Category: love

Everyone remembers the Transitive Law of Equality from Algebra, right? “If a=b and b=c, then a=c.” So if Jesus is God and God is Love, then Jesus is Love.

We read verses like: “God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus,” but do we really believe it? “All you need is Love” (or God or Jesus) sounds a bit simplistic but if, as a child, I trust the Father so much that I really believe He is all I need, then I am finally understanding Jesus’ teachings. “Look at the birds and the grass… Are you not more valuable than they? The Father knows what you need! If you ‘evil’ parents know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (See Matt 6 & 7)

Our problem comes when the storm rises or sickness lingers or death enters the picture. Mary and Martha thought, “All we need is Jesus,” but their Friend didn’t arrive on time and their brother died. “If You had been here, Lazarus would not have died.” But God’s Love transcends our thinking. Through the death of a friend Jesus revealed himself in a deeper way: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” And after He made this profound declaration He asked Martha the same question He asks us, “Do you believe this?”

Our friend Fred Grapes passed away last Friday. Fred was my age and died of liver disease. He’s not been raised from the dead as Lazarus, but he is alive. “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (Jn 11:25-26) This truth is a source of comfort for his family and friends. I witnessed Saturday, in a small memorial gathering, how Love is really what we need. The Love of God… and the Love of God’s children engulfed Fred’s family in a powerful way. “God has poured out his Love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Rom 5:5)
Why does He do this? Because He knows Love is what we need. When we bear one another’s burdens and unselfishly serve one another, we are being Jesus on the earth. He is Love and Love is God.

“All you need is Me,” the Father said to a lost world. So He sent Jesus to save us and asks, “Do you believe this?”

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemns already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18

These are the words of the “Prince of Peace”: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) What? This sounds like a battle cry! Why would the One who claimed to give peace make such a statement?

The Beatles sang: “You say you want a revolution… well, you know… we all want to change the world…” God did not want to simply change the world, He planned to save it. The salvation of the world required a “revolution” – one that would unseat the “prince of this world” and crown the “King of kings.” From the moment the Savior was born, the devil’s aim was to destroy. What we see in the hatred, the anger, the jealousy, the persecution, and the murder on earth are reflections of heavenly struggles. Jesus is the Way to peace; He calls his followers to be peacemakers; and He knows there will be conflict.

Local controversies over “Christmas” or “visible crosses” or “public prayers” pale in comparison to the swords, guns, and bombs used against our brothers and sisters in other lands. The “father of lies” hates the “Truth” and anything that threatens his position in a heart, a family, or a society will not be easily surrendered. The children of Light are called to fight the good fight with these unlikely weapons: prayer, love, forgiveness, mercy, and God’s wisdom. The perfect “revolution” looks like this: a perfect Man pours out his Blood, a perfect Father does the unthinkable and allows sinful man to torture and murder his only Son, and a perfect Holy Spirit baptizes all that receive salvation.

Our challenge is to walk in the Master’s steps and hear his heart. “Trust my Father to be the perfect Judge; He will bring justice in the end. Until then follow my example and listen to my words. Don’t strike back. Don’t repay evil with evil. Love your enemy; pray for those who treat you wrong. Love those that do not understand. Remember that you were once in darkness… lost and without hope. As you have received mercy, extend mercy to others. Speak truth, but be gentle. Love, love, love… and you too will be an instrument of peace.”

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Matthew 10:37-40

Two wives have one thing in common: their husbands have been out of the country for quite a long time. One wife constantly thinks of her spouse. She wakes up thinking of him, she goes to bed thinking of him, and he is in the back of her mind throughout every day. She cannot wait until he returns. The other wife does not seem to miss her husband much at all. She thinks of him rarely and though she knows she is married, this wife seems quite content living alone. In fact, when news came that her husband would soon be home, she was a little sad. So what’s the difference between these two ladies? Without knowing anything about the individuals involved, a person would conclude that the first wife loves her husband much more than the second.

So what’s the difference between the Christian who is madly in love with Jesus and the Christian who rarely thinks of him at all? We know the problem is not with the Husband, for He is the definition of love. Such love inspires him to state things exactly as they are. He said to one church, “You are lukewarm.” He said to another, “You’ve forsaken your first love.” Such words are meant to rescue the passionless.

We know the reasons love grows cold: forgetfulness, lack of intimate communication, busyness, hard times, worry, finding fulfillment or pleasure outside the relationship, laziness… But how could I ever forget what Jesus has done for me? How could my communication with God ever drift into common duty? How could I ever get too busy to treasure fellowship with the One who died for me? Shouldn’t hard times or worrisome situations drive me closer to my Savior? Dare I ever substitute any pleasure or entertainment for the fulfillment God gives? Will I let my laziness damage the most important relationship of all?

The enemy of marriage has many weapons. He’ll even use a writing like this to accuse and condemn. “See, you are a pitiful sinner who will never love your God the way you should. Why bother?” But Jesus speaks with a different voice… one full of grace and truth. “Come to me and listen carefully. Leave the things that distract and let me satisfy your deepest needs. Don’t you know I am enough? I am knocking at the door of your heart. Open up and let me come in. We’ll eat together and I’ll remind you of who I am. The more you know me, the more you’ll want to be with me. Fill your lamp with the Oil of my Spirit then you’ll be able to watch and pray. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.”

“Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Revelation 3:2-3

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:21-22

The wedding was beautiful Sunday evening. (I wore a suit, by the way.) There is nothing as joyful as two families and a host of friends coming together to celebrate a man and woman pledging their lives to one another.

Jadon and Amanda wrote their own vows. She had to pause at one point as emotion made it impossible to talk. But with tears in her eyes, Amanda told her new husband how much she loved him and how she would remain faithful to him until death. Then with a strong voice, Jadon told Amanda how much she meant to him. He promised to protect her, provide for her, and love her all the days of his life. Then I asked that Jadon take a ring, put it on his bride’s finger, and complete the vow. Amanda did the same and the marriage was sealed. (Of course, for some reason, the guy always wants to kiss the girl before they walk down the aisle.)

Jesus calls us the bride and He is the Bridegroom. “The bride belongs to the Bridegroom,” John the Baptist told his listeners. Sometimes we get choked up when we think of how much Jesus loves us. We know we only love him because He first loved us. What kind of love motivates One to lay down his life for a selfish sinner? At the foot of the Cross, we look up to our Savior and vow we will never leave him. But even our ‘pledge of a good conscience’ does not keep us as faithful as we want to be. We’ve all been guilty of walking out on the Lover of our souls. Do our hearts stray like the ancient children of Israel who seemed to always forget their God? What pride needs to be broken in our stubborn hearts to keep us in a faithful place? “Lead us, Lord, into your strong arms. May we find our joy and fulfillment in your unfailing love.”

His love is unfailing and his vows will never be broken. His arms are strong and no villain can snatch his bride away. He invites us to walk in humility as He did on this earth. He tells us to watch for him and to pray constantly. He wants us to guard our hearts from the harmful advances of an enemy who despises the Son of God. He lives to intercede for those who have given themselves to him. He has given us something far greater than a ring to put on our fingers. “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” He knows what we need and He speaks to our hearts. “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He wants us to remember this promise and look forward to his appearing. What a day that will be!

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 22:17

Once when Kinsey was just six or seven years old, a group of us went to a Braves’ game. Kinsey and I were walking together when a man in shabby clothes came up to us asking for money. I watched my little girl reach into her pocket and pull out a five dollar bill and give it to the man with a big smile on her face. It was all the money she had and I was so proud of her. Later, she was confused when someone criticized her generosity saying it was foolish to give to panhandlers who were probably going to buy drugs. I watched an innocent girl’s joyful expression change to a worried one, wondering if she had done something wrong. I think Jesus restored her joy, but how we must keep our eyes on the Master for instruction and approval.

There were several compassionate responses to last week’s story of Perecles. If he had an address, I could send shoes, clothes, and other necessities to the homeless Brazilian. Of course, he and many others we met that Christmas night probably need food worse than anything. Kinsey, who turns twenty Monday, took special interest in a pregnant lady who looked like she was going to go into labor any second. Kinsey sat next to her and rubbed her huge tummy and told her about the homeless mother in Bethlehem many years ago who had the Baby that saved the world. Our hearts go out to those in dire circumstances and I pray God will show us how to serve the poor and needy in our own cities. If anyone criticizes you for helping, just ignore them.

I want to confess a deeper lesson learned in the story of Perecles. It is hard to hide from God’s penetrating Word. I was the American who gave away his shoes on our first stop on the streets of Natal. Any of us would have done the same. My shoes were rather old and I had another pair in my suitcase. The truth is I didn’t give away those shoes with much love in my heart. As I listened to Ben pray and looked at the bare feet of Perecles and recognized my feet were about the same size, it seemed God was saying, “So, what are you going to do… stare at his feet or meet the need?” How do you tell God you signed up to go on a mission trip, not to give away your stuff? So, my reaction was pretty much a no-brainer. But here’s the way I really felt: I would have gladly given my shoes to any of the other homeless people in that location. They were all listening to a message, waiting patiently for their food, and following the rules. Perecles was annoying. He never followed directions and seemed only concerned about being first in line. He was dirty and he didn’t smell very good. I gave him the shoes simply because he was bold enough to declare his need.

When I saw he had run nearly a mile to our next stop, my initial impression was confirmed: “This guy just wants handouts. What a mooch!” The Father knows the hearts of all people and He has the power to change us in an instant. Perecles told Fernanda that as we drove away, God broke his heart and he couldn’t stop crying. He knew he had to find our group and give back the shoes to a guest of his city. You don’t know how humbling it is to have a homeless man get down on his knees and put shoes on your feet. I didn’t want them back, but Fernanda wouldn’t let me stop the outpouring of generosity.

Now here’s the kicker: When Perecles rose and looked me in the eye, I saw the love of Christ in his face. I knew a poor man had given a greater gift than a rich American, but did this beggar also possess a greater measure of the fruit that most pleases the Father? And if so, where did he get it? “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” God, help me.

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:17-20