Hey —Just dropping in here to give myself a quick check up. One thing I have learned and continue to learn is that mercy triumphs over judgment. Mercy doesn’t substitute substitute for judgment. And both of them have to be completely soaked in the truth.But sometimes I just don’t get to mercy unless I meditate on love.So I just wanted to take one moment and say this: I love God’s people. I love the church. I love the local church, flawed as it is. I love the hope that is wrapped up in it because we are going to be the rescue squad in the tumult to come. And if we are ordained to rescue, then man oh man I need double portions of graciousness, of gratitude, of hearing from God about what is the reason behind the reasons for everyone’s resistance to Him. I need people. I don’t need statues of heroes or plaques about the people of the past. But I need that love for God that flowed to others that those heroes and praying people had that caused later generations to remember them with statues and plaques. We need each other. And we need to love one another. It is the ultimate testimony to a deceived world that our God is telling the truth they most desperately need to hear and believe.
_________________Tim
If you surrender your "self" to the cross of Christ, to be crucified with Him, then you will find the love of Christ, which is the only love God refers to when He speaks of loving your neighbor and loving God. This is the love spoken of in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Romans 5:5
Set free from all sin by the fire of the spirit ..1thes5.22Abstain from every form of evil. 23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.… we must believe and seek to be completely sanctified now, that will be christ fully-formed in us and the power will flow from him because we will experience the death of self so to speak if you by the Spirit do put to death the deeds of the body and mind ,we then live in true holiness and we abide in Christ and walk as he walked................................. 5But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: 6Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. ... it will burn up the remaining chaff in our hearts and we the bride the wise virgins who are waiting for our Lord will be blessed , but others who hearts are hardened through the deceitfulness of riches and the comforts and the cares of this world will taste the rod of correction, prepare your soil, be ready it is soon, the lord has oil ready for you now, ask him for eye salve so that you may see what's taking place, so the eyes for you hearts may be enlightened so that see through the dark enabling you to trim your wicks, and fill up your cups, be wise, and swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to wrath...