One Another

Yesterday, I received a call saying that a very dear and longtime friend had passed away. I have known him as a brother since junior high school. We were four years apart in age. He ended up marrying one of my sisters. We did everything together, from hunting to fishing, etc.

Traveling as much as my wife and I have, our families haven’t been as physically connected as we had been in our earlier years. But our hearts of love for “one another” have never been distant, for which I am grateful to God.

When I heard the news, my heart was immediately broken, and the tears begin to flow, as did the sweet memories of my brother rushing through my mind. Through the tears of love and out of those precious memories, and in concern for my family up north who also have broken hearts—for their dad, grandfather, brother, uncle, closest friend, etc.—and for this past year of diverse and precious trials, the Spirit of God spoke so clearly to my heart these few words . . .

“Let My Spirit take you deeper into the depths of My boundless Love.”

As the children of God, brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, when trials, tribulations, and tears come (and they will), may this be our prayer:

May the pain not be wasted, and may comfort freely flow from His Spirit and flow out from the Promises of God as they are embraced. May the Spirit of God use these times to take us deeper into the depths of His boundless love. May it be reflected in our praise and worship unto our Lord for His great love towards us. May it saturate who we are in Jesus Christ, to where it pours out to “one-another” in the Body of Christ, which is His Church.

It is indeed His Church, made up of His Saints, His Jewels, His Children, His brothers and sisters, His Family, His Friends, His betrothed Bride. For which He paid the ultimate price through the shedding of His own Blood. That means each one of you/us, have such a great value that a price tag cannot be placed upon us. Because His Great Love towards us has determined that our value is priceless.

Friends, brothers and sisters, YOU ARE PRICELESS in the eyes of God! Let’s not sell ourselves short in what God has for us according to His eternal plan and purpose(s) ahead.

Please know how loved that YOU ARE. Most importantly, by God Himself, but may the Spirit of God make His love known through each one of us, for “one-another”, as well as for those who have yet to respond to His offer of eternal life and the invitation into a relationship with Jesus Christ, which can only be experienced through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

I am so blessed by God’s love, grace, and mercy that He has called each one of us together for such a time as this and to reach this generation. Thank you for being a joint in the Body of Christ, as a supply for the sake of the Gospel (Eph. 4:16).

Eph. 3:14-19; 4:16 [ESV] – ¹⁴ For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named ¹⁶ that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. … 4:16 From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Growing into the depths of His love together

Pr. Anthony