Which Standard of Love

Voice of Prayer

1 John 3:16-17 NKJV By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him,  how does the love of God abide in him?

Christ Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. In that love of God we are the saved, and when our hearts submit before Him for His guidance, we have a new walk of life. In that we walk from the "me, myself and I" sort of person and move into that of loving our neighbor as ourselves!

1 John 3:1-3 NKJV Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

One might admit a truth on Sunday morning, that they would rather be at home watching "their favorite" team play than to be at church to receive God's word and love. You can see this on Sundays and when watching to see when the local big teams are playing, that you could set your clock or watch by the amount of men and women on the golf course.
Now if the Seattle Seahawks are playing in the morning hour, forget the golf thing. The course will be empty. But see a scheduled, say, Cowboys and Seahawks in the afternoon say 2pm and you will see those golfers on the course no later than 7:30 am.
Now exercise is totally important and if your Physician has placed you on a regimen of exercise and lots of fresh air. For it is paramount to be healthy in this day and time.
But in respect to this word, would chasing that game that of loving the world's goods? And yet if someone needs Jesus, do we forget so quickly about the neighbor?

Now your mission field may be the football stadium or even the golf course, but how many have you brought to Jesus thus far?

And I am certain many will say, "Well, now Shelley I have a life you know." " And I am all about others knowing Jesus, but I just have to relax for me and in my own time!"

 I am certain you do have a life. I just ask what manner of love do we give to another? I ask myself this too! For us to be called the children of God, a sacrifice was given, and it took time and someone's life. Yet when the "big" game comes on,  does it come to this:"don't bother me"!
Yikes!

Heard of a neighbor being ill the other day. Had not seen her in about three weeks and she usually lets us know how it is going for her. She can call or send a text. She had gone back to school to finish a course, but needed to go back to the state she filed for her license to practice her new education. So we knew she would most likely be home being her creative self, yet we had heard nothing. After finding out the news about her, not specifically sent to me but then knowing we could do something,  I did call my husband and asked if he might run an errand for us.
I told him my thoughts of the "sick" person and how we might could help. So he left work and took care of the deed to be done.

Did not need to pray hours over it, did not have to ask anyone other that knowing our Father in heaven did the same for us. No, no one had to die in this situation other than delaying our own meal and our time of the evening comfort in the easy chair. But what do we do when someone is in need? Or will we do anything.
Just met with a friend this last weekend. She and her family housed people in their home for periods of time. Most awesome family indeed and not sure how they do it, but  they do it and has been on-going for years. The Lord blesses them greatly in this only "the anointed" for this activity could do. She always gives us the account of each and how God brought it to them through it for His glory. Surely love her stories and testimonies of God's goodness and His love to them and through them.


Knowing that both love and righteousness are evident of our salvation, then doing for the individual should be evident in our action toward others. Loving Jesus and giving much thanks for Him seems to give us an edge in participating with God and His kingdom that has come. In the love of God is light, and we should be seeing clearly when in action for another in their need.

In this coming new year, may we be the one who says "Holy Spirit, I want to know you, really know you. Help me to know the scriptures as I read them. Help with insight needed for me and also for my family. Give me insight into how I can grow in my understanding of that Word of God. Help me to be grounded in Your truth so I can notice the "false teachers, the false prophets" and to stay away from them. Enable me Holy Spirit to know God more. Teach me the truthful ways in worship, in prayer and to learn to love more my fellow neighbor." Thank You Holy Spirit for revealing Jesus to me in the new year!"

May you and I hold tightly to that which we have seen and learned of Jesus Christ. May we hold to truth and a love that is everlasting.
In the standard of love from God, we can walk through this life engaging others by a love that never fails. In His glory, others will see that glory. But you can only carry that which you have prepared in relationship with Him. For God to display His glory on us, we must be the vessel willing to carry it forward for others. If we have a vessel not prepared, then that glory would kill that very person wanting to do so. It would be the same with the 10 Virgins: 5 prepared, 5 did not prepare.

The Bible gives us examples of those who sat passively waiting. In the scripture text in the parables of the 10 virgins, (Matthew 25:1-13) emphasized the importance of staying spiritually prepared. We each are to keep our lamp filled with oil that represents the presence of the Holy Spirit. We are to be filled to the brim with His presence. We are to keep watch, and to pray the word of God into our families, our communities, our churches, pray for the those in the Northwest and to pray for our government.

 In John 15:5-8 states, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch & is withered; & they gather them & throw them into the fire, & they are burned. 7  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you desire, & it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.  (NKJV)

For whatever thing we pray for, God is in our midst. Abiding in HIM, is allowing His word access into our lives, into our community, our church and into the leaders of this great country we live.

If I do not pray, there is NO FUTURE!

We should not be complacent in praying!

• Prayer brings communication with God who brings ADVENTURES into our lives
• Prayer causes us to turn outward as we pray for others
• Prayer always causes us to stay close to our Father
• Prayer teaches us to be RECEIVERS and not beggars

Keep watching! " Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming----in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning----lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

Participate in God's love with a high standard of His love, for His glory to appear and people will know us as God's children! There will be only be two avenues at the end, those who are prepared and those who are not! You choose!

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

Nothing Will Be Impossible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HZ_kvKUhzc

You can also visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer 

for more teaching at:  http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

Sons of God: Faith is Dynamic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxIRp154cYw&t=228s

Also visit Life Giving Wells You Tube Channel for more teaching:

http://bit.ly/2wgu1kw

Vine Growers

Was moving some plants last month, and my husband and I came across a flowering plant that had a "tomato plant" growing up through the middle of it. Not sure why we had not noticed it, yet there it was with some blooms on it. Our thinking was that a bird must have dropped some seed or seeds from last years plants and somehow was ready to "do something this year", but proved rather late in its growing experience. Yeah, no fruit this year for that one plant.

John 15:15-17
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another. NKJV

Calling us servants, we are to serve as Christ served. If He truly is our master, then we should know what He is doing. He chose us to do something specific. Now for some, they are to raise great children for His kingdom. Others, well, they are to worship and seek His voice. Still others can make it in the business scene and fill seats at the "city gates" where the city never closes.

As laborers we are to bring forth fruit so that the Father is pleased, not what we are pleased with at the time. As a child I remember my sister and I having homework. Most times I carried every book I had home so I could work well into the late hour only to carry the same books back to school. My sister sometimes carried a single book home. I use 'sometimes' loosely though. She could make wonderful report cards with all those A's on them. I always seemed more to be working for the varied A- to B+, to C- and possibly a D if I did not spend extra time with a teacher like for Math!

Also, if there was food involved, say a chocolate snickers bar, my sister was ready to eat it now, where I would wait till night time to feast on the wonderful flavors of chocolate and peanuts.

But I remember in my mother's speaking that it was the one who worked would get ahead in life. So year after year I carried books home and carried them back the next day. No, we did not have backpacks in those days. I know that working hard to be true today, and it is in that working hard that will produce progress. Working on the Word of God in our lives will produce when we continue to profess it and confess it out of our mouths. Waiters or those waiting to work do not get anything done. It would be like needing a job but never filling out an application for any specific job. No results!

John 6:26-29

 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." 28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."NKJV

Remaining on the vine and connected to the Lifesource is imperative for us. Remaining in Jesus, we seek the food which endures for everlasting life. In that we seek to live a life where we are productive in society, in our family homes and within communities. We are to work and be faithful with what God desires for us to have here and now, but to always keep our eyes on the "eternal".

Colossians 2:6-10

6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.   NKJV

We are to walk as when we received Christ Jesus as Lord. Walking with Him, we are the rooted, and we grow being well established in faith. As we abound, in that faith, we are the joyful and we are the strengthened. Not listening to empty deceit or through man's philosophies, but truly living in Him in all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

In Him, we should diffuse His fragrance everywhere we go. Within Him, we influence others, we are the satisfied and furnished with all we need to see His kingdom come in our lives.

NT:4137

pleroo (play-ro'-o); from NT:4134; to make replete, i.e. (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.:

We are in Him and can execute that office He planned for us to participate in. Being apart of the vine, we grow, become and last eternally. Whatever we do for the Lord let us do it with all our hearts. Let us not make it the pretense for personal gain, but only to bring glory to His Name. 

May we be found faithful, be a pattern to others, lead quiet and peaceable lives, live in integrity, have a pure heart before God, and make proper use of the gifts within us. Guard that which was committed to us by the Gospel. That good thing was committed to us by the Holy Ghost. And be not entangled in the affairs of this life, commit what you know to truthful men, and keep watching for Jesus' return. Faithful is the man or woman who will keep their watch and know the time is so short, indeed!

Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching published:

Speaking As To A Clear Conscience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUEiCK2djgY

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV