March 17, 2024 • 31 mins
Father is loving each one of us so uniquely that we can tangibly feel His love as we learn to receive from Him. But is it just for us? In this message, Jen encourages us that it is receiving and embracing His love, that allows us to love and embrace other’s well.
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Jen Reding (00:01):
I know last time Brant prefaced his speaking with
I haven't spoken for a while.
I kind of feel the same.
I only speak when I hear theFather telling me there's
something to share, and thismessage was kind of on the back
of my mind for a while, butnothing really.
(00:23):
Until about a week ago.
I was like yep, so I want totalk about and I'm just asking
Father, just download everythingthat you gave me for this
morning and I just prayreceiving that we've been in.
And I want to talk aboutembracing the love of the Father
(00:52):
so that we can embrace lovingothers.
Well, I'll start with a verse.
You know this verse.
Most of you do.
I have made you known to themand will continue to make you
(01:12):
known in order that the love youhave for me may be in them and
I myself may be in them.
Have you experienced the loveof the Father?
Do you struggle with this verse?
(01:35):
I mean, do we get this verse?
Probably not.
If we really got this versethat the love you have for me
might be in them and that Imight be in them, like if we
really got this verse, I don'tthink we'd have any cares.
(01:59):
I don't think we'd have anyanxiety or insecurity.
Maybe I'm speaking to myself,but I kind of think this is
probably true for everybodyFather is loving you as much as
he loves Jesus.
Ooh, ooh, yeah, and we can havethe same relationship with the
(02:33):
Father that Jesus did.
Ooh, ooh.
Do you struggle with that alittle bit?
I know I did and I have, and Ijust want to say it's true.
(02:54):
Do you think that this is alittle preposterous, maybe
sacrilegious?
I know I've struggled like thatwith it, maybe just a little
bit still sometimes.
But I just encourage you, takeit to him, ask him about it,
meditate on it, because it'strue, it's always good to
(03:16):
struggle to get the breakthroughof the revelation and I think
sometimes we operate in so muchshame, kind of like hunkering
down, cowering, a little likewe're afraid to really stand
before our father and go whoa,you do love me as much as you
love Jesus.
I'm worthy.
It's because of the blood ofthe lamb Whoa.
(03:39):
And then another one, john 17,13.
I love this one in the Passionwhere it says I pray this is
Jesus speaking that they willexperience and enter into my
joyous delight in you, so thatit is fulfilled in them and
(04:06):
overflows.
What does that mean I just loveto picture.
There's Jesus is loving theFather and the Father's loving
Jesus.
It's all back and forth.
And then there's Holy Spirit,airy and beautiful, just
floating in between.
They're loving each other.
It's continual, it's ongoing,it's always been and it always
(04:30):
will be.
And he's saying we get to enterinto that oh experience and
enter into my joyous delight inyou, so that it's fulfilled in
them.
I kind of think that means itreaches the tipping point.
It keeps building.
We keep getting more revelationand so it till it almost, I
(04:53):
like to think, reaches thetipping point and it overflows.
Don't you want that we'rereceiving so much of the love of
the Father that it just keepsbuilding and building and
reaches it and overflows, sothat all that comes out of us is
love.
I'm starting to say that to theFather daily.
(05:14):
I heard sorry, I borrowed thatone from Leonard Hayes when he
was here last June.
I remember he said when I getto be a little old man, when I
get to be a little old man, allthat I want to come out.
If someone pokes me, all that Iwant to come out of me is love.
(05:34):
So I took that on.
I was like Papa, when I get tobe a little old lady, all that
comes out of me is love.
And you know, we can walk into aroom and we can change an
atmosphere.
Right, you know that analogythey use.
What is it?
The thermostat or thethermometer?
And so often myself included,really I'm speaking to myself.
(05:59):
We can go into a room and justbe the thermometer.
We take the read on what'sgoing on and we sort of fit into
that.
But he wants us to be thethermostats where we change the
environment because of the loveof God in us.
We go into our workspace or wego to the playground with our
(06:20):
kids and there's a mom who'shurting and we change the
atmosphere because theatmosphere, because the love of
the Father is flowing out of us.
So you know, that's what I wantto be.
I don't do it always perfectly,but I want to be the thermostat
.
All right, so, and thenEphesians 3.18, that you, being
(06:42):
rooted and established in love,may have the power, together
with all the Lord's people, Iwould say with the saints.
That must be a version Imemorized to comprehend how wide
and long and high and deep isthe love of Christ and to know
this love that surpassesknowledge, that you might be
filled to the measure with thefullness of God, and the only
way you can do that is byrevelation is you're asking
(07:05):
Father to give you open youreyes of your heart to understand
his love for you?
Oh, by the way, I've beenmeditating on a new verse this
week and I want to share it.
You know, just as we weresaying open up your hearts, have
faith to receive healing duringworship, have faith to receive
(07:27):
physical and emotional healingduring the preaching of the Word
of God.
It's his anointing, it's hisWord, and in Psalm 107.20, it
says he sent his Word and healedthem.
So if you need healing in yourhearts today, if you need
healing in your bodies, justposture yourself in faith and
(07:49):
expectation to receive, receivein his presence, the worship,
the communion together, thefellowship with one another.
But I want to go on.
If he's asked us to love oneanother, or if we've experienced
God loving us whoo, stumblingover my words, he is asking us
(08:09):
to love one another.
That's where I want to get totoday.
We've received so much In 1John 4, 7,.
I'm just going to read these twoverses.
I love this one.
In the Passion it said thosewho are loved by God, which I
(08:31):
believe is everyone in this room.
Let his love continually pourfrom you to one another, because
God is love.
Everyone who loves is fatheredby God and experience an
intimate knowledge of him.
Fathered by God, and then in 1John 3.16, in the New
(08:51):
International Version, this ishow we know what love is.
Jesus Christ laid down his lifefor us, and we ought to lay
down our lives for our brothersand our sisters.
I find that really overwhelming.
(09:25):
It's like how do we do that?
How do we love like he loves?
It has to be his love in us,right?
This isn't humanly possible.
We just receive more and moreso that it can flow out of us
(09:46):
and we can be an expression ofhis love.
I just want to give you ananalogy.
It was something I heardrecently and I think it's quite
powerful.
A little illustration.
So a man I may not have thisperfectly, but this is how I
remember it A man was asked tocut 100 boards, 2x4s, 8 foot
(10:08):
length.
So this is what he did.
He took his tape measure and hemeasured the first one, 8 feet,
marked it with his pencil andsaw it at 8 feet and sawed at
eight feet.
Then to cut the second one, hedidn't take out his tape measure
, he just put the first board ontop of the second board, marked
(10:33):
it with his pencil and sawed.
And then he did the same forthe third board.
He took the second board, laidit on the third board, marked it
with his pencil, sawed, and onand on right.
The fourth board was measuredby the third board, marked it
with his pencil, sawed, and onand on right.
The fourth board was measuredby the third board.
(10:54):
When he finished cutting thehundred two-by-fours, he had
some that were eight feet longand some that were nine feet
long.
They weren't accurate to theoriginal and I only share that
as an example of what Jesus,what the Father, is asking us.
He's not asking us to compareour standard of how we live, how
(11:14):
we think, to the previouschurch generation.
He's not asking us to compareour standard to what we see
going on.
He's not asking us to compareour standard to what we see
going on.
He's asking us to compare ourstandard, our measure for
ourself, our attitudes to theearly church, what the apostles
(11:37):
and prophets wrote about, and Ijust find that amazing and I
think sometimes we forget.
So I'm going to read somescriptures on what loving each
other looks like.
I'm just going to share some.
I hope it all comes out right,but as you listen to these
scriptures there's about four ofthem listen through that grid
(12:00):
of as if you're hearing thesefor the first time and not by
what you've seen happening withthe way others treat each other
or the previous churchgeneration how they treated each
other, but what Father, throughthe Lord Jesus, was saying how
(12:22):
we are to love and treat eachother.
Is that okay?
So the first one Ephesians 4, 4to 6.
I'm going to read it in themessage.
This one is especiallymeaningful to me.
A message.
(12:46):
This one is especiallymeaningful to me.
It was given by the Holy Spiritin one of an intercession
listening time we had for youchurch way back in the fall, and
I think it's something that'sreally on Father's heart for us
as a community and I know I'vebeen actually meditating on it
daily as kind of a.
It really impacted me as a gridto go whoa, if I feel a little
(13:11):
critical or a negativeirritation towards someone, it's
like oh, father, okay, more ofyour love.
So here it is in the messageMore of your love.
So here it is.
In the message.
You were called to travel onthe same road, in the same
(13:33):
direction, to stay together,both outwardly and inwardly.
Okay, this one gets me.
You have one master, one faith,one baptism, one God and Father
(13:57):
of all who rules over all.
Whoa, that's so encouraging.
Comforting Works through all ispresent in all.
Whoa, that's so encouraging.
Comforting Works through all ispresent in all.
Everything you are, do andthink is permeated with oneness.
Whew, that's his standard forus.
(14:37):
And then in 1 Thessalonians3.12, in the New International
Version, you know this one Maythe Lord.
May the Lord, okay, make yourlove increase and overflow for
each other and everyone else,just as ours does for you.
So again, it's the Lord, it'sgot to be him doing it, but in
(15:00):
the message.
I love this.
And may the master pour on thelove.
How do you like that?
May the master pour on the loveso it fills your lives and
splashes over on everyone aroundyou, just as it does from us to
you.
I love that like word, pictureof, like it's as if Papa
Godfather has a big watering canor pitcher and you just picture
(15:27):
him like pouring.
It's like water, but it's lovebeing poured out onto our bodies
.
Just picture that.
So it's filling up our bodies,or filling us up, and it's
getting so full.
We keep asking him to pour outthe love that it fills up and
(15:48):
starts overflowing and splashingout onto people around us.
Right, we're like I feel somuch love.
I feel love from you, I feelsafe with you.
There's something differentabout you, right, because his
love is being filling up andsplashing out.
And I mean another littleknowledge I was thinking about.
(16:09):
If you can picture this, Idon't know, you know, like a
fairy Tinkerbell and she justyou know, it's pixie dust and
she's just flicking it out andsplashing it out onto everybody.
And it's just like how the loveof the Father wants to just
come and land on you and fillyou up, so that it's splashing
(16:31):
out to others like waterdroplets or yeah.
So how do we love others?
Well, it has to be his lovefilling us up and flowing out to
others.
Another verse Romans 12.10.
(16:51):
Be devoted to one another inlove.
Honor one another aboveyourselves.
You've heard this one lots oftimes, probably, but I love it
again in the message Whoa, justgood to start going deeper into
the word and studying differentversions.
It says although I know themessage isn't a version, but
(17:11):
it's great Love from the centerof who you are.
Don't fake it.
That's a good word.
Run from dear life, from evil.
Hold on for dear life to good.
Practice playing second fiddle.
Yeah, that one really got me.
(17:34):
That's not our usual norm, isit?
Practice playing second fiddle?
I've been thinking about thisverse a lot and I've been trying
to meditate on this one dailytoo.
That doesn't generally comeeasy to most of us and you know
(17:59):
I've experienced this whereyou're trying to help somebody
or do something for someone andit sort of seems like it all
becomes around them and theirschedule and what's best for
them, and you can feel a littlebit irritated or wanting to go
to resentment.
And I've found now I'm notsaying I do it perfectly, but
I've found like, as I've beenmeditating on that, practice
(18:20):
playing second fiddle to just go.
You know what, it's all right,it doesn't matter, put that
person first, you don't need topush your way to the top.
Practice playing second fiddleIs that good?
(18:44):
I need a drink of water.
You can think about it.
Two more scriptures on lovingeach other Philippians 2, 2-4.
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You know this one, if you haveany encouragement from being
united with Christ, any comfortfrom his love, any common
sharing in the spirit.
Then make my joy complete bybeing like-minded, having the
same love, being one in spiritand sorry, maybe I didn't type
(19:25):
this right being one in spiritand sorry, maybe I didn't type
this right being one in spiritin mind, do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but rather, in humility,
consider others above yourselves.
Okay, so you got the reference.
Um, I just want to make acomment.
His joy is brought to fullnessor completion.
He's made really happy orjoyful when we love each other.
Well, and I don't know about you, but I think probably for many
(19:51):
of you, I've been trying tounderstand the Father more,
trinity more, and to get to knowhim so well that I understand
his moods.
Not that he's moody, but Godnever has a bad day.
But you know what makes himhappy, what gives him delight,
(20:12):
what gives him a big smile Like.
I often get a picture of FatherGod just like beaming down on
me.
Do you ever get that Like thatsense of his pleasure, what
gives him pleasure?
And I know it says when we'reloving each other well, that
really thrills his heart.
So here it is in the message, ifyou've gotten anything at all
(20:35):
out of following Christ, whichwe all have, if his love has
made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the
Spirit means anything to you Iknow it does to you guys that
you wouldn't be here.
Uh, do me a favor.
Oh, if you have a heart, if youcare, do me a favor.
(20:58):
Agree with each other, loveeach other, be deep spirited.
I love that.
Don't push your way to thefront.
Don't sweet-talk your way tothe top.
Put yourself aside and helpothers get along.
Don't be obsessed with gettingyour own advantage.
(21:18):
Forget yourselves long enoughto lend a helping hand.
I like that.
Be deep-spirited friends.
It's really convicting.
Don't push your way to thefront.
I don't.
Actually I don't see that inany of you guys here, but you
(21:39):
know, I have seen it in the pastin ministry situations, sadly
enough.
But Bill Johnson made a commentthat I've heard on several
occasions.
He said if you put yourselfinto a position by
self-promotion, you're going tohave to work really hard to
maintain that position byself-promotion, like, in other
words, if it wasn't of thespirit.
So that's sobering and I love.
(22:04):
Forget yourselves long enoughto lend a helping hand.
We all get so busy with it andI love forget yourselves long
enough to lend a helping hand.
We all get so busy with ourschedules, our timetables, what
we need to get done, that we cansometimes forget to slow down
long enough to see wheresomebody needs a helping hand.
(22:25):
How many of you have been arecipient of some?
Sure?
Actually I have some throatlozenges in here.
I should get a recipient of,like somebody just practically
helping you and doing somethingso amazing.
You didn't expect it you, Iknow I was.
In 2019, I had foot surgery.
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I didn't really want footsurgery.
Most of you know I have anankle fusion and I was
housebound, couldn't wait there,couldn't drive for four months.
I have lots of great soakingtimes, but sometimes it felt a
little bit challenging to be soisolated and I had somebody in
this community.
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Start a food train for me.
I had my sister, who's got sucha gift of mercy take a week off
, work, drive down, make mealsfor me, drive me on outings so I
could get out.
I had somebody it was SteveBliley organize a gift, a huge
gift a beautiful, comfortablechaise lounge so that I could
(23:28):
sit in my bedroom and read withmy foot up Like it was such a
blessing and it was sounexpected.
And I know a lot of you havebeen involved in things like
that.
For people, it's just forgetyourself long enough to lend a
helping hand.
And I think there's lots ofopportunities in this community
of faith.
There's even food chains goingon right now, so powerful.
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And then 1 Peter 4.8.
Oh, I had another one that Ijust found Above all, love each
other deeply, because lovecovers the multitude of sins.
You've heard this one, I loveit in the message sins.
You've heard this one, I loveit in the message Most of all,
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love, as if your life dependedon it.
Whoa.
Now why does he say that?
I mean, we could go on and onabout that.
I could come up with lots ofreasons, you know, because you
could go to bitterness and allthat if you don't, and that
would really take your life out.
But I think he just reallywants to emphasize the
importance of practicing loveand letting his love flow
(24:35):
through us.
But why is he asking us to lovelike this?
It's obviously for our ownbenefit, you know.
(24:59):
It says in first john 13.
Oh, not first john, sorry, john13.
By this everyone will know youare my disciples if you love one
another.
So it's really a sign to thoseoutside of the family of God,
outside of the family of faith,right, when they see how we
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treat each other, when they seethe tenderness where they see
forgiveness in operation andthey don't see that necessarily
in relationships outside ofcommunity.
And then another verse why doeshe ask us to love like this?
You know, do you ask thosequestions?
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Why does God ask that?
And this is a verse that I justcame across this week in my
daily readings 1 John 4.12.
I've been trying to gainunderstanding on.
It Says no one has ever seenGod, but if we love one another,
(26:11):
god lives in us and his love ismade complete in us.
And in the Passion it says noone has ever gazed upon the
fullness of God's splendor, butif we love one another, god
makes his permanent home in usand we make our permanent home
in him and his love is broughtto its full expression.
And then in the message, Ilooked it up because I was like
(26:38):
what does it mean?
His love is made complete in us.
What does that mean?
Isn't his love complete on itsown?
Like he's so big, so powerful,he loves all of us.
He's been loving every singleperson in this whole world, like
the people that have alreadylived and died Everyone here,
(27:01):
now, on this entire planet.
He's loving them so well.
Why is this love being madecomplete in us?
What does that mean?
I'm going to take a stab at it.
In the message it says my dearfriends, if God loved us like
this, we certainly ought to loveeach other.
No one has ever seen God, butif we love one another, god
(27:26):
dwells deeply within us and hislove becomes complete in us.
Perfect love.
His love becomes complete in us.
Perfect love.
I'm not saying that.
I know I have all therevelation on this.
Okay, I'm just going to throwthis out.
(27:48):
It just took a stab at it.
Okay, something's been comingto me.
I don't think, for example, thatGod needs our help.
He doesn't need our help to getpeople saved to come to know
him.
He could zap every singleperson on this planet and they
(28:11):
would come to know him, but hechooses to partner with us as
sons and daughters.
He always wants to partner withus.
He's a good daddy, he wants towork with his kids and he asks
us to share our faith with thosewho don't know him.
And another example is hedoesn't really need us to
(28:33):
physically heal people.
He could just pour out the love, pour out the power and zap
anybody who needed healing andhe does that sometimes actually
and they're healed.
But he chooses to partner withus, his sons and daughters, his
little kids.
(28:53):
So we get to participate withDaddy and ask us to pray for the
sick and we pray the prayer infaith and we see people healed
and I kind of feel, or I'mwondering I'll take a stab at
this it's the same with his love.
His love is full.
He is loving everybody on thisplanet currently that's alive
(29:17):
and he's loved everybody that'sbeen here and gone to heaven.
But I'm wondering if it is hislove is brought to complete
expression or fullness.
When his love flows through usto others, like he's loving all
(29:40):
the time, his love is beingpoured.
But when his love is beingpoured through us to others, his
love is being poured.
But when his love is beingpoured through us to others, is
it that it's so that thefullness of the expression of
his love here on earth can bemanifest in ways that he
couldn't do without us?
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Because each of us have aunique DNA.
Each of us have a unique DNA,each of us have a unique
expression, kind of like asnowflake.
He made us a certain way andeach of us can reflect a part of
God, god's heart, that only wecan reflect.
So I'm not saying I know forsure, but is that what it means
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when it's said, his love is madecomplete in us?
Letting his love flow throughus allows an expression of his
love to be manifest to othersthat couldn't be manifest or
completely expressed in otherways.
So he's saying my dear children, love one another and it makes
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his joy complete, it touches hisheart.
We're going to finish withcommunion, so I just want to cap
up.
How can we love others?
Well, only his love beingpoured through us.
It's his love.
He causes it to increase andoverflow.
(31:14):
And sometimes we need to doheart forgiveness.
If there's a block, if we'veallowed some bitterness or some
resentment or negativity intowards someone, we need to do
the heart work to forgive sothat his love can flow.
So, as I lead you intocommunion, take time to meditate
(31:36):
on his love, but also take timeto meditate on if there's
anyone that you need to forgive,and just take that moment and
give that to the Father.
I know last time Brant prefaced his speaking with
I haven't spoken for a while.
I kind of feel the same.
I only speak when I hear theFather telling me there's
something to share, and thismessage was kind of on the back
of my mind for a while, butnothing really.
(00:23):
Until about a week ago.
I was like yep, so I want totalk about and I'm just asking
Father, just download everythingthat you gave me for this
morning and I just prayreceiving that we've been in.
And I want to talk aboutembracing the love of the Father
(00:52):
so that we can embrace lovingothers.
Well, I'll start with a verse.
You know this verse.
Most of you do.
I have made you known to themand will continue to make you
(01:12):
known in order that the love youhave for me may be in them and
I myself may be in them.
Have you experienced the loveof the Father?
Do you struggle with this verse?
(01:35):
I mean, do we get this verse?
Probably not.
If we really got this versethat the love you have for me
might be in them and that Imight be in them, like if we
really got this verse, I don'tthink we'd have any cares.
(01:59):
I don't think we'd have anyanxiety or insecurity.
Maybe I'm speaking to myself,but I kind of think this is
probably true for everybodyFather is loving you as much as
he loves Jesus.
Ooh, ooh, yeah, and we can havethe same relationship with the
(02:33):
Father that Jesus did.
Ooh, ooh.
Do you struggle with that alittle bit?
I know I did and I have, and Ijust want to say it's true.
(02:54):
Do you think that this is alittle preposterous, maybe
sacrilegious?
I know I've struggled like thatwith it, maybe just a little
bit still sometimes.
But I just encourage you, takeit to him, ask him about it,
meditate on it, because it'strue, it's always good to
(03:16):
struggle to get the breakthroughof the revelation and I think
sometimes we operate in so muchshame, kind of like hunkering
down, cowering, a little likewe're afraid to really stand
before our father and go whoa,you do love me as much as you
love Jesus.
I'm worthy.
It's because of the blood ofthe lamb Whoa.
(03:39):
And then another one, john 17,13.
I love this one in the Passionwhere it says I pray this is
Jesus speaking that they willexperience and enter into my
joyous delight in you, so thatit is fulfilled in them and
(04:06):
overflows.
What does that mean I just loveto picture.
There's Jesus is loving theFather and the Father's loving
Jesus.
It's all back and forth.
And then there's Holy Spirit,airy and beautiful, just
floating in between.
They're loving each other.
It's continual, it's ongoing,it's always been and it always
(04:30):
will be.
And he's saying we get to enterinto that oh experience and
enter into my joyous delight inyou, so that it's fulfilled in
them.
I kind of think that means itreaches the tipping point.
It keeps building.
We keep getting more revelationand so it till it almost, I
(04:53):
like to think, reaches thetipping point and it overflows.
Don't you want that we'rereceiving so much of the love of
the Father that it just keepsbuilding and building and
reaches it and overflows, sothat all that comes out of us is
love.
I'm starting to say that to theFather daily.
(05:14):
I heard sorry, I borrowed thatone from Leonard Hayes when he
was here last June.
I remember he said when I getto be a little old man, when I
get to be a little old man, allthat I want to come out.
If someone pokes me, all that Iwant to come out of me is love.
(05:34):
So I took that on.
I was like Papa, when I get tobe a little old lady, all that
comes out of me is love.
And you know, we can walk into aroom and we can change an
atmosphere.
Right, you know that analogythey use.
What is it?
The thermostat or thethermometer?
And so often myself included,really I'm speaking to myself.
(05:59):
We can go into a room and justbe the thermometer.
We take the read on what'sgoing on and we sort of fit into
that.
But he wants us to be thethermostats where we change the
environment because of the loveof God in us.
We go into our workspace or wego to the playground with our
(06:20):
kids and there's a mom who'shurting and we change the
atmosphere because theatmosphere, because the love of
the Father is flowing out of us.
So you know, that's what I wantto be.
I don't do it always perfectly,but I want to be the thermostat
.
All right, so, and thenEphesians 3.18, that you, being
(06:42):
rooted and established in love,may have the power, together
with all the Lord's people, Iwould say with the saints.
That must be a version Imemorized to comprehend how wide
and long and high and deep isthe love of Christ and to know
this love that surpassesknowledge, that you might be
filled to the measure with thefullness of God, and the only
way you can do that is byrevelation is you're asking
(07:05):
Father to give you open youreyes of your heart to understand
his love for you?
Oh, by the way, I've beenmeditating on a new verse this
week and I want to share it.
You know, just as we weresaying open up your hearts, have
faith to receive healing duringworship, have faith to receive
(07:27):
physical and emotional healingduring the preaching of the Word
of God.
It's his anointing, it's hisWord, and in Psalm 107.20, it
says he sent his Word and healedthem.
So if you need healing in yourhearts today, if you need
healing in your bodies, justposture yourself in faith and
(07:49):
expectation to receive, receivein his presence, the worship,
the communion together, thefellowship with one another.
But I want to go on.
If he's asked us to love oneanother, or if we've experienced
God loving us whoo, stumblingover my words, he is asking us
(08:09):
to love one another.
That's where I want to get totoday.
We've received so much In 1John 4, 7,.
I'm just going to read these twoverses.
I love this one.
In the Passion it said thosewho are loved by God, which I
(08:31):
believe is everyone in this room.
Let his love continually pourfrom you to one another, because
God is love.
Everyone who loves is fatheredby God and experience an
intimate knowledge of him.
Fathered by God, and then in 1John 3.16, in the New
(08:51):
International Version, this ishow we know what love is.
Jesus Christ laid down his lifefor us, and we ought to lay
down our lives for our brothersand our sisters.
I find that really overwhelming.
(09:25):
It's like how do we do that?
How do we love like he loves?
It has to be his love in us,right?
This isn't humanly possible.
We just receive more and moreso that it can flow out of us
(09:46):
and we can be an expression ofhis love.
I just want to give you ananalogy.
It was something I heardrecently and I think it's quite
powerful.
A little illustration.
So a man I may not have thisperfectly, but this is how I
remember it A man was asked tocut 100 boards, 2x4s, 8 foot
(10:08):
length.
So this is what he did.
He took his tape measure and hemeasured the first one, 8 feet,
marked it with his pencil andsaw it at 8 feet and sawed at
eight feet.
Then to cut the second one, hedidn't take out his tape measure
, he just put the first board ontop of the second board, marked
(10:33):
it with his pencil and sawed.
And then he did the same forthe third board.
He took the second board, laidit on the third board, marked it
with his pencil, sawed, and onand on right.
The fourth board was measuredby the third board, marked it
with his pencil, sawed, and onand on right.
The fourth board was measuredby the third board.
(10:54):
When he finished cutting thehundred two-by-fours, he had
some that were eight feet longand some that were nine feet
long.
They weren't accurate to theoriginal and I only share that
as an example of what Jesus,what the Father, is asking us.
He's not asking us to compareour standard of how we live, how
(11:14):
we think, to the previouschurch generation.
He's not asking us to compareour standard to what we see
going on.
He's not asking us to compareour standard to what we see
going on.
He's asking us to compare ourstandard, our measure for
ourself, our attitudes to theearly church, what the apostles
(11:37):
and prophets wrote about, and Ijust find that amazing and I
think sometimes we forget.
So I'm going to read somescriptures on what loving each
other looks like.
I'm just going to share some.
I hope it all comes out right,but as you listen to these
scriptures there's about four ofthem listen through that grid
(12:00):
of as if you're hearing thesefor the first time and not by
what you've seen happening withthe way others treat each other
or the previous churchgeneration how they treated each
other, but what Father, throughthe Lord Jesus, was saying how
(12:22):
we are to love and treat eachother.
Is that okay?
So the first one Ephesians 4, 4to 6.
I'm going to read it in themessage.
This one is especiallymeaningful to me.
A message.
(12:46):
This one is especiallymeaningful to me.
It was given by the Holy Spiritin one of an intercession
listening time we had for youchurch way back in the fall, and
I think it's something that'sreally on Father's heart for us
as a community and I know I'vebeen actually meditating on it
daily as kind of a.
It really impacted me as a gridto go whoa, if I feel a little
(13:11):
critical or a negativeirritation towards someone, it's
like oh, father, okay, more ofyour love.
So here it is in the messageMore of your love.
So here it is.
In the message.
You were called to travel onthe same road, in the same
(13:33):
direction, to stay together,both outwardly and inwardly.
Okay, this one gets me.
You have one master, one faith,one baptism, one God and Father
(13:57):
of all who rules over all.
Whoa, that's so encouraging.
Comforting Works through all ispresent in all.
Whoa, that's so encouraging.
Comforting Works through all ispresent in all.
Everything you are, do andthink is permeated with oneness.
Whew, that's his standard forus.
(14:37):
And then in 1 Thessalonians3.12, in the New International
Version, you know this one Maythe Lord.
May the Lord, okay, make yourlove increase and overflow for
each other and everyone else,just as ours does for you.
So again, it's the Lord, it'sgot to be him doing it, but in
(15:00):
the message.
I love this.
And may the master pour on thelove.
How do you like that?
May the master pour on the loveso it fills your lives and
splashes over on everyone aroundyou, just as it does from us to
you.
I love that like word, pictureof, like it's as if Papa
Godfather has a big watering canor pitcher and you just picture
(15:27):
him like pouring.
It's like water, but it's lovebeing poured out onto our bodies
.
Just picture that.
So it's filling up our bodies,or filling us up, and it's
getting so full.
We keep asking him to pour outthe love that it fills up and
(15:48):
starts overflowing and splashingout onto people around us.
Right, we're like I feel somuch love.
I feel love from you, I feelsafe with you.
There's something differentabout you, right, because his
love is being filling up andsplashing out.
And I mean another littleknowledge I was thinking about.
(16:09):
If you can picture this, Idon't know, you know, like a
fairy Tinkerbell and she justyou know, it's pixie dust and
she's just flicking it out andsplashing it out onto everybody.
And it's just like how the loveof the Father wants to just
come and land on you and fillyou up, so that it's splashing
(16:31):
out to others like waterdroplets or yeah.
So how do we love others?
Well, it has to be his lovefilling us up and flowing out to
others.
Another verse Romans 12.10.
(16:51):
Be devoted to one another inlove.
Honor one another aboveyourselves.
You've heard this one lots oftimes, probably, but I love it
again in the message Whoa, justgood to start going deeper into
the word and studying differentversions.
It says although I know themessage isn't a version, but
(17:11):
it's great Love from the centerof who you are.
Don't fake it.
That's a good word.
Run from dear life, from evil.
Hold on for dear life to good.
Practice playing second fiddle.
Yeah, that one really got me.
(17:34):
That's not our usual norm, isit?
Practice playing second fiddle?
I've been thinking about thisverse a lot and I've been trying
to meditate on this one dailytoo.
That doesn't generally comeeasy to most of us and you know
(17:59):
I've experienced this whereyou're trying to help somebody
or do something for someone andit sort of seems like it all
becomes around them and theirschedule and what's best for
them, and you can feel a littlebit irritated or wanting to go
to resentment.
And I've found now I'm notsaying I do it perfectly, but
I've found like, as I've beenmeditating on that, practice
(18:20):
playing second fiddle to just go.
You know what, it's all right,it doesn't matter, put that
person first, you don't need topush your way to the top.
Practice playing second fiddleIs that good?
(18:44):
I need a drink of water.
You can think about it.
Two more scriptures on lovingeach other Philippians 2, 2-4.
(19:04):
You know this one, if you haveany encouragement from being
united with Christ, any comfortfrom his love, any common
sharing in the spirit.
Then make my joy complete bybeing like-minded, having the
same love, being one in spiritand sorry, maybe I didn't type
(19:25):
this right being one in spiritand sorry, maybe I didn't type
this right being one in spiritin mind, do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but rather, in humility,
consider others above yourselves.
Okay, so you got the reference.
Um, I just want to make acomment.
His joy is brought to fullnessor completion.
He's made really happy orjoyful when we love each other.
Well, and I don't know about you, but I think probably for many
(19:51):
of you, I've been trying tounderstand the Father more,
trinity more, and to get to knowhim so well that I understand
his moods.
Not that he's moody, but Godnever has a bad day.
But you know what makes himhappy, what gives him delight,
(20:12):
what gives him a big smile Like.
I often get a picture of FatherGod just like beaming down on
me.
Do you ever get that Like thatsense of his pleasure, what
gives him pleasure?
And I know it says when we'reloving each other well, that
really thrills his heart.
So here it is in the message, ifyou've gotten anything at all
(20:35):
out of following Christ, whichwe all have, if his love has
made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the
Spirit means anything to you Iknow it does to you guys that
you wouldn't be here.
Uh, do me a favor.
Oh, if you have a heart, if youcare, do me a favor.
(20:58):
Agree with each other, loveeach other, be deep spirited.
I love that.
Don't push your way to thefront.
Don't sweet-talk your way tothe top.
Put yourself aside and helpothers get along.
Don't be obsessed with gettingyour own advantage.
(21:18):
Forget yourselves long enoughto lend a helping hand.
I like that.
Be deep-spirited friends.
It's really convicting.
Don't push your way to thefront.
I don't.
Actually I don't see that inany of you guys here, but you
(21:39):
know, I have seen it in the pastin ministry situations, sadly
enough.
But Bill Johnson made a commentthat I've heard on several
occasions.
He said if you put yourselfinto a position by
self-promotion, you're going tohave to work really hard to
maintain that position byself-promotion, like, in other
words, if it wasn't of thespirit.
So that's sobering and I love.
(22:04):
Forget yourselves long enoughto lend a helping hand.
We all get so busy with it andI love forget yourselves long
enough to lend a helping hand.
We all get so busy with ourschedules, our timetables, what
we need to get done, that we cansometimes forget to slow down
long enough to see wheresomebody needs a helping hand.
(22:25):
How many of you have been arecipient of some?
Sure?
Actually I have some throatlozenges in here.
I should get a recipient of,like somebody just practically
helping you and doing somethingso amazing.
You didn't expect it you, Iknow I was.
In 2019, I had foot surgery.
(22:47):
I didn't really want footsurgery.
Most of you know I have anankle fusion and I was
housebound, couldn't wait there,couldn't drive for four months.
I have lots of great soakingtimes, but sometimes it felt a
little bit challenging to be soisolated and I had somebody in
this community.
(23:07):
Start a food train for me.
I had my sister, who's got sucha gift of mercy take a week off
, work, drive down, make mealsfor me, drive me on outings so I
could get out.
I had somebody it was SteveBliley organize a gift, a huge
gift a beautiful, comfortablechaise lounge so that I could
(23:28):
sit in my bedroom and read withmy foot up Like it was such a
blessing and it was sounexpected.
And I know a lot of you havebeen involved in things like
that.
For people, it's just forgetyourself long enough to lend a
helping hand.
And I think there's lots ofopportunities in this community
of faith.
There's even food chains goingon right now, so powerful.
(23:53):
And then 1 Peter 4.8.
Oh, I had another one that Ijust found Above all, love each
other deeply, because lovecovers the multitude of sins.
You've heard this one, I loveit in the message sins.
You've heard this one, I loveit in the message Most of all,
(24:14):
love, as if your life dependedon it.
Whoa.
Now why does he say that?
I mean, we could go on and onabout that.
I could come up with lots ofreasons, you know, because you
could go to bitterness and allthat if you don't, and that
would really take your life out.
But I think he just reallywants to emphasize the
importance of practicing loveand letting his love flow
(24:35):
through us.
But why is he asking us to lovelike this?
It's obviously for our ownbenefit, you know.
(24:59):
It says in first john 13.
Oh, not first john, sorry, john13.
By this everyone will know youare my disciples if you love one
another.
So it's really a sign to thoseoutside of the family of God,
outside of the family of faith,right, when they see how we
(25:21):
treat each other, when they seethe tenderness where they see
forgiveness in operation andthey don't see that necessarily
in relationships outside ofcommunity.
And then another verse why doeshe ask us to love like this?
You know, do you ask thosequestions?
(25:45):
Why does God ask that?
And this is a verse that I justcame across this week in my
daily readings 1 John 4.12.
I've been trying to gainunderstanding on.
It Says no one has ever seenGod, but if we love one another,
(26:11):
god lives in us and his love ismade complete in us.
And in the Passion it says noone has ever gazed upon the
fullness of God's splendor, butif we love one another, god
makes his permanent home in usand we make our permanent home
in him and his love is broughtto its full expression.
And then in the message, Ilooked it up because I was like
(26:38):
what does it mean?
His love is made complete in us.
What does that mean?
Isn't his love complete on itsown?
Like he's so big, so powerful,he loves all of us.
He's been loving every singleperson in this whole world, like
the people that have alreadylived and died Everyone here,
(27:01):
now, on this entire planet.
He's loving them so well.
Why is this love being madecomplete in us?
What does that mean?
I'm going to take a stab at it.
In the message it says my dearfriends, if God loved us like
this, we certainly ought to loveeach other.
No one has ever seen God, butif we love one another, god
(27:26):
dwells deeply within us and hislove becomes complete in us.
Perfect love.
His love becomes complete in us.
Perfect love.
I'm not saying that.
I know I have all therevelation on this.
Okay, I'm just going to throwthis out.
(27:48):
It just took a stab at it.
Okay, something's been comingto me.
I don't think, for example, thatGod needs our help.
He doesn't need our help to getpeople saved to come to know
him.
He could zap every singleperson on this planet and they
(28:11):
would come to know him, but hechooses to partner with us as
sons and daughters.
He always wants to partner withus.
He's a good daddy, he wants towork with his kids and he asks
us to share our faith with thosewho don't know him.
And another example is hedoesn't really need us to
(28:33):
physically heal people.
He could just pour out the love, pour out the power and zap
anybody who needed healing andhe does that sometimes actually
and they're healed.
But he chooses to partner withus, his sons and daughters, his
little kids.
(28:53):
So we get to participate withDaddy and ask us to pray for the
sick and we pray the prayer infaith and we see people healed
and I kind of feel, or I'mwondering I'll take a stab at
this it's the same with his love.
His love is full.
He is loving everybody on thisplanet currently that's alive
(29:17):
and he's loved everybody that'sbeen here and gone to heaven.
But I'm wondering if it is hislove is brought to complete
expression or fullness.
When his love flows through usto others, like he's loving all
(29:40):
the time, his love is beingpoured.
But when his love is beingpoured through us to others, his
love is being poured.
But when his love is beingpoured through us to others, is
it that it's so that thefullness of the expression of
his love here on earth can bemanifest in ways that he
couldn't do without us?
(30:01):
Because each of us have aunique DNA.
Each of us have a unique DNA,each of us have a unique
expression, kind of like asnowflake.
He made us a certain way andeach of us can reflect a part of
God, god's heart, that only wecan reflect.
So I'm not saying I know forsure, but is that what it means
(30:26):
when it's said, his love is madecomplete in us?
Letting his love flow throughus allows an expression of his
love to be manifest to othersthat couldn't be manifest or
completely expressed in otherways.
So he's saying my dear children, love one another and it makes
(30:52):
his joy complete, it touches hisheart.
We're going to finish withcommunion, so I just want to cap
up.
How can we love others?
Well, only his love beingpoured through us.
It's his love.
He causes it to increase andoverflow.
(31:14):
And sometimes we need to doheart forgiveness.
If there's a block, if we'veallowed some bitterness or some
resentment or negativity intowards someone, we need to do
the heart work to forgive sothat his love can flow.
So, as I lead you intocommunion, take time to meditate
(31:36):
on his love, but also take timeto meditate on if there's
anyone that you need to forgive,and just take that moment and
give that to the Father.
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