Loving others because you love God

Today’s scripture:

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22 NKJV)

Well, we made it through all of the Ten Commandments and showing how they are full of giving and receiving mercy. This is what James has to say about the rest of this passage above…

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

Is this a perfect work? No. But, God sees our hearts and He knows the end. He treats us as if we were perfect because of our willing heart. Sanctification is a process. Look at how the Lord worked it out for Peter in John 21:15-19. After Peter denied Jesus three times before the cross, Jesus came back to Peter and redeemed him. As Jesus was asking those redeeming questions of “do you love Me”, He was reminding Peter of what Jesus was calling him to do. He was calling Peter to do mercy by feeding His sheep.

If you do a word study on “love” in this passage, you will find the first two times Jesus asked Peter “do you love Me”, He really uses the word “agape” meaning unconditional love. But Peter’s answers to those two questions was “You know that I love you”, but peter used the word love as “phileo” meaning love as a friend. The third time Jesus asked, He used the word “phileo”. As if to say, “that’s ok Peter, I’ll meet you where you are at.” But Peter was grieved in his heart and said “You know all things; You know that I love [phileo] You.” He was grieved because God showed him what his heart was really like. That he really couldn’t love Him the way he thought he could back at the last supper being so sure of himself. That love would be unconditional of Peter’s circumstances. But God wanted to use him anyway to teach him how to love with agape love.

Agape love is no matter what circumstance your facing, you will obey and honor God with your action of love (mercy). Then Jesus tells him in verse 18 that Peter will die for Him. He will establish in Peter that unconditional love that Peter was so sure that he had for God.

Reflection:

Just a few chapters before this question to Peter, Jesus says if we truly love God, then we will do mercy. We will keep His commands which is doing mercy! (John 14:15) The entire Psalm 119 is about obeying and keeping God’s commandments. Not just obeying them but a desire to obey them because of the great reverence for the one who created us!

Challenge:

Ask God to search your heart and to reveal wither you have agape love or phileo love for him as well as for those in need. But, I warn you to not take this prayer lightly because the answer to this prayer can be quite a challenge.

-Doug McGowan

Knowing that you love others

Today’s scripture:

“… You shall love your neighbor as yourself...” (Mark 12:31 NKJV)

The past few days we have gone through each of the last six commandments, and showing how they are about mercy from our Lord, and these last six show that we need to Love our neighbors with mercy.

Lets take a look at the word neighbor. Who is our neighbor? According to Strong’s dictionary, neighbor means near one or close by or fellow. In other words, anybody who is anybody even if he is an enemy and not just who lives on your street (Luke 10:29-37).

Now, lets take a look at this part that says “…as yourself”. Would you, if faced with the situation that you were going to die, do what ever it takes to stay alive? You have probably heard these stories about people who get stuck out in the middle of nowhere. They are pinned up against a rock or a tree falls on their leg and they can’t get help. They wait and wait for days but when they are faced with the reality and likelihood of facing death by starving. Out of a severe desperation, they whip out that pocketknife and start cutting away that part of their body that is keeping them bound. You will do whatever it takes to keep yourself alive. But what about someone else? Would you stand in harms way for a loved one? Or even give your life to save them? Of course you would!

But here is the next question… Would you even do that for a stranger or even more than that, someone that treats you badly? Isn’t that what Jesus did for us? “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?... Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” This law calls us to give back to what has been given to us.

How ridiculous that may sound… “You shall be perfect just as your Father in heaven is  perfect”! What Jesus is saying here is we must strive to be like Jesus who is perfect. Anyone can love and protect someone who is close to them like a spouse or a family member. But to actually love a stranger or even an enemy is the ultimate love… It is PERFECT LOVE! That is mercy to the highest degree! That type of love just tickles God’s heart!

The commonly told parable found in Luke 10:30-35 shows the perfect story of loving your neighbor. In this passage, a lawyer tested Jesus and trying to justify himself asked Jesus “who is my neighbor”. In this parable Jesus said a certain man was stripped naked and beaten so badly that he was close to death. Then Jesus said a priest who knows God’s word but still walks by out of selfishness and just ignores him. Then a Levite does the same thing. A Levite was someone who assisted the Temple priests. Then Jesus says a Samaritan walked by and had compassion on the poor soul. He not only picked him up but also bandaged up his wounds and cared for him, and then he went the extra mile and paid for him a place to stay while he heals up.

The priest in this passage would be the same to say a pastor or someone that cares and leads people to Jesus by teaching them. And a Levite would be the same as a volunteer of the church or someone who helps the pastor or helps teachers in the church. But what is staggering here is a Samaritan who helps the one who is about to die and being that he came from Jerusalem would suggest he was a Jew, which would also make him an extreme enemy with the Samaritan!

Reflection:

Giving this type of mercy to others, even if they are your enemy, is exactly the Agape love Jesus did for us on the cross. Doesn’t the bible say we were His enemy (Romans 5:10)? We need to heed the law of God. The Pastors and helpers in the church aren’t just called to teach and help, but first and foremost we ALL are called to love our enemies. God could care less about our ministry if we are unwilling to love unconditionally first!

Challenge:

A great place to practice mercy is to do that on to whom you don’t want to. Go to that person that is uncomfortable for you and watch God bless you as you do mercy for them (pray for them, feed them, buy something for them…etc.)

-Doug McGowan

He is all I want

Today’s scripture:

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:” (Phil 4:11 NKJV)

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” (1 Tim 6:6-7)

There is such a joy when you consider that Jesus is all you need in life. I remember in my old life before I gave it to God, I was running after things of this world that I thought was going to satisfy me. I have tried so many things that this world has to offer… money, sex, fame, even power in the demonic world.

Do you have that type of contentment in your life? Do you have that type of closeness with Jesus? Every morning when you wake up, is Jesus on your mind? Do you think about Him in the shower? I don’t mean to get weird about this but the point is, is He always at the forefront of your mind? Do you consider Him in all things that you do?

In my marriage, from an earthly standpoint, my wife is one who I think of a lot. She is the one who I consider talking with when I want to make a fairly big decision. In our relationship with Christ, that is a marriage. It is a holy, eternal, heavenly marriage so, how much more would we be in constant fellowship with our heavenly husband?

Lets look at the tenth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…” – The word house here isn’t just talking about the physical structure of a persons house, rather it is meant that anything that belongs to your neighbor. Oh, and by the way, neighbor doesn’t just mean the person next door to your house or down the street. Neighbor is anyone who is near to you. When your walking downtown or in the grocery store, the person you pass by that is near to you. In other words, anyone in the world.

Have you ever known what it means to be truly content? To be honest, there are times that I get caught up in the greediness and sinful desires of my own heart, but I’m talking about overall, do you still have desires of things that this world has to offer… money, bigger house, nicer landscape, nicer car, a big boat, a better job, or even a different spouse?

You know, if I can use the phrase “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”, there is a lot of truth in that. If you’re not content now, having a better job or more money won’t bring you joy. Let me clarify… It won’t bring you lasting joy! When Christ got a hold of my heart, I had received a peace and a joy that still exists years later! Do I have problems? Of course! Do I wish I had other things? Yes! But I am very careful not to let them rule me because I have something in me that fills all voids in my life and that is a relationship with my creator Jesus Christ!

See, the mercy here is finding contentment. When you have contentment, there is no room for anything else because it is the Lord that fills you up, Psalm 23:1. Jesus is the answer to all problems everywhere. It can’t be that simple…. Well, it is that simple its just not that easy.

Reflection:

Until you surrender your life completely to Jesus, you will continue on searching for things to satisfy your hunger for more stuff. Paul was content because Jesus inside of him took the place of any hunger!

Challenge:

Take a look at your life. Are you content with what you have, but not being content where you are spiritually? Beloved, won’t you please let Jesus fill up what’s lacking in your soul?

-Doug McGowan

Freedom in truth with Integrity

Today’s scripture:

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. (Phil 4:8)

Integrity is a very important part of our walk with the Lord Jesus. I hear so often that people look at christains as being hypocritical or judgmental. Now, I understand that some of that comes from people just wanting to blame someone because they themselves do not want to face what sin they are living in. Unfortunately, christains can be an easy target in that way. However, it is also even more unfortunate that people who confess to be a follower of Christ Jesus live in a way that leaves their integrity at risk.

The verse above covers every area of how a person should conduct himself or herself with integrity. When you have a reputation as someone who is always trying to sidestep the truth or worse yet, lying about someone to get yourself out of trouble or him or her into trouble, you are considered to be someone with a shady character. In all reality, isn’t this the kind of thing we teach 4-year-old children?

When Jesus spoke, He always spoke with truth and authority. He said, “. . . I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.” (John 14:6). Jesus Christ had perfect character and perfect integrity. Now, lets take this part where He says, “no one comes to the Father except through Me.” If Jesus is Truth, which is what He said, then wouldn’t it be the same to say…”I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through THE TRUTH”?

Now, let me clarify something here, I’m not saying if a person lies they are going to hell. But I am saying if you are continuing to live a WAY of life that is shady a lot of the time and your not feeling convicted of it and your not changing your ways, then I would have to encourage you to check yourself and ask the Lord to show you if you belong to Him.

Jesus led the way in which we shall live. He says to follow Him. In everything we do, we need to walk in the light as He is in the light. “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” This can only be done by receiving His mercy of forgiveness and strength to obey His commands.

Because Jesus is “TRUTH”, the truth will set you free (John 8:32). Jesus is the only way we can be set free from the life of bondage. See, when you speak truth, it brings things that are hidden into the light. Sin needs to stay hidden and in darkness to survive and grow stronger. Bringing things into the light kills sin and it breaks bonds.

Lets look at the ninth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” – Basically, don’t lie! Plain and simple. The ways of God is truth and when you bear false witness and lie, your taking on the character of Satan. Satan is constantly trying to deceive you with lies. In the book of Job Satan attacks Job’s character as he talks with God. He says to God, Job will surely curse You to Your face if he looses all You have blessed him with.

The mercy here in this law is truth. You wouldn’t want someone to lie about what you have done or lie about your character. If you lie about someone your taking from them the truth that should be known. Your taking from them the mercy that is needed. Mercy is in the truth because it is something that will set you free and by this will also protect your integrity.

Reflection:

Freedom is in the truth. If you want to be set free from a life of bondage, one of the things you need to put into practice is telling the truth. Not just of other people but telling on yourself! When you know you have fallen into sin, tell on yourself to the Lord Jesus and to someone in spiritual authority. The truth will set you free!

Challenge:

Share with someone today truth about their character for the purpose to build them up and to encourage them. You may have to look hard and even study them but I guarantee you will find at least one or two things that are truth. Do this with today’s scripture in mind.

-Doug McGowan