Having A Thankful Heart & The Command To Love ~

With a new year here our family will be embarking on our third year with out Jim and I wanted to do something that I think he would approve of as I shared previously here.  However I'm not certain how many entries I will share.  Jim had a wonderful way of connecting with others.  He and I could say very much the same thing but our styles were different.  In fact we would often joke and laugh about it.  I would say something and he would say how about this  :) since we are saying the same thing! I would reply but it sounds soooo much better coming from you. . .   He was more articulate - he just had a way - especially with our sons.  He could get things across so much better than I could.  Recently, while talking with one of our boys, we expressed we are missing out with Jim being gone.  Grieving is quite different for each person going through it.   He shared how he missed just talking to his dad and hearing his viewpoint,  I offend shared with the boys since they had that relationship with there dad, what would he be telling you right now?  So this morning I thought I would share something that encouraged me as I read it last evening.  There are at least two important messages to get and I hope this will be encouraging to you. VB

When Jim started this blog he stated:

This blog is dedicated to building up the church of Jesus Christ through His new commandment - - "that we love one another as He has loved us." John 15:12

You can read more where his thoughts were when starting this blog by reading on his first two entries, I hope you do.  

Here goes; one entry in rough draft from out of one of Jim's many journals. 

6/6/11

    I never know where to start-- I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart - I will enter His courts with praise. 

It seems as though life's difficulties have no end, and yet our response, how we react remains the key to how we're able to ride the storms.  I so much want to be a light to all those who look in my direction --  It's clear to me that fundamental to one's success is to remain truly thankful to God offering Him our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving -- continually.  The idea of "putting on" the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness is far more than an idea -- IT WORKS 100% OF THE TME -- The spirit of heaviness comes in many forms.  The same could be said of the Garment(s) of Praise.  

    THE WORDS OF THE LORD (ARE) PURE WORDS, (LIKE) SILVER FIRED, IN THE FURNANCE OF EARTH, PURIFIED SEVEN TIMES.  PSALM 12:6  

    FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE, AND THE GREATEST OF THESES?  - IS LOVE -

I've always found it interesting that there is in fact an order to basic foundational elements of one's faith - But it doesn't take too much mental effort to conclude that the greatest is in deed Love.  Love covers all, Love concourse all it motivates us, calls us to action, Love is the reason that God Himself sent His only Son, that whosoever believe on Him shall be saved .  .  .  As a parent it is extremely difficult for me to think about, or imagine what it would feel like to send one of my boys to die for someone else -- Especially someone as sinful as mankind.  Imagine, if well what it must have been like for Jesus -- How much He first loved the Father, than us.  Think about it,  Jesus came here so that we might be saved, knowing, from the beginning of time - let alone knowing his fate,  His assignment His entire life, never backing down, never changing His mind -- Jesus' willingness to suffer not just the pain of, physical death - but the pain for all His mankind.  Then He suffered the greatest pain of all.  Three days of total separation from God the Father.  I can speak to physical pain -- Living each day in severe physical pain, pain that keeps you up all night or contorted so as to relieve pressure off pinched nerves.

continued next day

John 13:34-35

"A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

    Today, while trying to get comfortable for an MRI exam, I asked the Lord "why was it so important to Him that we Love one another?"  Why did He give it as a new command ? (noted John 13:34)  In the Gospel of John - Where He, Jesus, also said if you Love Me you will obey (keep) my commands. He then went as He had gave us His new commands. (noted John 1412) 

    Instantly I hear the Holy Spirit speak to me with the following.  That when we love others unconditionally we're expressing His love though us -- not that we're in anyway like God, but that it fullest expression of Him in our walk.  After, He loves the unlovable, without question or condition when we do the same we're showing or opening ourselves up to the full moving of His.  6/7/11

6/8/11

    

    3:30 AM -- Can't sleep --  While praying the Holy Spirit reveled to me the reason God gave us His new command, to Love one another as we love our self prior to His death and resurrection is that we need the residence of the Holy Spirit living within us to ab able to express such Love - Agape' love is after all supernatural! Its the Holy Spirit that gives us the power to love beyond that whish is unlovable or abilities.  Whether we are talking about loving a person with grotesque facial tissue or other wounds that make them hard, if not impossible to look at -- the proverbial "a face only a mother could love."  To looking into the face of Satan himself -- a face so evil that it's hard to describe.  There's no doubt the our ability to Love like this comes from the Holy Spirit-- it is only through the Holy Spirit being filled within us that God's love so fully manifests itself to the world--

In Leviticus 19:18 states  You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you SHALL Love your neighbor as yourself I Am the Lord.

 Jim ~   

This Memorial Day Remembering Jim

My husband didn't get to share all that he wanted to when he started this blog.  As a family we are sad for our loss and I'm hoping that one day I maybe could continue where he left off and in his own word with using his journals.  He was a gifted writer a man of many talents, he is greatly missed.

I posted on my blog about Memorial Day and remembering Jim here, God Bless.  Vicky

The Measure of Our Walk

Beloved:

Some time ago I woke up with the following on my mind and in my spirit:

“What is the measure of my (our) walk with the Lord” or how can I tell if I’m hitting the mark?  All I want to do is to serve the Lord, to walk with him in intimate fellowship and to love Him.

I’ve never found it to be a good idea to compare myself with others -- this is especially true when considering one’s walk, the word tells us to work out your salvation with fear and trembling:  

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence -- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12 (NIV)

I always personalize this scripture by adding the word “own” to "work out your OWN salvation with fear and trembling."  Again, we need to develop our own relationship with God.


Comparing ourselves against another believers walk is contrary to God's word.  So the question remains “What is the truest measure of our walk with the Lord?”

Do you know?

Could it be having great faith?  Could be, the word says without faith it's impossible to please God:

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  
Hebrews 11:6  (NIV)

But my question isn't how to please God, it's about how to measure our walk -- one might even call it our obedience.  I don't believe the measure is how much we believe, or having great faith.  So the question remains.

How about the number of soul’s you’ve won for Christ? 

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” 
Proverbs 11:30 (NIV) 
  

Clearly the great commission, spreading the good news of Christ Jesus is one of the most important things we are called to do as a believer.  We're promised rewards in heaven for winning souls for Christ -- but counting souls for Christ doesn't relate to our closeness. 

 

Could the measure be found in one of the awesome gifts of the Spirit, such as speaking in tongues? 

Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?

1 Corinthians 14:6 (NIV)

What about the gift of healing?  Wouldn’t it be awesome to simply wave your hand over a room or stadium of sick people, being an instrument of God’s power to heal, and then witness the entire gathering being healed of whatever was ailing them?  God has anointed many great men and women with the gift of healing; many of them eventually fell away making me wonder if they truly had an intimate relationship with God.

Of all the signs of our oneness with our Savior and our Lord, what would it be?

Would it be a fruit of the Spirit?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." 
Galatians 5:22 (NIV)

There shouldn’t be any hesitation, most likely your first thought was correct.  But when allowed to think about the answer too long, or to try and come up with some spiritual sounding answer, you quite possibly will have missed the obvious.  This can be embarrassing. 

Let me give you a hint: “How’s your love life?”

The Lord has been speaking to my spirit about the answer to this question for quite some time now.  In fact it finds its way into just about every conversation I have, every book I read or Christian radio show, podcast and TV program I listen to.

Simply put, I believe our ability to love one another is the truest measure of our walk and our relationship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  After all it was He who left us with this one new command:

"A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  
John 13:34, 35

True, and overwhelming revival necessary for the Lords return won’t happen until the entire body of Christ loves one another as He loves us. 
 
There’s no question, the greatest hypocrisy seen by the non-believer is our continued lack of love for each other; and just as great, is our lack of sincere love for the unsaved.  Such love must be demonstrated through our actions.  Jesus always showed his love through signs and wonders -- feeding the multitudes, healing those that were sick, casting out demons.  These were the works of a loving God, the same love that we're called to have for others. 
 
This is what the Apostle Paul had to say about love --

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV) 

Here's a sad example of our lack of love for one another --

Recently I had the opportunity to follow a discussion on Face Book between two believers over an important question posed by another believer.  Unfortunately it turned into a heated theological debate.  What was sad about the whole affair was that from the moment I read the question, I knew what was coming.  I wished I were wrong, but having been in the middle of, and witness to, the issue many times since I first received the baptism in Holy Spirit, I knew how it would end.  Yes, sometimes it’s important to hold your ground, and to tell your brother or sister that he or she and is following a false teaching, or is limiting God.  But this type of correction should not be in public and certainly not in a way that would cause those new or weak in the faith, or those non believers to see just how ugly we believers can be.

I'll be visiting the subject of love many times in this blog, which is why its names 1 John 4 . . .

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 (NIV)

Father God, please help me to see others as You see them, to love them as You love them.  Please give me a special anointing of grace and love through the Holy Spirit so that Jesus may be glorified.  I ask this in Jesus name.  Amen

For I am Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Beloved:

For my first post I thought I would tell you a little about myself, and what I hope to share with this blog. My wife and I currently live in Northeast Ohio since January 2002; having moved here from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to take a "once in a lifetime" job opportunity.

One thing is for sure there's nothing in life that occurs only "once in a lifetime" except for ones true acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior.

My life's story proves that God remains loving and faithful even when we're not. I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart when I was nine years old, and baptized in the Holy Spirit at thirteen. I have lived a life that has been blessed immeasurably, and yet I have sinned against God and my family in shameful ways.

Frankly, my walk has been the proverbial two steps forward and one stumble backwards. My testimony may not be the most dramatic but it is one that has uniquely prepared me to minister to others. I have always felt a calling on my life to full time ministry. I managed to substitute this calling with secular jobs or positions that would permit me the opportunity to help others.

Events over the past couple of years have caused me to totally change my paradigm in nearly every aspect of my life. The most important and significant event is my total commitment to die to self daily; through an intimate relationship with Jesus and our Father through the Holy Spirit. I’ve always felt I was walking with Jesus as my friend, but I’ve never really understood the degree that of intimacy He desires to have with us. I’m still not there yet, but it is the earnest desire of my heart to walk in a special anointing of his love.

This blog is dedicated to building up the church of Jesus Christ through His new commandment - -

“that we love one another as He has loved us.”

John 15:12

I truly believe that this is my purpose and my ministry: To teach His church how to love one another as He has loved us.

It is in this context that I will share my personal story and revelations God has given me concerning how powerful this one new commandment as the Day of the Lord rapidly approaches.