Love

Love – Katie Leighann May
August 13 2012 near Baton Rouge

Genesis 12:1-5 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.”

Abraham walked with the Lord so closely! His love for the Lord produced the faith he had in the Lord. Everything good is produced from love! God IS love!!! It was God’s act of love toward us to give His One and Only Son for us on the cross, Jesus’ act of love to die blameless on the cross for us, and the Holy Spirit’s act of love to draw each one of us to repentance and help us walk in the power and victory of the cross. To pray for faith is to pray for love. That’s what was wrong with the Pharisees, they had not love for God or the people. Their works were dead because they were done without love (1 Cor. 13). Sin is produced from a lack of love. If you have idols in your life, it’s from a lack of love for the Father. If you don’t treat your neighbor better than yourself it’s from a lack of love for the Lord and that person. Adultry, fornication, pride, envy, murder, selfishness, stealing, and fear are all from a lack of love and ultimately a lack of allowing the fullness of the life of Christ to live in and through you and me.

I have read John 3:16 many times but this last time struck a cord in me. “For God so loved the world………that He GAVE His Only Begotten Son…”!!!! Love covers a multitude of sin! When people think of love, they use a heart as it’s symbol, but the true symbol of love is the cross! See man’s definition of love is give when its convenient and that’s why the divorce, murder, and abortion rates are the way they are! But God says I love you so much NOT because you deserve it or it’s convenient. His love is UNCONDITIONAL!!! God gave all, knowing that we had nothing to give. Even on the cross He cried “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!” Jesus said pick up your cross daily and follow me! I know He was speaking of dying to self, but I also believe He was saying pick up your cross, your symbol of the love of Christ inside of you and follow Me! Now I’m not saying that we can live anyway we want to and go to heaven. If all you are concerned about is heaven then you have missed it anyways. Heaven is only so wonderful because God lives there in all His wonder and glory! We can do all the “good works” as we want but without the Love of Christ its all in vain and will be burned up! (1 Cor. 13) God said, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments!” Jesus asked Peter three times, “Peter do you love Me?” Do we truly love the Lord? What are we that we should think we are better than Peter? No, we all must ask ourselves sincerely, do we love the Lord?

The Muslims are terrified of their “god”. THEY LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR AND HATE!!!! Fear makes them give their lives for their god. But what should make us different is that love brings us to those underground churches, it draws us to the prisons, the countries no one else will go! Love drives on a man or woman to die for the souls of others. History shows that the more Christians were martyred for the Gospel, the more other men and women would rise up in their places! Death could not quench the passion and fire of their love of God for those lost souls just as love pulled Christ to the cross for all mankind! Love is the key! God is love!

Are you an expression of God’s love? I pray we all are and if we aren’t that we would pray God make us into that expression OF His love! We MUST be a people of love! It is only through the expression of God’s love through His church that revival will break through !!!!! And lastly to be consumed with love we MUST be consumed and baptized with the fire of the Holy Spirit!!! We can not walk in love, obedience, victory, or power without the Holy Spirit! Paul said “I have fought a good fight, i have finished my course and I have kept the faith!” I pray that would be all of our testimonies when we stand face to face with our Lord Jesus Christ!
Amen!