directs.

PRAYER
Lord, today help me to be still before you that I may renew my strength and confidence in you. Teach me what I need to know to be successful in life. As I lay quietly before you, letting go of everything, reveal to me those areas of my life where I need to be still and wait for your timing for my breakthroughs, where I need to move and step out of the way for you to take control, in Jesus Name.

JOURNAL
Today, write in your journal those situations and areas of your life that you have been worried about and trying to make things happen on your own, take it to your quiet place and share then with God, you never know, the God of breakthrough may whisper your solutions.

FEEL FREE TO SHARE AND BLESS SOMEONE

 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 1 John 5:7-8 (NIV)

The scripture above says "that are three that bear witness about Jesus, the spirit, the water and his blood", this is the authenticity of Christ. No one can be more authentic than that. When the president of the United States of America goes anywhere there is a seal that authenticates his office. Anywhere this seal is seen or presented it sure commands respect. So also the spirit, the water and the blood commands the authority that Jesus has. When this three power seals are presented in the kindom of darkness, it sure commands power that darkness cannot comprehend.

The Spirit
In Genesis, the first mention of the Spirit was in Genesis 1:2 , which says, “The earth didn’t have any shape. And it was empty. Darkness was over the surface of the ocean. At that time, the ocean covered the earth. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”  when the earth was without form the spirit of the Lord was available to start the work of the creation. When God created man, he created him in his own image.

Fast forward, there have been mentions of people in the scripture that God had placed his spirit upon to do great and mighty things. But non can compare to that which he announced when Jesus was baptized. The book of Matthew 3:16 says, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened. Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.” and he was announced in verse 17, "A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him.” May the Lord be pleased with us all. 

When God announced Jesus, His spirit descended on Him and gave him power and the authority for the work that he was commissioned to do. He began healing the sick, raising the dead, setting captives free and preaching the good news. God's, spirit empowered him to do all the miraculous deeds that he performed.

What are the artributes of the spirit of God in the life of a person.

• Holy Spirit gives power - empowers to do great and mighty things
  
  
• It gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding
  
  
• It gives boldness - to do what you cannot normally do on your own
  
  
• It gives direction, leading us aright
  

How do you receive the spirit of God? The scriptures tells us in Acts 2:17 that the Lord will pour out His Spirit upon all people, verse 18 further says, "...and they will prophecy. When Jesus ascended to heaven He told his disciples that he would send them a helper in the form of the holy spirit which they received in Acts 2, "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them." To daily receive the fullness of the Holy spirit you have to remain in God's presence seeking him through prayer and reading the word.

PRAYER
Lord I pray that the holy spirit will rest upon every area of your life today and that you may receive power to accomplish your purpose in life, in Jesus Name