Posted by Pastor Bruce on June 21, 2010
Remember something called “manners”? It used to be taught in homes and schools.
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. (1Co 13:4-5 AMP)
Acting rude or unmannerly is a sure sign of no love and selfishness because love has manners and is not rude. To learn manners and practice them shows how much of the love of God you are allowing to flow through you. Can you imagine Jesus being rude? Do you think that He would continue to dominate a conversation and never let the other person speak? Would Jesus bump into you and never say, “excuse me…”? Would He borrow something and never return it or promise to call you and never follow through? Would He continue to talk to you after you have let Him know that you have another appointment to get to and that you need to go?
Rude is acting in any way that is inconsiderate. To have manners and act mannerly means to consider others before you speak or act. Be sensitive to those around you by thinking of them first. Your manners can open a door that you can use to tell someone about Jesus. Powerful stuff! Commit to the Lord to be a person of impeccable manners.
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Filed Under: love
Posted by Pastor Bruce on May 5, 2010
Ever thought “this world would be great if we could get rid of all the difficult people.”?
“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.” – Matthew 5:43-47 [The Message]
When we are born again we are equipped with all that we need to love every person that we will ever come in contact with. People don’t purposely choose to be difficult, it just happens. The natural course of life without God is to become old and grumpy, difficult and down right mean. In a word, SELFISH.
Without the Word of God operating in your life you will become difficult as well. This is exactly why it is important to practice Matthew 5:43-47 and learn to love the unlovely. When you come in contact with a difficult person decide within yourself that “I am going to show the love of God regardless!” and you have just put yourself in the right place. It is easy to love those that love you, it requires no effort at all. But it is a “big person” (a mature one) that can love someone that is lying about them, cheating on them, stealing from them, etc. You can do it! God made you to act just like Jesus.
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Filed Under: love
Posted by Pastor Bruce on May 3, 2010
What is greater than all sin?
Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. – 1 Peter 4:8 AMP
The love of God is greater than all sin! Jesus’ love for us and in us will conquer any and every wrong.
1 Corinthians 13 says that one aspect of love is that it never fails and never quits (it never gets to a place where it gives up) Sure there are times where we want to give up but instead of giving up we would “tap into” the love of God on the inside of us…we would receive the strength that it takes to love and win!
The opposite of cover is expose. Love does not expose sin. It is not our job or calling in life to go around shining a light on every one’s sin to expose them. (we don’t go to the other extreme and pretend as though sin doesn’t exist either…) By “covering sin” the Bible means that we forgive, forget and look past the sin of others in order that we keep ourselves from judging and criticizing those that we see in sin. Jesus ministered to the woman that was caught in the act of adultery by saying “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” There is no condemnation in Christ. Operate in the extreme love of God and release people from their sin. Allow the love of God on the inside of you to cover sin not expose it.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on April 27, 2010
Trying to love the unlovely?
I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. – John 13:34 AMP
Yes, there are many times that we must love people that are not worthy of our love or God’s love. Jesus knew this when He spoke these words to His disciples. He intended that we would realize that we must tap into His love to love the most difficult people.
In the 13th chapter of John Jesus did a super-natural thing when He chose to wash the feet of all of His disciples knowing that one of His disciples would sell Him out to His enemies, another disciple that said that he loved Him but would deny Him three times in the same breath and yet another disciple that doubted Him from the beginning and would doubt Him even after He was resurrected. What love! To look past the weaknesses of those around Him and choose to love them not based on their goodness but based on God’s goodness.
Jesus showed us how to love with the supernatural love of God that never gives up and always wins! We must make a daily choice to operate in that type of love, it is a decision and not a choice. Jesus did and we can…if and when we choose.
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Filed Under: love
Posted by Pastor Bruce on March 5, 2010
Are you in a place where you need to know something?
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. – James 1:5-6 NKJV
As much as you know, you do not know it all and you need wisdom…daily. God is the God of all wisdom. He knows all and wants to reveal things to us! This is great news!
We do not have to walk around in the dark and stumble. We can know what to do at all times.
We must ask God for His wisdom in faith and expect to receive direct, divine revelation from our Heavenly Father!
If you are dealing with a challenge or circumstance that you have no idea how overcome and exit victoriously, ASK GOD FOR WISDOM! Expect to hear His voice, follow the guide (the mighty Holy Spirit!).
God desires that you walk in His wisdom and counsel. Not only does He desire for you to walk in His ways and His wisdom, He has opened the door and has invited you to ask.
Ask and receive. Spend time with Him and He will show you things to come. He will speak to you and settle every issue that you are dealing with. He already knows what you need to know!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 9, 2010
You may enter now…
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, – Matthew 27:51
When Jesus gave Himself in the crucifixion He opened the door to the Holy of Holies. There was a manifestation in the natural realm (world) and the spiritual realm (world), the earth quaked and the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. That act of obedience forever opened the door to the heart of our Father God.
We have access to the very presence of God whenever we choose to enter. Jesus sacrifice and His blood provides access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. God has an “open door policy”.
Few people understand and believe this and even fewer people actually act on this and take full advantage of this supernatural access.
We live in a day where people will stand in line for hours on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) to burst through the doors of a store to get 30% off of their big ticket item (while knocking down everyone in their way)…And others will pay their friends money to wait in line to get in the door to buy tickets for the greatest concert in the world. With all this rush and passion to get something that is really worth nothing…we have access to the very riches of heaven but refuse to take advantage of the the access that Jesus has provided. Most would rather be satisfied with the trinkets of the world than the treasures of heaven.
Quit waiting for God to do something for you and go boldly into His Throne Room through the blood of Jesus to obtain grace and help in time of need. The door is forever open!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 5, 2010
How’s your love level?
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, – 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NKJV)
And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. (The Message)
We need a revival of love in the marriages in the Body of Christ! Not the oowee goowe feelings of love that make you warm and fuzzy. Not the romantic love that just pleases your flesh. But the true, down deep committed love that endures all things! The type of love that believes the best and stands in the face of adversity and declares I WIN!
In the above verse Paul (by the Holy Spirit) was praying that the church would increase to the point that they would overflow with the love of God! Now that is powerful because there is nothing that can overpower the love of God!
God’s love to us and in us and through us is the most powerful force on the earth today! When we walk in love and live the love life that God has intended for us we will begin to see all of our relationships turn around and begin to produce fruit. No matter how good your marriage is (or if you are single…your friendships) they can be better! We can take it up a notch, right? How are we going to do it? Through the love of God and allowing that love to abound and overflow in us until it splashes over on everyone that we come in contact with. Discover more about the love of God…go to 1 Corinthians 13 and meditate, ask the Lord to show you so that you can walk in a greater level of love.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 26, 2010
Be a winner every time…as you do what love would do.
Love never fails. – 1 Cor. 13:8
God will guarantee our success when we act like He acts. We act like God when we “walk in love”. 1 John 4:7-8 says that God is love and in Ephesians 5:1 we are told to be imitators of God as dear children (act like He acts). When we act like He acts we will experience the same success that He experiences. It is just that simple!
We were made to win, every time. And we can win every time.
Our daily goal should be to win by saying everything that we say in love. Our prayer should be, “Lord show me the right thing to say each and every moment today so that I will constantly manifest the love of God in every situation.” The reason that we do not walk in the love of God more is because we do not expect to. By giving voice to your desire to walk in love, it begins to involve the Lord and the power of His love more in your life. You are opening the door so to speak.
Also, our daily goal should be to win by doing all that do motivated by love. Judging our actions before we act to see if they line up and conform to the love commandment will keep us from losing and failing. We are destined to win as we love like Jesus loves!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 15, 2010
You are worth more than a million canaries! (Matt. 10:31 – The Message)
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows. – Matthew 10:30-31 AMP
All of us face thoughts of insignificance. Big God, big world, little us… BUT the Word of God tells us in many places that God values us more than we can possibly imagine. He is our greatest fan! He created us and believes in us even when we don’t believe in ourselves. God doesn’t create junk!
The Heavenly Father bought you back from death, sin and the grave with the precious blood of Jesus which is the most valuable thing in the universe! The price He paid for you was the value of the life of Jesus! You are worth it.
God knew what He was getting when He did what He did for us. He knows better than anyone else the value of life…and more specifically, your life. He has a plan for you that is absolutely mind blowing (above anything and everything that you could imagine)…you need to know and believe that He values you and loves you with every bit of love that He has. And the great thing is that when we know how much that He values us and loves us…fear leaves. Fear can not stay in the heart of someone that knows that they are loved and valuable to the Father.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 8, 2010
Don’t wait until spring to clean.
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. – Matthew 21:12-13 KJV
Jesus completely fulfilled the will of God in all things. When He drove out the money changers He was not doing it out of anger. (and certainly not to make a spectacle of them.) The purpose was to show them and us that the temple was not created for anything but communing and fellow-shipping with our Heavenly Father. In yesterday’s blog entry we saw that the temple was to be a house of prayer. We can relate to and see the importance of this in two ways; our house (physical dwelling place where we live) and His house (our body…if we are born again and in the family of God).
Our bodies were not made to harbor bitterness, covetousness, greed, anger and unforgiveness. Our “temples” (our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit) were made for a relationship with God. Our first responsibility is to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. First things first. As we pray each day and spend time with our Heavenly Father everything that is foreign and not of God begins to leave our “temple”. Romans 12 says that we are responsible to present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God. When we pray consistently we are presenting our bodies to the Lord. We are making time with Him our prime time and His peace and presence will fill our spirit, flow out into our soul and affect our bodies! How powerful!
Cleanse your temple by making your life a “house of prayer”. Fulfill the scripture, “Pray without ceasing” by being constantly in an attitude of prayer. Have an ongoing conversation with the Lord as you walk through your day. Don’t wait until spring.
