Congratulations...

 If you are reading this post - congratulations! Today is the last of Love 40 days.

Thank you for sharing this journey. Thank you for giving the time and the effort to stretch yourself to obey the commandment of John 13:34: Love one another.

We hope that while maybe not always easy, you have found this Lent challenge worthwhile. We hope that you have found something new in this application of God's word that has allowed God to work in your life. We hope that you have made a new connection, deepened an existing connection or re-established an old connection with somebody who needs to be loved by you. We hope that you have been challenged and inspired during the past forty days.

It would be great to hear from you in the comments below if you made it to the end - even if you missed some days! Don't forget you can share any of your favourite experiences, stories or verses in the comments, even today.

It has been a great 40 days. But let's not leave it there. While you might not be pulling out names next week, let's all continue to be on the lookout for the people that God is placing in our path as we continue to live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ...

Be blessed. See you next year!!



Day 40: He lives...

Tomorrow we celebrate Easter Sunday - the day that changed the world forever.

The story of the resurrection is the most wonderful ending to the greatest love story ever told. You can find it in John 20. The Son of God, slaughtered like a common criminal, fulfils the prophecies of old and the words from his own mouth and rises again - claiming the victory over sin forever for everyone who believes in him.

In Romans 5:6-11, Paul summarised this amazing truth as follows:

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people woudl not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship was God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

We are friends of God. Let us live life as friends of God today - and love others with everything that we have.

Day 39: Forgiven...

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish by have eternal life. (John 3:16) This is love. Today we remember the greatest act of love that anyone will ever show.

Try to take time today to read the story of Jesus's arrest, trials and crucifixion. It never makes easy reading, but let it speak to your heart today. A good place to find the story is John 18-19.

Jesus helps us to know how to respond to the enormity of the sacrifice that he made for us in Luke 18:13-14: But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

We all have a list of things that we wish we hadn't done. Other people might think our list might be short, but we know that it is too long to write. Our list is covered by the love of God - we do not need to be condemned by it. But we should remember the words of Jesus in Luke 7:47: "I tell you, her sins - and they are many - have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love."

We know that are sins are many. We know we have been forgiven much. Let us show Jesus much love today. And let us allow him to fill us so that we might show the people on our name slips much love too - so that they might understand the love and forgiveness that we celebrate today.

Day 38: Passover...

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day that we remember Jesus sharing the Passover Meal with his friends. We remember Jesus breaking bread and sharing wine with his friends and encouraging them to continue doing so in remembrance of his sacrifice. You can find the story of the Last Supper in Luke 22:7-30. There are also two other parts of the story of Jesus' Passover evening to challenge us as we seek to finish up our 40 days of living a life filled with love, following the example of Christ...

Firstly, take a look at John 13:1-17. Before the disciples sat down to eat together, Jesus washed their feet. This was the job of the lowliest of servants, which was why Peter was initially adamant that Jesus should not wash his feet. But Jesus was demonstrating that he came to serve - and we are seeking to follow his example. Jesus says in John 13:14-17: Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. How true it is that a servant is not greater than the master. Nor are messengers more important than the one who sends them. You know these things - now do them! That is the path of blessing.

Washing feet was a cultural tradition - it would be up to you whether or not this is how you would choose to love the person on your name slip today. But the action of serving another person in the lowliest of ways, truly serving their needs in a way that they don't expect, laying yourself on the line - that is the way that we are called to love today.

Secondly, take a look at John 17, Jesus' prayer following the Passover meal. This is the prayer that Jesus prays for us: all who will ever believe in [Jesus] because of their testimony. There is so much to take from this chapter. John 17:22-26 says this: I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are - I in them and you in me, all perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began! O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you. I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them.

Let us pray that we may be united with Jesus and with each other in love. Let us pray that through this unity the world - our person on the name slip - will know that Jesus was sent for them. Let us pray that we - and our loved ones - would understand that God loves us as much as God loves Jesus.

Any other thoughts on these passages - please put them in the comments...

Day 37: The rest of the week...

On Monday we looked at the story of the triumphal entry. Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, and then we have Good Friday and Easter Sunday only days away now. But Jesus wasn't just hanging around, chatting over with his disciples about how great it was when he came into town on the donkey, while he waited for the soldiers to come and get him. Let's remind ourselves of Jesus' actions in Jerusalem leading up to Passover.

- Jesus wept over Jerusalem
- Jesus cursed the fig tree
- Jesus cleared the Temple, driving out the merchants and their stalls
- Jesus taught in the Temple every day, using parables and scriptures to help people understand
- Jesus gave answers to the priests and teachers who tried to trap him with questions
- Jesus referred to himself as the cornerstone
- Jesus taught his disciples about giving using the example of the widow's offering
- Jesus was anointed with perfume at Bethany
- Jesus talked about his death and resurrection to prepare his followers for what was to come

You can find these events, and more, in Matthew 21-26, Mark 11-14, and Luke 20-22. If you can, choose one of the gospels and read the chapters through, allowing the words to speak to your heart today. Please share any thoughts or revelations that you may have as you journey through Holy Week with Jesus, by using the comments section below.

Day 36: Food and fellowship...

Is a picture of a dinner plate a little odd for Holy Week? Maybe not...

One of the many things we can notice about Jesus on a reading of the Gospels is that he shared his life, light and love with people while they shared a meal together. Jesus ate with Zacchaeus, he was eating at Simon's house when the woman anointed him with expensive perfume, he was due to eat with Martha, Mary and Lazarus and their friends, since we know that Martha was preoccupied with dinner plans. While he was preaching to the crowds out on the hills, he knew they needed to eat and take time to be physically refreshed while they were also being spiritually refreshed by the words of his preaching - and provided a meal for over five thousand of them.

The long Easter weekend is coming up. You may have lots of plans to see friends or family, you may not. This week, particularly with the extra days away from work, you may have extra opportunities to be hospitable and to open up your home or your diary to share a meal with one of your people to love. When you share food, you have the opportunity to share fellowship. As you share fellowship you can deepen friendship. As friendship deepens, new opportunities to love arise and it becomes easier for people to understand that hope that lives within you.

Think about it. Pray about it. And invite somebody to share food and fellowship with you this week.

Day 35: The triumphal entry...

Yesterday was the day in our remembrance of the first Easter that we know as Palm Sunday. Our name for this day comes from the reference in Mark 11:8 which mentions that Jesus' followers cut down leaves to wave in celebration as he entered Jerusalem. Our versions of the Bible probably head the telling of the "Palm Sunday" story as "The triumphal entry." You can find the full story in Mark 11:1-11 and in Luke 19:28-40.

The name "Palm Sunday" is fine and easy to remember, but if we read these two Bible passages in full today, we will see that the leaf-waving is only part of the story. If you have been following Jesus for a while you will probably have read this story many, many times, but take the time to read the story afresh today.

Imagine how the disciples who were asked to go and take the colt felt - were they nervous at taking someone else's donkey? Were they amazed when things happened exactly as Jesus told them it would?

Imagine how they felt when the crowds started to gather around the man they had been following for three years - the man they knew to be the Messiah. We read this story knowing how their week will end, but they hadn't understood Jesus' warnings. Were they thinking that finally the world had realised what they had known for a while? Were they imagining ahead at their nation embracing their Saviour and maybe seeing the Romans overthrown?

Imagine what the praise sounded like on the streets of Jerusalem. If you have ever been part of a large gathering of Christians praising God (at a stadium or Bible camp, for example), recall the memories you may have of that large number of voices singing in praise. And as Luke 19:40 reminds us, had the people not declared the praise of God for the arrival of Jesus "the stones along the road would burst into cheers."

This was a day of triumph - a day where people cried out: "Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Today, you may have a chance, like those crowds gathered on the streets of Jerusalem, to declare Jesus' name to somebody that you are trying to love. You may have a chance to share the story of how you found your Messiah and how you know the King who comes in the name of the Lord. If you have that chance please take it - and take it with boldness and celebration, like those singing as they waved their leaves. If you don't have the chance to use words to shout and declare the truth, then use your loving to speak the same truth. Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord by serving the person he puts into your life today - by appreciating them, or helping them, or listening to them, or feeding them, or encouraging them, or giving them a hug, or smiling.