Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts

Monday, August 21, 2023

The Father's Love

Did you ever have someone come and say to you, "God loves you", but you were not really sure that He did (does)?  There are many in the church today that have experienced new birth but are not absolutely sure, deep within their heart, that God loves them. Jesus tells us, "For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God." (John 16:27)  In this sentence, Jesus has given us a picture of God the Father's Heart. It is a Father who loves His children; a Father whose heart is reaching out tenderly toward His own family. So, take a moment and meditate on the above verse. What comfort there is in this precious thought, that the God of creation, Almighty God, the Father Himself loves us without condition. This means that even with all the burdens, cares and even our failures that we may carry or experience in this life, the Father Himself loves us. No matter whatever the heartache, whatever the struggle, whatever the secret grief, the heart of God the Father yearns over us. 

When believers come to accept the surrounding abounding love of the Father, what peace floods the soul; what courage to fight the battle when every reason for living has gone and death would be a relief. We can take the battle up again and carry it on to victory, because we know that He loves us. As long as we are loved, and as long as we can love, there is a reason for being in the world, but when we cease to love and cease to be the object of 1ove, then the reason for being ends. Look at the Words of Jesus, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14:23) This is such a wonderful promise. The Creator of everything seen and unseen, He who has charge of every form of life, every star in the universe, every blade of grass, every flower and tree, He whose ear is open to the heart of every human, will come in and make His home with us. 

The heart can hardly take it in. The mind can barely comprehend the fact that the Father and Son will come and dwell with (in) us. Honestly, it does not seem credible that He will live in us but He has promised to do it. (John 14:16) What a blessing, what a wonder, that the Omnipotent God will come into us and make His home. He does this because of His great love. He comes and gives us wisdom to deal with all areas of this life, (Colossians 3:16); to help us in those dark hours when we do not know what to do, (Psalm 18); to strengthen us in our times of weakness, (2 Corinthians 12:9); to give us the ability to know His will, (Colossians 1:9) and much, much more. How the Father's heart yearns for us, craves for us. What a blessing He has bestow upon us, what riches are ours to inherit, what fellowship we can have, all due to the Father's limitless love for us. 

Look at just how great the Father's love is for you, "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:26) The Father loves you even as He loved Jesus. You may not be able to understand it. It may not sound reasonable, but it is true and utterly beautiful to not only think about, but moreover receive it in your heart. Not only is God love (1 John 4:16), but He gives His love nature to us. (1 John 4:7-11) Think about it, if we walk in love, we will never sin. Isn't that wonderful? God's love solves the problem of the human condition. To live in love's realm; to learn love's language; love's methods and love's way, will set us completely free (1 John 4:17-19) and we will speak aloud, "God is love; this God of love is my Father; I am His child and He truly loves me. (1 John 3:1)

So, how can I come to know the love of the Father? Learn to think in terms of love. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8) Learn to give in to love so that your action are a reflection of Jesus, who is love. Let the Jesus kind of love reign in your hearts until every thought and all of your words will be covered in love. So, today let us declare that we are going to let the love of God rule us in every way, in all that we think, do and say. "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) Open your heart and receive God's love for you today, knowing that "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ." (Romans 8:39)

Monday, May 22, 2023

The God Kind Of Love

Although we can list many things that seem to have the greatest impact on humanity, I believer the two greatest forces in the world today are love and selfishness. Selfishness is what makes a person concerned chiefly or excessively with himself, and having little or no regard for others. It is a robber. It breaks friendships and hearts. It wrecks marriages and homes. It flat out steals, kills and destroys because all of these things are a product of Satan. (John 8:44, 10:10) There is only one force able to conquer selfishness and destroy its destructive nature. That force is not simply love, but the God kind of love. Natural human love is motivated by human desires, that is, what satisfaction, what pleasures can "I" get from another without giving anything in return. It can turn in a moment from expressing affection and concern to neglect, hatred, jealousy and even murder.

A home could never be destroyed if every member would love as God loves. The wife would never remember the past mistakes of her husband, nor the husband ever remind the wife of any unpleasant happenings of her past. All the mistakes and failures of the past would be wiped out. What homes we would have if we were to love as God loves. There would be no more quarreling over finances, no more bitter hurtful words spoken, but each one would be seeking how they could put others above themselves even at their own expense. Why is this? Love never takes advantage of anyone. Love always bears the burdens of the weak. Love says, "It is all my fault. Had I done differently, or spoken differently, or lived in love, it would never happened." People who walk in the God kind of love never injure anyone, never take advantage of anyone. They simply walk and live in God. They respond to the fruit of the spirit and give no place to the selfish works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16-26)

No matter what evil the adversary may bring into a life, love will change evil to good, and will bring forth good fruit. (Romans 12:21) Jesus said, "Al1 things are possible to him that believes." (Mark 9:23) That means "a believing one" can operate in the God kind of love. How do we know this? "For the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23) Jesus tells us, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Believers, the branches, are linked up with Jesus, Who is the Vine. The branch is the fruit-bearing portion of the vine. Therefore, the believer has a legal right to the Father's love and Jesus' ability to carry it out. (Philippians 4:13)

The believer is to take Jesus' place in this life. He is a reproduction of Jesus (John 17:20-26) to carry out the will of the Father just as Jesus did when He walked this earth. Jesus was the first man who ever walked in the God kind of love on this earth. When selfishness is eliminated in us and love gains the dominion, we will not seek our own any longer. We will live as Jesus lived. We will seek only the Father's will as Jesus did. (John 6:38) As we walk in the God kind of love, we will be walking just as Jesus walked. There isn't a thing in the New Covenant or in the finished work of Christ that does not belong to every believer, especially the God kind of love. God is able to make us all what His great heart desires us to be. He delivered us out of the hand of the enemy. (1 Peter 2:9) He gave us His own nature. (2 Peter 1:3) He made us a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. (Ephesians 2:10) He is in us now living and working His own good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) Let us all yield to His Word and give Him the right-of-way in every area of our lives.

Please take some time, slowly read and meditate on the God kind of love as revealed in the Gospels from the Garden of Gethsemane to resurrection of our Lord. Paul tells us, " But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Also, take some time to read and reread the Amplified Version of the God kind of Love as revealed in
1 Corinthians 13:4-8...
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].  

Monday, March 27, 2023

Love Conquers All

The life and ministry of Jesus Christ while He was physically on earth was nothing less than the operation of the surrounding, abounding, infinite love of God. This is clearly revealed throughout scripture. We see the revelation of the God of love more clearly portrayed in the New Testament.  "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) "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10) These are just a few scriptures among many, but they do express God's great unwavering, wonderful love for sinful man.

We only have to look at verses of scripture like these to realize that everything that God does toward humanity is all through love. Even at the treason committed by Adam in the Garden, did not arouse God's wrath toward Adam or the woman. Yes, judgment was past, but it was the result of Adam's transgression not God's wrath. In other words, Adam made the decision, he made the choice to rebel against the one command that God gave to him. The result was what God said would happen, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) The literal translation says, "In dying you will die." In other words, Adam died spiritually the moment he broke God's commandment and then he died physically 930 years later. God did not bring this upon Adam, he chose it for himself. It was not God's will! It was Adam's choice. I labor this because many believers have been trained to believe that things like sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc., are all acts of God's will toward humanity.

Not only do scriptures like John 3:16, Romans 5:8 and 1 John 4:10 clearly show us God's loves towards fallen man, we must also keep in mind scripture like John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." God's love is to save humanity not condemn or destroy humanity. If sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc., are God's will for humanity, they why did he set in motion before the foundation of the world the redemption of man?  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." (Ephesians 1:3-4) In fact, His redemption for man began before creation but was now being played out in man's history at the fall of man, "So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)  

God did not stop there, He shed innocent blood to cover mans sin, "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21) This points to innocent blood that would be shed by God again. This time, His own blood. The ultimate sacrifice that would not cover sin but take it away forever. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. However, prior to the death of Jesus we see the love of God in action through Him. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."  (Acts 10:38)

It should not take much faith to see that love has no part in sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. All of these things are the result of the fall of man, the actions of the devil and the poor choices that people constantly make, not God. In fact, God describes love this way, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) Let's be not only honest but logical. If sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. are the will of God, who is love, then let's consider the following; we either have no idea how loves works; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is a misprint and should not be part of the Bible; or love is hatred in disguise. Because we know in our heart that none of these three ideas are true, we also know that sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. are not the work of God nor are they His Will. He is love and all that He does is through love. 

The life and ministry of Jesus is the greatest revelation of the Father's will, nature, character, purposes and plan that the Bible records. "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them..." (Matthew 9:35-36) This again is only one incident of many, revealing the love of Father God operating through the life and ministry of Jesus. God has not limited these things from operating today. It is the faithless doctrines of the so called religious wise who have taken the same position of the Pharisees and Sadducee's as recorded in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. "Jesus answered and said to them, well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men...making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:6-8, 13)  

Food for thought: Is there any parent among you that can say it is your will that your child or children should suffer from sickness or disease? That somehow sickness and disease would be a good and loving thing for your child or children because it has a mysterious purpose to teach them something? That if your child is disobedient, you would like sickness or disease to ravage their body or mind to discipline them? Of course you would not. In fact if your children do become sick or injured your heart cries out for relief so they do not have to suffer. Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him." (Matthew 7:11) "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

Next Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday. It is when agape enter Jerusalem for the purpose of setting humanity free. Praise the Lord for His surrounding, abounding love for all people especially His Children!!!      

Monday, January 16, 2023

Let Love Loose

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul reveals to us a very important foundational truth concerning Christianity, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6) The Apostle John tells us, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18) Let us never forget the wonderful yet challenging words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) 

Without faith, we will not be able to love as God loves, yet, without love we will not operate in the kind of faith that pleases God. This is why faith working through love is the quintessential of Christianity. I believe that faith without love or love without faith on the part of believers has been so lacking in the church, that it is the main cause of all the division. The love that was in Jesus revealed throughout the four gospels, is the love that is to rule the church, every believer. When believers are ruled by love; motivated by love; owned by love; they become imitators of the one who is love, "...God is love" (1 John 4:8) and as Jesus said, "...all will know that you are My disciples..."   

The Apostle John has some strong language for the church concerning love that we should not only think about but take to heart and act on. "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15) One of the things that John addresses is coming to grips with our love for the world and the things of world. This is not just toward material things, but the ungodly attitudes and actions of the the world. Let's be honest, most people who consider themselves to be Christian, would not admit just how much they are rooted in the world; How the cares of the world have become more important to them than the things of God. John tells us that one of the ways we can know how much the world has captured believers is revealed in the fact that they do not love as God loves, because God's love is not in them.

Next, John says,"...Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother...he who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (1 John 3:10, 14-15) Unfortunately, there is extremely to much unforgiveness in the church. Let's face it, if you cannot forgive another believer, you have hatred in your heart. John says, hating another believer is spiritual death. In other words, the person who hates a brother or sister of Christ, proves by their hatred that they are not truly saved. 

Unfortunately, many people in the church will say, "But I confessed with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior so how can you say that I am not saved?" I did not say that you are not saved, the Holy Spirit said it through John, plus we must also remember that though one confesses with their mouth, they must also believe in their heart. (Romans 10:9-10) John continues to reveal to us another problem that causes people to hate a brother or sister rather than love them. "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:8) Simply put, if a person hates, they do not know God.

So, how can we let go of any ill feelings that we may have toward a brother or sister. It is by simply remembering and acting on the following, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Remember, no matter how good you may think you were before making a confession of faith, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Jesus died for all even when we were antagonistic toward Him. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:9-11) Put these scriptures together, we have, "faith working through love." The way we love as God loves, is applying faith and live through Christ, love personified. 

Finally, take at least two times every day for forty days without missing one day, and slowly read aloud to yourself the following, "Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 AMP)  Let the God kind of love dominate your life, "By this all will know that you are My (Jesus') disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Amen....

Monday, July 18, 2022

The Greatest Is Love

The idiom, "water off a duck's back" refers to any criticism or something similar that is spoken by one person and directed at another. If the person to whom the criticism is directed does not let it affect them in the slightest, it would be like water off a duck's back. Unfortunately, many in the church today have given the world ammunition with which to mock Christianity. Due to the wrong example that many Christians have set, it has opened the door for many people of the world to be harsh in their criticism of the church. Sadly, many in the world have witnessed believers, lying, backbiting, gossiping, speaking negatively and even evil against another believer or congregation. This is in direct violation of the command that Jesus gave to us, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) 

The world is not impressed with believers confessions of faith when they see believers mistreat one another, especially when the world looks at the church and sees the many denominations that keep it divided. When you think about it, there would never have been splits in the church, if ALL believers would love one another with the God kind of love that has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who dwells in the believer. (Romans 5:5) By not operating in love, believers have opened the door to the accuser of the brethren, Satan and in all honesty, he has capitalized on it. Also, by not operating in the God kind of love, it reveals just how carnal many believers are. When the world cannot see the difference between the Body of Christ and other non-Christian organization, it is truly a poor testimony of the Love of Christ. 

One of the big reasons why many believers become so easily offended, is because they are too focused on the things of the world. Instead of doing what the Apostle Paul tells us, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8) and "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2), their is an acceptance of the ways of the world. Unfortunately like the world, they are always concerned about what someone else may say or do to them; what they think someone thinks about them; and or they are so hurt, they are always looking for someone to offend them no matter what they may say or do. They unknowingly live in constant torment and bondage because they have not received healing for their soul.     

One of the greatest examples in the Bible of this, is found in the life of Israel's first king, King Saul. "Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. So the women sang as they danced, and said: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom? So Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice." (1 Samuel 19:6-11)

Jealousy was the root of King Saul's offense against David. David the shepherd boy had defeated Goliath the giant and had been promoted to commander of the army. David's only crime was his faith in the Lord who gave Goliath into his hands. When David returned from battling the Philistines, the women were singing songs about him due to his military accomplishments. When King Saul heard it, he chose to be offended. To him, he was no longer number one in the eyes of Israel. Due to this, he gave himself over to jealousy, anger and destructive behavior. Though David fled from King Saul's presence, King Saul chose to pursue David in the wilderness. David was now constantly on the run to avoid King Saul from killing him. Now let's look at how David chose to handle the offense.

"Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) Then the men of David said to him, This is the day of which the Lord said to you, behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you. And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. And he said to his men, the Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way. David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down. And David said to Saul: Why do you listen to the words of men who say, Indeed David seeks your harm? Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed. Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.” (1 Samuel 24:1-15)

As we see, David refused to retaliate. He chose to walk upright before the Lord and let the Lord be the judge. The Apostle Peter tells us, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." (1 Peter 3:8-12)

Like David, we are all faced with choices when it comes to offenses. We can chose to let them be like water off a ducks back or we can let them become a root of bitterness that promotes the works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21) The Apostle Paul warns us, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:7-8) So, if someone offends you, let us do what Peter said,  "...but on the contrary blessing..."  or in other words, let the offense be like water off a ducks back and make the God kind of love our greatest aim. Amen? (See 1 Corinthians 13:4-8)    

Monday, June 6, 2022

The University Of Love

A university is an educational institution of higher education and research designed for instruction, examination, or both, of students in many branches of advanced learning. It provides academic degrees upon the completion of any variety of subjects offered. It also provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education. God has a university. However, it is small and very few enroll and even fewer graduate. He has this university because He has very few broken men and women. Instead, what He seems to have is people who claim to be broken but really aren't.   

David, son of Jesse is a great example of one who not only enrolled but also graduated God University. Shortly after David defeated Goliath and returned home, "the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him..." (1 Samuel 18:6-8) "The next day that the distressing spirit came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice." (1 Samuel 18:10-11)

What do you do if someone throws a spear at you? Would you pick it up and throw it back? Well David did not throw Saul's spear back at him nor did he go out and make his own spear to throw at him. David simply escaped Saul's presence. If David were to respond to Saul by throwing a spear at him, David the shepherd boy, anointed by God to be king would have grown up to be nothing more than King Saul II. Although Saul sought to destroy David, he actually became the very instrument of God that would eventually mold David to become a man after God's own heart. (Acts 13:22)

David accepted his fate. He embraced the circumstances although unfair and even cruel. He lifted no hand nor offered any resistance. Even when David had the opportunity to retaliate and take Saul's life he would not. He would not return evil for evil even when prompted. "Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time! But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?" (1 Samuel 26:8-9)

How about you? When others throw spears at you in the form of evil speaking, gossip, slander or when they treat you with disrespect; how do you respond? Do you throw spears back? or do you exercise the most potent characteristic of our God, which is love, toward those who may do these things? The Bible tells us, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) 

Believers that walk in this kind of love, agape, the God kind of love are those like David who have enrolled and graduated from God University. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) The God kind of love is a part of the recreated human spirit that becomes a part of the believer the moment they confess and believe the Lordship of Jesus Christ. However, just like David had the choice to retaliate but chose not to, walking out the God kind of love is the same. In the mind of God, those who choose this path truly understand brokenness and selflessness. They have graduated God University because they know the power of love.         

Monday, April 11, 2022

Amazing Love

Though resurrection Sunday was celebrated yesterday, let us never forget the great price that our wonderful Savior paid to save humanity from the grips of the devil. Let's begin by turning to the four gospels, it is there we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that He would ever face. We see Him arrested, taken to the High Priest Caiaphas; insulted and struck; He is taken before Pilate, then Herod; He was mocked; see Him scourged, His back laid open, blood flowing, His flesh torn as the cruel blows fall mercilessly upon His bared back by the awful Roman lictor. His own clothes replaced with the mock garment of kingly authority; a mock crown of thorns pressed deep upon His brow; more mocking comes and His own clothes are placed roughly about Him, and He is started out for Golgotha, staggering beneath His own Cross. We see Him fal1under its weight, and Simon of Cyrene is compelled to bear it.

Weakened by the loss of blood from the merciless beating, He staggers blindly up the mountain side, surrounded by soldiers who encircle Him. He is laid roughly down upon the cross on His back, and the Roman soldiers with cruel hate drive the spikes into His hands and feet; then He is lifted up naked, and the Cross is dropped into a hole to support it. Jesus the Nazarene is crucified! We watch the mob as it surges backward and forward about the cross. We hear the chief priest's hurling their bitter taunts in the face of the suffering Son of God. We hear the mob in their bitter denunciation, led on by their priesthood. Such a horrific sight. It was not a sight for angels, or for men, but for demons only, and yet the worse was yet to come for the suffering Substitute.

Jesus, who is God the Word who became flesh (John 1:1, 14) is now man's sin Substitute. He has taken Man's place. The whole human race is now represented in Him, as He hangs there under judgment on the accursed tree. (Galatians 3:13) God takes your sin and mine, yes, the sin of the whole world and places it upon Jesus until the sin of the world has entered into His very being. Jesus, nailed to the cross, suspended between heaven and earth, has become the outcast of heaven and earth. From the cross the Son of God cries out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me." (Matthew 27:46) Finally, the time had come when "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last." (Mark 15:37) As mentioned before, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that he would ever face, it was finally here.

Not only was it the Father's plan for His sinless Son to die on the cross and His blood be shed for all humanity, but he was to go to hell itself to pay the full penalty of man's sin. God in His justice could not have acquitted humanity so that he could stand in His presence through eternity, until every charge against him had been wiped off the books. (Isaiah 43:25) Only then could man stand before God as clean and as free as though he had never sinned. God could not pardon man until an adequate sacrifice had been made. Jesus tells us, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40) Peter quotes David the king, "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Acts 2:27)  The story unfolds.

Peter tells us, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18) Notice that He was made alive in spirit. He would not have been made alive in spirit had not He died in spirit. As it was with Adam, so it was with Jesus. Jesus died in spirit on the cross, before He died in the flesh. Peter declares that Jesus not only died in the flesh, physically, but that He also died in spirit, spiritually, and therefore His resurrection was a double resurrection. He was made alive, first in spirit, and then in the flesh, His spirit being raised from the dead and re-united with His body. The Apostle Paul tells us, "He put off from Himself the principalities and the powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." (Colossians 2:15) Here is a picture of Christ in hell, with the whole host of demons attempting to keep Him there, but when the penalty of our sin had been paid in full, Satan had no power to hold Him.

Paul tells us, "Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans 4:25) The very moment the sin problem was settled, the moment Jesus
Christ was legally justified, was made alive in spirit once more, He cast off the hosts of demons, and became the Master of hell by taking from Satan the keys of death and hell. (Revelation 1:8) Jesus died as our sacrificial Lamb, but He rose as Lord, as Master of death, of hell and of the grave. The matchless, mighty Son of God had gone into the strong mans house, bound him and took his spoils. (Matthew 12:29) Jesus has taken from Satan all his authority, his dominion and now offers it to fallen man through His matchless name and grace. What does this mean to humanity?

It means that every person who turns from their sin, confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and takes Him as their Savior, stands legally acquitted in the presence of God, free and clear of all charges against them. It means that God is vindicated, He has taken advantage of no one. He can now save believers and judge the sinners for rejecting His way to freedom. It means that Satan is defeated, and man can be free from sin, sickness, disease, poverty, death and all the works of the devil. (Romans 8:37) It means that man is legally justified, declared righteous (Romans 5:1) and is an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17). It means that man, through faith in Christ receive the promise of eternal life. (1 John 2:25) It means that man can become a child of God and have all the privileges as sons and daughters. (John 1:12-13) It means that heaven is legally the home of God's children. (John 14:1-4)

So, let us look beyond "Resurrection Sunday" and live in the triumphant, abundant life that Jesus has given to us. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32) Remember, we are no longer imprisoned or enslaved by the god of this world. So, let us never forget the cross, that is, what Jesus has done for us!!! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always....

Monday, April 4, 2022

Love Enters Jerusalem

The life and ministry of Jesus Christ while He was physically on earth was nothing less the the operation of the surrounding, abounding, infinite love of God. This is clearly revealing throughout scripture. We see the revelation of the God of love more clearly portrayed in the New Testament.  "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) "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10) These are just a few scriptures among many, but they do express God's great unwavering, incredible  love for sinful man.

We only have to look at verses of scripture like these to realize that everything that God does toward humanity is all through love. Even at the treason committed by Adam in the Garden, did not arouse God's wrath toward Adam or the woman. Yes, judgment was past, but it was the result of Adam's transgression not God's wrath. In other words, Adam made the decision, he made the choice to rebel against the one command that God gave to him. The result was what God said would happen, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) The literal translation says, "In dying you will die." In other words, Adam died spiritually the moment he broke God's commandment and then he died physically 930 years later. God did not bring this upon Adam, he chose it for himself. It was not God's will! It was Adam's choice. I labor this because many believers have been trained to believe that things like sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc., are God's will when they are not.

Not only do scriptures like John 3:16, Romans 5:8 and 1 John 4:10 clearly show us God's loves towards fallen man, we must also keep in mind scripture like John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  God's love is to save humanity not condemn or destroy humanity. If sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc., are God's will for humanity, they why did he set in motion before the foundation of the world the redemption of man?  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." (Ephesians 1:3-4) In fact, His redemption for man began at the fall of man, "So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

God did not stop there, He shed innocent blood to cover mans sin, "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21) This points to innocent blood that would be shed by God again. This time, His own blood. The ultimate sacrifice that would not cover sin but take it away forever. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. However, prior to the death of Jesus we see the love of God in action through Him. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."  (Acts 10:38)

It should not take much faith to see that love has no part in sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. All of these things are the result of the fall of man, the actions of the devil and the poor choices that people constantly make, not God. In fact, God describes love this way, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) Let's be not only honest but logical. If sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. is the will of God, who is love, then we either have no idea how loves works; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is a misprint and should not be part of the Bible; or love is hatred in disguise. Because we know in our heart that none of these three ideas are true, we also know that sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. are not the work of God nor are they His Will. He is love and all that He does is through love. 

The life and ministry and life of Jesus is the greatest revelation of the Father's will, nature, character, purposes and plan that the Bible records. "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them..." (Matthew 9:35-36) This again is only one incident of many, revealing the love of Father God operating through the life and ministry of Jesus. God has not limited these things from operating today. It is the faithless doctrines of the so called religious wise who have taken the same position of the Pharisees and Sadducee's as recorded in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. "Jesus answered and said to them, well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men...making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:6-8, 13)   

Food for thought: Is there any parent among you that can say it is your will that your child or children should suffer from sickness or disease? That somehow sickness and disease would be a good and loving thing for your child or children because it has a mysterious purpose to teach them something? That if your child is disobedient, you would like sickness or disease to ravage their body or mind to disciple them? Of course you would not. In fact if your children do become sick or injured your heart cries out for relief so they do not have to suffer. Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him." (Matthew 7:11) "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) 

Next Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday. It is when agape enter Jerusalem for the purpose of setting humanity free. Praise the Lord for His surrounding, abounding love for all people especially His Children!!!      

Monday, June 7, 2021

Editifying One Another in Love

The act of edifying, is to build up, especially in a moral, emotional, or spiritual sense, through encouragement and instruction.. This is accomplished by the members ministering to one another. The Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul reveals how the church is brought into this purpose, "And He Himself (Jesus) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:1-16).

Notice the five wonderful gifts apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, that Jesus gave to His church. Also notice the ministry that they bring to the church which causes growth. They equip the saints for the work of ministry, which is for the edifying of the body of Christ. When we look at church history and even look at the church today, we find that many sectors of the church reject the ministry of the apostle and prophet. Yet their purpose, (not function), for the edifying of the body of Christ is the same as the other three ministries, evangelist, pastor and teacher. Next, these five ministries are to function, till we all come to the unity of the faith. I suppose that those who do not believe that the ministry of the apostle and prophet exist today also believe that the church for centuries has been flowing together in the unity of the faith.

These five gifts are also to bring the church to the knowledge of the Son of God. The word knowledge here is the Greek word, epignosis which mean to have a full or complete knowledge. This complete knowledge would bring the church to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. But is this true for the church as we know it today? Maybe the rejection of the apostle and prophet is the main reason why the vase majority of the church is still a child being tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. I like to say it this way, being tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine created and accepted by faithless church leaders, that operate in and through their senses.

The church is to be a related body of believers speaking the truth in love, that is growing up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." Let's look at some of the ways the church, every member of the body of Christ is to edify itself...

  • Love one another (John 13:34-35) 
  • Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
  • Honor one another (Romans 12:10)
  • Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
  • Be kind to one another and forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)
  • Esteem one another better than yourself (Philippians 2:3)
  • Do not lie to one another (Colossians 3:9)
  • Encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13)
  • Do not speak evil of one another (James 4:11)
  • Have compassion for one another (1 Peter 3:8)
  • Fellowship with the Father, Son and one another (1 John 1:7)
This is not all inclusive of what scripture reveals concerning ways that all believers are to edify one another, but it is enough for us to get this second important reason for the church's purpose and existence. How do you suppose the world would react to the church if believers in just one denomination could live out the edification principle shown above? It is so very sad to see how congregations that seem to be concerned with the town or city that they are in do not work together because of pride and petty differences. I believe that what we call the church today will be restored to the principle that the Bible reveals which means the realization and acceptance of all the ascension gifts that Jesus gave to the church. As I have said to many pastors, success is not based on numbers but on the spiritual growth of each member of the body of Christ. I know this to be true on two levels.

Making a long story short, first, it was my passion to see large numbers in the church (it still is) but to achieve this it would come at a price. Church programs would need to be implemented to meet social needs, replacing true discipleship to meet spiritual needs. The church grew rapidly but the people did not grow spiritually.  The danger behind this is blending the glorious Body of Christ with worldly concepts for the sake of numbers. It is twisting the Word of God so people can feel good about themselves by avoiding any scripture that might sound offensive or seen as being intolerant. In other words, it's presenting a people pleasing passive gospel rather that a God pleasing life changing gospel. General William Booth said it best, “I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.” (This was spoken over one hundred years ago)

The second part of the equation is revealed in the ministry of Jesus. He also had a "feel good" crowd following Him. (John 6:26) But when the truth was revealed many of these followers were offended and walked with Him no more. (John 6:60-61, 66) After ministering to thousands of people in the three and one half years of His ministry on earth as the Son of Man, only four women and one apostle stood by the cross. (John 19:26-26) Then after His resurrection He was seen by Peter, then by the twelve and five hundred other brethren. (1 Corinthians 15:5-6) However, after His ascension only about a hundred and twenty disciple gathered in the upper room waiting for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4, 15). Not a very large number of disciples after ministering to multitudes of people for three and one half years.

The point is that edifying one another in the church does not mean being social only, but more important, being spiritual. The church must get back to relating on a spiritual level, God is Spirit (John 4:24) and love one another as God loves (Romans 5:3-8) for God is love (1 John 4:16) We must understand that the God kind of love in the believer is a fruit of the recreated spirit (Galatians 5:22) and for the church to truly edify itself in love, every believer must respond to the God kind of love that is spiritual and not the social kind of love that is carnal. Finally, the church must let all of the ascension gifts operate in their individual functions to fulfill the mandate of Ephesians 4:12-16. So, let us all decide to take our part in edifying one another in the God kind of love which is spiritual.    

Monday, May 10, 2021

Sons and Daughters

One of the greatest misunderstandings concerning how God deals with the believer comes from the writer of Hebrews, "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons, My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:5-11)

To understand what the writer of Hebrews is conveying we must define the word chasten. Chasten is defined as: To train up a child; instruct; educate; teach; discipline. Where we tend to go wrong is when we look at the word discipline. Discipline to most means punishment. Although the word discipline has the word punishment in its definition, it also means to correct; to instruct; to chasten. As we can see the words chasten and discipline are synonymous words. Now let's look at what it means for God to chasten or discipline the believer, His child.

First and foremost, God loves us and His chastening is always immersed in His love. Next, He deals with us as with sons and I might add daughters. This is very foreign to most peoples thinking. For many parents, when it come to disciplining their children there is a tendency to punish the out of frustration, disappointment and even anger, rather than through love. This has nothing to do with the method in which parents chasten their children but the attitude of the heart when bringing discipline. Gods most potent characteristic is love and we must always keep in mind that He chasten His children through His abounding, surrounding love.

Next, we see that the chastening of the Lord is for the believers profit. Honestly, how can the believer profit from chastening? We profit because it is always for our good. It is always to promote our welfare. Look at one of the benefits that we profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. The believers becomes so holy that it may be said that we are partakers of the very holiness of God. "And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) Now for some this may be hard to believe, nevertheless it is fact. However, finding such a claim hard to believe actually reveals doubt in the believers heart. The evidence that the new man, New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness has nothing to do with how we feel or our performance, but faith in Jesus Christ and the integrity of God's Word.

Next, we see what else the believer profits from the chastening of the Lord, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. What is the fruit of righteousness? To determine this, we must look to Jesus. The prophet Jeremiah refers to Christ as the "Righteous Branch." (Jeremiah 23:5) At His death, a Roman centurion glorified God by saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man." (Luke 23:47) The apostle Paul states, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus tells us,  "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit..." (John 15:5) The fruit of righteousness is doing the works that Jesus did and speaking the Word of God in the same manner as He walked the earth as the Son of Man. It is carrying out the will of the Father as Jesus did. Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." (John 14:12)

As parents, so also the methods to which God chastens His children may vary. The misunderstanding concerning the chastening of the Lord come from such phrases as, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him, He scourges every son, If you endure chastening, Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful. Unfortunately, believers take these phrases and twist them to mean that God chastens His children with financial struggles, sickness, disease and so on. If this is true, if God truly uses financial struggles, sickness, disease and so on to chasten His children, then one of two things come into play. First, we do not truly know Him (Job 42:1-3, Hosea 4:6) or we believe that He does these things contrary to His Word which is so very far from the truth (Psalm 89:34, 107:20, 119:89, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8, John 1:1)

In fact, God punished Jesus (Isaiah 53:4-10) so that those who confess and believe that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9) could enjoy all the benefits and privileges of being sons and daughters. (Romans 8:15-17, 32) He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses so that we are healed (Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24) He came to give us abundant life here on earth. (John 10:10) He died in our place to give us eternal life (1 John 2:25) He was made sin to make us righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He was condemned so that we could go free. (Matthew 27:22-23, 34-35, Galatians 5:1) We also must realize that the believer is a member of the Body of Christ. If we truly believe that God chastens His children with financial struggles, sickness, disease and so on, then we must also believe that Jesus Himself, the head of the body deals with the same. We must also believe that the Holy Spirit who dwells in the believe has no problem with sickness or disease defiling our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) No, God child trains; instructs; educates and teaches His children through love.

Always remember that no one has a better new birth, a better righteousness, a better Savior, a better Healer, a better Provider, a better Father, a better right standing with the Father than the believer. No one can get closer to the Father's heart than we His children. So when the Lord chastens us, let us stand in the confidence that it is for our profit because God loves us and wants to reproduce Himself in us.  

Monday, January 11, 2021

A Whole Lot of Love

Although there are many ways to express love, basically, there are only two kinds of love and one or the other will dominate every person. One kind of love is a natural or human kind of love in which every person has to some extent. Natural love though can speak highly of someone one moment and than the next moment completely turn around a spew words of hatred towards the same person. However, when Jesus came to earth He brought with Him a new type of love, a love that emanates from the Spirit which is the God kind of love. The very essence and most potent characteristic of God is love. The apostle John tells us, "...for love is of God..." and "...for God is love..." (1 John 4:7-8) 

One of the most exciting events that takes place when a person confesses with their mouth the Lordship of Jesus Christ and receives Him as Savior, is their dead spirit is reborn from above and they become completely new, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) To expand what this means, the Holy Spirit through the apostle John says, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16) The Holy Spirit speaking through the apostle Paul tells us, "For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power." (Colossians 2:9-10 TLB) The apostle John also states, "...as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17) 

The moment that a person experienced New Birth they immediately receive the fullness of Christ. They are immediately filled with God. They immediately have the character of Christ. Now we may not know this or we may not take advantage of what this means, but it is fact! Another characteristic of this transformation into a New Creation is that our recreated spirit is also immediately filled with the God kind of Love, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) Every born again person has within them the ability to love as God loves because His love dwells within us. This new kind of love becomes our nature because we are "partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) We also see that our recreated spirit has been infused with nine wonderful attributes that are called "The fruit of the spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23) in which the first one is love, the God kind of love.  

When believers let go of natural love and let the God kind of love dominate their life, it makes them the master of life in the same way Jesus was as He walked the earth as the Son of man. For instance, Jesus never lost His temper which led to sin. His great love made Him master over every situation. When a believer losses his/her temper, the natural man (old man) takes over. The person, situation or circumstance that caused the believer to lose their temper now becomes the master. However, if we let the God kind of love flow from us, then we become impervious to these things and stand in victory over them as master in the same manner that Jesus stood as Master over them. 

How powerful is the God kind of love? Look at the last day of Jesus ministry as the Son of man. He was beaten, mocked, spit upon and nail to the cross and yet those who did this did not realize that the moment they took Him captive, He actually became Master which eventually led Him to become the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords. "For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16) "But God demonstrates His own LOVE toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) 

It takes faith to rest in and depend on the God kind of love to dominate our life. Remember, we have the fullness of Christ in us. God is not limiting us to operate in this manner. The only limits that are upon the believer, are the ones that the believer chooses to imposes upon himself. To operate in the God kind of love is a choice that each believer must make daily. In doing so we fulfill the commandment that Jesus has given to all believers, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  (John 13:34-35) So let us rise above selfish natural love, exercise the God kind of love so that the world will see the Father's tremendous surrounding, abounding love for them operating through us.   

Monday, June 29, 2020

Loves is the Way

I am not one for watching movies. However, as I got older and had children we would occasionally take some time and watch a movie. One of the movie-musicals that is considered an all times favorite by movie critics is entitled, "Fiddler on the Roof" which was a 1971 film adaptation of the 1964 Broadway hit with the same name. In one of the scenes in the movie Tevye, the narrator and main character of the story, father of five daughters, an impoverished milkman, a leader in his Jewish community, asks his wife Golde in song, "Do you love me?" Golda's responses were based on all the chores that she had done as a wife and mother for Tevye and their daughters for the past 25 years and yet Tevye continued to asks Golda, "Do you love me?"

In John 21:15-17 we see Jesus asking Peter, "Do you love Me?" Jesus asked Peter this question three times and uses verb agapaoo, which means to love affectionately, ardently, supremely, perfectly, but in Peter's reply he is using the verb phileoo, which means to love, to like, to regard, to feel friendship for another. In other Words, Jesus says to Peter, "Peter, do you love me affectionately, ardently, supremely, perfectly", to which Peter answers, "Lord, I like, I regard, I feel friendship toward you."

If Jesus stood face to face with you and asked the same question that He asked Peter, what would be your response? Before you answer, remember, the Lord knows our heart. Let's be honest most believers would respond as Peter did. Phileo is the natural type of love that like Peter every person on the planet has. However, natural love is very limited. I heard it said that natural human love is nothing more the refined selfishness because it can shows affection one minute and turn ugly the next. But agape love knows no such bounds. It is not selfish in any way because it always seeks and thinks the best of others. Agape love, or the love of God, is already in the believer, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) but it is a choice that every believer must make daily as we walk out our life in Christ.

Agape love is a demonstration, "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) "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) However, demonstrating love goes beyond doing various works or chores because the God kind of love is not natural but spiritual. It takes faith to walk it out in our daily lives for many reasons, such as, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) "If you love Me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:12-13) "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8)

As I had mentioned it takes faith to live out the God kind of love daily and consequently it takes the God kind of love to walk in faith, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6) So, for us to truly answer the question, "Do you love Me?" let's consider these things and make the choice that no matter what circumstances come our way, no matter what people may say, let us choose to have  "compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:8-9) In other words, let's choose to love as God loves and choose to practice it daily.

Finally, I want to challenge you to turn to 1 Corinthians 13, read and meditate on verses 4 - 8 every day, especially in the Amplified Version of the Bible. The apostle Paul tells us, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God." (Romans 10:17) As we read and meditate on these verses our faith will grow, our minds will be renewed and our spirit will be built up resulting in knowing that we are Christ's due to the love that we express in every situation.  

Monday, April 27, 2020

Making Covenant

Today I believe that most Christians have little understanding as to whether they are in covenant with other believers or have a contract with them. For all who are born again, those who confession Jesus as LORD and receive Him as Savior, automatically enter into the New Covenant that was established through the blood of Jesus Christ. But by virtue of ones covenant with Christ, believers also become covenant partners with every other believer. Many may be quick to say amen to being in covenant with the LORD and all believers, but is it true ? 

Covenant is defined as the mutual consent or agreement of two or more persons; to do or forbear some act or thing; to enter into a formal agreement; to stipulate; to bind ones self to another. Some of the differences between a covenant and a contract are; A covenant contain unlimited liabilities, a contract has limited liabilities; A covenant does not contain terms, a contract has terms; A covenant requires commitment between the partners to fulfill what has been stipulated in the body of the covenant and to see to the success of the covenant; The termination of the covenant occurs only at the death of one or both partners. A contract only requires the parties to fulfill the terms which have been stated in the body of the contract and at the fulfillment of such terms the contract is terminated.

An example of the two may look like this. A person purchases an automobile which requires them to have a loan to pay for it. The contract (the loan) stipulates that a certain amount of principle and interest must be paid on a monthly bases for a certain amount of months. When the amount required by the contract is fulfilled then both parties are released from what was required by the terms of the contract. However, covenant can be seen through the agreement that is established between a man and a woman binding themselves together in marriage. The stipulation set forth in the covenant may be something like this; I take him/her in marriage to love, honor, respect, care for until one or both depart from this life. Both partners have come into agreement and have committed themselves to uphold what has been stated in the body of the covenant which is terminated or fulfilled only  at the death of one or both of the partners.

The following are some components of a covenant; Agreement: Union of opinions or sentiments resulting in harmony and conformity...Commitment: The act of engaging; to pledge; or to pledge by implication...Stipulation: An agreement or covenant made by one person with another for the performance or forbearance of some act...Conditions: To make terms; to stipulate...Duration: Continuance in time...Exchange: To give and receive reciprocally...Bind: To tie together; To confirm or ratify.

Notice, these are not terms with limited liability, but unlimited liabilities binding the partners together to see the success of the covenant. Why have I spent so much time laying a foundation between covenant and contract. Because it shows us that unfortunately most believers today have a contractual relationship with other believers rather than a covenant relationship. How so? Have you ever broken off a relationship with another believer or have left the congregation that you said you were called to? Have you done this because you had a misunderstanding? Did someone say something that you did not like? Did someone say something to you about someone else and you bought into it?

No matter what the reason was, if you did not fix the problem, but turned your back on it and walked away, then you had a contract with specific terms. The terms were yours and the contract was terminated when something or someone rub you the wrong way. When a husband or wife end a marriage for any reason, they separate and then eventually divorce and break covenant. It is no different in God's eyes when a believer has broken off a relationship with another believer or they have left the congregation that they said they were called to? It is rooted in selfishness!!!

God is a covenant maker and a covenant keeper. Today, like always He still hates divorce. Aren't believers suppose to hate what God hates and love what God loves? It is apparent that most believers still miss the commandment that Jesus gave, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) The word love refers to the God kind of love not the natural kind of love that all people have. The God kind of love for believers to live and operate by, is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 which basically has no conditions (terms) and is spiritual, whereas the natural kind of love has conditions because it operates through the flesh, it is carnal. The God kind of love takes faith to live out, whereas the natural kind of love does not. So in a sense, covenant is rooted and grounded in the God kind of love and contract is rooted and grounded in the natural kind of love.

So if you have broken off any relationship with another believer or have left the congregation that you said you were called to and have not reconciled and restored the relationship, then it's time to do so. Why should you do this? Not only is it right in the eyes of the LORD but the apostle Paul when confronting the Jews who did not obey the law said this, "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles (World) because of you, as it is written." (Romans 2:24) Look back at why Jesus tells believers to love one another, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Could our lack of upholding covenant with one another in the God kind of love be one of the main reasons why the world rejects the LORD and calls Christians hypocrites? I think that it might be. So, let's reverse our attitudes, renew our minds and let the God kind of love dominates us now. 

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23) The God kind of love is already in every believer. Let's choose to operate in it...

Monday, March 30, 2020

The God Kind Of Love

With all the "do's and don'ts" that church leaders have developed over the years and have placed upon believers, it seems that we have forgotten the one most important "do's" that Jesus gave to the church. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) Love is God's most potent characteristic, "...God is love..." (1 John 4:16) and it should be the same in the life of every believer.

As new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) believers have the God kind of love already dwelling within them. Now this might be difficult for some to believe, that believers can walk in the same kind of love that Jesus emulated in His ministry on earth as the Son of man. But let's look at what the apostle Paul tells us, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) Do you see that? By virtue of being born again, God's love was instantaneously pour out in the heart (recreated spirit) of every believer through the Holy Spirit who dwells in the believer who is also God.

Next, we see something else concerning the God kind of love in the believer. The apostle Paul tells us, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." (Galatians 5:22-26) Love is a fruit of the recreated spirit. Again, as soon as one is born again, the God kind of love becomes a part of the believers recreated spirit through the Holy Spirit.

However, a closer look at this passage reveals some important things. First, And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Have you responded by faith to this statement? Have you crucified the flesh with its passions and desires? In other words Jesus said it this way, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23) Do you deny the flesh with its passions and desires on a daily bases? If not, then the God kind of love will not be able to take root in your heart.

Secondly, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Unfortunately, most believers do not comprehend what it means to walk in the Spirit. Simply put, to walk by the Spirit is to yield to the influences of the Holy Spirit and not the influences of the flesh. To do this we must apply what the apostle Paul applied to his life as he followed Christ, "...and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) You cannot escape this spiritual principle. You must live "By faith in the Son of God!!!" Believers will never live beyond the passions and desires of the flesh until they operate in revelation faith that is, unwavering faith upon the Word of God. The sad thing is, most believers operate in sense knowledge faith, which is natural faith that every person has. This type of faith relies solely upon what our five senses can comprehend.

Finally, if believers do not truly live by the influences of the Holy Spirit, but live by the influences of the flesh, that is the senses, they will do exactly what the apostle Paul warns not to do, "Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." These things are the result of placing "do's and don'ts" upon believers rather than focus upon the one commandment that Jesus gave to the church, to love one another. The God kind of love is what brought forth the incarnation. The God kind of love is what motivated Jesus to love the people that He came into contact with as the Son of man even though they were constantly antagonistic toward Him. The God kind of love is what led Jesus to surrender His life into the hands of those who would kill Him. The God kind of love is what paid the sin debt accrued by humanity. The God kind of love has provided the means for humanities greatest need, redemption. It is the God kind of love that will destroy the denominational barriers and differences in the church which will show a lost world that believers are Jesus' disciples.

To walk daily in the the Spirit and exercise the God kind of love is a choice that every believer must come to grips with. I believe the Lord is saying to many believers today the same thing that He spoke to His people Israel on Mount Carmel through the prophet Elijah, "...How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; (walk by the Spirit) but if Baal, then follow him" (walk by the flesh with its passions and desires)." (1 Kings 18:21) So, let us do the former, ditch the flesh once and for for all and respond to what the apostle Paul says concerning what truly matters, "...faith working through love."