But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28.
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:2-4.
Today the LORD (יהוה) God says:
To live a truly triumphant, victorious, joyful, glorious life there are four things you must learn and master. They are as follows:
- How to love;
- How to give to receive;
- How to be grateful for what you have so it will multiply; and
- How to become as little children.
And as a subset to number 4, the way to become as little children, you would add: (i) How to be light hearted (cast your care); (ii) how to play (dreams, visions); and (iii) how to rejoice (give happiness to receive it).
We could really call this how to gain access to Kingdom living. Today I want to give you the keys. And the master key is love.
My Son came so you could have life, and have it more abundantly and I will be disappointed if you do not take advantage of what He did for you. It cost every drop of His blood.
It really all comes down to one principle. You must give to receive. This is true of everything in life. Most people want to receive before they give but this will not work. Any farmer can tell you that. To have a harvest he must first plant a seed and he must plant the type of seed that will give him the harvest he wants.
This is not complicated. A child can understand. But it is also very deep and there are many levels to which you can attain. For My love for you is without limits. And so should your love be.
Now let us talk about each of the things you need to learn separately.
- How to love.
We have spoken of this before but I cannot emphasize it enough. Most people do not know how to love. Love fulfills the law.
Love never harms the neighbor. Love lays down its life for its friends. Love is not jealous. Love is not rude. Love is not quick-tempered. Love does not brood over injuries. Love does not seek its own interests. You must love your neighbor as yourself. Do to others what you would have them do to you. The measure you use is used back to you and more besides. The standard you use with others is the standard used on you. Whatever you do to the least of My brothers you do to Me. When you give to the poor, you make a loan to Me and I repay.
You will notice in My Word that whenever I discuss love it is in relation to how you are treating others. There is a reason for My doing this. Do you see what I am telling you? What I am telling you is the law of love. When you face another person and begin to deal with them what you must realize is how I see your actions and words to that person. I do not see it as what you are doing as being done just to that person. I see it as setting the standard of what I can do for you. This means that you should look at each person that you face as if you were actually facing yourself and Me and by what you do to that other person you are showing Me and authorizing Me of what I can do for you. Your thoughts, words and actions to others are binding or loosing Me to do the same things in your life. You are determining how much grace, goodness, love, and provision I can pour into your life. Good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over will I pour into your life but only as you give will it be given back to you. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return. Luke 6:38. It works equally for good things you do and evil things you do. You will reap what you plant. Love cannot be mocked. I know the thoughts and intents of your hearts. So all you do in the day to others, including what you think about them and say to them, you are actually doing to yourself and Me and exactly what you did and thought will return to you in a variety of ways. By your words and conduct to the other person you determine everything that comes back to you through a variety of sources in your life.
Blessed are the merciful, they shall receive mercy. Matthew 5:7.
So if you want love you must give nothing but love to others as Jesus did. I do not mean you help people to abuse you, that is not love. My Son corrected those on the wrong road in love. And He was strong about that. But He spoke the truth in love and judged no man. John 12:47. He did not come to judge the world but to save the world. John 12:47. He let My Word judge them. You should do the same. Vindication comes from Me and vengeance is Mine, not yours. I will take care of that. Whatever anyone does will come back to that person and you do not need to help it or it will then come back on you.
Look at Me to learn how to love for I am love. I so loved the world that I gave My only Son so that all who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. I gave love and considered your interests more important than Mine. My Son did the same for He is one God with Me and therefore is also love. He did not seek His own interests but your interests. Philippians 2:3-8. He did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life for others. Matthew 20:25-28. And I exalted Him above anyone and anything else. Philippians 2:8-11. He gave the most that anyone has ever given. He became poor to make you rich– giving His eternal life and His right as heir to receive all the riches of Heaven to you so that you could have those things. 2 Corinthians 8:9.
Giving love you receive love. There is no other way. And that leads to the second point:
- You must give to receive
This point really ties in with the discussion we just had on how to love for it is all joined up together. You cannot receive anything unless you give it first. Anything you give in thought, word or action will be what is given back to you whether it is good or bad, positive or negative.
This has glorious possibilities if used by you as a tool in your life to obtain what you desire. Sow the right seeds to obtain the harvest you want. Most people are not purposely directing their thoughts, words, and actions to achieve a desired return. Most people are very careless about what they think and say and then wonder after they have been negative, rude, or fearful why negative offensive things they fear come to them.
All evil is just an absence of love. So anything you think, say or do for motives other than pure love is really worth nothing to Me or you for being fruitful in your life and in the world. Only loving thoughts, words and actions are worth giving because those will bring you back a harvest of the things you love.
Once you conceive a desire for something you must sow the type of seed that will bring you the appropriate harvest. If you want a loving relationship with your spouse, children or co-workers, you must first be loving and kind to them and others. If you want to be successful in business, you must first promote and patronize other’s businesses and pray for and rejoice in their success. If you want more friends, be friendly and seek out those who are lonely or strangers. If you want to be promoted, promote other’s interests as important as your own and rejoice in their success. Whatever you see in another that you would like to have or receive, do not be jealous or try to get theirs away from them, instead admire it in them, be joyful for them that they have it, and encourage them in their gift or accomplishment—celebrate it with them—and know you are giving Me the standard to use in determining what you receive. You are setting the standard that you like people to have that gift or accomplishment which means that same standard will be measured back to you. If instead you are jealous and mad that they have what you want and you do not, then the standard you give Me is that you do not want people to have whatever it is you are jealous of and that same standard will be applied to you so that you will never have it.
Do not be your own worst enemy. No one can hurt your life like you can. And it is all determined by what you give in thought, word and deed.
And this leads to the next point:
- You must learn to be grateful for what you have first to see it increase.
If you are thankful for what you have—such as life, shelter, food, and drink– the standard you are setting is that you like having good things and I will increase them. If you are thankful for good health and no pain, I will be able to give you good health and no pain. If you are thankful for your food, I can make sure you are always well fed.
But if you complain about and are negative about the things you have and are not thankful for any of them then you are setting the standard that you do not like or want those things and what you have will decrease and be taken away. You must rejoice in the abundance of things to keep them and get more poured into your life.
Also being thankful makes you happy. And as you give happiness you will receive more happiness. You will attract happy people and happy days. And when you are thankful for the people in your life you do not enter into arguments and strife with them. You do not find fault with them. And this will change how they treat and feel about you.
You must give happiness to receive it and one way to give happiness is by being thankful.
Be thankful for what you have and it will multiply. Be thankful for things you do not have yet as if you had them and they will manifest. You will attract them and I can give them to you for you are planting love for them and they will harvest.
And believing you have received good things before they come and living with the assurance you have them leads to the next point on our list:
- You must become as little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
To become as a little child you must learn to do three things that you were good at as a child but have forgotten as an adult:
(i) how to be light hearted (cast your care)
A child knows he is not his own source. Generally his parent is his source and the child trusts the parent to provide for his needs and desires. He does not worry about it but turns with confidence to the parent as his provider. And when he is anxious or upset he runs to his parent, gets in the parent’s lap and casts all his anxiety on his loving father or mother. He knows the parent cares for him and will comfort him and make it better.
You must be like that with Me. Know that you are not your own source and that you really cannot do anything without Me—not even breathe! Know that I love you and I want to provide for you. And not just provide so you barely get by but provide so you have all you need plus an abundance for every good work. I blessed mankind from the start and still want to bless you. The Blessing of Abraham is extended to you by Christ Jesus.
So in everything cast it all on Me and I will show you the solution. I had the solution before the foundation of the world in the life of good deeds I have prepared for you in advance.
(ii) You must learn how to play again
For an adult the equivalent to play in a child are what you would call dreams and visions. I mean imagining as if it were true already the wonderful things you are doing for My Kingdom. See yourself feeding the starving in Somalia, see yourself discovering new inventions that profit men, see yourself doing great and mighty deeds for Me. And also instead of worrying or crying about a problem or an inadequacy you feel you have imagine the solution was already in place and you had only to walk it out. Live it, love it and enjoy it before you see it manifest. Have the vision and write it down and then run with it. Like an architect or contractor. Like a sculptor or a potter. Use props. Have fun.
(iii) Learn how to rejoice without ceasing
Adults forget how to laugh and how to have fun. They do not have the joy they had when they were very young. That is because they do not give happiness and rejoicing. Instead they usually give a worried mind and many complaints about life. I think you see now what they will get back. It is all up to you. What you sow you will reap in due season.
And when you cast your cares on Me and envision the good things to come you will be happy, you will rejoice all the day.
I am coming soon! May I be able to reward you with all the good things I desire. Allow Me to. Authorize Me to do so. It is all a matter of how you treat others. It is a matter of life and death. Choose life that you and your descendants may live and live abundantly, beautifully, and joyfully.
There is so much more to say on this but we have said enough for now. You can read more in My Word, the Bible, that is, for it is filled with this.
I love you. I have called you by name.