A Dream About the Last Days

"Follow after [love], and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy" (I Cor. 14:1). I just can't get my mind off of the love of God. There truly is nothing else like it, and by the same saying, nothing else compares to it. There is no other feeling that even remotely approaches feeling God's holy love inside of your chest, beaming out at people. That's the feeling that was in God's heart and soul when he appointed his Son to leave heaven and come to this world to take on manhood, and to die in our stead: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16). It's really an amazing thought to ponder, that God sent his Son to die a cruel death for us so that we could have that same love dwelling in our hearts and our souls: "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Rom. 5:5). You may note that our text scripture tells us to "follow after love." That means that first and foremost, above all things, our goal should be that we have that love freshly renewed in our hearts, and that the same love motivates all that we do. That my friend is a worthwhile goal indeed. The same verse also tells us to "desire spiritual gifts," and it designates prophecy as the chief gift to desire. When it's all said and done, whatever spiritual gifts that we have and are able to operate in, should always be veins for God's love to flow through to others around us. If that is the case then spiritual gifts become enhancements for distributing the love of God to those who are in need; which in fact is all of us. What I have seen far too often in my experience however, is the practice of following after spiritual gifts, and getting caught up in the thrill of them; rather than following after love with all priority. The truth is we either have the love dwelling in our hearts or we do not. If we do then we are going to glorify God, because "God IS love" (I Jn. 4:8). There truly is no other way to bring glory to God, who is love.

If holy love is not radiating from the core of our being, then we simply cannot glorify God, regardless of what else we may be manifesting. If the love of God is being channeled through us, people naturally feel that. They also naturally feel it if it is not there. God's holy love is the most distinctive and tangible spiritual thing in existence, and it is what makes all the difference for someone who is in need. As I've cited above from John 3:16, the love of God, and his ultimate concern for our ultimate need, is the ONLY thing that sent Jesus to this world to hang on that agonizing cross for us. It is also that same love dwelling in Jesus, that led him willingly to the cross, and kept him on it until he died. Not only so, but every single time Jesus operated any miracle or power of the Spirit of God, it was channeled through the pure sleeve of the love of God for those he ministered to. He felt it, and so did those who were in need around him. Those who resisted him felt it as well, and they hated him because he had it and they did not. So how do we develop the love of God in ourselves, and keep it at the core of our being? "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Rom. 6:12,13). If we keep sin out of our hearts and lives, there will be nothing left but the Spirit of God, which Spirit "sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts." The only thing that can put sin out of our being is the power of the holy Ghost, and that same holy Ghost IS the love of God (Acts 1:8; Acts 15:8,9; II Cor. 3:17). So if we "purify [ourselves], even as he is pure," and we "keep [our] heart with all diligence;" the result is that we have divine love residing in the midst of our being (I Jn. 3:3; Prov. 4:23). It's really that simple. So following after God's love should always be our aim, and everything else should always be an expression of that glorious love. Amen.