Love fest for eternity4

LOVE-FEST FOR
ETERNITY
ABSTRACT
You will learnhow toimprove yourlife onearthand
how to have an eternal love-fest.
George Hach
Sharedlove withGod

LOVE-FEST FOR ETERNITY [DATE]
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Why should you read this book?
You will lookatwhere youlive,andwhere youcouldlive. Youwill lookatitfrom a conceptual aswell as
a practical approach. Thisbook iscommittedtohelpyoumove inthe rightdirection.
Thisbookwill challenge youto developasharedlove relationshipwithGodandyourfellow humans.
You may be rewardedmore bybeingchallengedbythiscompellingbook.
The contentin thisbookwill change yourworld
Thisbookdisruptsthe statusquo and challengesyoutoshare love withGodandotherhumans. It is a
powerful call tocommitment,andtolovingGod withALL yourheart,mind,andspiritthat will challenge
youin the bestof ways.
Thisis a message tothe worldthat couldsave it fromcomplete disaster.

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Introduction
Too ofteninthe average ChristianChurch,the attendee’sare givenone of twomessages:
1. You can have an eternal life withGodandan abundantlife onearthif youonlywill believe in
JesusChristas SaviorandLord. But the book (Bible) clearlysaysinbothparts(Old& New
Testaments) thatGodgave us a commandment(requirement) that“We (humans) MUSTLOVE
God withour WHOLE Heart, Mind,and Spirit.
2. You can have an eternal life withGodandan abundantlife onearthif youonlywill take upyour
cross and relinquishyourcontrol of yourlife;andcompletelycommittolive asaslave or servant
to God and man. That isreallydifficult.
Well thisbookproposesthatwhatGod reallywantsisthe “Great Commandment”“Love Godwithyour
WHOLE heart,mind,andspirit.” Thisiswhat we will lookatinthisbook.
Too oftenpreachers tryto talkpeople intofollowingJesus,asappealing,comfortable,andconvenientas
possible;orasscary as possible,soeveryone eitherdropsoutor isnot preparedforthe challengesof
life.
I hope youwill readthisbookand discoverwithme whatitreallymeanstoshare love withGod. I will
talkmore about sharinglove thanforgiveness,more aboutsurrenderthansalvation,more about
happinessthanrepentance,andmore aboutlife thandeath. The truthis,thisbook will layouta
comfortable andreassuringpath. Butit will require complete commitment.

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Lover of God
Are You a Lover of God?
I wouldsaythe chances are prettygood that youjustskippedoverthe above question. Youmayhave
readit, butI doubtit carriedmuch weightorhas verylittle impactonyourlife. Butwouldyouletme
ask youthisquestionagain? It’sthe mostimportantquestionyouwill everanswer.
Are youa Lover of God.
You may nothave beenaskedthisquestionbefore. Because itisnotfamiliar,there isatendencyto
dismissit. Notbecause itmakesyouuncomfortable. The questionisdismissedmostlybecause itseems
not relevantornecessary.
You probablyhave notdealtwithitbefore,soyoumay quicklydismiss it. Butbefore youmove ontoo
quickly,letme clarifywhatIam not asking. Iam not askingthe following:
 Do yougo to church?
 Are you a Christian?
 Do youown more than one Bible?
 Have you everappearedasa Church member,elder?
 Didyou go to Christianchildren’sevents?
Here is the point:manyof us are quickto say,“Yes, I am a Christian.”ButI am not sure we really
understandwhatwe are saying. InigoMontoyaonce said,“I donot thinkthat meanswhatyouthinkit
means.”
One of the mostessential passagesof the Bible tellsof aday whenmanywhoconsiderthemselvestobe
followersof Christwill be stunnedtofindoutthat he doesn’trecognize them. InMatthew,chapter7,
Jesustellsof aday wheneveryone whohaseverlivedwill standinfrontof God. Onthat day, manywho
call themselvesfollowersof Jesusandidentifythemselvesasmembersof a Christianchurchwill stand
proudlyinfrontof Christ,onlytohearhimsay, “I neverknew you. Awayfromme.” If you’ve assumed
youwere goingto joinGod inheavenforever;Ipray that thisbookwill eitherconfirmthatconfidence or
hopefullywillgetyoutoreevaluate yourrelationshipwithGodandcommityouto share love withHim.
I’m not a Christian yet.
It wouldbe interestingtoknowhowandwhyyou got thisbook? Andmaybe youhave skippedoverthe
question:“Are youa loverof God?” You probablyfeltitwasnotrelevanttoyou?
It doesn’tbotheryouif someone lovesornotlovesGod. Otherscan love himor not;because itis not
relevanttoyou. You mightbe askingyourself aboutnow,Butwhatif it shouldbe relevanttoyou. What
if all of life comesdown to this one question? What if there isreallyisa God,and a heaven,andthere
couldbe an eternal love-fest,anditall hingeson that one question. Shouldn’tyou lookinto that
possibility? These thoughtsmayseemcompletely ridiculous,butif there isanypart of youthat is
consideringthatthere maybe some relevance toyou,thenisn’titworthlookingintothisquestion? As
youread thisbook,I hope thatyou wouldatleastconsiderthatthismay be the mostimportant
questionyouwill everconsider. Ibelieve thatthe reasonwe were putonthisearth isto answerthis
one question. Andbynotansweringthisquestion,we are answeringthisinthe negative.

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In myearlierbook,“WHY” I attemptedtosell peopleonSharingLove withGod. Afterreadingthisbook,
there will be peoplewhostill,willnotagree withme. Butall I will askisthat if you have notread my
earlierbook,“WHY” please doso,because thisquestionistooimportant. Youstill maynotagree with
me,but evenJesusinvitedpeopletolove God,there were stillpeople whowouldnotagree withJesus.
Time for the evaluation
So where doyoustart in determiningif youreallyaloverof God? How do youstart evendeciding
whetheryoushouldlove God? Youmay wantto start, bylookingat the statement:Love makesthe
worldgo round. Doesit? Well formostpeople,one of the goalsof becominganadult,isto find
someone whotheycanlove andbecome partnersina lovingrelationship.
Define the Relationship
In the physical world,there isusuallyaperiodof evaluationinanyrelationshiptodetermine the
relevance andcommitment. Thisisveryimportantina love relationship;youwanttodetermine where
thingsstandand to findoutif the love youare sharingisreal.
Everylovingrelationshipneedstomake thisevaluation. Isitcasual or committed? Have thingsmoved
beyondfriendshipandlikingtowardsa deeperlove (whereyouare readyto putthe other party’sneeds,
desires,etc. –have a higherprioritytoyouthanyour own) anddedicationtothat love relationship. You
needtointentionallyevaluatethe state of thatrelationshipandyourlevelof commitmenttothat
relationship.
Is yourrelationshipwithGodexclusive? Isitjusta casual Sundaymorning-one hourthingorhasit
movedpastthat? How wouldyourrelationshipwithGodbe defined? Whatexactlyisyourlevel of
love?
Whetheryou’ve calledyourself aChristian since childhood,orall of thisis new toyou. God has clearly
definedwhatkindof relationshiphe wantstohave withyou. He saidHe wants yourWHOLE HEART
MIND ANDSPIRIT. Or inanotherexplanationHe wantsyourWHOLE life. I hope you can’tstop
wonderingif thatquestion,“Are youaloverof God?” isrelevant.
It may seemthatthere are many loversof God,but if theywere honestlytodefine the relationshipthey
have withHim,I am not sure it wouldbe accurate to describe themaslovers.
The biggestthreatto the church and worldtodayisfans whocall themselvesChristiansbutaren’t
actuallyinterestedinfollowingJesusintoafullycommittedloveaffairwithGod. Theywanttobe close
enoughtoGod to get all the benefits,butnotsoclose thatit requiresanythingfromthem.
A Loving Evaluation
So,are you a Loverof God or not? Many individuals,mistakenlyidentifythemselvesasloversbyusing
comparisons. Theylookatthe commitmentlevelsof othersaroundthemand feel liketheirrelationship
isgood. Aslongas theyare more spiritual andlovingthanthe nextperson,everythingisgood.
Have you noticedthatwhenwe compare ourselvestoothers,we almostalwaysputourselvesupagainst
those whowouldmake uson the betterside.
Anothermeasurementwe use isthe one where we evaluate relationshipsusingreligiousrulesand
ritualsas evidence. Of course I’ma lover,I’mnotdoingitfor nothing!”

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We have otherwaysto determine if we are lovers:Denominational measurement,ourfamilyheritage,
and biblical knowledge are all wayswe tryto prove that we reallyare God lovers. Buthere’sthe real
question:howdoesGoddefineswhatitmeanstolove him?
The biblical accountsof God requiringpeople todefinethe relationshipandhonestlydetermine if they
were true lovers. Aswe studythese encounterswithJesustheywill actasa mirrorso we can have a
more honestevaluationof oursharedlove relationship.
Many Christiansadmitthattheydo notreallyKnow God. For otherbelievers,lackof knowledge of God
isthe cause of vacillatingspirituality,inconsistencybetweenthe talkandthe walkof faith,and
ineffectivenessinprayer. Forstill others,inadequate knowledge of Godaccountsforthe reluctant
response toholylivingandmoral responsibility….
What doesitmean toknowGod and live withaknowledge of Him? Itinvolvesbothintimacyand
integrity. The intimacyof the Thou-Irelationshipwe were createdtoexperience withGodrequiresthe
openingof ourinnermostbeingtoHimjustas He hasrevealedHisinnermostnature tous. The word
intimacy means“proceedingfromwithin,inward,internal.”InHebrew the wordforknowledge hasthe
same root as “to know.” It is alsothe physical andspiritual onenessof ahusbandandwife,we call
(shared) love.
“He placed onescoop of clay upon anotheruntila formlay lifeless on the ground….
All weresilent asthe Creatorreached in Himself and removed something yetunseen,“It’scalled choice.”
The seed of choice.
Creation stood in silence and gazed upon thelifeless form.
An angel spoke,“Butwhatif he …”
“What if he choosesnotto love?” the Creatorfinished. “ComeI will show you.”
Unbound by today,God and theangelwalked into the realmof tomorrow….
The angelgasped atwhathe saw. Spontaneouslove. Voluntary devotion. Neverhad heseen anything
like these… The angelstood speechlessasthey passed through centuriesof repugnance. Neverhad he
seen such filth. Rotten Hearts. Ruptured promises. Forgotten loyalties.
The Creatorwalked on in time, furtherand furtherinto the future,untilhe stood by a tree. A tree that
would be fashioned into a cradle. Evan then he could smell the hay thatwould surround him….
“Wouldn’tit be easier to notplantthe seed? Wouldn’tit be easier to notgive thechoice?”
“It would,”theCreatorspokeslowly “But to removethe choice is to removethe love.”
They stepped into the Garden again. The Makerlooked earnestly at theclay creation. A monsoon of
love swelled up within him. He had died forthe creation beforeHe had madehim. God’sformbent over
the sculptured faceand breathed. Duststired on the lips of thenew one. The chest rose,cracking the
red mud. The cheeksfleshened. A fingermoved. And an eye opened.

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But moreincredible than the moving of the flesh wasthe stirring of the spirit. Thosethat could see the
unseen gasped.
Perhapsit wasthe wind who said it first. Perhapswhatthestarsaw thatmomentis whatmadeit blink
ever since. Maybeit wasleft to an angel to whisperit:
“It lookslike … It appearsso much like … it is him!”
The angelwasn’tspeaking of theface,the features,orthe body. He waslooking inside – at the soul.
“It’seternal!” gasped another.
Within the man,God had placed a divine seed. A seed of His self. The God of mighthad created earth’s
mightiest. The Creatorhad created nota creature,butanothercreator. And the One who had chosen to
love had created one who could love in return.
Knowledgeof Godismore thanideasaboutHim. It involvesourtotal innerselves,intellect,emotion,
and will. Otherwise knownas“SharedLove”.

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Casual or a Commitment
John 3 – Nicodemus
In Johnchapter3 we read abouta religiouspersonnamedNicodemus. Youshould know thathe wasn’t
justany religiousperson. He wasa well knownandwell respectedmanof God. Nicodemuswasa
memberof the Sanhedrin,anelite groupof communityandreligiousleaders. He watchedasJesus
workedincredible miracles,butitwasn’tjusthispowerthatwasimpressive,itwashiscompassionand
love.
Nicodemuswasreadytotake hisrelationshipwithJesus,the sonof God,to anotherlevel,butitwasn’t
that easy. Beinga secretadmirerof the Son of God cost himnothing,butbecoming aloverof the Sonof
God and HisFathercame witha highprice tag. It alwaysdoes.
So,He wouldhave to choose betweenreligionanda sharedlove relationshipwiththe Sonof Godand
His Father. There wasno wayfor himto trulybecome a loverof the Son of God and His Father,without
losinghisreligion.
It wouldbe easyto overlookthisdetailanddismissitasnotrelevant. Butaskyourself,whywouldhe
come at night? If he coulddeveloparelationshipwiththe Sonof Godwithouthavingtomake any real
changes. He couldlove the Sonof God and hisFatherwithoutitimpactinghisjob. In fact,hisfriends
and familywouldn’thave toknow. He couldtalkto Jesusand at nightandquietlymake adecisioninhis
heartto love the Sonof God and his Father;that wayit wouldn’tdisrupthiscomfortable andestablished
life.
Here is the realitythatNicodemusisabouttohave impressedonhim. There isnowayto love God
withouthiminterferingwithyourlife. LovingGodwill costyousomething. Sharinglove withGod
alwayscostssomething. ForNicodemusitwouldcosthimapowerful position. Itwouldcosthimthe
respectof hisco-workers. Itwouldcost him hissource of income andlivelihood. Itwouldcosthim
friendships. Itwouldlikelycost himsome familyrelationships. How haslovingGod,interferedwith
your life?
_________________________________________________
What firstarousedyourinterestinJesus? Why?_______________________________________
Where are yourightnow inthe birthingprocessof spiritual life:Notyetconceived? Developing,butnot
so anyone couldtell? Heavywithchildandwaiting? Kickingandscreaminglike aninfant? Growing
daily? Explain. ___________________________________________
Most of us don’tmind Godmakingsome minorchange in ourlives,butGodwants to turnour lives
upside down. Godwantsa complete change. Godwill completelyoverhaul yourlife. He will makeover
your life. A complete remodelingiscoming. The guarantee isthatGod will interfere withyourlife.
NicodemusbeginshisconversationwithJesusbymakingitclearthathe has decidedthatJesusreally is
fromGod. He has come to this pointof belief,butwhere wouldhe gofromthere? Jesusdoesn’twaste
time butgetsright to the HEART of whyNicodemusiscomingtohimat nightinstead of the opennessof
the day. He tellsNicodemusinverse 3thathe mustbe bornagain. Nicodemusmusthumble himself
and be born againintoa WHOLE newwayof life –sharedlove.

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Decision or Love
There isa difference. Manyhave made a decisiontobelieveinJesuswithoutmakingacommitmentto
lovingGod. The Gospel allowsfornodistinction. Biblical belief ismore thanmental orverbal
agreement. Manynon-loverswerebaptizedorhave repeatedaprayeror raisedtheirhandor walked
forwardat the end of a sermonand made a decisiontobelieve –evenSatanandhisfollowers,butthere
was nocommitmenttolove Godwith theirWHOLE heart,mind,and spirit. Jesusneverofferedsuchan
option. He is lookingformore thanwordsof belief;he islooking tosee whatisinyourheart and how
that sharedlove islivedoutinyourlife.
Imagine aweddingandwatchingthe bride andgroom, withtearsin theireyesastheyspeakwordsof
devotion”…forsakingall othersuntil we are partedbydeath.” While theywere ontheirhoneymoon
and the bride wasunfaithful tohergroom. Suddenlythose wordswouldholdnovalue. Theywouldbe
worthless,becausetheywere notvalidatedbyfaithful loveandcommitment.
Biblical belief ismore thanjustanintellectual acceptance orasharedlovingacknowledgment;itisa
commitmenttoshare love. Lovingsomeone,bydefinitionrequiresmore thanmental agreement,it
callsfor action.
Sharinglove isthe essential part of faith. One can’tlive withoutthe other. If youtryand separate
sharedlove fromthe message of belief,belief diesinthe process. Andthe same holdstrue whenyou
reverse them. Love cannotexistif youdon’thave faithortrust.
Most ChristiansIhave talkedwithhave beeninchurchesorinChristiancommunitieswhere theirbelief
inJesuswasconstantlybeingemphasizedandstrength,but whatitactuallymeanttolove Godwas
nevermade clear.
Thisis whatwe have done withour approachto Christianity. Inteachingpeople whatitmeanstobe a
Christian,we spendmuchof ourtime and effortbringingthemtoa pointof belief withoutclearlycalling
themto share love withGod.
Most Christianshave heardverylittle abouthow sharinglove withGodwillchange the waytheylive.
Andthisis done,because of the commitmentandtrustthatis required.
Selling Christianity
The Christianchurchesof todayare either:
1. Sellingonlythe benefitsof Christianityandnotthe love andcommitmentsthatisrequired.
2. Sellingonlythe requirementsandcommitmentsbutnotthe benefits.
We,as Christianleadersneedtofindagoodbalance.
In thissectionwe will lookatall of Scripture. Mosescouldn’tlove Godwithoutstandinginfrontof
Pharaoh. Noah couldn’tlove Godwithoutbuildinganark that wouldbringridicule fromhisneighbors.
Daniel couldn’tlove Godbyprayingtohimalone withoutbeingthrowninto alions’den. Loving God
isn’tsomethingyoucando at nightwhere noone notices. It’sa twenty-four-hour-a-dayloveand
commitmentthatwill interferewithyourlife. That’saguarantee.

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Many Christiansneedtohearthe benefitsof beingaChristian: How wouldyoulike tolive forever?
Wouldyoulike tohave a freshstart? Do youwantto spendeternityinalove-fest? Yougetsuch other
benefitslike peace,joy,patience,goodness,kindness,andmore. Theywill be coveredinacoming
chapter.
But to getall these benefits,there isaprice to pay. You needto love GodwithyourWHOLE heart,mind,
and spiritandbe committedtoit. Thiscommitmentmeansyourlife hastochange. You have to start by
surrenderingthe control of yourlife toGod’scontrol of it. Thisis achievedbythe deathof yourdesires,
wants,control,etc.. There isno lovingGodwithoutcommittingtoit.
Let usgo back to coveringNicodemusandGod’sguidance tohislife sothathe can make that
commitment. We see thatoccurringwhenhe stands up and defendsJesus. Thiseffort putshisjoband
life atrisk. This includesotherrelationshipsandhisfinancial future. The Sanhedrinattackedhim, by
givinghima hard shotto hisegoand to hisreputationthathe had workedsohard to establish.
There isalwaysa moment like thisforpeople becomingloversof God. Theyare putin a positionwhere
theyhave to decide betweenGod’scontrol of theirlifeandcontrollingitthemselves.
Nicodemusisputinthispositionagain,whenJesus’sbodyistakendownfromthe crossand needstobe
buried. He chose to put hisfinancial resourcesundercontrol of God,and use themto buryHis Son.
There wasno longeranychance of hidinghislove.
Nicodemusmakesthisgreatgesture of love andcommitment. Christiantraditionstatesthathe was
martyredsometime inthe firstcentury.
It will be yourdecision,whetheryouwill choose tolove GodwithyourWHOLE heart,mind,andspirit
and committo that love forwhateverittakes. Orwill youchoose tomaintain control overyourlife.
Storiesfromthe undergroundchurchinthe formerSovietUnionneverfail tojoltusawake,Icame
across anotherone justthe past week. A house churchreceivedone copyof Gospel byLuke,the only
scripture mostof these Christianshadeverseen. Theytore itintosmall sectionsanddistributedthem
amongthe bodyof believers. Theirplanwastomemorize the portiontheyhadbeengiven,thenonthe
nextLord’sday theywouldmeetandredistribute the scripture sections.
On Sundaythese believersarrivedinconspicuouslyinsmall groupsthroughoutthe daysoas not to
arouse the suspicionof KGB informers. Bydusktheywere all safelyinside,windowsclosedanddoors
locked. Theybeganbysingingahymn quietlybutwithdeepemotion. Suddenly,the doorwaspushed
openand inwalkedtwosoldierswithloadedautomaticweaponsatthe ready. One shouted,“All right –
everybodylineupagainstthe wall. If youwishtorenounce yourcommitmenttoJesusChrist,leave
now!”
Two or three quicklyleft,thenanother. Afterafew more seconds,twomore.
Thisis yourlast chance. Eitherturn againstyourfaithin Christ.”he ordered,orstayand sufferthe
consequences.
Anotherleft. Finally,twomore inembarrassedsilence,theirfacescovered,slippedoutintothe night.
No one else moved. Parentswithsmall childrentremblingbeside themlookeddownreassuringly. They
fullyexpectedtobe gunneddownorat bestto be imprisoned.

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Aftera fewmomentsof complete silence,the othersoldierclosedthe door,lookedbackatthose who
stoodagainstthe wall and said,Keepyourhandsup – but thistime inpraise toour Lord JesusChrist,
brothersandsisters. We,too,are Christians. We were senttoanotherhouse churchseveral weeksago
to a group of believers –“
The other soldierinterrupted,“… but,instead,we were converted! We have learnedbyexperience,
however,thatunlesspeopleare willingtodie fortheirfaith,theycannotbe fullytrusted.”
In segmentsof the worldwhere Biblesare plentiful andchurchesare protected,faithcanrunawfully
shallow. Commitmentcanstayratherlukewarm. Eaglescanlearnto flydangerouslylow,“whatwe
obtaintoocheap,we esteemtoolightly.”
(FromLivingAbove the Level of Mediocrityby CharlesSwindoll)

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Knowing or Loving Him.
Luke 7
In Matthew15:8 Jesussaysthisabouta group of religiousleaderscalled,the Pharisees:
These peoplehonormewith their lips, but their hearts are farfromme.
TheyknewaboutGod, buttheydidn’t LOVE him.
Thisdescriptionseemstodescribemostpeople. Theyhave broughtGodintotheirminds,buttheyhave
neversurrenderedcontrol of theirlivesandtheirlove. It’sthe differencebetweenknowledge and
intimacy.
In Luke 7, Jesushad beeninvitedovertoeatwithSimon,aPharisee. Itbecame apparentthatSimonhad
invitedJesusashisjob,ratherthanas an honor.
For instance,the customarygreetingforanhonoredguestwouldhave beenakiss. Toneglect the
greetingkisswasthe equivalenttoopenlyignoringsomebody.
Anothercustominvolvedthe washingof feet. If youtrulywantedtohonor the guest,youwoulddoit
yourself. Atthe leastyouwere expectedtoprovide waterforthe guesttodo itfor themselves.

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For a special guest,youwould providethemsome olive oil foruse ontheirhead.
These were notjustoversights. Thiswasquite intentional. Jesuswasignoredandinsultedhim.
Don’tmissthe importance of thiseventinthe Bible. He had beenpreparinghislifeforthe comingof
the Messiah. Yet he didn’tacceptthat Jesuswasthe Messiah, eventhoughJesusmetthe requirement
for the MessiahstatedinhisownScriptures. He knew all about Jesus,buthe didn’t love Jesus. He
didn’tputJesusfirstinhispriority.
How difficultisitforyou to be demonstrativeinarelationshipwithJesus? Whathindersyoufrombeing
more openwithyourlove?______________________________________
Whenit comesto relationships,are youa “bigforgiver”or a “stingyone”? Why? How doesthistie in
withyourrelationshipwithGod?________________________________
What do youlearnfromthisstory that couldbe appliedtoyourlife?___________________________
Thinkaboutit: we love hearingandreadingBible stories. Butif theydon’tchange ourlives,theyare just
stories. The problemisn’tknowledge. The problemisthatunlessthe knowledgebringslove;itisjust
knowledge.
I am NOT saying, studdingandlearningaboutanindividual iswrong. Jesusreferenced,read,andquoted
passagesfromthe OldTestamentabouthisFather. Knowledgecanbe a false indicatorof love.
An example of thatisavailable inmanymarriagestoday. Over50% of marriagesendindivorce. Many
of those whoare gettingdivorced,knowquite alotabouttheirformer spouses. The usual problemis
that theydidn’tplace the persontheyare suppose tobe lovinginpriorityoverthemselves.
Clearlywhere there istrue love there shouldbe growingknowledge.
Part of the proof that I have an intimate relationshipwithmywifeishow muchI know abouther. I
know whatkindof shampooshe uses. Iknow what makesherupset. But these thingsdon’tbringus
deeperinlove. Ineedtobe committedtoher andwhat she needs,wants,desires,etc.;inordertobe
trulyinlove.
In our relationshipwithGod,we needtorealizethathe isnot impressedwithmyknowledge buthowit
bringsus deeperinlove. Itwon’thelpmyrelationship if Ican pointoutthe religioustraditionsIhave
followedandthe moral code I observed,unless Icanshow how itbroughtus together.
Knew, intimacy, commit
Probablythe bestbiblical wordforlove/intimacyisthe word“knew.” Butthisintimacygoesmuch
deeperthan knowledge. We see thatin Genesis4:1: Adam knew Eve his wife.
Here’sthe bestwayto define “knew”.
To knowcompletely and to becompletely known.
It’sthisintimate connectiononeverylevelistrue love. It’sabeautiful picture thathelpsusgetatwhat
it meanstoreallylove God. One Hebrew scholardefines the wordthisway: “A minglingof the
souls/spirits.”

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So letusnow take a lookat how God wantsto know and be knownbyus. In Psalm139 We see this
statement:OLord,you haveexamined my heartand know everything aboutme.
Thisshouldcompletelychange yourlife andthe wayyourelate toGod. Justas Jesuschangedthe life of
the womenwhogreetedJesusinthe PhariseeSimon’shome. Apparentlyshe hadherdJesusteaching,
and somethinghappenedinherheart. Andmaybe itwasthe way He lookedather. His eyes
communicatedhervalue andworth. She wasa beloveddaughter. Andperhapsshe knew thatGod
lovedherandhe hadn’tgivenuponher,evenif everyone else had.
She isso focusedonJesusthat she forgetsaboutherself. She isdesperate toexpressthe love and
affectionshe feelsforthe Sonof God.
But whenshe looksatJesus,he seemstoknow whathappenedinherheart. He giveshera warm smile.
He seemsdelightedthatshe hascome,and he looksat her withthe eyesof a lovingfatherwatchinghis
beautiful daughter,asshe entersthe room
She isso undone bythisthat the tears come,justa few at first,andthenmore. Withthe benefitof her
tearsshe washeshisfeet.
In the end,thisprostitute wholovinglyexpressedherlove isshowntomake hera God lover. Here,
then,isanotherimportantquestion:
Who am I mostlike in this story?
Whenis the lasttime youhad a momentwithGod like thiswomaninLuke 7 had? Whenisthe lasttime
the tears streameddownyourface as youexpressedyourlove forhim. Whenisthe lasttime you Loved
Godwith your WHOLE heart? __________________________________________

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Jonathan Edwardswasoneman who madea difference. Born in 1703, he wasperhapsthemostbrilliant
mind America ever produced. A pastor,writer,and later presidentof Prince, he and his wifehad 11
children. Of his male descendants:
Morethan 300 becamepastors,missionaries,ortheologicalprofessors;
120 wereprofessorsatvariousuniversities;
110 becameattorneys;
60 were prominentauthors;
30 were judges;
14 served as presidentsof universitiesand colleges;
3 served in the U.S.Congressand onebecameVice-Presidentof theUnited States.
Jonathon Edwards…wasjustoneman,buthe positively affected hundredsand even thousandsof his
descendantsafterhisdeath.
The destiny of thosefuturegenerationsis in yourhands. Thechoices you makewith yourfamily today
will determinethe qualityof life in yourfamily tree forgenerationsto come. That’swhy oneman can
makea difference.
(FromPointMan by Steve Farrar)

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Best Friend Forever (BFF)
Luke 14
In the modernworldof cell-phonesandsocial media,there isaterm“Best FriendForever”. Letustake
a lookat who shouldbe yourBFF.
In the fourteenthchapterof Luke’sgospel Jesushas atalk withanentire crowd. The time hascome in
Jesus’ministry whenhe drawsaline inthe sandand wantsto talkabout the relationship;he wantsto
knowwhere these people stand,whatwasthe level of loveandcommitment:
Large crowdsweretraveling with Jesus, and turning to them hesaid: “If anyonecomesto meand does
nothate his fatherand mother,hiswife and children,his brothersand sisters – yes even his own life – he
cannotbemy disciple” (Luke 14: 25-26).
Didyou notice the words:“If anyone?” That’s a fairlyinclusive word. WhatJesuswassayingistrue for
anyone whowantsto love God.
Obviouslyhatingyourfamilywouldcontradictthe otherteachingsof Jesus. Sowhythe strong
language? Jesusisbeinghonestwiththe crowdaboutwhatitmay cost to love God. He letsthemknow
that lovingGodmay meanoffendingyourparentsorotherfamilymembers.
The ContemporaryEnglishVersionBibleputsitthisway:“love me more.” But “hate”is alsoaccurate
because itcapturesthe degree towhichwe mustlove God. Rememberthatthe “GreatCommandment”
says:“Love God withyourWHOLE heart,mind,andspirit.” That doesn’tleave anylove leftoverfor
lovingyourselforothers. Whenwe compare our relationshipwithGodtoanyone else there shouldbe
no competition. Godwantsto be your BestFriendForever”
Is He Your One and Only?
An example of thistype of relationshipiswhenacouple getsmarried. Youare basicallysaying, Iam
giving you my heartand wantnothing morethan to spend the rest of my life with you.
Nowimagine thatyoursignificantothersayssomethinglikethistoyou: I loveyou too,but I would like to
love othersalso and commit to them also. If there are any problemsIreserve the rightto makeall
decisions. Do you knowof any successful marriagesthatfunctionlike this.
Yes,God wantsto marry you,withan exclusive relationship. AndHe wantsto be in charge. God makes
it clearthat he will notshare yourlove. FollowinghimrequiresyourWHOLEheart.
I wantto ask you some questionstohelpreveal if Godisone of many,or yourone and only. These are
not rhetorical questions. Take time toanswerthem. Grab a penandwrite youranswerson the lines
providedbelow eachquestionandexplanation. How youanswer these questionscanhelpshow youif
there isany competitioninsharingyourlove withGod.
1. For what do you sacrifice your money?
___________________________________________________

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The Bible says,“Where yourtreasure is,there yourheartwill be also.” What youspendyourtime and
moneyoftenrevealsthe true desire of yourheartandshowswhoor whatyouare trulyloving.
Many of us sacrifice ourtime andmoney forstuff because we thinkthat’show we findsatisfaction. But
God wantsto be oursatisfaction. He describedhimself asourlivingwaterthatquenchesourthirst
forever. Moneybecomesasubstitute forGodbecause itpromisestodofor uswhat God wantsto do
for us.
In Matthew6:24 Jesussaid, “No onecan serve two masters,either he will hatethe oneand love the
other,or he will be devoted to theone and despisethe other. You cannotserve bothGod and Money.
Those pathsgo in differentdirectionsandyouhave tochoose one.
How youspendyourmoneytellsastoryabout whatmattersthe mostto you.
2. When your hurting, where do you go for help?
___________________________________________________
Whenyouexperiencethe painof thislife where doyouturn? Maybe it is:Spouse,parents,food,or
work. All these,have the potentialtokeep youfromgoingtoGod for love andcare.
Whensomeone goesthroughadifficult challenge,whoorwhattheyare truly inlove withcomestothe
forefront.
So when-isthe lasttime youexperiencedsome of the painandsufferinginthislife? Sowhoorwhere
didyou turnto for comfort? The answertothat Questionrevealsyourtrue love.
3. What disappoints or frustrates you the most?
____________________________________________________
Whenwe feel overpoweredwith life’sconcerns,itoftenrevealssomethingthathasbecome too
important. Whenwe findthatthose thingshave the powertodetermine whowe are andwhat kindof
life we will have. Thatisa warningsign,that somethingismore importantthanitshouldbe. Thiswarns
youthat your relationshipwithGodisnotyour highestpriority.
4. What is it that really gets you going?
__________________________________________________
Like the thingsthat frustrate us,the thingsthatexcite uscan alsopointto somethingorsomeone that
youlove more than God. All these thingsare okay,buttheyhave the potential tobecome more
importantthanlovingGodwithyour WHOLE heart. LovingGodmeanslovinghimalone. Godwill not
share your love withanotherlover.
The prophetEzekiel describedwhatitwaslike forGodwhenwe share our love,attention,and
allegiance withanyoneoranythingelse. Itislike we’re havinganaffair. InEzekiel chapter16,here is
whatGod says to hispeople whohave beenworshipingothergods: You givegifts to all yourlovers …

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Some of you mayhave experiencedthe painof unfaithfulness. If someonewhoyouhave beensharing
love withhassharedlove withsomeone else atthe same time;youwouldnottolerate it. Yetwe expect
the HighestLovernot to dothe same. If you have experiencedthisinyourlife,youknow itisone of the
worstexperiences. Godlooksat inthe same way.
So inLuke 14, God definesthe relationshipbymakingitclear thatif we love him, we love himandhim
alone. He won’tshare us. God’srefusal to share our love withanyone oranythingoutsideof the
relationship;provesthatthisrelationshipistobe completelycommitted. Godisthe onlyone,that can
share love withothers.
While Jesusourmodel andteacheronearthlefthisfamilyandhadHis apostlesdothe same thing.
Tryingto love God part-time orhalfheartedisimpossible. SoHisterms are not negotiable.
If lovingGod costyou everything,woulditstillbe worthit?
_______________________________________________

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For many people,it is less difficult to committhe futureto the Lord than to commit to thepresent. Many
recognizethatwe are helpless in regard to the future,butwefeel as if the presentis in ourown hands
and mustbe carried on our shoulders.
I knewa Christian woman who had a great“burden”in her life. Her concern caused her to lose sleep and
her appetite,and soon herhealthwas in dangerof breaking down….Sherecognized,however,thatshe
could in no way alter her circumstancesand thereforeresolved to try a new plan.
She tookhercircumstancesto the Lord. She handed themoverto His management. Then shesimply
believed fromthatvery momentthatHe tookthem. Shedecided to leaveall responsibility,and her
mentalworrying and anxiousfeelingswith Him, too.
Of course all of thesetormenting thingstried time and again to return. And each time, she tookthem
backto the Lord. As a result – although theoutward circumstancesdid notchange – her soulbegan to
experienceperfect peacein the midst of trouble.
She rejoiced at having entered into such a practical secret of the spiritual life. And fromthattime, she
set this asher goal. Neverto carry her own burdensnorto manageherown affairs,butto hand them
overas fastas they aroseto the divineBurden-bearer.
The samesecret, which wasso effectivein dealing with outward circumstances,shebegan to apply to
her inward life – because,in fact,hermoodsand emotionswereeven more utterly unmanageable. So,
she abandoned herwholeself to the Lord,all thatshewas,as well as all thatshehad. She believed that
He tookwhatshe committed to Him, and determined thatshewould cease fretting and worrying.
And so she felt a newlight dawning within,and felt flooded with thegladnessthatcomeswhen we know
we belong to God. By applying thissimple secret, shediscovered it is possibleto obey God’sloving
commandment,contained in thewords. “Do notworry aboutanything.”
The inevitable resultis thatthe peaceof God,which comes when westep beyond ourunderstanding and
into trust,will takehold of ourheart and mind.
(From“The Christian’sSecretof aHappy Life”byHannah W. Smithin SafeWithin Your Love)

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21
Loving or following
Matthew 23
In Matthew23, Jesustriestogetthe attentionof some religiousleaders. Theyshouldhave beenlovers
or at leastfollowers. Theyhadthe knowledgeof the scripturesandwhere consideredexpertson
anythingGodrelated. Theywere the bestat followingrules. Followingthe ruleskeptthemfocusedon
the outside of theirheart. The inside of theirheartsdidnotmatch theiroutside.
Jesuscondemnedthesemen, becausetheirheartswherenotwhollyinlovewithGod. Theyfollowed
God’srules,buttheydidnot share love withHim.
Maybe youknowsome Christiansthatare acting like Christians,talkinglikeChristians,involvedwith
Christianmusic;buthave neverfalleninlovewithGod. These Christiansare focusingonactinglike
Christiansinsteadof usingthe religiontodevelopadeeperlove relationship withGod.

22
Or maybe theyare Christianworkers. Theymeasure theirfaithbytheirhardworkat learning abouthow
theycan put theirfaithintoaction. Theirtargetis to be the hardestworkersandsayingthe rightthings
while theirdoingthe rightthings. The trouble withthatapproachisthat itis notwhotheyare. It’snot
enoughforGod. He wants all of them.
Theylookreal good. Theyhave theirpartdownpat. They know whatto say andwhat notto say. They
can pray the prayersand theycan singthe songs. Theirheart,the mostimportantfactor,is notin it.
Your focus on the inside/outside
The main problemJesushadwiththese religiousleaderswasthattheywere hypocrites. He calledthem
that, eighttimes. Jesussaidinverse 5: Everything they do is for show. He alsowenton to say: But do
notwhatthey do, forthey do notpractice whatthey preach (v 3).
Jesuscondemns those whowere tryingtoimpressothersthroughtheirreligiouscredentials. Jesustook
the reverse approach,beingtenderandencouragingtothose whohave share theirlove withHim. His
loversneedtobe authentic.
What God wantsin a lover– someone whoisn’tpretendingonthe outside tohave itall together. That’s
one of the waysthe word hypocrisyisdefined,as “the act of pretending.”
In verses27 – 28 Jesusgoesonto say: You are like whitewashed tombs,which lookbeautifulon the
outside,buton the inside are full of dead men’sbonesand everything unclean. In thesame way,on the
outsideyou appearto people asrighteousbuton the inside you are full of hypocrisy …
On the inside theirfaithhasgrowncoldandwas dying.
Choosing following over a loving relationship
In verse 13, Jesusgivesanumberof indicatorsthatthe outside hadbecome more importantthanthe
inside:Woeto you,teachersof the law and Pharisees,you Hypocrites! You shutthe kingdomof heaven
in men faces. You yourselvesdo notenter, norwill you let thoseenter who aretrying to.
Theytaught that God’slove andJesus’salvation wassomethingthathadto be earned. Whenwe learn
to trulylove God,we findthat obedience toGodcomesfrom the inside out. SubmissiontowhatGod
wantsfor our livesflowsnaturallyoutof asharedlove relationship. It’snotto say that whatwe do or
don’tdo doesn’tmatter,butwhatwe do or don’tdo mustcome fromthat lovingrelationship.
Justlike the Phariseesin the Bible,some Christianslooklike goodChristians;buttheyneglecttoshare
God’slove withHimand others. Whenlookinggoodbecomesmore importantthansharinglove with
God; theyare aimingatthe wrongtarget.
Theyfindthemselveswearyof trying tolook goodinhopesof somehow earningGod’sfavorwithout
givingupcontrol to God and keepuptheirsecularlife. Whenall theyhave todoisto: Keep company
(loverelationship) withme and You’ll learn to live freely and lightly (Matt11:30).

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Missing what really Matters
In verses23-24 of Matthew23, Jesussays:… But you haveneglected the more importantmattersof the
law – Justice, mercy,and faithfulness. You should havepracticed thelater, withoutneglecting the
former. You blind guides!…
In the ChristianChurch we needtoemphasize sharinglovewithGodandeverythingelse will fallinto
place overtime.
Where doesJesuscatchyour attentioninthispassage? Whatpractices touch close-to-home inyour
life? Howcan youavoidwhat ispreachedagainstinthispassage?___________________________
How can youavoidmakingithard for othersto grow spiritually?__________________________
What abouttoday’schurch do youlamentover(asJesusdidoverJerusalem)?______________
From readingthispassage,whatshouldtoday’steachersandpastors be especiallymindful of? How
have youseenthe “powerof the pulpit”used?____________________________
Do youfeel Jesusisa little tootoughonthe Pharisees? Onyou? Whyor Whynot? ___________
God declaresthat He will faithfully removethecreated thingswhich can beshaken – the shakable
kingdom. Why? So,thatthe unshakeablemay remain. Created thingsgiveculturalChristianity its
toehold. Created thingsdefeatusand chokethe Word – the worriesof this life and the deceitfulnessof
wealth(Matthew13:22).
When we cross overthe line and refuseHim who speaks,He will separateus fromthecreated things –
the idols,the shakeablekingdom –which dilute ourdevotion to him. If we cannotremain obedient,if we
cannotbeholy,then He will discipline us forour own good,“thatwemay sharein His holiness.”…
Do notbe alarmed if God shakesup yourworld. Though yourfirstnaturalthoughtwill disagree,it is a
blessing. It is not a sign thatyou are unworthy –every oneof usis unworthy. Itis not a sign of hatred,
butlove. If He did notlove you,He would let you completely self destruct. Asit is, He cleanses yourlife
fromsin….
When God disciplines you by removing created things,by shaking up yourtemporalkingdom,rejoiceand
be glad. Created thingsdivide ouraffectionsfromGod and becomecompetition to our devotion. They
lure us into thewrong race. They consumeourcreativity and deflect ourthoughtsaway fromtheLord
Jesus.
I becamea cultural Christian. Created thingsbecameidols and divided me fromcomplete,faithful
devotion to ourLord. God removed mostof the created thingsI accumulated. Ibuilt a shakeable
kingdom,and God shookit. Words areinadequateto expressthe joy and gratitudeIfeel toward God for
the woundsHefaithfully inflicted. It may be the single greatestblessing of my spiritual pilgrimage.
(FromWalking withChrist in the Details of Life byPatrickM. Morley)

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Self or spirit-led
John 16
You cannot be a loverunless youare filledwiththe HolySpirit. Whenyoutryto love Godwithout
havingthe HolySpiritbeingwithinyou, itwillleaveyoutiredandfrustrated,makingyouoverwhelmed
by life’scircumstances. Youmaybe feelingthat youare sharinglove withGod,butthensomethinggoes
wrongand youdon’t have the powertoovercome it. Insteadof lovingGodand trustingHimyou
become discouraged. Itjustdoesn’tworkwithoutthe powerof the Spirit.
Are you a Spirit-filled Lover
In Acts1, Jesussaidtohis followers:“You will receive powerwhen theHoly Spirit comeson you;and you
will be my witnessesin Jerusalem,and in all Judea and Samaria,and to theendsof the earth.” Afterhe
said this, he wastaken up beforetheir very eyes,and a cloud hid him fromtheir sight (Acts1:8-9)
Jesusalsosaidto them: ButI tell you the truth:It is foryourgood thatI amgoing away. UnlessI go
away,theCounselorwill notcome to you,butif I go,I will send him to you (John 16:7).
Jesuscouldbe withhisfollowers,butthe HolySpiritwouldlive withinGodlovers.
PeterandJohn(twocommon fisherman),are broughtbefore the smartestmenof thattime,the
religiousleaders. PeterandJohn,wowthe leaderswiththeirknowledge. They didn’thave anyreligious
trainingandyetthese wise menare dumfounded.Sotheyquestionthem:
They had Peterand John broughtbeforethemand began to question them:“By whatpoweror what
namedid you do this?” (Acts4:7).
In verse 8, the answer’s explanationisgiven:
Then, Peter,filled withthe Holy Spirit, said to them…
AfterPeterspeakstothem,verse 13 tellsusthe conclusionreachedbythese spiritual leaders:
When they sawthe courageof Peterand John and realized thatthey wereunschooled,ordinary men,
they were astonished…
Theywere filledwiththe powerof the Spiritandthese ordinary,unschooledloversof Godchangedthe
world. InRomans 8:11 Paul says:
The Spirit of God,who raised Jesusfromthe dead,lives in you.
The same SpiritthatraisedChristfromthe dead,livesinGod’slovers.
Whenyouturn overcontrol of your life toGod,youreceive fromGodthe giftof the Holy Spirit. That’s
hisshowof love toall whoput theirfaithandtrust inHim. You needonlytrustGod to have the Holy
Spirituse poweraccordingto Hisplans.
Paul pointsoutthat tryingto live the Christianlifeoutof yourownpowerand control isridiculous:
Are you so foolish? After beginning withtheSpirit Are you now trying to attain yourgoal by human
effort?(Gal.3:3).

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How “at home”are the Father,Son,and Spiritinyourlife? Are theymore like owners,ortemporary
guests?______________________________
On a scale from1 (“smoothsailing”) to10 (“furiousstorm”),whatisyour“peace”quotient now? Why?
Where do youneedJesus’peace? Where canyoufindhope inthispassage? _____________________
Of the promisesmade here (vv16-18, 21, 23, 26-27), whichone meansthe mostto you/ Why?
____________________________________
Week is Strong
Beingfilledwiththe powerof the Spiritbeginswithanacknowledgmentof yourownweakness.
In Paul’ssecondlettertothe Corinthianshe spoke abouthow acknowledgingourweaknessmakesroom
for Christ’spower:
I will boastall the moregladly aboutmy weaknesses,so thatChrist’spowermay reston me. Thatis
why,forChrist’ssake,I delightin weaknesses…Forwhen I am weak,then I amstrong (2 Cor.12:9-10).
Paul understandsthatlivinginthe powerof the Spiritmeansgivingupall control of yourlife. Tohim,it
meansjustdoingthe nextthingGod givesyou todo. Thisis muchas a slave woulddo;justwhathe/she
isgivento do.
Since we live bythe Spirit,letuskeepinstepwiththe Spirit(Gal 5:25).
The picture is of a slave walking,andeveryactiontheydoisguidedbythe Spirit.
Spiritual Breathing
The basic ideaisthat youlive,momentbymomentawarenessof the Spirituntil followingthe guidance
providedbecomesasnatural – as habitual –as breathing. It will become apartof whoyouare.
The onlyway to be undercontrol by the Spirit;isto fullyandcompletelyturnovercontrol of yourlife to
Him. The more control you give Himthere islesscontrol foryou to messup. Whenthe Holy Spirit
movesinand takesupcontrol,thenyou shouldincreasinglyfindthatyourlife ismore peaceful;because
youare no longerresponsible forthe results. All youhave todois a quickcheck:“Wouldthisbe okay
withmyloverGod. Withthisapproach, youfindthat slowly youfindthatyourpride,yourimpatience,
your selfishness,yourlustistakenoutof yourlife.
God loverslive withacontinual awarenessof the Spirit’spresence andthe powertoaccomplishwhatHe
has openedthe doorforyouto do, throughHis power.
Followerseventuallyget burnedoutfromtryingtolive the Christianlifeoutof theirownefforts.
Followersof Christsoonfindthatthe Spiritneedstocome withthemthroughthiseffortandwiththe
powertheycan be excited.
Recently,my wife and I had thepleasureof spending an evening with formerastronautGeneralCharles
M. Duke. All of us in the roomsatin rapt fascination astheman told of the Apollo 16 mission to the
moon,including someinteresting tidbits related to driving “Rover.” The lunarvehicle, and actually
walking on the surfaceof the planet. We werefull of questionswhich GeneralDuke patiently and
carefully answered oneafteranother.

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I asked,“Onceyou were there,weren’tyou free to makeyourown discussionsand carry outsomeof
yourown experiments… you know,sortof do as you pleased – maybestay a little longerif you liked?”
He smiled back,Sure,Chuck,if we didn’twantto return to earth!”
He then described the intricate plan,the exactand precise instructions,theessentialdiscipline, the
instantobediencethatwasneeded right down to the split second. By theway,he said they had landed
somewhat“heavy”when they touched down on themoon. Hewasreferring to their fuel supply. They
had plentyleft. Guess howmuch? Oneminute. They landed with sixty secondsof fuel remaining. Talk
aboutbeing exact! I gotthe distinct impression thata rebel spirit doesn’tfit insidea space suit.
Whoeverrepresentsthe United Statesin the spaceprogrammusthavean unconditionalrespect for
authority.
(FromStrengthening YourGrip byCharlesSwindoll)

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You and God-a relationship.
Matthew 7
We beganthisbookwitha simple question:Are youaloverof God?” I want youto know it wasmy
objective tobringyouclosertoyour God,not to splityouup. I hope we have broughtyoucloserto your
God; that youhave beenaffirmedinyourfaithandconfirmedinyourcommitmentasaloverof God.
There may be some of you whoaren’tlovingGod. My prayeristhat you andthe Spiritwouldmake your
life more complete byimprovingthe kindof relationshipGoddesirestohave withyou.Iam prayingfor
youthat you notwaste anotherday fromthe joy youcan have by sharinglove withGod. If you do,you
will experience the life-giving,soul satisfyingexistence withinthe plansGodhas. I also feel thateternity
hangsin the balance. There will be aday whenwe will have toanswerforthe liveswe have beengiven.
In Matthewchapter7, Jesustalksabouttwodifferentroadsthatleadtodifferentplaces:
Enter through thenarrowgate. Forwide is the gateand broad is the road thatleads to destruction,and
many enterthrough it. But small is the gateand narrow theroad that leadsto life, and only a few find it.
(Matt. 7:13-14.
Jesussaysthat manypeople take the wrongroadand onlya few are onthe narrow path that takesusto
the eternal love-fest.
DonaldWhitneyonce said,“If a person iswrongabout beingrightwithGod,thenultimatelyitreally
doesn’tmatterwhathe or she is rightabout.” So before you continue driving downthe road. Checkthe
road out withJesus:
Noteveryonewho saysto me, “Lord,Lord” will enter thekingdomof heaven,butonly the onewho does
the will of my Fatherwho is in heaven. Many will say me on thatday,“Lord,Lord,did we notprophesy in
yournameand in yourname drive outdemonsand in yournameperformmany miracles?” Then I will
tell them plainly,“I never knew you. Away fromme,you evildoers!”(Matthew 7:21-23)
Consideringthe sermonasawhole,isyourfoundationonsolidrock? Oron sand butwitha nice view?
What wouldyouhave to teardownin orderto shore up that foundation? ______________________
At thispointinyourlife,isyourlife,isyourpressingneedtolearnmore orto practice whatyou have
alreadylearned? Why?______________________________________
In lightof thissection’sseriousness, whathope doverses7-9 give you? How about5:3? What attitude
of “kingdompeople’will youaskfor?____________________
On judgementday;theywillfind outthatheavenisnottheirdestination. Here are some questionsto
helpyoudecide if youare on the rightpath:
1. Does your Life Reflect what you believe?
___________________________________________________
We have convincedourselvesthatourbeliefsare sincere evenif theyhave noimpactonhow we live.

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We are savedby God’shelpwhenwe believe inJesusandputour faithinhim,butbiblical belief ismore
than somethingwe confesswithourmouths;It’ssomethingwe confesswithourlives.
The book of Jamesinthe Bible addressesthis:
Whatgood is it, my brothers,if a man claims to havefaith but hasno deeds? Can yourfaith savehim?
Supposea brotherorsister is withoutclothesand daily food. If oneof you saysto him,“Go, I wish you
well, keep warmand well fed,”but doesnothing abouthisphysicalneeds,whatgood isit? (James2:14-
16)
More Than a Feeling
A belief,nomatterhowsincere,if notreflectedinrealityisn’tabelief;it’sadelusion.
2. What you have done put you on the right road?
____________________________________________________
No matterhowmuch goodyou do,no matterwhat youaccomplishforthe kingdom, that’snotwhat
makesyoua true loverof God. These thingsmatter,butonlytothe extentthattheyreflectthe answer
to the last question.
3. Do I love God and does He love me?
____________________________________________________
That’s whatit comesdownto. That’sthe dividingline. Itcomesdowntoa personal relationshipwith
God throughsharinglove withHim. Jesusidentifieshistrue followersbasedona lovingrelationship.
What we say and whatwe do overflowsoutof the relationshipwe have withGod.
More than he wantsthe acts of piety,more thanhe wants ouradherence toreligion,more thanhe
wantsour observance of rulesandrituals,more thanhe wantsour wordsof love,he simplywantsto
love usand for usto love him. Andthat isthe bottomline. If thatisn’tthere,all the prophesying,
exorcism,andmiraclesinthe worldwill notmatter.
In Revelation3Jesussaysto the ChristiansinLaodicea, You areneither hot orcold but becauseyou are
lukewarm – I’maboutto spit you outof my mouth”. He saysyou can’tbemy followerif you don’tgive
up everything including controlof yourlife.
JesusandGod wantsto share love withyouandinexchange andfor that benefit,theywantyour
complete commitment.
Supposeyou gaveyourself to theLord - to be wholly and altogetherHis, madeand molded according to
His own divinepurpose,determined to follow Him whereverHe may lead you. It is justat thispoint that
you are faced witha new and very practical difficulty.
Howare you to know thevoice of theGood Shepherd,whomyou havepledged to follow?
Many Christianslive in constantdoubtand confusion asto His will forthem.

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And this confusion isfurthercompounded. Maybetherearecertain “paths”into which God seems to be
calling you,of which yourfriendsdisapprove – and it may be thatthese disapproving friendsareolder
than yourself in theChristian life. You can hardly bearto disagreewith them,or to see thedistress in
their faces.
The first thing you mustdo is to askthe Lord to help you quietly examinethe motivesof yourheart. Be
sure thatyou really haveset yourwill to obey theLord in every respect. If this is yourpurposethen,and
yoursoulis merely waiting to knowthewill of God in order to consentto it, then you havedoneyour
part.
Fromthis point,you can be certain thatHe will makehis mind known to you and will guideyou on the
right paths,for“He calls his own sheep by nameand leadsthem out… he goeson ahead of them,and his
sheep followhim becausethey knowhis voice” (John 10:3-4) … And “if any of you lackswisdom,he
should askGod,who givesgenerously to all withoutfinding fault,and it will be given him” (James1:5).
Let no hintof doubtturn you froma steadfastfaith in God’swillingness and ability to guide you.
Rememberthis though,OurGod hasall knowledgeand all wisdom. Thereforeit is very possibleHe may
guideyou into pathswherein He knowsgreatblessingsareawaiting you justaround thenextfearsome
turn – pathson which,to ourshort-sighted humaneyes,thereseemsto be only confusion and loss.
You mustbecomesettled on this spiritualfact: God’sthoughtsarenotlike man’sthoughts,norareHis
wayslike our ways. He alone,who knowstheend of thingsfromtheir beginning, isable to determine
whatthe resultsof any courseof action may be.
(From“The Christian’sSecretof aHappy Life”byHannah W. Smithin Safewithin Your Love)

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Anyone – an invitation
The journeyfromJesusfollowertoGod loverhasbeencoveredin the previouschapters. Now letus
delve deeperintolovingGod. What are the termsforbeinga loverof God? ____________________
For God so loved the world thatHe gave his only Son thatwhosoeverbelievesin Him will notperish but
haveeternal life. John 3:16
We readin this verse thatGod lovesus. But Jesusgoesonto say inLuke 9:23:
If anyonewould comeafterme, he mustdeny himself and take up his crossdaily and follow me.
Believingandfollowinggotogether.
Anyone Means Everyone
God isinvitinganyone/everyone. One of the fearsthat keepusfromacceptingisthe fear that our
failureswillbe exposed. Maybe youare nota thief,butwe have all become disappointmentsto
someone.
Because of that, youmay be askingGod: “Do youstill love me?” AndGod iswhisperingdown:“You
couldneverdoanythingthatwouldstopme from lovingyou.” Butyou still wrongedthe personwho
lovesyou. Soyou mustdeal withthat;so you will notrepeatitagain.
It’simportantto understandthatthe love of God doesn’tsimplyinviteustolove himback … it teaches
us to love Him. While we are onthat path to learninghow tolove Godback, we will receive challenges
and assignments thatwill teachuslessons.
It turnsout that anyone couldmeanyou.
A passionate pursuit
The nextpart of God’[sinvitationtoshare love withHiminLuke 9:23 will make completesenseto
lovers,butseemalittle crazyto others:
If anyonewould comeafterme, he mustdeny himself and take up his crossdaily and follow me.
The part of the verse I wantto draw yourattentiontois “Come after.” It’sa phrase that wascommonly
usedinthe contextof a romantic/lovingrelationship. WhenJesussaid“come after,”he’sdescribinga
passionate pursuitof someoneyoulove. Sothe best way to understandwhatJesusiswantingfromHis
followersistocompare howwe pursue lovingGodtohow we pursue lovingsomeone onearth.
Most of us have done some illogical andirrational thingsinthe passionate pursuitof someone we love.
It’sa pursuitthatcan easiyconsume ourthoughts,ourresources,andour energy. That’swhatGod is
lookingforfroma loverwhenJesussaid;“Come after.”
Loving others
On the earth,the relationshipwe tendtobe the mostpassionate aboutisaromantic relationship. We
are overwhelmedbymessagesthatemphasize romanticlove asthe ultimate humanexperience.

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Pursuinga romanticlove andmake us dosome unusual things. It’seasytoget odd duringthe course of
our earthlylove relationships. Have we done the same whenwe pursue lovingGod.
God wantsus to understandthatfollowinghimisapursuitthat requireseverythingwe have. Jesustells
a parable inMatthew 13 called:“The Pearl of Great Price.” It givesapicture of whatGod had inmind
whenhe invitedustocome afterhim.
The kingdomof heaven islike treasurehidden in a field. When a man found it,he hid it again,and then
in his joy wentand sold all he had and broughtthatfield (Matt.13:44)
Whenwe discoverthe life thatwe can have inloving God,we are to come afterhimlikedthisman
pursuedthispearl of greatprice. LoversunderstandthatlovingGodis a pursuitthat maycost them
everything,butitisthe bestinvestmenttheycouldevermake. Loverswill dosome crazythingsforlove,
but non-loverswanttoplayit safe.
Cohabiting with God
There isa fearamongnon-loversthatbygoingall in,they’re goingtolose anyearthlybenefits. Non-
loverswantto have enough of the benefitswithouthavingtoriskearthlybenefits. We wantto enjoy
what’savailable nowwithouthavingtorisketernity.
Insteadof “come after” we holdback. It’snot thatwe don’twanta relationshipwithGod;we do. We
justdon’twant itto cost us verymuch.
Non-loverswanttomove intogetherwithGod, but don’twantto committo anything. If theyhave to
have vows,howabout, I’ll love you,aslong asthingsare good and you hold up yourend of the deal. I’ll
love you aslong asyou don’tasktoo much of me.
We are afraidto passionatelypursue himwithour wholeheartsbecause we know thatif we make such
a commitmentlike thatwe are puttingourselvesonthe line. Itwill require ourresources notleaving
enoughtoletus live ourlike we wantto.
But didyounotice inthe parable of “The Pearl of Great Price”the man sacrificedeverythinghe hadfor
the treasure whichbroughthimgreatjoy because he knew itwasworthit.
Do You Like Me
Remember,thesewordsof Jesusare aninvitation,notacommand. Jesusbeginsthe invitationto“come
after”himwith the word “If.” That indicatesthatthere isa choice inthe mater. One of the most basic
truthsabout love isthat itcan’t be forcedon anyone. If youtry and force someone tolove youit’sa
guarantee thattheywon’t.
PursuingGod’ssharinglove isyourchoice andGod wants to make itclear whatyouare agreeingtoif
yourespondto hisinvitation. He will settlefornothinglessthantobe the great love andpursuitof your
life. That’swhatHe commands.
If you don’tworshipHim,the Bible says thatthe rocks and treeswill cryout. The reasonwe talkabout
whatGod needsor wants,isnot because Godneedsorwantsthings;it’sbecause He wantsto share love
withyou. He longsforyou to passionatelypursue Him, andall those thingsthatare part of the package.
Theyare outersignsthat pointtoan innerrealitythatyoulove God more than anythingelse.

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One of the greatestmotivationsof ourlove andpassionate pursuitof Godisa betterunderstandingof
howgreat Hislove isfor us. Beinglovedcausesustolove. We read in1 John4:19:
We love Him, becauseHe first loved us.
God put onflesh,came to thisearth,anddiedforus. He tookthe initiative andpursuedyou. Thisisa
devotedlove,soitshouldchange yourheart.
Lost that Loving Feeling
So whatdo youdo if you wantto love God butyour heartis notyetcaught up withyour “mind.” You
wantto “come after”God witha passionate pursuit,butyouare apatheticandindifferent.
There isno pursuit. That’swhat happenedtothe ChristiansinEphesus. InRevelation2:4-5,Jesussays
to the church:
I hold this againstyou:You haveforsaken yourfirstlove. Remember theheight fromwhich you have
fallen! Repentand do the thingsyou did at first, if you do notrepent,I will come to you and removeyour
lampstand fromitsplace.
That love referstoa lossof enthusiasmorpassionforGodhimself. InJeremiah2:2,God says to his
people thatHe remembers“the devotionof youryouth,how asa pride youlovedme.” Your
honeymoonwith Godshouldneverbe over.
Whenthere isa love-affairof a lengthof time,it’snatural tofindthatsome of the feelingshave started
to fade. The commitmentmightbe strong,butthe passiongotlost alongthe way. The bestthingthey
can do to rekindle thatlove istostart pursuingeachotherthe waytheyusedto. He beginstobuyher
flowersthe wayhe usedto. She writeshimlove lettersthe wayshe usedto. She dressesupforhim.
He takesherout on dates. Asthey“come after”eachotherwith extravagantandsacrificial actsof love
and devotionthe feelingsandthe passionwillstarttoreturn.
That’s a greatway to start inyour “sharedlove”relationshipwithGod. Getonyour kneesnexttoyour
bedand talkto God about yourday. Turn on some worshipmusicinyourcar and singalong. Grab a
bible andstart readingandmeditatingonGod’sWord. Evenif you don’tinitiallyfeel likedoingsome of
those things,itwill begintostirthe fire thathas growndim.
I wouldalsochallenge you towake upthisSundaymorningandgatherwithotherloverswhoare
passionatelypursuingGod’ssharedlove. Ithinkyou’ll findthe adultSundayschool class’spassiontobe
contagious. Recommityourlove toGod andthenpassionatelypursueHim. David putitthisway in
Psalm63:8:
MY soulfollowethhard afterthee.
Why doesGod use the love betweenahusbandanda wife? Isuppose it’sbecause it’sthe deepestkind
of love we cancomprehend. Butreally, the kindof relationshiphe wantswithusismuch deeperand
richerthan that.

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In themidst of playing baseballin the backyard Jim’ssix-year-old son’sbestfriend,and nextdoor
neighbor,cameoutof his house. “Dad can I go play with Brad?” he asked. “Butson,we’re playing
baseball. Don’tyou wantto play withme?” Jim asked,notreally wanting to hear the answerheknew
wascoming. “Nah,I’d ratherplay withBrad,” his son replied,all too honestly. Jim had a rival forhis
son’saffection,and hewasa six-year-old.
As hestruggled with that thoughtknowing thathe’d bettergeta handleon it becauseit wasonly going
to escalate,he suddenly wasreminded thatGod felt the sameway abouthim. He jealously desiresour
affection and attention aswell. It breakshis heartwhen we show moreinterest in cars,sports,
newspapers,television,yard work,hobbies,books,and family activitiesthan wedo in reading his word
and prayer. It saddenshimwhen weare more committed to serving ourselvesand pursuing ourown
interests than weare in serving him.
If God were to examineyourhearttoday whatrivalsforhis attention would He find.
(FromA Dad’sBlessing by Gary SmalleyandJohnTrenth)

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Total Surrender
In Luke 9:23 Jesusmakesitclear that if we are to love him, acasual no-stringsattachedarrangement
isn’ta possibility:
If anyonewould comeafterme, he mustdeny himself …
You can’t “come after”Jesuswithoutdenying yourself. The phrase “denyyourself”isn’tjust the ideaof
sayingnoto yourself –evenresistingyourself. The ideahere isthatyoudo not evenacknowledge or
recognize yourownexistence.
How doyou denyyourself inaculture thatsays it’sall aboutyourself?
In Matthewchapter19 we meetaman whose name we don’tknow. We learnenoughabouthimfrom
the Gospelsthathe isreferredtoas the “Rich Young Ruler.” He followedapaththat has ledtowealth
and power. Inverse 16 He asked:
Teacher,whatgood thing mustI do to get eternal life.
EventuallyJesustellsthismanwhathe needstodo. In verse 21 Jesussays:
Sell yourPossessionsand giveto thepoor,and you will havetreasurein heaven. Then come,follow me.
There isno way to follow Jesuswithoutdenyingyourself.
So whatdoesall thismeanfor youand me? Issellingeverythingarequirementtolove God? Well,it
may be,infact, I wouldsay,the more defensive youare of Jesus wordstothisman,the more likelyitis
that Jesusmightbe sayingthemtoyou. What choice will you make?
Living in Denial
Whenwe sacrificiallydenyourselvestoshare God’slove itisthe clearestevidence of ourcommitted
love. A committedlove. A committedlove isbestdemonstratedthroughsacrifice. Whenwe deny
ourselvesforanotherpersonit communicatestrue love.
No exception clause
If you call yourself aChristian,bydefinitionyouare committedtofollowingJesuswitheveryareaof
your life. Youcan’tsay “I am a Christian”andthenrefuse tofollow Christwhenitcomestocertain
people orplacesorpracticesor love GodwithyourWHOLE heart,mind,andspirit.
“Flexetarian”isa goodwayto describe how manypeople approachtheircommitmenttoGod. And
that’sthe waymanyChristiansapproachtheircommitmenttoJesusandthe Bible.
 I reallylike Jesus –butI don’tlike servingthe poor
 I’mnot real big intothe ideaof goingto church-butmyresourcesare spokenfor.
 I love Jesus-butI’mnot100 % committed

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Theycall themselvesChristians. Theyfollow Jesusbuttheyhave exceptions.
The Fine Print
For manyChristiansthe conceptof denyingthemselveswasnotapart of the deal. Theygrew up with
the message thatsuch a radical decisionreallyisn’tnecessary. Sotheysigneduptofollow Jesus. In
part, thisisdue to the collisionof ChristianitywithAmericandemocracyandcapitalism. Ithascreateda
culture of consumersinour churches. Insteadof approachingtheirfaithwithaspiritof denial that says,
“What can I do for God?” theyhave a consumermentalitythatsays,“Whatcan God do for me?”
Contrastthe image of consumerwithamuch differentBiblicalimage thatScripture usestodescribe
followers. The Bible would describe afollowerasa “slave.” That is the exactopposite of aconsumer.
The image of slave providesapicture of what“denyyourself”lookslike.
A slave hasno rights. A slave hasno possessionstocall theirown. A slave inJesus’daydidn’tevenhave
a personal identity. A slave doesn’tgettime off orgetto clockout at the endof the day. A slave
doesn’tgetto negotiate. But“slave”isthe way manyof the followersof Christintroducedthemselves.
One of the reasonsit’ssohard for us to denyourselvesisbecause the whole ideaseemstogoagainst
our greatestdesire inlife. Mosteveryone wouldsaywhattheywantmore than anythingelse istobe
happy. We’re convinced thatthe path to happinessmeanssayingyestoourselves. Indulgence isthe
path to happiness,sotodenyourselvesseemtogoin the opposite directionof whatwill make us
happy. The rightto pursue happinessseemstobe indirectconflictwiththe call todeny. The Bible
teachesthatthe highestcallingforyouistobe a slave whodenieshimself andlove sGod.
“Slave”isa common wordusedforfollowers,soitonlymakessense thatJesusisoftencalled“Lord.”
Whenwe read inthe NewTestamentthatJesusiscalledLordwe equate thatwithhisDivinity. We think
of “Lord” as a synonymfor“God.” Insteadthe word thatis translatedasLord in the New Testament is
mostoftenthe word Kurios. It showsuphundredsof times. And Kuriosx isaslaveryword. Kurios is the
wordgivento the masteror ownerof a slave.
The other wordwe needtounderstandisthe word doulos. That’sthe wordusedto describe afollower.
The definitionof thiswordisn’tdifficult. Itisa wordthat ismost accuratelytranslatedasslave. Really
“slave”isthe onlyway the wordshouldbe translated. Thatwordappearsabout 130 timesinthe New
Testament. Fora numberof differentreasonsthatwordisusuallytranslatedas“servant.” InScripture.
But the most literal translationis“slave.” Thatwithoutquestionthe wayreaderswouldhave heard it.
But there isa huge difference.
A servantworksforsomeone;aslave isownedbysomeone.
Withthese wordsinmind,whatI’mabout to say seemslike itshouldbe prettyobviousbutmaycome as
a surprise.
You can’t call JesusLord withoutdeclaring yourselfhisslave.
You can’t call yourselfa slave withoutreleasingcontrol of life.
Doesthat make sense?

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Signing up for Slavery
Whenwe accept the invitationtolove Godandto turn overcontrol of yourlife,we become lovers
rather thanslaves. Thisisa completelydifferentwaytolookat who has control of yourlife. We thinkof
slaveryassomethingyou’re forcedinto,butGodinvitesustolove him – doingeverythingtoplease Him.
Why wouldanyone everwanttobe a slave?
Deuteronomy15:16-17 explains:“Butif yourservantsaysto you,‘Ido not wantto leave you,becausehe
lovesyou and yourfamily and is well off with you,then takean awland posh it through hisearlobe into
the door,and hewill becomeyourservantforlife.”
Choosingtobecome a bondslave wasanact of complete selfdenial. A bondslavegave upall theirrights
to the Master. He is agreeing to give up all his possessionsto themaster. A slavecouldn’tpick and
choosewhatwaspartof the deal. He was saying, “Everything I have,everything Iam,I sign over to
you.”
Notice thata personbecame abondslave is“because he lovesyou”.
So outof love we become aslave toJesus. Whenyoufinallysurrenderall thatyouhave and all that you
are,you will discoverthe strangestthing. It’sonlybysurrenderingall thatyouhave and all that youare,
will youfindtrue freedom.
We thinkthatby turningcontrol of your life can,yourloverGod can trulycontrol your life andthe world
accordingto His PowerandHis plan. It’sonlywhen Youshare love thatyoucan trulyhave all the
benefits.
As God’slover,mayI tell youaboutyourlover. Your loverwill provideforyou. He can take care of your
needs. Yourloverwill protect you. He speaksandeventhe windwill obeyhim.. Yourlovercanforgive
you. Your lovercan take the piecesof yourlife andturnthemintoa beautiful mosaic. If you are worn
out andexhausted,yourlovergivesresttothose whoare wearyandheavyburdened.
One more thing.Whenyouaccept beinga lover;he will make youHiswife.
Whenyou decide toshare love withGodyouare signingovercontrol overyourhouse,yourcar, your
bankaccounts, yourcareer,your marriage,yourchildren,yourfuture,andanythingelsethatyouonce
had control of. You have no more rightsand nothing can be withheld.
It’saboutgivingup, period.
That’s whatit meanstogive up control overyourlife.
No Control-any-day.
If anyonewould “comeafter”me,he mustdeny himself and takeup hiscross daily. Luke 9:23
What wouldyouratherwake up each morning, to a cross or a love affair. If isa love affair,you’llbe
doingthingsbecause youare inlove or because youare a slave. Itwill be eitherlove ordeath.
The cross is a symbol of humiliation. The heartsymbol isthe symbol of love. Whichdrawsyouin more.

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Loving God Theology
Contrastthe symbol of the crosswiththe symbol of a love-fest. Bothrequire,yougive upcontrol of
your life.We are bynature,loversof love,notcrossbearers.
Whenwe turnovercontrol of our life sowe can trulylove Him, we discovertrue life. Inatwistof irony,
we findthat givingupcontrol overour lives,givesusthe life we sodesperatelywantedall along. An
eternal love fest.
What Real Love is.
(Song8:6-7) Inthisfinal descriptionof theirlove, the girl includessome of itssignificantcharacteristics
(see also1 Corinthians13). Love is as strongas death,it cannotbe killedbytime ordisaster,andit
cannot be boughtfor anyprice because itis freelygiven. Love ispriceless,andeventhe richestperson
cannot buyit. Love mustbe acceptedasa giftfromGod and then sharedwithinthe guidelinesGod
provides. Acceptthe love Godgivesyouasa gift,andstrive tomake your love of Hima reflectionof the
perfectlove thatcomesfromGod.
(1 Cor: 13;13) InmorallycorruptCorinth,love hadbecome a mixeduptermwithlittle meaning. Today
people are still confusedaboutlove. Love isthe greatestof all humanqualities,anditisanattribute of
God himself (1John4:8). Love involvesunselfishservicetoothers,toshow itgivesevidencethatyou
love God. Faithis the foundationandcontentof God’smessage,hope isthe attitude andfocus,love is
the action. Whenfaithandhope are inline,youare free to love completelybecause youunderstand
howGod shareslove wityou.
(1 John3:16) Real love isanaction,not a feeling. Itproducesselflesssacrificial giving. The greatestact
of love isgivingoneselfforothers. Howcan we laydownour lives? BylovinGodand otherswith no
thoughtof receivinganythinginreturn. Sometimesitiseasiertosaywe’ll die forothersthanto truly
live forthem– thisinvolves puttingothersdesiresfirst. Jesustaughtthissame principle of love inJohn
15:13.
God’s reason for creating the world
(Gn 1:1) God didnotneedto create the universe,he chose tocreate it. Why? God islove,andlove is
bestexpressedtowardsomethingorsomeone else –soGod createdthe worldandpeople asan
expressionof hislove. RememberthatGod created the universe becausehe loveseachof usandwants
each usto joinHimin an eternal love-fest;if we chose toshare that love.
God’s patience with us should cause us to lov e Him.
(Gn 19:24) In the story of Sodomand Gomorrah,we see two facetsof God’scharacter, hisgreat
patience (agreeingtospare a wickedcityfortengood people)andHisfierce anger(destroyingboth
cities). Aswe growspiritually,we shouldfindourselvesdevelopingadeeperrespectforGod because of
hisanger towarssin,andalso aq deeperlove forGodbecause of hispatience whenwe don’tloveHimin
return.
Relationship between fear and love.
(Ex 20:20) Throughoutthe Bible we findthisphrase,“Donotbe afraid.” God wasn’ttryingtoscare the
people. He wasshowinghismightypowersothe Israeliteswouldknow he wasthe true God and would
therefore love andobeyHim. If theywoulddothis,he would make hispoweravailable tothem. God

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wantsus to followhimoutofrlove ratherthanfear. To overcome fearwe mustthink more aboutHis
love anttrust Him.1 John4:18 says,“Perfectlove drivesoutfear.”
Could you love God if you lost everything.
(Jb1:20-22(2)) Jobhad losthispossessionsandfamilyinthisfirstof Satan’stests,buthe reactedrightly
towardGod by acknowledgingGod’s sovereignauthorityovereverythingGodhadgivenhim. Satanlost
thisfirstround. Job passedthe testandprovedthat people canlove Godfor whoHe is,notfor what He
gives.
Suffering can’t separate us from God’s love
(Jb3:23-26) Jobhad beencareful nottoworshipmaterial possessions,buttoworshipGodalone. Here
he was overwhelmedbycalamitiesthatmockedhiscaution,andhe complainedabouttrialsthatcame
despite hisrightliving. All the principles by whichhe hadlivedwere crumbling andJobbegantolose his
perspective. Trialsandgrief,whethertemporaryorenduring,donotdestroythe real purpose of life.
Life isnot givenmerelyforhappinessandpersonal fulfilment,butforusto learnto love andtrust God.
The worth and meaningof life isnotbasedonwhatwe feel,butonthe one realitynoone can take
away- God want’sto share love withus. Don’tassume that because Godtrulylovesyou,he will always
preventsuffering. The oppositemaybe true. God’slove cannotbe measuredotlimitedbyhow greator
howlittle we maysuffer.
Loving those who who wrong us.
(Mt 5:38-42) Whenwe are wrngedoftenourfirstreactionistoget even, InsteadJesussaidwe should
do GOOD to those whowrongus! Our desire shouldnotbe tokeepscore,butto love andforgive. This
isnot natural – it issupernatural. OnlyGodcan give usthe strengthto love asHe does. Insteadof
planningvengeance,prayforthose whohurtyou.
Talking about love vs . demonstrating it.
(Mt 9:5-6) It’seasyto tell someone hissinsare forgiven,itisw alotmore difficult toreverse acase of
paralysis! Jesusbackeduphiswordsbyhealingthe man’slegs. Jesus’actionshowedthathiswords
were true,he had the powerto forgive aswell astoheal. Talk ischeap,but our wordslackmeaningif
our actionsdo notback themup. We can say we love Godor others,butif we are not takingpractical
stepsto demonstrate thatlove,ourwordsare emptyandmeaningless. How well doyouractionsback
up whatyou say.
Measured by how we treat others.
(Mt 10:42) Howmuch we love God can be measuredbyhow well we treatothers. Jesusexample of
givinga cupof coldwater to a thirstychildisa goodmodel of unselfishservice. A childusuallycan’tor
won’treturna favor. God noticeseverygooddeedwe doordon’tdo as if he were the one receivingit.
Is there somethingunselfishyoucando forsomeone else today? Althoughnoone else maysee you,
God will notice.
(Lk 6:37-38) A forgivingspiritdemonstratesthatapersonhas placedGod’sdesire sfirst;God’sdefinition
of love. Jesususesthe picture of measuringgrainina baskettoensure the full amount. If we are critical
rather thancompassionate,we will alsoreceive criticism. If we treatothersgenerously,graciously,and

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compassionately,however,thesequalitieswillcome backinfull measurer. We are to love others
(placingtheirneedsanddesiresabove yoursandbelow God’s),notjudge them.
The focus of all God’s laws.
(Mk 12:29-31) God’slawsare not burdensome. Theycanbe reducedto twosimple principles. Love God
(placingGod’sdesiresfirstabove oursandothers) andHe will give youthe powertolove others. These
commandsare fromthe OldTestament(deuteronomt6:5,Leviticus19:16). Whenyou love God
completelyandcare forothers,thenyouhave fulfilledthe intentof God’slaws. AccordingtoJesus
these twocommandmentssummarize all God’slaws. Letthemrule yourthoughts,decisions,and
actions. Whenyou are uncertainaboutwhat to do,ask yourself whichcourse of actionbest
demonstrateslove forGodandlove forothers.
What else didJesussayaboutlove? Godlovesus(John3:16). We are to love God (Matthew 22:37).
Because God lovesus,he caresfor us (Matthew 6:25-34). God wantseveryone toknow how muchHe
lovesthem (John17:23). God loveseventhose whohate Him, we are to do the same Matthew 6:43-47;
Luke 6:35). God must be yourfirstlove and priority(Matthew 6:24; 10:37). You show that you love God
whenyouobeyHim(John14:21; 15:10. God lovesJesusHisSon(John5:20; 10:17)). JesuslovesGod
John 14:31). Jesusprovedhislove of Godand us bydyingon the cross sothat we could live eternally
withHim(John3:14, 15; 15:13, 14). The love betweenGodandJesusisthe perfectexample of howwe
are to love Godand therebytoreceive the powertolove others(John17:21-26). We are not to love the
praise of men(John12:43), selfishrecognition(Matthew 23:6) earthlybelongings(Luke 16:19-31),or
anything more than God(Luke 16:13). Jesuswantsus to love himthroughthe goodand throughthe
difficulttimes(Matthew26:31-35). Jesuswantsourlove to be genuine (John21:15-17).
Difficult to love if you think only of yourself.
(Mt 24:12) Withself-love andloose moralscomesaparticularlydestructivedisease –the loss of true
love forGod. Sincoolsyour love forGod by turningyourfocuson yourself. Yoycannottrulylove if you
thinkonlyof yourself.
Genuine vs superficial love.
(Mk 10(21) Jesusshowedgenuine loveforthisman,eventhoughhe knew thatthe man mightnot
followHim. Love isable togive toughadvice. It doesn’thedge aroundthe truth. Christlovedusenough
to die forus, and He alsolovesusenoughto talkstraightto us. If His love were superficial,he would
give usonlyhisapproval,butbecause islove iscomplete,he givesuslife-changingchallenges.
Loving your neighbor.
(Lk 10:27-37) Fromthisparable we learnthree principlesaboutlovingourneighbor:(1) lackof love is
ofteneasytojustify,eventhoughitisneverright,(2) our neighborisanyone of anyrace, creed,orsocial
backgroundwhoisin need,and(3) love meansactingto meetthe person’sneed. Whereveryoulive
there are realyneedypeople closeby. There isnogoodreasonfor refusingtolove them.
God’s love basis for self-worth
(Lk 12:7) Our true value isGod’sestimate of ourworth,not ourself orour peers. Otherpeople evaluate
and categorize usaccordingto howwe perform, whatwe achieve,andhow we look. ButGod cares for
us,as He doesfor all Hiscreation,because we belongtoHim. So we can face life withlove withoutfear.

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Consistency of God’s love.
(Lk 15:20). In the twoprecedingstoriesthe seekeractivelylookedforthe coinandthe sheep,which
couldnot returnby themselves. Inthisstory, the fatherwatchedandwaited. He was dealingwita
humanbeingwitha will of hisown,buthe was readyto greethissonif he returnedinthe same way.
God’slove isconstantand patientandwelcoming. He will searchforusand give usopportunitiesto
respond,butHe will notforce us to come to Him. Like the fatherinthisstory,God waitspatiently forus
to come to our senses.
God’s love is bigger than any problem.
(Jn1;3-5) Do youeverfeel thatyourlife istoocomplex forGod to understand? Remember,God
createdthe entire universe,andnothingistoodifficultforHiim. Godcreatedyou;He isalive todayand
His love isbiggerthananyproblemyoumayface.
God sets the pattern for love.
(Jn3:16) The entire gospel comestoafocus inthisverse. God’slove isnotstatic or self-centered. It
reachesoutand draws othersin. Here God setsthe patternof true love,the basisforall love
relationships –whenyoulove someone dearly,youare willingtogive freelytothe pointof self-sacrifice.
God paiddearlywiththe life of HisSon,the highestprice He couldpay. Jesusacceptedourpunishment,
paidthe price for our sins,andthenofferedusthe new life thatHe has broughtforus. Whenwe share
God’slove withothers,ourlove mustbe like Jesus’ –willinglygivingupourowncomfortand securityso
that othersmightjoinusinsharingGod’s love.
God’s love can change life’s outcome.
(Jn13:27-38) John describesthese fewmomentsincleardetail. We can see that Jesusknew exactly
whatwas goingto happen. He knewaboutJudasand aboutPeter,butHe didnot change the situation,
nor didHe stoplovingthem. Inthe same way,Jesusknowsexactlywhatyouwill dotohurt Him. Yet he
still lovesyouundonditionlyandwill forgive youwheneveryouaskforit. Judascouldn’tunderstand
this,andhis life endedtragically. Peterunderstoodanddespitehisshortcommings,hislife endedf
triumphantlybecause he neverletgoof Hisfaithinthe One wholovedhimandforgave himbecause He
was sorryfor hisfailure.
Love tied to obedience.
(Jn14:21) JesussaidthatHis followersshow theirloveforhimbyobeyingHim. Love ismore thaen
lovelywords,itisa commitmentandconduct. If youlove God,thenprove it byobeyingwhatHe says in
His Word.
Don’t let small problems hinder your sharing of love.
(15:17) Christianswill getplentyof hatredfromthisworld,fromfellow loversof Godwe needlove and
support. Do youallowsmall problemstogetinthe way of lovingotherbelievers? Godcommandsthat
youlove them,andhe will give youthe strengthtodo it.
Jesus talks to Peter about love.
(Jn21;15-17) JesusaskedPeterthree timesif he lovedHim. The firsttime Jesussaid,“Doyoutrulylove
(Greekagape,volitional,self-sacrificial love)me more thanthese? The secondtime,Jesusfocusedon
Peteralone andstill usedthe wordtranslatedintoGreek,agape. The thirdtime ,Jesususedthe word

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(translatedintoGreek,phileo(signifyingaffection,affinity,orbrotherlylove) andaskedineffect,“Are
youevenmyfriend?” Each time Peterrespondedwiththe wordtranslated intoGreekas phileo. Jesus
doesn’tsettle forquicksuperficialanswers. He hasa wayof gettingtothe heart of the matter. Peter
had to face histrue feelingsandmotiveswhenJesusconfrontedhim. How wouldyourespondif Jesus
askedyou,“Do youtruly love me? Doyou trulylove Godcompletely? Are youevenHisfriend?
Love is contagious.
(Acts2:47) A healthyChristiancommunityattractspeople toChrist. The Jerusalemnchurch’szeal for
lovingGodand brotherlylove of otherswascontagious. A healthylovingchurchwill grow innumbers.
What are youdoingto make yourchurch the kindof place that will attractothersto God?
Why it is a key to the Christian life.
(Ro5:2-5) As Paul statesclearlyin1 Corinthians13:13, faith,hope,andlove are at the heart of the
Christianlife. OurrelationshipwithGodbeginswithfaith,whichhelpsusrealize thatwe are delivered
fromour past by Christ’sdeath. Hope growsas we learnall that God hasin mindforus. It givesusthe
promise of the future. And,“sharinglove withGodliftsourlivesandgivesusthe abilitytoreachoutto
others.
Real love takes effort.
(Ro12:9) Most of us have learnedhowtopretendtolove others – how to speakkindly,avoidhurting
theirfeelings,andappeartotake an interestinthem. We may evenbe skilledinpretendingtofeel
movedwithcompassionwhenwe hearof others’needs,ortobecome indignatwhenwe learnof
injustice. ButGodcallsus to real and sincere love thatgoesfarbeyondpretense andpoliteness. Sincere
lovesrequiresconcentrationandeffort. Itmeanshelpingothersbecomebetterpeople. Itdemandsour
time,money,andpersonal involvement. Noindividual hasthe capacitytoexpresslove toawhole
community,butthe bodyof Christin yourtowndoes. Look forpeople whoneedyourlove andlookfor
waysyou andyour fellowbelieverscanlove yourcommunityforChrist.
God’s challenges is a sign of His love.
(Heb12:1-5) Who loveshischildmore –the fatherwhoallowsthe childtodowhat will harmhim,or the
one whocorrects, trains,andevenpunishesthe childtohelphimlearnwhatisright? It’sneverpleasant
to be correctedand disciplinedbyGod,butHisdiscipline isasignof hisdeeplove forus. WhenGod
corrects you,see itas proof of Hislove andask Him, what isHe tryingto teachyou?

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Sharing Love Day to Day
At thispoint,since youare still readingthis,youare readytostart livinginthateternal love-fest.
As youstart livingthatsharedlove,youwill findyourlover’sPresence. Youwill be developinga
convertedheart. Youwill alsodevelopanew spiritual quest. One were youwill workonlivingwi tha
lovingheart.
The challengesyouwill face duringthesetimeswillbringyoucloser toGod. You will still dealwith
spiritual warfare andreceive protection.
You will startto developyourcommunicationwithGod. Butbefore Yougetthere,youwill needto
developtrust,love andcloseness.toGod.
From there youwill needtodevelopyourlistening ability. Asyouadvance,youwill startdevelopinga
sense of peace and trust.
“God causes everythingto work together for the goodof those who LOVE Him.
“For I knowtheplansI haveforYou, declaresthe Lord,“plans to prosperyou and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11
It all starts with SHARED LOVE.

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Shared Love
Let usdelve intowhatSharedLove is. It isbasicallyyourrelationshipwithGod. Before youcanhave a
Relationshipwithsomeone,youneedtomeetthem, know them, andrealize thatbeingfriendswith
themisimportantto yourlife. ThisrelationshipwithGodiscoveredindepthinmyotherbook“Why”.
So,in thisbook,we are goingto start withthe premise thatyouknow andbelievethere isaCreatorand
Controllerof the universe. Alsowe hope youhave come tothe conclusionthatGod hasplacedyouhere
on earth,to learnhowto make the decisiontoLove God with your WHOLE heart, mind,and Spirit. The
part of learninghow to “Love God withyour WHOLE heart, mindand spirit,” iswhat thisbook covers.
Andthe keyto learningaboutmakingthisdecisionisthe conceptof “SharedLove.” Letus getstarted.
SoftlyGod announcesHe wantsus to Share Love. Though He have all powerin the heavensandon
earth,He wantsyour love.. The weakeryouare,the more gentlyHe approach’syou. Let yourweakness
be a doorto Your SharedLove. Wheneveryou feel inadequate,rememberthatHe want’sto be your
everydaypresentLover.
Your Human
It’sall right to be human. Whenyour mindwanderswhile youare praying,don’tbe surprisedorupset.
Simplyreturnyourattentiontoyourlover. Share a secret“Thanks” withHim, knowingthatHe
understands. Rejoicein yoursharedlove withHim,whichhasnolimits. WhisperHis Name inloving
contentment. Interspersethese peaceful interludesabundantlythroughoutyourday. Thispractice will
enable youtoattaina quietandgentle spirit,whichispleasingtoHim.
As youlive inclose contactwithHim,the sharedlove you have filtersthroughyoutoblessothers. Your
weaknessandlove are the openingthroughwhichyourSharedLove shinesforth.. Mystrengthand
power showthemselvesmosteffective throughyour weakness.

46
I am with you always
These were the lastwordsGod’sSon spoke before ascendinginto heaven,afterHisvisithere onearth.
God continuestoproclaimthispromise toall whowill listen. People respondinvariousways. Most
Christiansacceptthisteachingastruth,but ignore itin theireverydaylife. A few people centertheir
livesaroundthislovingpromiseandfindthemselvesblessed beyondall expectations.
As yougaze at God throughthe eyesof yourSharedLove you can see the worldaroundyoufrom His
perspective. The factthat He is withyoumakeseverymomentof yourlife meaningful.
Where is your Center?
Learn to live fromyourtrue CenterinHim. He reside’sinthe deepestpartof yourbeing,ineternal
unionwithyourspirit. Itis at thisdeeplevel thatHis Peace reignscontinually. Youwill notfindlasting
peace inthe worldaroundyou,incircumstances,orin humanrelationships. The external worldis
alwaysinchange – underthe curse of deathand decay. But there isa bigtreasure deepwithinyou,
waitingtobe used. Take time todelve intothe richesof YourSharedLove. I wantyouto live
increasinglyfromyourreal Center,where yourSharedLove hasan eternal griponyou.
Be Still
In the lightof your SharedLove,while He communicatesLove toyou. There isno force in the universe
as powerful as yoursharedlove. Youare constantlyaware of limitations:your ownandothers’. But
there isno-limittoMy Love;itfillsall of space,time,andeternity.
Nowyousee througha glass,darkly,butsomedayyouwill see Me face toFace. Thenyouwill be able to
experience fully howwide andlong and high and deepis My Love for you. If you were toexperience
that nowyou wouldbe overwhelmedtothe pointof feelingcrushed. Butyouhave an eternityaheadof
you,absolutelyguaranteed. Duringwhichyoucan enjoyoursharedlove inunrestrictedecstasy. For
now,the knowledge of oursharedlove issufficienttocarry youthrougheach day.
Rest in Our Shared Love
AllowingMe totake charge of thisday. Do not jumpintothe day like arace horse suddenlyreleased.
Instead,walkpurposefullywithMe,lettingMe directyoureffortsone stepata time. ThankMe for each
blessingalongthe way;thisbringsJoytoboth youand Me. A grateful heartprotectsyoufromnegative
thinking. Thankfulnessenablesyoutosee the abundance Ishoweruponyoudaily. Yourprayers and
petitionsare carriedintoheaven’sthrone roomwhentheyare filledwiththanksgiving. Ineverything
give thanks for thisis My will for you.
Rest In Our Shared Love
The worldaround youseemstospinfasterand faster,till everythingisablur. Yet there isa cushionof
calm at the centerof yourlife,where youliveinunionwithMe. ReturntothissoothingCenterasoften
as youcan, for thisis where youare energized;filledwithMyLove,joy,andPeace.
The worldis a needyplace,donotgo there forenergy. Instead,come toMe. Learn to dependonMe
alone,andyourweaknesswill whenitbecomessaturatedwithHis Power,whereyoufindyour

47
completenessinHim,youcanhelpotherpeople withoutusingthemtomeetyourownneeds. Live in
your SharedLove,andyour love will shine tenderlyintothe lifeof others.
You are His
For all time – and beyondtime,intoeternity. Nopower,beyondyourownmind,canrejectyour
inheritance inheaven. Godwant’syouto realize how utterlysecure you are! Evenif youfalterasyou
journeythroughlife,He willneverletgoof your hand.
Know that yourfuture isassuredthisday foryou withthe mosttenderconcernand attentiontodetail.
Insteadof approachingthe dayas a blankpage that youneedto fill up,tryliftingitina responsive
mode;beingonthe lookoutforall that He is doing. Thissoundseasy,butit requiresadeeplevelof
trust,basedon the knowledge that Myway is perfectlove.
The Song of Love.
Listentothe Love songthat He issharingwithyou. The voicesof the worldsoundchaos,pullingyouthis
wayand that. Don’t listentothese voices;challenge themwithHis Love. Learntotake minibreaksfrom
the world,findingaplace tobe still inyourSharedLove.
There isimmense hiddentreasure to be foundthroughlisteningtoHim. ThoughHe pours outblessings
uponyou always,some of His richestblessingshave tobe activelysought. He lovestoreveal Himself to
you,and yourseekingheartopensyouupto receive more of His love. Askand it will be givento you;
seekand you will find; knock and the door will be openedto you.
He is in the Depths of Your Being.
Hear Himsayingsoothingwordsof peace,assuringyouof His Love. Do not listentovoicesof
accusation,fortheyare not fromHim. He speaksto youin love-tones,liftingyouup. His Spiritconvicts
cleanly,withoutcrushingwordsof shame. Letthe Spirittake charge of yourmind. Be transformedby
the truth that He live’swithinyou.
The SharedLove isshininguponyou,inbenedictionsof Peace. LetHis love shine inyou,don’tdimit
withworriesorfears. HolinessislettingHimlivethroughyou. Since He dwellsinyou,youare fully
equippedtobe holy. Pause before respondingto peopleorsituations,givingHisSpiritspace toact
throughyou. Hastywords and actionsleave noroom forHim; thisisliving. He wantsto inhabitall your
moments– gracingyour thoughts,wordsandbehavior.
Hold on to Your Shared Love
Soakin Your SharedLove eventhoughcountlesstasksclamorforyourattention. Nothingisas
importantas spendingtime withHim. While yousoakinYour SharedLove,he doesHis bestworkwithin
youtransforming you by the renewingofyour mind. If youcut back on thistime withHim,youmay
become involvedwiththe wrongactivities,missingthe richnessof whatHe has plannedforyou.
Do not lookforHim primarilyforwhatHe can give you. RememberthatHe the Giver,isgreaterthan
any giftHe mightimpart to you. ThoughHe delightsinblessingHischildren,He isdeeplysaddened
whenHis blessingsbecomeidolsintheirhearts. Anythingcanbe an idol if itdistracts youfromHim as
your FIRSTLOVE. WhenHe isthe ultimate desire of yourheart,youare safe fromthe dangerof idolatry.

48
He is For You.
The questioniswhetheryouare withHimand forHim. ThoughHe will neverleave you,youcan
essentially“leave”HimbyignoringHim;thinkingoractingas if He is notwithyou. When youfeel
distance in yourrelationship,youknow where the problemlies. His love foryouisconstant: I am the
same yesterday,today, and forever. It is youwhochangeslike shiftingsand,lettingcircumstancestoss
youthisway and that.
Whenyoufeel farfrom Him,whisperHis Name. Thissimple act,done inchildlikefaith,opensyourheart
to Your SharingLove. Speakto Him in love tones;prepare toreceive His Love whichflowseternally. He
isdelightedwhenyouopenyourself toYourSharingLove.
Your Focal Point
Make itGod, as you move throughthisday. Just as a spinningballerinamustkeepreturninghereyesto
a givenpointtomaintainherbalance,soyoumust keepreturningyourfocustoHim. Circumstancesare
inchange,and the worldseemstobe circullingaroundyou. The onlyway tokeepyourbalance isto fix
your eyeson Me, the One whoneverchanges. If yougaze toolongat yourcircumstances,youwill
become dizzyandconfused. LooktoHim, refreshingyourself inyourSharedLove,andyourlife will be
steadyandsure.
Everlasting Love
He has lovedyouwithaneverlastingLove. Before time began,He knew you. Foryear’syouswam
aroundin a seaof meaninglessness,searchingforlove,hopingforhope. All thattime He waspursuing
you,achingto embrace youin His compassionate arms.
Whentime wasright,He revealedHimself toyou. He liftedyououtof that seaof despairandsetyou
downon a firmfoundation. Sometimesyoufeltnaked –exposedtothe possibilitytohave SharedLove.
He sangyou a love song,whose beginningand endare veiledineternity. He infusedmeaningintoyour
mindand harmonyinto yourheart. JoinHiminsingingHis song. Togetherwe will draw others outof
darknessinto My marvelousLove.
Let His Love Stream to You,
Washingawayfear anddistrust. A trustingresponse includesHim inyourthoughtsas youconsider
strategiestodeal withthe situation. YourSharedLove isa promise,guaranteeingthatyouneverhave
to face anythingalone. His childrengrow up on the truththat He is alwayswiththem, yettheystumble
aroundin confusion,unaware of the potential SharedLove theycanhave. How that makesHim sad.
Whenyouwalkthrougha day intrustingdependence onHim. His sorrowfull heartissatisfied. Gently
bringyour attentionbacktoHim wheneveritwandersaway. He look’sforpersistence –ratherthan
perfection –inyour walkwithHim.
Nowthat youhave a basicunderstandingof SharedLove,Ihope thatyouare readyto move aheadand
start to share love withHim. But before youcanstart sharinglove withHim, maybe youshouldgetto
knowHimbetter.

49
Come to Me
God’s presence helps us handle change.
(Nm10:21) Those who travel,move,orface new challengesknow whatitistobe uprooted. Life is full
of changes,andfewthings remainstable. The Israelites were constantlymovingthroughthe desert.
Theywere able tohandle change onlybecause God’spresence inthe tabernacle wasalwayswiththem.
The portable tabernacle signifiedGodandHispeople movingtogether. Forus,stabilitydoesnotmean
lack of change,but lovingGodineverycircumstance.
Yours is more important than words.
(Jb2:13) Why didthe friendsarrive andthenjustsitquietly? AccordingtoJewishtradition,peoplewho
come to comfortsomeone inmourningshouldnotspeakuntil the mournerspeaks. Oftenthe best
response toanotherperson’ssufferingissilence. Job’sfriends realizedthathispainwastoo deeptobe
healedwithmore words,sotheysaidnothing(if onlytheyhadcontinuedtositquietly!) Often,we feel
we must saysomethingspiritualandinsightful toahurtingfriend. Perhapswhathe orshe needsmostis
justour presence,showingthatwe care. Pat answersandtrite quotationssaymuch lessthan
empatheticsilence andlovingcompanionship.
Pride and God’s presence incompatible.
(Ps10:11) There isan incompatibilitybetweenblindarrogance andthe presence of Godinour hearts.
The proud persondependsonhimself ratherthanonGod. ThiscausesGod’sguidinginfluencestoleave
hislife. WhenGod’spresence iswelcome,thereisnoroomfor pride because He makesusaware of our
true selves.
Desire to be in God’s presence.
(Ps27:4) Davidmay have usedthe word temple tomean“the presence of the Lord.” His greatestdesire
was to live inGod’spresence eachdayof hislife. Sadly,thisisnotthe greatestdesire of manywho
claimto be believers. Butthose whodesire tolive inGod’spresence eachdaywill be able toenjoythat
relationshipforever.
God’s presence in challenges.
(Ps34;18-19) We oftenwishwe couldescape challenges –the path of grief,sorrow and failure,oreven
the small dailyfrustrationsthatconstantlywearusdown. Godpromisestobe “close to the
brokenhearted,”tobe our source of power,courage,andwisdom, helpingusthroughourchaqllenges.
Whenchallengesare partof your life,don’tgetfrustratedwithGod. Instead,admitthatyouneedGod’s
helpandthank himforbeingbyyour side.
God never leaves us.
(Ps140:12) To whomcan the poorturn whentheyare persecuted? Theylackthe moneytoget
professionalhelp,theymaybe unable todefendthemselves. Butthere isalwayssomeone ontheirside
– the Lord will standbythem and ultimatelybringaboutjustice. Thisshouldbe acomfortfor us all. No
matterwhat our situationmaybe the Lord iswithus. But thistruthshouldalsocall us to responsibility.
As God’speople,we are requiredtodefendthe rightsof the powerless.

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