Wednesday, 26 December 2012

What kind of love is this?

     December 25 is the day the Christian church celebrates the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  His birth was prophesied over 800 before it took place.  A multitude of heavenly host praising God to shepherds (the lowly working man of their time) that Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem (the bread of life was born in the house of bread.)  Astrologers (the magi)  followed His own personal star to come & worship Him who was born the King of the Jews.  Herod was so ticked & filled with fear & anger that he had all male children under two years of age killed, do you think he was a bit paranoid or what?  All this because of a baby, hard to understand or even comprehend.

     John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"  For God so loved the people of the world (non believers) that He gave (an act of sacrificial love) His only begotten Son.  The world we live in is self centered, actually self consumed, with the only time they give is within a give to get mindset.

     Jesus left His rightful place in glory to come to this earth out of an act of obedience to His Father.  Remember John 1:1 states In the beginning was the Word & the Word (Jesus) was with God & the Word was God.  Jesus knew He was leaving His rightful place in glory to ultimately be curcified on the cross for the sins of the world (yours, mine & the entire worlds sin.)

     But these acts of sacrificial love & obedience gave all of mankind the opportunity to have forgiveness of their sins.& live eternally in glory with the Godhead & all the saints of all time.

     When this babe in the manger grew up He only ministered 3 1/2 years, never travelled more than 200 miles & yet affected history more than any king, ruler or dictator. Many have even vowed to wipe out every Christian they meet & the Bible they believe in.  Many religious & worldly rulers have tried to rule by violence & fear yet in total contrast everything Jesus did was motivated by the love of God.

     When He was on the sight of what would have been the stoning of the woman caught in adultery He was asked "Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned,. But what do You say?' He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  One by one they dropped their stones & Jesus was alone with the woman "Has no one condemned you?" No one, Lord. and Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you, GO AND SIN NO MORE."  He did not compromise the law, did not condemn her, but rather gave her the opportunity to change her ways & live a righteous sin free life.

     He witnessed a funeral procession with a widow weeping for her only sons death.  Out of compassion He raised her son from the dead.  Gods love is filled with compassion for others, which will always be followed by action (initially in prayer.)

    When He set the man free who was demon possessed by a legion of demons, this man wanted to go with Him but Jesus said, "go to your friends & tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."

     John 3:17 Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it.  To rescue you, to deliver you from life circumstances.  What a merciful Savior whose love knows no bounds.  Yes we will  make mistakes, make wrong choices, feel as failures, Jesus is still there with His hand extended to you.

     Does love judge?  Not according to His Word.  Let us look at just a couple of scriptures, God is love! Love never fails! Love conquers all! & the scripture I have chosen 1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love, for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Some automatically think hiding sin does not help a person turn from it.  What this scripture means we have no right to talk of some one else's sins of yesterday, possibly even today. We have the right to pray for them, possibly encourage them in a different direction.  One of our old congregation members was a native lady who once said to me "how can they judge me pastor, when they have not walked a mile in my moccasins?"

     1st Timothy 1:15,16 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (Paul.)  However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

     To me the word longsuffering is key to the above scripture.  My explanation for longsuffering is when your patience is exhausted then longsuffering kicks in & Gods love is totally encompassed within this singular word for me.  Know matter how much we screw up, God is still on the throne.  The words mercy & kindness can often be interchanged, because they both mean His LOYAL LOVE toward you & I.

     We are to share the hope we have within us with others.  We are to love on them (unconditionally)again not condemn them by our judgmental words.  We are to speak life (the word) into their lives & life situations.

     The word "believe" can be found 165 times within the new testament.  A missionary in Africa was trying to translate the bible into a native dialect but he could not find anything to explain the word believe.  Messages were sent by runners through the jungle & when one of these messengers came to him exhausted he fell into a bed & exclaimed a word which the missionary had never heard before & this is what it meant "I am resting all my weight here!" For the missionary he had his answer & for me I now have my definition for the word believe. 

     Final prayer "I would pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit that we would exchange our self centered attitudes for heartfelt words & deeds to our brethren & to the hurting world that surrounds us.                                                                                                                                                                                                 Merry Christmas to one & all.  I would pray that you would experience health, prosperity & a  fruitful life in all areas in this upcoming New Year. But above all I pray you will experience Gods love afresh & anew.

Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord  1-613-479-0233