Love Finally Seen

Love Finally Seen

Revelation 22: The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. ⁵ There shall be no more night, and they will not need lamps or sunlight, because the Lord God will be their light, and they will rule as kings forever and ever.

 

============

 

When I found a leader I liked, I tried to imitate that person. I would speak, walk and use ism’s I heard from the person. I found men and women who had some great styles that I could borrow from. It was flattery to my ears when I would hear “You are acting just like him or her.”

 

• I wanted to imitate great people.
• I wanted to put what I learned from him or her, into action.
• I wanted to “be” just like those successful people.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, saw the throne of GOD and of the LAMB which is JESUS. He also saw everyone who ever served people for JESUS sake. They had JESUS’ name written on their forehead.

 

My Observations:

• I cannot see my forehead when looking at JESUS, BUT JESUS can see HIS love in me when HE looks at me.
• One day I will not need artificial light, or even sunlight because I will be in the presence of JESUS who is the LIGHT.
• Seeing JESUS face means I will be looking at pure love.

 

Human examples of love are desperately flawed. I mean, when one person acts in love another twists it into hate. One person’s protection is another person’s control. Soon, preferences prevail over pure love. BUT GOD has a remedy.

 

JESUS, being GOD, showed pure love by taking on the consequence of sin for you and me. HE became a human out of pure love. HE then allowed HIS own creation to murder HIM while not putting up a fight. HE was raised from the dead and was placed in authority of everything. I look forward to one day seeing HIS face.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer keep mentioning light?
• Have you ever observed abusive, manipulative or coercive behavior labeled as love?
• Have you surrendered your life to CHRIST so you can experience pure love today?

Directed Desires

Directed Desires

Philippians 1: ⁹ I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment, ¹⁰ so that you will be able to choose what is best. Then you will be free from all impurity and blame on the Day of Christ. ¹¹ Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.

 

============

 

“Become well rounded” was the confusing statement said to me. What does that mean? I pondered. To some it meant reading certain prose, to others it meant traveling to various places and to others it meant interacting with a variety of people. But something was missing from the approaches when I tried them.

 

• I wanted to fit in.
• I wanted to protect myself.
• I wanted to “get ahead” and “be successful.”

 

Paul’s prayer for everyone concludes with a statement on becoming “well rounded” in a very strange way. Love is the foundation coupled with true knowledge, coupled with perfect judgment. Humans can try to claim these important gifts, but they only can come from one place, namely JESUS CHRIST.

 

My Observations

• To keep my hatred at bay, I must grow in the love of JESUS.
• To keep my thoughts aligned, I must learn about my Savior.
• To keep my lustful, sinful decisions to a minimum, I must use the judgment of CHRIST, which is perfect.

 

Following humans seems to lead to a person or group being superior. I mean, many discussions about how someone did something wrong and that other person did something right, makes us try to emulate who we want to follow. BUT GOD wants HIS SON to be the focus of the picture.

 

All of my choices should be run through three filters, love, true knowledge and perfect judgment, none of which I, or any other human contain. Only JESUS has love that is pure and knowledge that is not tainted and judgment that is perfect. HIS example is the model for me to follow. I am glad HE keeps me growing “more and more” each day.

 

Challenge

• How does the writer suggest approaching decisions?
• Have you ever looked back at times you did not use the best judgment?
• Will you keep growing in GOD’s “love” for other people and seek learning about HIM and use HIS judgment which is made perfect through JESUS CHRIST today?

Love is Exciting

Love is Exciting

1 Corinthians 13: ⁴ Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; ⁵ love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; ⁶ love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. ⁷ Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.

 

============

 

After reading this list, I realized that I had not shown love to my family and friends. It made me feel bad. But replacing “love” with “JESUS” the list becomes less of a burden on me and more excitement in my relationship with HIM.

 

• Expecting humans to show this type of love will bring on disappointment.
• Expecting humans to show unconditional love is false.
• Expecting humans to show pure love that has no sin in it, is impossible.

 

“All have sinned and fall short of GOD’s glory.” Paul said this and knows humans cannot produce the type of love needed to save humanity. BUT JESUS did. Paul writes about they type of love JESUS showed us. JESUS executed love flawlessly.

 

My Observations

• When GOD says to me “I love you”, HE means it.
• When GOD says to me “I will always be with you”, I can believe this to be true.
• When GOD says to me “I stand at the door and knock, if anyone opens the door I will come in and sup with you”, I can open my heart to HIM and know HE will fill it up with HIS love.

 

GOD never lies and is the only one who can show true love. But where does that leave humans? It leaves us with a hole in our hearts that can only be filled with GOD’s love. If I try to fill this hole with work or prestige or materials possessions or worldly lusts, the hole in my heart drains the actions onto the ground.

 

When I allow GOD to fill my heart, the HOLY SPIRIT guides me to an abundant life that the world may not understand. I am excited about the pure love JESUS has shown me and all who believe in HIM.

 

Challenge

• What do you observe when you compare this list to what JESUS did for you?
• How do you feel about this list when you look at other humans?
• How do you feel about this list when you look at JESUS?
• Will you rethink the source of love and allow GOD to place this source in your heart today?

Why So Angry?

Jonah 4: But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. ² He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. ³ Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

⁴ But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

============

“Pray for your enemies?” I exclaimed! I had been wronged and I did not want these people to remain on the planet let alone have them prosper. GOD was firm with HIS message and I had to finally relent. “LORD, please protect those who set out to harm me. Enable them to know YOUR SON in a saving way. Bless their efforts that are pleasing to YOU.”

About a year later I received news that my adversaries were in fact doing quite well. “See! I knew you would be a gracious GOD!” I pouted.

• Sometimes I want to pout about what GOD is doing in someone else’s life.
• Sometimes I want to be the one on top and those who oppose me, on the bottom.
• Sometimes I want to see the demise of people rather than an escalation.

“Serves them right” were the words I had in mind as I could just picture something bad happening to my foes. BUT GOD had something different in mind.

• GOD says to me “Is it right for you to be angry when I am not?”
• GOD says to me “Will you take MY yoke on you and learn from ME how to be slow to anger?”
• GOD says to me “Can you see that I have held back calamity and MY love is abounding?”

Grace and compassion was the true lesson. I had to spit out my poison and release all the bitterness I had over “those” people in order to see just how blind I was. Over time I was able to truly ask GOD to work in their lives. GOD shows me extreme compassion and wants me to do the same.

• Are you mad about something someone has done?
• Are you busy spreading your bitterness?
• Will you listen to GOD asking you to pay attention to HIS compassion?
• Can you take GOD’s example and spread a healthy dose of compassion to someone today?