Psalm 46:1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear.”
The Church, the body of Christ, is the city of refuge; a safe home base in the midst of the spiritual battle against the darkness of this “fallen” world. Men and women of God are asylum seekers, fleeing from the persecution of the Enemy (the Evil One) and the powers of Darkness. The Lord is our refuge and strength, He is our fortress and our high tower. Our mission is to reach out to the asylum seekers of this world, so that we together can stand strong in the power of his might ... A mighty fortress is our God. A bulwark (fortification) never failing.
Psalm 62:8 “Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before
Him; God is a refuge for us.”
Even within the apparent security of the Church, many Christians are victims of "friendly fire." We must guard our hearts to love as Jesus loved us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. Our challenge is to love others regardless of their response, while never accepting or affirming sin and speaking the truth in love. This is the essence of the love of God ... to love unconditionally – love the Sinner and hate the Sin. However the people of God are not taught how to avoid becoming a victim of "friendly fire" in the Church. To love the world is really no chore. The real chore is to love the neighbor next door.
In John 2:23, At the Passover feast, many witnessed the miracles
that Jesus did and they marveled. However, Jesus knew their hearts and
that the heart of mankind is full of deception. Jeremiah 17:9 says "the
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." According
to an article by Oswald Chambers, “Disillusionment
is to be free from the illusions of emotional deception.” However when we
turn from the illusions of emotion, we often end up at the other extreme and
become coldly analytical. We become critics against our own emotions and
against the emotional responses of the people of this world. We look for a
different kind of response from those to whom we give our love and affection.
This will result in disaster. Our Lord, knowing the heart of man, did not place
His confidence in people. If we put our trust in human beings, we will be
disappointed, for all we humans are fallible in the flesh. However, the life
that I now live, I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me – Galatians 2:20.
John 15:19 “If
you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of
the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Worldly love is reciprocal... it requires love in return. However, there is only one kind of love that does not require a reciprocal response from the other party. This is the unconditional love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation. Jesus knew their heart ... that all are liars ... that they are incapable of keeping their commitments and their promises. He did not rush to conclusions from the illusion that people are inherently righteous and good. Any fool can claim his human rights, and any devil will make sure he gets them. Suspicion is the first thought of worldly people in a reciprocal relationship. Men and women always treat each other unfairly ... they can't help it because it's hard wired into their “fallen” human nature. People will break your heart. However, the love of God gives unconditionally ... it never burns bridges and is not sensitive about the reaction of others. Cruelty is to hurt others, whether intentionally or unknowingly, without any remorse. When someone leaves a personal relationship, we must realize that this is not a personal affront ... it's just part of our “fallen” sinful nature.
The second half of Michael's message on love will post tomorrow.
In Christ, Brian
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