"The Pure Flow of Life Eternal"

Now that you might understand the workings of the spigot, you can better understand the way we try to control the flow on another level; which has to do with trials. Trials that are meant to shape us, and mold us into His perfect image; and we try and stop what He is doing within that trial by our actions. I know a little something about this, so you can know that I am sharing from experience; besides, it also has several examples within God's word. The number one way that we put our hand upon the spigot is by complaining when we are going through a trial. It is really hard, if not impossible to be a witness of someone who is living Life Eternal when you moan and groan about a speed bump. Yet, when we do complain about something which God has allowed for us to go through, what does that say for our belief in His love for us? I know God loves me, but today He is really being a prick! How about: God, I don't know what your doing, so why don't you just stop! Or: Lord, love me a little less! All of which are ways to express frustration in what you are going through, but none give glory to God and the work which He can do in you, and in those around you. When Jesus spoke about "a well of water springing up into everlasting life", He means to refer to that which is God's; in other words, God's eternal time clock is becoming your reality through the Living Water that is springing up inside of you. Therefore, when we make an issue of something which really has no effect whatsoever upon that which is eternal, we are placing our hand upon the tap, and we are closing the flow... "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart." (2 Corinthians 3:3)

"Change My Heart O God"

What do you think Cain should have done differently? Well, not kill his brother would work for starters. Have you ever wished you could change something about your life? Have you ever wanted to change something about someones else life? How about both at the same time? This is where we find Cain in the moments before he killed his brother; frustrated by the fact that his sacrifice was rejected, yet his brother's was looked upon with favor. This is the point in our lives where we must ask God to change our heart; where we must consider the things which are right, and then settle upon those things. I know that you have heard the story about how Cain's offering was one of works, and that made it unacceptable to God; and how that Abel's was a blood sacrifice, which made it one that God accepted. But, what if Cain had traded his crops for one of his brother's sheep; would that have made it different? It is pointless to think that we can not be changed, because we can; and when it comes to disputes with our brothers and sisters, we must! Look at Cain's heart, which was one that wanted to please God, and then was turned away from God when he wanted to kill his brother. We must change our heart! We must ask God to change it, and to settle our heart upon that which is right; otherwise we will become just as Cain, who was not at all concerned about his brother, until it became his concern; and then it became an obsession in his heart to hate his brother; not because his brother had done anything wrong to him, but because what he had done was wrong and his brother's was right. Now then; about that spigot; how do you think this has anything to do with that? I know, it really looks as though I have changed the topic altogether; but not so. Imagine for just a moment that Cain was not Cain, but that Cain were you: here you are expressing your love to God by offering Him the fruit of your labour, yet your not getting any acceptance for this effort; does God not love you? no, that's not it; do you not love God? no, I do not think that is the case either. The problem was in the sacrifice, and the fact that without the shedding of blood, no sacrifice is acceptable to God. So, at this point you are wondering what should I do; which is good, because you really do want to please God. And then you look over and see your brother offering one of his sheep up to God, and notice that his offering is acceptable to God; now what do you do with that? Well, if you are still wanting to please God, then you will want to offer something that is acceptable to God, and you will purchase a sheep from your brother; which will be what is required to continue in love and to build upon the fellowship you share with your brother. Or, you reject what is right, and in doing so, you turn off that spigot; stopping the flow out; and ultimately also stopping the flow within... But maybe this does not pertain to your situation? Then again, maybe it does! We are to be about loving our brother; which means that sometimes requires that we lay down our selfish pride, and look for a way to change our heart; begging God to change whatever it is that makes me angry with our brother or sister, starting in me!!! "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hatheth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:13-16)

"And Make Me Whole"

You are no doubt wondering just how it is that we could even try and control something that is out of our control? I have thought about this all yesterday and last night, and there still is no easy way to explain it; but I shall try. First off, something we all should be able to agree upon: to be completely whole, we must believe that Jesus Christ has made us completely whole; do you agree? If you do not, then you must not be whole yourself, and therefore do not believe that it is so. Nevertheless; when Jesus asked the man which was by the pool at Bethesda, "Wilt thou be made whole?", He did not ask him that question because He needed to know the answer, He asked him that question because the man needed to believe that he could be made whole. When Paul speaks about "as many as be perfect" in Philippians 3:15, he is referring to those of us that believe that Jesus Christ has made us completely whole. In other words; we who are living for the end of this journey realize that the end justifies the means; or, what we shall become justifies what we are in Jesus Christ. In this we are made perfect; not because we are already perfect, but because that is what we shall be. And the real kicker is, that with God, and His eternal clock, we are perfect today!!! Secondly, there is the matter of sin; which for all it is worth, means more than those sins which were once considered ungodly, but now includes those things which express God; which are love for God and one another. This is pointless to continue in if we do not agree that not loving is sin; and it is also pointless to think that you love God if you hate your brother. To really love my brother, then those things which might offend me that I think my brother has done, must be forgiven; and when I say must, I mean as though forgiving them is the thing I need to do that I might be made whole; because it is!!! Thirdly, and here is where many of us part ways; but the real proof of being filled with the Spirit of God is not in tongues, or in performing signs and wonders, but in love for God and each other. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are governed by the love of God; which is not something which we can control, but is rather something which must be lived out. However; we have made controlling God's love a part of our reasoning in matters that pertain to the church and in matters that pertain to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Say, Rich, this is hard to swallow! You are right, and I have not given it the justice that it deserves in sharing it the way that I have; but, we must understand something about our heart: "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." (1 John 3:11 & 12)

"Spring Up O Well"

"I have a River of Life flowing out of me!" That is the ticket!!! Yet, and I say this with some small reservation, there is a tap on this well; a spigot; a valve that controls the flow. As we have talked about before, in order for a river to be called a river it must flow; and in order for a well to spring up, it must be tapped. The reason that there is some reservation in my statement is because there are two separate ways to control this tap: our hands or His; I would prefer that it be His! Maybe we should understand what I mean by a tap? There are two meanings for this word, and they both are for getting water to flow in a certain direction: To tap into a water source and to allow water to flow from a tap. I do not mean to confuse you, but only to make a point: This tap which is tapped into The River of Life has been installed by God; therefore it must also be controlled by God, and not by us; however, that is not how we have made it to be! I can not show you what I see, but can only pray that you see it for yourself; who's hand is on the spigot to control the flow? Okay; so that might not have worked? How about this? If the well of water in us is springing up into everlasting life, how is that the indicator of who controls the flow? Give up? Life eternal is equivalent to the kingdom of God; which, in case you did not know, is not limited by time; nor is His kingdom limited by the things we think should happen, or by the things we think can not happen. In other words, God's kingdom has power; power to move mountains; power to raise the dead; power "to make the lame to walk and the blind to see". So; who should be controlling the spigot? Because for us, who do not know the power of His kingdom, although we think that we do, should not try and control the flow of something that is eternal...

"The Promise" -2

Much of what happens to our lives is dependent upon what we do with what we know! Do you get that? When Jesus spoke about never thirsting, it is the thought of never again longing for the answer; never again needing to be satisfied by a need to know; it also means that there is no longer a thirst for righteousness, which actually means a right standing with God. Now then; if we go back to 1 John 3:24, and take notice of something that John says: "And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him"; this is a two-way street. In other words; there is a reason that we are able to keep His commandments, and it has to do with dwelling in Him, and He dwelling in us. And when Jesus spoke about the well of water springing up inside of us into eternal life, in a nut-shell, He is speaking about power over sin! Much as Paul was declaring that being perfect is made possible because we have been made perfect by the blood of Jesus Christ, so that we can now press towards that which we have been made to be. So then, we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ because He has already made us perfect; yet we are still required to walk out that perfection He has given us. And as John continues with in verse 24, "And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us", is not only that evidence of the well of water springing up inside of us, but is also the power needed to live out the perfection which we are in. Having said all of that; and hoping that it made some kind of sense; let me now say, that the reason I believe we are not able to retain a heart that is pure is because of sin, unconfessed sin in our lives! Yet, on the other hand, the reason that we are able, even more than able to retain a heart that is pure, is because we are pressing towards that which we have been made in Jesus Christ, which is perfect; and there is only one way to be perfect, and that is to confess our sin!!! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

"The Promise"

"And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He adideth in us, by the Spirit He hath given us." (1 John 3:24) Although; even though I do not hold to that belief, I do believe that it has a place in our hearts. What belief are you wondering? the one from yesterday's post: that once God makes a man's heart pure, and then places His Spirit within that heart, that there is no way that heart can become impure. How can you not hold to a belief, yet believe that it is so? Well, first off, I did not say that it was so, only that it has a place in our hearts; which means that it can be so, if we make it so. Wow! Make it so? as if we now have some control over our eternity? Okay; let's think about this for a moment. In Philippians 3:12-15, Paul writes, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you". There are some simple answers to that which you seek; and the first has to do with a promise that Jesus made to the Samaritan woman at the well, in John 4:14, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life". My mom would always say, You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink. And for this I am grateful, and dreary, all at the same time; because I understand that the promise of 'a well of water springing up inside me' does not guarantee that it shall spring forth out of me. Looking at Paul words from the verses above, there are a couple areas that need attention; the first of which is the word 'perfect'; because in verse 12, Paul says, "either were already perfect (teleioo)"; yet in verse 15, he writes, "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect (teleios)". Two very similar words, but with two very different meanings. The second word, which means to be complete, has to be viewed by the person who is perfect as having already been established; while the first word, which means to complete, is viewed by that same person as the road to getting there...

"Keeping a Pure Heart" -3

If I had to pick a blog that I would finish with, it might be this one. When we are talking about 'Keeping a Pure Heart', the concept is really quite simple to understand; however, doing it requires help; help which requires the desire to be pure! God will make our heart pure by the removal of sin; I think we can all get a good understanding of that; right? In this process of the removal of sin is also the removal of guilt; guilt which was associated with that sin, and had made our hearts impure to begin with. However, the one thing that God will not do is to take away our free will, which is the one thing that can still prevent our hearts from remaining pure. This is where there might be a difference of opinion, because some might believe that once God makes a man's heart pure, and then places His Spirit within that heart, then there is no way that man's heart can become impure. I do not hold to this belief, because it is not quite that easy to keep pure. How do you explain the reason that we must press forward; keeping in fellowship; studying His Word to show ourselves approved; fasting and praying to know His will? all of which are things that require due diligence and effort on our part. Therefore, God can purify our heart, but we must endeavor to remain pure in heart; in other words, there must be the desire within our heart to remain pure; which will allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to do so. The real question we must answer, is whether or not our purification is a process, or is it instantaneous? How about both? Yes, that is my answer! His will for us is instantaneous; however, our will requires a process. Can you see what is required of you? Getting our will to alien with His will is what produces a heart that is pure. Or, a better way to put it: a heart that is pure will not desire sin, because a pure heart will wish to remain pure... "Wilt thou be made whole? (then) Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. (and) Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to you." (The words of Jesus from John 5:6-14)

"Keeping a Pure Heart" -2

Having a pure heart is pointless if we are going to continue in sin, that is for sure; however, there are some, even myself, which have tried; and I can assure you that it does not work. Now what am I talking about? Well, it goes something like this: you have asked God to forgive you for your sin, yet have taken that which causes you to sin, and have stowed it away for another day. I know that I have shared on this before, but this time it is about the heart, and love; something which we must keep pure. I should not need to say much more for you to get where this is going, and why the same result is not going to happen as yesterday; because it is. Those same two sources are going to tear you up, and as long as you are holding onto sin, there is nothing else that you can do about it. To really keep a pure heart we must want a heart that is pure! That sounds oddly simple, doesn't it? but it is true. God is more than able to make our heart pure; time and time again, if need be; however, the choice to keeping a pure heart is up to us, and no one else! So, what are we really talking about here? and why is love an issue? Really? is that your question? Have we not spent enough time on what love really means? and to who's benefit our love is for? Let me ask you this: do you think your love for God effects His love for you in any way? I think not! His love never changes, because He changes not; so try all you want, but you will not make Him love you any more, or any less. However; your love can be stronger and stronger, depending on the pureness of your heart; and if you are holding onto something that you know causes you to sin, then you have chosen to have a heart that is not pure... "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)

"Keeping a Pure Heart"

It is not surprising to me anymore how God makes me travel in circles; neither do I wonder what He will show me next, because I have grown interested in being surprised. When we are talking about a pure heart, it does not mean that we have a heart which has not sinned, but rather a heart that has no sin. The watchmen that went about the city and the keepers of the walls from the verses that I closed with yesterday are the ones whom we must fear, because that is the poison which can make us hold onto sin. What is sin? missing the mark is the best definition of what sin has become, and the mark can be missed in our relationships also. To be better equip to not miss the mark, an archer will practice hitting the mark over and over, that is called archery; which is what is required for one to become skilled enough to be called an archer. In our relationships, the point is the same; to be better equip to not miss the mark, we must practice hitting the mark over and over; and in love, that is how you are declared lover, (sounds dirty?). But really; hitting the mark every time will most likely not happen, which is referred to as sin; and when sin does happen there are consequences, sometimes minor, sometimes major, but most assuredly there are consequences. However, with God there is forgiveness of sin, to the point of forgotten; however not so easy for us, because we tend to hold onto and keep track of our misses; that is where the 'watchmen' and the 'keepers of the walls' come into play, because they continue to yell out, Sinner, as we try to correct our way. Two different sources are given here, although they both do the same function, which is to guard the city from intruders; or better defined for the purpose of this post: to declare sin and trespass by exposing it, in an effort to cause harm or attention to the sinner. These two sources are different because of their locations; one is upon the walls, looking for those that might be coming in; while the other is located within, roaming the city and looking for intruders. I have tried to determine which is which, but I am a little confused on how the enemy can get into the city, let alone become a watchmen within it; however, the way I see it, and in the context of what we are talking about, the one upon the walls is our conscience, and the watcher is the devil... "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is the commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave us commandment." (1 John 3:18-23)

"Trusting In Love" -3

Do I have your attention? or did I leave you somewhere wondering what I was talking about? It might seem a little hard to get hold of what I am trying to say, but it really is quite simple: in us is the ability to trust in love to the point that renders us unconcerned of our actions. Blame it on our hearts, if you will; but we can get to a point in our relationships where we no longer put forth the great effort to express our love, because we become so confident in the love we have been given. Much like the portion of Scripture which I shared yesterday, in which there was the lack of motivation to get out of bed and open the door, knowing that love would wait; however, it did not! I know, you are wondering where this is going? However, our love that is expressed to our spouse, much like our love expressed to God, is not just for the benefit of who we are expressing to, but is also beneficial to us. (Come again?) Okay; because we have this heart, wickedly wanting to please itself, we have the tendency to slip into a place where we are so confident of the love that we have, we stop putting forth the effort to be loved by loving; the old expression, "You don't bring me flowers anymore" has become a reality within the relationship. Now where are you? scrambling to the door to open it? wishing you could hit the reset button, and do that part of your life over? When we do this in our relationship with each other it can be devastating, because the one that is offended can retreat; which means that they may take interest in another. Hope is not lost, but there must be every effort to win back their heart to the point where they once again are confident to your love for them. When we do this in our relationship with God, it is not so difficult to fix, because He knows our heart better than we know it our self! However; and this is the kicker; the benefit we lost in the relationship with God was not His love for us, but it was our purity in our love for Him... "The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love." (The Song of Solomon 5:7 & 8)

"Trusting In Love" -2

"I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave no answer." (The Song of Solomon 5:2-6) Having tried to talk about what passion is to love, I felt drained and in need of a fresh dose of it myself; but there is something else that must be said about surrendering oneself, and trusting in love: it never misses an opportunity to be experienced. This is really quite strange to try and put into words, but much like the verse above which speaks about "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on?", it is that form of lack of surrender which I am trying to address. To better understand what the heck I am talking about, you should think of this more in the light of how we do, than what we do. A good example of that would be the response you might get from your kid when you ask them to do something, and they respond by saying, I don't feel like it, or some such thing. It is on a whole different level, but it is much the same; the difference however is that for us and God, it is not. Here we are talking about something of far greater importance, and if I was going to try and sum up what trusting in love really means, then I would explain it as so: to attach oneself, confide in it, and feel safe; confident, secure and careless: this type of hope is a confident expectation, not a constant anxiety. We can truly relax when we know God loves us and is in control! Having said that, let me take it to the next level of trust, which is our heart; because that requires the effort to get up out of bed and open the door...

"Trusting In Love"

Now that you have somewhat been taken to who knows where, let me assure you that love and death have more in common than you might think. Trust is one that comes to the forefront of my mind; because as in death, where we trust that there will be something waiting on the other side, so it is with love. Maybe you can't see it the way that I do? but spend a few years in my shoes and I think you will understand. First off, love must be invested into; in other words, you must make the effort to vest into that which you love, otherwise it is only something that you like, but is not loved with a passion. In doing so, investing that is, you will find that with this effort that is put forth there is a matter of trust which is established; not necessarily trust in the person being loved, but trust in the act of love itself. How is that possible? you might be wondering. Well, (one of those), because love is a passion, it involves surrendering part of yourself to experience it to it's fullest merit; in doing so, it is the passion which is involved that continues to fuel the flames of love; however, this passion must be vested in the love and not the other way around. This is where many fall short, and the main reason for divorce to be so rampant: love based upon passion, instead of passion based upon love. Love needs to be as sure as death! It must be always in the forefront of your mind, as if it is inevitable to happen; why? Because love is not based upon passion, that is why! It is a passion, however it does not depend upon passion to live; passion is dependent upon love; and love is forever!

"Taught By Love" -2

In case you were wondering, the word 'jealousy' in The Song of Solomon 8:6 actually means 'ardent'; which means that the proper translation should read, "Ardent zeal is as strong as the grave"; and ardent means passionate or intense. This is a very interesting Book in the Bible, and many avoid teaching on it all together. However, it's original title in the Hebrew was "The Song of Songs", meaning the best of songs; and it is best described as love poetry. The Jews referred it to God's dealings with His bride, Israel; however, early Christians saw it as representing the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. Either way it is packed with some very strong metaphors, which when taken out of context can make you blush while teaching this Book in front of a large crowd of people. That being said, I am learning something from not just God's love for me, but I am also being taught by the love I share with my wife. I say share because I still believe that we have a connection, although many cannot tell it is so; caught in the moment of surprise, neither can I demonstrate it for you; but hang out with us for several hours of sharing (as if I would permit it) and you would be able to see the connection. This shared love is something that can only be expressed by the act of sharing in it; in other words, it is pointless for me to try and explain this love to you, because it would be much like the second part of verse seven in The Song of Solomon chapter eight: irrational. In other words; you would not understand the rationality of my passion, nor the deeper meanings that are expressed; at least not enough to justify their importance to divorce reality, or what might be perceived as reality by those that are looking outwardly for reason. To put it bluntly, some would say, What an idiot!, and shake their head in wonder, as they don't even try to understand why because it seems so meaningless. However; just as the meaning of "for love is as strong as death" in verse six, to really know the passion of what is being experienced by love, one must be taken to that place; much as, to know what death is really like; well you get the picture...

"Taught By Love"

I have to confess something else to you, and anyone who knows me and my current situation knows that I have some battles; but I have learned only recently what it means to look beyond this life. Yes, it's true; for many years I have lived as a Christian man who was waiting to be taken from this place and to be with the Lord, only to recently realize that His love can give me the calmness I need within the storm. In other words, I really do not need to be yearning for heaven as if that were the relief from the fire; but that heaven could be within my grasp right now, just by knowing the power of His great and mighty love. I am not talking about being transported into heaven, although I do believe that has happened; but I am talking about being so content with knowing Him and His love that nothing else matters at all; absolutely nothing! That is what I mean by looking beyond this life. It is something which we are taught to do, that can only be learned by experiencing the Love of God all by it's self. I know that might sound a little odd, but that is the only way that I can describe it. All other things that could matter in this life are set aside, if not just for a moment, and there is nothing else but His love. Sounds a little weird; yes? I think that this is something that is brought about by the loss of fear; fear to be without is no longer present; fear to be lost can not be found; fear to be alone is not in reach. That is what His love teaches us to be: without fear! In this we find that the storm is not only welcomed, but it actually adds definition to the journey, and gives place for those that are afflicted by it to be brought into safety from it. Not only is there no fear from the storm, but there is a watchful eye for those that might be looking for relief within their own storm, because His love can overcome anything... "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth that bare thee. Set me a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned." (The Song of Solomon 8:5-7)

"No Greater Love" -4

Now that you might be confused and left wondering if I am on drugs, let me assure you that I am not; however, I must confess, that this portion of my life is more challenged than ever before. As I think about love, and what we take for granted each and every day, I have to wonder why so many people in the world do not love with a love that is sacrificial. I do believe that we have ability to love in a way that gives of ourselves, because we can see examples of that love in the pages of history; however, many listed there had been killed for love of country or some such thing. Right now I am thinking of the love between a husband and a wife, which must be one that is sacrificial in order to withstand the moments of neglect or the frustrations of being human. We can not have perfect lives, because this is not a perfect world; but we can have perfect love, because that perfect love is not of this world. To give an example of what I mean, let me try and illustrate what perfect love is: perfect love is love that puts the cares and needs of someone else above that of oneself; perfect love requires the giver to surrender the idea of measuring the love that they might give; perfect love is not based upon being responded to, but is based upon the desire to love, regardless of the result. This type of love is not of this world, because it does not have it's reward guaranteed in this world, but in another; it's benefit is given by the fulfillment of what love is meant to stand for. And when I say that we take this love for granted every day, I mean that we lack the desire to make it happen; or for a lack of a better word: to crave for the chance to love in that way. Crave is a pretty harsh word to use, but it is actually the word that best describes what I mean; because it is a word that expresses what it means to greatly desire something; to want it so bad that it hurts. This might be considered as heartbroken, or a heart that has an ungovernable passion to see it's self expressed; not caring what is in store for the giver, but only that it can give, and keep on giving. (Okay, maybe I am having flashbacks?) "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:13-16)

"No Greater Love" -3

Did we get there yet? Where? Doing the will of God, that's where! How can we actually manifest the 'will of God' in our lives? Love!!! But not a selfish love; which is one that looks for benefit to be towards the one giving the love, rather than the one receiving it; what? A sacrificial love is one because it sacrifices something for the benefit of another; that is what God's love has done for us. And greater is His love than even that, in that He did so without a desire to be accepted or even rewarded for His love towards us; but that we could know that He loves us, and that He would do whatever it takes to save us. Hold on; I thought God made a way for man to be saved so that they might have fellowship with Him? isn't that a benefit for Him? First off, that is not how God thinks, as someone who desires fellowship with someone else might think. Because He is Holy, and holiness is not a character which comes naturally with a fallen man; therefore He is not desiring to have fellowship with fallen man, but that fallen man might be restored to fellowship with Him; which requires the fallen man to become Holy, as He is Holy, so that fellowship may even be possible. Secondly, His love for us is because He loves us, as His special creatures, that He has made in His image; more special that even the host of heaven, because we have been given a free will and the right to choose to love. Thirdly, because of the fall of man, man's soul was separated from God's Spirit; which caused man to be spiritually dead from God, who is the Giver of Life; which caused hurt toward God's heart for fallen man that was condemned to destruction. So, God's benefit in this matter, is that man would be saved from eternal destruction by choosing to accept His Love. Hold on; I thought you said He had no desire to be accepted? You see, here is where we differ from God; because we do things to get rewards for doing them, yet God, He does what He does to reward those that receive His love; so His desire for us is that we might be saved; it just so happens that the way we are saved is by accepting His love. Now then; as far as we manifesting God's love in our lives, and what is required to do so: that is our sacrifice to God, which is to be Holy... "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." (1 John 3:1-3)

"No Greater Love" -2

Maybe the first thing we need to know about "the will of God" is what His will means? It signifies His gracious disposition toward something; in other words, the will of God designates what God Himself does of His own good pleasure. However, if we look again at John's writings, what John specifically said was, "but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever", which is talking about man doing what it is that God has done. Now I wonder what that could be? If I could just get past this mortality, then I could really understand how this works; but that is not possible, because as soon as I open my eyes I am still in it, and the vision is gone. Nevertheless, I will try and explain what I think He has shown me, and with a little luck, it might make sense to someone out there in cyberspace. The will of God when it comes to man is that which results from His process of determination; in other words, God, who being determined to provide a way for man to be saved from sin and all that comes with it, had only one way to to bring about that result, and it involved the giving of Himself, which was His Son Jesus Christ. Okay, but how does that relate to something that man can do? Right? Well (another deep subject) let's think about this for just a moment; because John, unlike Paul, does not make much mention of the Holy Spirit, although he does make references to all that the Holy Spirit does. That being said, we do have the will of God abiding in us when we are filled with His Spirit, because as with all things God, His will is also eternal; and that same will which resulted in the giving of His Son is still very much who He is and a part of Him. Now that we know the roundabout of what 'the will of God' is meant to manifest, we can better understand the heart of His will, or the center of why His will is so determined to save man from their sin; and that my dear brothers and sisters is Love. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"No Greater Love"

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:17) I guess what I am trying to say here today, is that God's love gives us more to look forward to than anything that is available in this world; period! And yet we are caught time and time again searching for some kind of fulfillment for this temporary earning; something that brings pleasure to a dying vessel, maybe even satisfaction. However, that is not the way it works; we can not satisfy the flesh, because it always wants more than we can give it. Within the verse above are two very different words; one points to destruction, while the other points towards eternal life. The first word which we see is the word 'lust', which is the word 'epithumia', and is not just a want, as in I desire something, although the word can mean that; but this is strong desire, or longing for. I find that in the times when I feel distant from God, are the times when I am longing for things here more than the things of heaven; it is that kind of longing, where you are wanting to satisfy something which cannot be brought into a state of fulfillment; and which creates an appetite for only more of the same. The other word, which is in the total opposite direction, is the word 'will', as in the "will of God"; which surprisingly is a noun, because it is the result of the will. The word we are talking about is the word 'thelema', with is from the word 'theo' which means to will; however, the suffix -ma indicates that it is the result of the will. Will, not to be conceived as a demand, but as an expression or inclination of pleasure towards that which is liked, that which pleases and creates joy. This that we are talking about here brings fulfillment, because it is based upon something that is greater than ourselves; something which can not be matched by our own fleshly desires; therefore, it brings satisfaction on a whole different level. Oddly enough, this same word 'thelema' is used in John 1:13, and is expressed as "the will of the flesh"; however, this same term is used in Ephesians 2:3 where it is referring to the desires of the flesh, or lust; but in John 1:13 it is referring to something altogether different, and that which sparks a ton of controversy among Believers. What makes this word 'thelema' so hard to understand, is not that it is opposite the word used for 'lust', which is how it is used in the verse we find in 1 John 2:17; but it is really how similar these two words can express desire, and can actually cause a life to move in a certain direction... "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12 & 13)

"Spiritual Adultery"

John is speaking about two types of love in 1 John 2:15, 'agapao' and 'agape'; "love not the world" uses the 'agapao' word, which means to esteem, indicating a direction of the will and finding one's joy in something or someone. This is the love that is expressed in Ephesians 2:4, "His great love wherewith He loved us"; and it brings with it strong affection. It also is the type of love which is used towards our enemies; love that expresses compassion towards another; which is different than 'phileo' love, which is to befriend them and adopt their interest; becoming friends on their level. It is this act of finding joy in something other than in God which is what I am talking about today; because that is what we will be drawn to, time and time again for fulfillment of joy. Which is really quite ironic when you come to think of it, because those things that we get joy from on this earth are not long lasting, and can only give temporary fulfillment. However, the joy that the Lord gives to us is eternal; meaning that His ability to fulfill joy within us never changes and is always available. The other love which John uses, 'agape', "the love of the Father is not in him", expresses God's willful direction towards man; "For God so loved the world" is a prime example of this love. This type of love, although seemingly close to 'agapao', is more the proof of love than the expression of love; therefore, it is to say that God's eternal love is not in us because of our affection towards that which is temporary, and that which is passing away. Therefore, this is what we can refer to as 'spiritual adultery'; which demonstrates man's ability to accept God's willful direction towards him, and yet turn right around and seek fulfillment of joy in the things of this world: instead of his joy being fulfilled by the expressed Love of God...

"Pray Always" -2

I am sorry for the abrupt ending yesterday, but I needed time to think about where God was leading me; and like I have said before, sometimes I do not know until I start pushing down on these keys. The reason for showing the type of condition that the children of Israel were in when Hezekiah began his reign, was because this world today is pretty much in that same condition. Not all of it; because there are some true Christians among us, but the majority of the world today is either serving false gods or have turned their back on God all together. Therefore, the things of this world, especially those things of commerce, are more geared for the majority than for the minority. Leading up to the time of Hezekiah's reign, the previous kings were obsessed with worshiping pagan gods; and the reason that they were, is because they thought that was where it was at; the popular thing to do that brought the most benefit to this life and their rule. Doing that requires a complete abandonment of God, primarily because it goes against God's commands; but more specifically, because man's heart gets harder and harder the further they transgress the will of God. To ensure that there is no disturbance to their fleshly pleasures, these kings had made the people of the land worship their gods also; making the holy temple of God as an old relic, and something which was for generations past. Pay attention to what the enemy is doing around you!!! Misery loves company; the devil wants to drag as many to hell with him as he can. Not to change the subject, but I really love Sarah Palin and what she is doing right now on her bus tour. One of my favorite books is called The President, which is about a very liberal president of the United States who gets schooled by the writings of our founders, and then changes his heart, accepts Jesus Christ, and begins to change the way he governs; only to find out that all those he has placed around him are determined to destroy him, because they are not willing to be changed themselves. In God's children that are here among the majority of those that are not His, is the ability to be separate and to stand out as the chosen people of God that they are; however, that ability is often made handicapped by the things of this world and the desires of the flesh. These are the things that we are to be praying about; these are the things that will cause those foolish virgins to not have oil in their lamps at His coming; ending fellowship with God because of the cares of this world... "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17)