Seek First The Kingdom of God no. 7

“Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves — look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own” (Philippians (Php) 2:3-4). I was thinking yesterday about the whole idea of hating the sin BUT loving the sinner. And how often it is easy for us to love the sinner that we are while hating the sinner that someone else is. Too often I focus on the sin of other folks rather than focusing on my own sin. And that is definitely part of the problem with my walk at times. It is way too easy to set my focus outward on the sins of the Goyim or of the short-comings and failures of my brothers and sisters while overlooking my own sins and failures. “If we claim not to have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing. If we claim we have not been sinning, we are making him out to be a liar, and his Word is not in us” (1 Yochanan (1 Jo) 1:8-10).

Too often I want to advocate against the sins of others and neglect to work on my own sins and failures. And what I need the Spirit to do is work on aligning me to a right relationship. I can’t save others. I can’t even save me. God does all the saving. And the Spirit that dwells inside me needs to continue to work at getting me into alignment with Him. Too often I get concerned with the sins of the world when I should really be concerned with the sins of me. At least there I have some input and control over what God is going to do in my life. That input and control is obedience and faithfulness to His commands. That input and control is pledging allegiance to Him. Looking at everyone else’s sins is a form of vanity that elevates myself above others. I should know that I need a lot of work and that I need to get that work done in harmony with Him. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things” (Galatians (Gal) 5:22-23).

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. 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