Saturday, August 22, 2009 Print Article Print Article Print Article Leave a Comment cGreatest of Them All Rev. James C. Matthews
One of the greatest and most underestimated provisions God has made available to us to make our lives fruitful and fulfilling is His love! Nothing we achieve or possess is worth anything unless we possess the love of God. The apostle Paul testified, "If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing" (1 Cor. 13:3). Love is the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:36-39), the greatest gift (1 Cor. 13:13), and the greatest of any spiritual fruit we can possess (Gal. 5:22). The perfect love of God casts out fear (1John 4:8) and covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Love is both a "gift" and a "fruit" given by the Spirit of God to empower us to live life to its fullest! I've discovered through years of ministering to people that many of them truly do not believe that God cares about their day-to-day well-being. They believe that getting saved and being spared the horrors of hell is all God has planned for them in this life. They mistakenly assume that "abundant life" is synonymous with the "after life." This misconception causes many people to conclude that they must wait until they die to experience abundant life. They perceive life as something to be endured instead of something to be enjoyed. This is wrong! Jesus said that He came that we might have and enjoy life in abundance, to the full, till it overflows (John 10:10, Amp.). He came not only to save our souls but also to offer us a more abundant way of living that is full and overflowing. Sponsor Ad In 3John 1:2, God expressed His will for our earthly lives when He stated through the pen of the apostle John, "I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." God desires that we prosper and be fruitful in all respects. Can you receive this revelation? Well, it is the truth! Armed with this revelation we should raise our expectations of life and pursue one that is full and overflowing. God wants us to do more than merely exist and endure life. He wants us to enjoy, prosper, and live fruitful lives. Understanding the preeminence of God's love and its impact on every area of our lives is essential to our living an abundant and fruitful life that glorifies God (John 15:8). When we possess and live according to God's love, we possess and live in God's best. We possess everything we need to succeed and prosper. Jesus proclaimed that, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love" (John 15:9). Jesus reveals that the effective agent that flows from Him to us and empowers us to live an abundant and fruitful life is the love of God. Everything flows from and depends upon the love of God! The abundant life is more than an abundance of possession but engenders the concept of wholeness. Living the abundant life involves our being divinely directed, empowered,and supplied to fulfill God's purpose for us in life. We must first possess abundance internally before it will manifest externally in our lives. Abundance is the fruit of God's "agape" love. Agape is the limitless, selfless, and overflowing love of God that transcends our sins, situations, and stations in life. It makes our lives full, complete, and worth living. In making our transition from our situation to our destination, we must be cognizant of the source of every blessing and success we experience along the way. Without God's love in us, and our willingness to share this love with others, it all means nothing. Always remember that, "your situation, is not your destination- only preparation! Excerpt from Pastor J.C. Matthews book "Your Situation is Not Your Destination". (Various scriptural references) James C. Matthews O. Addison Gethers e-mail address [email protected] [email protected] twitter URL http//:twitter.com/OAddisonGethers Messenger contact window live/msn messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS rs --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/dbilg?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
