God's Unusual Method of Promoting You to the Next Spiritual Level - FIA CURLEY CHARISMA NEWS

(Photo by Quintin Keller Published on Unsplash)

God's Unusual Method of Promoting You to the Next Spiritual Level

8/6/2017 FIA CURLEY  CHARISMA NEWS

Our resumes, our online profiles—they all boast our achievements.

And it makes sense. That's what they were designed to do.

Our lives are whittled down to bullet points supported by photos, tweets and descriptive hashtags. So it's not surprising that strangers read a couple of sentences next to our names and feel they know us.

They watch as our lives progress.

The completion of the recent degree?
The birth of the newest child?
The new house or bargain find?

It's all on display so others can see that #lifeisgood and we are #blessed.

Even if we missed out on the promotion, momentarily lost track of our kid at the store, are still living at home with our parents, but managed to save money on our car insurance policy, we want others to know we're #successfullyadulting.

Our social media outlets are designed to convey the same primary message: We are great and greatly to be praised.

Drink the Cup

But in the countercultural kingdom of God, greatness is defined differently.

In Mark 10, Jesus gives an earth-shattering lesson to His disciples who desired positions of prominence in His kingdom. The heir of all things teaches that despite the example of the culture, greatness is found in serving.

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want that whatever we may ask, You would do for us."

He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

They said to Him, "Grant us to sit, one at Your right hand and the other at Your left hand, in Your glory."

But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

They said to Him, "We can."

Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit at My right hand or at My left hand is not Mine to grant. It is for those for whom it has been prepared."

When the ten heard it, they began to be very displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them together, and said, "You know that those who are appointed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever among you would be greatest must be servant of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:35-45).

In this exchange with His disciples, Jesus fields the request for a promise for promotion with gentleness and patience, diffusing any potential arguments among the twelve. Instead of scolding James and John for wanting to be great, He teaches them what greatness actually means and how to achieve it.

Beyond wealth, education, possessions or accolades, God sees our greatness in service.

But Jesus called them together, and said, "You know that those who are appointed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:42-43).

In verses 42 and 43, not only does Jesus point out what is required to be great, but He instructs them as to how to properly go about qualifying for that greatness.

Instead of following the pattern of the leaders and officials that surrounded them, who were willing to push others down as they enjoyed their positions of power, honor and rule, Jesus points them in a different direction. In the kingdom of God, positions are awarded, but the pathways to the positions requested by James and John came through their acceptance of the cup Jesus would fully consume.

Serve With Humility

Jesus also teaches that in serving others, there is a correct way to serve.

We don't become great because we do the right actions. Rather the One who looks beyond the outward appearance and into the heart of every person calls us to a place of humility, worked out and honed through our times of serving.

A desire for greatness is innate. God has made us with a draw to be great and do great things. This is one of the ramifications of being made in the image of God, the only One who is great and greatly to be praised. Like children who observe their Father and want to be like Him, we too have that yearning built within us.

But true greatness and exaltation come with a price and that price is encountered as we travel along the pathway of humble servanthood. Instead of wanting to be great in this age in order to have others marvel at what we've achieved, we can use our greatness to make others great. We can find comfort in our hope of greatness in the age to come and humble ourselves, preferring others before ourselves. He will exalt us in due time (see James 4:10).

Like our Savior, who withheld nothing, pouring Himself out to teach, train, lead and restore those around Him, even when it led to a shameful death on a cross, we too can give of ourselves and invest our lives so that others would also be able to grow and thrive in God's presence, knowing their Maker.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

Jesus called a little child to Him and set him in their midst, and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:1-4).

Yes, be great. Be like Jesus in a broken and hurting world.

Humbly serve others the Lord has placed around you in your sphere of influence.

In your workplace, at your church, during your Bible study, at the grocery store, in your marriage, among your teammates, in your neighborhood—the Lord has a pathway toward greatness for you. But many times, those opportunities for greatness come in small runny-nosed packages, hard work, ill-timed interruptions and the simple, repetitive actions of household chores.

Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the form of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:5-11).

Long to Be Great—God's Way

As we accept God's invitation for greatness, we enter the reality of what He's doing and what He's offering us.

Far beyond the life boasting the six-figure salary or a minimum wage, the Ph.D. or a GED, the latest Tesla or a monthly bus pass, Grammys, Pulitzers or even Teacher of the Year, God uses His distinct measuring stick for determining greatness.

In this life, there are opportunities to be and achieve great things, but His opportunities to serve are designed to launch us past our day-to-day and into the fullness of the ultimate reality of greatness in the kingdom. God is a rewarder and His nature is to reward—not flippantly, but lavishly, based on how we love Him in this age. He will review our lives and, in His grace, He will judiciously reward positions to us based on our response to His kingly leadership over our lives.

Let us answer that internal drive for greatness by pursuing God's design and will for our life. Through our specific skill sets and talents, the Lord will lead us to love and serve others for His glory, both for our benefit and for the benefit of the body, knowing that what Jesus said to the crowd is what will be true for us:

"Truly I say to you, among those who are born of women, there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Matt. 11:11).

For more reading on this topic, see The Seven Longings of the Human Heart, by Mike Bickle with Deborah Hiebert.

Fia Curley serves on the NightWatch at the International House of Prayer Kansas City,participating in prayer, worship, and intercession from midnight to 6am. She enjoys blending her passion for prayer, worship, and journalism as she labors with the Lord to see His goodness revealed to families, government leaders, and immigrants from non-Christian nations.

Readers are Leaders! Subscribe now and get 3 magazines for the price of 1. Get Charisma, Ministry Today and SpiritLed Woman all for $24. YES - Sign me up!

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Click here to draw closer to God!

What If…There Was No Resurrection? - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

What If…There Was No Resurrection?

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-15 NASU)

What if…there was no resurrection, and Jesus’ body decayed in the tomb, just like everyone else who died?

What if, when Miriam came to anoint Yeshua’s body with spices, as was common, that He was still there? And later His bones were found in an ossuary?

What if it really was a hoax, as the Temple priests wanted the world to believe, and the word spread about the disciples hiding His body so they could say that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead, was true?

If it were so, and there was no resurrection on the third day as Jesus had prophesied, then…

…the 12 disciples were complete fools in traveling the world, telling He was alive, and then martyred for nothing.

…Saul from Tarsus saw someone, or something, other than the resurrected Lord, on his way to Damascus to kill believers, and then too was completely mistaken for all his believing years, speaking a false Gospel of hope throughout the Roman Empire.

Years after his encounter of the Lord on that day, he wrote to the Corinthians, describing how not only would their faith be in vain, but “Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:15-19, NASU)

If the resurrection were not so, then “we are of all men most to be pitied.”

What if there were no resurrection?

Then all the men and women through the centuries, who perished by sword, fire, rocks, arrows or bullets, who had proclaimed the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, would not be in heaven, but rather now suffer in eternal hell with all the other non-believers through the ages.

If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, what are we doing, looking to salvation from our sins, if the Perfect Sacrifice had not happened? What hope do we ourselves have for eternity?

“But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 Complete Jewish Bible)

This had been predicted by the Jewish prophets centuries before, that the Messiah would come, and be the One to fulfill the Hope of Israel.

From Isaiah 53:1-12:

“Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,

And like a root out of parched ground;

He has no stately form or majesty

That we should look upon Him,

Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

 Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

 Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

By oppression and judgment He was taken away;

And as for His generation, who considered

That He was cut off out of the land of the living

 For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

His grave was assigned with wicked men,

Yet He was with a rich man in His death,

 Because He had done no violence,

Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

But the Lord was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief;

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,

He will see His offspring,

He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors.”

Because His grave is empty and indeed the resurrection did take place, our faith is on solid ground, and will stand come what may. The testimony of millions, from the first century through today, will ever proclaim that Jesus Christ lives and continues to save the hearts and souls of mankind. Your trust in Him is yet another fact that the world can see to believe also.

The “what if” became the “fact is”, with Jesus being the solid rock to stand on. Truth will always win out in the end.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

 P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

We are blessed when the ministry receives gifts to support the families that we do, primarily in Israel, India, Pakistan and the hurting ones here in the USA. You also can share out of the abundance you have been given.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Click here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People. If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share Now Think On This with your friends.

Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com  

martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin and  Love For His People  

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople 

Blogs: Love For His People,   Now Think On This

Full website: Love For His People

YouTube: Love For His People Inc.

Now Think On This - In the New Year of our Lord 03.25.16 - #252 –“What If There Was No Resurrection?” – Friday at 4:30 pm

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

9 Signs of the Modern-Day Remnant Church - JOSEPH MATTERA CHARISMA NEWS

There is always a true remnant left during times of apostasy and persecution. (Flickr/Creative Commons)

9 Signs of the Modern-Day Remnant Church

1/21/2016 JOSEPH MATTERA  charisma news

As the persecution of the Bible-believing church becomes more intense, there will be a greater manifestation of what I am referring to in this article as the "remnant church." By remnant church, I am referring to the surviving vestige of the body of Christ that remains true to biblical principles in spite of cultural opposition.

There is always a true remnant left during times of apostasy and persecution. Elijah the prophet found out that God always preserved a remnant, by His grace, that held true to the faith (1 Kin. 19 and Rom. 11:2-5). By remnant church, I am not merely referring to so-called "cultural warrior" churches who seem to always be battling for a cause (which can be part of it, although the gospel is always much bigger than one social cause).

I am also not referring to so-called Christian churches that do idiotic things (like burning the Quran) or exhibit intentionally hostile (and un-Christlike) behavior by so-called churches (such as the Westboro Baptist Church). (I cringe even calling this group of hate-mongers a church.) I am, however, referring to those of plain and simple faith and obedience to the Word of God, which is practiced by humble, people-loving, community-serving, compassionate churches that do not compromise the Word of God.

The following are characteristics of the modern-day remnant church:

1. They will become more entrenched in the Word of God the more the world opposes them.

The more resistance they face, the more the remnant church will become resolute in their faith (sort of like the way the muscles in our body get harder with resistance training). Instead of compromising the message of the Word, they may change their method of presenting the gospel but will never even consider watering down biblical ethics, values and the message of the cross of Jesus Christ.

2. They will become the vilified in society.

The remnant church used to be merely unpopular in the past but has now gotten to the point where they are hated. It is very apparent that Christian values are constantly mocked, such as by popular voices like Bill Maher, Rachel Maddow and the like. This can give you an idea on how popular it is to hate biblical Christianity.

3. They will preach countercultural biblical messages.

The remnant pastors will continue to preach the gospel of Christ, which always has vast implications related to human sexuality, the sanctity of human life, the definition of marriage and family and such; albeit, they should apply the gospel to cultural issues in a wiser, more winsome way. The remnant church will remain faithful in preaching the gospel in spite of the possible backlash they can receive from church attendees and or the public.

4. They will produce the most committed Christians and make disciples.

It is a known fact that liberal, progressive, compromising churches are shrinking, while conservative evangelical churches are the ones growing in numbers. Also, when a church is on the tip of the spear in regards to biblical truth, it is able to produce disciples because it takes great sacrifice to believe in Jesus in the midst of hostile environments. Consider the Christians still living in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Northern Nigeria, Sudan and similar persecutory regions. Compromising churches produce wimpy believers and the remnant church produces committed disciples.

5. They will experience a greater presence and power of God than other churches.

The first-century church was a hated minority, yet the great power and presence of God that accompanied its ministry (Acts 3-5)! I have found the more difficult it is to confess the truth of the gospel, the more God shows off His glory! Where sin abounds, grace does more abound (Rom. 5:20).

6. They will become more visible and distinct as the culture becomes more decadent.

I believe that in any entity, secular or religious, about 25 percent of its members are the most committed to its vision and mission. They are the ones willing to endure the most pain for the cause. That means that most of the people in any entity detach when the going gets tough. From this we can expect that the harder it becomes for the church to practice biblical Christianity, the more evident it will become who the remnant church is.

7. They will be more excluded and separated from mainstream secular evangelical churches and denominations.

The more uncool it becomes to be a biblical church, the more the so-called cool (or, as I call them, compromising) churches will distance themselves from the remnant church. Presently, it is still not as easy for the average person to discern between remnant and compromising churches. (Most folks still lump us all together.)

However, as the heat gets turned up more and more, compromising pastors and churches will choose to accommodate culture and compromise Scripture, thus making a clearer distinction between the remnant and mainstream church. Not only that, these (compromising) pastors and churches will continue to do their best to distance themselves in public from remnant pastors and churches. (This is what happened in Nazi Germany when the nationalistic churches separated from the confessing churches to avoid persecution and death.)

8. The remnant church will change the world.

Sometimes God allows difficult circumstances to weed out the uncommitted followers from the committed followers. (Read the story of Gideon's army of 300 in Judges 7.) As it was during the days of Elijah, the early church period and the time of the Confessing Remnant Church in Nazi Germany, only the remnant has what it takes to change the world! Only the remnant church has the conviction, the sacrifice, the devotion, the endurance, the message and the power to change the world. The compromising church will enjoy their temporary popularity in the present time, but those who are wise and turn many people unto righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever (Dan. 12:3).

9. The remnant church will endure while the compromising church will fade away.

In Malachi 3:16-18 God promises that He has written a book of remembrance for those who speak of Him and fear His Name. The reward for them (the remnant) is that He will spare them as a man spares his son. The implications of this are vast. While the spiritual children of the compromising church will probably become agnostic, the children of the remnant will carry the torch of Christ to the next generation, which will increase in strength and do greater works (John 14:12). The remnant church goes from strength to strength and faith to faith (Rom. 1:17). Meanwhile, the compromising church goes from strength to weakness and from faith to apostasy and eventually into oblivion.

May God help us all remain faithful to the end and participate in the remnant church. 

Joseph Mattera is an internationally known author, futurist, interpreter of culture and activist/theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence nations. He leads several organizations, including The United States Coalition of Apostolic Leaders (uscal.us). He also has a blog on Charisma magazine called "The Pulse." To order one of his books or to subscribe to his weekly newsletter go tojosephmattera.org.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

Field Trip to the Gates of Hell! 😳

Ron Cantor - Israel

Video: A Field Trip to the "Gates of Hell"  <WATCH VIDEO> Imagine that you wake up one day in the Galilee and Yeshua says to you and the other disciples, “Come on guys—we’re going on a field trip!” In Matthew 16 we see Yeshua and his disciples heading north from Capernaum, His headquarters. By car, it only takes an hour. But by foot, it is a good 12-hour hike. So why would Yeshua take His disciples on such a journey and to where they going? The answer is fascinating!

Sharing Love From Sweden - LOVE IN THE CHURCH IS NEEDED - Eva Haglund

LOVE IN THE CHURCH IS NEEDED - Eva Haglund

In the world today we find egoism and lack of love. Also among Christians we can find lack of  love. The church has  sometimes become more of a club than a family as it was meant to b. Some  think the church is a usual building and that we go to church - not that we are the church.  As a temple can be built God also wants this temple of living stones to come together, with Jesus as the cornerstone.

In 1 Corinthians 12 it is written that as in a usual body the members need each other. We need each other with Jesus as the head. We need contact with Christians,  not just in a church building. There needs to be more fellowship and real friendship. Jesus talks about love among Christians in John 15: 12-13 when He says, "This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you." He wants it to be deep friendship among Christians. Jesus also says in John 15: 13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends." He talks here about real friendship among Christians. 

Jesus showed his disciples, His friends, to wash each other's feet. I think it can be a picture of showing care and love to each other, humility as a servant. Jesus gave all for us like a servant in love. He showed the greatest love at Calvary, suffering so much by free will for us. We need friendship with Jesus first. We can understand about having first love for Him in a relationship in the Song of Solomon about  His Bride - the church.

To show love among Christians is like a sermon we can give to the world - that God is love. The world is full of people who need love. Sometimes people who are ill and poor are looked down at even among some Christians. God wants love to flow and that all people are treated with respect and love and seen with the same value.

In John 17:21 Jesus prayed that love will be a testimony to the world. I think it also means  in attitudes and about fellowship, friendship and care. If also Christians stand together as one in an area it is a testimony to the world. Christian cafes can be good when Christians from different Christian backgrounds get together.  Fellowship, care and love also open up for sharing the gospel and caring about people. Talking to people can give opportunities to share the faith.

In John 21 we see that Jesus was eating breakfast with the disciples and had fellowship. In Acts 2:46 the disciples ate in the houses and had fellowship. I think God wants to restore more of this among us. Abraham had a heart of love and care as we see when the angels came in Gen 18. The Bible also talks about hospitality. When Jesus was teaching in a home where Mary was listening at His feet I also think there was fellowship.

We  can read in Rom 9:1-3, "I tell you the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh." We find  here a heart full of love. Sometimes Christians live far from each other but in Acts I do not think people who lived in one area lived so far away from each other. You can have good friends in other parts of the world.  I also think it is good to have close friends where we live . In  Ps 133:1-3  we also read about living close to each other.

It is written, "Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious oil upon the head running down the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, life forevermore."

Even when we go through times of loneliness, as for instance David, God can give back in this area, too. In times of loneliness we can learn to know Jesus better as our first Friend as David and Joseph did. We need  Jesus first but we also need fellowship and love among Christians. I think we are in a new time when God wants to restore more of the love in the church, the spiritual temple, as it was meant to be in preparation of Yeshua/Jesus coming back. We need each other and the world also needs love from Christians.

We Need a Revival of New Testament Love by Lee Grady

We Need a Revival of New Testament Love 

by Lee Grady

Identity Network

 

We who call ourselves Spirit-filled Christians are notorious for overusing the term "revival." If we get a standing-room-only crowd in a church for more than three nights in a row, and those people end up swooning on the floor after the altar call, we start hyping things up and comparing the meetings to the First Great Awakening.

 

But what exactly are the signs of a genuine move of God? Lately I've been buried in Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians to find the answer to that question. After all, one of the most explosive spiritual awakenings in history took place in the Greek city of Thessalonica. It was a headquarters of ancient paganism (and just three hours from Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods), yet when the gospel was preached there it triggered a chain reaction of miracles and mass conversions.

 

Spiritual Explosion

 

Paul said of the spiritual explosion in Thessalonica: "Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thess. 1:5a). A riot erupted, Paul was run out of town, and the new Christians were persecuted. Yet the attacks couldn't stop them: The impact of this move of God was so forceful that within a short time the newly converted Thessalonians spread their faith throughout most of Greece (see v. 8).

 

So we could say that biblical revivals always include: (1) powerful preaching that brings heavy conviction of sin; (2) supernatural miracles that display God's power and confirm the message; (3) notable numbers of true converts who share their faith aggressively; and (4) persecution from those who resist the gospel. But after reading 1 Thessalonians a few more times I noticed one additional hallmark of genuine revival that we often ignore: (5) remarkable, sincere love that nurtures the growing Christian church.

 

We all want the miracles. We long to see mass conversions. But we forget that New Testament revival doesn't happen without New Testament love. I see this love manifested in some specific ways:

 

1. Servant-hearted Leadership.

 

The apostle Paul and the leaders on his team did not think of themselves as "all that." They weren't pulpit stars. They didn't ride in limousines or demand five-star hotel rooms. Paul was even willing to work a job so he wouldn't be a burden to the Thessalonians. He told them:"Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our very own lives, because you had become very dear to us" (1 Thess. 2:8).

 

In today's "Spirit-filled" churches, some pastors have morphed into hipster CEOs who appear only in the pulpit and on the video screen. They may bring a powerful message, but the idea of personal impartation has become a relic of a bygone era. In the era of the iChurch, we really can't get on the people's level. That's too bad, because sermons alone don't make disciples. People need a personal touch from leaders who feel deep affection for those they are discipling.

 

2. Selfless Investment.

 

When Paul was in prison, he didn't throw a pity party or feel bad for himself. He was thinking 24/7 about the people he had led to Christ in Thessalonica. He desperately wanted to see them again. They were in his heart. He prayed for them constantly "that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith" (3:10). That kind of selfless love, modeled by humble leaders, sets the bar high for the entire church.

 

3. Slobbering Affection.

 

The word "brethren" appears in 1 Thessalonians 17 times. Paul understood that when we join the community of the redeemed, we are bonded together by the Holy Spirit who lives in all of us. That precious spiritual bond should be treasured. That's why Paul wrote: "May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another" (1 Thess. 3:12). He knew the true measure of Christian maturity is fervent love.

 

Paul also told the Thessalonians: "Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss" (5:26). Today we explain this verse away by suggesting that kissing was a cultural tradition that doesn't apply to us. Really? I've been in churches where people keep their polite distance, and their lack of affection is an indicator of their icy spiritual condition. Some people criticize what they call "sloppy agapé," but I've learned that when Christians hug and kiss each other, they are also more prone to be passionate followers of Jesus.

 

Paul cared deeply about his followers and he told them: "We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children" (2:7). There is a direct connection between extravagant love for each other and the spirit of New Testament revival. Let's rediscover it.

 

Lee Grady

www.fireinmybones.com

Sign up to receive our daily articles and receive 2 FREE MP3 Teaching Downloads

by Jeremy Lopez automatically.

 

(New Subscribers Only Please) 

 

*The Seeing Process of a Seer

*What Next God? Discouraged After Your Prophetic Word.

 A $20.00 Value

 

 

 

 

 

The Art of Life Coaching

Secrets of the Hidden Heart Revealed

E-Book PDF Download

By Jeremy Lopez
Price: $15.99
Sale! $8.99

Click HERE to order.

 

Print Friendly