February 1 "Open Windows"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------For God loved the world so much.... (John 3:16 NLT)There is a great weight made to rest upon that little word "for" - "For God so loved the world." We say that John 3:16 is the heart of the gospel: but it is much more than that, it is the heart of the universe. There is back of all things in this created universe a heart; not just a mind or a will, a design, a reason, a power, a fiat, but a heart. We are familiar with the attempts to prove there is a design in creation, that there is a mind behind the universe, and that a will brought it into being. That is all quite good and right; but we are not so often asked to consider that behind it all there is a heart - and more heart than anything else. The reason, the will, the design, come from the heart. Everything takes its rise in the heart of God.We have said much about the thoughts of God, the counsels of God. The nearer we get to the very center of things, the more we shall become affected by this fact, that right there in the center is a heart. It is a heart that we shall come to eventually; not an explanation to satisfy our reason, not a demonstration of power, but just a heart - but a mighty heart: and when we use that word rightly, we simply mean love. We speak of people being heartless. That means that they are without all that love means. Love is not the governing thing in their thoughts, actions, and motives; they are strangers to love. Heart then, for us, means love, and when we say that back of all things and at the center of all things there is a heart, we mean there is love.By T. Austin-Sparks from: His Great Love - Chapter 1
_________________Mike
WHEN Brother will we understand this?When will we see that HE created the world and all that we see that He called "good" because He 'is' Love -- for Him to love and for His creation to love in return. That all that He does is birthed out of His LOVE.I've noticed more discussions recently about "What Love is not" - ie. "It's not mushy, human sentiment, etc. etc." and I think we've been too occupied with what it is Not, rather than seeking Him Who says that He 'is' Love, personified, incarnate and from eternity past and ever will be and that all revolves around, focuses on, and so forth, is determined by His Divine Agape Love.Brother, when will we come to the end of "ourselves" and realize that what is not birthed of His Resident Spirit is wood, hay and stubble?When will we realize that The Creator - GOD lives inside of us and that we're not to lean on our 'own' understanding but are to lean completely on His leading - which is termed, "walking in the spirit" - as He did while on earth?Time is short. Trouble brews around our world. There isn't much more time to spend, using our own intellects or reasoning - but the need to become as little children, dependent on Father's leading is laying in the balance now and is the much needed call in this hour - lest we learn the hard way during tribulation or persecution, that we've wasted most of our Christian lives, using our own minds to walk this walk and deal with each other and a lost world. Oh GOD forgive us LORD and lead us back to that child-like dependence on the Voice of our Good Shepherd - our 'Loving' Savior.
