Roberta, Tina…what ya saying?

Roberta Flack – Where is the love? (I don’t know)

Tina Turner – What’s love got to do with it? (EVERYTHING!!!)

There is one, true nature of God clearly represented in and of the Word, and that is LOVE!

1 John 4:16 says,

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

In other word, God does not love, love is the nature of God, yeah God is love, inseparable! Jesus gave us the greatest representation of the true nature of God. Love, unbiased and free flowing. God’s love for us is the most important thing we can receive. First Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (God’s kind of love). After all, think about it, faith will be gone one day, because we will be with the one we fully trusted in. Hope will be gone, because we will see the Lord and being with Him will fulfill all expectations and aspirations, but love will never end. Love will exist forever and ever, because God is love eternal.

Believers should have more than just a superficial knowledge of God’s love. In Ephesians, chapter 3, Paul prayed that the Ephesians would get a greater revelation of God’s love for them. He said, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Eph. 3:14-19).

Notice in verse 18 that God’s love isn’t just one-dimensional. There is height, depth, length, and breadth to it. Many Christians only see God’s love as one-dimensional. They’ve never seen the multi-dimensional reality of God’s love. It includes all space and time. It also encompasses all people. John 3:16 “For so loved the World…“ not just Christians, not just people of a specific culture, not just an explicit nation, race or creed. His love encases the world, His whole creation. Let me say this, anytime we see a preference of who is loved based on religious beliefs, color of skin or any other external factor, as believers you do not represent Him.

In verse 19, Paul said as we experience God’s love, which is superior to mere knowledge of God’s love, then we would be filled with all the fullness of God. Experiencing God’s love equals fullness.

We think we have to do something to earn God’s love and we tether it, like a work contract to our human performance. I need to pray more, read His Word more, do Christian acts more. We have to merit God’s love. That is not what the Bible teaches. We are not employees of God. Our reward is not based on our job performance. God’s love for us is unconditional. Understand, God doesn’t love us because of some virtue we possess. God loves us because He is, not because we are.

Religion is one of the biggest broadcasters of the conditional love of God propaganda. Many “Christian churches” teach that God’s love for us is conditional, based on performance. If we pray, go to church, pay our tithes, etc., then the Lord loves us and answers our prayers; but if we fail, then the Lord won’t answer our prayers. There is no Biblical truth to that theory pertaining to the New Testament church. Remember we are no longer under law but Grace.

People who love one minute and then act the opposite way the next minute simply don’t operate in God’s love. God’s Word tells us to even love our enemies (Matt. 5:44). It is a command. He didn’t say to do it if you feel like it. A command given by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords does not generate an optional, what do you think, response.

Galatians 5:22 says that love is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. This is specifically speaking of the Holy Spirit; and our new man was born of the Spirit, so it has to be true that God’s love has been shed abroad in our spirits too. We have the capability to love as He loves. God’s kind of love is a choice that you make on the basis of what God said, and then you act on it through faith until it becomes a reality in your whole being.

Romans 5:8 says, “God commendeth ( committed) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s love wasn’t based upon what we had done for Him or what we deserved but upon His choice, His free choosing to love us. We didn’t do anything to merit God’s love. He just chose to give it. We can receive His kind of love and then give it to others in the same way. The Word (John 13:35) says “By this shall ALL men know that ye are my disciples, my students, my apprentices, my representatives that you have love one to another”. What is the “this”? That we love one another, even as He has loved us. (verse 34)

His love was extended toward Hitler just as much as it was toward Billy Graham. The difference is our acceptance or rejection of it, not His offer of it. God’s love is unconditional. What about your love for the “world”? Can you walk in lock step with God “so loved the world”, recognizing that He is in you and you in Him which would indicate that you too should unconditionally love the world…and ALL of its inhabitants or are you caught up in this spirit of tribalism introduced by the demonic great opposer, Lucifer? I leave with this… 1 John 4:20-21, “If a man says, I love God and hateth (disregards and show little empathy) his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath seen? And this commandment (not suggestion) have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother (another creation of God) also.

Do Faith, It Pleases

“How many of you think God is really pleased with you?” In the natural a person can choose to love you because of his or her own goodness, but to be pleased with you, they actually have to like your performance. Right?

With God, no one could ever be pleasing to Him based on performance. His standard is perfection, and no goodness on our part can ever compensate for our sins. We may please man with our actions, but “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

Once one becomes more thoroughly aware of the exceeding sinfulness of sin within himself it calls up the question, “What must one do?” Notice the word “do.” Does this not indicate activity of some kind? In other words, are we willing to expend some measure of energy—work—to begin stopping actions of sin in our lives?
The way we receive the forgiveness that’s available through Jesus’ blood is by faith (Rom. 10:9-17). When we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we are pleasing God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him.”

Faith comes from the heart (Rom. 10:10), and God looks on the heart — not the actions.

It’s our hearts that really concern God, and faith in Him (trust, reliance) is what He is searching the heart for.

A person whose actions are not right but who trusts the Lord is more pleasing to God than an individual who is doing the right things but has no faith in God. It’s not a case of those who act the best will get accepted, and those who act the worst get rejected. That would put some of the followers of other religions ahead of many Christians, but that is not what the Bible teaches.

This is exactly the point Paul is making in Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” The amplified says it this way “⁶But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless].” It’s one way or the other but it cannot be a combination of the two. We’re either saved by God’s grace through what Jesus did for us, or we’re saved by what we do without Jesus, but not a combination of the two.
If God used performance as the basis of whether or not He was pleased with us, no one would ever pass the test. “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” (Ps. 130:3).

Satan used to accuse me and say, “What makes you think God will use you?” The truth is that none of us are perfect. We don’t deserve the blessings of God. We must put our faith in Jesus. It’s hard for some people to accept this. It has been ingrained in us that if we aren’t holy, God won’t bless us. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see your goodness — He sees Jesus. If he saw us we would all be doomed.

If you’re walking in faith, God is pleased with you even though your actions don’t measure up. The worst sin is self-righteousness. The attitude that God owes it to you because you’ve been good is erroneous. When it comes to God, your performance can’t earn you anything. Because you have, do and will sin, you need a savior. It is your faith in the FINISHED work of Jesus that will grant you access to God.

I’m not advocating sin. Your actions are important. Your holiness is important because it changes your heart toward God but it does not change God’s heart toward you.

The actions and consequences of sin will hurt you. Even though God will love you just as much, you won’t love God as much. It will harden your heart toward God. If you constantly live in sin and never feed yourself spiritually, it will kill you. I am not saying you should ignore your actions. You will never do everything perfectly, but don’t let it keep you from receiving the blessings of God.

Look at Peter during the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. He denied the Lord three times. He cursed and blasphemed God, and yet Jesus prayed that his faith wouldn’t fail. Jesus’ prayers were always answered. Peter’s actions failed, but not his faith. He was restored to God and went on to become a pillar of the church.

Some of you may be thinking, this is great — I can live like the devil and still get what I want from God.” If you think that, I would ask are you truly born again, because a True Believer wants to please God. This word is for Believer’s who have a desire to serve God and live by FAITH in His completed work.

Breaking News! Escape Plot Foiled….

It ALMOST happened just this week. One of the world’s most heinous prisoners almost escaped again. If this prisoner is ever let loose or escapes imprisonment he causes irrevocable harm to individuals and societies as a whole. What is the name of the prisoner? Last name- Quit, first name, Just! His power is immeasurable and his lasting effect is unknown, but we must continually, steadfastly and with diligent relentlessness guard this villain in order to achieve our potential and calling.

When we think of “guard” we immediately think to protect from harm, keep watch over: as in to guard a bank or guard the President.  But in this case I am applying the second definition of the word “guard”. That is to prevent escape or violence as in guarding a prisoner, or in other words, to surround, enclose, and to keep watch.

I was thinking on this passage the other day and I thought how true these words are.

Psalm 27:3 – “I had fainted, (I would let “Just Quit” free) unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

We have all been there and yes sometimes we revisit this place periodically. This place is the mindset of wanting to quit. It’s funny. You see other day “Just Quit” was talking to me from his cell, whispering set me free. I was thinking why am I writing a blog? Are there people really interested in reading my thoughts? Why am I persevering through this change and why am I putting up with this environment? Open your eyes, nothing is happening. Yes I almost abandoned my duty and set “just Quit” free, but I remembered one of my loyal friends named “Just Believe” and thought I may not see it with my natural eye at this moment but I will guard my “quit”.

I grew up in the generation where cowboy shows on American television was big in the 1960s. Sometimes there would be an episode where a man was arrested and put into the jail and the sheriff or deputy would have to guard the prisoner. He would be assigned to make sure he did not escape but on top of that he would have to deal with external influences. Those influences were prisoner’s relatives that would issue threats and ultimatums. They would shout out warnings and demand that their relative be set free from the prison cell. That is the same scenario we go through today. The enemy of our goals speaks to our mind words of discouragement. This is mainly a blog on Christian thoughts but the scenario is not limited to Christian or religious experiences. It is relevant in all scenarios. You see there are many areas we are tempted to “just quit”. There are areas of relationships, personal disciplines, educational and career pursuits, eating and health habits, exercise and we are tempted to throw in the towel and let “Just Quit” out of jail. We get tired of the struggle, we get tired of the amount of time and effort it takes to achieve our goal that seems to move further away despite our pursuit of it. We get discouraged when we see others who have seemingly succeeded and everything for them has turned out right. But yet even more, we should guard against our “just quit”. Possibly, just possibly those who have achieved stayed on their post and guarded their “just quit”.

It is during the roughest, darkest times that we are tempted to abandon our position and to let “just quit” out of jail. We hear the voices of the external influences in the midnight hour demanding a choice of surrender and release. Understand this is not a religious issue. It’s a human issue that we all face. It does not the matter the religion, the denomination, the culture, creed or race. We all continually are tempted to give up and set free, “Just Quit”. No one is exempt. In guarding “just quit” do not submit to the relatives that are trying to get you to let him go free. I had fainted unless I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I would have quit, I would do something else, I would try it my own way when being a follower of Jesus Christ seems to be a slow unproductive journey at times had not I believed to see. I would have  “just quit” pursuing my Bachelors degree after starting college at the tender age of 50 had I not believed. I would have pursued unethical business practices had I not believed. I would not chase entrepreneurism had I not believed.

Let me state this, failure is not related in any way to “just quit”. Failure at least shows attempt. When you fail at attempting something it rules out one formula and makes clearer the right formula. Many whom we most admire in the world have failed in their pursuit before grasping success but they did not give up and “just quit”.  No, do not shy from failure, but stay away from “just quit’s” best friend, the FEAR of failure. Their DNA is almost identical.

The Bible says “Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (If we do not fail to guard our “Just Quit”)

So if you’re doing well and your intentions, motives and heart is to do well, guard your “just quit” however if you’re not doing well and in your heart you know it is not your objective to do well, set the prisoner free and “Just Quit” it.