How Do We Show Jesus We Love Him? ❤️

Love ❤️

It's the season and time of year when many are focused on showing another how much they love them. Setting aside hearts and flowers and chocolate,  what does the Bible say about love?  

Jesus was asked what the greatest command in the law was. His response in Matthew 22:37-40 reveals what God considers the greatest commandments above all....

Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

This is the first and great commandment. 

The second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 

On these 2 commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

LOVE GOD - LOVE OTHERS

Why? Because when we truly learn to love God, we will love others.  And when we truly learn to love others, then it will take care of a lot of other sin problems.

The FIRST and GREAT COMMAND is to LOVE GOD with every part of our being. 1 Corinthians 8:3 (KJV) says, “But if any man love God, the same is known of Him.”

SO, HOW DO WE SHOW GOD WE LOVE HIM?

Our mind automatically thinks: prayer, Bible reading,  faithfully attending Church. And yes, those do show Jesus we love Him by spending time with Him. But, Jesus plainly told us in His Word how we show Him that we love Him.... 

John 14:15 - If ye love Me, KEEP my commandments.

KEEP means: to observe; fulfill a command 

Jesus said again in John 14:21 - He that hath My commandments, and KEEPETH them, he it is that loveth Me...

²³ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will KEEP my words...

If we love Jesus,  we will observe, obey and fulfill the commands in His Word. 

He warned in verse 24 - He that loveth Me not KEEPETH NOT My sayings...

Our obedience to His commands SHOWS Jesus that we truly LOVE Him. 

Willfully ignoring or not doing what His Word commands shows Him that person does not love Him. 

Actions speak louder than words. 

If we love Jesus,  we will observe, obey and fulfill the commands in His Word. 

Do you love Jesus? ❤️

Are your actions showing Him you truly love Him? ❤️

The Parent and the Pastor

 The Parent and The Pastor 

As A Parent....

You want good for your children. 

You want them to be healthy

And to excel and do well in life

Yet, there are times....

when you have to have a talk with them.

They're getting into things they shouldn't.

At times, they are putting theirself in danger.

May even be putting their sibling in harms way as well. 

You, as the parent,  see how what they're doing will harm them.

Sometimes,  no matter how much you admonish or try to reason with them, they continue to do it anyway,  pushing boundaries.

The last resort is issuing correction or instituting a punishment.

Your child whom you love...

Cries

Gets angry with you

Accuses you of hating them

You hear them falsely accuse, "you don't love me!"

Or even,  "Abuse!"

And yet that is the furthest from the truth.

It is BECAUSE you love them

It is BECAUSE you care 

that you had to correct or punish them. 

You understand that even though they may not at the moment. 

Your Pastor...

Wants good for those God has placed in his care.

He want you to be healthy spiritually 

And to excel and do well in the Kingdom of God.

Yet, there are times....

when your Pastor may have to talk with you.

He sees you're getting into things you shouldn't.

God shows him you are putting yourself in danger.

Your actions may even be influencing someone else and putting them in harms way (spiritually) as well. 

As the Pastor, he sees the danger lying ahead.

Sometimes,  no matter how much he admonishes or tries to reason with them, they continue to do it anyway,  pushing boundaries.

The last resort is to issue a biblical correction.

This person whom the Pastor loves and cares for...

Cries

Gets angry with him

Accuses him of hating them

He hears them falsely accuse, "you don't love me!"

Or even,  "Church hurt!"

And yet that is the furthest from the truth.

It is BECAUSE he loves them

It is BECAUSE he cares 

that he had to admonish them.

He understands this even though that person may not at the moment. 

And, It is his duty - Biblically. 

The Pastor is mandated by God to teach us the difference between what is right and what is wrong,  between what is holy and what is profane. (Ezek 44:23)

If the Pastor does not sound the alarm warning of danger, then God said our blood will be on his hands.  (Ezek 3:17-21 + 18:24-32 + 33:1-9)

That is a heavy responsibility.  

It is BECAUSE God loves us. (Heb 12:6)

It is BECAUSE the Pastor loves us.

If he didn't love you,  he wouldn't warn.

The Holy Ghost laid this heavily on my mind Monday morning (2-5-24) before I was even fully awake. 

God is trying to admonish someone. 

Will you hear and heed His voice. 

Don't harden your heart. 

God is reaching - BECAUSE He loves you.

Just Call Me "Mara" (Bitter)

 Just call me "Mara" (bitter)

Life can deal some bitter blows.

Blows that can cause you to battle bitterness. 

You try not to give in, but the struggle is real. 

The struggle is hard. 

I've said and taught for many years:

We have two choices....

Either to become bitter 

Or to become better. 

Bitterness is a poison.

The main person it infects is the one allowing it to harbor and fester in their heart.

There are many examples in the Bible of those who were dealt bitter blows by Life or by the actions of others. Two particular ones come to mind....

Joseph refused to become bitter and was eventually exalted to the palace. 

Naomi battled bitterness from the loss of her husband and two sons.  

She re-named herself Mara (bitter) - Ruth 1:20

But she had a daughter in law who tried to help her get through the bitter days. 

God saw her hurting, grieving heart. He didn't hold it against her. He walked with her through the trial and eventually her heart was able to find joy again.  

This thought has come to me off and on the past couple days and again today.  It won't leave me so I'm posting to encourage someone....

If you are battling bitterness,  God wants to heal your hurting heart and bind up your wounds.

While it is a choice whether to succumb to bitterness or to allow yourself to heal and become better through it, the struggle is real.  The struggle is hard.

But we have a God who will never leave nor forsake you.

He will walk with you every step of the way.

He'll never leave nor forsake you.

In time, He will make the bitter waters sweet again just as He did for Joseph and Naomi.  

Naomi was no longer called Mara but instead became known as Blessed. 

You will be, as well. 

Just don't allow the bitterness to take root and grow.

The Incense of Prayer

 The Incense of Prayer

Exodus 30

⁷ And Aaron shall 

BURN THEREON SWEET INCENSE

EVERY MORNING.....

⁸ And when Aaron lighteth the lamps AT EVEN, 

he shall burn incense upon it,

A PERPETUAL INCENSE before the LORD.....

REV 5:8

...having every one of them harps, 

and GOLDEN VIALS FULL OF ODOURS, 

which are THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.

Revelation 8

³ And another angel came 

and stood at the altar, 

having a golden censer; 

and there was given unto him MUCH INCENSE, 

that he should offer it 

WITH THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.....

⁴ And the smoke of the incense, 

which came with the prayers of the saints, 

ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

*Our prayers are like sweet incense before God.

*They are to be a perpetual incense = (meaning)

Pray without ceasing. — 1 Thess 5:17 (KJV)

Have you offered up an incense of prayer before God this morning? And this evening? And every day? Perpetually?