The Groomsman’s Journal

“He who has the bride is the Bridegroom; but the groomsman who stands by and listens to Him rejoices greatly and heartily on account of the Bridegroom’s Voice. This then is my pleasure and joy, and it is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:29-30 Amplified Bible

Week One The Bridegroom Speaks About Love

The Bridegroom’s Word, Written on your Heart

The love of God is immense and multifaceted. Read through these scriptures and write down every thought you have on God’s love. What is the Bridegroom speaking to you personally about His love? Define and journal the characteristic of His love that He is speaking about in each scripture. How can you apply these precepts on God’s love to your life? Pray this week that God’s infinite love becomes more evident in your life and your finite love fades away in the light of His glorious love that is increasing in you.

WEEK ONE: DAY SEVEN

1 Peter 2:20-25
After all, what kind of credit is there if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you endure it patiently? But if when you do what is right and patiently bear [undeserved] suffering, this finds favor with God. Christ Is Our Example 21 For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps. 22 He committed no sin, nor was deceit ever found in His mouth. 23 While being reviled and insulted, He did not revile or insult in return; while suffering, He made no threats [of vengeance], but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges fairly. 24 He personally carried our sins in His body on the [a]cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been [b]healed. 25 For you were continually wandering like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. Amplified Bible

“FleshOut” My Thoughts On God’s Love:

• Pure-true-genuine love entrusts itself to God alone
  
• Nothing evil came out of His mouth through all of His horrific suffering. This needs to increase in me.
  
• Verbally abused, God did not return the abuse. This is what it looks like to live through genuine and pure love.
  
• Jesus’ love was not retaliatory of evil, it was restorative by the sacrifice of self-rights for the good of others and His Kingdom.
  
• Jesus’ love is a healing restoring love, I was changed by it.
  
• God’s love is in a unique position, it has never deceived anyone, ever.
  
• Retaliation and revenge were never a part of Jesus’ character.
  
• Jesus loved in a pure offensive less way, He did not hold on to His rights, He sacrificed them for our good and the good of His Kingdom.
  

“TruthIN” The Characteristics Of God’s Love:

Guarding, Sinless, Perfect, Long Suffering, Patient, Pure, Just

“TruthIN” Application To My Life:

Purposeful Love…

Jesus died my death and showed me without a doubt that His nature is not retaliatory, He does not punish, He disciples me purposefully so. God’s love guards me with His long suffering patience with my human condition.

Sinless Love…

God is pure in His justice towards me as His love supports an advocacy that can’t even be measured by this world. God’s love is for me in that sinless kind of way that I can’t achieve without Him, without His love flowing in me.

Balanced Love…

To have more of God in my life and less of me, I must entrust myself to God and God alone in both the good and bad times of my life. This is a balanced, steadfast, longsuffering, patient love and it is pure and just.

Fleshed Out Love…

I can emulate it, if I am reflecting it, I can reflect it when I fully face God and there is nothing of my culture blocking His glory glowing in my life. I need to flesh out of all my culture say so, I need to submit myself wholly-holy to God and decrease in self-seeking and increase in God’s Kingdom life that is self-sacrificial in nature.

PureLove…

My love is not pure like Jesus’ love is if I am still reacting in offense and unwilling to lay down my personal rights here for the good of the Kingdom in me and others. Jesus showed me what pure love was, it is a selfless love and it is not encumbered by human rights. It has a sacrificial nature. God’s love is in a unique position, it has never deceived anyone, ever and this is the goal set for me to increase in the purity of Jesus’ righteousness.

Offenseless Love…

Retaliation and revenge were never a part of Jesus’ character, may they decrease in me. Jesus loved me in a pure offensive-less way, He did not hold on to His rights, He sacrificed them for my good and the good of His Kingdom, may it be so in me.

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Proverbs 3:11-18 My son, do not ignore the Eternal’s instruction or lose heart when He steps in to correct you; 12 Because the Eternal proves His love by caring enough to discipline you, just as a father does his child, his pride and joy. God knows well what He is doing. He has established rewards for living wisely: A happy, long life. A good reputation. Guidance when you need it most. Health. Success. Even, dare we say, fatherly discipline. These are just a few of the benefits accompanying God’s wisdom. 13 How fortunate are those who discover Lady Wisdom and those who understand her ways! 14 For her worth is greater than the most expensive prize you could win. Her profit is greater than the finest thing you could buy. 15 No gem is more precious than she is—your most extravagant desire doesn’t come close to her. 16 She holds the secret of a long life in one hand and riches and fame in her other hand. 17 Her ways are pleasant; all of her pathways are peaceful. 18 She is like a tree that produces a satisfied life for anyone who can wrap their arms around her; happiness waits for any who hold her tightly. The Voice

“FleshOut” My Thoughts On God’s Love:

• Discipline is love and this kind of love leads to the gift of wisdom
  
• Wisdom is the blessing of God’s discipline
  
• God’s love leads to Godly wisdom which is a gain like no other
  
• God’s correction is the proof of His love for us
  
• God’s Wisdom is a constant prop for His love.
  
• God’s Wisdom-Truth supports His Love
  
• Wisdom holds love up through the trials and tests of life, keeping it steady, constant and sure.
  
• The Truth of God draws us to Himself, and this is His Divine Word of appeal, it is the only position of permanence we will have in this world.
  
• God’s Word, His Powerful Truth, can change my mind and attitudes to thoughts driven by His Kingdom and attitudes painted by His Divine Character.
  
• God’s love and wisdom go together well, and when you grasp both of them, it is well for your soul.
  

“TruthIN” The Characteristics Of God’s Love:

Discipling, Giving, Wise, Corrective, Peaceful, Happy

“TruthIN” Application To My Life:

God’s Wisdom Is A Divine Word Of Appeal! The Lord makes a Godly Appeal to us with His Truth. God requests-pleads and He demands-petitions us with His Truth, knowing that His Truth is the very thing that keeps His love, props up His love in our heart and creates a desire, a hope to know Him more, putting a passion in our relationship with Him.

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1 Corinthians 13: 4-13

Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs 6 or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what. Love will never become obsolete. Now as for the prophetic gifts, they will not last; unknown languages will become silent, and the gift of knowledge will no longer be needed. Gifts of knowledge and prophecy are partial at best, at least for now, but when the perfection and fullness of God’s kingdom arrive, all the parts will end. When I was a child, I spoke, thought, and reasoned in childlike ways as we all do. But when I became a man, I left my childish ways behind. For now, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things, as when we stare into polished metal. I realize that everything I know is only part of the big picture. But one day, when Jesus arrives, we will see clearly, face-to-face. In that day, I will fully know just as I have been wholly known by God. But now faith, hope, and love remain; these three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love. The Voice

“FleshOut” My Thoughts On God’s Love:

• God believes the best of me, do I believe the best of Him?
  
• True love is never self-absorbed and leans into peace.
  
• Genuine love believes the best of God when the worst of life is happening.
  
• If I am impatient, jealous, conceited, prideful and not able to bear with someone’s faults then I don’t have true love for them.
  
• Impatient love is self-centered prideful infatuation, it is not real love! Is not peaceful love.
  
• Love does not act rudely. Oh My goodness! That hurts the toes! Ouch!
  
• Love is not unbecoming! Inappropriate-Unseemly-Unflattering-Indecent if love looks like this, it is not true love!
  
• True love pays no attention to the wrongs done to it! Wow! Will I ever get here to this place of real love? Real love initiates peace.
  
• I struggle so much when I “feel” I am wronged. Change me Jesus!
  
• True love is not happy with injustice.
  
• God’s love never insists on its own way! It is a peaceful love.
  
• If God’s love is active in me, then I will not be set in my ways, I will be willing to go with God, wherever and however He asks.
  
• True love is not upset when it does not get its own way!
  
• True love is not grouchy, touchy, resentful, or conditional! I want to love like this! I want to love others with a Godly devotion!
  
• Sometimes when we hear gossip, we automatically believe it even if it is not the best about someone.
  
• True love does not believe gossip. True love believes the best in its friends.
  
• True Love endures everything-anything without even weakening a bit! This is God’s Love and we need to replicate it!
  
• True Love, God’s Love Never Fails! God’s Love Never Ends! It Always Is Being! Our Love Is Choppy At Best! We Need To Be Like God!
  
• Our Love for others has an on and off switch! God’s love is a constant current, it is never switched to off.
  
• My love for others grows and goes out of my connection to God’s heart passion for them.
  

“TruthIN” The Characteristics Of God’s Love:

Humble, Enduring, Kind, Patient, Complete, Perfect, Unending

“TruthIN” Application To My Life:

No matter what, love endures. No matter what, love believes the best. This is how God has loved me, but I do not love Him back this way. True love is never self-absorbed and being selfish in my thoughts, motives and deeds makes for a one way love, a self-love first. My self-love must decrease, my God love must increase. How? I believe in God, yes, but do I “believe” God no matter what? My love waivers because I do not believe the best of God. When the “no matter what” hit my life in a negative way, my love does not endure. I stop believing in the best of God. I doubt God’s intentions toward me. When I only see in part and that part is not good, that part is not understandable, I waiver in my love for God and I follow my feelings instead of staying in followship of the truth I know. God’s love with all it’s amazing characteristics must increase in me.

My Reflections As I Listened To The Bridegroom’s Voice As He Spoke About His Perspective Of Love:

My Groomsman’s Journal Reflection And Response:

My Reflection

Characteristics Of God’s Love:

God’s Love Is
Committed, Trusting, Enduring, Intimate. Undivided, Forever

My Thoughts On God’s Love

• Written on my heart, this is the reach of Your love. It is not outward only, it is deeply inward.
  
• Heart to heart and Spirit to spirit this is the depth of intimacy God gives and God desires.
  
• God’s promises are a strong foundation of His love. I need to incorporate them in my day to day living.
  
• To love God more, to know more of Him and His ways, I need to let go of my personal agenda.
  
• God’s love is fresh and new and when I hold on to what is old, I miss the refreshment of His love. My spirit is stale.
  
• Tradition can’t give me a true aspect of God’s love for me. Relationship is key. I must be openhearted to God.
  
• The culture makes what I am “growing through” more important than what I am growing to. I don’t belong here.
  
• To worship God heart to heart, I need to let go of my citizenship here and establish my Kingdom life, make it first. My first priority needs to be God’s Kingdom.
  
• I don’t belong here. I don’t belong to this world. I belong to God, I belong in His Kingdom. This needs to increase in me and then I will love God perfectly.
  

My Response To The Bridegrooms Voice On Love:

“I will love you always and infinitely forever.” This is what the Bridegroom said to me and I know He meant it, I know every time I see a cross that He does mean what He says. I wish I was the same, I wish I could love Jesus infinitely and forever in every situation, in every moment and in every choice! I pray I would decrease and everything about Him would increase in me. God’s love can span everything, everywhere and to everyone. It is Infinite. How I hope I grasp this incredible peace and love in my everyday moments. AWE-GOD.

The Bridegroom’s Voice is a book penned by KimberlyMac as Jesus spoke to my heart His Kingdom perspective to “flesh out” our souls and prepare us by putting His “Truth in” our spirit, truth which will help us endure this life season and bring honor to God and His Kingdom. The above is taken from The Groomsman’s Journal of KimberlyMac from The Bridegroom’s Voice week one where the Bridegroom shares with the Bride His perspective of what love is. The above journal is my response to the truth Jesus has shared with me from day five and six of our conversation about love.

***I highly suggest you purchase a copy of The Bridegroom’s Voice and start your journey with the Bridegroom, Jesus, listening to His Voice, fleshing out your soul and letting Him put His Kingdom truth in your spirit. You too can have a Groomsman’s Journal.

Make sure you pick up a copy of The Bridegroom’s Voice for yourself and give a gift to someone else today. There is no better gift of love to give than a copy of The Bridegroom’s Voice, a life changing personal journey with Jesus. A gift that keeps on giving! Click Below And Gift it!

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***If you are on the Journey with The Bridegroom’s Voice, please leave a comment to share with others from your Groomsman’s Journal. Thanks for being an encourager. God bless you MUCH, KimberlyMac