Tag Archive | commandments

Greater Love

Oct5

Legends have come and legends have gone, but there is one thing that lasts a lifetime…Love.

You might not think that–given the current divorce rate, but the one factor that drives those to divorce is love–

for self.

Now, what are the two greatest commandments?

Love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength and with all thy mind.

And

Love thy neighbor as thy self.

If you would love others as much as you love yourself, you would be loving your God with all your heart. For only when a heart is turned toward God, does it love another with the love of God beyond themselves. And that kind of love, Agape Love, lasts a lifetime.

Legendary love?

It’s not a legend–it’s the Truth.

Love.

“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered right; do this, and you will live.”” Luke 10:25-28

“But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your cloak do not withhold your coat as well. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” Luke 6:27-31

“We love, because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.” I John 4:19-21

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:9-12

Sittin on a Log

Apr4

If I could just see to get that log out of my eye, I am confident that I will find that my brother doesn’t have the speck that I thought he had–it is merely the shadow of my own log.

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5

Why can’t I seem to get that log out?

I think my fingers are too big, or pointed in the wrong direction. I will look to the Word. I am sure that therein is the tool to remove the log from my eye.

And when I’ve got that log out, I will see clearly to love my neighbor as myself; for I am certain to be more loveable then!

“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

Swimming Lessons

May5

Have you ever noticed that children only lose one tooth at a time? Old teeth must go to make room for new arrivals; for there will be tougher things to chew in life, but if they lost them all at once there would be no eating.

Do you see why I take you a step at a time?

You still have to eat!

If I took you into the deep too quickly, you would lose the ability to function in the natural world and you wouldn’t yet have learned to swim.

Just as kids learn to chew a little at a time–I’ll take you deeper a tooth at a time.

And

Just as the child keeps ‘working’ that tooth, I want you to get to work on your process. Pay attention when the tooth begins to loosen–you’re about to get something bigger to chew on, but first, we must get that baby tooth out.

I’ll take you into the deep.

One tooth at a time…

I’ll teach you to swim.

“–for every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:13-14

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40

“And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons?–“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:5-11

“The earth, O Lord, is full of thy steadfast love; teach me thy statutes! Thou has dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in thy commandments.” “Thy hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments. Those who fear thee shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in thy word.” Psalms 119:64-66, 73-74

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited their adherents.” Hebrews 13:7-9

“Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13:17

“My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 24:13-14

“If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you be sated with it and vomit it.” Proverbs 26:16

Found Ready!

Apr13

Quiet introspection allows you to see what lies inside that is a hindrance to your love walk. Do you walk in love all the time or just when it is convenient and feels good? A true ‘love walk’ is to love when you would rather slander. Love when you would often retaliate.

Love the unlovely and the unkind.

Love the sublime.

Master love, and you will be a prize for the Master; for you will be ready for any task at any moment for you are primed, but stable, and fully able to control your emotions. Therefore, in quiet introspection, do you find yet areas that are unlovely? Bring them to the forefront. We will sort and label, yes label–we are not labeling you, but the sin that so easily besets you, and bringing it to the light to be cleansed.

Your efforts will not be wasted…

For a new label will be pasted…

Perfected in Love!

For you will be perfected to love. You will be…

Found Ready!

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you; immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:5-10

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body and be thankful.” Colossians 3:12-15

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world.” I John 4:15-17

“He who says “I know him” but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him; he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” I John 2:4-6

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” I John 4:11-12

“Father, I desire that they also, whom thou has given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee, and these know that thou hast sent me. I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:24-26

Abide

Jan15

Advancing into the Kingdom of God is like that of the growth of a baby. It is well known in My Word that I feed my children milk before they are ready for strong meat, but also, like that of a baby, the growth does not develop properly until the baby begins to trust. He will not step out in faith unless he knows and believes that someone will be there to catch him if he should fall. The baby will search for his mother’s eyes, smile and toddle in the direction that he sees her. He will hear her voice and turn to her with a smile or run giggling in the opposite direction, knowing full well that he will be chased and caught up into her loving arms.

So it is when my children look to Me for acceptance, love and nurturing. One look into My eyes and they know they are safe. Listening for My voice, they are comforted when I call. When they fall, I pick them up. If they run away, they know full well that I will pursue them.

But, there comes a time when…

The child must grow up.
Must launch into the deep.
Must not depend, but deepen.
Must eat strong meat.
Not seek to be fed, but seek to feed others.

Childish ways must be set aside, for maturity and usefulness to emerge. Just as a mother’s love never diminishes as the child grows into the man, neither will my love wane, but intensify.

This is my command

Abide in Me.

Abide in My Love.

Love one another.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another.” Jn. 5:4-17