It Can Be Difficult to Love Others

Aloha, again, brothers and sisters in Yeshua!

If you have been following along with our recent messages, it should be pretty clear to you, by now, that not even the smallest part of God’s Law has been done away with (Matthew 5:17-20), and God’s Law is love (e.g., Matthew 22:37-40 and Galatians 5:13-15). However, is it possible to keep God’s Law? That is, for example, is it possible to love others as we love ourselves?

My assumption is that it must be, since that is what God told us to do. However, my experience is that I continually fail to keep God’s Law. Hopefully, everyone else on this list is doing far better than I. However, from my observation, it seems like we are all struggling (and failing) to keep God’s Law (i.e., failing to love others as we love ourselves and to love God above all).

I was just thinking about some of my latest failings, and it seems like loving other people can be really, really, really hard to do. Furthermore, from my understanding of God’s Word, if we do not love other people, who we can see, then we do not love God who we cannot see, either (e.g., 1 John 4:20-21). So, it is a real bummer (at least for me) to have to love people, sometimes, but a true follower of God must overcome his or her own desires and selfishness and do what God said to do (e.g., Revelation 2:7,11,17,25-29, Revelation 3:5-6,11-13,18-22, 1 John 5:1-5, James 1:12, and Revelation 21:5-8).

The good thing is that love is not about feelings. It is about doing for other people what we would want them to do for us. However, for me, I often get tripped up on trying to respond in kind. So, if someone is a jerk to me, it can be extremely difficult for me to respond in a Godly manner, especially if the person acting like a jerk is someone who I really care about. From my observation, though, everyone is different. So, not all people seem to fall as deeply into this trap as I do.

Thus, God’s commandments can be difficult to keep, but only because we are naturally selfish (e.g., James 1:14-18). So, let us set aside our own, selfish desires, focus on the Master, Yeshua, and do as He commanded us.

 

A Way to Express God’s Love to Others

Here is something simple that you might be able to do to help some of the least of our brothers and sisters: Purchase a bunch of waterproof tarps; warm blankets and/or sleeping bags; dried, ready to eat food and/or food coupons; socks and/or clothing store coupons; etc. Store these items in the trunk of your car, and stop and give them to homeless people who you come across. In addition to offering these basic essentials of life to those whom you come across, offer to pray for them and do whatever else God’s Spirit leads you to do for them. (In general, it is probably best not to give cash, since many people on the street suffer from substance abuse issues and might use cash to purchase more substances to abuse, but do whatever God tells you to do.)

 

A Way to Show Your Love for God

One thing that I have noticed in many people, and even whole churches, is the willingness to set aside the Truth and practice of God’s Word whenever doing what God said might seem to be inconvenient. For example, in my discussions with some Sunday worshipers, an excuse that I have heard for not keeping God’s Sabbath Day is the fact that most children’s sporting events are conducted on God’s Sabbath Day (i.e., on Saturday). Thus, such a parent is choosing to put man-made sporting events above the Truth and practice of God’s Word (e.g., Exodus 20:8-11) and, at the same time, is teaching his or her child to do the same.

My advice to everyone is to pray to God to reveal the Truth about His Word to you, and then to do whatever His Word says. Keeping God’s Sabbath Day can be a serious step in growing closer to God (e.g., Isaiah 58:13-14 and Isaiah 56:1-8). While it can be enticing to keep man-made traditions over God’s Law, especially given all of the man-made institutions that have grown up to entice us to break God’s Law, the rewards of obeying God instead of man are probably incalculable.

 

More Observations About America

In some ways, it is very good to be back in the U.S.A. For example, we really like the fact that the cost of living is so low, here, compared to New Zealand. However, it seems like the country is literally falling apart, spiritually and financially. On the other hand, it seems like, at least in the southern part of the country, God might be working a revival. Of course, the powers of darkness seem to be doing everything that they can do to turn people away from God in the U.S.

I do believe, given our history and willingness to stand against the powers of darkness, even into the present day, that the devil would like nothing more than to see the U.S. done away with. For example, when satanic forces rose up to try to overtake the world via deception and military force during WWII, the U.S. was there to stand against them. Today, as satanic forces are rising up with a desire to replace man-made law and order that is based upon the Law of God with a law that manifests enmity against women (Genesis 3:15) requires the worship of satan (e.g., Allah), it seems apparent that primarily the U.S. is left to stand against them. Thus, if God’s people in the U.S. were to lose their faith and turn away from God, I do believe that God will give the country leadership that is in accordance with the evil desires of its people, even as He has been doing for decades, now.

Personally, I would love for America to be one of the shepherds that Israel rises up against the Assryian (Micah 5:5-15), rather than a growing cesspool that becomes increasingly complicit in crimes against God’s Law and against God’s chosen people, requiring God to continue to punish (and, possibly, destroy) us. So, Christian, I urge you, now, more than ever, to repent of your evil ways and to turn back to God and live in His Word and pray for this land (e.g., 2 Chronicles 7:14).

 

About Jerusalem

 

Marriage Preparation

If you are single and are called to be married, pray for your future spouse and for God to prepare you to be the spouse that He wants you to be. If you are married, pray for your spouse and children and for you and your family to be firmly established upon The Rock (Yeshua).

 

Miscellaneous

  • Christian Healing Testimony of Sindhuja (Hindi): No one would touch her. So, when the pastor touched her and prayed over her without hesitation, she believed that God would hear the prayers of such a man, and, as a result, she believed that she would be healed. Within three days after this pastor prayed for her, she started to regrow new skin. There are many Christian miracles, including healings, taking place in India, today.

 

Have a great rest of your weekend.

God bless, and Shabbat shalom,

Darwin and Ani