Serve One Another in Love no. 5

“For, brothers, you were called to be free. Only do not let that freedom become an excuse for allowing your old nature to have its way. Instead, serve one another in love. 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. For the old nature wants what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is contrary to the old nature. These oppose each other, so that you find yourselves unable to carry out your good intentions. But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not in subjection to the system that results from perverting the Torah into legalism” (Galatians (Gal) 5:13-18). Run your lives by the Spirit. Sounds so simple yet it proves daily to not be so. As a Christian, I supposedly have the Spirit dwelling inside of me. So, it should be really easy to let the Spirit direct and guide me. Sounds really easy BUT how many times do I daily hear the Spirit and ignore it? How many times do I daily fight with the Spirit when it leads me to act? 

A lot of folks have an easy and comfortable walk with the Lord. I don’t. I am stubborn and intelligent and want my own way based on just wanting my way. Sometimes being stubborn is in direct opposition to what I know works. I have often seen that I don’t know what I am doing, yet I still choose to do things that bring death into the world. Jesus first warns in the Sermon on the Mount against speaking death when He says, “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Do not murder,’ and that anyone who commits murder will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who nurses anger against his brother will be subject to judgment; that whoever calls his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing!’ will be brought before the Sanhedrin ; that whoever says, ‘Fool!’ incurs the penalty of burning in the fire of Gei-Hinnom’”(Mattityahu (Mat) 5:21-22)! I have the ability to murder with my tongue, with my actions, and with my thoughts every day. BUT I also have the choice to speak life, act life, and think life through the Spirit, “The activity of the righteous is for life; the income of the wicked is for sin” (Mishlei (Pro) 10:16).

So what is going to win today? Am I going to let the fleshly desires of being stubborn and knowing better for myself win out when I already know that I don’t know better and that I should listen to Him? Or am I going to let the Spirit direct my heart, my tongue, my feet, and my mind? And am I going to refocus on Him as I walk throughout the day? Too often devotions are once a day and that is all. Too often we pray once a day and we are done. One prayer covers the day, the week, the month, or the year. That is a horrible relationship model. If I really need God as much as I profess then I need to be talking to Him a lot more than I am. And I talk to Him a lot. BUT it is never enough if I want to know Him better.

Serve His Kingdom by serving one another in 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 #ServeOneAnotherIn Love #NotMyWayYHWH

Serve One Another in Love no. 4

“Once more, the Adversary took him up to the summit of a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their glory, and said to him, ‘All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.’ ‘Away with you, Satan!’ Yeshua told him, ‘For the Tanakh says, ‘Worship Adonai your God, and serve only him’”(Mattityahu (Mat) 4:8-10). The Adversary wants us to look at what the world has to offer, to look at the world and all its glory. All we have to do is serve the world and its master rather than follow Jesus. All we have to do is find our hope in this world. Find our joy in today and tomorrow on this earth rather than hoping and trusting in Him. 

Rather, we should, “. . . as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians (Col) 3:12). And we also, “ . . . should clothe yourselves in humility toward one another, because God opposes the arrogant, but to the humble he gives grace. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the right time he may lift you up. Throw all your anxieties upon him, because he cares about you” (1 Kefa (1 Pe) 5:5-7). 

It is really easy that when surrounded by folks that are caught up in the treasures of the world that we can lose sight. This is why having a community of folks that value what we value is important. Their kindness will show us how to be kind. Their focus on humility will set a pattern for us to be humble. Their gentleness will allow us to be more gentle in our interactions. And their patience will allow us to practice patience with one another. I can never emphasize enough the importance of having Christian friends no matter where they are in their walk with Jesus. Folks you can talk with and do life with to help us daily. I know that we all talk about the friend we have in Jesus, however, sometimes it is good to have an embodied person with whom to share the difficulties of life. The Spirit is great for guidance, the Word is awesome for wisdom, BUT The Church makes walking on this side of eternity a little easier. Or, at least, they should. Find yourself a good Christian friend or two today?

Serve His Kingdom by serving one another in 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 #ServeOneAnotherIn Love #NotMyWayYHWH