Posted on

To care or not to care? That is the question.

John 13:34-35 (AMP)  I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.

The word “love” here is the in the Greek agape. It is not a word for emotion but a description of doing things for the benefit of another person. It is having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.

My husband and I are in a theme of Restore on Sundays. We minster together. It is a teaching we have been doing for over a year now. Often times as a person we want to be restored without having to make any effort on our part, because sacrifice has become as bad of a word in the church as repentance. A surrendered life is the example Jesus lived. It puts responsibility on me. We hold onto the truth that Christ paid it all on the cross, yet forget the words of Paul, “continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ] (Philippians 2:12).” I do not work for my salvation, but I am responsible for maturing. I am responsible for my surrender. Let’s go back to what Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.” This takes maturity, because I am selfish by nature, as are you. The best place to work this out of ourselves is in a group of people with the same purpose. That’s right, I am talking about the body of believers in your church.

Hebrews 10:23-25 (AMP) Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]; and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.

If you do not think the people in your church are important enough for you to be present, then you are missing out on a great opportunity to work out your salvation. You are missing the part that Jesus told us, “This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends. (John 15:12-13).” He is not talking about dying for each other, He is talking about us dying to ourselves. He is asking us to genuinely care for each other. Care so much that you see how important they are in the Kingdom. Why are we so self concerned whether someone else’s life looks better than our own, that we cannot care for one another? It really is a sad state because how is the world suppose to know that we are His? If you have love and unselfish concern for one another.

Let’s put it another way. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to take care of this temple. Often times we only pertain this to ourselves. Look what Ephesians 2:19-22 has to say, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together, and it continues [to increase] growing into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, set apart, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” We are being build up together. I am not an individual set apart, I am apart of a body that is set apart. Know you can see what they are talking about in Hebrews about falling away from meeting together and the harm it does. I cannot do this on my own and I was never suppose to. Look at Haggai 1:2-10 and see what happens when we do not care about the temple of the Lord (the body of Christ). We lose in more aspects than we could ever imagine. We wonder why we struggle.

I’ve heard that there is no condemnation in Christ. I do not have to do any of this because works do not make me saved. That is all true. Works do not make me saved. However, I am not to neglect because of my freedom. That is not the character and nature of God and does not line up. We often like to quote Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].” However, we often use it out of context. It comes on the heals of Paul admitting to his own selfish tendencies. He is not giving himself permission to be selfish, but pointing back to a surrendered life. So I am not in condemnation because I have surrendered…that is how I am in Christ Jesus. That is why I want to care and show love for others. That is why I show up every Sunday. It is my worship to Him. It is not about me! Excuses make it about me. A surrendered life will want to follow the new commandment. A surrendered life cannot help but want to serve as Jesus did (John 13:5-15). He was the ultimate example, we are to do as He did. To care or not to care? If you really care then show up and serve.

Lord of the Universe, our Father and our Maker, we honor You today with every breath that is in our lungs. We praise You for who you are. There is none like You. We thank You for Your Son. We thank You that He lived the perfect life and gave us victory over death. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. We thank You that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead now dwells in us. We repent for squandering our Salvation by not maturing like You desire us to. We repent for continuing to live for ourselves and not walking out salvation to build each other up. We repent for not accepting the gift of the body of Christ and loving each other. We repent for not caring. Look at our hearts and take out any part that is within me that has continued to harden towards the love You want me to give. We choose today to turn back to Your face and live a life of surrender. We choose to walk in forgiveness and desire to see the best in others. We choose joy as our weapon. You said that Joy is our strength and I cannot have that apart from You. We desire to see Your Kingdom established and we repent for only caring about our own. Your Son said it is of not any benefit to do for those who would only do for us in return (Luke 6:32-35). Let us choose to be merciful and compassionate just as You are. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Posted on

Stumps don’t bear fruit

Psalms 1:3 (AMP) And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].

I was in prayer the other day and was sitting with something that I had read in a book recently. The author was talking about how sometimes that we go through times in our lives and we feel like a stump. We were once a beautiful tree and now we have been cut down through the storms of life. The question was asked if we could ever bear fruit again. The answer was as long as we have roots we can still grow. Then the thought came to me that people often identify as stumps and stay there. So that is where I started to intercede.

Matthew 17:16-20 (AMP) By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].

Why would I want to identify with something that cannot bear good fruit? I say this because I have made statements of “feeling like a stump” or “I am broken.” We can say that God allowed us to do what was wrong to get us to the place He called us to be. Why do we say things that contradict His Word? Job did it. He said it was better to have never been born so that He would not have to go through the affliction. How many of us have said we are biding our time waiting for heaven? How about us just doing a little sin, because it’s not hurting anyone?

Where is the deception? It all surrounded a tree. Genesis 2:15-17 (AMP) So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden; but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience].” God gave us purpose from the beginning. It is up to us to cultivate and keep it. Here God is literally talking about trees. Cultivating was mankind’s job. We could touch the trees, and eat of all trees…but one.

Genesis 3:1-3 (AMP) Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’”

God never said that they could not touch it. How often do we misinterpret what God says? Who was suppose to clarify the Word of the Lord? Adam. Did He take his rightful place? Nope. He was given a task to cultivate and to keep, just as we are. What are we suppose to cultivate and keep?

God gave Adam a commandment in the garden, we also have commandments we are suppose to be keeping. Mark 12:30-31 (AMP) and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’ This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” John 13:34 (AMP) I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.

Love is going to bear fruit. What fruit is is going to bear? Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP)  But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Now if I am identifying as a stump, then the focus has become on getting me. A place that I can grow and bear fruit. However, if I am remaining to be a stump, then I have made an excuse to not be fruitful. I have dug in my feet to not grow and I have made an excuse. However, we could NOT say that is where God would want me to be. Why? It contradicts His Word on where good fruit comes from. To say such would be to identify with the bad fruit (look back at Matthew 17:16-20). We have done just like Eve and misinterpreted God. Now we have opened up the door to the enemy for deception.

How can we correct such a thing? Get into a church that is going to teach the Word and point you to Christ. Submit yourself to spiritual authority as ordained by Christ in Ephesians 4:10-11. Get into relationships that challenge your view and will bring you back to the Word of God. We have too long tolerated warped interpretations in order to be accepting of others, especially when it comes to the character and nature of God. God does not need us to defend Him. He does need us to be bold and intercede. If you cannot walk along someone to disciple them, then you do not need to correct them. You are still instructed to intercede for them.

John 15:1-2 (AMP) I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit].

He prunes, not cuts away, so that we may bear fruit. Stop identifying with the cut off parts. Stop identifying with the things put in darkness. He says He dispels darkness. He is the Light, and if we are in Him, then we are empowered by the Light. We have identified with things that do not line up with the Truth of His Word. Like Eve, we misinterpreted it and opened ourselves up for deception. I am not a stump. I am a tree planted by the Living Water. I am rooted and grounded in His Love. I bear good fruit!

Elohim, our Creator, we honor You with a prayer of thanksgiving. We see the importance of why You sent Your Son. The first sin had to do with a tree and the Restorer had to be hung on one. We know that He completed the work on the cross. We know that He rose from the grave and now resides at Your right hand ever interceding for us. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Even though the Light of the World does not reside here with us, His power resides in us through the Holy Spirit. We repent for identifying with anything that does not bear fruit nor brings light. We are sorry for the pity parties we through for ourselves and invite others to. We should be celebrating Your Kingdom. Thank You for forgiving us in our moments. Thank You for not wanting us to stay there. We choose joy today. We choose love today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Posted on

Tennis Balls and the Holy Spirit

As I was reading Undistracted by Bob Goff, Saturday, I came across him talking about having to decide about whether he would have a heart procedure done because his heart was beating too fast. His resting heart rate was in the two hundreds. A normal resting heart rate is between seventy and one hundred beats per minute. He had to decide to have a procedure that would stop his heart and then send a shock to restart it (all done while medicated sleep). He posed the question: “Would you be willing to risk dying in order for your life to be more lasting? Would you risk everything for the chance to live your life more fully?”

Jesus did just that when He went to the cross for us. He did that, then how is my life better?

John 16:5-7 (AMP) But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [and taken complete possession of them]. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

My mind went directly to the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is the reason my life is so much better! Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday. If the Holy Spirit was not here, and within me, then the church would not be able to reach her fullest potential.

Acts 1:8 (AMP) But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.

I fully believe that I would not be able to fulfill the commandment Jesus gave me without the Holy Spirit.

John 15:12 (AMP) This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you.

Not many of us can say that being unselfish is easy. I am one that likes to have my time. I plan out what I am cooking and how left overs are going to be used when I am doing my weekly shopping. I am at the gym every day at the same time. I plan what errands that I will do each day and will try to be home at a certain time. This is so that I can have time to read and take a nap before we have evening sports. I can say that I have gotten better at letting go of the routine. How do you think those like me would have handled the changes when the Holy Spirit took root in the early church?

Acts 2:41-47 (AMP) So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about 3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers]. They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers. A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.

Your possessions are anything that you get to decide how they are used. Would I give up my time so that others can receive Christ? Would I give up my Saturday so that I can meet the need of someone else?

Bob Goff compared the amount of effort it takes for you heart to beat is like you and I taking a tennis ball in our hand and trying to squeeze it. Try it, it’s not easy. That to me is what it is like to do this love walk (unselfishly seeking the best for others) without the Holy Spirit. I need the Holy Spirit in my time. I need the Holy Spirit in my coming and going. I need the Holy Spirit in my self talk. I need the Holy Spirit in getting to know the heart of the Father. I need the Holy Spirit to become more and more like Jesus. To try to do this without the Holy Spirit is like squeezing a tennis ball. You might get one or two squeezes before you hand cramps, but not enough to sustain a steady heart beat.

If you have not done so invite the Holy Spirit into your life. If you have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit I would love to talk with you more about that. The benefits of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave us is so much more than just a Comforter. We also get the benefit of a heavenly prayer language. We get the benefit of not going at this love walk alone. We get the benefit of having God within us. I am so grateful for Pentecost (the gift of the Holy Spirit) and my church. I am so happy that Jesus risked everything so that I could live a life more fully!

Posted on

Love Revolution

John 15:12 (AMP) “This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you.”

This is smack in the middle of the part of Jesus telling us to abide in Him.

John 15:16-17 (AMP) You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you. This [is what] I command you: that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.

I am going to put this all together for us.

John 14:12-15 (AMP)  I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name [as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it. If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.

What were the commandments? See John 15:12.

Do not be afraid to do something kind for someone else. Give up a Saturday to help a stranger. Be willing to give away something in order to meet the needs of someone else.  

If you genuinely want to do something, you will find a way to do it.

Refuse to do nothing.

Do not let the fear of becoming overly involved keep you from being involved at all. Do not let the fear of falling into “works” salvation be the reason you do not aggressively want to serve. It is the intent of the heart.

After the early council deliberated on if the Gentiles had to be circumcised to show their salvation or to seal their salvation. It was deliberated that they did not. Actually they talked about the continuation of a lot of the Jewish rituals. The only thing they told Paul to do was:

Galatians 2:10 (AMP) They asked only (one thing), that we remember the poor, the very thing I was also eager to do.

There are literally thousands of ways you can give and spread love if you will search for them aggressively.

Jesus’ disciples saw Him daily helping people. He listened to them. His plans were interrupted so that they knew they were seen. Our words and prayers are important, but our actions carry the weight of our love. Let’s start a love revolution!!