Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
John 13:34-35
34"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.35"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
1 Peter 4:8-11
8 And above all things have fervent charity (Love) among yourselves: for charity (Love) shall cover the multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift (of Love), even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
As Christians we are "in Christ" and "of God", we are "partakers of His Spirit" and "anointed for service". We are given God's Love to "receive" and abundantly to "share" with others. His "grace is towards us" and others can "participate" in grace through us.
Unconditional Love is so important in the lives of Christians that without it we deny (or are incapable of proving) the manifestations that God our Father has empowered us with through His precious promises and commands.
Luke 9:54-55
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Here James and John were walking, praying, living with Jesus and this statement came out of their mouths. Love? Hardly. Jesus turned and rebuked them. Some Christians model this response when a non believer shuns the Gospel presentation they so passionately give. Even when Jesus Himself sent them and they witnessed incredible miracles they still practiced maliciousness. "Love covers a multitude of sins", it isn't supposed to "create sin" in the believers heart and "cause reaction" to the one hearing the Gospel so as to increase their unbelief or harden their hearts.
I cannot say how many times in my life a Christian (well meaning and passionate), presented the Gospel to me and this practice was this end play in the conversation. "You are resisting the Gospel of Christ, the Gospel of Love and salvation, you will die and go to hell and the Holy Spirit will leave you." I guess they forgot that "everything happens in it's "God anointed" time. Years later I was saved mightily and filled with the Holy Spirit and passion to "do the works I see my Father in heaven doing." I can honestly say that these bearing the witness that ended in damnation only further hardened my heart. God's timing is perfect. This is something that most believers miss......God's timing. He has an anointed time for everything and everyone. If we hear His voice "today" than we will know what is and do His precious will, in His time.
Love is the motivation for all the power of God to be released. Love births compassion, and compassion births action, and action by faith knowing the will of God births His manifestation, and His manifestation births a Divine witness in the hearts of those that His Love is being shown to. That's how it works, there is no other way, those who are in Christ that have not been purged of malice, contempt, blame, criticism, or haughtiness will seldom see the manifestations of God or the Power of His Spirit.
So where is this going?
Many years ago I was working a new coke oven build on Zug Island Delray, Mi as one of the 200+ tradesmen on the job. I was a bricklayer with the job lasting over a year for those who made the cut and was kept to the end. God is my provision so I looked at the job as a time to minister His grace and my God given skills to profit both fellow tradesmen and the company I worked for.
One day I was sitting with the man who presented the Gospel to me "in that anointed time" and as we were waiting for the start of the shift he commented on an Iron Worker that was coming down the scaffold that we all worked off of. He mentioned to me that the man was demon possessed, and by the way he looked, walked and spoke he was right. As he approached us he was cursing, kicking, and flailing his arms around wildly. You could tell that he wasn't in control of himself. As he walked by my friend said, "nothing can reach that guy!" I disagreed with him and said "the Love of Christ can". He laughed and said prove it. Sensing a mighty anointing I told him "today is Monday by Friday I will be eating lunch with him and he will be a changed man." My friend said "have at it." So I did.
My first approach was to be friendly to the demoniac by saying hi. I did so every time he passed that day only to receive curses and threats to my face with no little spittle being sprayed in the pronouncing of them. The second day went the same. The third day he was looking for me when he passed by, and I was there to administer the loving greeting. By the fourth day we shook hands, exchanged names, and he was curious as to my persistence to get to know him. I told him that I seen that he was a loner and could use a friend. I arranged to sit with him at lunch time the next day and we would chat. My friend all the time was goading me that it was a waste of time and that it would never work out. Well Friday came with much prayer preparation and we had lunch together. A wonderful time ensued where we became friends (I was the only one he had) and the door was open to the gospel. During the time of the job while he was there, just through Love, he changed completely. Soon he was walking with a smile and greeting others.
It wasn't long after that everyone on the job site seen the change in him and marveled at it.
Love conquered the possessing demons and set the "captive" free.
I have seen the Love of Christ deliver from demons on at least 3 occasions the others to be posted soon.
Without the Love of Christ living in us, walking with us, exuding from us, we will not see what God has intended for us to do to Glorify Him in all the earth.
Look around, in all quarters of the world "religion" is either enslaving people or keeping them enslaved because that's all they are is "religions". Love is the difference between controlling regulations and "the Truth that set you (them) free." Because "God is Love", and there is only One God, the Father of Jesus Christ, besides Him is no other.
Unleash the power of Love to deliver by "Loving others as much as we Love ourselves.
We are without excuse. We are to be imitators of Christ laying down our lives (and wills) to bring the Gospel of Good News to all the earth with power.
Love
J&E
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