Cords of love

Hos 11:4I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

Cords are in the Bible an example of Love. These cords of love, was holding up the pillars that held the fence around the tabernacle. The Bible teaches us there was one that want on the outside, and one that went on the inside. The cord inside represent the love for God and his word. The cord outside represent the love for the lost world. Together they kept the fence straight and in balance. This is an example on how we should keep our life in balance. Balance between love for God, his word and holiness, and with love for the sinner.

This is what Jesus talked about when he said the whole law was resting on these two commandments. Love God with all of your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Stay balanced.

The greatest commandment

^{Mark 12:28} One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus hadgiven them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

The most important commandment is not that God is One. That is a misunderstanding. You cannot command something to be that already are. Notice, he doesn’t say to believe God is One. He says: God is One. He just states the fact. You cant command that the earth is round. It is round, whether you believe it or not. What you believe WILL not change that fact. If you believe God is one or three, will not change the fact that God is indeed One.

No, the command is not that God is One, but to LOVE that one God. With ALL of your heart. With ALL of your soul. With ALL of your mind and strength. As a matter of fact, the bible teaches us that you can be as perfect as possible, you can have all faith, you can have all knowledge and wisdom, but if you do not have LOVE you are nothing!!!

To Love your God comes before anything else. And IF you love him, all the other will fall in place.

A perfect heart

2 Chron 16:9For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. 

God is searching ! Not for talents. Not for orators. Not for gifted musicians, or singers. Not for A students from Bible school. He is not searching super spiritual people with great faith. He is not looking for kind people willing to give all they have to the poor.

No, God is looking for a heart. A heart that is perfect toward him. In this search the bible says he found David. A man after mine own heart. He did not find a great leader, or strong warrior. He found a heart that loved him. A true worshipper. One that wrote songs out of his inspiration and LOVE for his God.

1 Cor 13 says if you have all the knowledge in the world. If you have all faith to even move mountain. If you give all you have to the poor. But do not have love. You are nothing.

You may feel you are small and insignificant. That you don't have a lot of talent and little to offer in the Kingdom of God. All you need is to offer your heart. Love God. Love his word. Love his name. Love his church. Jesus said the whole law could be summed up in one command. LOVE your God with ALL OF YOUR HEART. Thats all we need to focus on.

Get rid of Lot

Gen 13:8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

9Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

In this story we know Lot pitched his tent close to Sodom, and Abraham drew near unto God. Where and how do you want to live your Christian life? As close to the world as possible, just like Lot? Or as close to God as possible, just like Abraham?

Abraham said to Lot, separate yourself from me, because we are pulling in two different directions. I want to come closer to God, while you want to get closer to the world.

We need to separate ourselves from all and everyone that are pulling us away from God.

2 Cor 6:17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Who is your Lord

Judges 21:25In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

It says there was no King. Yet, it actually was. God was suppose to be their King. But they rejected him as their King. God told the prophet Samuel that they had rejected him as King. So now, everyone did what was right in their own eyes. They didn’t do wrong deliberately, but what they thought and meant themselves was right.
This is really the spirit of the world today. No one tells ME what to do. I know what’s best. I know what’s right.

The original sin of the Devil was not pride, but self will. He was tired of God telling him what to do. Five times prior to his fall, he stated: I WILL. I will ascend into heaven, I will be like the most high, I will…..etc etc.

The question the first church was established on was: Men and brethren, what shall we do?

An honest question from you heart, wanting to know Gods will and desire, is what is pleasing to him. Even Jesus himself showed us the way, being the opposite of the Devil. He said: Not MY WILL be done, but your will be done. Being a Christian starts with crucifying YOUR WILL and give your life and will to him. Jesus said, why call ye me Lord Lord and do not do what I say?

Who is Lord in your life. You? Or Jesus?

Love is greatest

1 Cor 13:13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Love is greatest. Love was there before there was any faith. Love was there even before there was any hope. We were all once without God and without hope in this world. But God loved us when we were yet sinners. Love was there before faith, and love will be there when faith is gone.
There are times when we don’t have faith. Even though we want to. Sometimes our faith is not so strong that we can say I am convinced. Without the shadow of any doubt. In those times we cling to hope. We say: I hope it will happen. I hope God will heal. I hope God will deliver. I hope there is a solution. But there are even times when Hope is seemingly gone. There is no hope. Everything is black and hopeless. In those times, Love will carry us. Love will never fail. Who shall separate us from the love of God…… Paul says: 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

LOVE lifted me, LOVE lifted me. When NOTHING else could help, LOVE lifted me !!!