Selfless Faith

John 1:1 from the Amplified Bible reads “IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.”

There is also a footnote to this verse from Bible Gateway that reads: In John’s vision (Revelation 19), he sees Christ returning as Warrior-Messiah-King, and “the title by which He is called is The Word of God… and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:13, 16).

Lord we thank You for coming into this lowly world to die for us on a rugged cross. However, we know that You were here in the beginning. Only You truly knows when the beginning was and when the end will come. Although, we haven’t always been with You, You have ALWAYS been with us as You were with the children of Israel as they wandered through the desert. You have given us the greatest gift we can ever receive, so in return we offer You our lives as a living sacrifice. You have clearly revealed to us time and time again you are the God of the living and not of the dead. Thank You for being there since the beginning. Lord I worship You because you are GOD and I love YOU because YOU first loved me! Thank You for always being with us even when we were lost and were roaming with no particular destinations ahead. You had the patience to still be with us! From our lowly hearts to Your mighty heart, Thank you God just for being YOU!

John 15:14-15 in the Amplified Bible reads:

¹⁴You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do.

¹⁵I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.]

We are never alone. If you have ever felt that this world has left you out or left you behind because of the fast pace it moves at, remember that Jesus calls us His friend. This is a friendship far greater and far more worthy than any friendship we can ever experience on earth. Never doubt God’s love for us. He tells us exactly how much He loves us in John 3:16. Then Jesus tells us exactly how much He loves us in John 15:9. Then He shows us how much He loves us by dying on the cross. As Jesus said, there is no greater love than someone who would lay down His life for His friends. He laid down His life on the cross for us, and in turn, that makes Him our friend!

John 15:13 from the Amplified Bible reads “No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.”

We have never truly loved someone until Jesus comes into our lives through His Holy Spirit, reformats our mind, body, heart and soul, and teaches us how to truly love another as He loved and continues to love us. We often take the phrase “I love you” for granted, but deep in our hearts, it is only the first part of what we really mean. What we really mean is “I love you up to this point” or “I love you because…(and there are many ways we can finish this statement)” However, with Jesus as our guide, we will love each other because He is love. He instills inside of us unconditional (Agape) love. We understand that we are not perfect to each other, but the love of Jesus is the glue that keeps us together. We can say we love someone, but we will never know how much we do until that love is tested in unforeseen circumstances. Assuredly, the love we possess for one another will truly reveal itself as the love of Christ was revealed on the cross.

Our prayer on love is a simple one, “Lord, teach me how to love as You love me.” As Jesus said to the disciples, whatever you ask in My name to the Father, it shall be given.

Matthew 22:36-40 reads from the Amplified Bible:

³⁶Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light--which are heavy?]
³⁷And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).
³⁸This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.
³⁹And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.
⁴⁰These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.

It is quite interesting that people still put so much emphasis on the 10 commandments. It has become a way to measure up against others by saying “I don’t commit adultery, I do not murder, I do not steal, etc. Also, it is being used as a way to display knowledge or significance that we can recite the commandments. Jesus never did away with the commandments, He merely simplified them to two basic commandments so we would not have the same issues before He came, while He was here, and sadly enough after He physically left.

He said the GREATEST commandment is to love God with your all, and the second is like the first which is to love your neighbor as yourself. We wouldn’t lie, kill, steal etc. from ourselves because we love ourselves too much; in the same sense we should not do it to our neighbors. With these two commandments being the greatest, it in turn overwrites, but also raises the standards of the ten original commandments given by Moses. Once filled with the Holy Spirit, it naturally fills you with those two commandments and we will automatically keep the original commandments. If someone asks do you know the 10 commandments, simply respond to love God with my ALL and to love YOU as I love myself.

God bless you all!

Exodus 3:14 reads “And God said to Moses ‘I Am WHO I AM.’ He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent you.’”

God only said “I AM” to Moses. It seems God may not have finished what He was going to say, or not entirely sure who He was. That is not the case. God left the statement opened because “HE IS” ALL that we need Him to be. So When God says “I AM” it can be completed by: Mighty, Strong, Prominent; All Sufficient; Provider; Healer; Peace; Righteousness; and the list can go on and on. He is ALL that we can ever need Him to be.

Jesus, in the new testament also declares who He is through the “I AM” statement as well. Jesus declares “I AM”: creator (John 1:3); Savior (John 4:42); Light (John 8:12); the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6); and that list also can go on and on.

Remember dear brothers and sisters, ALL that we need is provided by the great “I AM.” Do not be burdened, troubled or worried. We are being protected by the GREAT Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.