The Royal Law

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Challenge, Love

                                                … of love!

There are many great promises in the Bible,
… that seem to be conditional to observing certain laws.

      My son, do not forget my law,
      but let your heart keep my commands;
      For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.
      Proverbs 3 1-8

Everyone wants to live a long healthy life,
… but how do you live God’s law?
And since we are no longer under the Old Covenant
… are we not free from the LAW and living under grace?
Yes we are…
So what law can there possibly be in the covenant of grace?
Jesus summed it up in one word …
LOVE.

      If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,
      ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well;
      James 2 8

      The Royal Law as the apostle James tells us … is love!
      And how do you live this love?
      By valuing others, by reaching out to others,
      … by being there for others
      in the same way as God has been and still is there for us!

God loves us and gave us His best through the Lord Jesus,
… demonstrating the royal law of love to us.
As we start living our lives for others,
… we will be fulfilling that law,
and God will fulfill His Word, His promises to us!
 

Walking in…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Commitment, Life

                                          … His footsteps!

Jesus, in ministering about living life,
… explained that the way He lived His life on earth,
is exactly the same way we should live our lives!

So how did Jesus live His life?

      But He answered and said, ‘It is written,
      Man shall not live by bread alone, but
      by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
      Matt. 4 4

This simply means that we need to get to know the Father,
… to build a relationship with the Father,
spending time with Him so that we hear His voice for our life,
… in the same way that Jesus did in His life.

      Then Jesus answered and said to them,
      Most assuredly, I say to you,
      the Son can do nothing of Himself,
      but what He sees the Father do; for
      whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
      John 5 19

It is only by knowing Him and His plan for your life,
… that you will be able to live in the fullness of life.
Therefore, simply follow instructions,

      My son, give attention to my words;
      Incline your ear to my sayings.
      Do not let them depart from your eyes;
      Keep them in the midst of your heart;
      For they are life to those who find them,
      And health to all their flesh.
      Prov 4 20-22
 

Love…

Posted on jan1 CommentPosted in Commitment, Love

                                                          … the elixir of life!

Love, the elixir of life!

The whole world, it seems, is preoccupied with the quest
for prolonging life.

What does the Bible say about it?
      With long life I will satisfy him (us),
      and show him My salvation.
      Psalms 91 16

When will God do that?
      Because he (we) has set his love upon Me,
      therefore I will deliver him;
      Psalms 91 14

To love, and loving God, is the key to living a long life!
But how is that possible?
Jesus answered a certain lawyer with these words,

      You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
      with all your soul, with all your strength, and
      with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.
      Luke 10 27

And, Romans 5 5 tells us that …
      the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
      by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

In other words, God has made it possible for us to love,
… to love Him and to love our fellow man,
by pouring His love in our hearts,
… and showing us the way of love!

As the apostle John concluded,
      We love Him because He first loved us.
      1John 4 19
 

Relationships…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Love, Relationship

                                                 … that last!

Science has discovered what God has always known.
      As a basic requirement for a good relationship,
      science prescribes – kindness and generosity.

However, a relationship that is not only good,
… but is real and lasting,
needs more than kindness and generosity,
… because it is what you put in that will make it last!

What is the main enemy to successful relationships?
… SELF … ME … what I want, what I expect!
The very thing that also broke mankind’s relationship with God!

So… how did God deal with that?
      For God so LOVED mankind He gave … without expectation.
      John 3 16

God reached out to mankind, not with emotion or condemnation.
… but God reached out with LOVE, giving His best to man,
and saying to man…
Let Me do for you what you cannot do yourself!
Let Me restore the trust and the relationship between us,
… and man, all you need to do is to receive!

How does a relationship begin and grow?
What is it that makes a relationship REAL?
LIVING LOVE!

      And we have known and believed
      the love that God has for us. God is love,
      and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
      1 John 4 16

If you want your relationship(s) to last, and in particular with God,
Add LOVE …
 

Draw from…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Covenant, Relationship

                                                     … the source!

There are many promises in God’s Word,
and God wants to be the strength
… and the source in our lives,
but for that to happen,
… is up to us, NOT God.

Remember, God wants to be our source,
… so if we are far from Him,
His guidance, direction and help,
… is far from us.

It is easy to say…
God, give me peace about this situation,
… or about this doctor’s report, etc.
BUT…
… for God to be your solution,
He first has to be your source!

You cannot draw from a source you DON’T have,
and …
God will not do anything where He is not the boss!

If you make God the source
… of your health, peace, relationships… of and in your LIFE,
THEN God can and will be,
… the solution, the peace and the strength of your life!

      Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from
      Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma,
      an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
      And my God shall supply all your need
      according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
      Phil 4 18-19
 

Every idle word

Posted on jan2 CommentsPosted in Potential, Responsibility

                                                       … counts!

In teaching about life, Jesus said that a tree (us) is known by its fruit,
… in other words, it is all about the fruit that we have in our lives.
Then He continued saying …

      But I say to you that for every idle word (rhema) men may speak,
      they will give account of it in the day of judgement.
      For by your words you will be justified,
      and by your words you will be condemned.”
      Matt 12 36-37

That is serious, because we have all spoken idle words!
However, Jesus used the word ‘RHEMA’,
… a word from God as He explained in John 15 7-8 …

      If you abide in Me, and My words (rhema) abide in you,
      you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
      John 15 7

In other ‘words‘,
… His Word that He reveals or speaks to us
… for our lives and for our future!
So, if we hear but do not act upon those words
… that were intended to impact our lives positively,
those words and instructions are idle,
… words in our lives that we are responsible for!

So, what should we do?
… LIVE John 15 7 by acting on His words, His rhema!
And John 15 8 will become real in our lives…

      By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit
      John 15 8
      For then you will make your way prosperous,
      and then you will have good success.
      Joshua 1 8
 

A hedge…

Posted on jan3 CommentsPosted in Potential, Responsibility

                                                   … of protection!

We read in the book of Job,
… that God put a hedge around Job.
And … God does the same for us.

      However Job allowed fear to come in,
      … to enter in behind that hedge
      and instead of countering that fear with truth,
      … by recognising the wrong in his life,
      Job tried to influence God
      … to get God to overlook what was wrong.

Instead of dealing with what was wrong
… the negative was allowed to grow and increase
causing the hedge of protection to be broken down.

      How are we dealing with life,
      … with those things that are wrong in our lives?
      Are we allowing those negative things in,
      … behind the hedge of protection
      by not dealing with them, openly and immediately?

God wants to express His love for us,
… at all times,

      When the enemy comes in like a flood
      the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
      Isaiah 59 19

Allow Him to be that hedge of protection,
… by letting Him deal with the negative in your life!
 

living and abiding

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Life, Potential

                                     where and how you live!

Living is where you are –
Abiding is how you live where you are.

      having been born again,
      not of corruptible seed but incorruptible,
      through the word of God
      which lives and abides forever,
      1 Peter 1 23

Living basically means to be alive,
… to be able to do.
Living is where you are
… and the potential that is there for you!

Abiding is about what you do where you live.
Abiding is where you do things,
… not because you are paid to do them
but because you want to do what you are doing.

      In other words,
      … where you abide
      … is where your heart is.

For this reason Jesus said …

      If you abide in Me,
      and My words abide in you,
      you will ask what you desire,
      and it shall be done for you.
      John 15 7
 

Free…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Grace, Trust

                                                           … in Him!

Isn’t it wonderful to know that…

      Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law,
      Gal 3 13
      For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
      has made me free from the law of sin and death.
      Rom 8 2

What does that mean in my life?

      That I am free
      … from sin and the result of sin!
      That I am free
      … from sickness, disease, depression and poverty!

The Bible goes on to say,
      Therefore if the Son makes you free,
      you shall be free indeed.
      John 8 36

Free indeed!
Yet so often it seems that I am not.
Why is this?

      Because like any gift, I have to receive it,
      … and I have to live what is mine!

Jesus said,
      I have come that you may HAVE life in abundance!
      John 10 10

but it is up to me to believe
… and receive what Jesus has prepared for me.
I have to LIVE that life that Jesus came that I may have!
 

Faith works…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Faith, Responsibility

                                                   … believe it!

Reality is that when you are trusting God,
you don’t get what you desire, you get what you believe.

      Delight yourself also in the Lord,
      and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
      Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him,
      and He shall bring it to pass.
      Psalms 37 4-5

God does not respond to or answer our desires,
… God responds to and answers our faith.
In other words, in our walk with Him,
… it is our action of faith that God responds to.

What about the rest of life … at home, at work etc?
The same applies.
We have to do something for there to be any kind of a result.

Life (the world) does not respond to your desires,
… life responds to your actions.

      For as the body without the spirit is dead
      so faith without works is dead also.
      James 2 26

So, how does God bless us?
Through faith and our corresponding actions,

      The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses
      and in all to which you set your hand,
      Deut 28:8

Unless you believe and also act on what you believe,
… nothing will happen,
because there is nothing to respond to,
… nothing to confirm or do!