A REAL Message of Love

When I was growing up, February 14 is the day to which I would look forward because I knew there would be a chance that one favorite person in my school class would hand me "a valentine". Do you remember those days?

Beyond the paper heart covered walls, the endless pounds of chocolate contained in fancy heart shaped boxes...or the small boxes of crunchy hearts carefully engraved with inspirational sayings like, "You're groovy", there was always that moment before the end of the instructional day when true love had the possibility to blossom via the arrival of a small folded card...

...a card that bore the picture of a Disney character or some other sweetly drawn woodland animal with a pronouncement of two words that made the innocent heart of a young man leap for joy:

"Be mine."

Life altering, love-filled words all delivered, of course, through a small opening carved into a decorated shoe box.

Those were the days, the days when sweet strains of "All you need is love" could be heard up and down the halls of J.E. Rhodes Elementary school, sung by boys and girls who didn't have a clue as to what true love really meant beyond the folded cards and the seating order at the lunchroom table.

Now, let's fast forward to the days of electronic living, life insurance, mortgages and just a little more grey hair.

Beloved, rather than going through the purported real history of St. Valentine's Day and it's connection to the church, what I would rather do is to remind you (and me) of a love that is really and truly mind-blowing. A message of love not found in the creases of a folded card, but between the covers of a well-worn leather bound book. A love expressed from eternity past and continuing through eternity future.

It's demonstrated by the One:

• Whom the Scriptures say "is love". (1 John 4:16)


• Who walked in the Garden called Eden in the cool of the day, looking in love for the man Adam and the woman Eve after they had disobeyed His commandment. (Genesis 3:8)


• Who sent His Son to be THE sacrifice, once and for all, to redeeem...to purchase...all those who would call on His Name. (John 3:16)


• Who rose again from the grave and ascended into Heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father. (Acts 2:32-33)


• Who said, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me..." (John 14:3)


• Who said, "I am making everything new!" (Revelation 21:5)

And here is His Valentine's message to you and to me:

Isaiah 43:1

"...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, You are mine."

Now, that's a REAL Valentine's message of love.