Walking In the Love of God

By Pastor Ken Foreman

Text: Ephesians 5:1-2 - "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour."

Children tend to follow their parents just because they are their mom and dad. If we are truly a child of God, we will want to be "like daddy." (We cry, "Abba - Father!") Because He has loved and blessed us, we need to want to give back to Him in return.

Love takes risks... "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." (John 3:16) That's one of the greatest things about Jesus... "But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

• Walk in Love - do it until it feels natural.
• Guard Your Love! - "And because wickedness shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12) 

The apostle John tells us... "God is love," (I John 4:8, 16) and that "love is of God." (I John 4:7)  Moreover, John said, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us..." (I John 4:10) and, "We love Him, because He first loved us." (I John 4:19) Let's take a closer look...

1. The Origin of Love - God. God IS love! John 3:16-18 and chapters 13, through 17 are outpourings of the love Jesus had for His disciples, the church they were going to gather for His Name's sake, and us, who would believe on Him through their word. Families have falling outs - it's normal. Yet Jesus said, "Love one another." Everybody needs love. If you say you have the Holy Ghost but don't love - somebody's lying - and it's not God! It takes the Holy Ghost to produce the fruit of the Spirit; (Galatians 5:22) and the first fruit mentioned is love.
2. The Focus/Object of Love - God first. Then, thy neighbor as thyself. Neighbors include your family, your church family, (the brotherhood,) your friends, co-workers, and those in your neighborhood. And don't forget your enemies! We're to love them too!
3. The Nature of Love - It's found in I Corinthians 13... It suffers long, it's kind, it envieth not, it's not puffed up, it is not easily provoked, it thinks no evil, it rejoices in the truth, and it beareth, endureth, and hopeth all things. "Love covers a multitude of sin." (I Peter 4:4)
4. The Blessings [Results] of Love - The Lord has promised a "crown of life" to them that love Him. (James 1:12) Furthermore, we are also promised that "all things will work together for good to them that love God." (Romans 8:28)

The enemy of your soul wants to thwart the love of God to you, for you, and in you. His purpose is to derail the love in your heart for God and for others. He's a thief and a robber - don't let him steal your love!

God's Priority - Your Needs

By Jonathan Jeffrey

Text: Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

The job of the church is not to impact the church, it's to impact the world!

In football, the huddle is not the object - it's what happens when the huddle breaks out that makes the difference!

Matthew 9:37-38 - reveals Jesus' priority and His only prayer request - souls!
I Timothy 2:1-4 - tells us to pray for the lost to be saved according to God's will.
John 13:35 - instructs us to pray for love among the brethren.
Jude 22 - says we should keep ourselves in the love of God.
Matthew 12:29 - shows the need for the binding of the enemy's spirit and influence.

God's priorities include...

• a witness of righteousness
• a witness of miracles with signs following
• a witness of boldness in sharing the Gospel
• a witness of unity among the believers
• a witness of wisdom among the believers
• the awakening of souls
• the conviction of sin

Our goals should be...

• having the mind of Christ
• having a harvest-centered focus.

Editor's Note: Jonathan Jeffrey has made himself a servant of the body of Christ here at New Life. Husband of Jamine, father of three vital and active young sons, Jonathan serves as our New Life church photographer and is a blessing to the music ministry, singing and making melody in his heart and life to the Lord!

How to Know God

By Justin Jeffrey

Text: I John 4:16 - "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

God is Love! Think of the love God has shown you, your family, your friends, and yes, even your enemies... in Calvary and in the church.

Through the little book of First John we find six ways to Know God!

1. Believe in God - and His Word... (I John 1:5-7)
2. Confess Your Sins to God - Repent [die daily]... (I John 1:9-10) You need a clean slate - all your sins! You can't hide anything from God.
3. Know His Word - it's the way to know Him! (I John 2:3-5) They say, "knowledge is power" - but His Word is the power you need.
4. DO His Word - walk like Jesus walked (I John 2:6; 3:18-24; 5:2-4) the obedient overcome! It's more than say-so, it's do-so!
5. Love Not the World - the world passes away! (I John 2:15-17) it's going to let you down!
6. Love Others - Your love for God is measured by how well you love others (I John 4:4-14, 20-21) He loved us, died for us - when we were His enemies ("while we were yet sinners").

Before you teach others, you need to know God for yourself. Then, to follow and get closer to God you need a plan. The Apostle John's plan is a good one to use.

Editor's Note: Justin is our youth leader, sound engineer, and all around help to Pastor Foreman. He wears more hats than "Bartholemew Cubbins." It is easy to see that the blessing of the Lord rests on this young man as he goes about his faithful service.

Charity

By Justin Jeffrey

Text: I Corinthians 13

I Corinthians 13 is also known as the "love" or "charity" chapter. Jesus said all men would know we are His disciples by the love we show to one another. He called it a new commandment and repeated it many times over. John, James, Peter and Paul, in their letters to the churches, made love a frequent topic. This was not some weak, paltry kind of love, but an all-consuming, self-sacrificing, giving love modelled after Jesus' example. "We love Him because He first loved us."

I Corinthians 13, verses 4 through 8 outline the properties and effects of Jesus' kind of love...
Verse 4

• long suffering - waits, is patient.
• kind - looks for opportunities to do good.
• envieth not - is happy for the success of others.
• vaunteth not itself - doesn't promote itself; it isn't puffed up.

Verse 5

• does not behave itself unseemly - it's courteous.
• seeketh not her own - not out for itself, serves others at its own expense.
• is not easily provoked - it controls itself.
• thinketh no evil - it's not judgmental, or critical.

Verse 6

• rejoiceth not in iniquity - does not condone sin.
• rejoiceth in the truth - lets truth prevail.

Verse 7

• beareth all things - keeps on keeping on.
• believeth all things - believe the best.
• hopeth all things - hope for, expects progress.
• endureth all things - steadfast, stand fast, hold fast.

Verse 8

• charity never faileth - it's always there.

Verses 8-13 (Recap)

• Love outlasts prophecies, tongues, and knowledge.
• Now we know in part - then we'll know as we're known.
• Now we prophesy in part - then we'll understand all.
• The partial will pass when the perfect comes.
• Children think, speak, understand as a child - Men put away childish things.
• Now we see through a glass darkly - then Face to face.

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."


Editor's Note: Justin is our youth leader here at New Life. The E.D.G.E. youth group seeks to find the leading edge of the move of God and become a part of the flow of the Spirit. We're proud of their accomplishments in life and in the Kingdom of God!