Category: salvation

The Way to Happiness

Jesus answered, “I assure you, everyone must be born again. Anyone who is not born again cannot be in God’s kingdom.” (John 3:3, ERV)

Have you been one way or the other seeking for happiness, yet your experience seems to be always missing the mark? Have you found yourself blaming circumstances, business or social acquaintances? Maybe you are blaming everything and everyone but yourself for not being able to capture that ever elusive something, that we like to call “happiness?”

Could it be that the reason we fail at this so often is simply that the answer for this lies much deeper than merely people or places? The reason our happiness is so elusive might just be deep down in our own heart!

I have noticed that the word “sinner” as found very early in the Bible, (Gen 13:13) comes from the Hebrew word “chata” meaning “to miss the mark” or “to step wrong.”  In the Greek, the meaning is the same. A sinner is most commonly anyone seeking happiness, always aiming at happiness, but constantly missing the mark. Always falling short of true, lasting happiness that does not get disturbed by demons under every doily.

Solomon, one of the wisest men that ever lived had learned to his very bitter disappointment that happiness was not to be found in the multitude of riches that he possessed. Solomon even tried wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 1:13) And he tried riches. (1 Kings 10: 21-27). He even tried the riotous party life, living like a drunk and a womanizer. (Eccl 2:3,8) But in all this, Solomon missed the mark. He was not happy, and this Solomon had lamented at length in some parts of the Bible. “In much wisdom is grief” Solomon lamented. His massive riches failed to purchase for himself the peace and happiness that he so desired. (Prov 11:28) Even his benevolence mocked him. (Eccl 2:11) And all of his good times just brought him remorse and regret. (Prov 20:1, Prov 23:29,30).

Solomon had realized in the end that he had “stepped wrong,” and that as a sinner, he had “missed the mark.” Eventually, the Bible tells us that Solomon realized how happiness, the way to true happiness, is always going to be God’s ways.

Have you sought for happiness apart from Christ? Do you long for something better? Are you starting to realize how your happiness seems always to be lost sight of because of the way you are living your life now? This predicament is much more common amongst Christians than most would suspect.

If you long for something better, then you have already taken the first step in the right direction. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Dissatisfaction with your present way of life is the first step towards Heaven. We must feel our need. If we do not feel this need, then please, allow me to point you towards Christ. The One Altogether Lovely, the Sinless One, the One whose life was filled with unselfish love for all others. The Bible calls that “unfeigned love.” (2 Cor 6:6, 1 Pet 1:22) PTL our Jesus had none of the faults or mistakes that we have to mar our lives today. See Jesus in His tireless ministry for all those around Him. See Jesus heal the sick. See Jesus raise the dead. See Jesus restore the fallen. See Jesus speak a word in season.

Follow Jesus through those closing days of agony as He is heartlessly dragged from one mock trial to another. See Jesus being reviled but not reviling. See Jesus beaten and mocked, yet without retaliating. See Jesus See Jesus cruelly nailed to the cross and saying how “it was for me that Jesus had borne it all.

As we honestly compare our selfish life with the selfless ministry of Jesus, and measure our life of sin with His life of spotless character, do not all the so called “good traits” we have pale in comparison to that spotless character of Christ? Does a great surge of unworthiness flood our hearts as we think on these things? What should we do next then?

At this stage then, there is really nothing we can do in and of ourselves. Jesus must do it all for us. THAT is the blessed part of it all. The huge debt that we all owe is far too staggering in size for any of us to ever hope to be able to pay it all. “The wage of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Jesus says “my son, my daughter. I paid that price on the cross of Calvary. If you will accept this way of escape, by way of faith in the shed blood of Christ, then you may look forward to eternal life.

By faith we accept the new and the living way of Jesus. Not because of any wave of emotionalism that may sweep over us, but by way of the promises of God:

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through wrong desires. (2 Pet 1:2-4)

“We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving His promises.” (GC 622)

We come to Jesus in all our sinfulness, just as we are, acknowledging our need of Christ. We confess our sins. Jesus forgives and accepts us as sons and daughters of God. (John 1:12) “If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us our sins AND to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). By the confession of every sin that we know of we may stand justified before Heaven, “cleansed from all unrighteousness,” as though we had never fallen. But this must be a real experience that we have personally lived and that comes from the heart. There can be no deception, no exaggeration, no minimizing, no patching up of your old life in self-wrought “reformation,” because Jesus accepts nothing but wholehearted surrender. You must give yourself entirely to Him, who gave of Himself, entirely to you. Jesus was born again, that we might be born again. Jesus was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves.

I read a story a while ago about some unique people. Apparently, some scientists were studying the habits and customs of some ancient cliff-dwellers somewhere in the western part of the United States of America. During their research, they discovered the unique method of ‘spring housecleaning these primitive people employed. It consisted merely of whitewashing over the blackened interiors of their hillside dwellings. The whitewash had been generously applied with no attempt to remove any of the dirt and the soot. When the scientists carried out their research, they found a layer of black grime, and then a layer of the whitewash had been applied to cover it up. That was just how they did things to accomplish their spring “housecleaning” in those days there.

This is painfully like some of our modern-day “spiritual housecleaning.”  A professing Christian chooses to try covering up a black, unregenerate heart of sinfulness with a white-washed veneer of behavior based religious beliefs. But if we scratch the whitewash a little with some kind of stressor, a few tests or temptations, and the shallowness soon becomes very apparent. This is not God’s plan for His blood-bought sons and daughters. (John 1:12, Isa 56:5, Jer 3:19, Gal 3:26) Jesus desires in us for us a deeper, a more genuine work of grace to be accomplished on the deepest level in each child of His.

Consider Jacob for an example. His very name indicates his deceitful nature. Jacob was, just as his name implied: “a supplanter.” How many times in the history of Jacobs experience that deceitful nature had reared its ugly head and asserted its true nature. Until that one night by the Brook Jabbok Jacob met God face to face. Through many long hours, Jacob wrestled with his Heavenly Adversary for a victory that even brought with it a new name – Israel, or “the one who prevails with God.”

With Jacob, it was not just a question of just patching up the old life, white washing over the blackened sins of the past. Jacob emerged from his struggle that fateful night as a new person. Jacob, the former deceiver was gone and in his place was “Israel” a person who now prevailed with God. Many people are quite stuck on the old falsehood of how “literal” Israel are going to be the only ones saved, but this is so untrue. So, against God’s kingdom, and God’s intentions for His people. Rom 9:6 tells us how that “not all who are of Israel are Israel.” In other words, all people in all ages who “prevail with God” in prayer, and in whom we can see that they had been with Jesus, (Acts 4:13).

It was about 1700 years later where Jesus emphasized the urgent need for the new birth experience as He had spoken to Nicodemus one night. Jesus unfolded to this honest hearted member of the Sanhedrin, one of the most sublime truths of “the everlasting gospel.”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3:5-7) The RSV version of the Bible says it like this: “You must be born anew.” Moffatts translation reads “you must all be born from above.” Thus it is indicated clearly how that the precious experience that Jesus is speaking about here is one that has it’s origin in Heaven and is not some form of worldly “transformation” doting on things we can accomplish in our own strength. Our own wisdom and resources.

We come to Jesus in all our sinfulness, just as we are, acknowledging our need of Christ. We confess our sins. Jesus forgives and accepts us as sons and daughters of God. (John 1:12) “If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us our sins AND to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) In John 1:12 we are promised POWER to become/remain the sons and daughters of God, and we sing in the old hymns of the “power of the blood.” Could it be that the blood of Jesus is “the power of God unto salvation?”

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and for the Greek. (Rom 1:16)

Being born again, truly born again in all it’s bearings, as noted in Scripture, is something entirely different than the rote patching up of the old life we have led and just whitewashing over our sins of the past. The work of regeneration is much more than skin deep. Consider the words of the apostle Paul on this idea:

So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor 5:17, MKJV)

The exact same phrase “of “all things have become new”  is echoed in rev 2;15 which speaks about God’s restoration of the earth to it’s original, sinless perfection. It requires the very same creative powers of God in creation to recreate the earth new as it did for Him to speak the world into existence originally. When time began. It requires the same creative Word of God to take a sinner such as I from the bewitching influence of evil and to make that person a new individual, eligible to associate with sinless beings. And throughout eternity! THAT is why it is called ‘the everlasting gospel!”

Peter tells us how this amazing new birth experience is accomplished. He says:

“Being born again by The Word of God which lives and abides forever.” (1 Pet 1:23)

When God’s Word gets into a person’s life, it just naturally changes things.

When we are “born again, (John 3;3) we naturally want to follow Paul’s admonition:

For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, pulling down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ; (2 Cor 10:4-5, MKJV)

HOW does a person “bring into captivity every thought” like this?

Heb 4:12 tells us that the word of God discerns both the thoughts and the intents of the heart. NONE of those old sins can remain held in the heart if the person is permeated with the word of God.

And in John 7:17 Jesus reminds us that IF we are willing to do whatever the Word of God reveals to us, then we shall know what the truth about a is given matter:

“If anyone desires to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is of God, or I speak from Myself.” (John 7:17)

Here, Jesus gave a test by which the true teacher might be distinguished from the deceiver: “He that speaks from himself seeks his own glory: but he that seeks the glory of Him that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” John 7:18, R. V. He that seeks his own glory is speaking only from himself. The spirit of self-seeking betrays its origin. But Christ was seeking the glory of God. He spoke the words of God. This was the evidence of His authority as a teacher of the truth.  {DA 456.1}

And of course Peter seconds this by saying:

“Being born again by The Word of God which lives and abides forever.” (1 Pet 1:23)

When God’s Word gets into a person’s life, it just naturally changes things. Those old sins we all have skulking about cannot remain in a life or a heart that is permeated with The Word of God. When The Holy Spirit gets hold of a person their old life (sometimes called ‘the old man’ in scripture) changes. And always for the better. The Bible prophet Ezekiel explains why this is true:

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments and do them”. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

God goes right to the very Source of life: the heart. In bringing about the new birth, he says the very first thing we need is a new heart. If our hearts are evil, we can never hope to get along by some outward correctness of behavior. Sooner or later the poisoned water at the spring’s source will contaminate the life and render the soul unfit for Heaven.

We can notice here in the passage we just read from Ezekiel, that over and over, God repeats things like “I will do this” and “I will do that” for you. And we keep saying “I will” do this or that.  God’s way is to be born again. (John 3:3) and God’s way is not something we can do ourselves, in our own strength, wisdom, or resources. God must do it for us. (John 15:5)  We cannot in and of ourselves work any true reformation in the wellsprings of an unregenerate heart.

God says that He will give us a new heart, (Ezekiel 36:26), a new name, (Isa 62:2), a new tongue, (Mark 16;17), and a new song. (Psalms 40:3)

If you would like a very practical test to apply to your own experience, just take your own Bible and turn to Eph 4:24-32 and you will soon be able to figure out if you have been truly born again as Jesus says we all must be. (John 3:3)

People who have experienced this “born again” change in their nature, have changed from the old life of constant defeat and hopelessness at the hands of the devil, to the new life of victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the long-awaited goal towards which we have been striving for. Happiness, full and complete, in Jesus Christ. Sins forgiven. Victories won. At peace with God and our fellow human beings, joy in this present world, and life eternal. Why shouldn’t we be happy? All of this and more than we have ever dreamed or thought of is what Jesus offers you today. Will you open your heart’s door just now? Let Jesus come in to flood your heart and soul with true love and happiness.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1)

In this one verse we find the power and virtue of the Gospel scheme; it pardons and sanctifies. By faith in our Lord Jesus Christ the penitent, condemned by the law, is pardoned; the carnal person, laboring under the overpowering influence of the sin of their nature, is sanctified. They are first freely justified; then they feel no condemnation; they are fully sanctified; they walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit.

“The other side, meaning in this case the anti vax side has now become like the pro vax side. Both sides are showing their true colors by representing with ulterior motives, commercial motives, for their party line dramas, using FEAR to convince their targets. Both sides are actively leading us down rabbit trails and crippled mentalities that only serve to get us off the Bible and onto anything else but. Its a clever trick to control the masses, ruin our health and steal our peace. But to find any real truth in it all, well that’s our big challenge.

We must get back to the Bible and stop letting these commercial entities control us. We must get back to the Bible alone, and not just the Bible alone, but what the Bible actually means by what it says to us. Psalms 110:105 tells us that God’s Word “is a Light unto our path,” and we can ill afford to let the anti vax side take the place of God’s everlasting gospel message for this time of the end that we are in now. But this is exactly whats happening in some of our churches now.

Speaking of Psalms 119:105, I had a long conversation recently with someone who loves God with all their heart but as they told it to me, they do not read the Bible at all. That comment surprised me and I couldn’t resist asking why. As we explored why they don’t read a Bible, it came out that my friend was actually afraid of the Bible. They are afraid to pick up a Bible and read it. Afraid of God’s Word because that’s what their church has taught them!

My heart sank for a moment because I know so many people who are so busy with either vax or anti vax that they no longer have time or energy to talk about Jesus or to have any conversation about the Bible anymore. They have no time or energy to seek out people like my friend who was so  scared to even pick up a Bible, let alone to read it, and to teach them just how wonderful and how helpful God’s Word really is. These two sides are essentially one and the same now. Too busy with their pet causes now to even know for themselves how God’s Word can comfort, sustain, guide, and cheer. They have absorbed fully the FEAR factor that the devil loves to promote through mainstream media, and there is now no difference between the holy or the unholy with these people who have taken sides and let the issues at hand divide and conquer.

The devil loves FEAR as it pertains to False Evidence Appearing Real, and he is literally squealing and dancing for joy as he sees more and more of us fall for this trap. As long as they are not reading God’s Word he is happy. Both the vax and anti vax are now in full compliance with this big media FEAR tactic that they call “news.”

I am so happy though to see that my friend is now becoming very interested in God’s Word. After I started explaining Psalms 119: 105 and how God’s Word really does serve as a lamp unto our feet and a Light on our daily path, they were in tears, almost overwhelmed to know that they can read the Bible without being afraid and that they could look forward now to Gods comfort and guidance in their life. As I talked about this text, using my own personal testimony, I could literally see the hope and the conviction being written right across their face, and in their heart as we talked. My friend just said “Wow, I have never heard the Bible like that before.”

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1)

Rev 12:10-11 says that we overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. (about that blood in our own personal life). THAT is of a truth the only “preparation” that any Christian needs for the end times or the end of time when Jesus shall return on the clouds. (Rev 1:7) When will we start to accept that our preparation for the time of the end is ONLY by the blood of Christ and Him crucified. (Gal 6:14, Eph 2:13)

As I pen these words, I am sitting in the wilderness at night, in the dark, watching the stars for the right moments to photograph them and I keep thinking to myself “why can’t we all just shine like that in the darkness, the moral darkness that is stalking us all with vicious and startling intent? I see one particular star, brighter than all the others, and not even one of the millions of stars up there goes even a hairs width out of their appointed places, around that brightest star.

What a perfect reminder of how Gods people can always shine, as they “stand in their lot” (Dan 12:13) and shine in the ways and means that God has granted each one. “…they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Dan 12:3)

We each in our own sphere, have someone, that we can shine for. At this point I am reminded of how I told my friend who was scared of the Bible about the worlds shortest Adventist sermon. I was the one that preached that sermon at one of our churches down south a few years back. You see, in John 1:12 we are told how that “to them that received Him, gave He POWER to become the sons and daughters of God.” And we need only exercise said power, that is already ours.

Like my old Chrysler. It has enormous power! But that car will not go even an inch if I do not exercise its power! So I press the gas peddle. Now in that shortest sermon, there were only three words. “Love One Another.” My friends, THAT is our “gas peddle.” THAT is our POWER to become the sons and daughters of God! And in these end times, this is exactly what Jesus wants to give us all power to do! I mean what else are we, His adopted children to do but be this kind of example for the world to see Jesus in?

Well, of course there is more to this story. Much more. My friend and I were both in tears as we realized more than ever how simple, how wonderfully simple and simply wonderful the “everlasting gospel” of Rev 14 really is. My friend is asking me to go to their country now so that they can take me around to the different Catholic and Protestant churches there and preach about that shortest sermon.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1)

“Not guilty; let that person go free.”

What would those words mean to you if you were on death row?

The fact is that the whole human race is on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking God’s holy law. Without Jesus we would have no hope at all. But thank God! He has declared us not guilty and has offered us freedom from sin and power to do his will.

Whoever is willing to do what God wants will know whether what I teach comes from God or whether I speak on my own authority. (John 7:17, GNB) This text says that if we are willing to do Gods will and to know the truth, whatever it may turn out to be, we need only be willing to do whatever His Word might reveal to us as we explore what it says.

Truth is imparted only to open hearts. God imparts the truth in accord with our ability, and our desire to receive it.

If we are willing to do as Jesus says; then we stand prepared in our hearts to fulfill whatever is revealed to us and witnessed to by God’s Spirit, through His Word alone. Live with your face toward the dawn, for though it tarry long it will certainly break. (Psalms 30:5)

Those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God. (John 3:21)

Many people don’t want their lives exposed to God’s light because they are afraid of what will be revealed. They don’t want to be changed. Don’t be surprised when these same people, maybe pro vaxers, maybe anti vaxers, are threatened by your desire to obey God and do what is right, because they are afraid that the light in you may expose some of the darkness in their lives. They want you to be afraid like them. Rather than giving in to discouragement, keep praying that they will come to see how much better it is to live in light than in darkness.

Faith in the gospel does not come by logic, but as the result of obeying the highest truth that you know. Follow on and your path will lead you out to where Jesus stands, the revealed Son of God and the Savior of men.

Accumulated light has shone upon God’s people, but many have neglected to follow the light, and for this reason they are in a state of great spiritual weakness. It is not for lack of knowledge that God’s people are now perishing. They will not be condemned because they do not know the way, the truth, and the life. The truth that has reached their understanding, the light which has shone on the soul, but which has been neglected or refused, will condemn them. Those who never had the light to reject, will not be in condemnation. What more could have been done for God’s vineyard than has been done? Light, precious light, shines upon God’s people; but it will not save them, unless they consent to be saved by it, fully live up to it, and transmit it to others in darkness. (2T 123)

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:15-18)

When are afraid of the future, eternity, or God’s judgment, we can remind ourselves of God’s love. We know that he loves us perfectly. We can resolve our fears first by focusing on his immeasurable love for us, and then by allowing him to love others through us. His love will quiet your fears and give you confidence.

Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death. These sometimes cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of his unconquerable love. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s presence. God tells us how great his love is so that we will feel totally secure in him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38-39)

If you would secure the grand object and purpose of life without mistake in your choice or fear of failure, you must make God first and last and best in every plan and work and thought. If you want a path that leads straight into darkness, you have only to cast the light of God behind you, live without God. When God points out your path and says, “This is your way of safety and peace,” you have only to set your face in an opposite direction from the way of the Lord and your feet will take hold on hell. The voice of the Lamb of God is heard speaking to us, “Follow Me, and ye shall not walk in darkness.” {2SM 167.1}

In a vision, Christ told Paul that he had many people in Corinth. Sometimes we can feel alone or isolated, especially when we see wickedness all around us or are persecuted for our faith. Usually, however, there are others in the neighborhood or community who also follow Christ. Ask God to lead you to them. There is no fear in love – The person who feels that they love God with all his heart can never dread him as his Judge. As they are now made a partaker of his Spirit, and carry a sense of the Divine approbation in his conscience, they have nothing of that fear that produces terror or brings torment.

The perfect love – that fullness of love, which they have received, casts out fear – removes all terror relative to this day of judgment, for it is of this that the apostle particularly speaks. And as it is inconsistent with the gracious design of God to have his followers miserable, and as he cannot be unhappy whose heart is full of the love of his God, this love must necessarily exclude this fear or terror; because that brings torment, and hence is inconsistent with that happiness which a man must have who continually enjoys the approbation of his God.

John and Judas are representatives of those who profess to be Christ’s followers. Both these disciples had the same opportunities to study and follow the divine Pattern. Both were closely associated with Jesus and were privileged to listen to His teaching. Each possessed serious defects of character; and each had access to the divine grace that transforms character. But while one in humility was learning of Jesus, the other revealed that he was not a doer of the word, but a hearer only. One, daily dying to self and overcoming sin, was sanctified through the truth; the other, resisting the transforming power of grace and indulging selfish desires, was brought into bondage to Satan. {AA 558.1}

Such transformation of character as is seen in the life of John is ever the result of communion with Christ. There may be marked defects in the character of an individual, yet when he becomes a true disciple of Christ, the power of divine grace transforms and sanctifies him. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, he is changed from glory to glory, until he is like Him whom he adores. {AA 559.1}

If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Cor 5:13-17, NIV)

Now, the important thing is that your way of life should be as the gospel of Christ requires, so that, whether or not I am able to go and see you, I will hear that you are standing firm with one common purpose and that with only one desire you are fighting together for the faith of the gospel. (Phil 1:27)

Living without the FEAR promoted by Big media today means living for Christ now. When we express mature love toward one another and understand God’s love for us, we will experience assurance of salvation.

In this is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that as He is, so also we are in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He who fears has not been perfected in love. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:17-19)

If we ever are afraid of the future, eternity, or God’s judgment, we can remind ourselves of God’s love. We know that he loves us perfectly (Rom 8:38-39). We can resolve our fears first by focusing on his immeasurable love for us, and then by allowing him to love others through us. His love will quiet your fears and give you confidence.

God’s love is the source of all human love, and it spreads like fire. In loving his children, God kindles a flame in their hearts. In turn, they always want to love others, who are warmed by God’s love through them. There is that shortest sermon again. There is our “gas pedal.” Love One Another. We exercise our power, because we already have it. To anyone who receives Jesus as Lord and Savior, gave He POWER to become the sons and daughters of God. (John 1:12)