"The Better Grade"

"This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs." (Psalms 69:31) Try not to think about it like that, because it's not really about keeping any sort of law or tradition; it's more about knowing that God loves you, and with all of your might, trying to love Him back! How is that even possible? How is it possible to love anyone as you love yourself? Better yet, how about love them above yourself; now we are talking! It's the "horns and hoofs" part of it that got me going; to defend and advance, if you will, better than otherwise able. That's right! How else can we even try to love, without true love being within us? It's is not possible! In Luke 11:9-13, Jesus is speaking about "Asking", "Seeking", and "Knocking" for something special, something outside your own ability to make it happen. And I know that you have heard this before, but He actually is saying, to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking; in other words, don't give up! How quickly we give up trying to love the way that we are to love; it's almost as if we can not see it happening, so we don't believe that it's possible. But it is! It's just not going to happen in our own strength, it's going to happen by God's Spirit loving through us! Oh, this is "A Distress Call" alright; it is more than just calling out for help, it's about Who and Why you call out! Am I doing it for me, or am I doing for the sake of Him that I love? Am I doing to for the sake of others? This is why I believe James says, in James 4:3, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." I think asking to be more spiritual falls into that category; or asking to love others for the sake of appearance. These are only superficial and selfish things that do not count for anything in anything beyond religion. That's the whole point of every single thing that has it do with anything: Is it real, or is it for religion? Because if it is real, then guess what... "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them. We have an alter from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make His people holy by the means of His own blood. So let us go out to Him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace He bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name. And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." (Hebrews 13:8-16) NLT