LOVE: Let's Preach it, Let's Be it

One of the problems that I have noticed over the past almost 20 years of counseling is people who want emotional healing and who want a deep relationship with God, however have not come to experience the love that God has for them. Not because He isn’t making His love known. Not that He has not already demonstrated His love through Jesus’ suffering, death, burial and resurrection (Romans 5:8).

But, partly because many ministers are not teaching about this Great Love. Many sermons don’t focus on the power of the gospel, leaving people to live out Christianity in their own strength. Or, to see Christianity as just another club, activity or gathering.

Another reason is that the hurts and pains of life keep people in bondage, unable to experience the inner freedom that life in Christ provides. To receive emotional healing, requires that we be vulnerable. To be vulnerable we need to feel safe and protected. True safety and protection comes through an accurate knowledge of God and a revealed knowledge of His love for you. When we know God’s love for ourselves we can trust Him with our hurts and pains knowing that He is our Healer and desires to bring healing and freedom to us (Isa 53:4,5; I John 1:2).

The main problem area comes about though when people do not have a healthy or clear understanding of love as God intended it. Much of media leads us to think of love as what the Greeks term eros, a sensual, romantic, surface love which tends to be fantasy like versus the love that God has given the world through Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection to save the world from ultimate destruction (John 3:16, 17). The Greeks term this love agape.

Agape love is the love that comes from God to us and through us to others. It is covenant love; love that loves because it wants to love you and is full of commitment. Love that says “I will never leave you or forsake you; I will always be with you and will have your best interest in mind.” It is a forever love. Us humans can engage in it by an act of the will; that is, choosing to accept God’s love. Then choosing to show agape love and being loving regardless as to the disagreements, challenges and storms of life. It is a love that is determined to work all things together for ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

It is a selfless love. It cares to give love more than the desire to get love, though through covenant/commitment it will receive love. It is a healthy, godly love that never quits and bears much fruit (I Corinthians 13:4-8; Galatians 5:22). Agape love can be learned and applied; however, the ultimate of agape is recognizing God’s love extended to you, receiving it, and then choosing to allow His way of loving to flow from you. This happens by the work of the Holy Spirit who moves upon us inviting us to partake of God’s love or moving upon us as we seek after God (Psalm 42:1,2) .

So how do we begin to know this Great Love, Agape? Begin by finding a church that has discipleship classes, classes that help you to understand the Bible and in developing a relationship with God. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord is #1 in importance and opens your heart and mind to understanding and knowing God. If you attend church regularly and have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, start praying on a regular basis. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you. Tell Him that you want to know His love. Read the Bible on a regular basis. Ask God to reveal Himself to you as you read and as you pray. Choose to obey His Word. This obedience says to the Lord that you love Him. The more obedience, the more He will reveal and the stronger in Him you will become.

Then when difficulties of life come your way (we all have them), or if memories of the past that produce hurt and pain present themselves, you can trust that the One who loves you so much that he died for you, will be there for you and will bring you through!

God's Message Through A Homemade Sign

As I drove down a busy street toward an even busier intersection, I noticed a lady standing on the corner with a homemade sign. The sign read,

IT'S PRAYING TIME

As tears flooded my eyes I honked the horn at her and gave her thumbs up. She acknowledged with a smile. It seemed that my response gave her fuel to turn into the intersection with her sign a bit higher. I could feel the Presence of the Lord upon me as I held back my tears (I had my stepson and a few grandchildren in the car with me-which the oldest reminded me of stating “grandma you can’t cry now, you’re driving.”:)

Why in the world did a homemade sign touch me to tears? Because I knew that the sign was for me, if for no one else. This is a message that the Lord has been speaking into my heart for some time now. It served as a confirmation that God is speaking loud and clear. It also served me notice that I need to follow through on my pursuit to increase my level of prayer and intercession. I am grateful that in this season the Lord has lead us to a church whose focus is relationship with the Lord, living it out, and prayer & intercession as a lifestyle. This is helping me to recharge and to deepen my Christian walk and prayer life. Not there, yet, but joyfully and sometimes painfully, on the road.

But, back to the sign: “It’s Praying Time.” I am sure that many would agree with this sign. Some because of the upcoming election. Some because of the war that our country is currently engaged in. Others because of the economic crisis that our nation and world are facing. Many others have relationship problems or sickness or other personal crises that they would like to be resolved. But is this what God’s message about prayer is all about? Perhaps yes to all of these. However, the truth is that everyday of the life of a Christian is praying time since prayer is one of the main channels of a sincere relationship with our Lord.

Also, though on another level, we are in the time of the end (or endtimes) that requires much prayer in order to know the daily and moment by moment will of the Lord. If we don’t pray we will not have the staying power that comes from God, which is so needed in this time. Our spirits (the inner man that will live for eternity) need the connection and communication with the Lord to stay strong.

Another reason that “it is praying time” is that we have an automatic adversary whose tactics, schemes, and attacks are intensifying and becoming more targeted and openly visible and in some cases, accepted. We know that when the enemy comes in like a flood, God raises up a standard against him. However, we, the people that God works through, need God’s power (which comes through prayer and revelation of the Word) in order to stand against the adversary with confidence and authority that we have in Him. So, for me, definitely, and probably yes for you, too:

“IT’S PRAYING TIME!”