WALKING IN LOVE
-Bruce Biesel
2 John 6 New Living Translation; Love means doing what GOD has commanded us, and HE commanded us to LOVE one another. The truth is this is the second commandment our LORD JESUS gave to us. In fact JESUS gave us two commandments while teaching in the temple courts. Mark tells us in the twelfth chapter that a teacher of the law asked JESUS, "of all the commandments, which is the most important?" HIS answer as read in Mark 12:29-31 N.L.T. "The most important commandment is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our GOD is the only LORD. And you must Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Notice JESUS says, "The second is equally important." and "No other commandment is greater than these." When we Love GOD first we want to please HIM and that is by following HIS commands. That is why JESUS tells us first to Love the LORD your GOD. Then as we show love to our neighbor, that is fellow humans, we are less likely to fall into the trap of sin against one another. This is a much easier way to follow the law. You see, GOD loves us. We where not meant to be a creation that needed to live by rules and regulations, but after the "fall of man" it was necessary for GOD to rid the earth of all people except Noah and his family. So through Moses HE gave us laws to live by.
The Old Testament commandments where put into place as rules for the people to keep. The only problem is they where to hard to follow, possibly because there is not just "Ten Commandments" but more like 613 individual statutes in the Law. But for the moment lets only use a couple of the "Ten" we all know. Just think about the, "Little white lies" or worse we all have told, or of being envious of another's house or boat. These are broken commandments. But CHRIST JESUS said if we follow these two commandments it will cover all others. If we truly Love one another we won't tell lies against them and we will rejoice with them when they are richly Blessed by GOD.As we learn more about this we first must understand the word "LOVE" as it pertains to the Bible, to us and more importantly, to GOD. Below we will continue this teaching in the near future. -Bruce Biesel
Love...is not touchy or fretful or resentful;
it takes no account of the evil done to it--pays no attention to a suffered wrong.
– 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Walking in love is good for your health. Did you know that?
It's true! Medical science has proven it. Researchers have discovered that hostility produces stress that causes ulcers, tension headaches, and a host of other ills.
Now when you think of hostility, you may think of the type of anger you feel when something serious happens. But according to the experts, that kind of thing isn't what causes the worst problems. It's the little things: when the dry cleaners ruin your favorite outfit, for example. Or when the cafeteria lady puts gravy on your mashed potatoes after you've specifically told her not to. Sound familiar?
Just think how much stress you could avoid by being quick to forgive, by living your life according to 1 Corinthians 13 and not counting up the evils done to you. Imagine physical and emotional benefits of living like that!
If you've allowed yourself to be habitually bound by hostility, that may sound like an impossible dream, but it's not! Because as a born-again believer, you have the love of God inside of you.
If you'll yield to that love, it will set you free. Remember when Jesus called Lazarus forth from the grave? He was alive but still bound in the grave clothes. Jesus commanded the bindings to be loosed so that Lazarus could be free to walk.
Jesus wants that same kind of freedom for you. So get into agreement with Him. Say to those deadly habits that have you bound, "In the Name of Jesus, loose me and let me go! I'm putting hostility, unforgiveness and selfishness behind me. I'm going on with God. I'm going to live the life of love!"
Remember: It doesn't take a medical miracle to turn your life around. All it takes is a decision to yield to the force of love. Do it today! www.kcm.org
-Kenneth Copeland
A HEALTHY DOSE OF LOVE
