Sharing the Love

    On Wednesday I had the privileged of speaking to a man loved of God. I cannot say whether he has a relationship with the Father, I can say that he had the look of a man needing to be loved. He was sitting on the low wall out the front of our church building. I approached him and we struck up a conversation.

    This man by his own admission needs a church home, by his own admission is struggling and by his own admission feels he has done to much wrong in life. There was a definite sense of unworthiness coming from him. Now I say, 'from his own admission' because we were just talking general conversation and without prompt he opened up.

    Here was a man hurting, and searching and longing to be loved. My bible says, "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40. Now this for all the scholars out there may be a bit out of context. Yet it is the very verse placed on my heart. As Peter before the Sanhedrin said, "decide among yourselves, is it better to obey God or man?", I know my answer.

    We ended up chatting for a bit and when I left him, I felt a prompting to pray. When asked if he would mind if I pray for him, the response was a, to my eyes a, happy please do. I prayed for him and when finished received one of this best gifts this Christmas season. This man was moved and it showed on his face. He verbalized his gratitude for having come over to talk with him.

    He has an invite to our services and has admitted he needs to find a church family home to attend. I pray that he is moved of God to return and make our Church his home. The bible says, it is better to give than to receive. Leaving that moment, I felt elated that in some small way I was able to share God's great love for this man. I do not know what was happening on the inside of him at the time before sitting down with him, I do know that it was God ordained.

    In understanding that God prefers obedience over sacrifice, I've been honored to see a person touched. I don't know what seed/s have been planted. I trust God who say that He will complete the good work He has started. With a grateful heart, it is clearer now that love overcomes fear, for perfect love casts out fear, and when perfect love is shown even in a small manner He sheds light into the dark places and the darkness can do no other thing but flee.

    I have been blessed. Thank you my Lord.

Greatest of these is Love Pt 2

Some more thoughts on this vast subject.

"Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run."

1 Corinthians 13:13 TPT

            It is beyond a shadow of a doubt in my mind that there is nothing greater than love. Love holds all things together, empowers hope and upholds faith.

            Faith, trusting without doubt that all things will work out for good.

           

            Hope, knowing with absolute belief and certainty in a real not yet visible reality.

            Love, the anchor and support, foundation and power, faithful and true all-encompassing certainty of God great power, His love toward us.

            'Those who are loved by God, let his love continually pour from you to one another, because God is love. Everyone who loves is fathered by God and experiences an intimate knowledge of him. The one who doesn’t love has yet to know God, for God is love. '1 John 4:7-8 TPT

The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13 clearly identifies that which should be the objective of the race we run. The apostle John in 1 John 4:7-8 goes on to clarify be a shadow of a doubt that the love that is the beautiful prize for which we run is God himself and does this not just once but three times in this chapter alone

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In this then is the height, width and depth of God’s love that though He has the power to change all things as He would will. He chooses to demonstrate His great love through sacrificial means. Oh, what grief we should have knowing that the creator of all that is gave of Himself to die to bring that which He has created back into relationship with Himself. Yet what precious joy that He would condescend to become a man to lift us, those who would deny Him, up to a place of restored communion. And not just to know one another, yet also to walk in all the glory, majesty, power and authority that belongs to Him. Dare we believe Him. Can we believe with greater trust and certainty the loving Word of the one who holds all things in His hands?

If so, I would ask that we search our hearts for there are some very tell-tale signs as to whether we truly believe. Amazingly enough these are simple things, yet at the same time of a depth that can only be empowered by the God who loves.

1.    Positive confession of Jesus Christ – “Here’s the test for those with the genuine Spirit of God: they will confess Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh.”      1 John 4:2

2.    A continual outpouring of love for one another, first brothers and sisters in Christ and then those who as yet do not know Him – “Those who are loved by God, let his love continually pour from you to one another, because God is love. Everyone who loves is fathered by God and experiences an intimate knowledge of him.” 1 John 4:7

3.    Obedience of God’s command. - Anyone can say, “I love God,” yet have hatred toward another believer. This makes him a phony, because if you don’t love a brother or sister, whom you can see, how can you truly love God, whom you can’t see? For he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also demonstrate love to others. 1 John 4:20-21

These are just three things that can assist us in moving forward in God. And here is a principle that I personally have found in my walk. The more I pursue God’s love for me, the more I grow in love with Him. The more I love Him the more I find my faith growing for I find that I am trusting His Word to be true and in such I find myself holding onto a hope that knows that though I don’t see some things yet. When I ask there will be an answer. With this assurance a desire grows in me to share the love that is so profound. Sharing it with brothers and sisters in Christ and those who not yet know Him as Lord and Savior. There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Now based on them three things listed prior a few questions:

1.    Can I openly honestly and with all integrity before everyone I know, without any reservation declare Jesus is the Christ and he has come in the flesh and to continue is the only true and living Son of God?

2.    Is there a continual outpouring, that is expression, torrent and outburst of love for fellow believers and onward toward unbelievers that comes from my heart overwhelmed by the loved of God?

3.    Am I obeying, that is do my actions speak greater volume than the words from my mouth as to whether I love the Lord my God with every passion of my heart, with all the energy of my being, and with every thought that is within me, and do I love others as I love myself?

Still let me be clear there is so much more to the subject and this is, but things seen as in a mirror dimly. Yet in a heart such as mine that to be able to answer in affirmative to all of these helps to graft me more securely into the love that casts out fear. For my heart fears, but there is no fear in love. I have become the righteousness of Christ and this because of His great love no work of my own. I can stand because He has strengthened me in His joy, the joy He has, in loving me.

If you do not know this love, it is simply the act of faith to, as Jesus put it “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Turn from the way that does not lead to life and walk in the way that does. So, whoever confesses with their mouth and believes in their heart that Jesus Christ is Lord will be saved. If you have done so, believe that you have received into your being the living Holy Spirit of God as His seal that you are His child.