No, I did not draw the picture. But I am very attracted to the style. This is one of the pictures hanging up in our living room. I think it's beautiful.Today was more of the Childrens Summit. Amazing, still. I got to hear a womans testimony about how the Lord led her to adopt, and to hear her heart on adoption. Adoption and fostering children is in my future, I KNOW this. But to hear someone's testimony just set me on fire. James 1:27 says this, "Religion taht God our Father accepts as PURE AND FAULTLESS is this: ------> To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." To identify a widow, Tracie Loux, the speaker, defined it as "a man or a woman without a spouse, including single parents." And orphans, "a child without a parent who is able to take care of them. Amen.
Tracie went on to pierce our hearts with the reality of this verse. This isn't just something we pray others will do. Religion that God accepts is to take care of widows and orphans. Practically. Adoption, fostering, supporting. Children in our own homes, in our spheres of influence, and reaching out to widows and orphans, is how we live out this verse. Jesus brought the children to Him, and we are to do this as well. Not overlooking one. We live in broken times, where most homes are fatherless, or just utterly broken. We will be held accountable for not speaking hope into the children in our lives and reaching out to speak hope into the widows and orphans. And not separating them in "church" but recognizing that they are part of the church, so, in Jesus' words, "Let them come."
We also talked about walking out the Spirit of Adoption in our own lives. Because until we know that we are adopted into God's family, we cannot share that to others. This struck a nerve in me, and God had me look inward. I was reminded of a prophecy I got three years ago here. And of course, it has to do with caves. I was told that I was a spelunker, one who searches caves. Goes deep, to find treasures. Treasures, even within me. As I looked inside my cavern, inside my depth, I felt empty, and I saw a lot of brokenness that I have yet to turn over to God. And I was whining a lot to God, wanting things to be another way. But He is good, and gently reminded me that I am not a loss. He will never leave me nor forsake me (Joshua 1:5). Walking the journey is what I am called to do.
I didn't have peace about that until EGS tonight. Mike Bickle spoke on the first and second commandment. Here are some highlights that touched me, and I hope you eat them up, because they are powerful statements:
Based on the scripture Matthew 22:37-40, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. " The second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
~The first commandment ALWAYS leads to the second. If the second is first, then it's empty, it makes ministry an idol in our heart.
~Loving people is LIKE loving God.
~4 stages of love
Receiving revelation of God's love for us, this is the foundation truth that equips us to love God.
Receiving God's love for Jesus.
Loving ourselves in the grace of God. We love our neighbor as we love ourselves in the grace of God by knowing who we are in Christ. Agreeing with God about our value is different from loving ourselves in selfish ways. As we get our eyes off of others (envy) and off our failures (condemnation) we value and even love who God made us to be. Self hatred charges God with bad leadership.
Loving others is the greatest work of the Spirit, and is the ultimate proof of His work in the human heart. As we love God and ourselves, we overflow in love for others. Love is magnified, displayed, most in our most familiar relationships. Our every day relationships.
~Love for others like loving God flows from regularly encountering God's love for us.
~It takes seeking to love Jesus with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
~To walk in love requires the Spirits power to energize us by regularly having our emotions stirred and strengthened by the subtle impressions of the Spirit. Christianity is an on-going encounter of love with a Person (Jesus). Rom. 5:5, "Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearths by the Holy Spirit." We cannot follow through with love without the power of the Holy Spirit. Mom's really want to love, no one is more devoted than a mother, but without Holy Spirit, it is impossible to love well. We must love ourselves to have power and energy to love others.
~We have to re-order how we think. We by nature are self-consumed so it takes the power of the Spirit to walk this out. Because all people are made in the image of God, they deserve to receive love from us, the love that receive from God.
~Love is the source behind all of God's eternal purposes.
~The call to walk in love is given in context of God releasing His supernatural provision to us by prayer. The foundation of this commandment is a revelation of the Father's love and a prayer life based on trusting His leadership. an important aspect in loving people is seen in embracing a lifestyle of fasting and prayer so that we are prepared to release more of the power of the Spirit to them.
~Since people are eternal spiritual beings they need more than just having their physical needs met (not just doing an outreach and going home).
~We must define love on God's terms not by the humanistic culture that "seeks love" without reference to obedience to God's Word. Compassion movements will cause us to be weaker in alignment with Jesus.
~The superiority of love is seen in its permanence in eternity.
~No investment of love is forgotten, wasted, or lost in God's sight. The ONLY thing that profits us is what God remembers
~Love is the greatest. Faith (agreement with God's Word) is the way to release the gifts of the Spirit. Love is the purpose for them. Faith is how the gifts function. Love is why they function. Hope stabilizes us. We must be strong in faith and anchored in hope to walk in love.
Good night friends! I am going to the airport in the morning to pick up Ross and Tyler!!! Luahvuhl meets the KC. Awesome!
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