My brothers and sisters in Christ, many today will be buying chocolates and flowers to win someone’s love, but I want to encourage you to fall in love with Jesus. When you have an intimate relationship with Jesus you do not have to buy his love, for God so loved the world, that he freely gave us his son, who is love; and he does not need a special occasion to shower us with his love, he gives it to us each and every day. Thank you, Lord!

Isn’t it amazing how God continues to heal us, to provide for us, to watch over us, and many still refuse to acknowledge Him? My brothers and sisters in Christ, know that our God is a God of deliverance; that the Lord God is our rescuer from death. When all else have failed us, Jesus remain an ever loving on time God. Many of us have been healed and we were just like the lepers who never returned to give God thanks. My brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not uninformed, we now know who is our healer, let us never forget to acknowledge him and praise his for his mighty acts and for his goodness towards us.

Lord, for the many times that you have also led us with cords of kindness, and with ropes of love, for the many times you lifted the yoke from our necks and bent down to feed us, we are thankful. Lord, we know that at times we have been rebellious, many times we have turned away from you, despite the good things that you have done for us. Give us now and forever more, grateful, thankful hearts, show us how to give you thanks and praise, knowing that you are a good God, full of kindness and love. Amen!

In the book of Numbers, Moses interceded for the people of Israel, he said, Lord, “Please pardon the iniquity of these people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven these people, from Egypt until now. The Lord replied, ‘I have forgiven them, as you asked. Yet, as surely as I live and as surely as the whole earth is filled with the glory of the Lord, not one of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness—yet have tested Me and disobeyed Me these ten times—not one will ever see the land I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have treated Me with contempt will see it.’ O Lord our God, You answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, yet an avenger of their misdeeds.”  My brothers and sister sin Christ, so too the Lord will forgive us, but he is keeping a record of our deeds.

Whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands toward this house; then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts for you alone know every human heart. Then they will fear you as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors. 1 Kings 8:38-40

“Although our sins testify against us, do something, Lord, for the sake of your name. For we have often rebelled; we have sinned against you. For the sake of Your name, O Lord, forgive our iniquity, for it is great. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name” Amen!

Too many times, we have prayed to God for help and because God did not act on our own time, we turn to other sources, forgetting all that the Lord had done for us before. “In Your abundant compassion You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hands of their enemies. But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So, You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion. Yet again, they refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.” So too my brethren, God will not forsake us, no matter how often we turn away from him. He is always waiting to welcome us back with open arms.

I have prayed with many mothers and fathers who have asked the same question, ‘What have I done wrong that my children are going astray, following worthless idols and are becoming worthless themselves?’ Imagine how God felt, when the children of Israel even though they had seen his works, proved his works and still rebelled against him. They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’ They were rebellious. My brothers and sisters in Christ, I do not know who I am speaking to this morning, but if you have done all that you could to bring up your children in the right way and they are now going astray, do not blame yourselves, instead, continue to thank God for them, turn them over to God to direct and control, pray for God to renew right spirits within them and sit back and watch God work. Don’t question God, petition him, stand in the gap for your children. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

“Again and again, the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah. Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees, the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets; but the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, to not do as they do.” My brothers and sisters in Christ, for too long we have imitated what is evil, what is worthless, and we have become futile in our thinking and foolish in our hearts; it’s time for us to turn away from our evil ways and obey the Lord.

“To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, even though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the Lord our God, and we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets.” My brothers and sisters in Christ, let us now return to the Lord, our God, for it is not his will that the spirit of man that he has made to grow weak before him. Help us, Lord!