Love What (Who) You See, Hate What You Don’t

I have been learning about and focusing on LOVE—prompted, of course, by Jesus Christ—remembering from 1 Corinthians 13: 1-8a what it is and what it isn’t, what it does and what it doesn’t do. This morning in prayer and seeking the Lord, I was thinking about and interceding for a loved one (a family member) who is very lost, and how hard it can be at times to maintain a real and Christ-like love towards her even when she doesn’t respond at all to my overtures of kindness, generosity and grace. It is something man can’t do, BUT with God ALL things are possible (Matthew 19: 26). I know this to be true and I am not mad, disheartened or anything like that. It’s not about feelings or emotions in that sense. It’s just the indifference, lack of reciprocation and hard-heartedness on the part of the other person that’s sometimes difficult, and always a barrier.

In that moment, the Lord brought Ephesians 6: 12 to my mind. Thank You, Holy Spirit! The verse says, “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (other people), but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (the unseen realm).” Our Lord Jesus revealed to me that this reality, this principle, works both ways. What does He mean? The people who are of this world and cling to it (refusing to confess and renounce their sinfulness, and submit to Jesus’ eternal and universal authority) also wrestle; but not against the present darkness and forces of evil. They contend (strive, vie, contest or rival against) with HIM, Jesus Christ. He is the power. He is the authority. He is the cosmic power of eternal light (not darkness). He is the spiritual force of good (not evil) in the highest heavenly realm.

Call to mind that the Father told Samuel the prophet (1 Samuel 8: 7), “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you (in anointing Saul as their king over Me) for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected ME from being king over them.” And recall that Moses knew and experienced this truth as well. He spoke to the Israelites in the latter part of Exodus 16: 8 saying, “…What are we (Moses, Aaron and Miriam)? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” And this human attitude continued into the New Testament as well. Jesus warned His disciples in John 15: 18 that, “if the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you.”

So, as committed, devoted, born-again, surrendered and baptized Christians, our fights, our struggles, our battles are not with other people (the flesh and blood we see). Our war is against Satan and his demonic troops (whom we can’t see). It’s only because he works through people who reject God as their king, and because we see and hear what he is able to do through them (our sin gives him the opportunity), and because we actually see them, that we naturally take issue with them rather than their unseen influence. This does NOT mean, “the devil made me do it” as if they have no choice or accountability in their decisions. It does mean that since Satan, for now, is the “prince of the power of the air” that those who do not follow after the Lord Jesus Christ automatically, and by default, and through sin, submit to, serve, obey and follow after Satan. Our separation from Almighty God due to iniquity and transgression (disobedience and rebellion) gives the devil an opportunity in us, and allows him to gain a foothold in our hearts, minds and lives.

Ephesians 2: 1-3 tells us, “and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following after the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of the flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature CHILDREN OF WRATH, LIKE THE REST OF MANKIND.” These words should accompany two things:  One, they should grip and convict and terrify the hearts of the unbelieving; revealing in no uncertain terms that they are dead in their sins and in desperate need of a savior, someone to rescue them from the depths and bass condition of their depravity. Two, it should free the Christian to apply the full breadth of the Father’s agapé love and compassion to those he may view as his spiritual enemies whose faces he can see. I am fully aware and admit that when  I am looking at or into the face of someone whose expressions, words and vocal intonations are loud, noisy, unloving, impatient, unkind, envious, boastful, arrogant, rude, insisting on their own way, irritable, resentful (and keeping a ready and mental list of all the things I have done against them), rejoicing with wrongdoing, not rejoicing with the truth, not bearing much of anything, not believing, not hoping, not enduring anything, whose love is limited and finite, and not at all the same as the Father’s that my battle, my wrestling, certainly does seem to be against them!

I am only sharing with you what the Lord is doing with and in me, and this is just in the early, beginning stages. I have not at all accomplished it. As the apostle Paul admitted, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own” (Philippians 3: 12). I hope and I know that this will only take root, grow, flourish and display itself openly and outwardly because it will fill my heart, and because that will overflow and manifest itself in word and deed because it is the will of the Father, and because “I am sure of this, that He that began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). I have to “LET (ALLOW) this have its FULL effect that I may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1: 4). It is a process. It is what we call sanctification. It is ongoing. But that does not mean that we slow our pace, that we relax our commitment to it, that we see it as a long-term goal with no foreseeable finish line. We need—I need—to see it as something to be reached out for and grasped, keeping it in my sights, in my mind and as a ripened and low-hanging fruit ready to be picked and enjoyed. If we look at what (and who) we see and listen to what (and who) we hear in the world, we will grow weary, fainthearted and cold. We might be tempted not to share our faith and our hope thinking (as I have done), “No one will listen. No one wants to hear. No one cares.” But Jesus Christ reminded me that He would not have given us this command, “The harvest is PLENTIFUL, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to THE LORD OF THE HARVEST to send out laborers into HIS HARVEST” (Matthew 9: 37-38) if there were none ready to be picked. The Lord of Hosts does nothing in vain. Everything He says and does accomplishes that which He sends it out to do (Isaiah 55: 11).

Let us TOGETHER, as individual members but one body in Christ, fulfill His commands to LOVE and TO MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations. We will never do this if we view them as our enemies. We can only do this if we purposefully, daily, hourly focus on 1 CORINTHIANS 13: 1-8A and EPHESIANS 6: 12 TOGETHER. We must love and we must not view our neighbor as our enemy. God give us grace!

 

Commanded to Do the Impossible

• 1 Corinthians 13: 1-8,13

 1. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.”

2.  “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains (Matthew 17:20), but have not love, I am nothing.”

3.  “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4.  “Love IS patient.”

“Love IS kind.”

“Love DOES NOT envy or boast.”

“Love IS NOT arrogant.”

“Love IS NOT rude.”

“Love DOES NOT insist on its own way.”

“Love IS NOT irritable.”

“Love IS NOT resentful.”

“Love DOES NOT rejoice at wrongdoings.”

“Love DOES rejoice with the truth.”

“Love BEARS all things.” (keeps secret, preserves, hides the errors and faults of others, covers closely, conceals, wards off, endures patiently)

“Love BELIEVES all things.” (has faith, trusts, commits, entrusts)

“Love HOPES all things.” (expects, trusts, actively waits for fulfillment, anticipates)

“Love ENDURES all things.” (remains behind, stands its ground, perseveres, stays under a load, awaits)

“Love NEVER ENDS.” (never, ever, not at any time)

5. “Faith ABIDES.” (remains, stays, waits, waits for, continues, endures, lasts, stands,)

“Hope ABIDES” (tarries, is kept, continues to be present)

“Love ABIDES.” (has unbroken fellowship, adheres, is rooted in…)

6. “These three ABIDE, but the greatest of these is LOVE.” (goodwill, benevolence, moral preference, Divine love, what God prefers, enkindled by Holy Spirit, embraces truth, has mutual Christian affection)

{TO “ABIDE,” WE FIRST HAVE TO ENTER IN!}

• Spiritual Gifts:

1. Utterance of Wisdom
2. Utterance of Knowledge
3. Faith
4. Gifts of Healing
5. Working of Miracles
6. Prophecy
7. Distinguishing between spirits (true and false)
8. Various kinds of tongues
9. Interpretations of tongues

•  Spiritual Appointments or “Offices”

1. Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Teachers
4. Workers of miracles
5. Gifts of healing
6. Helping, Aid, Service
7. Administration
8. Various kinds of tongues
9. Interpretations of tongues

 

Varieties of gifts from the Spirit.

God empowers them all.

These are manifestations of the Spirit for our common good.

None of these matters if we do not have love. It is the more excellent way.

Sometimes I get the conviction that I should put everything else I do aside, and simply focus and concentrate on learning how to love—and be—like Christ Jesus.

 

• 1 John 4:20-21

“If anyone says, ‘I Love God,’ but 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: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

 

•  Matthew 12:46-50

“While He was speaking to the people, behold, His mother and His brothers (and sisters) stood outside, asking to speak to Him. But He replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers!’ For WHOEVER DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN is My brother and sister and mother.’”

 

{*** hate, as written above in 1 John, is the Greek word MISEO, and it has the following meanings: detest, persecute, pursue with hatred and denounce, but it also means—and it is used this way here—to explicitly signify a comparative. It is clearly implied and understood to its original hearers to mean “TO LOVE OR ESTEEM LESS” than someone or something else and to “RENOUNCE ONE CHOICE IN FAVOR OF ANOTHER;” just as Proverbs 28:13 says that “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses AND RENOUNCES them (forsakes, gives up, abandons, turns from IN FAVOR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS) finds mercy.” We could interpret it this way, “Whoever says ‘I love God’ and loves/ esteems his brother less is a liar, because you need to love them both. Jesus said you will love one and hate the other. He was saying you can’t have two masters and serve them both; you have to choose one over another. Joshua said the same thing when he challenged the Israelites in Joshua 24:15}

 

•  Romans 3:19-22

“Now, we know that whatever the Law says it speaks to those under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the Law (Ten Commandments) no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the Law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (trust).” And 2 Corinthians 5:21 proclaims, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” We NEED Him!

• The Lord of Hosts gave us the Law as a guide and standard to be lived by, followed and obeyed, even knowing we couldn’t keep it perfectly in order to be saved. He did it to show us our sinfulness and our INABILITY TO BE SAVED BY ANY OTHER MEANS than with HIS HELP (LOVE AND GRACE) made available only through the willing and sacrificial gift of His Son’s LOVE. At the same time we are made aware of our depravity—the innate corruption of our human nature, our moral corruption and wickedness—we are also made aware that HIS GRACE AND LOVE ARE FREELY AVAILABLE! So, in an instant, we go from utter lowness and sadness (What can I do? I can’t save myself! I am doomed!) to the heights of joy, gladness and gratitude (God has made a way, God has provided the way, and it is free)! Hallelujah! Praise and glory to His name! (Talk about valleys and mountaintops!) In one moment, we go from the lowest low—in ourselves—to the highest high—in Him!

• In the same way, when I read that the COMMAND is to love and the EXPECTATION is to love at all times, I AM to be patient. I AM to be kind. I AM not to boast. I AM not to be arrogant or rude. I AM not to envy or boast. I AM not to insist on my own way. I AM not to be irritable or resentful. I AM not to rejoice at wrongdoing. I AM to rejoice with the truth. I AM to bear all I AM to believe all things. I AM to hope all things. I AM to endure all things. I AM to never stop doing these things. I AM to always abide in faith and in hope and in LOVE. And Almighty God is– this moment– revealing to me that the words we just read that tell me what “I AM” to do and what “I AM” not to do is no coincidence. He is THE GREAT I AM and it is His gracious reminder of Who He is and that only He can enable us to do them!

• It leaves me feeling just like the disciples in Matthew 19:25-26, “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished (amazed, dumbfounded, emotionally stalled or shut down, in a state of wonder or terror, utterly astounded), saying, ‘Who then can be saved? (or “Who can do this?”) But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ So, just as we NEED a Savior to be saved from our utter sinfulness in order to stand before our Creator as justified so as to escape the judgment (He died for us in what we were unable to do for ourselves, to obtain mercy and grace, and be reconciled to the Father through Jesus Christ; in order to go to Heaven and escape the deserving fire of Hell), we also NEED a constant power supply, a constant prop, a constant intercessor and advocate, and an “ever present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1) to once again enable us to do what is commanded and what we are unable to do for ourselves. We NEED Him to save us and we NEED Him to enable us to love! But we must reach out, we must ask, beg, beseech, entreat, petition and make supplication. This is our This is our requirement. This is our responsibility. This is on us. This, we must do. And I believe the Lord is showing me only now that THIS IS WHY PRAYER IS SO IMPORTANT! Prayer is our vehicle, our means, to invite God’s help to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. It is a desperate, fervent, humble plea! Thank You, Lord and God Jesus Christ! May Your name be exalted in all the earth!

Consider these verses:

Matthew 5:14, “But I say to you, LOVE your enemies.”

Romans 12:9, “Let LOVE be genuine.”

Romans 13:10, “LOVE does no wrong to a neighbor.” (Luke 10:29, “Who is my neighbor? = 30-37… anyone you come across)

1 Corinthians 10:14, “Let all that you do be done in LOVE.”

Philippians 1:9, “It is my prayer that your LOVE may abound more and more.”

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has given us a spirit of power and of LOVE and of a sound mind (self-control).”

Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to LOVE and good works.”

James 2:8, “You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself.”

1 John 3:18, “Let us not LOVE in word or talk but in deed.”

1 John 4:16, “God is LOVE, and whoever abides in LOVE abides in God, and God abides in him.” (If we don’t abide in God, we can’t abide in LOVE.)

Jude 21, “Keep yourselves in the LOVE of God.”

 

Fasting from Human “Love”

Hi once again friends, brothers and sisters! A few weeks ago, about the same time my friend and brother asked me to share a message in our home church (he had preached the night before, as he usually does, but that next day—Sunday– we had all previously decided to fast), the Father had already begun to put on my heart the need to eradicate the usage and practice of what we call in English, “love.” More on this in a little bit, most assuredly.

In the book of John, chapter 5, verses 4 and 7 have these things to say respectively, “For an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and STIRRED UP THE WATER; whoever then first, after the STIRRING OF THE WATER, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted…the sick man answered Him (Jesus), ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool WHEN THE WATER IS STIRRED UP, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Why did the Spirit of the Living G-d give me these verses and why have I emphasized certain words in capital letters? Because He wanted to point something out to me and to you that we are not to miss. The Messiah is teaching us. If we hear and listen to His voice, then we can follow Him in this area (John chapter ten tells us this). The Spirit of the Lord said to me a few years ago and I have never forgotten it, “Feed your spirit and starve your flesh.” This is the truest sense and purpose of fasting, for us to deny ourselves. It helps us to grow and draw nearer to G-d Almighty, we are more dependent on Him, and we are weak (see Psalm 109:24, spiritually speaking) so that His power can be perfected and made complete in us. This is grace, and we need it every moment of every day!

Our Lord also used the scripture about the Samaritan woman at the well (see John 4:7-15) to tell us about His Living water. Why is it significant that the waters in the first passages were “stirred up”? What action do you think of when you hear the word “stir”? It’s not what you think, if you’re like most people. The verb here means not to calm, comfort or give peace. No. It means to agitate, to trouble, to disturb. When the Lord Jesus was speaking about living water to the woman I mentioned a moment ago, He was conveying to her what we as Christians need to be reminded of; and that is that same water lives within us, in our hearts. The Spirit has been telling me for days that we need to learn to TRULY love! He wants to trouble, agitate and disturb the waters of our hearts so that we can love as He commands us.

Going back to what I alluded to in the opening paragraph, we need to lose the idea and concept and practice of human love. It as an over-used word to be sure. Human love is insufficient and impotent when compared to Jesus’ love. We say we “love” God, yet we also say we “love” a good steak or we “love” that pair of shoes. Now you see why we need to ditch that word. Therefore, I want us to learn and purpose ourselves—since we no longer live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit—to eliminate the human word “love” from our vocabularies and replace it with the Bible’s words for it: HESED (in the Old Testament Hebrew) and AGAPE (in the New Testament Greek). The “love” that springs forth from the heart of man and that which proceeds from the eternal essence of Jesus Christ are two totally different things, and so it does a great injustice to our faith walk and our understanding of our Creator if we use this one English word to comprehend, feel, extend and teach it. There are two words and two components to the Almighty’s affection for us, and we mentioned them earlier. AGAPE is the highest form of ”love” and charity, it is the “love” of G-d for man and what should be the “love” of man for his G-d, it is benevolence (kindness as the state of the heart) and it is good will (which is the action that springs forth from that benevolence within), it is enkindled only by Holy Spirit, it embraces the Truth and it is seen and expressed through forgiveness. HESED is the complementary portion of agape; one without the other will not function and is not the Father’s true love which, by the way, is the same type that we are commanded to show for G-d, for one another as believers, and to share with the lost. HESED is faithful, steadfast, committed, devoted, covenantal, loyal, persistent, unconditional and strong (all of this, remember, is based on a decision to show this “love,” it is not a feeling or emotion).

To see this kind of HESED/AGAPE at work in a real-life, practically lived (most certainly NOT based on feelings or emotions, but by choice and obedience) scenario, we only have to look at the Gospel, the life of Jesus Christ the Savior, Redeemer, Sin-bearer, Messiah, Son of G-d and Son of man. But the hesed/agape from his heart to a man’s heart shown to another can be seen through the life of a lesser-known prophet be the name of Hosea. Remember, we can do nothing without G-d. The branch apart from the Vine can produce no good fruit, so don’t idolize the prophet. Worship and give thanks to the One who gave His servant the power and grace to do what he was called to do. Hosea 1:2-3 begins by relating, “When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord spoke to Hosea, ’Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom (adultery, prostitution, unfaithfulness) and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.’ So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore a son.” Wow! Would you be able to obey this command? Would you want to? Let’s read on but, before we do, it is vitally important to grasp by the first few words of this next passage that Gomer, at some point between their marriage and this next portion of their life is revealed and Father G-d gives this command to Hosea, has been unfaithful to her prophet husband.

Hosea 3:1-5 proclaims, “And the Lord said to me, ‘GO AGAIN, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, EVEN AS THE LORD LOVES THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THOUGH THEY TURN TO OTHER GODS and love cakes of raisins.’ So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. And I said to her, ‘You must dwell as mine for many days. YOU SHALL NOT PLAY THE WHORE, OR BELONG TO ANOTHER MAN; so will I also be to you.’ For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods (idols). Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to His goodness in the latter days.” Can you imagine this type of “love” (HESED/AGAPE) given from the Lord towards His disobedient, wayward, unloving, rebellious, evil, wicked, selfish children? No! That is why our human concept of “love” is so out of whack with the Father’s and why we should train ourselves to no longer use our word, but rather use HESED/AGAPE when speaking of the Lord Jesus’ affection for us. The Lord doesn’t stop there. He is speaking directly to you as an individual, to America as a collective and to the world on an even larger scale. Hosea 4:1-3a rebukes but plainly makes His observation of our lives, “Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for THE LORD HAS A CONTROVERSY WITH THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they (you) break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish…”

Wow again! But isn’t it true? We don’t even have to look outside our own city, outside our own families or even outside our own lives to see these things at work. We don’t follow after the One who made us and sustains us and we are not grateful to Him, yet we do take other lovers to whom we look for gratification and satisfaction. This is adultery. We do cuss and take the Lord’s name in vain (think “Oh MY G—“) without a thought to His holiness. This is swearing. We speak falsehoods all the time, whether a big one or what we like to dismiss by calling it “a little white lie” or we do it so often we don’t even recognize it anymore. This is lying. Saying we will do something and then not doing it. This, too, is lying. We disobey the Lord’s holy and perfect command not to have sexual relations outside of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman for life. Many, many, many times when we do this, the female gets pregnant. This disrupts the “plans” of the two participants. They say they are too young to be parents, to get married. They say it will disrupt their aims of furthering their education. They say it will cost too much money. They say they are not prepared for the shame (if there is any) or responsibility that lies ahead. Many, many times, the male disappears from the picture all together. Finally, the sinful decision is made to have what the world likes to call “an abortion.” It eases the conscience to call it this. This is murder. (I am not condemning with hateful speech, I am merely telling the truth, the facts.) Whenever we take something, anything, that does not belong to us—regardless of how we rationalize or justify it—like change on the ground or from somebody else’s car or couch, or pens from work, or being on the clock while doing something the boss would not approve of, or borrowing money from someone and not paying them back, etc. All of these are forms of stealing. And, putting trust in anyone or anything to save you from your sins (good deeds, for example), or loving someone (including yourself) more than Almighty G-d, or putting someone or something in your life as a higher priority or of higher value than your Creator. This is adultery. We have little or no regard for authority and show it by disregarding the laws written and enforced for the good of our lives and all of society’s, we disrespect adults, parents, teachers, employers, police, government and the ultimate authority of God the Father while doing WHATEVER WE WANT. This is breaking all bounds. And some—way more than is imaginable—murder by shooting and killing others; who knows what their motives are. It is in the news weekly. Weekly! This is bloodshed following bloodshed. We are all guilty of one or more, and these just relate to these verses. We haven’t even gone to the Ten Commandments.
And yet our Creator shows us His great and awesome and totally-undeserved HESED/AGAPE by putting in place a plan to rescue us from ourselves and our self-condemning sinful nature. He did what He required Hosea to do: to love and redeem a world of whores, harlots, prostitutes, and adulterers. Everyone who has ever lived should have the name “Gomer” written on his or her birth certificate. We need to show HESED/AGAPE to the Creator and Savior of all mankind and to our fellow men. We can’t do this. It is humanly impossible. But WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE ! Love, Hesed and Agape do NOT mean to tolerate, accept and put up with whatever someone says or does, regardless of what many members of our human race would shout at us today. However, we ARE to be like our Lord when confronting the woman caught in the act of adultery in the New Testament by saying, “Neither do I condemn you; (but) GO AND SIN NO MORE” (John 8:11). We are to be faithful, committed, loyal, persistent, devoted, benevolent, forgiving, enkindled (set aflame) and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and we should strive to live out these characteristics laid out and delineated for us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7…

Hesed/Agape is PATIENT, Hesed/Agape is KIND, Hesed/Agape is NOT ENVIOUS, Hesed/Agape does NOT BOAST, Hesed/Agape is NOT ARROGANT, Hesed/Agape is NOT RUDE, Hesed/Agape does NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY, Hesed/Agape is NOT IRRITABLE, Hesed/Agape is NOT RESENTFUL, Hesed/Agape does NOT REJOICE AT WRONGDOING (to me, this means that we are not to get happy and proud or self-righteous because we do good while others are evil), Hesed/Agape REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH, Hesed/Agape BEARS ALL THINGS, Hesed/Agape BELIEVES ALL THINGS, Hesed/Agape HOPES ALL THINGS, Hesed/Agape ENDURES ALL THINGS, Hesed/Agape NEVER ENDS.

This concept, this lifestyle, this command is not new but the Lord is absolutely proclaiming to the worldwide church that we MUST allow this life-long work to be done in our hearts, we MUST begin today, we MUST obey, we MUST yield, we MUST submit, we MUST cooperate. This will involve change, this will involve testing, this will involve discipline, this will involve refining and purification but, ultimately, will get rid of our flesh, bring us into closer fellowship and intimacy with our great and living G-d, make us more Christ-like and empower us to live godly lives, and shine His light in us and through us to a lost, dying world! I have started to experience the pains and lows that accompany this process. It is not fun. It is ugly. But the Father has already given me a wonderful pillow to hold tightly, an excellent comforter to wrap myself in– and I have clung to it (and will continue to!). It is this…

ISAIAH 41:10, 13

“fear not, for I AM WITH YOU; be not dismayed, for I AM YOUR GOD; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand…For I, the LORD YOUR GOD, hold your right hand; it is I WHO SAY TO YOU, ‘Fear not. I AM THE ONE WHO HELPS YOU.”

How awesome in our times of need, even great need, that our God reaches out to us personally with these verbs (action words!), “strengthen…help…uphold…help” again. I have needed these words of promise and of comfort as He has begun this process of transforming my “love” into His HESED/AGAPE. I am so grateful for these. As I said, I will have and will continue to cling to these two verses (10,13). Let me share something else with you. When I read this portion, “I…hold your right hand,” I kept feeling a little odd as my mind was taking the words and forming a mental picture. You see, for me, since I am right-handed, that hand is usually kept free so that I can use it to write, grab my phone or keys, use my adding machine at work or something else. I was naturally picturing holding My father’s hand with my left hand. That would mean that I would have to be standing on His right. This is wrong because that is where Jesus is. It is a very special place and is reserved for Him alone, and rightly so. That is not my place. Secondly, when the hand that I usually use and depend upon to do most everything is weak or ineffectual, then it makes perfect sense for that hand to be the one He would hold to strengthen, help and uphold (support, sustain, preserve, protect, keep alive, keep going, nurture, defend, back up, to let someone lean on) me. I can already tell this is going to be scripture that will remain a part of me for a long, long time. Praise the Lord!

So, please allow this new (to us) and true meaning of “love” to grab hold of your mind and heart. Let Jesus stir up, agitate, disturb and trouble you until it sticks and becomes part of you. Be ready and willing to take the journey because it will not be a short run or walk, but a trek. His strength, grace, help and divine power are at your side IF you want it and will obey. And for the believer who professes Christ, this is not an option.

Our Lord bless you and keep you and stir you up!