A Moment with the King

The Greatest Love of All
Transcript: All Rights Reserved


Featuring: Author Jeanne Dininni

Hello and welcome back.


We're glad to hear from listeners of this show "A Moment with the King. Most of you have found your way to our new webpage STREETCASTS...Music and Cross Talk.  If you haven't why not stop by at http://streetcasts.blogspot.com/ . 

On that page you will find the transcripts to many of these recordings. I had a few requests for the transcripts to be available to those who struggle with hearing and for English Second Language students.

Podcasts are used in ways we normally don't think about. I understand the ESL students listen to the broadcast and print the transcript. They read the transcripts while listening to the broadcast. This helps them learn and improve their English. 

Now about today's show.  

We've changed the show a little bit. First let me give you some background information. Many of you know about our ministry, Maryland Women of Worship. A ministry, that is designed for women-helping-women. Out of that ministry a Devotional Study Guide was born. And, today's show and future shows will give you a taste of some of the devotionals that were written and published by women...dealing with things in their personal lives...These devotionals are aimed at helping other women with things they maybe experiencing.

 Because some of you have contacted me asking how you can submit a devotional to Maryland Women of Worship.  We wanted to share with you some of the great writings that we received and what you have to look forward to in our new online magazine that will be released soon. Also the printed version of the devotional will be shared on our Facebook page so that you can see the format before you send in your devotionals. 

We said that today's broadcast was going to be different and it is also different in this respect...

We decided that enlight of the passing of the magnificent songstress Whitney Houston we would choose her song, "The Greatest Love of All" as background music for our show today. 

We hope each of you understand our earnest commitment to bring you spiritual lessons, messages and music...but today we thought we'd honor her contributions to the music industry. We also like to take this time to say to the family... our heart aches with you and we will continue to pray for your continued and renewed strength. 

To Whitney's mom Sissy Houston...when listening to you masterfully sing gospel songs...I know you instilled in your daughter... the love of God...and I will pray that God comforts you at this time.

Today's Show...The Greatest Love of All..

will feature Jeanne Dininni...

A little bit about our featured writer:

Jeanne Dininni is an experienced writer, editor, blogger, and researcher. Since 2007, she has penned the Writer’s Notes blog, at www.WritersNotes.net, where she provides information, inspiration, and resources for writers. She also crafts articles and blog posts on many topics, handles copywriting projects for clients, and often donates her writing and editing talents to her church. You may contact Jeanne at writersnotes@gmail.com.

Jeanne Dininni Offers us a devotional entitled:

Love One Another

By Jeanne Dininni

Scriptures:  John 15:12-13; I John 3:16.

The Lord has laid down His life for us, setting the ultimate example of perfect, sacrificial love, and He’s commanded us to do the same for one another. Yet doing that can be so difficult at times—especially because it isn’t merely a one-time thing: it’s something that God expects of us every moment of every hour of every day, year in, year out.

Yet, could it have been any easier for the Lord Jesus to suffer all that He did on our behalf? Our daily trials and tribulations, our adversities and indignities, pale in comparison to those over which His boundless love triumphed. Yet, we, in our weak, self-centered state, continually fail to live up to His example.

Have we been insulted or offended, maligned, mistreated, or misunderstood?Christ suffered worse. And even as He hung there on the cross, He asked forgiveness for the very ones who had put Him there! Such sacrificial love is sohard for us to understand—much less put into practice in our own lives. Yet, we know that if we don’t forgive the trespasses of others, God has said that He won’t forgive ours either.

One day, all those who love the Lord will be perfect; but we certainly can’t wait until then to love one another. God’s plan for us is that we manifest His love to one another now. And those very acts of love and kindness, of mercy and generosity, will make us more like His Son, bringing us that much closer to perfection here on earth. As the Lord Jesus did for us, while we are yet sinners, we can choose to die for one another. We can decide to die to self and live, first for God, and then for each other!

Prayer:

Lord, give us tender hearts toward one another. Let Your mercy and grace be manifested in us through a greater understanding of each other’s weaknesses. Let Your love—in us—cover the multitude of sins. Help us not to judge one another any more, but instead, to be sure that we don’t put an occasion to fall in one another’s way. Help us to remember that “mercy rejoices against judgment.” In Jesus Christ’s Holy Name, Amen.

How we can Put this It Into Action:

It often helps so much to remind ourselves, whenever we’re tempted to judge one another harshly, whenever we’ve been hurt by the words or actions of another, whenever we find it particularly difficult to deny ourselves and make hard or self-effacing sacrifices for the benefit of one another, that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

THANKS JEANNE Dininni for your entrance into our lesson...

While we ponder our devotional reading provided by Jeanne, I ask you--

have you ever wanted the love and acceptance of someone so badly that you were willing to do just about anything to get it.

Perhaps you've tried all your life to get the love of a parent ---just to be pushed away or ignored. Or, maybe you've sought to rebuild that closeness with a spouse who rejects you time after time.

And some of you may experience that your very own children refuse to share their lives with you...you feel as though they have placed you on a shelf neatly beside their other forgotten trinkets.

Well, my hope for you today is that you first turn to the God of all love that our devotionalist Jeanne pointed us to in our lesson. 

I John 3:1 says,

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that's what we should be called Children of God! And that's what we are!" I know we all have one deep desire...to feel completely loved. Yet with imperfect parents, children, loved ones and friends, we often get the short end of the stick...We often feel more rejected than accepted.

Just think...based on I John 3:1...In God we find the total acceptance we're craving. He goes beyond just liking us when we do a good job on something or simply tolerating us when we blow it.

No, God's word says that He lavishes us! Basically He "pours out" or He piles and piles His love on us. And guess what? He doesn't stop---He continues---Remember He doesn't change His mind about His love for us. He doesn't have let's say a whishy-washy type love. You can't do anything to make Him take His love back. 

WOW what greater love can you find. His love is a model of how we are to love others. If their are unloving people in your life...you keep on loving anyway. As hard as it may be ...you must continue to love that person while you continue to pray for them. 

This thing called love is a three step process:

Love God with all your heart...love others....pray for the love between you and others to flow back and forth between both of you.

Lastly, I like to mention a line in the song "The Greatest Love of All"...We know that God has and is the source of the Greatest Love...there is no one but God who is able meet your needs.  If you know Jesus as your Savior you have found the greatest love of all and He lives inside of you. Some of us will need to return to loving others just as a child loves...mostly unconditionally. Remove those check lists or stipulations you've placed on others.

Stop making them jump through hoops to gain your love. Decide once and for all...that you will love them unconditionally. You can do this because you have the greatest love of all living inside of you.

And, as Whitney Houston ends her song I'd like for you to meditate on this.."if by chance that special place that you've been dreaming of leads you to a lonely place find your strength in love." 

Remember. God loves you beyond measure...

You've been listening to Wilhelmina Street... And we hope everyday you'll take time out of your busy schedule... To spend "A Moment with the King"

God Bless you. 

Today's Featured Devotionalist:

Jeanne Dininni is an experienced writer, editor, blogger, and researcher. You can visit her web page at www.WritersNotes.net  You may email her at writersnotes@gmail.com.

Now the wonderful, marvelous, and magnificent Whitney Houston singing the Greatest Love of All.

All Rights Reserved