GREATER LOVE!

In essentials, unity
In non-essentials, liberty
In all things, charity (love)

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, love should be the over-riding character trait evident in our lives.

Many things have happened in recent years politically and otherwise, that can be perceived as a direct affront to our Christian faith.  Things that could cause us to become angry at, and/or distrustful of our own government.  We are gradually watching every vestige of our Judeo Christian belief system being challenged and removed from American society, the most recent being the striking down of Proposition 8 in California , determined, by a single judge, to be unconstitutional. 

My initial reaction was one of anger and frustration.  However, upon further thought I came to realize that it's just part of the overall battle being waged against the things of God.  Without a doubt, there's a spiritual battle going on in our country and around the world.  It's a battle for the souls of the lost, It's a battle for the hearts and minds of the youth of this generation.  

There is a not-so gradual moral slide taking place right before our very eyes, and it saddens me that even many within the church don't recognize it for it's deceptive danger.  They want to overlook it in the name of tolerance and they choose to be silent for fear of being perceived as unaccepting or hateful.

WHAT ARE WE TO DO?
Herein is a simple plan I choose to follow, maybe it will assist you in these troubled times:

RECOGNIZE
DO WHAT YOU CAN DO
PRAY
TRUST GOD
LOVE ALL!

Recognize: "As Christians, we need to have our spiritual eyes open."
Understand the times that we live in.  Know that the fight is not in the natural, so we should have no conflict with another person because of what they believe or the lifestyle they choose to live.  Our battle is spiritual, and the fight must be in that realm, if we lose sight of that fact we become angry at our fellow man and we lose the ability to love them.  How can we win the lost if we have no love for them?  Love the sinner, hate the sin.  Sin is a spiritual concept that the natural or worldly man does not understand.

Do What You Can Do: So the question is asked, "do we just do nothing in the natural as we watch the decline?"  Absolutely not!  We are required, no, commanded to occupy.  The scripture compels us to stand up for what is righteous.  Starting with our own self, and how we live our life, don't be a contradiction.  At home, teach your children and family members what is God's truth and what he requires of us.  Educate yourself on the issues of the day and know where they are contrary to God's word.  Try to see the far reaching effects of such moral laxity's, even though they may not be evident on the surface today.  And speak up, educate others also.  Speak the truth in love.

We have an obligation to select and elect leaders that share our beliefs if possible, or as close to them as we can.  To vote according to the leading of the Holy Spirit on all issues that will effect our society, not merely along party lines.  Do not abdicate your responsibility to have your voice heard, simply because you don't totally, 100%, agree with any candidate of proposition.  However, we should do this without becoming so emotionally invested that the other side becomes our enemies, remember, it's a spiritual battle and ultimately our God wins.  Love is the attitude of greatest power and influence.

Pray: "Pray without ceasing!"
There are so many issues  today that we should be praying about, and so many people we should be praying for, people in positions of leadership and influence.  Pray and ask the Lord exactly what you should be doing.  Pray for our Pastors, pray for our churches, pray for fellow believers that they would have a love for the lost and an opportunity to minister to them in truth and with compassion.  Pray that your own attitude will reflect that of Jesus.

Trust God: "The end has already been written, Amen."
God has a definite plan and ultimately it will be fulfilled.  So we do our best and trust God for the rest.  He is by no means being caught unaware, he is not in the dark as to where man is headed - He saw our history while it was yet our future, so he knows.

So we trust Him, trust Him with your life and family, trust Him with your future and your dreams, in all things trust Him.  Our God has it all planned out for those who belong to Him.  We can only see the here and now, but our Father sees from everlasting to everlasting.

Love: "but the greatest of these is love."
Regardless of how you feel in the flesh about the things that are going on around you in this world we live in today, we cannot lose sight of the mandate we have received to love others, just as we have been loved and just as we love ourselves.  Let your love for people be without hypocrisy, understanding fully the nature of the battle.  It is not against flesh and blood as the enemy would like for us to believe.  Satan wants to steal your love and thus still the authority of your witness.  By causing you to be caught up in anger and fall into sin, he will accomplish just that. 

God calls us to pursue love, in other words to go after it.  His word also tells us to put on love, which means to choose to adorn ourselves with it.  It's by this powerful fruit of the Spirit that we will be recognized as one of His. And when recognized as such we can't help but change the world around us.

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Love Divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded Love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation
Enter every trembling heart...

         by Henry Wotton


Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7

May God fill you to overflowing with His supernatural agape love!


God Bless and Press On
Larry