Wednesday 23 March 2022

The Power of Love

 Scripture: John 15 v 9 - 12: "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."


In a world that is filled with romantic novels from the time of the Bronte sisters, to the movies and love songs of today, we have an idea that we know what love is.  The excitement of the secret love of D'arcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice still thrills us today.

This is a far cry though from what the love of Jesus brings to us.  There was never a moment of love so great as when He died the death we should have suffered because of sin.  In the whole of human history, this was the single most outstanding act of love.

There was nothing romantic or beautiful about His death.  It was cruel, inhuman agony which He willingly suffered to spare us this same eternal fate.  When He cried out at the end, My God why have You forsaken me? - that would have been the cry of our hearts for eternity, no one would have been spared without His death.

John 3 v 16 - 17: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

During March, 2019, Pope Francis and a top Imam of the Sunni Moslem religion, in the presence of leaders of Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Bahai and other faiths, signed into power the One World Church, agreeing that all faiths worship the same God.  This is a manifestation of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, who do not inspire us with any kind of love.

This contradicts John 14 v 6:  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Jesus does not just speak truth, He is truth, so every contradiction or argument against His unique Lordship over all creation, has to be a lie.  Our Father says in John 3 v 16 that all who believe in Jesus will be saved.  This is the full power of love.

Godly love gives to the uttermost and keeps on giving.  Time, care, prayer, friendship, meeting needs, touching lives, with whatever we have been given by God to uplift the body of Jesus.  The church today looks very similar to how Jesus looked on being removed from the Cross.  

This body needs the resurrection power to give it life, momentum, unity, direction, truth and authority.  Individuals have received this through being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, but for the whole body to be resurrected it needs a miracle of love.

It starts with us.  God responds to the way we manifest His love towards others.  The more we do of His perfect will, the more He does to encourage us.  We have to pay it forward!  If we don't forgive then He does not forgive us.  So we must start this ball rolling.

If there is someone who makes us angry, and causes us to lash out verbally or physically, that someone has been put there by God to reveal a problem in ourselves.  Really.  So think of whoever it may be and start by thanking God for His love and mercy in sending that person to show us our problem.  Now send this irritating person a prayer of blessing.  Then we must change our attitude and deal with our own nature.

If we are full of pride in thinking we are better than others, we are failing to discern the Lord's body.  Every part is equal to every other part.  We are each fragments of one whole body.  It's a bruised and battered body so some parts may be different colours, different odours, which may clash with ours!  It is stretched out over the whole Earth so we may speak different languages, but we are one.

Galatians 3 v 26 - 28: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

In Jesus Christ there are no members more superior than another.  No nation, no status, no rich or poor, not even gender makes a difference.  We are all one and should love one another as Jesus loves us.

In the world we have exact opposites of this!  Sportspersons have world rankings and challenge others continually.  The rich control the poor.  Gender is a huge issue with even children being encouraged to follow their own inclinations as it whether they should be called it, them, she-male, etc.  All the world's views are lies strewn about by the demonic agents of Hell.  No love lost there.

It is when the church incorporates the politically correct world view that it loses its Godly love and authority.  That's when it heads into Interfaith, compromise, deception and corruption.  Those churches have lost their anointing and become religious clubs, as Jesus is no longer central to their faith.  

All those clinging to the old traditions, ceremonies and ecclesiastical garments as proof of their acceptance to God, are deceived and deluded.  Jesus said that when the last days are upon us beware that no one deceives you.  I must amplify His words because so many are heading the wrong way.  

Pray to be connected in love to every other part of the Body of Jesus.  Love, God's love, means speaking the truth about Jesus to those who have not heard or have fake information about Him.  Only the truth will give them an opportunity to be saved.  When we boldly share our Faith, the Holy Spirit works with us to convict those who hear us, of sin, righteousness and judgment.  If they repent and believe they will be saved.  Repent means to change your mind from believing lies to believing truth.

Jesus commands us to love one another as He loves us.  That means we are fully able and equipped to do so.  If every Christian started doing this right now, the resurrection power would come down and turn this world upside down.  Jesus never entertained us, He went about healing the sick, driving out demons, raising the dead, preaching the gospel.

The church has left off the love of Jesus and adopted a people-pleasing mode of operation to keep the congregation coming in the doors and filling their coffers.  They have deleted the word sin from their preaching and as long as everyone feels good they are satisfied.  They have offended no one.  Except God.  And true believers who have now left the mainline churches for places where the full gospel is preached.

The Lord is busy sorting out the sheep from the goats.  The sheep are His true followers who walk in love, joy, peace and obedience.  The goats are those who have a form of religion but deny the power thereof.  They are either caught up in tradition or entertainment or both.  They proclaim that they love God but they speak not the truth.  Take this moment to assess where you fit into the scheme of things.  Make adjustments where necessary.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, Your love fills us with gratitude, and yet we know we must love like You do.  We fall short many times and hurt ourselves and the body of Jesus.  Teach us Your ways O Lord, that we may love unconditionally and be faithful to Your calling.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.