We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16.
Today your LORD (יהיה) God (אלוהים) says:
Love makes you strong and courageous. Being loved and giving love makes life wonderful. Without love there is no joy and without joy there is no strength. And that is what all creation is about, and that is what My Kingdom is about, a home for My family. I have always longed to dwell with you in the fellowship of pure, sweet, precious love. And that is who I am and that is who you are. Love.
It is not good for man to be alone, but without love you are alone no matter how many people are around you. You were made by Love to be love, to receive and to give love. To live in the light of My love. You will find as you get to know Me better and better, from faith to faith, and glory to glory, that I am enough for you. That My presence can fill your days with love beyond all you can ask or imagine. A love that is beyond comprehension for it transcends human capacity to hold. And it will not just stay in you, it will light up wherever you are and people will be drawn to that light. It is the light of life, which is the light of love, which is the Light of the world.
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. John 15:9.
And when you abide in My love as a branch in the vine, you bear much fruit. Love makes you fruitful. Hate does not. If you want a fruitful, fulfilling life then love one another as I have loved you. When you do this you’ll be fruitful in everything you do. So love one another as I have loved you and My joy will be within you and your joy will remain true.
Love writes a beautiful story. Love covers a multitude of sins. My Love not only covered them, My Love took them away as if they had never been.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17.
Remember how the disciple John, who called himself “the beloved disciple,” rested against the chest of Jesus? You cannot do this with a stranger, it is a place for family, lovers, and friends. It is a place of revelation and of the sharing of secrets. And that is how I want your life to be as well. Abiding in Me and in My love. Resting in Me in the embrace of love. I want your days to be encircled by My beautiful embrace. If you find this place in Me, and My Spirit will lead you there through Christ, you will never be alone, live in fear, or be depressed again. Your life will be up and not down no matter what comes against you. It is the place of grace. It is the joy of being in the everlasting arms of Him who loves you beyond love and delights in doing good to you. It is being secure in My goodness.
Your life upon the earth is only the beginning, shall we say the introduction, of a glorious love story to the praise of My glory, that is, of My goodness, presence, and power in your life. But My love for you is of such height, breadth, depth, and length that the limits of this life cannot contain it. Your life of love here is a mere shadow of what is to come in the brightness of the eternal day, for there you shall know even as you are known.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:12-13.
If love is the greatest, what does love look like? What does love look like not just in the spiritual but in the incarnate physical sight realm? What are the daily nuts and bolts of love?
I so loved the world that I gave you My Son Jesus to save you. He is My gift of love. And in seeing Him you see Me. He is the exact representation of Me in the physical that I am in the spiritual. And I am love. So in Him you see love incarnate, that is, love in human flesh and bone. And I tell you that wherever He went Jesus could not escape notice. Love stands out. Why?
- The beauty of a sinless life.
In seeing Jesus you see love in action. Jesus never sinned. He could have and was tempted in every way you are, but He never sinned. Love is not attracted by evil. And as He is so are you in the world. He emptied Himself of His powers as God and became just like you in all things but one, He never sinned.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:14-15.
Pure love has no room for sin. The devil, that is, evil, never had any part in Jesus. And this was noticeable. No one could trip Him up or ensnare Him in any evil activity. That is why it was so difficult for the Sanhedrin to find anything to condemn Him to death for. Even Pontius Pilate, who was not godly and did not know Me, had to declare in judging Jesus, “I find no fault in Him.” Similarly with the criminal crucified next to Jesus who declared, “This man has done nothing wrong.” And I tell you Myself that I made Jesus WHO KNEW NO SIN to be sin on your behalf so that in Him you might become righteous with My own righteousness.
And those who knew Him, and I am speaking of the twelve, who lived with Him and walked with Him, observed Him and had fellowship with Him at all times for three years, witness to this as well, even Judas who betrayed Him confessed, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Matthew 27:4.
Peter wrote: “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:21-25.
And Peter wrote that you have been redeemed with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19.
The beloved disciple John wrote of Jesus, “You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.” 1 John 3:5. And it was John who wrote that I am love and that I am light.
Jesus is the Light of the world and light drives out and overcomes darkness. There is no darkness in Me, and in seeing Jesus you see Me, so you know there was no darkness in Jesus. He was pure light in every part of His being. The Pharisees, scribes, lawyers, and priests watched, questioned, and observed Him trying to find the dark places or any word of sin in Him, but they never could. And no follower of His shall ever walk in darkness, no, he shall have the light of life. In Him I have rescued you from the power of darkness and translated you into the Kingdom of My beloved Son, in whom you have redemption by His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14. Sin is death. Life is light.
Being sinless makes you a person of excellence. Love makes excellence. Love never fails.
- Love takes authority
One of the many things that made Jesus stand out in a crowd was that He spoke with authority. He was not double minded. He knew My Word and that was His reference point for all He said and did. Everything in His life lined up with My Word and My Words are Spirit and life. They are Words of power. My Word made everything and sustains everything. My Word answers everything and My Word moves everything. My Word in your mouth works as it does for Me. My Word does not return to Me void. It achieves the purpose for which I sent it when spoken with faith, which speaks with authority.
And Jesus is My Word made flesh. And you are to be like Him. You were made by My Word, are sustained by My Word, and will only be happy and fruitful abiding in My Word and My Word abiding in you. Then you can ask what you will and I will do it. That is authority.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7.
Love takes authority over evil. Jesus cast out demons, rebuked fevers and storms, spoke to blind eyes and gave them sight, spoke to deaf ears and made them hear, spoke to the mute and made them speak, and spoke to the dead and raised them back to life. He spoke with authority and not like the scribes. And yet the scribes spent their days studying My Word but they failed to understand it and My power, and thus never took authority over evil.
But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Matthew 22:29.
Jesus came to undo (destroy) the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8. And that is one of the things love does.
- Love heals.
One of the things that made it impossible for Jesus to escape notice wherever He went was that He healed the sick, the maimed, the disabled, and those with physical and emotional impediments.
The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:24.
He had compassion for everyone that Satan was holding in bondage and immediately was seeking to loose them from their chains.
And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him. Luke 13:10-17.
And after My Son returned to Me in Heaven having finished the work I gave Him to do, those who became believers upon hearing the Word preached by those who had known Him also did the works He did and the greater works of bringing people to new birth in Him, which Jesus could not do until He had died for your sins and been raised up to My right hand. That work, the greater works, He entrusted to you of bringing people to new birth as new creations in Christ raised up to eternal life. Go tell the good news, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, freely you have received love freely give it. Love heals and, above all, love saves unto eternal life.
And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. Acts 5:14-16.
- Love provides.
Wherever Jesus saw a need, He would fill it. When the crowd who came to hear Him was so caught up in His teaching that they stayed with Him until they were getting weak with hunger, He took the five loaves and two fish that a young boy had with him and held them up to Me, blessed them, broke them and fed well over 5,000 people (cloning and replication). When wine ran out at a wedding feast, He provided the finest wine by changing the molecular structure of water to wine. When Jesus came, lack turned into abundance. He came to give you abundant life. I am the one who teaches you to profit and the way you should go, if only you would listen and do My Word.
He explained that He is the good shepherd that provides for and lays down His life for His sheep. And He told Peter to feed His sheep and tend His lambs. He told him to be a shepherd as well. Love is a shepherd to the sheep. You are all called to be shepherds for those I entrust to your care. But you are not alone in this, you are all cared for by the love of the great good Shepherd who provides for all your needs and wants and equips you for every good work. And that is love in action. I liken love to a Shepherd.
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21.
- Love has joy and peace beyond understanding
Jesus walked in joy and peace. He was confident of My love for Him and often spoke of it. His joy attracted others to Him. His peace was like a magnet to all who were troubled and fearful. People came to Him knowing if they just got near Him, heard His Words, and touched Him they would be healed, whole, and have the joy and peace they so longed for.
And joy and peace are so important to your walk of love that on the night He was betrayed and would no longer be physically with His disciples He gave His disciples, those who believe in Him, two gifts as most important. He gave them His peace and He gave them His joy. And He does the same for all who believe in Him when they hear the good news of salvation. The Word of truth. This is part of your inheritance that is in operation even now since the one who gave them died, and yet rose again to enforce the inheritance He gave.
The gift of His peace:
“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:25-27.
And the gift of His joy:
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:10-11.
It is My Words that give you joy. My Words of salvation, of healing, of authority, of deliverance, of victory, of prosperity, of forgiveness, of redemption, of blessing, and, above all, of eternal life. But these can all be summed up in one Word: Love. For that is who I am and it is love alone that brings you all that is good, pleasing, and perfect.
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
And that describes Jesus and in seeing Him you are seeing Me.
Live on in My love. How do you abide in love? By keeping My Words as your commandments and not optional. Some obey the command to love one another only when they feel like doing so when all is going their way and others are treating them well. But that is not true love. Love is vigilant to never harm the neighbor. One who loves must think in love, talk in love, and walk in love as Jesus set the standard in the Sermon on the Mount and with His own life on earth.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2.
Love does not lower itself to pettiness and useless arguing. Jesus was patient with the Pharisees hypocritical questions to trap Him but He answered simply with the truth of My Word and ended the argument right then.
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 2 Timothy 2:23-24.
Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Titus 3:9.
You would do well to avoid these things. Speak so as to edify and give grace to those who hear. That is love. Love upbuilds, it does not tear down and shame. It does not tempt others to lust, impurity, or greed. Love always leads to the truth and to the light.
And I would like to add one other gift Jesus left you as your inheritance. His Name, the Name which He inherited from Me. And He told you that anything you ask in His Name, I will do. And that when you ask in His Name, He does it. This is the gift of authority in all that His Name promises. And what is His Name? Jesus, which is your translation. But His Name as I spoke it to Mary and Joseph is the Hebrew word, “Yeshuah,” which means “Salvation.” Pure salvation in every situation. And that is who He is and what His Name does.
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.
But that is for our next Life Lesson.
I love you. Abide in My love and I will abide in you. I am looking for one thing in your heart: Love. My kind of love for you are made in My image and according to My likeness to be of My kind. I am looking for My family to bring you home to the wedding feast.
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:10.
Lift up your heart, lift up your mind, do not get so bound up in space and in time. There are things I will do in the Spirit with you if only you will remain faithful and true.