Madly in Love!

Page 1 | 20

Romance

It was a Tuesday evening, mid-October in 1972. I was studying in my dorm room at Pacific Union College

when I received a phone call.

The person on the other end introduced herself as Pat Clark. She had a great-aunt who lived not too far

from where I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and was wondering if I could give her a ride there for

the weekend.

Unfortunately, or maybe it was fortunate, my car was in the body shop getting repaired. A couple weeks

earlier I had gone to the Oakland Airport to pick up a friend – at the same time the Oakland A’s were

returning home from winning the World Series and it seemed like everyone in Oakland had come out to

greet them. I got caught in the middle of a multi-car pileup. So, my car was getting repaired and I told

Miss Clark I didn’t expect to get it back until after the weekend and would be unable to help her out this

time.

However … while we were talking, I was going through the Funny

Book (what we called the student association picture book published

early in the year) trying to figure out who I was talking to. When I

found her picture I realized I had seen her around campus several

times and thought she was pretty nice.

So, I casually suggested that since we were unable to go anywhere off

campus that weekend, perhaps we could spend Saturday night

together – Fiddler on the Roof was showing there on campus that

night.

To my surprise, she said yes. We had a wonderful evening together! I

thought this relationship might be worth pursuing.

Early the next week I went and looked up her schedule in

the registrar’s office – just so I could be in the right place at

the right time on occasion. We didn’t look at it as stalking,

and it’s only creepy if the other person would rather not

see you – she definitely seemed happy to see me!

A week or so later I discovered we sat in the same row at

chapel – very convenient! The seats were not assigned,

only the rows.

Madly in Love!

Page 2 | 20

Our relationship grew and thrived, even though I forgot her name one time when I was trying to

introduce her to a former teacher of mine. We both had deep spiritual interests. And, we had several

common friends.

When it comes to love, we tend to be drawn to someone who loves us – or at least someone who is

learning to love us. There is something satisfying in being together with someone you love.

In the case of Jesus, He is not just now getting to know us. He is not trying to figure out if He might be

able to love us like Pat and I were doing in those first few months. Jesus already knows all about us! In

Psalm 139, King David wrote:

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down

or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when

I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it,

LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such

knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! (Psalm 139:1-6, NLT)

Talk about Holy Stalking! This makes my efforts to cross paths with Pat seem like child’s play. God

already knows everything there is to know about you and me – and He still loves us and wants us.

To some, this may sound like God is spying on us to catch us doing something wrong. That’s not the

point of this passage. The truth is He loves us so much He just can’t get enough of us. In reality, He is

deeply, passionately, madly in love with you and me. He said:

“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to

myself.” (Jeremiah 31:3, NLT)

Jesus has said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me" (John 12:32). Christ

must be revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold

the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our

minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a

love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses

the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul … The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be

drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist he will be drawn to Jesus; a knowledge of the plan of

salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in repentance for his sins, which have caused the

sufferings of God's dear Son.

(Steps to Christ, pp. 27)

God intends for each of us to be with Him for eternity. If you’re missing, God will miss you for all

eternity. It’s like a parent – it doesn’t matter how many children you have, each one is your favorite and

if something happens to any one of them, it leaves a hole in your heart that no one else can fill.

Madly in Love!

Page 3 | 20

But the story doesn’t end here.

The Rest of the Story

By the time summer vacation came that

year, it was clear to both of us we would

like to spend our lives together.

That summer we spent apart – I did

overseas mission work on the island of

Oahu, Hawaii; and Pat worked at a bank

in Denver. That fall we became engaged

and we were married in August of 1974.

And we lived happily ever after!

Well, we have certainly had some great times and lots of happiness – but, it would not be entirely true

to say we lived happily ever after. We are both flawed human beings with strong ideas, full of pride,

often motivated by selfishness – although to be honest, I am the harder person to deal with.

Marriage, and family, was intended to be one of the most powerful pictures of our relationship to God.

It was considered important even in a perfect world as it was set up in Creation.

The love, commitment, and intimacy of marriage was to be a visible, ongoing demonstration of the

depth of our relationship with God. And the care and love of parents was intended to educate young

minds regarding God’s love and care and to help them form habits of obedience, respect, and love.

It’s no wonder Satan has worked so hard to destroy families, to wreck this powerful picture – a

dysfunctional family gives its members a skewed picture of God and breeds discontent, anger,

hopelessness, and hate.

But even in a marriage of two flawed people, you learn about God’s love. There is something about

being in love that brings out the best in us and goes way beyond just intense, exciting feelings. True love

guides our actions even if we don’t feel it. It helps us to look past ourselves to the needs of another

person. It encourages us to set aside our desires and agendas.

And on those occasions, rarer than I would like to admit, when I have been willing to do this for my

family – actually set aside my agenda, my rights, my life for their benefit – I have seen the power of

God’s love at work!

Madly in Love!

Page 4 | 20

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we

might have eternal life through him. This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved

us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. (1 John 4:9-10, NLT)

For the first eight years of our marriage, Pat and I did not have children. We did try. We even tried some

of the same drugs that are expanding Brittanie and Kyle’s family. We finally gave up and decided to

adopt.

More than anything else, being a father has helped me understand God’s love and forgiveness, the pain

of rejection, resorting to plan d, or m, or xx; and His joy at our success. The Apostle John wrote:

Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us – He calls us children of God!

It’s true; we are His beloved children … My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family;

and we are officially His children now. (1 John 3:1-2, the Voice)

And reading from Psalm 103:

The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will

not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he

does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is

as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as

the east is from the west.

The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he

knows how weak we are … the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him.

(Psalm 103:8-17, NLT)

Returning His Love

God is deeply, passionately, madly in love with you and me. I don’t understand how it works; how He

can love each of us so completely – all at the same time! I guess that’s why He’s God and I’m not.

Even with all the rejection He has experienced down through the years, the millions of people who said

“No Thanks” when He come with His invitation to live within His love; He still loves us!

We have all had tough times in our lives where we have loved someone who does not love us back. It

may have been a romantic interest, perhaps a spouse who has grown distant, maybe a child who has

made it clear they want to be left alone or another family member who only “loves us” when he or she

want something from us. There are few things more painful in life than rejected love.

The truth is, most of us are in love with something other than God. Many of us are dearly in love with

ourselves and can only see things from our perspective. There are those who love comfort and ease.

Madly in Love!

Page 5 | 20

Others who love all the things that money and status can give us.We are often more in love with the

blessings of God, the things He gives us than with God Himself.

Proverbs give us this wise counsel:

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23, NLT)

We focus on the things we love. And it seems the more we focus on it, the more we love it, and then we

focus on it more, and our love for it grows … you get the picture.

Proverbs tells us to be careful of what we allow ourselves to love. This is so important that when asked

about the most important commandment, Jesus said:

“You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your

strength.” (Mark 12:30, NLT – quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

What and Who we love, determines the direction of our lives.

This presents a bit of a dilemma – how do we start loving something (or someone) we don’t? And, how

do we stop loving something we hold dear? It’s not just as easy as flipping a switch. How do I start really

loving God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength?

It begins like a romance – you start becoming aware of Someone’s love for you and you decided to

investigate. You start focusing on Jesus, trying to understand His love for you. You start loving Him back

and trusting Him with more and more.

You stop resisting and allow His love to draw you in.

The truth is, you and I are chosen to be His forever. The same is true of every person who has ever lived.

Some have said yes to God and allowed themselves to be drawn in. Others have said no and moved the

other direction.

We are all chosen, we are all loved – what we do with it, is up to us now.

The one thing that keeps giving me hope, for myself, for my family, and for you – my church family – is

this: God is still in the business of loving and drawing. Jeremiah, in the book of Lamentations puts it this

way:

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His

mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

(Lamentations 3:21-23, NLT)

Madly in Love!

Page 6 | 20

Every day is a new day, a new opportunity to become better acquainted with God and His love. Paul

recorded a something he prayed regarding the believers in Ephesus – this is also my prayer for you:

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength

through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots

will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to

understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be

made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

(Ephesians 3:16-19, NLT)

_______________

Note: Most everything you find in this color is a hyperlink that will lead you to more complete references,

different translations, or pertinent websites.

Madly in Love!

Page 7 | 20

Scripture References

Psalm 23 (NLT): The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he

leads me beside peaceful streams. 3He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for

you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast

for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup

overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of

my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23, NLT)

Psalm 86:11-13 (NLT): Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me

purity of heart, so that I may honor you. 12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I

will give glory to your name forever, 13 for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me

from the depths of death. (Psalm 86:11-13, NLT)

Psalm 91:14-16 (NLT): The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in

my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and

honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

(Psalm 91:14-16, NLT)

Psalm 103:3-18 (NLT): He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He redeems me from death and

crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed

like the eagle’s!

6 The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

7 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is

compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not

constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does

not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as

great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as

the east is from the west.

13 The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14 For

he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. 15 Our days on earth are like

grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16 The wind blows, and we are gone – as though we

had never been here. 17 But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His

salvation extends to the children’s children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those

who obey his commandments! (Psalm 103:3-18, NLT)

Madly in Love!

Page 8 | 20

Psalm 138:7-8 (NLT): Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my

enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. 8 The LORD will

work out his plans for my life – for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me,

for you made me. (Psalm 138:7-8, NLT)

Psalm 139 (NLT): O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when

I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I

travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to

say even before I say it, LORD. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing

on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to

heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the

morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your

strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to

become night – 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright

as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well

I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in

the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your

book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even

count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! 20 They

blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. 21 O LORD, shouldn’t I hate those who hate

you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your

enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out

anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139, NLT)

Psalm 143:7-10 (NLT): Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away

from me, or I will die. 8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD; I run to

you to hide me. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me

forward on a firm footing. (Psalm 143:7-10, NLT)

Madly in Love!

Page 9 | 20

Proverbs 3:11-12 (NLT): My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects

you. 12 For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

(Proverbs 3:11-12, NLT)

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT): Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

(Proverbs 4:23, NLT)

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NLT): Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a

straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from

following evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27, NLT)

Proverbs 17:9 (NLT): Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

(Proverbs 17:9, NLT)

Isaiah 41:10-13 (CEV): Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make

you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories … I am the LORD your God. I am

holding your hand, so don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. (Isaiah 41:10-13, CEV)

Isaiah 54:5-10 (NLT): For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He

is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. 6 For the LORD has called you

back from your grief – as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your

God. 7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. 8 In

a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have

compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.

9 “Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now

I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. 10 For the mountains may move and the

hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will

never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you. (Isaiah 54:5-10, NLT)

Jeremiah 31:1-9 (NLT): “In that day,” says the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and

they will be my people. 2 This is what the LORD says: “Those who survive the coming

destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”

3 Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With

unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. 4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be

happy and dance merrily with your tambourines. 5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the

mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there. 6 The day will come when

watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to

worship the LORD our God.’”

Madly in Love!

Page 10 | 20

7 Now this is what the LORD says: “Sing with joy for Israel. Shout for the greatest of nations! Shout

out with praise and joy: ‘Save your people, O LORD, the remnant of Israel!’ 8 For I will bring them

from the north and from the distant corners of the earth. I will not forget the blind and lame, the

expectant mothers and women in labor. A great company will return! 9 Tears of joy will stream

down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet

streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim

is my oldest child. (Jeremiah 31:1-9, NLT)

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NLT): “The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the

people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors

when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that

covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD.

33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the

LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be

their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will

they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the

least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness,

and I will never again remember their sins.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, NLT)

Lamentations 3:21-23 (NLT): Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The faithful love of the LORD

never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each

morning. (Lamentations 3:21-23, NLT)

Hosea 2:19-20 (NLT): I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing

love and compassion. 20 I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me

as the LORD. (Hosea 2:19-20, NLT)

Zephaniah 3:16-17 (NLT): On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be

afraid! 17 For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in

you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful

songs.” (Zephaniah 3:16-17, NLT)

Mark 12:28-31 (NLT): One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He

realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the

most important?”

29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is

the one and only LORD. 30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul,

all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as

Madly in Love!

Page 11 | 20

yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31, NLT – quoting

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 & Leviticus 19:18)

John 3:14-17 (NLT): “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of

Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who

believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge

the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:14-17, NLT)

John 12:30-33 (NLT): Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for

judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I

am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he

was going to die. (John 12:30-33, NLT)

John 13:33-35 (NLT): “Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish

leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34 So now I am giving you a

new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

(John 13:33-35, NLT)

John 15:1-17 (NLT): “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch

of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will

produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given

you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed

from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce

much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is

thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be

burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you

want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This

brings great glory to my Father.

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my

commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in

his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will

overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There

is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do

what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves.

Madly in Love!

Page 12 | 20

Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose

me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you

whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”

(John 15:1-17, NLT)

Romans 5:5-8 (the Voice): And hope will never fail to satisfy our deepest need because the Holy Spirit

that was given to us has flooded our hearts with God’s love.

6 When the time was right, the Anointed One died for all of us who were far from God, powerless,

and weak. 7 Now it is rare to find someone willing to die for an upright person, although it’s

possible that someone may give up his life for one who is truly good. 8 But think about this: while

we were wasting our lives in sin, God revealed His powerful love to us in a tangible display – the

Anointed One died for us. (Romans 5:5-8, the Voice)

Romans 8:28, 31-39 (NLT): And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of

those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them …

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be

against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also

give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one – for

God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one – for

Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at

God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we

have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened

with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being

slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through

Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not

even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the

earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God

that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:28, 31-39, NLT)

Romans 13:8-10 (NLT): Owe nothing to anyone – except for your obligation to love one another. If you

love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. 9 For the commandments say,

“You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.”

These – and other such commandments – are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your

Madly in Love!

Page 13 | 20

neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s

law. (Romans 13:8-10, NLT)

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (the Voice): There’s a slogan often quoted on matters like this: “All things are

permitted.” Yes, but not all things are beneficial. “All things are permitted,” they say. Yes, but

not all things build up and strengthen others in the body. 24 We should stop looking out for our

own interests and instead focus on the people living and breathing around us.

(1 Corinthians 10:23-24, the Voice)

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT): Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do

everything with love. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NLT)

Ephesians 3:16-21 (NLT): I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with

inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in

him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the

power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep

his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish

infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus

through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:16-21, NLT)

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT): Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a

sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2, NLT)

Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT): I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on

growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters,

so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always

be filled with the fruit of your salvation – the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus

Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God. (Philippians 1:9-11, NLT)

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT): You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult

times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud,

scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They

will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with

pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power

that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! (1 Timothy 3:1-5, NLT)

Madly in Love!

Page 14 | 20

Hebrews 12:1-12 (NLT): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life

of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us

up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our

eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting

him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside

God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become

weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My

child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. 6 For the

LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” (Prov. 3:11-12)

7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children.

Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as

he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to

the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s

discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is

enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of

right living for those who are trained in this way.

12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.

(Hebrews 12:1-12, NLT)

1 John 2:1-11 (NLT): My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does

sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who

is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but

the sins of all the world.

3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I

know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the

truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we

know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have

had from the very beginning. This old commandment – to love one another – is the same

message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and

you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

Madly in Love!

Page 15 | 20

9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in

darkness. 10 Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to

stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a

person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

(1 John 2:1-11, NLT)

1 John 3:1-3 (the Voice): Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us – He calls us

children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way the world didn’t

recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either.

When we feel like we are not good enough to be loved by God, we should remember that

God’s love is greater than our doubts. We must silence the sounds of condemnation so we

can hear the voice of God’s loving assurance and remember that He has selected us to be

part of His family.

2 My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family; and we are officially His children now.

The full picture of our destiny is not yet clear, but we know this much: when Jesus appears, we

will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. 3 All those who focus their hopes on Him

and His coming seek to purify themselves just as He is pure. (1 John 3:1-3, the Voice)

1 John 4:7-21 (NLT): Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone

who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God,

for God is love.

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we

might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved

us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has

ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression

in us.

13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we

have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the

world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in

God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God,

our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face

him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Madly in Love!

Page 16 | 20

18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of

punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each

other because he loved us first.

20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t

love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this

command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. (1 John 4:7-21, NLT)

Revelation 21:1-4 (NLT): Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth

had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,

coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He

will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe

every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these

things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:1-4, NLT)

E.G. White Writings

Desire of Ages, p. 83: It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the

life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene,

especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in

Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with

His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at

the foot of the cross.

As we associate together, we may be a blessing to one another. If we are Christ's, our sweetest

thoughts will be of Him. We shall love to talk of Him; and as we speak to one another of His love,

our hearts will be softened by divine influences. Beholding the beauty of His character, we shall

be "changed into the same image from glory to glory." 2 Cor. 3:18. (Desire of Ages, p. 83)

Desire of Ages, pp. 250-251: He who loves Christ the most will do the greatest amount of good. There is

no limit to the usefulness of one who, by putting self aside, makes room for the working of the

Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God. If men will endure the

necessary discipline, without complaining or fainting by the way, God will teach them hour by

hour, and day by day. He longs to reveal His grace. If His people will remove the obstructions, He

will pour forth the waters of salvation in abundant streams through the human channels. If men

in humble life were encouraged to do all the good they could do, if restraining hands were not

laid upon them to repress their zeal, there would be a hundred workers for Christ where now

there is one.

Madly in Love!

Page 17 | 20

God takes men as they are, and educates them for His service, if they will yield themselves to

Him. The Spirit of God, received into the soul, will quicken all its faculties. Under the guidance of

the Holy Spirit, the mind that is devoted unreservedly to God develops harmoniously, and is

strengthened to comprehend and fulfill the requirements of God. The weak, vacillating character

becomes changed to one of strength and steadfastness. Continual devotion establishes so close a

relation between Jesus and His disciple that the Christian becomes like Him in mind and

character. Through a connection with Christ he will have clearer and broader views. His

discernment will be more penetrative, his judgment better balanced. He who longs to be of

service to Christ is so quickened by the life-giving power of the Sun of Righteousness that he is

enabled to bear much fruit to the glory of God. (Desire of Ages, pp. 250-251)

Desire of Ages, pp. 439-440: Let the repenting sinner fix his eyes upon "the Lamb of God, which taketh

away the sin of the world" (John 1:29); and by beholding, he becomes changed. His fear is turned

to joy, his doubts to hope. Gratitude springs up. The stony heart is broken. A tide of love sweeps

into the soul. Christ is in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. When we see

Jesus, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, working to save the lost, slighted, scorned,

derided, driven from city to city till His mission was accomplished; when we behold Him in

Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross dying in agony,--when we see this,

self will no longer clamor to be recognized. Looking unto Jesus, we shall be ashamed of our

coldness, our lethargy, our self-seeking. We shall be willing to be anything or nothing, so that we

may do heart service for the Master. We shall rejoice to bear the cross after Jesus, to endure

trial, shame, or persecution for His dear sake. (Desire of Ages, pp. 439-440)

Desire of Ages, p. 478: … It is the gospel of the grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The

contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers

of the soul as nothing else can. Christ came that He might re-create the image of God in man …

(Desire of Ages, p. 478)

Desire of Ages, p. 478: It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the

disciples of Christ to follow Him. They behold the Saviour's matchless love, revealed throughout

His pilgrimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary's cross, and the sight of Him

attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear

His voice, and they follow Him. (Desire of Ages, p. 480)

Steps to Christ, p. 15: The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in

giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through

Christ. As the inspired apostle John beheld the height, the depth, the breadth of the Father's love

toward the perishing race, he was filled with adoration and reverence; and, failing to find

suitable language in which to express the greatness and tenderness of this love, he called upon

Madly in Love!

Page 18 | 20

the world to behold it. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we

should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1. What a value this places upon man! Through

transgression the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of

Christ the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ

elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may

indeed become worthy of the name "sons of God."

Such love is without a parallel. Children of the heavenly King! Precious promise! Theme for the

most profound meditation! The matchless love of God for a world that did not love Him! The

thought has a subduing power upon the soul and brings the mind into captivity to the will of

God. The more we study the divine character in the light of the cross, the more we see mercy,

tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice, and the more clearly we discern

innumerable evidences of a love that is infinite and a tender pity surpassing a mother's yearning

sympathy for her wayward child. (Steps to Christ, p. 15)

Steps to Christ, pp. 26-27: Just here is a point on which many may err, and hence they fail of receiving

the help that Christ desires to give them. They think that they cannot come to Christ unless they

first repent, and that repentance prepares for the forgiveness of their sins. It is true that

repentance does precede the forgiveness of sins; for it is only the broken and contrite heart that

will feel the need of a Saviour. But must the sinner wait till he has repented before he can come

to Jesus? Is repentance to be made an obstacle between the sinner and the Saviour?

The Bible does not teach that the sinner must repent before he can heed the invitation of Christ,

"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ, that leads to genuine repentance. Peter made the

matter clear in his statement to the Israelites when he said, "Him hath God exalted with His right

hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts

5:31. We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can

be pardoned without Christ.

Christ is the source of every right impulse. He is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity

against sin. Every desire for truth and purity, every conviction of our own sinfulness, is an

evidence that His Spirit is moving upon our hearts.

Jesus has said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32. Christ

must be revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold

the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our

minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a

love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses

the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul …

Madly in Love!

Page 19 | 20

The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist he will

be drawn to Jesus; a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in

repentance for his sins, which have caused the sufferings of God's dear Son.

(Steps to Christ, pp. 26-27)

Steps to Christ, pp. 52-53: Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take

yourself away from Him, but day by day say, "I am Christ's; I have given myself to Him;" and ask

Him to give you His Spirit and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to God, and

believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to live in Him. The apostle says, "As ye have

therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." Colossians 2:6.

Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must prove to the Lord that they are

reformed, before they can claim His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now.

They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil.

Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come

with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory to

encircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity.

Here is where thousands fail; they do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally,

individually. They do not take God at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the

conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the

suspicion that God's promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor.

Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to

every believing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness

in Jesus, who died for them. He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted

with sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness; He bids them live and not die.

God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another. His thoughts are thoughts of

mercy, love, and tenderest compassion. He says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the

unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon

him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy

transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins." Isaiah 55:7; 44:22. (Steps to Christ, pp. 52-53)

Steps to Christ, pp. 58: Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to

converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ's, our

thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated

to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things.

(Steps to Christ, p. 58)

Madly in Love!

Page 20 | 20

Our Father Cares, November 14: But above all things, let us fix our thoughts and the affections of our

hearts on the dear Saviour who suffered for guilty man, and thus opened heaven for us. Love to

Jesus cannot be hidden, but will make itself seen and felt. It exerts a wondrous power. It makes

the timid bold, the slothful diligent, the ignorant wise. It makes the stammering tongue eloquent,

and rouses the dormant intellect into new life and vigor. It makes the desponding hopeful, the

gloomy joyous. Love to Christ will lead its possessor to accept responsibilities and cares for His

sake, and to bear them in His strength. (Our Father Cares, November 14)

Other Resources

My Utmost for His Highest, October 18: Our Lord told us how our love for Him is to exhibit itself when

He asked, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:17). And then He said, “Feed My sheep.” In effect, He said,

“Identify yourself with My interests in other people,” not, “Identify Me with your interests in

other people.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shows us the characteristics of this love – It is actually the

love of God expressing itself. The true test of my love for Jesus is a very practical one, and all the

rest is sentimental talk.

Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in

me by the Holy Spirit – “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit …”

(Romans 5:5). And it is that love in me that effectively works through me and comes in contact

with everyone I meet. I remain faithful to His name, even though the commonsense view of my

life may seemingly deny that, and may appear to be declaring that He has no more power than

the morning mist.

The key to the missionary’s devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our

Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us.

Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner

detachment except toward God. External detachment is often an actual indication of a secret,

growing, inner attachment to the things we stay away from externally.

The duty of a faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually

open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women our Lord sends out on His

endeavors are ordinary human people, but people who are controlled by their devotion to Him,

which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit. (My Utmost for His Highest

by Oswald Chambers, October 18)