In The Garden
"God 'Is' Love"
Osella Clabaugh

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Scripture Text: I John 4:7-8

I have chosen for my Scripture today I John 4:7-8

"Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." 

This is one of my favorite portions of  scripture.  Have you every taken a real good look that that scripture, especially that last part of the 8th verse "for God is love."  Notice it does not say that God loves.  We know He does but that is not what it says.  It says GOD IS LOVE.  It does not say that God is a loving being.  It says GOD IS LOVE.  It does not say that God practices love but that GOD IS LOVE!  You see Love is not what He does, Love is who He is.  GOD IS LOVE!! 

Think about these:  Love is to God as wet is to water. When we think of something that is wet we think of water. Love is to God as hot is to fire.  When we think of something hot we think of fire.  Love is to God as cold is to ice. When we think of something cold we think of ice. Love is to God as bright is to the sun.  When we think of  brightness we think of the sun. When people see you and think of you, do they experience love. 

I would like to share two stories of two Christians that were Love.  I was stationed in the inner city of Detroit, Michigan back in the 1972.   We had Brigadier and Mrs. Korbel come to do Evangelistic meetings for us.  They had been stationed in Czechoslovakia, He was arrested by the Nazis for preaching the word and telling people that God would deliver them.  He had to go to a prison camp.  His dear wife took their children and lived in a tent at the edge of the forest close by the prison her husband was in.  He was tortured for Jesus.  Once he got caught passing a note to another prisoner that said Jesus loves you.  He was chained to the fence outside in the cold naked.  He said he felt he was going to die and as he looked up he saw Jesus and the nail scarred hands.  The prisoner drinking water and where they urinated came out of the same pipes.  We had fixed them a beautiful supper with pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and a salad.  He  said excuse him but he just was not very hungry and just wanted some potatoes, plain.  Afterwards his wife told us that from what had taken place in prison there was very little he could eat.  He never once complained.  He loved the little children we would see on the streets he would go up to them and hug them.  They would hug him back.  You see when they saw Brigadier Korbel they saw and felt love.

My husbands best friend, was very sick and dying in the hospital.  They had gone in to do surgery and had to leave him open because he was so full of poison.  They had to let  the poison drain out.  He was in extreme pain but never complained.  One of the last conversations Pastor Wayne had with him went like this.  Mike, how can you take the pain brother.  Mike said, "it hurts, but when I am in so much pain I see Jesus and His nail scarred hands and I know that the pain he went through, and the pain he continues to go through because of our sins could never equal the pain I am having."  Shortly after that God took Mike home.  Doctors, nurses, friends and family who came to see Mike saw and felt love.

I Corinthians 13:1

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal, and though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked. thinketh no evil.  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;   Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease;  whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect is come, that that which is in part shall be done away.  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child.  I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.  And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

God is Love, you are His child, are you love?  When you went to Jesus did you get saved and did you get love.  If you are not love, if people look at you and don't see and feel love then you need to go back to Jesus until you receive this love.  Until you are Love.  God bless you, let's pray.

Father you are love and we long to be like you.  Lord don't just fill us with your love but make us love.  Lord make us like you.  May those who come in contact with us see and feel love.  Use us Lord that no mater what comes our way that we will be love. We love you Lord and we are yours.  In Jesus name I pray  Amen.