Continuing Michael's message: There are two great commandments upon which all the other commandments depend... Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, soul, mind, and strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. To love others, to love thy neighbor as thyself, we must love God above all. To love God is the first of the Ten Commandments: thou shalt have no other gods before me. In others words, “thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face.” Nothing shall come between you and me because I love you. In loving God above all we can love others with the love of God. To reconcile with others we must “meet each other at the foot of the cross.” For only Jesus Christ can reconcile our hearts with God. There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. When our hearts are reconciled with God, then we can reconcile with one another to God’s glory. Then we can love each other in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
Christianity is more than a religion ... it’s a relationship (the state of being related by kindred, affinity or other alliance). The relationship starts with God’s loving us ... hereby is the love of God made perfect, for in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. A loving relationship starts with trust. Doubting Apostle Thomas doubted the supernatural resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus appeared in the midst of the disciples he said, “Thomas, put your hand in the wound in my side and feel the imprints of the nails in my hand and be not unbelieving, but believe.” When Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds, the said, “My Lord and my God!” Hebrews 11:1 says, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Jesus said, blessed are they who have not (physically) seen and yet believe.
When we received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit transforms us from the image of the sinful flesh into the image of the Spirit ... Christ in you the hope of glory. For we all with open face beholding in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed from glory (of the flesh) to glory (of the Spirit) even but the Spirit of the Lord. Jesus said, “What things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” Our desire is in “the Object” of our desire. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Then when our heart is aligned with His heart, He will give us the desires of our heart. Likewise, Joy and rejoicing is in the object of our joy. Therefore, rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. For who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, for life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor height, nor depth, nor things present, nor things to come shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is nothing Almighty Sovereign God can’t handle. Therefore, trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lead not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Lord give us disciples! Disciples who join their hearts together to create an environment where the Holy Spirit can come help Himself to our lives to share in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Lord give us disciples! Disciples who love you above all. Disciples who give their lives to you in total abandonment and absolute trust. May I be a disciple like this among disciples like this, that we may live to the praise of the glory of thy grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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