We Need Unconditional Love!

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:7-8).

 

God created us to live in an environment of love. God’s original plan was that husbands and wives bear children, and then raise them in an atmosphere of unconditional, self-sacrificial love. That’s God’s best, but because of the fall, we often fail to receive the nurturing love that will balance us out spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and socially.

  

If parents are raised in a non-nurturing home, then they will most likely infect their children with the same kinds of neglect of love that was modeled to them when they were young. And the cycle goes on and on for generations.

  

A human being has a God-given need to be loved. It’s basic to who we are. And if we don’t receive this nurturing love as children, it produces a love deficit that can affect a person lifelong.

  

People looking for love live lives of fear of exposure and fear of others. Without parental nurturing love, this common belief fills the human psyche: Those who fail are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished.

Children need an environment that shows them, even if you fail, I still love you. And the truth is that is the way the Father treats us in Christ. He loves us no matter what we do. No, He doesn’t condemn us when we do wrong, but He nevertheless loves us and woos us to Jesus’ cleansing blood when we sin. If we’re loved only when we succeed, then it promotes fear and causes us to hide our real selves from others.

  

When Adam and Eve failed in the garden, they hid themselves from God and from one another. Like them, we often box ourselves in with a roof to keep God out, and walls of defense to keeps others out if we fear that exposure of our real selves will bring rejection.

 

The Greek word for God’s love is Agape. Agape love is love that is unconditional and self-sacrificial. And this is the love that we are to show to each other. When we love with agape, we don’t require others to perform to our standards before we love them. We love them just as they are, because that is the way God loves us. Agape love is self-sacrificial, and puts its own needs last and puts others first.

 

This agape is to rule the family of God and is to be a sign to the world that we are different. If you’ve been raise with criticism, harshness, and conditional love, then the family of God is the place to come to be loved with real love.

 

Most people live fear based lives. There is no fear in love. Genuine love brings freedom and intimacy. In the presence of genuine love, there is no fear of rejection or exposure.

  

Come with me on this journey to live a love based life that treats others in an unconditional, self-sacrificial way. It’s the way of the Father.

 

Take a Dose of God's Medicine Today!

He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions (Psalm 107:20).

The will of God will bring healing and health to you.  Jesus made healing available to you when He bore your sin (Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 53:3-5; Matthew 8:17). It’s important to take some time daily and feed on the word to build up your faith in the Father for healing.

Faith comes by hearing the Word over and over again and then practicing it. I woke up last night and spent time meditating on the healing word. Read the following scriptures and then take some time to meditate them. Let them revolve slowly over and over in your mind. This is God’s medicine. Allow it to do its healing work in you!                                 

And said, If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you (Exodus 15:26). So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you (Exodus 23:25). And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you (Deuteronomy 7:15). Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:1-3). He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes (Psalm 105:37). 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 (Proverbs 4:20-22). He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:3-5). That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses (Matthew 8:17). Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24). How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38).

God Keeps a Record of Our Conversations About Him!

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him (Malachi 3:16-17).

It’s a special thing to the Father for us to think about Him, to talk about Him, and for us to occupy our minds with thoughts of Him. He takes notice when we make Him the object of life’s pursuit. He has a book where He records the times we spend with our focus on Him!

  

In the New Testament we’re admonished to let the Word dwell in us richly. Jesus encouraged us to allow the Word to abide in us. The Greek word for abide is meno and it means to settle down in, to remain, or to make a home with. The idea is that the word finds a permanent home in us. The Word is our link with the Father as we walk through life.

  

Jesus told the disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit when He left the earth to go to heaven. He called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth. You see, the Holy Spirit is attracted to the Word in us! Really, we are no more filled with the Spirit than we are filled with the Word! Taking time each day to absorb the Word is also taking time to allow the Holy Spirit full reign in us. When we choose to obey the Word, we’re choosing to yield to the Holy Spirit.

 

Never neglect the Word. The Word is precious to God. The Word is precious to the Holy Spirit. The Word is our connection with heaven. Occupy yourself with the things of the Word today. If you do, you’ll become a favorite with the Father. He longs for you to want Him!

The Power of God Will Manifest If You Will Praise God in the Hard Place!

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

to execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord (Psalm 149:6-9).

In the verse above, notice that offered praise becomes a double edged sword in the realm of the spirit. The plans of those opposing the Word and the purposes of the kingdom of God are hindered. The binding of their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron refers to the demonic forces In the unseen realm. Praise stops them in their tracks!

 

God inhabits praise, that is, He comes with His awesome power and presence, when we praise! There is a manifestation of His kingdom power where praise is offered. The principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, the wicked spirits in the heavenlies mentioned in Ephesians 6:12 are hindered in their exploits of stealing, killing and destroying when saints begin to praise!

  

The children of Israel noticed that when they put the tribe of Judah in the front lines of battle that the fight was easier and they won! Paul and Silas’ prison chains fell off during an episode of praise! Don’t take this lightly, it works!

  

Take up praise as a weapon of spiritual warfare today. When doubt, fear, discouragement, depression, sickness, or lack attacks your life, get out the weapon of praise!

Back in 1985, I was attacked with terrible flu symptoms. Everything hurt! I called my secretary and cancelled my appointments for the day. I was listening to scriptures on healing as I lay in bed, and the Lord spoke so clearly to me. If you believe you’re healed, get up and act like it!  I knew He was right, and got up and began to walk around my bedroom with my hands lifted praising God for my healing. For about ten minutes I ached and hurt and praised! Then, just like a bird flying away, every flu symptom disappeared! I was totally healed.

  

Right in the middle of your life circumstances today begin to offer the sacrifice of praise. You’ll find God kingdom manifesting in your life and you’ll find that the enemy will back up! Praise is an awesome weapon!

Fight Like a Soldier, Prepare Like an Athlete, and Work Like a Farmer!

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things (2 Timothy 2:4-7).

  

The Apostle Paul uses analogies here from familiar endeavors to help us understand how we should live before God. We are admonished here to fight like a soldier, to prepare like an athlete, and to work like a farmer.

  

When a soldier signs up to serve in the armed forces, he makes a serious dedication of his life. Boot camp prepares him for the rigors of the battle field. Then he goes through extensive training so that he will be thoroughly prepared to win in battle. From the time the soldier gets up until he goes to bed, his life has been dedicated to prepare for battle. He must not be slack or else it may cost him his life in the day of battle. He must be diligent.

 

An athlete is a person of preparation. Constantly looking at the goal of winning the competition, he streamlines his life. He carefully watches what he eats so that his body receives maximum nourishment. He tones his muscles so that they work at maximum efficiency. He conditions himself with long hours of exertion to be able to endure the toughest competition. His focus is on being his best so that he can win the prize. His life is a life of discipline. One day of slackness could cost him the trophy.

 

A farmer is a man of diligence. He’s up before sunrise preparing for the day. His one goal is the harvest. Day after day, he plants the seed, removes the weeds that steal needed nourishment from the soil, and watches over his crops. The farmer must remain diligent with his fields. Laziness will diminish the return on his investment. He must work hard every day!

  

If the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer can give their best for a natural cause, how much more should we give our best for the kingdom of God. The rewards for their exertion are temporary. The rewards for diligence in spiritual things are eternal! In fact, what we do now determines our place and rewards in heaven. Let’s give the Father our best today. Let’s fight like a soldier, prepare like an athlete, and work like a farmer!

 

Give God Your Best!

It’s time for us in the body of Christ to fine tune ourselves and get ready to be the best we can be for God! The world situation is changing rapidly and all signs point towards the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ.

 

I believe that as calamity and disaster increase, many will turn to the Lord and be opened to receive ministry. Here are some things that we can do to be ready.

 

First, commit to an attitude of excellence in all that you do. Colossians 3: 23-24 reads, And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

  

Give everything you do the best you have; on your job and also in your church life. If you volunteer in an area of ministry, give it your best. Be on time to events! Do what you do as if Jesus were your boss. Work as unto Him. Ephesians 6:6-8 reads, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

 

Second, think unity. There is strength when we unify with fellow believers. The power of the early church was in their being in one accord. How we treat fellow believers is how we treat Jesus Himself. An atmosphere of unity is a breeding ground for the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself. Be quick to forgive and quick to love. Believe the best of others.

  

Third, ask the Father to manifest spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 14:1(NIV) reads,

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. Ask the Father to use you in spiritual gifts. In church services, ask the Father for prophecy, diver kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues to manifest. Be open for Him to use you if He so chooses.

  

In your daily life, walk in love and ask the Father to make you a blessing to others. He may choose to manifest the Word of Knowledge or Gifts of Healings through you. Remain conscious throughout your day that He wants to use you.

  

When we gather in church meetings, we actually become collectively a temple of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we individually have Him living in us, but there is a special manifestation of the presence of God among us when we gather together. The depth of the manifestation is determined by our desire for Him. So be on time to your local church services. Show by your actions that you want the best He has and that you want others to receive. Arriving late to a church service on purpose is really showing disrespect to the Father and a lack of desire for Him to give His best. And being late signals others who may be visiting (and that need the Lord) that we really aren’t all that committed to what we believe!

  

These are important days for the kingdom of God. Jesus is coming soon. So many need ministry. Let’s go the extra mile in all we do. It’s time for the Father to show Himself strongly through us.

God's Love For You is Amazing!

The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:8-9).

  

The Father used this verse to set me free from my fear of His presence, and to create in me an openness with Him. From my early childhood I had the idea that God was harsh, uncaring, demanding, angry, and somehow just simply unhappy with me. It’s as if He put up with me because He had to, not because He wanted to.

   

God is often mirrored to us through our parents. Our perceptions of what the Father is like are compared in our mind with what we’ve experienced with our parents. If you’re raised in an environment of conditional love, then you may be challenged in receiving the unconditional love that the Father has for you.

 

Parents mean well, but if the only time you received love as a child is when you met certain conditions, then you become a performance oriented person. And when you fail, you will feel unworthy of love and will shun intimacy. And that attitude will spill over into your relationship with the Father.

   

As parents, it is so important that we show love to our children when they fail. If we are harsh and angry when they fail, and don’t affirm our love to them, then we’re unconsciously creating in them a belief that they are only loved when they perform well.

  

In the above verse, gracious means disposed to show favors. It is speaking of an unconditional love that the Father has for His own. He loves us. He cares for us. He is slow to become angry at us. He acts in mercy towards us. Mercy is when you don’t get what you deserve.

  

Most people think that God is so harsh and demanding, but when you get to know Him, you’ll see that He is the most loving being you’ll ever know. He loves you so much that He’s made provision to cleanse you from sin and to make you so righteous that you can stand in His presence as though you’ve never done wrong!

 

When you know this, you’ll run to the Father when you mess up and not away from Him. Proverbs says that a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again. That’s possible because of the unconditional love of the Father!

 

Meditate on Psalm 145: 8-9. This verse opened the Father’s presence to me in a fresh way. It began a journey of intimacy (in-to-me-see) with the Father in my life. It enabled me to curb perfectionistic tendencies that would have crushed my children with my harsh, strict, rigid demands. Yes, I have strong standards, but they’ve been backed by consistent unconditional love for my kids. Strictness without unconditional love will push your children away from intimacy, and will set them up for a life long battle with personal acceptance with the Father.

 

There is no love like the love of the Father. You can pour out your heart to Him with abandonment. He cares about every cell of your being. He’s waiting on you now with open arms. You can trust Him to help you with every issue of life. When you sin, there is forgiveness and mercy as you confess it. He willingly pardons. He wants your heart life. He longs for you to know Him.