You Be Jesus!

1 Kings 3:16-26

Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born; this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

19 "During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son — and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."

22 The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours."

But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king.

23 The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'"

24 Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other."

26 The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"

But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

God made us different (1Cor 4:7) and He made us with differing gifts (Rom 12:6). In the church these differences are meant to benefit the whole of the church (1 Cor 12:7). While each gift is necessary and is of great value that value should never have someone acting without love towards another in Christ because they don’t see things the same way or because they don’t have the same gift (1 Cor 12:21).

In the opening Scripture passage, there was a pretty contested argument that was brought before the king. Solomon gave both parties an opportunity to speak their mind and tell their side of the story. It seems obvious that both sides spoke with great conviction as to their impression of the facts.

In this particular story someone was telling the truth and the other person was lying. To the king who was listening to the story it could have been either person. But what ultimately revealed the person in the wrong was their willingness to let the body be split in two.

 In the Church we often see things in different ways. As I mentioned earlier God made us to differ one with another. We were never meant to be mindless robots and neither were we meant to be “lorded over” by leadership. According to Jesus, leadership should always be “servant leadership” meaning that the leadership is not trying to solely serve its own purposes, agendas, or pocket books.

 The problem exists when our opinions are unable to be moved by the needs or consideration of others. Unfortunately I am sure we all know of instances where those in the church would rather split the body in two than give in to preserve unity in the body. We are sometimes like Kevin in the following story:

        A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, Ryan, 3. The boys began    to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'

Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Okay Ryan, you be Jesus!"

 We are like these children that are more concerned with getting our own way then being like Jesus. “Why don’t YOU be Jesus?” We ask the others. Perhaps we ask, “Why do I always have to be Jesus? Why can’t I get my way for once?”

But it is not about who gets their way, but how is the body of Christ better served? If your idea serves the most in the body and/or has the greatest potential to grow the body that is what should be our primary concern.

It was the Apostle Paul who became one of the greatest examples of sacrificing his life, his desires, and his needs for the good of the Church. It was he, inspired of God, who wrote:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Eph 4:1-3

If you think about how much he could have complained about how it seemed he was carrying far too much of the burden of the church, about how he had been left to make his own defense without the help of others in the Church, and how so-called brothers in the Lord tried to defame his name and ministry, it would make you wonder how he could ask for others to bear with one another in love and how they should make every effort to keep unity and peace.

If it was me, I would probably want to complain about how unfair my situation was and how unfairly I was treated, but Paul doesn’t give us that sort of “way out” of acting in love, in humility, in gentleness, and peace.

Notice what Jesus says:  “Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them” (Luke 6:31-32).

He doesn’t say, “Treat them the way they treated you,” as if we have an excuse when someone seems to treat us poorly. No, we are to treat everyone in love – even those we disagree with. The life of the body is more important than being right or getting your way.

Notice what happened in the original story:

      The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"

But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

27 Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." 1 Kings 3:26-27

The king entrusted the life of that body to the one who was more motivated by compassion and love for that small body. That’s because the attitudes of love, compassion, protection for the purpose of allowing that body to continue to have life and grow was the deciding factor.

I think this story does represent this spiritual application for our time:

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement (we just read through the Scriptures) give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Rom 15:4-7

Through the Scriptures God gives us endurance and encouragement with the prayer that will give us all a spirit of unity amongst us in the Church. Unity brings praise to God and it also witnesses to the world that Christ is really in us:

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20-23).

How will the world believe that Jesus came into this world and that God loves them? It is when we as a Church act in complete unity. The in-fightings do NOT glorify God. Rather the Scriptures warn:

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Gal 5:14-15

 

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Col 3:12-15

Whatever the disagreement may be over may we as God’s people be motivated by love and unity than us getting our own way. Sadly, in the time that I have pastored I have seen churches split over some of the silliest things – I bet you’ve seen it too. But can we agree that preserving the life and the unity of the body has the greatest priority.

2 Chron 30:6

At the king's (Hezekiah) command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

… If you return to the Lord, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."

10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and ridiculed them. 11 Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord. 2 Chron 30:6; 9-12

Lord, I pray that Your hand would be upon the churches in our area that are facing decisions that the enemy would like to use to split bodies and even kill some. I ask that You would help each one to look away from self-interest to what is best for the body and may there be a spirit of unity in our congregations that the world might see You in us and come to faith. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

Mistaking the Wilderness for our Promised Land

I am sure that you all have heard of the metaphor that compares our trials and difficulties to a “wilderness experience.” It seems to fit because the “wilderness” is barren, hot, and difficult but in spite of all the testing in the wilderness for the Christian, the wilderness really represents a place of preparation. On the one hand for the believer (as also with the Israelites) the wilderness lacked an ability to sustain those who would journey through it – in reality for God’s people it meant provision (food, manna, and water) miraculously supplied, God’s visible protection for them (the cloud by day and pillar of fire at night), God’s preservation of the things they possessed (their clothes or sandals did not wear out), God’s leading (when the cloud and pillar moved), and divine health or healing as needed for all those who trusted and obeyed God. The wilderness was not as bad of a place as we immediately imagine.

According to the Bible, Egypt represented slavery to sin and the oppression of it as a task master over us, but as soon as we were baptized in the cloud and in the sea (cf. 1 Cor. 10) we became followers of God. Our journey through the wilderness had the purpose of teaching us to listen to God’s voice (cf. Deut 8:2- 3).

The Promised Land should not typify heaven or eternal life. In the Promised Land God’s people would have to face enemies and possess their land. Food was no longer miraculously provided for God’s people in the Promised Land but they would have to follow the principles of sowing and reaping. Success in the Promised Land meant God’s people destroying false religion and idolatry and replacing it with worship of the One True God. If someone really thinks about it, life is much more difficult in the Promised Land than in the wilderness. There is much more responsibility placed upon us in our relationship with God.

That is why I mistook my Promised Land for the Wilderness. I did not realize that the Promised Land would be so difficult. I looked around for God’s provision that I used to find more easily – just as the Israelites found the manna every morning (except on the Sabbath) outside of their tents. To be provided for in the Promised Land meant I could no longer look for provision as with manna, I now needed to take some land. Even after I had land I needed to follow up by preparing the soil and planting, watering, and finally harvesting before food was supplied. There is a different program – a different way of doing things – in the Promised Land than in the Wilderness.

Remember when you first were saved how in spite of the difficulty around you, you seemed to be sheltered from it? Remember when you called to God and He answered quickly – He led you and made His presence known? Then God called you into service or ministry. Now after you had so many victories in the past and have seen God move faithfully on your part, for some reason His presence is no longer easily accessible. The difference is in the Promised Land you have to go to Him for communion when previously He was right in the center of your camp and all that you did. As Israel had to go to the Temple to worship and receive forgiveness for sin we are to go to Jesus the true Temple of God and receive forgiveness, direction, and fellowship with God. Previously you were surrounded by God’s people and now you are surrounded by those that worship false gods and hate you. The difference is you are no longer in the wilderness – you are in the Promised Land.

The Promised Land is the place of your calling. God prepared you in the wilderness to walk in your gifts and spiritual vocation and now you need to begin to do that. Just as Paul who received a promise concerning his ministry and went for a period of time into the wilderness and came out to walk in his apostleship. Just like Jesus who was driven of the Spirit into the wilderness and upon coming out He began His earthly ministry, so we also cannot stay in the wilderness we must go and possess the land.

Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given unto me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” We are called to go into all the land and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must still walk in the faith we learned while in our wilderness. We must still lean upon the Lord’s strength and not our own to conquer our enemies. The character we learned in the wilderness we must take with us into the Promised Land of our ministry. The land God has assigned to each one of us is different and while we can help each other out I cannot take your inheritance and neither can you take mine. Our inheritance has been marked out for us. This is why David said, “The lines have been marked out for me in pleasant places” (cf. Ps 16:6).

Healing Hands Testimony

Healing Hands Testimony

We are giving God glory for working in us and through us in a new and deeper way. The exciting part of the story happened on Sunday, February 05, 2012. On our way home from church, my wife Nikki starting having a sharp aching pain in her right hand with a feeling that her hand was swollen really big. I noticed that she was in pain so I started to pray for her, but she was certain that her body had no reason for the pain and believed it occurred so we would intercede for someone else. After I prayed, she felt the pain subside a bit, but move to her wrist. I prayed a second time and again it subsided but this time moved to her elbow as a dull ache. I suggested that Nikki lead the prayer and as we prayed the third time and the pain left. We praised God and continued to ask for revelation as to who specifically this was for. We called one of our friends to ask if it was her but she told us she hadn’t been having trouble with her hand.

Later in the day, my cousin called – she rarely calls. She was looking for her mom, my aunt, who is living with my other aunt. I found the number and called them and right away she returned the phone call to her daughter. After her conversation with her daughter, my aunt began to talk about my cousin. She had been suffering with terrible pain in her hands and especially the right hand which felt swollen. As she described what her daughter, my cousin, had been feeling we were amazed at how closely her symptoms matched the person we had prayed for. So afterward I called my cousin back and told her  what had happened and how we had interceded for someone not knowing who it was.  She immediately started to cry and thank God.  She had been at work the night before and her right hand was getting so swollen and she had been in so much pain all she could do was cry to God. She said that earlier, before she called us, the pain had gone away. She knew that God had begun her healing. We rejoiced with her and began to write down the testimony of what God had done. 

As Nikki began to write it out on the computer, our friend called us back and shared with us that she had gone to talk to some of her neighbors and they began to tell of some of their pains. Our friend started to pray healing over them and one of them specifically described the symptoms we had interceded for: a swollen right hand and this lady too proclaimed God’s healing.

All of this is very new and exciting for us, but we are praising God for leading us to go to a conference that taught us some very practical ways that God still moves today in prophecy and healing. If we had not heard that God would actually work this way at that conference we would not even have thought to intercede for someone else. Thank you, God for using my wife and I to touch others and experience Your willingness to heal those who are hurting.

The Spirit Led Life (Part One)

Ever been in the place where you felt, “If I could only speak to Jesus face to face I know that He would have compassion and answer my need?” Jesus, why did you have to go away? If You were only here on this earth I would go to wherever you were at and plead my cause to You! How is it possible that Jesus could say:


“It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you...” John 16:7

Try to imagine what it must have been like to have the Master guiding your ministry – correcting, teaching, and encouraging you every day for three years. Then you are told that He is going away. Who is going to solve our disputes? Who is going to reveal the secrets of the kingdom to us? Can you imagine all your insecurities and fears of failure bombarding your mind? Yet, Jesus told them that it was to their advantage not to have a person endlessly telling them what to do but rather to become led from within!

This subject of being led by the Holy Spirit from within is the game changing and power restoring truth that the people of God have missed because they haven’t really understood how absolutely necessary it is for EVERY aspect of our Christian walk. How many years are we willing to wander without refreshing in the desert before we realize that we need God’s direct and personal guidance?

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years; to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deut 8:2-3

Israel went without food and water various times during the period they spent in the desert. They would have died if the Lord had not given them specific instructions as to what to do to obtain these things. If you will remember His instructions weren’t consistent as if He was teaching them to just live by principles. No, one time to provide water Moses was told to hit a rock, another time he was told to throw a specific piece of wood in some bitter water to make it drinkable, and another time He was told to just speak to a rock and water would come out. God did this so that they might look to Him continually for direction. After all it was He who led them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. He was trying to teach His people that if they followed Him they would be protected and provided for.

In the proceeding passage, God said He withheld necessities and then provided what they needed so that they would all understand that they didn’t live by bread (food) but by every word that proceeds or comes from the mouth of the Lord. Now, often times we are told that this refers to God’s written word, but in reality He never pointed them to a scripture passage to tell His people what to do. He told them prophetically through Moses and this word had just as much authority as the written word. Just like we need to eat everyday so also was Israel instructed to gather fresh manna (or word) everyday.

The children of Israel didn’t get their manna or bread in one great supply. Instead, it was given every morning and if it wasn’t picked up, it was unfit for consumption by the next day (c.f. Ex.16:20-22). If this manna symbolically represents God’s word – can you see that it cannot be the written, unchangeable word of God? It has to be referring to specific direction given by God on a daily basis. Perhaps this really is the intended meaning of “give us this day our daily bread.” Consider the fact that in just a few subsequent verses Jesus states:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matt 6:25

Jesus is teaching us not to worry about what we are going to eat or the things of this life, but rather we are to focus on things that are eternal – the kingdom and righteousness (v. 33). If this is true, why in what we call the Lord’s Prayer, would He be teaching us to ask for food every day? Wouldn’t it make more sense that we should expect when we pray this for Him to lead us by speaking to us every day?

This concept of being Spirit led is not some “far out” and wacky doctrine. What I am going to endeavor to prove is that according to the Bible (God’s written Word) we must be led by the Spirit or we cannot be saved or victorious.

It is the Holy Spirit who convicts of our need for a Savior

When He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (John 16:8).

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14).

Unless the Spirit of God convicts someone of their sin they will not see their need for a Savior. This is because the message of the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing (c.f. 1 Cor. 1:18). An unbeliever cannot understand the gospel because it is spiritually discerned. Consider this: No matter how much we can try to show someone from a logical set of facts derived from the Bible they will not be convinced merely because of the information. The Holy Spirit speaks to their hearts, He tells them the message is true, He lets them know they are not right with Him and that they need to repent and trust Jesus. When we accept the Spirit’s witness we are saved and without it we cannot be.

It is the Holy Spirit who changes our hearts and teaches us truth

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Heb 10:15-16

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

Notice what the passage in Hebrews tells us: I will put my laws in a book for everyone to study. Is that correct? No, what He tells us is that He is going to put His laws into our hearts and help us remember them by engraving (writing) them on our minds. This is symbolically shown by the two sets of tablets of the Law. the first set Moses broke when the people disobeyed God. The second set was placed IN the ark of the covenant. The promised New Covenant teaches us that God is going to lead us from within not from some external source.

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:12-13

We cannot understand truth by way of our own reasoning and intelligence; we need the Holy Spirit’s continual guidance. The personal guidance of the Holy Spirit opens our understanding and reveals deep things about God. It prompts us to search for understanding about the deep (hard to be understood) things about God as the Scirpture says:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 1 Cor. 2:9-12

It is the Holy Spirit who testifies we belong to God

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Rom 8:16

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Rom 8:14

Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 1 John 5:10

Again this testimony is not just from the written word because it the passage reads “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.”God speaks through His spirit to our spirit that we are His children. Are you beginning to see that we NEED the inner guidance of the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit gives wisdom to direct His people

I could have chosen Solomon as an example of this but Moses is a better example to me because he presents a problem and the solution which is later answered by God in a much more workable manner. Here Moses presents his problem as the sole leader of God’s people:

I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. Num 11:14 NKJV

So the Lord said to Moses: "Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. v.v.16-17

Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again. v.25

So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, "Moses my lord, forbid them!" Then Moses said to him, "Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!" v.v. 28-29

Joshua is concerned that Moses maintains his ability to lead the people of God – but much like the time to come when Israel would seek a King – God’s more perfect desire is that His people see Him as their sole leader. Moses wisely recognizes that this comes as a result of God’s Spirit working alongside of someone.

This is fulfilled in the New Testament:

The new and more perfect covenant includes this Spirit guidance and power for all who will believe and become His people by faith. Notice how it is prophesied in the Old Testament and applied by Peter on the day of Pentecost:

"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. Acts 2:17-18

Who is not included to be able to receive God’s Spirit? The Word includes “all people,” referring to those present, their “sons and daughters” – not just for men, “old and young” – not dependent upon someone’s age, and even upon “servants” or slaves – both men and women. Peter clarifies that this promise Spirit is for everyone:

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:39

It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. John 6:45

The Scriptures do not teach that it will be necessary for us to have some final authority from men to teach us what we need to learn about God (as is taught by Roman Catholicism). Paul was an example of this. He was not taught by Peter or the other apostles what to believe, he was taught by God (c.f. Gal. 1:16-17). This is also confirmed by the apostle John who states:

As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him. 1 John 2:27

It is not that we should neglect the equipping ministries that the Lord has given His people to combat false teachers (c.f. Eph. 4:11-14). I believe what this is teaching is that the Lord gifts and wants to utilize every believer in the Church. Each person has works marked out ahead of time for them to fulfill (c.f. Eph. 2:10). As such the Lord is able to speak to and guide each person in the way of righteousness.

If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. Gal 5:18

If one thinks about this it makes total sense. If God is not directing you personally you will revert to man taught laws and tradition. As a leader we need to see God’s leading Spirit not as the loss of control but actually more effective control – not by man but by God Himself.

The Bible is a collection of accounts of men and women who did two things:

    1. They obeyed or disobeyed the written Word and its principles

    2. The obeyed or disobeyed the specific spoken words give to them

Examples are Adam and Eve; Noah; Abraham; Joseph; Moses; Joshua; David; etc.

The Holy Spirit’s Two Part Job Description

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26

    1. He will teach you all things. (Personal spoken words)

    2. He will help you remember what the Lord said. (Basic commands)

If the Holy Spirit is not teaching and leading we will miss the intimate, life-giving, relationship the Lord really wants to have with us. Take a look at how Jesus responded to a mere “scripture-driven” relationship with God:

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5:39-40

Can you see that the purpose of the Scriptures is to lead us to a personal relationship with Christ? Truth is not mere information. It is a person! Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” This is the truth that if a person will continue in His teaching they will know and who will set them free (c.f. John 8:31). Who the Son sets free is free indeed! v. 36

We have believed the lie that the only way God speaks to His people is through the Bible. It is not that we don’t discern His voice by what is said being in total agreement with the written word, but if we have lost the leading, guiding, teaching, directing voice of the Spirit it is no wonder we are powerless. The Bible prophesies of a time like this when it says:

"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11

Should we be in a famine when we are in the period of His grace and the covenant that is far better than the old? No! because Jesus taught:

“…the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.” and “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.” John 10:4, 27

If a person believes in the dispensational teaching in regard to the seven churches of Revelation that they resemble seven different historical church ages, it is to this final church age that believes it has need of nothing that Jesus says:

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Rev 3:20

Notice a few things about this passage, even if we look at it in mere principle. Jesus initiates the conversation. He says, “Here I am! or, “Behold.” I think this is representative of the fact that Jesus wants to speak to His Church, to guide His Church, and to be in the midst of His Church. But He wants a Church that hears - (he that has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches).

Jesus tells us there is a barrier (a door) between us and Him. This barrier is preventing a more intimate relationship – represented by eating together. He tells His people what they need to do is to begin to listen…listen for His voice. If anyone will hear it and respond by removing the barrier, He will come in.

Some possible barriers to hearing the Lord’s voice

    • Unawareness: Some would believe that God only speaks to pastors and ministers

    • Guilt: a sense of unworthiness

    • Fear: Who’s speaking … God, me or the devil?

In my next message I will deal with these barriers and more so that our ears will be unstopped. I believe the Lord is teaching that He is speaking and wants to direct our lives but we are not recognizing His voice. Notice what Proverbs 3:4-5 teaches:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

We are told to acknowledge Him in all our ways. In other words, recognize Him in all we do. Like others who have taught we need to “practice the presence of God” or hear the call to “Come Away My Beloved,” we should not merely follow our own understanding but expect the Lord’s leading, especially in the major decisions of our lives!

I will be including some “exercises” to help each of us learn to discern the Lord’s voice. There are four basic parts to these exercises:

    1. Pray

    2. Read the words of Jesus.

    3. Question: Why did Jesus said this? (Consider the context and true meaning of the passage first).

    4. Question: What are you saying to me personally, Lord? (How does what you said apply to my life in application?)

What if nothing seems to happen? If you don’t receive anything immediately, don’t get worried. Simply read the Scripture again and pray in the Spirit. If no thoughts come within a few minutes, just relax and believe God will speak to your heart later that day.

SAFEGUARDS

To ensure we don’t go ‘off track’; there are a couple of basic principles to follow:

1. Everything Must Agree with Scripture

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17

Whatever we feel God is speaking to us cannot contradict His eternal word or the principles taught by His word. When the Lord truly speaks to us, it will be confirmed by the truth of His word.

2. Seek Godly Counsel

For our own protection and guidance, we need to submit to other more mature believers.

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 1 Cor 14:29

This is not uncommon at all in other areas of Christian living. For example: Someone may feel called by God to a particular ministry, God uses others in the Church to confirm this calling. A man and a woman may feel called to marry one another but the minister and the Church confirm and witness to the union. What we believe we hear from the Lord will be confirmed by those who are spiritually more mature. This is part of the ministry of pastors and elders. You may be able to think of other examples like the pastor's sermon from week to week confirmed by the congregation.

3. Don’t Follow the Pattern of our Selfish Thoughts

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa 55:8-9

We need to avoid saying, “God said” presumptuously. There is a promised correction for those who will “pull the God card” to try to avoid submitting to godly leadership. It is this presumption that Satan has used to deceive God’s people into thinking God no longer wants to direct the day to day lives of His people. We have all heard some who claim to hear God speaking to them about things that are both selfish and foolish. This is NOT what I am claiming the Bible teaches.

OUR FIRST EXERCISE

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

First pray along this line. If God’s child asks for bread will He give him a stone? Jesus, you said that your sheep will hear your voice and be able to follow it. Speak to me now. Holy Spirit guide me into truth. Do not allow me to go astray.

Why did Jesus say this? What was the context of this passage? Who was Jesus speaking to? Only after establishing the original intent of this passage, can we now ask:

What are You saying to me personally from this passage? Listen to your intuitive thoughts and journal the thought(s) that come to you. If you know someone who is mature and able to discern God’s voice let them read what came to you. They should be able to confirm and encourage you to as you learn to understand God’s voice from your own thoughts. If you have no one who you can trust you may respond back to me and I will be willing to help you on your journey to recognizing His voice. God bless!

Power-filled Evangelism

Frustrated by the fact that the church that I was called to start had only seen sporadic growth and was now even struggling for its very existence, I began to call out to the Lord with more earnest. I felt like Israel in captivity hearing about the mighty works of God and wondering where that God went. I began to compare what I have seen in our churches with what was evident in the book of Acts and the stories of the early church. I noticed a glaring contradiction! When I began to look for this contradiction mentioned in other places in the Bible, such as the epistles, it was there too!

What am I referring to? The fact that in church today when we talk about preaching the gospel we are referring to passing along information, by word, this was not the case in the early church! In the early church there was a promise of power that was meant to accompany the preaching of the Gospel. This power manifested itself in different ways, but if one looks for the activity of God in miraculous signs, in healings, the specific direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the involvement of angels, and casting out of demonic spirits, one can see that this was common place for the early church. Power and the Word were inseparable but we will never be powerful unless we become power filled.

Why do we not see the Gospel preached with accompanying manifestations of God’s power in the church today? I believe that the reason is that we have ignored one of the most important works of the Holy Spirit taught by Jesus and His apostles, which is the promise of the Spirit led life.

The church today is being led only by half of what it has been given. We have followed the teachings laid out in God’s Word, the Bible but we have ignored the promised leading of the Holy Spirit. In a manner of speaking, the modern church has become like the disciples in Acts 19 who hadn’t even heard about the Holy Spirit. As Pentecostals, we claim evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives by our fruit and by our speaking in tongues. That is the problem of the modern church; we think we will be heard by our much speaking when what we need to do is to begin listening! I believe that we need to equip our members to discern the voice of God in everyday life and especially in evangelism.

One such example is the following passage:

Acts 8:26-29 NKJV - Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot."

Philip had previously been involved with the great revival that had taken place with the Samaritans. Crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did (notice the word was accompanied with a manifestation of power), they saw demons cast out and people healed as a result people paid attention to the message! The apostles came from Jerusalem to make sure that EVERYONE had received the Holy Spirit. The manifestation of the Spirit’s power was not meant for just a specified few.

In the midst of this revival, began by Philip, an angel speaks to Philip and tells him to leave and go to a specific place, the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza where there is a dessert. The Lord speaking through this angel did not freak Philip out! What Philip does is to respond in obedience and go.

Have you ever experienced anything like this? I have. One morning a few years ago I was praying and I had this odd thought come to me. “Go to George Webb’s.” One thing that I have learned about the Lord’s leading is that it often comes as a thought that you wouldn’t normally think. If anyone knows me, they could tell you that it would NOT be my idea to go to a George Webb’s restaurant! I do not like their food and I don’t like the smoke from the people that sit at the counter.

So I recognized right away that this was not a thought coming from me and I concluded that it must be from the Lord. So I figured what was the harm in continuing my devotion time there and I grabbed my Bible and began to leave. As I reached for my door, another thought came to my mind, “Take some tracts with you, you are going to need them.” So I did.

When I got to the restaurant, I ordered a cup of coffee (because I didn’t want to order any of their food) and sat down in a booth and began to read my Bible. In my peripheral vision, I spotted someone smoking a cigarette staring at me. My immediate reaction was to believe that he was going to mock me because I brought a Bible into the restaurant. Continuing to puff on his cigarette, he got up and began to walk towards the restroom. Then seemingly overcome with curiosity he turned back toward me and exclaimed, “That’s a Bible!”

I responded sarcastically (I am such a sinner), “That is correct genius!” With that he came and sat down across me at my booth! He said, “I have a Bible somewhere.”

I inquired, “So, do you have a church background?”

With that he began to tell me all about his life and the current struggles he was facing. I eventually led him in the sinner’s prayer right there in the restaurant! He was later baptized and went through our church’s discipleship program and is still following the Lord to this day.

It was miraculous, hey? But I didn’t even recognize it at the time. In fact, I had barely been saved myself. The Lord placed this prepared soul right in my lap! Isn’t that what happened in the story about Philip?

So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth" (Acts 8:30-33).

The guy is reading Isaiah 53, one of the most clear prophesies about Jesus in the Old Testament! This is akin to someone reading John 3:16 and asking you, “Who is this Son the author is talking about that gives everlasting life?” Could we tell someone the gospel at this point? Of course we could!

I believe there is a reason that Jesus commanded His disciples to “wait” for the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:4-5). It is because – although they knew the information about the good news of Jesus they needed to be filled with power that was meant to accompany that message (Acts 1:8).

In John 7:37-39, Jesus speaks in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." In other words, believing the message should be accompanied by a manifestation of the Spirit’s power – life giving water flowing out from within him. The following verse lets us know that specifically He was referring to the Holy Spirit.

Later Paul would confirm this by telling those at Thessalonica, “our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (1 Thess. 1:5). In fact, those who preached a message without power were even questioned by Paul as to the validity of their calling especially when they attempted to contest his calling as an apostle. Paul said to those at Corinth, “I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have, for the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (1 Cor 4:19-20 emphasis mine).

As Pentecostals we know this, and as a part of our heritage many even saw what I talking about. We expected that the Lord would work with us and confirm His word by the signs that accompanied it (Mark 16:20). But in recent years we have lost this kind of expectancy. Instead we have replaced the miraculous with our accomplishments, cleverness, and programs. An almost endless stream of “How to” books are being written by those pastors who are describing how they personally achieved success and growth in their church.

But, Paul had a completely different attitude about his success in ministry when he said, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit (Rom 15:18-19). See, he couldn’t take the credit for success – it was the Lord’s leading and the power of the Holy Spirit!

Notice though what Paul lists first: Christ’s leading. I believe the Bible teaches that this “leading” is meant for everyone who is a believer! Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27). Jesus did not say, “Some of my sheep hear my voice,” no, it is part and parcel of becoming a child of God. Paul said, “those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Rom 8:14).

The Spirit guides us where to go and where not to go

Acts 16:6-7 gives us an example of Spirit’s guidance in regard to evangelism. “Having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” We know historically that other apostles eventually went and preached the gospel to these areas, so we can conclude that unlike our previous example in Acts 8 with the Ethiopian eunuch they had not been adequately prepared by the Spirit to receive the gospel. If one thinks about it, the Lord is always working to prepare hearts to repent and receive Him, but is it possible that the Lord actually can lead us to those hearts and souls He has already prepared and who are ready to receive? That is what happened in this instance:

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:9-10). There Paul would eventually meet a jailer who would recognize the power of God shaking the prison and then listen to and receive the message about faith in Christ. As a result, not only he, but his complete household would put their faith in Jesus.

The Spirit Guides Us As To What We Say

Over and over I have heard of those who were “caught off guard” not knowing exactly what to say to their unsaved friend who out of the blue asks about salvation. The believer begins to speak what they know and then the Spirit begins to remind them of scripture passages, of specific things to say, sometimes even things that are even a word of knowledge. At the end of the conversation is this wonderful sense that the Lord led the conversation and gave us the words to say.

This really shouldn’t be surprising because the word does say that there are times when we can speak to an unbeliever and actually reveal the secrets of their heart (miraculous) and actually begin to worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" (c.f. 1 Cor 14:24-25). Or at other instances of having to bear witness to the Lord that we need not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit (Mark 13:11). This tells me that it is not an uncommon thing for the Holy Spirit to speak to us specifically about what to say or what to do.
Consider the well known passage, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). There are some very interesting things about this passage that I want to point out. First of all, Jesus is the person taking the initiative by being at the door, knocking, and calling out, “Here I am.” What I take from this is that Jesus wants to speak to us. That He wants to speak to us like a friend (there is a whole lesson just in that point) because He wants to speak to us over a meal. Secondly, there is a barrier restricting this conversation He wants to have (there is a door between us). This barrier is something that we have been given the control over. We can open the door and expect that when we do He will come in. And lastly, all of this is dependent upon us “hearing His voice.” Because He says, “If anyone.” We can assume that hearing His voice is possible for anyone not just a select few. Because He says, “If anyone hears,” we can assume that not all people are discerning that the voice of the Lord is calling out. Now it is obvious that the Lord is calling out for this church to repent and be hot for the Lord in the context of this passage, but is it possible that the Lord is actually speaking, and calling to us now but we have not discerned his voice?
In upcoming posts I will be discussing this further. I want to help equip God’s people to hear His voice because it seems obvious to me that we should all be able to “hear what the Spirit is saying to the church,” that hearing His voice is the key to the miraculous power meant to accompany the gospel, and that not being led by the Spirit is evidence that there is something deficient in our relationship with the Lord according to the Bible.

Jesus Loves You!

Perhaps to those who read this post, since many of you already profess faith in Jesus as Lord, this topic may seem inconsequential and even over stated. This because you have seen the “John 3:16” signs at sporting events, you have been told that God loves you, and you probably even give mental ascent to the truth that God does love you. But if you are like me, when no one else is around and you come face to face with the pain of this life and the tragedy we often are confronted with . . . the thought enters your mind. If God really loves me why has He allowed this circumstance in my life?


Rather than this being a trite and overly simplistic topic, it was Dr. Karl Barth, a prolific writer who wrote volumes on the meaning of life and faith and who was considered by many scholars to be one of the most brilliant theologians of the 20th Century, when he was lecturing at Princeton Theological Seminary was asked by a student what was the greatest truth he had ever learned. Dr. Barth thought for a moment and then said: “The greatest truth that I have ever learned was at my mother’s knee, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’"

There is no doubt that “Jesus Loves Me” is one of the best known children’s songs in the world. But how could it be that such a renowned biblical scholar would say that the “greatest truth” that he had ever learned was the fact that Jesus loved him?

I can think of four reasons that I think can lead us to question or even doubt that God loves us and this because I struggle with each of these.

1. Lack of godly examples

2. Our inadequacies

3. Our sin

4. Our circumstances

It seems that when we do not have a loving earthly father we struggle with many of the concepts of a loving heavenly Father. If we have struggled to please our earthly father then we will have a tendency to be “works” minded when it comes to God. When this happens we feel condemned by our failures and deserving when we seem to have performed well. The concept of a god that loves us “unconditionally” and not based upon anything that we have done “does not compute” if our parents did not show us unconditional love.

Often times we believe that we are more loveable when we are sucessful or do a good job at something. But whether we want to admit it or not, we all have short-comings and inadequacies. These short-comings often humble us allow an area in our lives where God can reveal our need for Him. If these inadequacies are what God used to draw us to Himself we often question why they remain after we have surrendered our lives to Him. It is often even more difficult if these areas of weakness lead to sin and its consequences.

Sin still brings about death and separation in spite of Satan’s lie to Eve. We can feel the separation and loss if our hearts have not been hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. This is good because it causes us to feel “godly sorrow that leads to repentance” or change in our lives. But often Satan wants to keep us hiding from God by way of feelings of condemnation and unworthiness. If we have a propensity toward a particular sin in our lives we can question, “How can God love me when I keep failing Him over and over?”

Whether brought about by the consequences of sin in our lives or as a result of someone else’s sin, or even situations in which we can find no one to blame often our circumstances cause us to question God’s love for us. How many times have you heard something similar to this statement, “How can a loving God allow this to happen to me or someone I love?” We equate love as being free from difficult or hurtful situations. Someone who loves me most certainly not allow something hurtful or difficult in my life.

My wife recently brought our daughter in to receive her immunization shots. For a full day afterward my daughter who is now 4 months old was very upset! She would not lay down in her crib but cried and cried until she was held. My wife and I took turns throughout the night holding her as we slept. I am sure she questioned in her little mind how could mommy and daddy take me to someone who hurt me and gave me a bit of a fever? It was beyond her comprehension to understand that our motivation for doing so was really out of love and our desire for her to continue to be with us.

So if all these things cannot be trusted to reveal God’s love for us what witnesses has God left us as a proof of His love?

There are three eternal witnesses that I can think of:

1. His Word

2. Jesus’ death and resurrection

3. His Spirit

The children’s song, “Jesus Loves Me” tells us we know it because the “Bible tells me so.” So I think that it is appropriate for us to look at what the Bible mentions about the four reasons we question His love for us.

A Lack of Godly Examples

The Bible asks this question, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?” And then gives the following response, “Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands (Isa. 49:15-16). God tells us that in most situations a mother will love and have compassion for her children. In another place the Bible states this as natural affection. Yet in the absence of a loving mother, God declares, “I will not forget you!” The scars left by the nails from the cross serve as an everlasting reminder of His love. Every time He sees those scars He remembers you. In the Psalms He tells us, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” (Ps. 27:10).

The Bible declares, “God is love” and He is unchanging in His nature (c.f. 1Jn. 4:8,16; James 1:17). He wants us to understand that He is the example given to the world including our parents, spouses, friends, and children, not the other way around. That is why the Bible further tells us, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us …” (Eph. 5:1-2).

Our Inadequacies

The majority of times when we struggle with inadequacy, it is because we are comparing ourselves to others. If everyone had the same weakness we would consider it normal and therefore have no recognition of any insufficiency on our part. The Bible teaches that it is unwise to compare ourselves with others (2 Cor. 10:12). Further the Bible teaches that it is God who made us to differ from one another (c.f. 1 Cor. 4:7) and that in the church – the body of Christ – He has placed us right where He wanted us to be (c.f. 1 Cor. 12:18-22).

For those weaknesses that are contrary to God’s will, the Bible teaches that both the Spirit and the Son intercede for us on behalf of them (c.f. Rom 8:26, 34). So the fact is that God is aware of the way in which He created us with both our strengths and weaknesses and in all these things He accepts us in Christ and intercedes for our welfare according to the mind of God.

Our Sin

In regard to our sin, God tells us that sin brings about both separation and death (c.f. Isa. 59:2; Rom. 6:23). But herein lies the beautiful truth of the Gospel that God showed His love for us while we were still in sin and did not withhold that love from us because of our sin. Here is how it is stated, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:6-8).

God tells us that He demonstrated His kind of love which is very different than the kind of love that we normally experience in this world. Christ died on our behalf in spite of our sin and rejection of Him. This tells me two things, first of all that His love is available to everyone. “For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died” (2 Cor. 5:14). You see how this is stated? The presupposition is that Christ died for all therefore the assumption can be made that all were dead. Since we know that in fact all have sinned and are spiritually dead (Rom. 3:23 Eccl. 7:20) we can be certain that Jesus died on your behalf – all our behalf. It is “because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5).

Further the Bible teaches that this grace of God is appropriated by faith not by works we have done (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:8-9). Unlike some have been known to teach faith is not a work. Here is how the Bible says it: “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:4-5).

Our Circumstances

Perhaps the most difficult times that we find ourselves struggling with the fact that Jesus loves us is when our circumstances don’t seem to feel like they are orchestrated by someone who really loves us. How often have you heard someone say, “If God really loved me then why did He allow this to happen to me?” I have seen this be the point at which many felt it was easier to believe there is no God and walk away from Him rather than asking the question, why?

In reality, there is more than one thing at play in our circumstances. First of all, it is God who gives you a life in the first place. This gift of life has been poisoned by sin, both ours and that of others. Because of that, this world is not our home or our hope. We should never be mistaken by the fact that “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men (1 Cor. 15:19).

Since in this life our faith in Christ is what reconciles us to God, we should expect that faith to be tested. Not so that we would possibly fail, but God controls each test and temptation to what level we gain overcome with His strength (c.f. 1 Cor. 10:13).

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:6-7). The purpose of these trials is to prove that our faith is genuine and real.

Finally, Rom 8:28 affirms, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Because God is holy, just and faithful and cannot lie we know that He is attempted to turn every difficult situation in life to something that has an eternal good. We may never understand what He is doing or why He has allowed us to face what we are going through but we also know that He is right there with us in the trial. He has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. So you can boldly say, ‘God is my helper…’”

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Rom 8:35, 37).

We Must Follow the Promises

Rather than having a relationship that is based upon our performance or lack thereof, we need to have a relationship with God that is based upon faith in His promises. We know He loves us based upon the information that has been given to us, but each one of us must personally take hold of that promise of love and believe that He does love us not based upon anything that we have done but because He is love.

We have known and believed the love that God has for us (1 John 4:16).