The Law of Love
In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The Bible says in Romans 13:8 that we are to “Owe nothing to anyone--except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.” Jesus said that the entire law can be summed up in two commands – to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 28:38-40). Lastly (for now), 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that whether we had all wisdom, or the tongues of men and angels, or faith to move mountains, or prophecy strong enough to reveal all of God’s mysteries, but was without love, all would be useless.
Far too often today, I hear Christians talking and sounding nothing like love. One denomination is superior to another because they speak in tongues, or because they have more contemporary worship, or because their service is held at the “correct time.” We have all heard someone say that they belong to “Pastor so-and-so’s or Bishop this-and-that’s church” – and the air about how they say it may as well finish with “and we are superior to you.” Is it coincidence that the unchurhced world views Christians as hypocritical? Should we be surprised by this when as a whole, we set ourselves at odds with our fellow brothers and sisters based on which building we worship in, or based on the style of the service? We even have teachings on how this or that denomination isn’t truly Christian based on some fact. Should we be at all surprised then, when the rest of the world sets themselves against “church people?”
My friends, this should not be the case. Let me repeat myself for good measure: THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE. God revealed many aspects of His character by the myriad different names by which He identified Himself, but the only time He called Himself an attribute was when He called Himself love. Today, I pray that all of our eyes would see; that our hearts would understand, and that our hands and feet would go forth in love. Christianity is not about fulfilling 5,000 do’s and don’ts; it is about walking in love. We are to speak the truth in love. Jesus said that all the law and the prophets hang on love.
I want to help you get free from false religious mindsets that have served as prisons. You are not a better Christian for checking off a list of to-do’s. You are not more powerful if you prophesy or less powerful if you don’t. Prophesy is an amazing gift of the Lord, and is extremely powerful, but prophecies will fade. Love endures. Powerful gifts do not cover a multitude of sins; love does. Emphatic teaching doesn’t cast out all fear; love does. Love of the Father is not a set of moral obligations and checklist. I don’t read my Bible or pray or go to church because I am “supposed to.” I do them because they flow naturally as a byproduct of my love of the Father. Love compels me to pray, to seek God because I am enraptured by His great love. Today, right now, you are far more powerful than you realize. Make a choice today to step out and to radically love those around you, regardless of denomination, or regardless even of religion, and I guarantee that you will see that you will see your entire world change right in front of you. Since God is love, let me end with this food for thought: “For Love so loved the world, that Love gave…”
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Making Right Decisions
Making the Right Decisions
So many times in speaking with people, I hear a very common theme of longing to be in the perfect will of God, but far less frequently do I hear of people having complete clarity on what the Lord would have them to do with whatever prospective options lie in front of them. So often, the will of God over any situation seems so mystical and encrypted, and having clarity can be difficult. With so many voices speaking – logic, reasoning, societal influences, opinions of family members, coworkers, and friends, etc. – choosing the right path can sometimes feel like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. I want to share with you briefly a few quick and easy tests to help you make the right decision. Would you be willing to try three easy steps to determine their impact? Let’s begin:
First, follow peace. Sounds simple enough, right? Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Additionally, Jesus said in John 16:33 that “These things have I spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.” Also, Psalm 34:14 and 1 Peter 3:11 tell us to “seek peace and pursue it.” Everyone has engrained deep within an innate compass that dictates peace and apprehension. God’s word tells us to seek peace – and even promises that He will keep us in peace and will reveal (speak) things to us so that we can have peace. Jesus was called the Prince of Peace, so naturally, we can deduct that His Kingdom will be that of peace. We can tell from this that seeking after peace and allowing His peace to rule in our hearts will always lead us toward the Kingdom of God, and thus, the right decision.
Secondly, stay within the realm of where you find favor with God and man. Psalm 5:12 in the NKJV articulates this wonderfully: “For you, LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor will you compass him as with a shield.” When Elijah’s favor was gone at the Brook of Cherith, along with the provision, and he heard the word of the Lord and followed God’s favor to Zarephath, where he saw miraculous provision. Favor is defined as the state of being held in high regard or as something done out of goodwill. Essentially, then, we can see that when faced with a decision, we should see where we have favor, and align ourselves accordingly.
Along with following peace and favor, I would also suggest being single-minded and not continually jump back and forth between two (or more) options. James 1:5-8 promises that we can ask God and He will give us wisdom, but goes on to say that if we are double-minded, we are unstable, and should expect to receive NOTHING from the Lord. Ask the Lord for wisdom, seek peace, and believe you have received your answer when you pray. Then, go on about your day and EXPECT to get the wisdom to make the right decisions, and follow the path of peace and favor! I pray that everyone reading this and being faced with difficult decisions to make, no matter how large or small, would ask, believe, and receive Your wisdom for the situation, then would follow peace and favor each step of the way. May each of you have ears to hear, eyes to see, and wisdom to discern every situation you find yourself in.
Blessings,
Chris Reed
PO BOX 700055, Tulsa, OK 74136
So many times in speaking with people, I hear a very common theme of longing to be in the perfect will of God, but far less frequently do I hear of people having complete clarity on what the Lord would have them to do with whatever prospective options lie in front of them. So often, the will of God over any situation seems so mystical and encrypted, and having clarity can be difficult. With so many voices speaking – logic, reasoning, societal influences, opinions of family members, coworkers, and friends, etc. – choosing the right path can sometimes feel like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. I want to share with you briefly a few quick and easy tests to help you make the right decision. Would you be willing to try three easy steps to determine their impact? Let’s begin:
First, follow peace. Sounds simple enough, right? Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Additionally, Jesus said in John 16:33 that “These things have I spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.” Also, Psalm 34:14 and 1 Peter 3:11 tell us to “seek peace and pursue it.” Everyone has engrained deep within an innate compass that dictates peace and apprehension. God’s word tells us to seek peace – and even promises that He will keep us in peace and will reveal (speak) things to us so that we can have peace. Jesus was called the Prince of Peace, so naturally, we can deduct that His Kingdom will be that of peace. We can tell from this that seeking after peace and allowing His peace to rule in our hearts will always lead us toward the Kingdom of God, and thus, the right decision.
Secondly, stay within the realm of where you find favor with God and man. Psalm 5:12 in the NKJV articulates this wonderfully: “For you, LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor will you compass him as with a shield.” When Elijah’s favor was gone at the Brook of Cherith, along with the provision, and he heard the word of the Lord and followed God’s favor to Zarephath, where he saw miraculous provision. Favor is defined as the state of being held in high regard or as something done out of goodwill. Essentially, then, we can see that when faced with a decision, we should see where we have favor, and align ourselves accordingly.
Along with following peace and favor, I would also suggest being single-minded and not continually jump back and forth between two (or more) options. James 1:5-8 promises that we can ask God and He will give us wisdom, but goes on to say that if we are double-minded, we are unstable, and should expect to receive NOTHING from the Lord. Ask the Lord for wisdom, seek peace, and believe you have received your answer when you pray. Then, go on about your day and EXPECT to get the wisdom to make the right decisions, and follow the path of peace and favor! I pray that everyone reading this and being faced with difficult decisions to make, no matter how large or small, would ask, believe, and receive Your wisdom for the situation, then would follow peace and favor each step of the way. May each of you have ears to hear, eyes to see, and wisdom to discern every situation you find yourself in.
Blessings,
Chris Reed
PO BOX 700055, Tulsa, OK 74136
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