Sharing Love From Sweden - The Same Value - God Will Use Whoever He Wants - Eva Haglund

THE SAME VALUE - GOD WILL USE WHOEVER HE WANTS

It is important to know that people have the same value. In the world people sometimes are treated like they do not the same value. It can be in different ways. Sometimes rich are not treated the same as poor and old sometimes are looked down at. Sometimes younger are treated like they have more value then elderly people. 

Sometimes in congregations there can be wrong thinking. People can be looked down at. In James 2:1 is written, “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him ”You sit here in a good place” and say to the poor man “you stand there” or sit here at my footstool, have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” 

In Acts 3:6 is written that Paul also on one occasion did not have money. He said “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

In Gal 3:28 is written ”There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ.” Here it is written that it does not matter what background you have. You have the same value. We read that Jews and Greeks have the same value. All people have the same value and  God wants us to stand together as one people.

It is also written in this Scripture that men and women have the same value. It is important in Scripture here that women have the same value as men. In the world women can be looked down at and also in congregations, but this is not how God looks at women and He wants women to be well treated and respected. God can use women. He used Esther so the Jewish people were rescued and He can also use women today. God needs both men and women to stand together in his Kingdom. 

God also uses people without education. We read in  I Cor 1:26 “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.”

In 1 Cor 13:1 it is written: ”Though I speak the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become  as a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all the mysteries and all the knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing.” We read here that love is more important than for instance knowledge.

We have not been given gifts to “shine” ourselves, but to bless others with and to honor God.

In Luke 2:9 the angels came to shepherds, even as some had looked down at them in the society when Jesus was born. God did not look down at them. The first disciples whom Jesus called were fishermen.

In Luke 10 we read Jesus' parable that a man was robbed and hurt by thieves. He also was emotional wounded. He had nothing left. In the parable the priest did not help but left him there. Then a Samaritan came and he had compassion and helped the man who was robbed. The Samaritans were people who were looked down in their society, but it was this person who showed compassion. 

In some congregations the leadership does not have love for people. We must not judge anybody, but God wants leaders to have a shepherd's heart. There are such leaders, but not all leaders have learned to know the Father's, our heavenly Daddy, heart of love and compassion.

For God, all people have the same value. He will use whoever He wants in the last days. He will use ill and the unemployed, for instance, as some would look down at, but God chooses. God did not choose David because of his height but because of his heart. God does not think as people think. He is more interested in the heart than clothes and cares more about the inside then the outside. The parcel is not more important then what is inside of it.   

 We need love among Christians. Jesus says in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, then to lay down ones life for his friends.” In Acts 2:46 the Christians had fellowship and broke bread from house to house. I think God wants to restore more real friendship in the new prophetic time. In 1 Cor 12 it is written that we need each other with different gifts.

 We have been given gifts to bless others with and to honor God with. Gifts are also shown in friendship. Fellowship is not a building but living stones creating a temple.

The greatest is love, as we read in 1 Cor 13, and God is love. It is important to learn to know God as a loving God and to show love to each other. This will show the world that God is love. 

In John 17:21 Jesus prayed that we may all my be one, even as your Father is in Me and I in you, that you also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.”

We need to seek this God of love together. Jesus showed the greatest love, as He suffered so much for us by His free will because He loved us so much. He showed what love is. In His eyes we are precious. Yeshua/Jesus was willing to give everything for us.

This is the value we have for Him. In John 3:16 we  read, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Eva Haglund

Sharing Love From Sweden - THE BREAD OF LIFE IN THE CENTER by Eva Haglund

THE  BREAD OF LIFE IN THE CENTER

by Eva Haglund

We need bread to live. In Matt 6:11 we find the prayer "Give us today our daily bread" as Jesus taught us. Many people are poor and do not have bread. It is good to help others in need who are poor. However there were people who followed Jesus who were just interested in the usual bread, but Jesus told them “Most assuredly ,I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you saw the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the  the food which perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”  

 

Jesus as the Bread came to the House of Bread – Bethlehem. Usual bread and other things are not more important than this  Bread – Jesus. God ought to be in center in our lives. Among Christians, biblical subjects can get much attention but Jesus ought to be center. There are popular subjects, for instance the rapture, but these subjects must not take first place. Visions or activities in church also must not take first place. Hobbies can take  too much time,too, even  though there is not wrong with hobbies.

Sometimes people are so busy helping others that they forget to take time with their relation with God. It is good to help others in a time of much selfishness and lack of love. That is very good. The Bible also tell us in Matt 24:12, “because of lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” The relation with Jesus ought to be first. 

We as human beings need spiritual bread.  In John 6:35 he tell us “I am the Bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believe in Me shall never thirst.”

We need to be dependent on Jesus as children are of their parents. We NEED Him. TV and media must not take too much time so we do not have time with our relationship with God. Because Jesus is the Bread and He is the Word, as it is written in John, then I see it as the Bible, the Word also is our Bread of life. The Bible is as Bread and we need our daily Bread. It is good to read the Bible every day. It is like Bread for our souls.

In Matt. 5:3 Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” We need to hunger for more of God, not thinking that we have  so much, but be humble and think we do not have so much  and be  hungry and want MORE of God. We can be longing for more to learn to know Him as a person, to get more of Him and of His power. Worship is important because then we lift up God and let Him be in the center. Worship brings the presence of God.

 

In the world people can be hungry, longing for something more. Jesus is the heavenly Bread. In John 6:33 is written: “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”  In a world where many difficult things happen around us we  need to seek Jesus and have Him as our Friend.

Jesus/Yeshua  is a refuge in the storm and He is wonderful Bread.  Let us be hungry for this Bread! Let us be hungry for God!

Sharing Love From Sweden - FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD AND FRIENDSHIP WITH EACH OTHER - Eva Haglund

FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD 

AND FRIENDSHIP WITH EACH OTHER

Eva Haglund, Sweden

Sometimes things done for God seem more important for Christians than the relationship with God. But God wants us to have the relation with Him as first place - not what we do for Him. Visions must not take first place. Some are never at home as they go about many things, but the relationship with God needs time seeking Him.  

We can read in the Bible in Luke 10:38, “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary,  who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Here we learn that the relation with Jesus ought to take the first place. Mary was taking time with Jesus and sat at His feet.

We can understand that David spent much time  in his relationship with God, as we see when we read the psalms.

Jesus spent time in fellowship with the disciples. In John 21 He fixed a warm fire, breakfast and had fellowship, after the disciples had been out with the boat fishing. It is written in verse 12 that Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” It was at this occasion in fellowship, in verse 17, that Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.” He wants us to spend time with Him and have Him as his friend, not one who just comes and ask things from.

In Song of Solomon 6:3 we find the words “I am my beloved`s and my beloved is mine.” I  am  thinking about the relation with Jesus here - the friendship with Him.  I also think worship is important.  David had learned this and also Paul. We read when he worshiped in the prison in Acts 16:25, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” In worship God is in the center. In Ps.113:1 we read, "Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!" In Ps.149:3 is written, "Let them praise His name with the dance." So we can also praise God with dance as God is in the center and He is honored.

God wants us to take time in prayer and  we also need to spend time with the Word, reading the Bible. God is love (1 John.4:8) and  we need to learn to know this God of love more. In Eph.3:17 Paul prays that "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love, what is the width and length and depth and height - to KNOW THE LOVE of Christ which passes knowledge , that you may be felled with all the fullness of God."

If God is love then love is important.

Sometimes friendship and fellowship is not counted as so important among some Christians but Jesus say in John 15 to His disciples, “This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus does not just mean to say hello but to have real friendship  and care for each other. I think He showed this when He washed the feet of the disciples. It is like a picture of showing care and love  among Christians.  Jesus also showed practical care at the beach. He fixed a warm fire and made breakfast with fish and bread. Jesus talks about friendship when He says “Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one`s life for his friends.”

The greatest love in friendship is then one is willing to give his life for a friend.  I also think we can get back relationships as Job and Joseph got back. We can have friends globally as we are in Body of Christ, but I think it is also good when we have friends who do not live so far away,  as  Ps.133:1 tells us.

It says “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” In 1 Cor.12 it is written about how we are members in a body who need each other. As members in a usual body need each other, each part has value.  The “hand” needs the “foot”. In a church building, the church is not a building but we need each other with different gifts with Jesus as the head. Then Christians also need a place to have meetings in. 

In the Old Testament we read about David and Jonathan's friendship in Scripture in 1 Sam. 20.

We can also understand that Elijah and Elisha in the Bible were friends. I think Elijah was Elisha's spiritual father and a close  friend. In 2 Cor. 2 I think that Elijah was a dear friend to Elisha when  when he knew that Elijah would go to heaven and said in verse 2:2 ”As the Lord lives and as your soul lives I will not leave you.”

In John 17:21 Jesus prays for Christians “that they all may be one as your Father is in me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” I think He talks about the love in the Body of Christ as we get from God and love as a testimony. I think God wants to restore more of real friendship in the Body of Christ where it needs more.

In Rev.3:20 is written, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.” If anyone does not know Jesus, He is knocking at the door and wants to come in.

Jesus (Yeshua)  is a real friend – the best Friend who gave His life for us because of His love for us (Isaiah 53).

Sharing Love From Sweden - JESUS SHOWED THE WAY OF FORGIVENESS - Eva Haglund

JESUS SHOWED THE WAY OF FORGIVENESS

Eva Haglund

The Bible tell us not to be bitter to others but to forgive others. It is so easy to judge one another but we are not called to judge others. Bitterness does not lead to anything good. We just do not feel well ourselves by being bitter.  In Eph5:31 we read “ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you.”

It can be easier to forgive when we think about that we have been forgiven OUR sins - when we received Jesus because He as a lamb without fault paid the price for us. Jesus wants us to show mercy to each other as He has shown mercy to us.  It does not mean we cannot say no and to admonish anybody. If people are bitter to anybody it sometimes can be followed by judging words being angry and gossip and a lot of wrong talking about this person can be the result. But Jesus taught us to show love and forgive.

Peter said in Matt.18:22, ”Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times but up to seventy times seven.”

In Gen 37:23-24 we can see when Joseph's brothers treated him bad and cast him into a pit. Then he was sold by his own brothers to a foreign country as a slave. The brothers I think were jealous of Joseph and chose to sell him. This must have felt like a shock for Joseph to be sold to a foreign country as a slave leaving his home. Still Joseph forgave his brothers. In Gen 45:2 is written about him when his brothers came to Egypt and met him: “And he wept aloud and the Egyptians and the house of Farao heard it.”

We see here the love Joseph had for his brothers in spite of what they had done to him. He cried when he saw his brothers again. His heart was touched by his love for them when he saw them anyway.

In Matt 26:49 we read when Judah betrayed Jesus “Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying “Whomever I kiss, He is the one, seize Him. Immediately he went up to Jesus and said “Greetings,Rabbi!” and kissed him. But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Judas treated Jesus bad and betrayed Him and gave Him a kiss to show who it was, who was Jesus.

Jesus could have been bitter to him having been betrayed by Judah, but he was not. Instead He called him friend and wanted to help him and admonishing him and we read the words in Luke 22.48 “ Judas are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 

In Matt 5:43- 48 Jesus says “You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy” but I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do so?.” 

Here we see that Jesus wants us to forgive people, to love also our enemies. He tells us to bless them who curse us. He tells us to pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you and I have noticed that it can easier to forgive anybody if you begin to pray for the person who offended you.

In Acts 7:59 we read about when Stephen was stoned for his faith. “And they stoned Stephen and he was calling on God and saying “Lord, Jesus receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice ”Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”

In Isaiah 61:7 we see that the Bible tells us “Instead of your shame you will have double.” In Luke 6:21 Jesus says that “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” Blessed are you when men hate you and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven."

Christians can be bad treated but the reward is then big in heaven. He tell us to rejoice then. We must not forget that we also can get spiritual attacks. In the the Bible are many words of comfort. In Isaiah 54:17 it is comforting to know “no weapon formed against you shall prosper,and every tongue which rises against you in judgement you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of Lord and their righteousness is from me.”

If we have been bad treated we can get comfort in the Word of God. In Isaiah 40:11 we find the words ”Comfort, comfort my people.” It is good to give comfort to people. Many need comfort. Jesus was very bad treated even before He was crucified. He met a lot of hate and rejection.  He knows what it can be to be abandoaned also by friends. Just before His big suffering His friends left and His close friend Peter denied Him three times. We read in Luke 22:60-62 that He was mocked and scourged, being very painful. In Isaiah 53 it is written that “He is despised and rejected by men.”

Jesus choose anyway to suffer because of His love for us. It can be easier to forgive when we think about how much Jesus loves us. He suffered so much for us. Jesus showed the way of forgiveness when He endured the deepest pain at Calvary, and yet saying in Luke 2:34 “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

I do not think we understand a drop in a sea of the pain Jesus carried at the cross. In this pain He choose to forgive and gave His life also for the soldiers who hated Him. Jesus really showed the way of forgiveness. To forgive is also showing love.

Jesus/Yeshua showed the greatest love to us.

Eva Haglund

Sharing Love From Sweden - THE WORD OF GOD – OUR ROCK by Eva Haglund

THE WORD OF GOD – OUR ROCK
Eva Haglud, Sweden

In some churches  the Bible is not so important. Thoughts from people are more important sometimes than the Word of God. The Bible is what God gave us as a foundation. It ought to be the foundation in churches.

In the Bible we read in Ps 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The Word of God shows the way. I think of the picture of the headlights on your car when you drive in the night. We need instructions and the Bible is our book of instructions for life. We can have difficulties but then we need to stand on the Word – what the Bible tells us.

We can be attacked by fear but then we can dig in the gold mine – the Bible. We can confess the Word in these situations. It is written in Ephesians 6:17 that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit.

 When Jesus was attacked He spoke the Word. He said in Matt 4:4, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

We can also speak Scriptures  in situations as Jesus did.

To speak Bible verses is  good for your faith and to read the Bible aloud. There is power in reading Bible Scriptures aloud. In these days of a world with many things happening around us, sickness for instance, it is good to read Ps. 91 and confess these Scriptures aloud. We can learn to memorize it. It is good to learn to memorize different Scriptures. In these later days I  think it can be good to confess all verses in Ps. 91  or some every day. 

No one can take it from me. God's Word ought to be like a treasure for us, worth more than silver and gold and more worth than earthly things. The Word of God is also more worth than all the money in the world.

In 1 Peter 1:25 it is written that “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flowers falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.” The Word is our daily Bread. Jesus is the Bread of life. He is the Word. The Word is the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

I think it can be a good thing to sing the Word also. David was singing as in Ps 23. If we sing the Word we also hear it. I sometimes sing Bible Scriptures and dance together. It feels nice!

The Word is like fire, stronger than all winds and waves and stronger than all forces in the nature, such as lightning.

The enemy wants to frighten us in different circumstances when the waves are high, but Rom 8:15 says “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out “Abba, Father.” When we are a child of God we do not have to be afraid in circumstances because God is our heavenly Daddy.

In Jesus' name we get peace when we receive Him. He paid the price for us so we could have peace.

I think it is good to speak Bible verses to each other. We help each other in this way. We need teachings and sermons also. There are also songs with Bible Scriptures we can listen to and dance to if we want. We can also listen to songs of Scriptures and sing together.

To read the Bible I think is also like eating a real good dinner for a party. You feel well by eating it and it is nice for your soul. When there are big storms in life there is a strong Rock who is strong in everything – the Word.

When there was stormy weather Jesus slept in the boat. He was not afraid. The disciples were afraid in Mark 4:38 and thought they would perish and so they woke Jesus up. We do not have to be afraid when  we  “are in the boat” with Jesus,  because He will help us.

We can trust God, standing on the Word. The Bible is our “Faith-book”.

In the Bible  are many promises are like flowers that you pick and keep in your hand. It is good to meditate on Bible Scriptures, like the cows chew the cud. When we meditate on the Word we can discover new things as we have not seen before.

In John 1:1 is written “ In the beginning was the Word, and was the Word was with God. and the Word was God.”

The Word is fantastic and Jesus/Yeshua is the Word. He is the eternal Rock.

CARE AND CARRYING EACH OTHER'S BURDENS - Eva Haglund (Sweden)

CARE AND CARRYING EACH OTHER'S BURDENS

Eva Haglund, Sweden

The world is full of people and needs. Many suffer and so many need love. Love is the most positive power. Everybody needs love and greatest is love. Then it is no surprise that God IS love.  Everybody needs Him. 

Sometimes people want to be a friend when it does not cost them anything, but Jesus showed that to be a friend it costs something. In Gal.6:2 Paul wrote, "Bear one another`s burden." Sometimes in the world it counts if you are rich and  are educated, but when Abraham's servant went to seek a bride he asked to see a sign of great love. The woman who fetched water showed much love. She gave water also for all the camels. It was very  much giving water for the people who were thirsty after the travel, and much water for all the camels. It was not an easy job. She showed much love.

In the story about Abraham when he met the angels in Gen 18 we see the heart of hospitality he had and was used to meet people with. He was a giver. It is written in the Bible in Eph.6:2 to carry each other burdens in the Body of Christ.  Many suffer today, including Christians. To call anybody, write a letter or visit anybody can mean much. To pray for anybody can be like a present for anybody who needs.

In Romans 9 we can see the heart Paul had - the deep love that he had for people. He said that he wished he himself was rejected by God if any Jews here could get saved. In Rom 9:1 "I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh."

In friendship the greatest love Jesus says is to give a life for a friend. Then you can say it costs something. In 1 Cor 13 is written "love does not seek its own." Love can cost. For Jesus it cost much. The cost was the cross where He hung for everyone. It was the deepest love. 

Jesus wants us to carry each other's burdens in the Body of Christ. Help each other when it is not so easy. This we can see in Eph.1 when Jesus showed us to wash each other's feet. He wanted to show each other care. He showed as a leader that to be a leader is to serve. He was like a servant in love when He washed the feet. Jesus as King in heaven humbled Himself  and He wants us to serve - to show love to each other. 

To carry another's burden may include helping to do the dishes for one who is tired. It also is to  give comfort and listen to those who are sad. The Bible tell us to weep with those who weep. A heart of compassion is revealed when people suffer and you pray in tears for that one, in intercession.

In Ephesians it is written to pray for each other. In James it is written that faith without works is dead. We need to help each other. The hand needs the feet, as it is written in 1 Cor 12. We need each other as usual parts in a body need the other members. To carry each other burdens is to show care to the ill people.

There are old people who cannot visit a Christian meeting. I also believe in house meetings.

There ought to be people visiting old people and have a meeting with those who cannot come to a church building, or maybe just for a shorter visit. I am thinking that if they cannot come to the meeting - "let the meeting come to them." We need Jesus first, but then we also need each other.

I also believe if it is guided by God that it can be a blessing for Christians living close to each other to meet, as we can  see in Ps 133:1, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Sometimes it is easier to carry each other's burdens when we visit them. I also think we can get back in having stronger relationships. Christians can have different needs. There can be a need of counseling, and there can be people who do not have food. To help a friend who does not have money for food is to carry one's burden.

People can have sorrow and  God wants us to help each other. Jesus carried our burdens when He suffered persecution and hate for our sake. He was mocked, scourged and crucified in a pain much stronger than we understand. It was a love so deep like the sea. To carry each other burdens is to think about somebody else. It is not to be selfish. Jesus showed us to wash each other's feet - showing care to each other. Jesus as King and leader was humbled and served - like a servant in love.

 An example of a king showing love occurred when David took care of the sheep. He learned to take care and to serve, even when it was not so nice. To wash another's feet is not always so nice. To help another move is not always so easy, but it is love. In Acts we read about Peter, who was in prison, but in Acts.12.5 constant prayer was offered to God for  him by the church. He was released. They showed great love to him in their prayers.

Prayer for people also means much. When we give, that is when we get. When we sow we also reap. God gives back. We do not give to get, but because we care. We ourselves want to be met in that way. We make mistakes, but it is important that we keep serving each other; not just in a church building but as Christians who need each other.  

Many who do not know Jesus also have many burdens and need love.  When there are persecutions of Christians, we need to come closer to each other. I think it is a new time when God wants to restore more of the first love in the Body for Christ, but also more of love in the Body of Christ with more friendship, team work and more care. In Acts.2:46 we see that Christians met in houses, ate together and had fellowship. We cannot know everybody well but we need each other also globally as in a big family.

In John 17:21 Jesus pray that love will be a testimony to the world - love that we get from God. Jesus say in John 15:9, "As the Father has loved Me, I also has loved you, abide in My love. If you keep My commandments you will  abide in My love. just as I have kept My Father's commandment and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you that My joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full." I think Jesus talks about not just saying hello to each other, have a cup of coffee in church, but to have also real fellowship. He says in John 16:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one`s life for his FRIENDS." I think Jesus wants to restore more of real friendship among us. We must not be bitter to anybody but forgive as Jesus did when He said  "Father forgive them" at the cross.

If we have been forgotten by others we can think about others who also have felt forgotten. A person can have felt forgotten by others, and we can reach out and help. We can set aside for a while our own need to help another who has a big burden like us. In Job 41:10 we read "and the Lord restored Job`s losses when he prayed for his friends."

He who carried the biggest burden was Jesus at the cross. He did it out of love for us. We find an expression of  His love in Isaiah 53:4 - "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." Jesus/Yeshua  carried the biggest burden for us.

SWEDEN NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS!

PLEASE PRAY FOR SWEDEN!

Sharing Love From Sweden - "In the Storm" by Eva Haglund

IN THE STORM

In this life on earth we have not been promised as Christians to live without being in difficulties sometimes. That is like a film but not reality. Many times fruit can come out of difficulties. 

When we are in difficulties we sometimes draw nearer to God and seek Him more then we would do otherwise. Sometimes in pain it forms us for a burden for things to do. Thoughts and visions, can also be born in pain. People who sing or write poems sometimes do so in the valley. 

God also can  use difficulties to form our character. We can learn things for help when we meet other people needing our counsel. If we have suffered in one way we can learn to see others who suffer in the same way and know how to meet them. In Isaiah 53:11 is written, "He shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied.".

When Jesus suffered for us He saw fruit. When we have suffered we can see fruit that will be used in help for other people.  Sometimes we can feel abandoned but we are not abandoned in difficulties. Our names are written in His hands and He is so close. God is a refuge and we are under His wings. When we feel alone we can seek the Lord more and learn to know Him more as our Friend. God can give back in relations about friendship.

We can read in Job that Job went through a test of his faith in the difficulties in Job 1. The devil wanted Job to leave God when he faced many trials but he refused. Job's wife wanted him to curse God in the difficulty. She said in Job 2:9  "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" But Job did not listen to her. In the end after the test he got back. 

Joseph also suffered also very much. He was hated by his brothers, sold and in a prison, though innocent for years. But he never left God and God gave him back.

In Isaiah 61:7 we see,  "Instead of your shame you will have double honor." We can get double back.

When we feel weak we can think about that God is our strength. In Ps 66: 10 is written about God testing us, "For you, O God have tested us, you have refined us as silver is refined" and in verse 12 "We went through fire and through water but You brought us out to rich fulfillment." God can bring us out of everything.

In Isaiah 43:2 we see "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not owerflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you." God protects you from getting drowned and burned in fire but also when you walk through difficulties. At times we can feel like a fire that we will go through, as did the Israelites also went through the sea and came to the other side. But God was with them and they survived.

We need to stand on  God's  promises in the Bible in different situations.  It is written in Isaiah 54:10 "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you. Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has mercy on you." It can feel like this  for us in a difficulty, but then God is with us and His grace has not left us, but His covenant of peace shall not be moved, nor His mercy. He is with us and can help us. 

David also went through different trials and not always an easy way. When he was with the sheep he could feel alone but he drew near to God and it was a strength to worship Him. He learned to take care of the sheep not just when it was easy but to protect them from animals who were dangerous. God prepared him for other things ahead of him and difficulties, too.

When we follow Christ we can meet persecution. In Luke 5:22 is written "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil for the Son of Man`s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets." We get a reward in heaven if we are persecuted for His name`s sake.

Rev. 2:10 says "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Paul went through many difficulties. He was beaten and stoned. He knew what it was to go through sufferings. We can also have spiritual attacks and pressure.

 I think we are in a time where there can come more persecutions but also in a time when there will be more strong things from God. God as Person is most important and I think we will see more worship and more of His power. I think when we are in the storm we need to rejoice in the Lord. When it is tough we need to worship. Worship is a help when it is tough.

In Acts 16:25 we can read: "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." We understand that they were singing to Jesus when they were in prison. It was a strength. We can also see in the text that after this was an earthquake and the foundations of the prison were shaken. Spiritual things happen when we worship, when we lift up Jesus and He is in the center.

I also have noticed that when you are in the storm that you feel better when you dance to Him. I love to dance to God and I think it is a help when it is tough. In Psalm 140:2 is written "Let Israel rejoice in their Maker. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name with the dance." Here we can learn to rejoice in God. The text say that dance can be a way to praise God. It is worshiping God with the body.

When we are in  storms in life it is important to read the Word, which is our daily Bread. We can stand on God's promises in His Word. His Word is steady, more than the mountains and strong like a fire. It is good to speak His Word loud  in the "stormy weather." In the difficulties we need to take time with God. It is good to learn to know His voice and it needs time with Him. When we read the Word much and learn to know God more as a person that it is easier to hear  His voice inside. God also speaks to us reading the Bible. There is also an audio Bible some listen to. We need the Word in difficulties. 

There is also much comfort in the Bible and we need these words of comfort. In Ps 23:4 we read,

"Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me." In 1 Cor:3 we also read that God is a God of comfort.  

It is important to know that Jesus loves us so much in our different situations. His name means salvation. He can help us in  difficulties. He who receives Jesus/Yeshua receives Him with a name who means salvation. It is salvation for eternity in His name. It means hope.

When we are in the valley it is good to read about Jesus' sufferings. It shows how much Jesus suffered for us because of His love. He also knows what it is to be badly treated. He was badly treated for us. He went through this suffering by free will for us. It is good when we suffer to know that Jesus was scourged for us because He loves us so much. He also was abandoned by people as we as human beings can experience. He suffered because of His love and felt the deepest pain of rejection at the cross for us. He loves us so much and this is important to know in the storm.  He was crucified in deep pain because of His love to us.

He showed us how to show love for each other. John 15:12-13 "This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one`s life for his friends." It is written in the Bible to carry each other's burdens. We need each other also in the stormy weather. Jesus is a Friend who is close in things. We read in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from His love.

To believe in Jesus/Yeshua  means hope in eternity for people. He is our hope.

Eva Haglund