LOVE.....LOVE......LOVE........ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE. THEY WILL KNOW US BY.............................. THEN ONE OF THE SCRIBES CAME UP AND LISTENED TO THEM DISPUTING WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND, NOTICING THAT JESUS ANSWERED THEM FITLY AND ADMIRABLY, HE ASKED HIM WHICH COMMANDMENT IS FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL IN ITS NATURE? JESUS ANSWERED, THE FIRST AND PRINCIPAL ONE OF ALL COMMANDMENTS IS: HEAR OF ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD, AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD OUT OF AND WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART AND OUT OF AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, YOUR LIFE, AND OUT OF AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, WITH YOUR FACULTY OF THOUGHT AND YOUR MORAL UNDERSTANDING, AND OUT OF AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH. THIS IS THE FIRST AND PRINCIPLE COMMANDMENT. THE SECOND IS LIKE IT AND IS THIS, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, THERE IS NO OTHER COMMANDMENT GREATER THAN THESE. ( Mark 12:28-30) I GIVE YOU A NEW COMMANDMENT: THAT YOU SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER. JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, SO YOU TOO SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BY THIS SHALL ALL MEN KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER, IF YOU KEEP ON SHOWING LOVE AMONG YOURSELVES, BY THIS ALL MEN SHALL KNOW.......................... THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES.............................. IF YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER............................... IF YOU KEEP ON SHOWING LOVE AMONG YOURSELVES. The world is dying to know love. The songs that are written testify to this fact. We hear every day songs of love. The lyrics tells us of love grown cold, passionate love, love lost and love found and that all we need is love and then we are told about looking for love in all the wrong places. The world is starving for love and they do not know where to look. They dwell in darkness and many are groping for an exit. They are straining to see any hint of light that will show them the way out of the darkness that engulfs their souls! They are drowning in the waters of depression, addictions, hopelessness, fear, shame, abandonment and betrayal, and or abuse. Some sadly are trapped and do not even know it, they only know darkness. They are being driven mad by the cries of desperation that surround them and the muffled cries that are being silenced by another hopeless dead end. They strain their legs to feel for a solid place to stand. They reach up for something to grab on to and are desperate for anything that seems different, only to find themselves stuck in a maze.... going around and around on the merry-go-round of dark horses, always ending up in the same dense darkness.,, drowning in the same sea of hopelessness. Then they hear of a place where there is suppose to be something called; UNCONDITIONAL LOVE A PLACE OF ACCEPTANCE A PLACE OF LIBERATION A PLACE WHERE SHAME IS NOT THE UNIFORM OF THE DAY. They begin to cry out from the depths of their hearts for directions to this place. Their eyes begin to desperately comb the horizon for some hint of light to show them the way. THEN THEIR DESPERATE LONGING GAZE FALLS UPON US................................... WHAT DO THEY SEE? DO THEY SEE A REFLECTION OF THEMSELVES OR DO THEY SEE THE LIGHT OF THE WAY? ARE THEY DRAWN TO THE LIGHT OF HOPE? DO THEY SEE IN US THE WAY OUT AND THE WAY UP OR DO THEY LOOK FOR ANOTHER? WE SHOULD BE THAT BEACON OF LIGHT, THAT LIGHT HOUSE THAT GUIDES THEM OUT OF THEIR STORM. WE SHOULD BE THAT HELPING HAND, THAT WELCOMING HEART, THAT SAFE HAVEN FROM FEAR............ Again the question must be asked........................... WHAT DO THEY SEE???? There are books galore that are written about the Christ within us. You can find countless post on face book concerning the subject of Christ likeness. You can read line upon line, paragraph upon paragraph, of the power that we should be demonstrating. Daily you will drive by churches that advertise that He is there. Remember, that I started out with the words of our Savior, That they will know that we are His disciples if we love one another. Will they find that unconditional love of God flowing through us to one another or will they find a cold hearted conditional love that they are trying to escape from? Will they find a safe haven where they can be disrobed of their cloak of shame without the stabbing eyes of condemnation penetrating their fragile souls? Or will they find a cesspool of back biting and gossip. Will they find a safe place to stand out in the open as they timidly emerge out of their caves of protection or will they find the penetrating false light of judgement? Will they be like the bug that is drawn to the light, only to be electrocuted as they try to lite upon the light. Will they emerge from their place of darkness being drawn by the sounds of laughter and joy only to find themselves standing on the out side, not being invited in the group. Will they find a place that is safe and solid built upon the rock, a place that is filled with a people that will stick with you to the end, that will lay their comfortable lives down for the one that is not comfortable. Will they find a place like home, a place of safety where they know of His love even in correction, or will they find the place where if you do not measure up to someone elses expectations, you are ostracized and shunned or expelled from the church. Our signs may say healing and His power is ever present in our midst but saints power is not His determining factor as to whether He dwells there or not. THE EVIDENCE THAT HE TRULY DWELLS IN OUR MIDST IS HIS AGAPE LOVE THAT FLOWS TO US FROM HIS HEART AND THROUGH US TO EACH OTHER. LOVE IS VERY PATIENT AND KIND, NEVER JEALOUS OR ENVIOUS, NEVER BOASTFUL OR PROUD, NEVER HAUGHTY OR SELFISH OR RUDE. LOVE DOES NOT DEMAND ITS OWN WAY. IT IS NOT IRRITABLE OR TOUCHY. IT DOES NOT HOLD GRUDGES AND WILL HARDLY EVEN NOTICE WHEN OTHERS DO IT WRONG. IT IS NEVER GLAD ABOUT INJUSTICE, BUT REJOICES WHEN TRUTH WINS OUT. IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE YOU WILL BE LOYAL NO MATTER THE COST. 1Cor 13:4-7 IT IS THE LOVE THAT WE DEMONSTRATE ONE FOR ANOTHER, NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES!!!! We may have the demonstration of His power in our midst but remember the admonition of Paul in 1Cor12:31, and 13:1-3; BUT EARNESTLY DESIRE AND ZEALOUSLY CULTIVATE THE GREATEST AND BEST GIFTS AND GRACES, THE HIGHER GIFTS AND THE CHOICEST GRACES. AND YET I WILL SHOW YOU A STILL MORE EXCELLENT WAY, ONE THAT IS BETTER BY FAR AND THE HIGHEST OF THEM ALL...................LOVE. IF I CAN SPEAK IN THE TONGUES OF MEN AND EVEN OF ANGELS, BUT HAVE NOT LOVE, THAT REASONING, INTENTIONAL, SPIRITUAL DEVOTION SUCH AS IS INSPIRED BY GODS LOVE FOR AND IN US, I AM ONLY A NOISY GONG OR A CLANGING CYMBAL. AND IF I HAVE PROPHETIC POWERS, THE GIFT OF INTERPRETING THE DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE, AND UNDERSTAND ALL THE SECRET TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES AND POSSESS ALL KNOWLEDGE, AND IF I HAVE SUFFICIENT FAITH SO THAT I CAN REMOVE MOUNTAINS, BUT HAVE NOT LOVE , GODS LOVE IN ME, I AM NOTHING, A USELESS NOBODY, EVEN IF I DOLE OUT ALL THAT I HAVE TO THE POOR IN PROVIDING FOOD, AND IF I SURRENDER MY BODY TO BE BURNED OR IN ORDER THAT I MAY GLORY, BUT HAVE NOT LOVE, GODS LOVE IN ME, I GAIN NOTHING. Mat 7:12-23; SO THEN, WHATEVER YOU DESIRE THAT OTHERS WOULD DO TO AND FOR YOU, EVEN SO DO ALSO TO AND FOR THEM, FOR THIS IS, SUMS UP, THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE; FOR WIDE IS THE GATE AND SPACIOUS AND BROAD IS THE WAY THAT LEADS AWAY TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY ARE THOSE WHO ARE ENTERING THROUGH IT. BUT THE GATE IS NARROW, CONTRACTED BY PRESSURE, AND THE WAY IS STRAIGHTENED AND COMPRESSED THAT LEADS AWAY TO LIFE, AND FEW ARE THOSE WHO FIND IT. BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, WHO COME TO YOU DRESSED AS SHEEP, BUT INSIDE THEY ARE DEVOURING WOLVES. YOU WILL FULLY RECOGNIZE THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. DO PEOPLE PICK GRAPES FROM THORNS OR FIGS FROM THISTLES? EVEN SO, EVERY HEALTHY TREE CANNOT BEAR BAD, WORTHLESS CAN A BAD, DISEASED TREE BEAR EXCELLENT FRUIT, WORTHY OF ADMIRATION. EVERY TREE THAT DOES OT BEAR GOOD FRUIT IS CUT DOWN AND CAST INTO THE FIRE. THEREFORE, YOU WILL FULLY KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, LORD, LORD, WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN. MANY WILL SAY TO ME ON THAT DAY, LORD, LORD HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN YOUR NAME AND DRIVEN OUT DEMONS IN YOUR NAME AND DONE MANY MIGHTY WORKS IN YOUR NAME? AND I WILL SAY TO THEM OPENLY AND PUBLICLY, I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO ACT WICKEDLY, DISREGARDING MY COMMANDS. THEN ONE OF THE SCRIBES CAME UP AND LISTENED TO THEM DISPUTING WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND, NOTICING THAT JESUS ANSWERED THEM FITLY AND ADMIRABLY, HE ASKED HIM WHICH COMMANDMENT IS FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL IN ITS NATURE? JESUS ANSWERED, THE FIRST AND PRINCIPAL ONE OF ALL COMMANDMENTS IS: HEAR OF ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD, AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD OUT OF AND WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART AND OUT OF AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, YOUR LIFE, AND OUT OF AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, WITH YOUR FACULTY OF THOUGHT AND YOUR MORAL UNDERSTANDING, AND OUT OF AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH. THIS IS THE FIRST AND PRINCIPLE COMMANDMENT. THE SECOND IS LIKE IT AND IS THIS, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, THERE IS NO OTHER COMMANDMENT GREATER THAN THESE. ( Mark 12:28-30) I GIVE YOU A NEW COMMANDMENT: THAT YOU SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER. JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, SO YOU TOO SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BY THIS SHALL ALL MEN KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER, IF YOU KEEP ON SHOWING LOVE AMONG YOURSELVES, SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, REMEMBER THESE WORDS AS WE PRAY FOR POWER AND SIGNS AND WONDERS TO APPEAR IN OUR MIDST, THAT THE FIRST THING THAT WE NEED TO PRAY THAT MANIFEST IN US IS HIS LOVE. SELAH
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 18:49:14 +0000