Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 1:20-21.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
If you want days of Heaven on earth starting immediately you must pay attention to what I will teach today and not be a forgetful hearer but an effective doer or it will not bless and benefit you as I want it to do. “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” I harbor no root of bitterness; I am all love. Love is pure, filling, flowing, ever-giving, ever forgiving, never failing. It does not travel in a path that goes downward or varies up and down, it is an even flow of ascent. It is not subject to circumstances that are temporal but to the truths that are eternal. It is shalom. Perfect peace (shalom, shalom) have those whose minds are stayed, fixed, inline, fully joined, with Mine. I am an everlasting rock. I have no darkness in Me at all. I do not change, there is no variation in My behavior it is always perfectly just, honest, true, faithful, loving, compassionate, merciful, kind, caring, and My judgments are right, there is no shadow in My being or nature. I set out plainly to you good and evil, light and darkness, and give you grace to walk in the light.
I told you that you shall be perfect as I am perfect in the context of a heart of pure love. Jesus taught the crowds but they did not have a full revelation of what He was saying and most still do not. First listen with new ears and a new heart to what He revealed: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48.
The New Testament was written in Greek and the word translated “love” is agapaó (ἀγαπάω), which is the verb form of “agape (ἀγάπη),” which means the love that is unconditional and does not depend on friendship, family ties, or physical attraction and desires. Agape love, like chesed in Hebrew, is based on who you are and not on who the other person is or upon their behavior. That has more to do with the degree with which you love them in a friendship sense and is called not agape but phileó (φιλέω), in the sense of wanting to spend your life close to them. This is the kind of love Paul had for Timothy, who was like-minded with him and like a son to him. But that is not agape love, Paul had the agape kind of love for all people in general, whether friends, believers, pagans, enemies, or indifferent, and that is why he was content whether being mistreated and maligned or being well treated and praised. It really made no difference in how he reacted for he walked in My love and kept his heart and mind set there. And he told you that you could do the same by the Holy Spirit strengthening you in the inner man as you are rooted and grounded in the love in Christ. Which is perfect agape. You can only truly have this kind of love when My Spirit is living in you and I pour My love into your heart. And that is how you can stay at peace in the midst of trials and persecution from others, “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5. That is why you cannot truly love until you have received Jesus as Lord and been born again from above. Otherwise your mind is below, set on the flesh, and you cannot enter or even see the Kingdom.
The word “perfect” in this passage of Scripture is the word “teleios (τέλειος),” which means “having reached its end, that is, complete, perfect in the sense of fully developed. Téleios is an adjective, derived from télos, which means a “consummated goal” such as being mature (consummated) from going through the necessary stages to reach the end-goal—developed into a consummating completion by fulfilling the necessary process, so in a sense “made perfect.” It is the same word used by My servant James in his letter when he reveals by My Spirit that “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says (in his words), he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” James 3:2. So you see it also has to do with the words you say, whether they are words of edification, exhortation, and encouragement that give grace to those who hear or words that dishonor and demean, that tear down, that discourage, that lead to anger, strife, bitterness, and fear. Are your words ones that lead to life or to death? To joy and confidence or to depression and fear? Simply put, do you speak out of faith or out of fear? Out of the spirit or out of the flesh?
Teleios is also the word My beloved John uses when he reveals to you by My Spirit that perfect love casts out fear. When your love is mature and fully developed you have no fear. And you will notice he also, as Jesus did and James did, uses it in the context of then applying that perfected love to others as I do. It is a love like My love, “There is no fear in love; but perfect (teleios) love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected (teleios) in love. We love because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” 1 John 4:18-21.
Love does not differentiate in pouring out its goodness. Love is always patient, calm and kind in its answers, even when you have to refute or put down a lie or word contrary to Mine. Love is relentless to stay on the continuum of even ground, but an exalted, high path. The highway of holiness on the high places. David would prayed that I lead him on level ground. It is level ground that never goes down, only higher in its ascent to Me, to My throne where I have already seated you in Christ. It is staying with your mind above where I have seated you in Christ at My right hand and not going down in to dwell on thoughts of the dust. Thoughts of revenge, bitterness, hopelessness, and the like, these open your door to illness, pain and darkness but that is your choice of where you set your mind.
I tell you to show yourselves to be My children of light in a dark world where you shine forth brilliantly, holding fast to and offering the Word of Life. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16.
And always remember, you are not doing this alone, you are working it out while I am working it in you and I will complete what I have begun in you to bring you to completeness, to perfection, in Christ. You must not hinder, quench, or grieve My Spirit in you so that I can flow all this light, love and grace into your heart to partake in My divine nature, which is love. And it all has to do with obedience in forgiving and living My Word. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13.
And what does Jesus give to you as an example of this perfect mindset? “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45. Do you see? On a physical level My goodness and provision come to all on the earth whether their hearts are right with Me or not. Joseph, the son of Jacob, followed this when he brought the very brothers who had sought to harm him and sold him into slavery to live with him in Egypt and provided richly for them in a time of famine when otherwise they would have perished. This flowed from his nature of love which he learned and received from Me in how I provided for him in his time of total need.
On a spiritual level I cause My Sun of Righteousness rising with His healing rays shining on all who will receive Him, Malachi 4:2, and the rain to which I liken: (1) My Word, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11; (2) the outpouring of My Holy Spirit as living water (John 7:37-39; John 4:10; Acts 2:33): and (3) showers of blessings on My holy mountain (Ezekiel 34:26, “I will make them and the places around My mountain a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing.”). Just as the sun and rain physically fall so healing and grace are freely falling on all but it is up to each person whether they will receive it and let Me shine the light of Christ in their hearts. At no cost to you but it cost My Son every drop of His eternal blood. “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” Revelation 22:17.
Jesus paid the ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:6) and this opened the windows and gates of Heaven, and My goodness, love, healing, redemption, salvation, deliverance, provision and all the benefits of Psalm 103 are pouring down from My Kingdom to everyone in Christ but it is blocked by and cannot enter an evil, hard, unforgiving heart. If you close Me out I cannot get the benefits in.
My love has opened every door that I control, your behavior cannot cause Me to withhold these benefits or stop the flow of salvation, this river of delight from My throne is constantly flowing (Psalm 36:8), BUT your behavior determines whether or not you will open to receive it or not. The giving is up to Me and it is free for all (Revelation 22:17) but the receiving part is up to you.
Do you remember My Son’s first parable that He taught? The sower went out to sow seed and the seed represented My Word. When the seed landed on hard ground it never took root. But the good soil, that I liken to a good and generous heart, receive the seed. But with all four kinds of soil (hearts) My Son further taught that even when it did plant it depended also on how you treated the Word after you received it whether it reached a full abundant harvest. If persecution, doubts, worldly cares, lusts of the flesh, seeking the glory of the world in contradiction to My teachings, made you neglect the cultivation of the seed, it produced no fruit.
The harvest depended on the ground where the seed landed (your heart) and then how much you received from it in harvest of the Word implanted depended upon your openness alone to what you received and your diligence in guarding your heart so as not to choke it off.
I am talking about love. My kind of love becoming your kind of love. My love growing in you until it become who you are and how you react and walk, think and talk.
How do you do this? I tell you by My Spirit in the letter of My servant Jude. It is how you build yourself up in My love.
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:20-21.
To keep yourself knowing My love and living that love so that you walk free of the devil and all the evil he tries to put into your life, you see two things here.
First, to receive the healing rays of the Sun of Righteousness (Jesus, the Light of the world) and the showers of blessing and the living water pouring down of the Holy Spirit, you must have faith, that is, you must believe that all this is available to you and that you have it already if you will receive it. This is not a matter of begging but receiving. Jesus would ask those who came to Him for healing, “Do you believe I can do this?” When they declared their faith, then He told them to receive as they had said. Remember the centurion? And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment. Matthew 8:13.
But faith only comes by hearing and hearing My Word. Otherwise you are not aware of what My Will is and faith begins where My Will is known. So to build yourself up in your holy faith you must be hearing, speaking, meditating on, and reading My Word until it becomes your word in any given situation.
To get to the point of perfect love you must know and believe in My love for you, but even greater (there is much more here) you must know who I AM, that I AM LOVE and that NOTHING bad or evil comes from Me, nothing that hurts or harms you comes from Me. “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James 1:16-17.
And to get to this point besides reading the Word and hearing teaching and preaching on it, you need to spend time with Me, and I am Spirit so you get to know Me by praying in the Spirit. You worship in spirit and in truth. You have to see in another realm, to put your mind above and walk in the spirit and not just in the flesh alone, because there you can read and study but you do not hear and see.
So the second point made is “praying in the Spirit.” When you pray in the Spirit, I share My innermost thoughts and being with you. My Spirit will teach you all things, guide you to all truth, correct you, lead you, and will open Scripture to you and remind you of what I have said just when you need it. It is here you receive revelation and it is here you will become partakers of My divine nature. It is here I will open to you My rich treasures and overflow you with My goodness.
Then you will be able to discern good from evil, not by the world’s standards but Mine. For today they call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20. Know this, if it steals, kills or destroys, if it causes fear, anxiety, physical pain, illness, worry, strife, depression, and/or confusion, if it harms life, it is not from Me. It is from the devil and his demons. “If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you.” Isaiah 54:15. And what has Jesus given you? Authority over the devil and his demons. “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.” Luke 10:19.
If the devil, and he will, tells you that you show your love for Me by suffering and poverty without rebuking or casting out what is contrary to My Word, do not believe it. Reject it and know it is from the devil and not My Will. Jesus knew this. He always wanted to heal. It grieved and amazed Him when those who should have known Him, such as the people in Nazareth, blocked the healing He so wanted to give them by their lack of faith.
It all comes back to knowing who I am. My apostle Peter knew Me and wrote for you by the Spirit, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” 2 Peter 1:2-4. Ponder this in the light of what I have been sharing with you. Grace and peace come from knowing who I am and who Jesus is, and that intimate knowing is the way Jesus defined eternal life.
And what are the magnificent promises of which Peter speaks? You find them signed by Me in My Covenant Names which are all fulfilled and made “yes” to you in Jesus: The LORD your Healer, the LORD your provider, the LORD your righteousness, the LORD is shalom peace, the LORD your shepherd, the LORD your victory, the LORD your redeemer, the LORD your sanctifier, the LORD your refuge, the LORD your fortress, and all the I AM Names of Jesus as well, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the bread of life, I am the Light of the world, I am the way the truth and the life, I am the vine and you are the branches, I am the door, I am the good Shepherd, and His Name is Wonderful, Counselor, God Hero, Father Forever and Prince of Peace. I have raised Him from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant as your great good Shepherd and your great High Priest forever. And I could tell you MUCH MORE.
It all comes back to love. I think in love, I talk in love, and I walk in love. Agape love. If you do the same you are insulated in love just as I am.
Pray love into every heart so they can receive and pray My love into your heart as well. And that is Paul’s prayer for you, many pray it but few understand it, many pray it but few enjoy living it, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21.
I love you. Come and learn to live in love with Me. I am more than able to keep you from stumbling and to make you ( I am your maker and your sanctifier) STAND in the presence of My glory BLAMELESS and with GREAT joy. And it is a joy to be free of bitter roots and failed harvests. And this is how to live days of Heaven on earth.