NOT by Rules BUT BY LOVE or A Fork in the Road!

HAVE you ever been given some directions to something so remote in the country, knowing you should be almost to the place you desired, only to find the road has a fork in it, either to your left or to your right..........and IT WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN THE DIRECTIONS? Well, we were given that once.........."yeah, just follow this road for about 5 miles, turns in to dirt about two miles out..........and go pass Johnson's red barn, and then the Frederick's chicken farm, and you are there!"
Yes, that old red barn was there for sure...........and the noise of that chicken farm was showing the way clearly, but there is the fork in the road.........which way, now? Oh, and did I mention it was getting dark, and we had not been on the road before?

Those Directions as in rules and instructions are so important to us! Those directions are used daily, in living, going to school, carrying a child for nine months, taking driver's license test, even going for that CT scan. We must heed directions when staying safe, following the course set in motion by rules, regulations, speed limit signs, dosages for small children when giving them an aspirin, or medicine, dosages in vitamins, minerals and the sort, and even when trying to stay a certain size. Yes, so much applies to our daily living.

Was going over some scripture our pastor had given us some weeks ago. And was in Galatians 5:1 when I thought on the two roadways. In that chapter we had been given some things to think on about that "walk in the Spirit". We are given those examples of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

But in this chapter as a whole, Paul is giving us some things which are are evident in the walk of the flesh creature, yes, man of the flesh can be seen in that of adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.
Of these, we are told that anyone who practices these will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:21)
As we make our way through this short but enlightening chapter, we find in verse 24 that those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.


Galatians 5:1-6
5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.  NKJV

Yes, we have two roadways here, that which is of the free in Christ, and that of bondage under the Law.

But Paul was saying in Galatians 5:1 in (NSAB) "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery". Yes, two choices here, guys! It was like Peter trying to get Gentiles believer's to obey those rules of the Old Covenant.

Galatians 2:14-21

14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."   NKJV

In all this, it is being pointed out by Paul that when we even begin to obey the rules of that Old Covenant, we are moving into the place of those for whom that covenant was first given...........and that was for sinners. If we are that sinner, still in the place of the Old Covenant, we are to be judged and certainly punished for being a "sinner".

Choosing the covenant Jesus placed for us through His death and burial.........we are dead to sin but alive to righteousness. We had become the sons and daughters of the Father through Jesus's shed blood on the Cross. To stay in the Old Covenant, is saying Jesus's death was for nothing and no effect to us. When there are rules like in the Old Covenant, and someone lives by them, then all rules have to be obeyed, every breathing moment night and day! Paul said in verse 20....that we no longer live but Christ in us continues to live..........and that life.........which we now live in the flesh is by faith in the Son of God, WHO LOVED US AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR US. THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH THE LAW!

Just like following those rules of the roadway, God's Law is good. In that Old Covenant, we saw the need for redemption. But it was only through Jesus' death we could gain life eternally with Him. In anything else, we were lost forever in those rules and regulations. That was of a man keeping a mindset by the law was with all of  the aroma of sin and death. But our relationship was to be set by having a one to one relationship with the Lord, not by rules, but by obeying those things of God that protect a relationship with Him.

We saw the same when He addressed Peter in John 21:15-18

John 21:15-18
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" 

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" 

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" 

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.  NIV

Jesus was asking Peter if he loved and to protect that relationship. Protecting that relationship, helps us see others who would benefit in knowing what we know about Jesus and that love that covers a multitude of sins. Sheep certainly do not need rules and regulations. But giving, through caring and feeding we see the little ones grow up. We can know His love, experience His love and give it to others. That starts the moment we receive Jesus and goes all the way to the end, when we are the grown ups but still the children of God!
Take care of the sheep of the Lord =LOVE
Feeding the lambs of the Lord =LOVE
DO we love Jesus more than all that is going on, all that is involved including people, love Him more than anything or anybody + that Love in and from HIM will fill us and overflow to those around us. It is a love that KNOWS NO BOUNDS!!

John 14:15-18

15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 

NKJV

Jesus had said in verse 15 to keep His commandments. He said, "I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.".............Is that not awesome.........that the Holy Spirit is not just with us now, but for always and forever? "He, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

He was telling them, that He was not leaving them ever, and the Holy Spirit would be their comfort. He would like Jesus remind them of what they might do when veering from those Commands He left in place, but the Holy Spirit was to guide us not by the rules BUT BY LOVE!

In dealing with relationships, and if we spend time with others, adds strength not doubt more than if we never spend time with others. Our pastor has been desiring us to spend time together and have a meal together that strengthens us not only as a team member but in the relationship with God Himself. I believe him to speak truth in this. And we are finding fun, fellowship and food in relationships with others as Jesus did with those around Him. When we truly operate in His love.........that is a BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO HEARTS.......THAT IS BOTH APPEALING AND NOTHING LIKE THE WORLD!

As that scripture says in Galatians 5...........that "walk in the Spirit" looks a lot like those examples of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

I believe that is why so many churches cannot grow, why so  many churches keep losing attendees, and close after years of trying to implement the rules.............that Law! Service at this time. Two songs and two only............thirty minute message..............prayer two minutes............CLEAN UP! YIKES, how could any one wrap their head around that one? NOT ME!

WELL, Shelley, rules are important! Yes, particularly if you are driving 100 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone! Cars are a lot like guns..........they can kill people, too! But it is love that saves people, not keeping a hundred rules................certainly one must keep to a schedule, to stay within some time limits enforced, but the hard-fast rule here is to allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in every service, every time of ministry and every day in our homes, our lives and our children's lives.

In those moments to heed the Holy Spirit.........and pray ....and encourage others.............or clean, which will we choose........?
 For whether on Thursday night,  we have clean-up at 8 pm or 9 pm could be the difference in allowing someone to see the love of God! 

God is not a tyrant, and He is not dealing out destruction. He surely can give us a vision or a dream........but we can see that fulfilled in our lifetime, and not in the next thirty minutes. It is a "WALK OF THE SPIRIT"........NOT A HURRY UP AND DO MINISTRY! God wants us first...........in relationship with Him, with our spouse....if you have a spouse......(see blog: LET NOT MAN SEPARATE),..........relationship with our children...(see blog:How Often Do We Tell Our Children We are Well Pleased With Them?) and how we deal with others!

Many years ago, our daughter had gotten her license. She had taken driver's education and she got her license taking the test once. We were proud of her. She followed the rules of the road. There were two things we did go over the first probably 100 times she left in the car, and that was that she wear the seatbelt and do not use cruise control. Why?
Well, when she was first learning to drive, with licensed driver's with her, we allowed her to drive us into the next state over. But in doing so, she used cruise control, and ultimately those long straight lines of a divided highway can makes some people drowsy, she is one of them, and she started to drift off the road. My husband was next to her and grabbed the wheel. He never misses anything. Then cruise-control came off and she was not allowed to use it..............ever!
One time, she was going out to a friends house to grab something and asked if I wanted a ride out to the country with her. Well of course, I thought, this would be fun. I liked the rides out to the country and especially in the spring or the fall seasons. So I got in on the passenger side of truck and off we go. She gets into downtown traffic and makes it through in great time to other side of town, but I had noticed as she talked with such enthusiasm ......was that she had made the last three lights on yellow. I asked her to pause a second on her conversation and asked" "do you have your license?" Oh yes, of course Mom, I have my license."  "Okay, just making sure in case you need it..........." And we continued to make our way out of the city and into the country with the vast green fields, rolling hills and grazing cattle.
I did not speak out in "fear" to her...........and demand she turn around and go home "this instant". No, I just checked for her license, and spoke about those three yellow lights and ................! I did not operate in fear to demand my way, but just reminded her of the rules of the road.
She certainly continued her talking........and our conversing continued with much laughter involved as well..............we enjoyed the trip and each other's company.

Are we in a panic to fulfill ministry or get that job that pays a million a year? Are we in a panic should our child bring home an F on the report card? Are we in a panic when the night is falling, the sun has departed from the horizon and there is still school lunches to prepare and dishes to wash? Jesus did not come to accommodate a culture, He came to set up His kingdom without rules..........HE CAME TO ESTABLISH LOVE!
That love was in cultivating relationships with others. It was expressed through Jesus' everyday life. He taught them and ate with them. He did not send them home empty of anything!

Our pastor mentions that word "cultivate" a lot. And cultivating is like that garden.......cultivating.....is to develop.....as in a crop of whatever seed you sow........or....to gain as a skill as in "relationships". I have had a testimony I spoke of years in the Jail Ministry and at the Women's shelter......and it is that of being  THE "CONTROL TOWER"........AND yes I tried doing that for years........well, decades and it brought me sickness in body and such a weakness to not be able to get out of bed in the mornings. I was that woman who was up at or before 6 am........preparing breakfast and getting child off to school. I cleaned and kept a clean home. You could do the "white glove test" on it and find no dust or lint anywhere. The carpet was shampooed some 4-5 five times a year. We had a small dog at the time, so cleanliness to me was next to godliness. Yes, I thought that. Exercise between 8 am and 9 am unless it is the six mile walk today. Start laundry, by noon............start dinner by 3:30 pm...........clean dishes and kitchen by 5:30 pm. Have talk with husband.........and help child with homework...........go for walk with husband and child by 7 pm........unless raining out. Child ready for bath at 8 pm and bed by 8:15 pm. Prepare lunch for husband to take for next day and get ready for bed. Ahh...........rest...........nope, because I spent the next two to three hours thinking of what I needed to get done the next day. Yes, CONTROL TOWER" had some issues...........and it should have been about how much can I love you today in what I should do and how much should I forget about doing.

We have a lifetime to complete what God has for us to do. It is not a test to see when it gets done, but how much we involve Him into each situation, every decision and if we are involved in knowing others and spending time with them.
How can we love God and not our neighbor when He made them in His image? There should be no blaming games among families or those in the body of Christ. We should not be blaming someone if they might not be where we are in our walk, but certainly those priorities that apply will always include the relationship we have first with God. Second it applies to our relationship with our wife/or husband, and third will always include our children and grand-children. Our walk is one that is led by the Holy Spirit of power. He is well able to see that what has been committed is in the safe hands of God and will come to pass. We just need to be patient to see the way before us, a holiness highway ....that respects and reveres God first, respects and honors our wife or husband, gives life and much love to our children and other people's children..........AND  not with a lot of rules but WITH a lot of guidance with the wisdom in the love of God and to always love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

A fork in the road indeed, but one is clearly displayed in that pathway that is love, kind, gentle, faithful and self-control without panic or fear of God's Word when spoken.

Thank You Lord today for showing us the better life, the better way........in loving others first, putting them first and in all that, we see God our Father's hand arranging that in our lives that is for good and not evil to give us a hope in our final outcome. To God be all the glory.............Amen!


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