“God is love” (1John 4:8, 16). Love seeks God as its highest good. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37 KJV). Evidence of love for God is demonstrated by obedience to His commands. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous [Greek, barús, burdensome]” (1John 5:3). Proof of love toward man is to regard your neighbor as highly “as yourself” (Matthew 22:39 NIV). “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 KJV). And, that law of Christ is to “love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34; 15:12). Love seeks the highest good of your neighbor as yourself. When the Spirit of God is dwelling in us, it is brought to pass that God will “move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws” (Ezekiel 36:27 NIV). LORD, make us glad to keep Your commandments, and help us gladly bare one another’s burdens. Amen.
Love
Winning in the Courts of Heaven (Part 2)
Change your attitude. Of course, we would labor feverishly, if our house was burning down. But, if our neighbor’s house was on fire, we hope we would be willing to do whatever is necessary to save them. Prayer for others is intercession, which is distinguished by love. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 19:19 KJV). We’ve prayed so many times for ourselves unsuccessfully, how can we do any better for someone else? Naturally, there would be greater potential for answer, if there were more signatures on the petition, but the Courts of Heaven are looking for a judicial people, who can clear away satanic objections for the Judge of All the Earth to grant their requests. “And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake” (Genesis 18:32).
Kindness: A Measure of God’s Presence
Margaret Mead, the famous cultural anthropologist, not necessarily known as an apologist for God, is said to have made the observation to a student that she considered the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture to be a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. In the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. No animal survives long enough for the bone to heal without the assistance of someone to bind the wound, provide safety, and promote recovery. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32 KJV).
Love And Hate With God
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity” (Hebrews 1:9 KJV). Love what God loves, and hate what God hates. We get into trouble when we do differently. If we do not consciously make the effort to place our affections on God first, we will balk and recoil, when asked to make a hard decision for God. Pray that God will grant us the willingness to do the right thing, when our hard times come. “He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD” (Psalm 33:5 KJV).
Suffer Shame for His Name
Suffer shame for His name willingly, not for asceticism, but for love of Him. After being beaten for their Christian witness, the disciples “departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41 KJV). Whenever you are embarrassed for Christ, remind yourself to rejoice and take it willingly.
Freely Give Us All Things
“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 KJV). How can anyone make such a broad claim? Even more, what is to prevent anyone from making an application of this promise that would unsettle especially parents in front of their younger children? This is how we teach ourselves the promises cannot mean what they sound like they mean. Or, do we diminish the value of the promises to make ourselves more comfortable with our religion? Shouldn’t we immediately determine in our heart that God means what He says, and it is His problem or business to use such inflammatory language that would excite the imagination of young children? “But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer [allow] the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14 KJV). LORD, grant us the heart and outlook of children that we may better imagine what you so generously offer to us. Amen and amen.
Brainwashed By Propaganda
Brainwashed by propaganda to determine our reality is another way of saying, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2Corinthians 5:17 KJV). Human government either will deny its purpose to promote the common good and punish the evil; or, it will seek the good of the few and punish those who object. Speak the truth that promotes your neighbor’s good as equal to your own. That is the love that holds society together. The cooperation of human beings is essential for any human government to exist. The cultural or moral values of the population shape the agreement upon which human government stands. Change the hearts and minds of the people, and human governments change. For this reason, it is most essential to stay focused on the underlying power of the Gospel to transform us into those who do the will of God. Good human governments will appreciate this and promote environments that encourage it. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2 KJV). LORD, may Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen and amen.
For the Love of God
Human freedom and independence are often advanced as the driving reason to motivate humans to achieve anything. For a disciple, love for God is the pinnacle reason to do everything. “And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 NET). When given a choice between freedom and love for God, we know our preference. There is a story about two devout Moravian Christians, Johann Leonhard Dober and David Nitschmann, who chose to sell themselves into slavery to bring the Gospel to the African slaves of the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix in the Danish West Indies (1732). As the ship departed from the docks to carry them to the West Indies, the missionaries called out to their loved ones on the docks, “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His Suffering!” They successfully established a mission, baptized converts, and returned — Dober remaining in Europe and Nitschmann accompanied John Wesley to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (America).
Why Doesn’t Everyone Finish?
Why doesn’t everyone finish their Pilgrim’s Progress journey to the Celestial City? “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14 KJV). A common saying in the world, ‘If it were easy, everyone would do it,’ makes a lot of practical sense. How does anyone know they are His chosen few? Peter answers that question. “2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity [Greek, agapē, love]. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2Peter 1:2-10 KJV). Maranatha!
God Never Requires Us to Do the Impossible
God never requires us to do the impossible. He measures our love by our obedience. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous [burdensome]” (1John 5:3 KJV). God is not an uncaring taskmaster. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15 KJV). The very idea of the Son of God coming in human flesh was to provide us an example of walking without sinning that we should “follow His steps” (1Peter 2:21 KJV). Jesus is beckoning us to get out of the boat and follow Him. Walking on water is supernatural. Walking without sinning requires the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 KJV). If God commands it, we can accomplish it. It’s time to rethink what God can do in us!
We Need A Miracle 
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