The Threat of Love

I remember a few weeks (maybe even months) ago, I was reading in 1 Corinthians about taking the Lord's supper. There it was talking about how because we do not discern the Body of Christ the way we should, that there were many sick among the Christians. I meditated on that for several days, and I started meditating on the Body of Christ, the Church. Could we have more sickness in the Body, because we don't realize the importance of each other? That came back to me several times and then, a few days ago, I was reading in one of Brother Hagin's books. He said that part of the reason that there was so much sickness in the Body of Christ (and even premature death), was because of the way that believers treated one another. My spirit exploded inside me with excitement! Not because of the sickness and death, but because I knew I was on the road to some revelation!

There have been some things that I struggled with inside myself for way too long concerning the Body of Christ and my relation to it, but when these revelations began to come, I told the Lord that I wasn't giving any place to that junk any longer! I asked Him to give me truth on this, and He did! and He continues to do so.

So what does this have to do with love? And what threat could love possibly pose? I am glad you asked that! (didn't you?)

Here's the deal. For years, satan has set it all up to make everyone feel . . . feel like they have the right, feel like they have to look out for number one, feel like they are unloved and mistreated, feel like they need to defend themselves, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. After a while, this seeped into the church. Well, how can the Church be effective when it's members are inwardly focusing and not looking out to a world that needs Jesus? When people get inward focused, there is a greater likelihood of offense, schism and division in the Body of Christ. This is a major factor that, in the past, has made the Church weak, because where there is no love, there is no unity. Love, by God's definition, is deliberately taking ourselves out of an existence based on self-seeking ways to a life of love and service to God and to man.

As I meditate and study on this, I see that the more we develop in love, we are able, as the Church, to become stronger and more unified. This threatens satan's kingdom, and as Pastor Susan said, weakens his kingdom. He is exposed for his schemes. When we are walking in love, the focus goes out to a lost and dying world instead of some little boo-boo the devil has tried to convince us that we have suffered. I mean, how could we even let ourselves take one offense against our brothers in Christ (or our family or anyone else) when we know it is a strategy of the devil to keep us ineffective for the Kingdom of God? WE CAN'T!!!!!!!!! He is a liar! He is a liar! We cannot be deceived by him any longer! The Master has need of the church in her glorious state!

Aren't you glad I went for the encapsulated version? :)

Have you ever noticed . . .?

Have you ever noticed . . . ?

Have you ever noticed that when the Spirit of God begins to move and we are in His presence, whether in an intimate or in a corporate setting, things become so clear? There can be a little haze about something or there may be thick fog, but when God's presence is there, things just become unmistakable.

Also, have you ever noticed that when you are trying to change habbits, it becomes almost effortless when you are in the Presence of God?

Have you ever noticed, it becomes more apparent in our own hearts who we are when we sit in God's presence? when we spend time in His Word?

In this short writing, you can find the answer to every problem you may have in your life. Yes, I do believe that! Just some things I was thinking about this morning on my way home!

(I will get back to the love subject soon! Much is brewing in my heart!)

Love Is The Tie That Binds

I can't believe it's taken me this long to get back to my blog! I write all the time - either by computer, on paper or in my head! But sometimes things just don't fall together to be able to help others understand what is in my heart.

I am really passionate about this subject. I have recently been studying and meditating about love - the love of God, the love of God invested in us at the new birth - and I, more and more, can see how love affects the big picture. Creflo Dollar says it this way: love is the curtain rod on which everything else hangs. In other words, where the love is lacking, not much success will be realized in the things of God.

When you look at 1 Corinthians, you see that the definition of love includes these elements:

• It endures long and is patient and kind
• It is never envious nor does it boil over with jealousy
• It is not full of itself or bigheaded
• It does not display itself arrogantly
• It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride)
• It is not rude (disrespectful)
• It does not act improperly or inappropriately
• It does not insist on its own rights or its own way
• It is not self-seeking
• It is not touchy, fretful or resentful
• It does not keep scores of the evil done to it [pays not attention to a suffered wrong]
• It does not rejoice at injustice or unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail
• It bears up under anything and everything that comes
• It is ever ready to believe the best of every person
• Its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances
• It endures everything [without weakening]
• It NEVER fails

We have to make a decision every day to walk in love, because it is totally the opposite of "looking out for number one," which seems to be an anthem of many outside the Church walls, and unfortunately, we see it some inside the Church also. But, in our local Body, I am seeing more and more that believers are walking these things out and seeing big changes. As we walk in love, we begin to see the whole of God's plan more. We see less of how people may be treating us wrong, and develop more compassion for those people because we realized they are deceived. We also see more unity in the Body of Christ, which is what this end-time army has to have to operate at optimum levels to carry out God's plan on the earth.

Anyway, more coming on this subject. I don't want to write a dissertation for anyone to rad . . . at least not all at once! :)