The Book Of Love - iUniverse

The Book Of Love - iUniverse

Seeking Love

Song of Solomon 3:1-3

[The Shulamite] By night on my bed 

I sought the one I love;
 I sought him, but I did not find him. 
"I will rise now," [I said],
"And go about the city;
in the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love." 
I sought him, but I did not find him.
The watchmen who go about the city found me;
[I said], "Have you seen the one I love?

“Night” in the original Hebrew is plural; the Shulamite has sought him for many nights, and does not understand why it is so, but the Lord is capitalizing on her feelings for him, to draw her out and into his plan and purpose. She sought him in the bed and did not find him; she sought him in the streets and in the squares and did not find him; but we see the heart of a Believer in her seeking, and it is moving toward him. This is a picture of us; by faith we move forward in his plan; we move toward him, worshiping him who we cannot see.
She is not content to stay on her bed and wait, and want, and wish; when she cannot find him she goes seeking, and we who believe are ever seeking him also, for the promise is: "If you seek me you will find me." Wherever we go we ask: “Have you seen the one I love? Have you met him along the way? Do you know where he can be found? Do you know him? Oh, he is the one my soul loves! Do you know about him? If ever you did you would understand why I search.”
But we carry the testimony of God and his love with us, and we meet many who respond to it, for he has put them in the way and prepared the way—the hearts—and many are encouraged in his faith. This is where we find him; not in our bed, but in going forward in his great plan and purpose to take the Gospel of His love into the highways and hedges of the world of the lost. ^{(Mt 22:9-10; Lu 14:23)} What better way could there be to send his love to the lost, than to send it in a soul he loves? What wisdom this is? Seeking him, but finding the lost, and him in the process. So often we think we minister him to people, but we find that he ministers to us through people. We seek the one our soul loves, and we find him in loving souls that are lost. "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." ^{(Lu 19:10)} There are watchmen out in the world watching you, and they will find you; they think they’re not seeking anything at all, but their hearts actually are, and God is seeking them ^{(2Ch 16:9)} But they find her—the Shulamite—who has a heart that is loaded with Love and this love is ever contagious and spontaneous to save souls.

Love Liberates From Knowledge

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant…

Spiritual [gifts] is translated from the Greek, pneumatikos, meaning: spirituality relating to the human spirit as that part of a person that is an instrument of God; i.e. the new heart of a believer. Paul is saying to Corinthian believers: “I do not want you to be ignorant (Greek, agnoeo: without knowledge) and I’m glad you’re not, but I would that your knowledge always be in the proper context—pneumatikos.” Two other words used in the New Testament to delineate knowledge are soul (Greek, pseukikos: the soulish (inner, natural) man) and flesh (Greek, sarkikos: the carnal (outward, fleshly man, 11times). So there are essentially three perspectives on knowledge: 1) the flesh (world-conscious), 2) the soul (self-conscious), or 3) the spirit (God-conscious). In the original language Paul’s tone at the end of Chapter 12 is mocking knowledgeable Corinthian believers for their emphasis on spiritual gifts while many are yet carnal; they love to talk about their spirituality but the way they perceive knowledge reveals much carnality and worldliness.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

PAUL: “Oh, you people say we ought to all be spiritual, don’t you? You’re the knowledgeable ones always talking about spirituality, aren’t you?" [And the Bible uses pneumatikos 25 times—11 times in the letter to the Corinthians. Paul has purposely led us through this chapter up to …a more excellent way (Greek, hyperbole: a way that is beyond natural perspective)]. "Well I’m glad you are knowledgeable—everybody has knowledge—but do let me show you a better way to manage your knowledge—with love!” Now, in the next Chapter of 1 Corinthians, we have the Bible’s word on LOVE but actually God’s Word on love IS the Bible. He is God; and God is love, (1Jn 4:8,16) and the Holy Spirit is love, and our constant Comforter (Jn 14:16-18)—for we have an accuser, accusing us to God, and accusing God to us, the devil, who stands before God day and night to accuse of sin and iniquity. (Re 12:11)

"And who really cares about us? The Psalmist looks to his right and his left but he can find no man who knows him, or cares for his soul. (Ps 142:4) But Jesus does know us, and he does care about us. He is our advocate—who is also before God interceding for us; (1Jn 2:1) and no charge can ever be brought against us on the basis of his shed Blood. We’ve been brought into the Family of God where love—the more excellent way—has made us secure. This is an amazing, incomprehensible, unfathomable love; we need to hear about it continually in order to just begin to grasp the power of its work in and through our lives:" "Mere knowledge puffs us up like a balloon full of hot air, but epignosis fills us up, with all the fullness of God—Love." P Schaller

Love's Wisdom

Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore, get wisdom, but with all your getting get understanding (Pr 4:7)

"Understanding" is to have divine perspective, discernment and instruction in the application of knowledge. If we practice eternal perspective we will understand what the will of God is, (Ep 5:14) we will know that all things are for our sakes, (2Co 4:15) we will know that His thoughts toward us are always good and never evil, to give us hope and a future, (Je 29:11) because He will lead us and guide us with lovingkindness. We will know that we are called beyond the woes of this world to the wonders of eternity. Jesus warns us that in the world we will have tribulation, even as he did himself. (Jn 14:2, 16:33) He also encourages us with assurance that he is preparing a place for us in eternity, and to store up treasures in heaven; where our treasure is there will our hearts be also. (Mt 6:21; Lu 12:34)

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Ro 5:3-5)

If there’s anything we need in the midst of the tribulation of the world it’s to have our hearts fixed on the eternal value system, not the temporal one; while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2Co 4:18) “Treasures in heaven” consist of much more than rewards for good deeds done on earth; they are the development of an eternal relationship with Him through trials of faith in time and space. In Heaven we will have a new name, (Re 3:12) and a “white stone” with a new name written on it, which nobody understands but the one who receives it—and of course, Jesus, the one who gives it. (Re 2:17) Wow!

Wisdom is the application of knowledge, understanding the is application of Wisdom; Love is their link.

The Wonder of the Incarnation of Christ

Most of the religions of the world want us to explain it: “How could God become a man?” And we simply say, “We cannot explain it to you. It is a mystery that must be revealed. But if you will allow yourself to believe, you will be in a state of total wonder, and you will worship God who made you in his image, and you will know Him in a personal way—is not that wonderful that you can know God—and He will satisfy your heart because He became a man for your heart.”

God is love in action—love rushing on a rescue mission.

He never intended His beloved man to be

lonely and miserable, wandering in a dark forest.

That is against His Own nature of light.

God took the initiative in Bethlehem when He became a human being

in the Person of Jesus Christ.

He joined us in the darkness of life and said,

“I am the Light of the world.”

The dark forest of human existence was lit up.

When Christ lived among men, He knew what poverty was.

He was hungry,

sorrowful,

lonely and tired.

He relieved pain in others,

but He experienced the full force of it Himself.

Christ died on the cross;

He bore the shattering responsibility of guilt.

He lifted the heaviest burden from man’s most sensitive part—

his conscience.

He brought peace to his mind

by forgiving the sins which caused the guilt.

Receiving Him is the greatest miracle in life.

Christ called it “to be born anew.”

Paul called it “to become a new person altogether.”

The broken relationship with God is restored.

We are at home with God,

and therefore at home with ourselves,

at home with our fellow men,

and at home in our world.

Festo Kivengere

What kind of Love is this that would leave Heaven to come down to a world inundated with evil, and wickedness, and iniquity; and then willingly surrender its life to pay the price death demands for every sin? (Ro 6:23)

This wonder is so great

as to hold the very angels of heaven spellbound

throughout the ages, (1Pe 1:12)

For God so loved the world;

that He gave His only begotten Son.

The Wonder Of The Rapture

1 Corinthians 15:

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

The resurrected, living, Lord Jesus Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection; he is the literal firstborn of a new species of humanity, ascended into eternity in a glorified, human body that is not subject to the natural laws or physics of a time-space universe—the ultimate destiny of the total person of every believer in him.

35 But someone will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain--perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption, 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. Our natural, body has a material essence with a time-space, physical, corruptible nature; at death it must return to dust. ^{(Jb 34:15)} But it is also the home of our soul and spirit—the spiritual body—the immaterial essence of mankind, which has an incorruptible nature. The spiritual body is released when the physical body dies and will either sink downward into hell, the temporary holding place for the unsaved, generally believed to be located in the literal bowels of the earth; or it is escorted by angels upward to Heaven. ^{(Lu 16:22)} It is notable that in hell the spiritual body is still a captive of a time-space format, as it was before the death of the body. But in Heaven it lives in an eternal format, free from all the laws of natural physics. It is notable also that the spiritual body, unlike the time-space body, is immortal. We might say it this way: We will all live forever, it’s only a question of where; we will be time-space captives, or will we be inhabitants of eternity with God. ^{(Is 57:15)} We will know for sure at the instant of death when the spiritual body is released to go either one way of the other as the body is laid to rest in the dust of the earth.

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 52 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 53 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 54 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"

There is a time of unimaginable tribulation coming upon the earth; God has ordained it for the purpose of shaking the world in one last attempt to save every possible soul that will believe on Him. “…He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever will believe on Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” And He is not willing that any should perish; ^{(2Pe 3:9)} He is also not willing that any who are already believers should experience the tribulation to come; therefore, for us the rapture of the saints is eminent. Oh, what wonderful love it is that will remove His church from a planet about to experience such tribulation. The rapture of the Church will signify the beginning to of this tribulation, which will culminate at the with last, great, World War—Armageddon—7 years later! The trumpets of Heaven sound and the entire world will hear them; then the dead in Christ shall rise. God will resurrect and call up to Heaven every single molecule of every physical body, of every believer, who has ever been laid to rest, to reunite them with their spiritual bodies. And they will not be ordinary, physical bodies, they will be bodies that are glorified—fitted and formatted for eternity, because the corruptible must put on incorruption, and the mortal must put on immortality in order to live in an eternal order. Then the saints that remain on earth will be instantaneously changed—glorified—without ever having to pass through death; in the twinkling of an eye they will be caught up to meet Christ in the clouds. What a glorious, wonderful, hallelujah shouting meeting that is going to be. All who are so blessed as to have this glorious experience will be completely wonderstruck with the reality and beauty of their Savior and King, suddenly before their very eyes.


                      No more sin nature,

                                       no more pain,

                                   no more bad memories,

                                               no more tears,

              no more sorrow,

                            no more hospitals,

                                                   no more cemeteries,

                      no more goodbyes to loved ones

       —and, wonder of wonders—

                                                                                          to see his glory!

                                                    Wonderful !

God Became A Man! Really??

Most of the religions of the world want us to explain how this can be: “God become a man?” And we simply say, “We cannot explain it to you. It is a mystery that must be revealed. But if you will allow yourself to believe, you will be in a state of total wonder at the reality of it and you will worship God, who made you in his image, and you will know Him in a personal way—is it not wonderful that you can know God—and He will satisfy your heart because He became a man for your heart.” How good is that?? God is good! (Psalm 107:1)

God's House

Isaiah 66 (NKJV) 1 Thus says the Lord: "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build me? And where is the place of my rest? GOD: "Where is my house? Is it in Lhasa, Tibet, the Capitol of Buddhism; is it in Madras, India, Hinduism; is it in Rome, Italy, Catholicism; is it in Geneva, Switzerland, Protestantism; is it in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Islam? Where is my house? But it’s in a man; I have a man for my house." And why is a man different from a building, a river, a mountain, or a religion? A man was lost—spiritually dead, cut-off from God’s love—but he has a spirit that is made alive and is now in communion with an Immeasurable dimension. Houses can be measured but this man cannot be measured; rivers and even the universe can be measured but this man cannot be measured because he is indwelt by Love, who cannot be measured. We love to look out over the ocean because our eye does not see an end to it and God has created us for eternity. (Ec 3:11) When we look to the heavens and the stars we love it because our eyes are not stopped; the spirit in a man is amazed and enthralled as it searches the deep things of God. (1 Co 2:10-12) That God has created us to be absolutely forgiven is also exciting to our spirits because they naturally hunger and thirst for eternal things. Tell me something that stirs my heart and touches my spirit, for I have an affinity for spiritual things that reveal immeasurable love. God says, "Where is my house?" If you measure Solomon’s temple you can count the steps; you can measure Noah’s ark, you can evaluate a quantity of gold or silver, and you can even quantify love if it’s only human love. But where is my house? It is in a man; it’s in a man who can comprehend the eternal, who can be loved unconditionally; and forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven, until it breaks his heart and he bows his head and says: Thank you, Lord. I love you! I worship you because you are not a man that is measuring; you are a God that is immeasurable.

What Love Really Is

1John 4 (Amplified)
12 No man has at any time [yet] seen God, but if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to full maturity, runs it’s full course, is perfected) in us!16 And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God and God dwells and continues in him. 17 In this [union and communion with him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world.

Needless to say, human love is anything but perfect; and divine love (agape) absolutely is perfect love and is the highest form of love, but divine love working through human love—phileo—is the highest manifestation of perfect love—agapao: perfect, divine love manifested through imperfect, human love is perfected love (1Jn 4:12)—a unique form of perfect love made possible when Jesus Christ made his soul an offering for sin. (Is 53:10) God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. (2Co 5:21) This glorious event—the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ—opened the way for the New Covenant, the Grace Dispensation, the indwelling of Christ (Ep 3:17, Co 1:27) and the filling of the Spirit. (Ac 2:4) Perfected love is the very thing the angels of heaven desire to look into. (1Pe 1:12) When God created them the first thing ever their eyes did see was the face of Perfect Love. Astonished and overwhelmed with its beauty from the first moment of their existence, they knew this love to be absolutely supreme. But they had not yet seen perfected love, to be revealed in the sinless Christ when he became our sin on the Cross. Now they were amazed when the likes of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and many others would believe and receive a new heart filled with agape; they knew the mystery of it but—like Daniel—for them full understanding was shut-up and sealed, (Dn 12:4) hidden. (1Co 2:7) Now it is revealed! (Co 1:27) Now, as they protect and minister to us (Ps 34:7, 1Pe 3:22) they rejoice (Lu 15:10) knowing that they too have the privilege of participating a ministry of perfected love, and they do so with great zeal. In the history of creation there is nothing comparable to the beauty and wonder of perfect love working through imperfect love to manifest perfected love!

The Wonders of Love

There are many things in a time-space, universe that cannot be explained by its physics and philosophy of life, but we experience them every day, and they are very real and wonderfully amazing. God’s work of creation in nature is wonderful: There is an Alaskan bird that migrates annually, 4,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. God has somehow built an automatic homing device into this little creature’s body that calls it and directs it precisely to its destination. If it deviates but a fraction of a degree it will die because as it begins its migration it has only enough fat stored up to provide the energy it needs to cross the water, and it cannot swim. But God created it with all the necessary elements of life that we’re witness to every day. Another bird migrates from Chile all the way to Canada. And we say, “Can you tell me again about the beautiful monarch butterflies?” and there are thousands of illustrations we could use, all of which fill us with wonder about God’s creation. Have you ever wonder why God does such things? Why doesn’t He somehow let us know exactly how it is that a silly little bird can accomplish something with ease that would challenge even you or I to the utmost? But it is to stir up a wonder in our very heart—a homing device in and of itself that draws us and points the way to Him who loves us. Only a God who is love would have the wisdom that would create a universe filled with all the wonders of nature that we marvel at every day. Mankind is a most wonderful creature of God's creation: I love to be around people to observe, interact, and share ideas and concepts about most anything with them, to listen to them, and laugh with them. This is probably the one thing—other than the love of Christ that constrains me (2Co 5:14)—that equips me to take the Gospel of God into the World. Don’t we love children; ever learning and growing in life, full of wonder themselves, they are a wonder to one and all. Made in the image of God; it must necessarily be that even we are a wonder to Him as He observes every detail of our lives; our decisions, our likes and dislikes, our antics and humor, our joy and sorrow; and He loves us with a love that is the greatest wonder of all. (Je 31:3) “What is man that you would be mindful of him, or the son of man that you would visit him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor.” (Ps 8:4-5) This amazing verse tells us that mankind actually is the most wonderful, highest order of God's creation. “I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Ps 139:14)

God's Channel of Charity

1 Peter 4

8. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 9. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

 

I’m so very grateful to God for our Church, for every Christian Brother and Sister, and for the Body of Christ everywhere, because these are God’s chosen channels of charity, [Greek, agape: divine love (1Co 13)] ministering stewards of His grace (1Pe 4:8-10; He 6:10) and His love. We could say that the essence of grace is the manifestation of divine love; we can see this in many ways and means, but nowhere is it more obvious than in and through the Body of Christ. Of all the doctrines in the Bible, God’s love is one of the most profound by its impact upon every area of life (Christian or otherwise) because love is a need fundamental and essential to our total being—body, soul, and spirit. In the ancient Garden of Eden we lost something that would seal our fate forever: the innate, uninhibited ability to freely receive and give the love of God. But the Son of His love supernaturally intervened in the affairs of fallen mankind to redeem all who trust in Him as Savior. The instant we believe, we are raised-up and made to sit together with Him in heavenly places, that in ages to come He might reveal to us the immeasurable riches of His Love. (Ep 2:6-7) I am persuaded that the love of God is the prominent theme of the Bible. Only the entirety of God’s Word enduring to all generations (Ps 100:5) can even begin to communicate the depths of Love, and it will literally take all of Heaven and eternity to reveal it. After we've been in Heaven for a sqillion years, we will still be learning about Love. If I would call the Bible by any other name, it must be... The Book Of Love.

Let The Dead Bury The Dead

Luke 9:59 Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus says, “C’mon; go forward with me.” “I will but first let me…” “No, that’s going backwards. I want you to move forward with me—right now. Your father or me; you decide… You must decide now, your father’s funeral or me.” I love it that Jesus is not giving us the old “fast sell” routine, like a big contract document with gold and tinsel borders and nice, big letters at the top—then at the very end, lots of demonic, little letters that you need a magnifying glass to read. No, no, no; he puts the bad news right up front in big, bold letters, then the little letters at the end: “…and you shall receive a hundredfold, and you shall inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19:29; Mk 10:30) Jesus: “If you go home to bury your father you will not see me there; I’m on the move, I have something to do. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. (Jn 9:4) I want you to go forward with me—wash your hands of all these little impediments, shake the dust off your feet—pass by worldly distractions that meet you all along the way. I will not beat you; the world will beat you, but I will love you.” Luke 9:60 Jesus said unto him, “Let the dead bury their own their dead: but you go and preach the kingdom of God.’” Sometimes getting our priorities in the proper order is not easy in this world; they’re different for every individual on a given day, and even when we think we finally have them right, they change again. The secret to getting them right every time is in seeking first the kingdom of God (Mt 6:33) or we might just say, “in seeking the one our soul loves”, for when we find our Beloved all other priorities find their proper place, or simply fade into nothingness in the light of His glory. Strange as it may seem, the flesh of the world is not the priority, the love of God in our hearts where we believe something beyond ourselves is the priority, and if we can get that right, the flesh will not be a problem; to get the first priority right is to automatically solve 99% of our other problems. Far and away the greatest problem the world has ever known—make no mistake about it—is in finding the one my soul loves.

Moving On by Faith

Exodus 14 (NKJV) 13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. I love this! When you see the Egyptians coming at you, stand still, see the salvation of God—pay attention, stop, look and listen, receive Love, see salvation, and don’t see the enemies of your soul any more…forever. There are enemies but in order for us to see them for what they are we really do need to stop and pay attention to Love’s thoughts. Our relationship with God is wonderful, as we know in our hearts that awesome, mystical fellowship of faith and peace that enables us to stand still in the presence of our enemies. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." 15 And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Now…lets move out; but I feel, and I hear in the background that idea of standing still, and even moving backwards—the whole idea of even being found in the street: Song of Songs 5 (NKJV) 7 The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took my veil away from me. To the watchmen she had been transformed in to a beautiful person and they were actually puzzled over why she had ever lost her Beloved. They want to help her but their counsel of worldly wisdom makes her feel worse than ever—they persecute the ones you have struck, and talk of the grief of those you have wounded. (Ps 69:26) If her Beloved was hidden from her they think it must be because she has somehow offended him, so they scold and berate her. She is naturally sensitive about her covering being violated and invaded, so the taking away of her veil is to add insult to injury; now her failure is made public, and she would say, “Reproach has broken my heart, And I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” (Ps 69:20) The world at large always wants to get its hands on our faith, to rip it away and expose our every imperfection for all to see—and they will often succeed but only in the measure that God wants to exercise and strengthen our hearts, for it is a faith that works by Love. (Gal 5:6) If we move forward in our faith, if we hear the heart and mind of the Holy Spirit, if we pay attention to the still, small voice of Love, then we stand still in grace, we will see salvation’s work in our life, and we will not see our enemies any more. That’s the promise of God!

Seeking Love

Song of Songs 3 (NKJV)

¹ [The Shulamite] By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. ² "I will rise now," [I said], "And go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love." I sought him, but I did not find him. ³ The watchmen who go about the city found me; [I said], "Have you seen the one I love?"

“Night” in the Hebrew is plural; the Shulamite has sought him for many nights, and does not understand why it is so, but the Lord is capitalizing on her feelings for him, to draw her out and into his plan and purpose. She sought him in the bed and did not find him; she sought him in the streets and in the squares and did not find him; but we see the heart of a Believer in her seeking, and it is moving toward him. This is a picture of us; by faith we move forward in his plan; we move toward him, worshiping him who we cannot see. She is not content to stay on her bed and wait, and want, and wish; when she cannot find him she goes seeking, and we who believe are ever seeking him also, for the promise is: If you seek me you will find me. ^{(2Ch 15:2; Lu 11:9)} And we worship as we go—ministering wherever we go: “Have you seen him? Have you met him along the way? Do you know where he can be found? Do you know him? Oh, he is the one my soul loves! Do you know about him? If ever you did you would understand why I search.”

But we carry the testimony of God and his love with us wherever we go; we meet many who respond to it, for he has put them in the way and prepared the way—the hearts—and many are encouraged in his faith. This is where we find him; not in our bed, but in going forward in his great plan and purpose to take the Gospel of His love into the highways and hedges of the world of the lost. ^{(Mt 22:9-10; Lu 14:23)} What better way could there be to send his love to the lost, than to send it in a soul he loves?? What wisdom this is? Seeking him, but finding the lost, and him in the process. Wow! So often we think we minister him to people, but we find that he ministers to us through people. We seek the one our soul loves, and we find him in loving souls that are lost. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. ^{(Lu 19:10)}

There are watchmen out in the world watching you, and they will find you; they think they’re not seeking anything, but their hearts actually are, and God is seeking them. ^{(2Ch 16:9)} But they find her—the Shulamite—who has a heart that is loaded with Love and this love is contagious and spontaneous to save souls.

Love Passes Knowledge

Ephesians 3

"17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

What do we need to be rooted and grounded in? It’s not knowledge, it's not wisdom; it's not money, and it's certainly not any material thing—it’s love! Yes, love is revealed to us through knowledge, but it’s knowledge (interpreted from the Greek, epignosis: experiential knowledge of Him) that enlightens us in a walk of faith. This knowledge enables us to comprehend the length, width, depth, and height—the time-space, the practical application—of the love of Christ that passes knowledge. There is a knowledge that must be passed by love because, God is love; (1Jn 4:8,16) for we can know His love only in the measure that we can know God, Himself. This is a love that must be experienced—epignosis—not just taught with words of mere knowledge—gnosis—which is knowledge we must be careful with because it can isolate us from Truth. (Jn 14:6)

Little Sins

"Little sins are mighty in their multitude as if they were great sins. We heard that locusts where coming up the valley; kindling huge fires, we hoped to stop them. They were small but it seemed the fires were quenched as they marched over the dead, burning bodies of their comrades; on they went. Before them all was green, behind them all was dry desert. Vines were barked, trees lost every leaf, stretched naked arms to the sky. There wasnt a blade of grass or a sprig upon a tree that a goat might eat. Locusts left utter devastation in their track. Dread then little sin; it will surely multiply."

C.H. Spurgeon

2nd Floor Faith

We're all born on the 1st floor. We may imagine that there is a 2nd floor but we're never quite sure because the 2nd floor is a spiritual realm which cannot be accessed by the natural man. (1 Cor 2:14) Whether we’re aware of it or not, we are somehow ever searching for a mystical stairway to the second floor life because our spirit is made for the unseen eternal realm. (Eccl 3:11) There really is a stairway; His name is Jesus.

Grace & Mercy

“Mercy” has a twin sister; her name is “Grace.” Mercy guarantees that I don’t get what I do deserve: death, the wages of sin. Rom 6:23 Grace guarantees that I do get what I don’t deserve: eternal life! Joh 3:15-16 Concerning my sins, Mercy’s verdict is... NOT GUILTY ! and I’m very, very happy to hear that when I stand in eternity, before the face of Perfect Righteousness and Justice, in person! But then Grace takes it to an even higher level and declares me to be... INNOCENT ! and that’s not all. Then God covers me with a beautiful, luminous, radiant, white robe which is the very righteousness of God himself!