8.7.25 ~ Complicated Love

Good morning!

I keep mulling over in my head the three words that I think summarize God's entire mindset towards us in this week's Torah portion, Va'etchanan/and I pleaded: Destiny, Covenant, and Oneness (Deut. 4-6).

If you're like me, we’ve heard our entire life in Messiah that we need to love in everything we do. And as I get older, I couldn’t agree more. Without love, even the greatest prophetic word, the most awesome understanding of mysteries, the acquisition of all knowledge, faith to move mountains, speaking eloquently like an angel, or sacrificing our own lives is like the first day of 6th grade band practice...not very pretty and not too productive (1 Cor. 13:1-4).

The topic of love has so many challenges. As we draw near to the Fall Feast Season the theme of  individual and corporate accountability, separating from pagan practices, living in resurrection power, patiently waiting for The Spirit’s empowerment from on high, andliving love, reign supreme. We are given the command from the shema in Deuteronomy 6 to love Yahweh our Elohim with all our heart, soul and might and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Yeshua (John 13:34) and Paul (Rom. 13:8; Gal. 5:14) reiterate this same truth that in loving one another we actually fulfill, or make fully known the intention of the Torah.

The challenge to overcome with this topic is applying the biblical definition of love. What is it? What does it look like? Where do I find it? How do I display it appropriately? Enquiring minds want to know :-)

Love is more than the basic feeling of warm fuzzies to be passed onto another, as is displayed in our modern culture, but don’t give up on the warm fuzzies...they are part of the equation also.

As the former Peanut Butter Poster Child, I "loved" Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with all my taste buds, but it is not the same as Loving Yahweh with all my heart.

We’ve all been taught to love one another and love is the most essential ingredient in all we do, but how does this work? Is it a skill to be learned? Is it something that’s innate in each one of us? Is it just smiling when inside I’m fuming? Isn’t it just a simple act?

Yah-willing we’ll all experience His answer in the days ahead. For now, let’s do a quick examination on this topic and see what we can live among one another.

The reason that we should love is to testify of Yahweh’s character to the world and love for us (1 John 4:19). It’s literally, or should be, a measure for measure. As we have received, so we should give to others. The source of love comes to us through the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Because Yahweh Elohim is love (1 John 4:8) and He is Spirit (John 4:24), and since His presence through the Holy Spirit dwells in us (1 Cor. 6:19,20), this should become the essence of who we are. This behavior can’t be mustered up in the flesh, but can only come from submitting to the original source.

With that said, Peter emphasizes that love is the capstone of what we should be adding into our faith daily, so not to stumble, and to guarantee an abundant entrance into His coming Kingdom (2 Pet. 1:5-11)!

“And besides this (verses 1-4),
give all diligence,
add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue knowledge;
and to knowledge self control;
and to self control patience;
and to patience godliness;
and to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness love.
For if these things be in you, and abound,
they make you that you shall be neither barren
nor unfruitful
in the experiential knowledge of Yeshua our Messiah.
But if we lack these things
we are blind and cannot see afar off
and have forgotten
that we have been purged from our old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure: f
or if you do these things you shall never stumble.
For so an abundant entrance
shall be ministered to you
into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Savior Yeshua Messiah.”
(2 Pet. 1:5-11).

Love is complicated! First we see it’s the character of the One Who we cannot see. Second, we see it’s emphasized all throughout Scripture that we make it visible for people to see. Third, we see that it’s a result of yielding to Yahweh our Elohim, it's not anything we can muster up in the flesh. And finally, it’s the capstone of what we are to diligently add into our faith daily in order to receive an abundant entrance into His coming Kingdom.

We are vessels of the Most High. He’s called us to be His representatives of Who He is towards one another. We are merely His ‘conduits’ that He chooses to use to express His love for the world. By diligently adding into your faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, our individual conduit, our spiritual plumbing will remain clog free and the world will receive what they are hungering for…the manifestation of His love!

Because we are all different members of the same body, we will express His love a little differently than everyone else. Because each of us are at different maturity points in being conformed into the image of His dear Son (Rom. 8:28,29), we need to encourage and strengthen one another, being patient with one another until we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah (Eph. 4:13).

Though we should never compare ourselves with one another (2 Cor. 10:12), it’s an obvious reality that there are some who are more mature within the body than others. For those who are more mature, they should never forget where they came from. In doing so they will be able to help those who are tossed to and fro with every wave and wind of doctrine and help them weather the spiritual deception and physical storms of this life (Eph. 4:14). The stronger are to bear the infirmities of the weaker (Gal. 6:1-4). We are to recognize their dogmatism on topics that are doubtful disputations (Rom. 14:1) and love them until we all grow up into the head, even the fullness of Messiah (Eph. 4:15).

Whether you’re communicating His love through face to face encounters, phone conversations, instagram, twitter, Facebook, or any other means, never forget where you’ve been. Always take into consideration where you are; and never forget to keep moving forward to the goal of your/our calling. What the world needs now is 'love, sweet love.' You're His dispenser...keep pouring it out and He'll keep pouring it in (Prov. 11:25; John 14:21,23).

Happy 19th day of counting towards the first fruit of the oil!

Shalom,
Alan

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