May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for 
everyone else, just as ours does for you. (1 Thessalonians 3:12 NIV)












 Love for those of our own company may not be so difficult. But the Word 
adds "and toward all men." That goes deeper. I have of late felt more deeply and 
strongly than ever before the force of very familiar words – "Knowledge puffeth up, but love buildeth up" (1 Cor. 8:1), and
 other words such as "maketh the increase of the body
 unto the building up of itself in love" (Eph. 4:16).
 If we are going to be affected by that which is present
 in other people, all those features in Christians and in
 Christian work and activity which are repugnant to us, we
 are going to close up and withdraw in heart and nothing
 is going to be done in the way of mutual helpfulness and
 edification. Again and again the very practical question
 arises – because of this or that which we meet in another
 can anything be done, is anything possible? And very
 often, in the acute consciousness of so much that appears
 on the surface, we have revolted against it; and then,
 going to the Lord about it and facing it out with Him, we
 have been enabled to go on, and something has happened
 and the Lord has wrought, and we have been surprised, and
 rebuked for our original offendedness. We have to look
 through all that to the heart, and be reminded every time
 that the Lord looks on the heart. We are looking on all
 this which is largely the result of ignorance, lack of
 proper teaching and so on, and this can offend us. But
 the Lord looks on the heart; He sees if there is
 something deep down under all these preponderances, if
 there is a real heart love for Himself, and He knows if
 this is really the endeavor to express that love. 


















 There
 may be misapprehension, there may be ignorance, there may
 be other causes, but this which offends us is, on the
 part of those concerned, their way of showing their love
 for the Lord, and we must not be turned aside – we must
 get close to them and find what possibilities there are
 for the Lord. He is going on, He is not giving up; He is
 making all He possibly can of the least bit of heart love
 for Himself and for all men. The challenge of this is
 very practical and very searching for us.

This devotional contains short daily portions from a selection of Mr. Austin-Sparks' messages. In his own words, “Perhaps this is just like a window opened into heaven. If you get the right window you can see quite a lot. You can see great things and you can see far things. But the best that I can hope is that this has just opened a window, and that as you look through it you are seeing one thing - how superior is Jesus Christ to all else, and how superior is the dispensation into which we have come, and how superior are all the resources at our disposal to all that ever was before!” Open Windows messages have been selected and compiled by Austin-Sparks.Net from the works of T. Austin-Sparks. In some cases they appear in abridged form. The introductory verse and its associated Bible version have been selected by the editor and did not always appear within the original message.

Open Windows

Abounding in Love

<blockquote>
Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" (<a id="verse_1632880120154584" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Colossians/2/7">Col. 2:7</a>).
</blockquote>At first our concern is to be used, to serve; but it is our concern. Then He begins to impress His concern upon our hearts, that we be like Him. Finally, it is His concern and ours that others may be reached by Him and established in Him."The Holy Spirit indwells us and thereby accomplishes our sanctification - an adjustment of our personal lives to His own person and character, to the dropping away of sin's power over us and the implanting of His Christ-imparting attributes in us. But to what purpose is all of this? For the beautifying of our personal lives? To terminate upon us? Not at all. His work in us is that He may have an instrument adjusted to His use, thus to work through us to the blessing of others. -N.B.H."It is not so much a matter of our attainments or full conformity to Christ, but rather our progressive movement towards the final goal. Even if we were perfect in ourselves, that would not make us ministers, for ministry consists in the Spirit's manifesting in our lives something more of Christ that was not there before, and then making it shine out for the blessing and transformation of others." -H.F."And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men" (<a id="verse_1632880120431119" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/1-Thessalonians/3/12">1 Thess. 3:12</a>).

A 365 day devotional that will help you in your Christian growth and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  This devotional is a collection of quotes from some of the best authors in the realm of Christian growth that has been organized by Miles J Stanford.  This devotional study is divided into 12 sections each containing 31 daily portions.

None but the Hungry Heart

 Inwrought For Outreach 

12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other<cr>1</cr> and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

1 Thessalonians 3:12

 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other   and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other   and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

Bible Verse of the Day

December 7, 2023

1 Thessalonians 3:12 NIV

Verse by Verse Bible Study

More on the web

Group of Brands