Life and Death
August 23, 2022
Life and Death
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
In the midst of the Garden of Eden were two trees that stood out from all the other trees in the Garden. In the fruit of these two trees were contained the two great laws and principles of heaven and earth which are life and death. Genesis 2:9 says, “And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Later, as God creates and sets man in the Garden, He gives only one simple instruction and rule to the man. “Genesis 2:15-17 says, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” This is the first introduction of the concept of death. How could Adam even grasp what the principle of death was when he had never seen what it looked like? Now there were no restrictions on the tree of life, Adam and Eve had full access to partake of that tree and its fruit. While abiding in the Garden in obedience to God and partaking of the fruit of the tree of life, Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect bliss and communion with God. There was no shame or evil; because of yet it had not found its way into God’s creation. As long as Adam and Eve were willing to choose only life they lived out of the life, abundance and supply that God gave them. Death was not a part of this realm.
This tree of the knowledge of good and evil, why was it in the Garden if it would produce death? The tree alone didn’t produce the death, it was the partaking of it’s fruit that caused them to surely die. Why? Because it was a Pandora’s box that once opened could never be shut except by the hand and the will of God. It opened the door to man making choices outside of the will and purpose of God. But free choice is a gift that God gave to man and all of man’s choices really boiled down to these two basic principles, life and death.
When this Pandora’s box of the knowledge of good and evil was opened through the tempters temptation and the choice of Adam and Eve to partake of it; man fell that day from his heavenly state of life and peace in perfect harmony and communion with God. Sin was conceived and mankind would never be the same until the time of the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). While Adam and Eve didn’t die an immediate death, the spirit of death was put into motion through sin and began its work of death and corruption. Within that fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the greatest enemy of mankind was given place, the spirit of death. Once the spirit of death was unleashed through man’s disobedience, it was the power of the devil to destroy life with death. We have only to look around us, starting with our own bodies to see the effects of death at work still. Sin and corruption is all around us touching and tainting everything it touches.
God, in His great love, gave man a choice to choose life or death. Because we all have made choices that were contrary to life and the righteousness of God, we have all sinned and fell short of His glory and His highest for us. Then man wants to blame God for all the wickedness, sin and suffering in the world and call Him unloving because of the mess we have made. The state of our world is the fruit of our choices, not God’s. God has never encouraged us to do anything else but to choose life.
Christ Jesus is God’s gift of life back to us. Christ is the tree of life to us again. He has come to reconcile His creation back to Himself. Hebrew 2:14 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” That reconciliation and restoration to life can never come through our self-effort to obtain it. We find that it is only found in the grace and mercy of God revealed through Jesus Christ His Son. He alone stands as the door that leads us back to paradise and right standing with God. Only as we enter through that door by faith in Christ does His righteous blood sacrificed as Calvary make atonement for our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness in the sight of God. Romans 8:1-4 declares to us, “[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The knowledge of what is good is a noble thing, but it is not in the ability of man to live up to God’s righteous standards by his own strength. It is only in our union with Christ and the Spirit of His Life, that we again return to the principles of life. Only as we submit our hearts in obedience to walk in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, He has imparted to us who believe, do we have the ability to lay hold of the paradise lost and our communion again with Father God. Christ has conquered death, but He is raising up a body that will follow in His example, for He has set down at the right hand of God, “From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool (Hebrews 10:13).” “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”
Blessings,
#kent
Forsaking Your own Mercy
September 10, 2021
Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23″Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talentswas brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26″The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28″But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29″His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
30″But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32″Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35″This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Forsaking Your own Mercy
Today I felt the Lord speak this scripture into my heart, because still there are those that are holding on to grudges, hurts and offences that they are unwilling to forgive and release. The Word speaks to us on more than one occasion to release forgiveness and forgive the debts, sins, offences and wounds we have received of others even as He has forgiven us. In this parable obviously the Father is the master. We have all been the wicked servants that owed a debt that we could not pay. We could never, of ourselves, live up to the standard of righteousness that God has placed before us. We all know in our hearts the times that we have disobeyed and offended the Lord are far too numerous to even count. Yet, when we fell before Him and asked His forgiveness, He forgave our debts and all of our sins in Christ Jesus who paid the penalty for all of them. The Lord simply commands us, not requests us, to forgive others as He has forgiven us. In comparison to what we owe the Father, what someone else has done to us is relatively small.
I believe God knows that sometimes it takes time to work things out where we can fully release our unforgiveness toward someone who has offended or hurt us deeply. Bring those hurts, debts and the offences of others before the Lord in prayer. Begin to pray for that person and ask the Lord to bring you to that place of full forgiveness and release.
What the Lord was impressing upon me this morning is that when we fail or refuse to forgive another we are negating and preventing God’s forgiveness for us. In as much as we hold that grudge of unforgiveness to make them pay for their sins, we will in turn be held accountable and payable for our own sins. The Lord gave us the example of forgiveness in Christ, so that we would, in turn, exercise it toward others.
We will all experience, hurts, disappointments, offences and wrongs at the hands of other people in our lives, but what are we going to do with them? What does Jesus say in Matthew 5:21-25, “”You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brotherwill be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23″Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. 25″Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” Do not forsake your own mercy. Settle your accounts and get things right with others. We may not only need to forgive, but we may need to ask for another’s forgiveness for where we have wronged them. Many of us have experienced the turmoil in our souls for far too long. Release the forgiveness that only you can give, seek forgiveness for your wrongs and you will again find peace and know that the Father also has forgiven you.
Life is too short and too precious for us to waste it on hate or unforgiveness. The love of God cannot thrive in this environment or attitude of heart, so make your peace with others and you will find your peace with Him.
Blessings,
#kent
Slipping in the Mud Puddle
May 19, 2021
Slipping in the Mud Puddle
We mentioned before that our feet determine and speak of that way in which we walk. How is our walk with Christ today? Are we walking on solid rock or are we going through the slippery places. Sometimes with our walk in Christ our feet take us and land us where we would not choose to go in the natural. There are times we get in those places where we get bogged down in the miry clay of life and the world around us. We know we are not where we want to be or where we should be, but our feet are stuck. We can’t seem to move out of that place. We are like in a pit and can’t get out; we keep slipping back in. David experienced that place. He shares in Psalms 40:1-4, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.” No matter what you are going through. No matter how defeated or discouraged with yourself or others that you have become, keep your heart and eyes on Jesus. You may have strongholds in your life that are keeping you in sin and you can’t seem to get free. You may hate yourself for who you are, what you have done or what you are doing. God hasn’t forsaken you. He sees your heart. He sees your need and He knows your weakness. He can lift you up out of that pit if you are willing and desiring to walk in the paths of righteousness. Humble yourself and seek Him. Seek out the help you need and that which He has provided for you in His body through the gifting He has given to those who can help you get free and deliver you out of your slippery pit. Don’t let condemnation and the accuser rob you of the deliverance that God has for you. He is greater than your weakness and He can restore your feet to the paths of righteousness.
Again, in Psalms, David speaks of a time when his feet almost slipped. As he beheld the wicked, it seemed that they prospered and got fat and nothing bad ever seemed to happen to them. Have we ever coveted the world? Here we are struggling and going through trials and tribulations and those living in the world seem to be the ones that really have the good life. In Psalm 73 David speaks of the way that his feet were taking him, as his heart was drawn to this seeming paradox. “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. 5 They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. 7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. 8 They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. 10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. 11 They say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” 12 This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth. 13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. 14 All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed your children. 16 When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. 19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!” While the walk of the godly man or woman is difficult and often filled with hardship, God is simply preparing you for an inheritance that is so much greater than all of the riches of the world and the prosperity of the wicked. Their eternal end is bitterness, anguish and suffering; yours is an eternal inheritance with riches stored up in heaven beyond what your mind can imagine. As Jesus says in John 6:27, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
The world and all of it ways can begin to look pretty good to us, but we must maintain our vision that we are strangers and so-journers in the land till the Lord comes to reign in righteousness upon the earth. Isaiah 26: 1-8 says it like this, “In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. 2 Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. 3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. 5 He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground
and casts it down to the dust. 6 Feet trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor. 7 The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. 8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” This is how the Lord encourages His people to be steadfast and abounding in a walk where our feet abide and continue in a righteous walk. While it is a walk of humility it will open up into place of authority and dominion. He tells His people in Isaiah 49:23, “Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Again, in Isaiah 60:14 it says, “The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” So, why would we want to envy the wicked or the high places of this earth? Your position, your authority and your dominion in Christ is so much higher and so much greater than the best that the earth can offer. Keep your feet steadfast in His ways.
Blessings,
#kent
Ministry of Reconciliation and Restoration
February 15, 2021
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
Ministry of Reconciliation and Restoration
The greatest gospel we can preach doesn’t come out of theological words and sermons, it comes out of our hearts and our actions. The greatest revelation any of us can get is that God really cares about and loves me. He cares about my hurts, my fears, my weaknesses and the bondage that I live in. When I know that He really loves me and accepts me, in spite of my sin, my failure and the mess I am, then I have hope. Isn’t it strange that the anointing of the Lord didn’t come upon Christ and those who walk His ministry to preach to the religious, the rich and famous or to those who think they have it all together. It is only when you come to the revelation of who you are and what you are without Christ that you are truly open to your need for Him. Often in this state we are the most needy and unlovely of people. We are the ones that others shun and reject, but the world’s rejection is God’s treasure. From these “are nots” God will bring to pass the things that are. Through the rejects, the misfits, the brokenhearted and the meek of the earth will God come to rule and reign.
Do you want to preach the gospel of the good news, but you’re not an ordained preacher, or minister or anyone really recognized by the church. Father wants to ordain you with the gospel of His good news. He wants you to go out into the byways and the highways of your community and city. He wants you to bring the love of God to the street level; to love on those that no one else cares about or is attracted too.
A word of warning. You won’t be able to minister there with just your love. Your love isn’t enough for this high calling in the lowest places. You need an Isaiah 61 anointing of His love and grace that can flow through you; that can look past the filth, the sin, the stench and the vileness of humanity. It has to be the eyes of Jesus that sees straight into the heart; who doesn’t regard the fault, but sees the need. There is where you minister the love, the forgiveness and the mercy of Jesus. There you preach the good news of the gospel. There you will find your anointing and your ordination.
God is speaking this word to someone today and that someone may be you. No, it is not a ministry of honor or glory. Often times, it won’t even be appreciated or accepted, but it is a high calling in the Father’s eyes and He highly regards with His favor those who are willing to give up themselves to move into this place. If you have a calling to a ministry here is the place to start. When you can effectively minister with the love, reconciliation and the restoration of the Father in these places, then He knows your faithfulness to be used anywhere. The Lord has been speaking to someone’s heart and this word is confirmation of His calling upon your life. If you respond in obedience He will give you the grace to do what you have been called to do.
Blessings,
#kent
Forgiveness
December 16, 2020
Forgiveness
Ephesians 1:7-10
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
Forgiveness is a word that we use a lot and often fail to really consider the depth of what it implies and what it accomplishes. Forgiveness is a necessary ingredient before any true restoration and reconciliation can take place in a relationship where an offence has occurred on the part of one or both parties. Where an offence remains not forgiven, it may be pushed down or ignored by the offended one, but when forgiveness is not released it is like getting a splinter under the skin. Even a small splinter that is not released will begin to fester and be a constant source of agitation until it is removed.
God, in His great wisdom, saw all the offences we committed toward Him as human beings. While we might have good intentions, we have come to realize that God’s standards of holiness and righteousness are not obtainable in our fallen state and so we are a constant source of offense to Him. We have come to realize that under God’s mandate and law we are all destined for judgement and the eternal consequences for our sins. This was not God’s plan. His plan was to provide for us forgiveness. Through the sacrifice and the shedding of the blood of His perfect Son, He could extend release and pardon to us for our offences and sin. God’s heart is to reconcile, redeem and restore His creation back to Himself and He paid the ultimate price to do so. We all know what we deserve, but the mercy and grace of God said, “no”. He has extended to us the olive branch of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation through the blood of His own precious Son. God, in Christ, has done all the hard part for us and all we have to do is extend the hands of faith and receive this great and precious gift of forgiveness and pardon.
Imagine that you have murdered someone in the heat of passion and you have been tried, found guilty and sentenced to death. Nothing you can do can undo the consequences of your sin. Then one day the son of the president comes to you and says, “You know that you have committed a crime and the debt and punishment for that crime has to be paid. I am here to take your place, pay for the crime and let you go free. It will be just as if you had never committed that crime. It will be erased from your record.” If you accept this exchange then the doors to the prison open and you are free to go. As if that were not great enough, the president’s son tells you that now that you are free he wants you to assume the position of the president’s son with all of its rights, powers and privileges. Wouldn’t we be a fool not to accept such an offer? Obviously, in turn we would owe the president and his son our lives for that exchange. Obviously, what he is offering is far better than what we were facing. We don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. The point is that if we never accept the pardon and we hold on to our offence then it can never be pardoned or released. With every gift given there is an exchange, but for the exchange to be complete it must be received. The gift isn’t mine till I accept it from you and I can never open it and experience its contents until I am willing to reach out, take it and open it.
In our human relationships forgiveness is an important part of our interactions with one another. We offend and hurt one another rather intentionally or unintentionally all the time and we need to ask and extend to one another forgiveness. As Christians we are commanded of God to forgive others as Christ has forgiven you and gave Himself for you. Many of us are struggling with our relationship with both God and man because we have been unwilling to release forgiveness. It doesn’t mean that we extend forgiveness and are expected to continue in a hurtful or destructive situation given a choice, but we need to forgive to set ourselves free. It is the only way we can get those splinters of offense out of us. When we withhold forgiveness we create a dam that withholds the love of God from flowing through us. We close our heart and emotionally detach ourselves.
Many of us need the restoration and the reconciliation that can only come, as we are willing to release forgiveness. We can’t always be responsible for the other party accepting it, but we can release it and thereby release ourselves. Often pride, on both sides, is the greatest hindrance to our reconciliation. You can see why God loves humility in us, because it is not too proud to say when it is wrong and it is not to proud to forgive someone, even when they don’t deserve our forgiveness.
Unfortunately, our unwillingness to forgive can become for us a puddle of self –pity that we continue to wallow in and feel sorry for ourselves. We can do the same thing with our unwillingness to receive forgiveness. We remain in the bondage of our offenses.
Forgiveness is one of the most powerful instruments of love that the Lord has ever given to us. We all need to take it, use it and exercise it often. Nothing can set us free and restore right relationships like forgiveness. It can unlock the many prison doors of our hearts and sets us free to love and be loved with the love of God.
Search your heart and if you find their a hurt, a wound and offense that someone has committed either intentionally or unintentionally, exercise the gift of Father’s love and forgive them. You are right. They may not deserve it, but then neither did we. When we set others free, we free ourselves and become again and instrument and a heart that God’s love can flow through.
Blessings,
#kent
The Rains are Coming!
August 26, 2015
Joel 2:21-24 (The Message translation)
Fear not, Earth! Be glad and celebrate! God has done great things. Fear not, wild animals! The fields and meadows are greening up. The trees are bearing fruit again: a bumper crop of fig trees and vines! Children of Zion, celebrate! Be glad in your God. He’s giving you a teacher to train you how to live right—Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words to refresh and nourish your soul, just as he used to do. And plenty of food for your body—silos full of grain, casks of wine and barrels of olive oil.
The Rains are Coming!
As I was asking the Lord about what to write this morning, I heard in my Spirit, “Tell my people the rains are coming.” He then reminded me of the rains spoken of in Joel 2:23. King James reads, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” Just as the rains of heaven rejuvenate and give the life giving fluids to grow the crops, so the Spirit anointed teaching of God’s Word will come like rain to cause His people to come forth in spiritual fruitfulness. We have all set under much teaching and even good instruction, but this teaching and Word of God will be life changing and spirit transforming. It will come with the demonstration of such power and life that it will be a well of restoration, breakthrough and freedom. This rain comes after a time of great darkness upon the earth. It comes after a time where the people of God have entered into fasting and praying, of rending their hearts and not just their garments. It comes as we fully return to the Lord and bring the acceptable sacrifices of a broken and contrite heart.
When this rain breaks forth it will be like none you have seen before. It will be the former and the latter rain together, a double portion blessing upon the people of God. The rains are necessary both for preparing the soil to plant and also for bringing the harvest to fruition. These rains are for the bringing forth of a great harvest in the earth and also for the fruition of that which has already been planted. The rest of the passage of Joel 2 goes on to read, “24And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. 28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. 32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”
There is a season for every purpose under heaven. There is a season for tearing down and destruction, but that preceeds the season of restoration, blessing and life. Let us prepare our hearts in the manner that God has prescribed, seeking Him in fasting, repentance and prayer. For surely He will answer us and bring the showers of His blessing and life.
Blessings,
#kent
More than all Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices
May 12, 2015
More than all Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices
Mark 12:33-34
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
While we no longer literally offer burnt offerings and sacrifices we still do it in type. Many times I might rather love my neighbor, whoever that might be, from a distance rather than up close and personal. Just allow me donate some money for their cause, or pray for them, anything, but don’t make me become personally involved in their lives. Most of us like our own space and some of us like to be around friends and family, but even that has its limitations. How much time do I have for my neighbor, those people that I encounter in my daily life, business or work? Many times we might think to ourselves, “You know, I have enough problems of my own, I don’t need to get involved with someone else’s.” If we love ourselves enough to care about our problems, our needs, our wants, desires and goals in life, then aren’t we mandated to care about the similar needs of others as well?
Most of us would agree that in a world where every time you turn around someone wants to sell you something or ask you to contribute something we begin to become rather cold and callused. We build these walls to try and keep these people out. It is true, we can’t be everything to everybody and we do only have so many resources, still, are we loving our neighbor as ourselves? All of the things that I do for me, am I willing to do them for someone else? Personally, I am not a real people person and the majority of the time I am quite content and comfortable to be by myself, doing my own thing, but can I really love my neighbor as myself from that position. Loving others is always stretching us. It causes us to move out of our comfort zone. It causes us to come out of the place of just making the token efforts of the burnt offerings and sacrifices and requires me to get involved. Jesus was involved with those around him and not just with the upper crust, the easy to get along with, the likeable or the ones that could benefit Him. He was relating to humanity at all levels, classes, sexes and races. He would relate with children and adults alike, to the whole and the broken, rich and the poor and to the sinner and the righteous. Jesus was not a respecter of persons and He was sensitive to the heart cry of people. There are a lot of people out there that just want to take advantage and use others. This tends to make us wary and cynical, but the Lord wants us to tune into the heart cry of others. Listen, by the Spirit to the real need in people. It often isn’t what we see being portrayed on the outside or in their actions. We need a spirit of sensitivity, not to be duped by everyone that comes along, but to see into the heart need of others.
As the ambassadors and representatives of Christ in this earth we are the channels of God’s blessing, healing, restoration and reconciliation. If we don’t take the time and make the time for the needs of others, then who will. If I want someone to love me, be sensitive to my needs and to just care then that is the love I need to be extending to others in whatever capacity I have to give it. It isn’t the religious gestures that I make and the token giving that the Lord is looking for. He is looking for my heart to be one with His heart in me. He desires me to love Him through the way I love others, through a heart that is really caring and concerned for the needs of others. So often we are like the Scribe, the Pharisee, “the Christian”, who walks to the other side of the road when we see our neighbor in need. We don’t want the inconvenience and the investment of our time and resources to get involved. If my neighbor is important to the Lord, then they have to become my priority also. We have to remember that our mission in the earth is not about us, it is about Him through the way that we serve others. Loving God and loving our neighbor are all part of the same pie.
“Lord, give us sensitive hearts and eyes to see into the real needs of others and to make ourselves available and willing to minister to those needs in what ever way we can. Give us your heart to really love others as we would love ourselves, not from a distance, but up close and personal. Help us to truly be the extension of your compassion, love and grace. May the world truly know us by our love and not just by our name and religion. Allow us to be willing to pay the price of the personal sacrifice required in the giving of ourselves and that which cost us personally to love You with all of our hearts; to love our neighbors as ourselves, no matter who they may be.”
Blessings,
#kent