Seek First The Kingdom of God no. 6

“Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.”

G. K. Chesterton

“For it is by the power of the Spirit, who works in us because we trust and are faithful, that we confidently expect our hope of attaining righteousness to be fulfilled. When we are united with the Messiah Yeshua, neither being circumcised nor being uncircumcised matters; what matters is trusting faithfulness expressing itself through love” (Galatians (Gal) 5:5-6). What matters? Being faithful to God through love. How do we express faith? Faith is allegiance to His commandments to love Him and to love one another. The Kingdom of God, the Good News, and God are all about love. “I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith — enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing. I may give away everything that I own, I may even hand over my body to be burned; but if I lack love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians (1 Co) 13:1-3). The outward manifestation of God dwelling inside of me is my love. And just like faith, love is an action. Faithfulness is acting out His love in my life every moment of every day. And how often do I fail to do that?

Unfortunately, I fail at that very often. It is much easier to say I love someone than to act in love. Just as it is much easier to say I love God than it is to actually deny self, take up His cross, and follow obediently. It is so much easier to just have that love, that faith as something I think rather than something I do. And the fruits of that type of faith are all around me.

What am I doing to show God love? What am I doing to show my brothers and sisters love? What am I doing out of love for others? I recently asked in some groups what has God done to show His love for you? Today I ask what I have done to show my love for God? It is one thing to say I love God and an entirely other to live like I love God. And my goal today is to have less of those moments where I fail to show love and remain selfish or afraid or even hateful or spiteful. Today my prayer is that I show His love as His Ambassador of His Kingdom. “For the whole of the Torah is summed up in this one sentence: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’; but if you go on snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other! What I am saying is this: run your lives by the Spirit. Then you will not do what your old nature wants” (Galatians (Gal) 5:14-16).

Seek first His Kingdom which rests on the foundation of love.

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #SeekFirstTheKingdom #NotMyWayYHWH

Seek First The Kingdom of God no. 5

“In union with the Lord I greatly rejoice that now, after this long time, you have let your concern for me express itself again. Of course, you were concerned for me all along, but you had no opportunity to express it. Not that I am saying this to call attention to any need of mine; since, as far as I am concerned, I have learned to be content regardless of circumstances. I know what it is to be in want, and I know what it is to have more than enough — in everything and in every way I have learned the secret of being full and being hungry, of having abundance and being in need. I can do all things through him who gives me power” (Philippians (Php) 4:10-13). One of several books I am currently reading is The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs. Burroughs outlines this idea of being content with what we have while striving to be better disciples. Contentment really drives home for me the idea of being enslaved to only one master when it is far too easy to have other masters in our lives. As an Ambassador of His Kingdom, I am not only content with what He offers BUT I strive to attain what He offers. Contentment isn’t a stationary position in His Kingdom. Being content is an inner peace about my situation in this temporary condition of life.

Contentment says that regardless of the highs or the lows of the situation I find myself facing, I will trust in Him and His plan. And I find that a lot of the time I didn’t trust Him in the past. I wanted to make things happen. I wanted to make things right. I wanted to be the one enacting the change. BUT contentment is knowing that no matter how imperfectly I operate on His behalf, He is still the one with the plan. He is still enthroned. He is firmly in control of the course of life and this world. He already knows how things are going to end. And so should I.

If I trust Him to have it all figured out, then why don’t I live like He does? Why am I so worried about saying the right things? Did He not promise that He will speak for me? Why am I so worried about sin? Has He not conquered sin and forgiven me already and will forgive whomever asks? Why am I so worried about death? Has He not already conquered death and promises my resurrection for judgment? He calls me to love and not worry. Fear isn’t love of Him. I can’t be afraid of what is going to pass if I trust Him. Because He has it already figured out. I need to deny the sinful nature of my self, take up the burden of following Him, and be obedient and trusting in His love. His Kingdom is about trusting that He is who He says He is. And if I trust in Him, then my life is going to look a whole lot different, my life is going to sound a whole lot different, and my thoughts are going to be a whole lot different. Because when you know you are loved, you act a lot different than when you doubt being loved.

Seek first His Kingdom which rests on the foundation of love.

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #SeekFirstTheKingdom #NotMyWayYHWH