I\u2019m sure most people would\nsay \u201cI pursue love over power\u201d, but in the reality of everyday life, I would\nchallenge you to take a good look at your attitudes! The truth is, we live in a\nhighly power hungry culture geared toward \u201cwinning for my side\u201d by destroying\nor demeaning the other side. We are encouraged to label and divide each other\nby politics, religion, race, gender, and on and on. This has always been the\nworld\u2019s way of seeking power and control by ignoring God and putting yourself\nand your group above anyone else. But\nGod\u2019s way is just the opposite: we are\nto love God first, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then love\nothers as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40) Sadly, many think this is a\nweak and ridiculous approach to life and may scoff at it. But it is God\u2019s\nformula for changing you, others, and the world for the better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Luke 9:51-56, Jesus\npreaches in a Samaritan (enemy to the Jews) town, and the Samaritans don\u2019t\nwelcome him nor listen to him. His disciples gleefully ask \u201cLord, do you want\nus to command fire to come down from heaven & consume them?\u201d I\u2019m sure many\npoliticians, news pundits, and many of us would like to pray that over our\n\u201cenemies\u201d today! But note Jesus\u2019 response: \u201cYou do not know what manner of\nspirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men\u2019s lives but\nto save them\u201d. In other words, he was\ntelling them their hearts and thoughts were mean-spirited, evil, and the\nopposite of what he came for, which was to redeem and restore humanity and the\nworld to what it was intended to be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, Christian brothers & sisters, how often do we\nfind ourselves thinking and responding just like those disciples?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Last Sunday, CJ and I\nvisited a church in Vero Beach which wasn\u2019t real large, but has a wonderful\nministry to those who suffered from addiction, homelessness, and other needs\nthat afflict the hurting. They were warm, welcoming, and several times gathered\nin a circle around people to pray for them and their struggles. They impressed\nme as authentic, real, and humble Christians. I have to believe Jesus is\nsmiling on that church and their love for others. After church, we went out to\nRuby Tuesdays for lunch, and behind us was sitting a table of Christians from a\npresumably larger church. I\u2019m sure they were probably pretty nice people also,\nbut one man started to loudly complain about the new Michigan Muslim\ncongresswoman who is now famous for a profanity-laced tirade against the\nPresident, and called for his impeachment. He loudly proclaimed \u201cThis has been\nhappening since 9-11! No one wants to speak out, but I will. These people need\nto go back to where they came from!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now let\u2019s be honest, how\nmany of us have had similar thoughts about some group of people we didn\u2019t like\nor understand or agree with? How often do the news reports fill you with anger\ntoward \u201cthe other side\u201d? How often do you get sucked into the social media\nslime pool of vitriol, hatred, accusation, and the win-lose scenario for everything\nin our culture?<\/p>\n\n\n\n CAN I MAKE TWO SUGGESTIONS FOR ALL OF US CHRISTIANS\nWHO ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS BLOG?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) REMEMBER WHY JESUS CAME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We evangelical Christians\nlove to quote and hold up signs for John 3:16- \u201cFor God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that\nwhoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life\u201d.<\/em> But we tend to leave it there and neglect the\nnext verse, John 3:17- \u201cFor God did not\nsend his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through\nHim might be saved.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We live in a very\ncondemning culture! We are called to be radically different, to be people who\nare patient, forgiving, generous, loving in a way that confronts sin but\ndoesn\u2019t just condemn the person doing the sin. Rather, we do whatever we can to\nhelp people overcome the destructive habits and effects of sin in their lives,\nseeking to redeem their lives– body, soul, mind and strength– by the power of\nJesus and for the glory of Jesus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember the encouragement of Paul in Philippians 2:1-8\u2026 2) REMEMBER YOU DON\u2019 HAVE TO WIN; JESUS ALREADY HAS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We live in a divisive,\nwin-lose culture where a tremendous amount of energy and money is spent one\nside winning and having all the power and influence, while the other side must\nlose. Jesus offers us a win-win plan of redemption is which he desires to save\nnot only our souls and our very being, but this world itself. And he calls his\npeople to follow him into offering hope, forgiveness, and total redemption\nthrough faith in Him, now and forever!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus doesn\u2019t want to take\nsides; he wants to take over!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notice there are two options of power before us:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n – The love of power\nis the way of the world without God, and leads to division, hatred, control,\nand a constant cycle of fear and repression, and ultimately death and\nseparation from God for eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – The power of love\nis the way of God! He calls us to love him first and foremost, and pursue his\nKingdom as the first priority! Then he wants to love others sacrificially as he\nloved us, putting others\u2019 interests before our own. This is the true power of\nGod, more powerful than any government, army, or weapon. And this is the way\nGod changes us, and will change and redeem the world for eternity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which power source do you\nchoose for 2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And will you pray with me\nfor the heart and attitude of Jesus as we choose to be redemptive agents in\nthis lost and needy world in 2019?\n\n\n\n\n\n\ufffd<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019m sure most people would say \u201cI pursue love over power\u201d, but in the reality of everyday life, I would challenge you to take a good look at your attitudes! The truth is, we live in a highly power hungry culture geared toward \u201cwinning for my side\u201d by destroying or demeaning the other side. We … Continue reading 2019: Will You Pursue the Love of Power, or the Power of Love?<\/span>
1 <\/sup>\u00a0If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 <\/sup>\u00a0then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 <\/sup>\u00a0Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 <\/sup>\u00a0Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 <\/sup>\u00a0Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 <\/sup>\u00a0Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 <\/sup>\u00a0but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 <\/sup>\u00a0And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n