Good news: I’m starting to work on a new book.

Bad news: To free up time to write the book, I’ll have to pause the blog.

Every year, I take time to write a devotional book. Our ministry partners are the first to receive the book around Christmastime, and then it is made available to the public for a donation of any amount to the ministry.

This year I am not only doing something a little different with the format of the book, I am writing it in an even busier season than normal. For this reason, I need to pause the management of the blog to focus on the writing of the book.
 
The ministry will continue as normal, with outreaches, events, videos, podcasts, and livestreams. The book will be a unique twist on what we've done in years past. 

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Together With You In His Harvest,
Ev. Robert Presson

“I am the way, the truth, and the life” — John 14:6


The temple was a key to understanding the way the Jews approached worship, the presence of God, and God Himself. The temple area in Jerusalem consisted of three main areas: the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. Each area represented a level of nearness to God, and each area contained physical elements of worship that symbolize New Testament spiritual realities.

The outer court contained the altar and the laver — a place to offer a sacrifice and a place to wash afterwards. This symbolizes the cross that Jesus offered Himself on and the cleansing He provides to those who come to it. The alternate name for the outer court was “The Way.”

The Holy Place contained bread, a golden candlestick, and the altar of incense. These things
represent revelation of the Word of God, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and our experience of worship. The alternate name for the Holy Place was “The Truth.”

The Most Holy Place contained the Ark of the Covenant, which was said to contain the very presence of God Himself. The alternate name for the Most Holy Place was “The Life.”

Jesus is our access to the Father. No one comes to the Father except through Him. And when you approach Him, He is the Way — sacrifice is made and cleansing is provided. He is the Truth — the Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God to you and you respond to God by worshiping in Spirit and in truth. He is the Life. When you come to the Father through Jesus Christ, you experience a new kind of life — a life in His presence. And it’s all possible because Jesus is our new temple — the one who brings us to the Father — the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

“He shall save his people from their sins” — Matthew 1:21, NKJV

The purpose of the birth of Christ was the death of Christ. The purpose of the incarnation was the atonement. He went to the cradle so that He could go to the cross. He went from the helpless manger in Bethlehem to the helpless misery of Calvary. The little baby who was silent in a feeding trough would one day be silent as He was led away to the slaughter. Those little legs that were too weak to support His body would one day be stretched out and nailed to a piece of wood as the weight of our sin was upon Him.
 
His whole life was a mission to express the character of God— a God whom we have rejected and defied, and a God who from eternity past has loved us with an everlasting love. Every thought, word, and deed from the time of His birth showed forth the love of the Father, until the ultimate expression of that love—the shedding of His blood for the remission of our sins. Every step down the Calvary Road, Jesus knew that He was fulfilling His purpose for taking on a human body, and every second on the cross, His veins poured out the unrelenting love of God and His heart remained unoffended at the guilty sinners who put Him on that tree.
 
Moments before He emptied His lungs of His last breath, He emptied His heart before heaven — “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The mission had run its course, and the Savior King had paid the price. Now what the angel had declared at His birth had come to pass at His death—“you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”

"The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…" -- John 1:14, NKJV

God speaks to us. Thought human history, God has spoken in many ways, but there is one particular way that He has spoken to us that stands out.  Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”  

Usually, people communicate by speaking or writing. And while God has, in fact spoken to us by both speaking and writing, the verse we just read in Hebrews seems to indicate that when Jesus came into the world, God was speaking just by Jesus living among us.  

“The Word became flesh.” God became a man.  He took on a human form. And it was so that He could reveal who He is, not just by speaking about it — but by living it.

Everything Jesus did reveals the Father to us.  His life speaks to us about what God is like.  We can look to Jesus and see that God is holy, sinless, and perfect.  We can look at his dominion over nature and see that God rules this universe that He created. We can look at His miracles and see that God is not only compassionate — He is also powerful.  We look to the words of Jesus and hear God speak with authority and wisdom.  We can look at the humility of Jesus and see the character of God.  We can look the cross and see His mercy.  We look to His resurrection and see that He makes all things new.  He is the One who shows us who God is.  We can know Him and love Him. He came close to us to reveal Himself.  

Look to Jesus. You will see everything you need to know about the God who comes near to be with us.  

“Our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep” — Heb. 13:20

The picture of Jesus being the Shepherd and us being the sheep is an analogy of great depth. We will look at just three elements of this Shepherd-sheep relationship
A shepherd cares for the sheep. In John 10, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and talks about His relationship with the sheep. He contrasts the attitude of a hired hand versus a Shepherd in terms of how they relate to the sheep. A hired hand sees danger coming and abandons the sheep, while a Shepherd is willing to lay down His life in defense of the sheep. What’s the difference? The Shepherd cares. Jesus caress. He laid down His life so that you could be saved and go free.

A shepherd cleanses the sheep. Everyone knows Psalm 23. “The LORD is my Shepherd... “ Psalm 23 has been called “The Shepherd’s Psalm.” One of the lines, “He anoints my head with oil” has major significance. Sheep are prone to insects such as fleas, mites, and ticks burying themselves in the ear and fur of the sheep. A shepherd in that day would use oil mixed with certain fragrances that kept potential pests away. This kept the sheep clean and free from potential medical problems. When we spend time with Jesus, our Shepherd, He anoints us with oil. He keeps our mind in peace, He keeps our heart in check, and His Holy Spirit Presence keeps us free from things that would enter our hearts and lives and contaminate us.
 
A shepherd carries the sheep. In Luke 15, when the Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to find the one, He picks it up and carries it to safety. Look back on your life. He has carried you, and He carries you today. We are “the sheep of His hand” (Psalm 95:7), and “no one is able to pluck us from His hand” (John 10:28).
 


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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus: A 30 Day Devotional.” This book is available for a donation of any amount to the ministry. To get your copy, go to cityrevival.tv/give to give, and then go to cityrevival.tv/offer to enter your mailing address and claim your gift.

“Are you the Expected One?” — Matthew 11:3, NASB

Around the time of Jesus’ birth, there was what has been called “the Messianic Hope,” or “the Messianic Expectation.” People in Israel were anticipating their Messiah. They were crying out to be rescued. They were awaiting their King. People could look to the Scriptures — the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets — and see promises of a future redemption written all over the pages, and they longed for the realization of those promises to come to them in their day.

Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy. One of the most amazing, remarkable, awe-inspiring things about Him is that during His earthly life, He fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies. He fulfilled prophecies that specifically predicted where He would be from, what He would be like, what would happen to him in the details of His life, and even the prophecies in Isaiah 53 that perfectly described His crucifixion hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented. And not only did he fulfill prophecies, but He fulfilled types and shadows that pointed to Himself. After all, He is the Word of God.

If you were from outside of time, and wanted to prove that you were, how would you do it? The only way you could do that would be to tell the future. We can stand in awe of God, and His plan to inspire prophets to write about a coming Messiah, and then actually become the fulfillment of these prophetic promises. He is Faithful and True. He is the Yes and Amen. He is the fulfillment of prophetic promises. And if He fulfilled the prophetic promises that concerned His life, He will fulfill every promise He has made for your life. Look to Jesus, the timeless, eternal Expected One.


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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus: A 30 Day Devotional.” This book is available for a donation of any amount to the ministry. To get your copy, go to cityrevival.tv/give to give, and then go to cityrevival.tv/offer to enter your mailing address and claim your gift.

“King of kings and Lord of lords” — Revelation 19:16, NKJV

Throughout human history, there has always been a lust for power. Through conquests, reigns of terror, and totalitarian systems of government, dictators have sought to hold sway over the affairs of mankind. Some have even been insane enough to call themselves gods and demand worship. From imperial China, to ancient Rome, to modern day North Korea — it is not uncommon.

It is a necessity to have human government. There must be rulers to protect people and govern the world. All of these leaders will be imperfect — except for One.
Jesus Christ is King of all kings and Lord of all lords. No matter how powerful a human ruler is, above them there is a man sitting on a throne in heaven, ruling the universe “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:4); “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3); “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Prov. 16:33).

This world is ever-increasingly overflowing with the spirit of Antichrist. “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed” (Psalm 2:1-2). But what is God’s response? “He who sits in the heavens laughs” (Psalm 2:4). Why is He able to laugh? Because there is coming a day in which every crown will be stripped of every king and placed on the head of King Jesus. Every king will fall face down before the throne of all thrones. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).

The King of kings rules the universe. He will rule the earth. Look to King Jesus. Trust Him as your King.


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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus: A 30 Day Devotional.” This book is available for a donation of any amount to the ministry. To get your copy, go to cityrevival.tv/give to give, and then go to cityrevival.tv/offer to enter your mailing address and claim your gift.

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.” — Psalm 34:7, NKJV

The word “angel” means “messenger.” Two separate kinds of such “messengers” are found in the Old Testament.

When the Bible talks about “an angel of the Lord,” it is referring to an angel. But when the Bible mentions, “the angel of the Lord,” it is referring to a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. Some Bible translations even use a capital “A” — the Angel of the Lord. Before Jesus appeared in the flesh, he appeared in many ways to many people. We will look at just a few, though there are many.

In Genesis 22, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Abraham when he was preparing to offer his son on the altar. Here, the appearance of the Angel of the Lord is greatly connected to the substance of the gospel message. A barren woman is going to give birth. A son is offered up. A sacrifice is made for sin — the ram in the thicket.
In Genesis 28, we have Jacob’s Ladder, referenced by Jesus in John 1:51. In this account, there is One who is described as 1) a man 2) an angel and 3) God. This is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. This God-man, the Angel of the Lord, wrestles with Jacob until Jacob is conquered and understands that His place before the Lord is one of dependence. He is not in charge any more. This is also a powerful picture of a salvation encounter.

In Exodus 3, we have Moses’ burning bush encounter. Here, “the Angel of the Lord” identifies Himself as God — Yahweh — the Creator. He redirects the course of Moses’ life, giving Him purpose and promising the empowerment of His presence. That is what Jesus does. Through our encounter with Him, He gives us purpose and presence. He is the Angel of the Lord.


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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus: A 30 Day Devotional.” This book is available for a donation of any amount to the ministry. To get your copy, go to cityrevival.tv/give to give, and then go to cityrevival.tv/offer to enter your mailing address and claim your gift.

“I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.” — Song of Solomon 2:1, NKJV

Jesus is the Lily of the Valley. What is a lily? A beautiful flower. What is a valley? A low, nearly invisible area area between two mountains. Think about this imagery for a minute. Maybe even close your eyes for 10 seconds and picture a beautiful flower growing in a valley. Now zoom out and look at the mountains. What happens? The flower is unnoticeable. It is beautiful, but unnoticed.

Nobody looking at a landscape of mountains notices a lily in the valley. People are busy looking at the mountains. The lily is hidden to everyone except God.

Jesus lived for an audience of One. His whole life was lived to glorify the Father. Consider these Scriptures: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and
to accomplish his work.... the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing... I can do nothing on my own... I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me... My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me... I live because of the Father... I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me... I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (John 4:34; 5:19-20, 30; 6:57; 7:16; 8:28; 14:10).

Just as a lily in the valley is living and blossoming just to be seen by its Creator — it does not bother it to be hidden and obstructed from the sight of mankind, as long as it can draw its life source from the sun and blossom in response — Jesus lived only for the approval of the Father. He lived in the sunshine of the Father’s love. And we want to live our lives there, too.


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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus: A 30 Day Devotional.” This book is available for a donation of any amount to the ministry. To get your copy, go to cityrevival.tv/give to give, and then go to cityrevival.tv/offer to enter your mailing address and claim your gift.

“He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses..” — Matthew 8:17, NKJV

It is part of the nature and character of God to heal. One of the names of God in the Bible is found in Exodus 15:26, and it is “Jehovah-Rophe,” which means “I am the God who heals you,” or more literally, “God your doctor.”

When Jesus came, He demonstrated what the Father was like. So naturally, Jesus spent a lot of His time healing people. God is a healer. And Jesus is God, and He came to show us what God is like, and so everywhere He went, He healed people. “He went about ... healing” (Acts 10:38); “And he went throughout all Galilee... healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matt 4:23); “... he healed them” (Matt. 15:30).

And “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Jesus still heals today.

What is astonishing about Jesus the Healer, though, is not only does He heal because it is the nature of God to heal; Jesus heals because He knows what it is like to hurt.
Jesus is our wounded Healer.

Mental agony and sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane; 39 lashes at the whipping post; a 50-pound crossbeam carried all the way down the Calvary Road; a crown of thorns shoved into His face; nails in His hands and feet; dehydrated and starved; a slow, drawn-out death on the cross, and how did it end? Doctors who have studied the crucifixion say that Jesus’ heart exploded. Or as they wound say, it was heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium. Jesus literally died of a broken heart. “He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5 NLT). Look to Jesus, the Healer. The One who was wounded is the One who makes you whole.

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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus: A 30 Day Devotional.” This book is available for a donation of any amount to the ministry. To get your copy, go to cityrevival.tv/give to give, and then go to cityrevival.tv/offer to enter your mailing address and claim your gift.

“The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings” — Malachi 4:2, ESV


The last chapter of the Old Testament sets the stage for the New Testament by prophetically announcing the coming of the Messiah. “The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall” (Malachi 4:2).

Jesus came, bringing healing. From the opening chapters of Matthew, we see Jesus healing people everywhere He went. He was fulfilling the Old Testament foreshadowing of what He would be like — He would be a healer. But within this prophecy in Malachi 4, when we look at the meaning of the Hebrew words, we see a very specific kind of healing set forth. The Hebrew word for “wings” can be translated “corner” or “skirt,” as well as “the wings of a bird.” The tassels at the end of the Jewish prayer shawl that Rabbis would wear were called “tzizit,” or “fringes,” and were also called “wings.”

When Jesus walked by the woman with the issue of blood and she touched the “hem of His garment,” healing virtue flowed from Him to her and she was immediately healed. The “hem of His garment” was actually the fringe of His prayer shawl (Num 15:38 cf. Matt. 9:20).

Jesus had healing virtue emanating out of Him. Just like the sun has rays that emanate light, Jesus has wings that emanate His supernatural power. Anyone who touches Him in faith will be made well. The anointing upon Him overshadows those who lay hold of it. In a moment, hurts are healed, needs are met, and people are made whole. And when they touch Him, they will leap like calves from the stall. Have you touched the hem of His garment? There is healing there for you.

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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus: A 30 Day Devotional.” This book is available for a donation of any amount to the ministry. To get your copy, go to cityrevival.tv/give to give, and then go to cityrevival.tv/offer to enter your mailing address and claim your gift.

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” — Psalm 34:7, NKJV


“Angel” means “messenger.” Two separate kinds of such “messengers” are found in the Old Testament.

When the Bible talks about “an angel of the Lord,” it is referring to an angel. But when the Bible mentions, “the angel of the Lord,” it is referring to a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. Some Bible translations even use a capital “A” — the Angel of the Lord. Before Jesus appeared in the flesh, he appeared in many ways to many people. We will look at just a few, though there are many.

In Genesis 22, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Abraham when he was preparing to offer his son on the altar. Here, the appearance of the Angel of the Lord is greatly connected to the substance of the gospel message. A barren woman is going to give birth. A son is offered up. A sacrifice is made for sin — the ram in the thicket.

In Genesis 28, we have Jacob’s Ladder, referenced by Jesus in John 1:51. In this account, there is One who is described as 1) a man 2) an angel and 3) God. This is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. This God-man, the Angel of the Lord, wrestles with Jacob until Jacob is conquered and understands that His place before the Lord is one of dependence. He is not in charge any more. This is also a powerful picture of a salvation encounter.

In Exodus 3, we have Moses’ burning bush encounter. Here, “the Angel of the Lord” identifies Himself as God — Yahweh — the Creator. He redirects the course of Moses’ life, giving Him purpose and promising the empowerment of His presence. That is what Jesus does. Through our encounter with Him, He gives us purpose and presence. He is the Angel of the Lord.

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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus: A 30 Day Devotional.” This book is available for a donation of any amount to the ministry. To get your copy, give a gift of any amount at cityrevivaltv.give and enter your mailing address at cityrevival.tv/offer

“... having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” — John 13:1, NKJV

I could read John 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 every day for the rest of my life. Seeing Jesus and hearing His words in this place never ceases to amaze me. It consistently leaves me in a state of awe. Here in John 13:1, it says, “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” One translation says, “He showed them the full extent of His love.” In other words, there was more of His love to be revealed. Even though the disciples had experienced the love of Jesus, they were now experiencing it in a new dimension. In an intimate setting, at the Last Supper, He was about to teach them about the Holy Spirit, console them over the fact that He was leaving, and He would also wash their feet. There were His disciples, about to receive a humble foot washing from Jesus.

There was Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Thaddeus, Simon... and Judas.

Jesus took off His outer garment, put on a servant’s apron, and took the lowest place. The King of Glory, submitted to the will of the Father, was doing the work of a slave. The Highly Exalted One, at whose name every knee shall one day bow, bent His own knee and made Himself lowly and undignified in the presence of the very disciples who in a few short hours and would betray, deny, and abandon their precious Rabbi as He would be nailed to a cross for their sins... and for mine, and for yours. None of that kept Him from loving them. In fact, He intensified the revelation of His love for them in that hour.

I want you to know that there is always more of the love of God to experience. There is always a greater revelation of His love. If I were to ask you what the deepest doctrines in the Bible were, you might tell me the Trinity, or predestination and election, or the relationship between the church and Israel. And I would disagree. If you want to go deep, pursue love. It does not get deeper than love.

“The greatest of these is love” — 1 Corinthians 13:13.

“Love never fails” — 1 Corinthians 13:8, NKJV

Maybe you are a person who picks up on things quickly. Perhaps you can pick up a sport you have never played, and in an afternoon you are able to hold your own with experienced players. Or maybe you can grasp a foreign language in a few weeks and start talking to native speakers. Well, good for you! I'm not like that. If you're like me, those people make you crazy! I had a friend growing up who knew Kung Fu, could skateboard like a pro, drove a stick shift, painted murals, could do a handstand and then proceed to walk on his hands... you name it. And all of it, he learned instantly! I remember when I got a drum set at my house and I had been playing for about three months. I thought I was doing well. Then this friend came over and in 30 minutes was figuring out beats and fills and rolls that I hadn't even thought about learning yet. I wanted to tell him to leave my house! I couldn't help but feel like a failure! In fact, I was reminded of this the other day when my wife and I were playing around on the piano at our church. I know how to play the theme song from the old 80’s TV show “Doogie Howser, M.D.” I played it for my wife. She was unimpressed. She, having never played piano before, began to figure out how to play the intros to a few worship songs. Again, I laughed it off but wondered why I couldn’t do it like that!

I am using light-hearted examples that I hope are relatable to you. But maybe you actually feel like a failure in the core of who you are. Perhaps you feel like you have tried and failed again and again and you’re in a different orbit than the rest of the world. I have good news. According to the Word of God, you can be an absolute success if you simply love.

Love never fails. Love keeps going. We can receive God’s love, give it away, and experience it forever.

Are you in a situation right now in a relationship and you don’t know what to do? Love. Do you sometimes find yourself caught off guard by how people behave? Love them! No matter how people respond, love will never fail.

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“Love suffers long and is kind” — 1 Corinthians 13:4, NKJV

It's interesting that Paul mentions both patience and kindness when he describes love. The two are closely related because to be kind to someone often requires patience, and to be patient requires kindness. You could even say love is a mixture of patience and kindness. It's easy to be kind to someone once. That is simply called “having manners.” You can be kind to someone in a single moment, but can you stay that way over time? Can you be consistently patient with someone who is challenging or frustrating to be around? Can you endure pain for a long time? Herein lies a true test of love. Here is where your claim to love people will be weighed.

Consider this. Can you consistently be kind to someone who has been a part of your life for years, even when they irritate you or do something wrong? You might be kind to someone you just met or someone you're trying to impress. Can you put up with their bad behavior and maintain your patience?

Here is where the sincerity of your love is made evident. It goes beyond merely showing kindness or using kind words. It involves consistently being kind and patient, even under trying conditions. In any relationship, having both patience and kindness on your side is a powerful combination. When you are patient with someone, you are demonstrating their value to you and your willingness to put effort and time into the relationship. By being kind to someone, you convey your concern for their welfare and willingness to put their needs ahead of your own. But displaying kindness and patience is not always simple. It sometimes requires effort, and other times it requires sacrifice. It necessitates setting aside your own wants and needs in order to put other people's needs first.

So let's make an effort to consistently show love, even when it's difficult, and to be patient and kind in our relationships. That is love. That is longsuffering. In doing this, we are creating something that will last the test of time. In our closest relationships, patience plus kindness equals love.

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” — Colossians 3:13-14, NLT

I heard someone say in regards to this passage that we are to forbear strangeness, and we forgive sin. In other words, we make allowance for other people's quirks and short- comings and things that get on our nerves (forbearance), but we forgive them when they sin against us (forgiveness). This is a recipe for loving long-term.

Anyone can love someone they just met. Anyone can love someone during a “photo op” on a mission trip. But how about people you are in a long-term relationship with—your family, friends, neighbors, co- workers, and so on? That's really the test of love because love gets tested over time. The intensity of your ability to forbear and forgive gets put through the wringer when your life bumps up against theirs consistently over time. This is really where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, and this is what Colossians 3:13-14 is getting at.

The passage calls us to bear with one another and forgive one another, just as the Lord has forgiven us. This is called “forbearance.” Some of the most literal translations (KJV, ASV, YLT) actually use the word “forbearing” where the NLT says “Make allowance for each other’s faults.” When we choose to forbear, to make allowances for others, we can actually strengthen our love for them. We can appreciate their uniqueness and learn to celebrate their differences rather than letting them become points of contention. So that’s forbearance. Forgiveness is the other key ingredient in the recipe for loving long-term.

When others sin against us, it can be tempting to hold onto grudges and resentment. But the Lord calls us to forgive, just as we have been forgiven. Forgiveness does not excuse the sin or condone it, but it releases us from the bondage of bitterness and enables us to move forward in love. Ask yourself, what can I forbear, and what should I forgive?

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” —1 John 3:18, NLT

Love means acting in the best interest of other people. It is not just a feeling or an emotion, but it is an action. Love is not passive but active. This is what 1 John 3:18 describes: love in action, not merely in words or in theory.

It is easy to express our love for someone with words. But doing so without accompanying actions is not sufficient. We must demonstrate love through our behavior. We must show our love for others through our actions. We always want the best for the people we love, and we will show our love by the way we live. As followers of Christ, we are obligated to love others as He loved us. By giving His life for us, He demonstrated the depth of His love for us. His love wasn't a sentimental feeling; it was expressed in His deeds. He gave hope to the hopeless, healed the sick, and fed the hungry. He was kind to the outcasts of society, and he loved the unlovable. But it didn't end there. The greatest expression of His love was when He gave His life for His enemies. We must be prepared to leave our comfort zones and our entitlement and love those who are challenging to love. James 2:15-16 says it this way: "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?"

We cannot merely declare our love for someone and then take no action to assist them. Our love is seen by our deeds, rather than just our words.

Let's demonstrate our love for others by attending to their needs and serving them. Let us show the world the love of Christ by being compassionate toward the suffering and loving the unlovable.

Love doesn't just say “I care” about the needs and pain other people; love cares enough to do something about it! We will be obeying God's command to love our neighbor as ourselves by doing this.

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you... For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” — Matthew 5:44, 46, NKJV


In Matthew 5:44-46, Jesus challenges us to love our enemies and those who oppose us. This is a difficult teaching to embrace, especially in today's world where it seems like we're constantly bombarded by messages that promote divisiveness. But as Christians, we are called to a higher standard of love. We are called to love not only those who differ from us, but to love those who are unloveable. It's easy to love those who love us back.

But Jesus reminds us that even the tax collectors and sinners do that. The love that Jesus calls us to is one that goes beyond what is expected or deserved. It's a love that seeks the good of another, even when they have done us wrong. Loving our enemies doesn't mean that we excuse, agree with, or ignore their actions. Rather, it means that we choose to respond with love instead of hate. We can pray for those who mistreat us, bless them, and even do good to them. This type of love is not natural. It is supernatural, and it can only come from God.

As we strive to love our enemies, we must also recognize that we ourselves were once enemies of God. But God loved us first, even while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is the ultimate demonstration of love. Christ died for us, even though we were His enemies. If we are to love our enemies, we must first receive the love of God. We cannot give what we do not have. As we receive God's love, it transforms us from the inside out. His love fills us and overflows to those around us.

Loving the unloveable is not easy, but it is possible. Through the power of God's love working in us, we can love those who are hard to love. Let us pray that God would give us the strength and grace to love our enemies and those who oppose us, and may our love point them to the love of Christ.

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” — 1 John 3:16, NKJV

When we hear the phrase “laying down your life for someone,” we might immediately picture certain brave people who have risked or given up their lives for the benefit of others. But according to 1 John 3:16, true love is not just a one-time action. True love is the readiness to give our lives up for our brothers and sisters, just as Jesus Christ did for us. Jesus gave up His life for us, and thank God for that! But He also lived for us and we should live to love others.
The three virtues that Paul listed in 1 Corinthians 13:13—faith, hope, and love—are the basis for this book. This particular section is about love.

You might be wondering why these devotions on love have been focused on God’s love for us rather than loving others, when loving others is what Paul was really getting at in 1 Corinthians 13:13. But today, 1 John 3:16 is being used as a hinge of sorts. The Bible makes it clear: in order to love other people, we must first receive God's love for us and be infused with His loving nature. Then, we will love others effortlessly. Christ's supreme act of love—his death on the cross—shows us what it means to give our lives in service of others. In our place, He lived a perfect life before dying a perfect death, and He now ever lives to make inter- cession for us (Hebrews 7:25).

And thank God Jesus gave His life for us! We would have no salvation, no eternal life, no hope, no indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no conformity to Christ, no sanctification, and none of the things that come with receiving Christ apart from His sacrifice. But we would also have no example of what it means to truly love. It involves prioritizing their needs and welfare over our own. It involves giving up our convenience, free time, and resources for the benefit of others. It involves treating them with the same sacrificial love that Christ showed toward us. How can we give our lives in service to other people? Let's pray that God will give us His love and the ability to love sacrificially, just as He did for us in sending His Son.

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete...” — Ephesians 3:18-19, NLT

In a world where love is often portrayed as a feeling or emotion, it's easy to look for it in all the wrong places. We look to others for love and acceptance in the hopes that they will satisfy our most fundamental needs and desires. And this is very understandable. Everybody wants love. It is the deepest desire of the human heart.

Think of how many people act out because they haven't received love. Think of how you have insecurities and how it hurts you when people reject you or fail to give you what you want from them. However, the reality is that no one, no matter how loving or kind they are, can satisfy all of our needs. We can only be fully satisfied and whole in God's love. We are reminded of the immeasurable character of God's love in Ephesians 3:18– 19. It isn't constrained by space, time, or circumstances. God's love is an action, not just a sentiment, as evidenced by the death of His Son on the cross.

This love is constantly available to us and is sufficient to sate all of our needs. We will always be let down when we look to others for love. People are flawed and imperfect, so we can always count on them to disappoint us. People either don't know what you truly need or are too busy with their own life to think about how badly you need love. But God knows exactly what you need, and His love for you is perfect and unchanging. It is unfailing and unwavering. We are made whole when we experience the fullness of His love. It's crucial to understand that wanting someone's love and acceptance is not necessarily a bad thing. We were made for relationships and connections with those around us, to love and to be loved. But when we rely on those connections for all of our happiness, we miss out on the boundless love that God extends to us. Our primary relationship should be with God, who is the source of all other relationships. He desires to pour out His love on you, to make it real to you in the depth of your being. Let Him

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“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.” — John 3:16, NKJV

I grew up as an atheist, and I remained an atheist my throughout all of my teen years. Along the way, I heard the gospel several times and strongly rejected it until the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and I was converted at age 19, when my now-wife-then-girlfriend led me to Jesus. Outwardly, I was opposed to the gospel. But inwardly, when I would hear it, there was something intriguing about it. There was a voice within the voice. There was a Word within the words. I found something compelling about Jesus and His message that I couldn’t pinpoint and didn’t want to admit. Kids at school witnessed to me. A street preacher witnessed to me through eyes of compassion. A lady I worked for witnessed to me and prayed with me. A friend who had gotten saved came to my workplace and witnessed to me for an hour and a half. My wife witnessed to me.

All of these were powerful seeds that led to my salvation, but I am reminded of one particular time I heard the gospel that still stands out to me to this day. When I was eight years old, I was watching TV and landed on a Billy Graham Crusade. I had never seen anything like it, and had definitely never heard anything like it! The simplicity of the gospel shook me to my core. A light came on. I was only able to watch about three minutes of it, but that was all it took. He was preaching on John 3:16. The love of God demonstrated in the offering of His Son was very clear to me. He preached with no frills, but with a lot of passion. Later I read an interview with Billy Graham from Reader’s Digest in 1985 where he said, “I'm determined to make the message clear and simple so that even a child can understand it.” Good job, Dr. Graham! You did it.

Maybe you could make yourself like a child before the Lord today. Reflect on the gospel and its simplicity. Read John 3:16 like you’ve never read it before, and just receive the love of God for yourself. He loves you and gave His Son for you.

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“God is love” — 1 John 4:8, NKJV

God is love. It's a simple statement, but it holds deep theological truths that we often overlook. Love is not just something that God does. It is who He is. Love is one of the attributes of God, inseparable from His being. To understand the depth and breadth of God's love, we need to grasp the infinite nature of God Himself.

A.W. Tozer wrote in his book “The Knowledge of the Holy,” that "God's love is like Himself—self-existent, eternal, infinite, and incomprehensible." We cannot fully understand or fathom the love of God because it's beyond our finite human understanding. God's love is not like our human love that is often conditional, temporary, and imperfect. God's love is perfect, pure, and eternal. Tozer goes on to say that “the love of God is one of the great realities of the universe, a pillar upon which the hope of the world rests. But it is a personal, intimate thing too. God does not love populations, He loves people.”

This highlights the personal nature of God's love for each one of us. God's love is not just a general love for all humanity, but it's a specific, individual love for each and every person. The imagery of God's love being like a river is also used by Tozer to illustrate the endless nature of God's love. Just as a river keeps flowing and never runs dry, God's love never fails and never runs out. We can never exhaust the depths of God's love, no matter how much we receive or give it away to others. It's a love that keeps pouring out endlessly, without any limitations or conditions.

When we grasp the truth that God is love, it transforms our entire perspective of who God is and how He interacts with us. We can be confident in His love, knowing that it's not based on anything we do or don't do, but it's a fundamental aspect of His being. As we experience God's love in deeper and richer ways, it overflows from us to love others. And it is not because we learned to reform our actions and cut other people a break. It is because the very nature of God infuses us. God is love and we become like who He is.

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13, NKJV

This verse has always jumped off the page at me. Could there be anything more positive? Here, God calls Himself “the God of hope.” As if that were not enough, let’s make some observations about what else is in the verse.

First, we see the concept of fullness (where He says “fill you”). Holiness and Pentecostal people used to talk about being “full of God,” which was a reference to the baptism in the Holy Spirit and its long-term effect of intimacy and spiritual satisfaction. God desires you to be full of Him!

The next thing we see is “all joy”—not just some, but all, which again is consistent with the imagery of fullness. If you are familiar with the Scriptures, this probably reminds you of Psalm 16:11, in which David addresses God and says, “In Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” If you can be full of joy, you can handle anything that comes at you in this life, not to mention the fact that you will experience that same joy for eternity.
The third observation is “peace in believing,” or as the NIV says, “peace as you trust in [God].” This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27).

The fourth observation is an overflow of hope. The word “abound” is related to the word “abundance,” which always suggests more than enough—enough for you and everyone else. Many modern translations say “overflow with hope.” Listen to that! Overflowing hope! When the God of hope fills you with His joy and peace, you will not only be full of hope yourself, but will overflow with that same hope as well, bringing joy, peace and hope to everyone around you.

The final observation is the power of the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Spirit, you are filled with His joy, peace, faith, and hope. When is the last time you asked Him to fill you with His hope-infused presence?

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl

“For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.”
— Romans 15:4, NIV

The Bible is not just a collection of old stories and dusty ancient texts. It is the living Word of God that speaks to us today. In Romans 15:4, Paul reminds us that everything written in the past was written to teach us. And the way they teach us by encouraging us as we endure in life. As we keep going in the Christian life, we have many opportunities to become discouraged, to give up, or to fall into old, unhealthy, or sinful patterns of behavior. But there is a spirit of endurance that comes upon our lives that teaches us not to quit. And one major thing God uses in that process is the Scriptures.

But it’s not just about owning a Bible or going to church. Romans 15:4 here says it is through the encouragement of the Scriptures that we have hope. It’s a living relationship with the Word. As we read the Word of God in each season of life, God uses its inspired contents to speak to us and breathe new life into us. The encouragement offered by the Scriptures is more than just a sentimental experience. Knowing that God is with us and that He has a plan for our lives gives us a profound sense of assurance.

As we read God's promises in the Bible, and see how He has worked in history with His people, and see His character revealed in the pages of the Scriptures, we are encouraged and filled with faith that He will keep His Word to us. God wants us to know that He is always with us and that He won't abandon us. Spending time in His Word gives us the confidence to face whatever obstacles life throws at us because it serves as a constant reminder of His promises and His faithfulness.

Do you have passages of Scripture written on your heart? Are there Scriptures that have helped you walked through the toughest times of life? If not, find them and devour them today. Make them a part of your spiritual DNA. You will be glad you did.

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This blog is taken from Robert Presson's devotional book, "30 Days of Faith, Hope and Love." To order this book, go to cityrevival.tv/fhl