If you expect one thing then there's only one way for you to not be disappointed. And a million billion trillion ways for you to be disappointed. See what I mean about setting yourself up for failure? Being doomed to disappointment? But if you take things for what they are--instead of what you wish they were--then you can enjoy whatever situation it is that you find yourself in. Let me say it another way: "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:12-13). If you know how to handle both being abased and abounding then you can roll with the punches. You can handle whatever life throws at you. You can do all things. Through Christ. Which strengthens you. And that's the key--being still and knowing that HE is God. Knowing that GOD is in control. And knowing that God is love. Knowing that love is in control. Trusting love. Letting love guide the way. Doing things not because you expect a result from those things, but doing things because they are in your heart to do them. I think that's certainly the best reason to do something. And perhaps the only reason. A life of service is a life worth living. A life of love is what its all about. Letting God (who is love) love you, and loving others with that same love. Without fear. Without expectations. Because the truth of the matter is, you can love someone with everything you have and everything you are... and they might never love you back. Not the way you want them to. And that's ok. Because love is not ever about getting. It can't be. Because love IS giving. And when you give someone something, you can't control what they do with what you give them. All you can do is give what you've got and then let it be what its going to be. You can't change people. And you shouldn't. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say, "I love you," and what they really meant was, "I love the idea of you." They meant, "I'm going to try my level best to change you into someone that I can love." And, tragically, we think that's what the cross was. We think the cross changed us into something God could all of a sudden, finally, love. When the truth is, God always has and always will love us. The cross simply changed us into something that could all of a sudden, finally, RECEIVE God's love. That's what happened when God gave us His Son. His Spirit. The Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of Truth that leads us into all truth--the truth that God is love and He loves you. And here's where it gets really twisted (and where I might end this Rant series tomorrow): God loves US without expectation. He doesn't make us jump through hoops to earn, or keep, His love. Religion might tell a different story, but I'm here to tell you that if love isn't unconditional... it isn't love. If it comes with expectations... its something else entirely. If it comes with conditions... or if you have to earn it... then its not a gift. Love is freely given. Without expectation. And it must be received. Without disqualification. So if you're done setting yourself up for disappointment, you can let go and let God. You can let people be who they are, and love them anyway. You can take things as they come, and find the light. Even in the darkness. You can find the love no matter what!

Where things get tricky is in relationships. I've always found even the idea of two people--two completely individual, unique, different people--smashing their lives together. Differing opinions. Differing ideas. Differing... expectations. I guess I'm trying to say it takes a lot to make a relationship work. And I'm not necessarily talking about romantic relationships. But those are included. Because no matter what kind of relationship it is, be it friends, family, romantic, or what, we need to be able to let people be who they are. Even if that means not BEING in relationship with everybody. I heard someone once say, "You do have to love everyone, but you don't have to like everyone." And here's the hardest part: Just because you love someone... that DOESN'T mean they will love you back. You can't make someone feel a certain way about you. No matter what you do. But that doesn't mean you should stop loving them. Perhaps just... love them from a distance. And this is especially hard when the person in question has done you wrong. But I would refer you to Matthew 5:44, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Now, I've gone on record many times as saying that I don't believe you should ever put yourself (or keep yourself) in a bad situation. Turning the other cheek means not retaliating, but I'm not sure we should just stand there and let people wail on us forever either. I think an important skill to develope is to know when to say when. And for me, its like this: Give something (or someone) everything you've got. Then its either enough... or its not. And either way you've done your part. If you expect someone to change into what you want them to be because you love them... then, I'm sorry, but you have a twisted view of what love is. Love does not demand His own way. Love simply gives what He has. Gives what He is. Now, listen: Love CAN change people. It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. But that's not your job. Getting people to change is not your job. And expecting people to change will make you doomed to disappointment. Because change cannot come from the outside. It must come from within. Which is to say, people do what they want. They won't change unless THEY want to. Not because YOU want them to. And I know we've probably all been guilty of hanging on to someone too long. I'm surely guilty of that. Trying to help... trying to help... trying to help... and feeling like you're just pouring your love into a black hole. That's about the most frustrating thing I can think of. And, again, I know this from experience. You can't help people that don't help themselves. Or that don't want your help. Unasked for advice is unwanted advice. And that doesn't mean you stop loving them. It just means you've done what you can... win, lose, or draw. So just do your best and forget the rest. Love because you have love to give, not because you expect it to do something. Give it all you've got... and then let it be what it is. And if that means loving someone from a distance... well... you can pray for those that despitefully use you without continuing to give them a chance to despitefully use you. I don't think you should ever put, or keep, yourself in a bad, abusive, situation... expecting it to get better.

The more I think about it--and you might have noticed that I think about this subject quite a bit--the more I wonder why we think people should live up to OUR expectations in the first place. Like, just because something's right for ME doesn't mean its right for everybody (or anybody) else. There is no box that we're all supposed to fit in, no matter what religion might try to make you believe. And, for the record, depending on the year and the culture that magic box sure does change shape a lot, doesn't it? Let me say it like this, "Why are you trying to fit in when you were born to stand out?" And why do you think its ok to try to make other people fit in to your idea of how things are supposed to be? And, of course, there are some exceptions to this. Logan, for example, needs to fit in to my way of thinking--to a point--because I'm his father. I'm responsible for him. But even still, I endeavor to let Logan be Logan. Because I love HIM, and not the idea of what I think he should be. That kid does some things that I cannot understand. Because even though he IS mini-me... he's still an actual person. And people do what they want... unless there's a very compelling reason not to. Logan obeys the rules (whether he wants to or not) because he doesn't want to lose his iPad privileges. He understands the expectations that I have on him as a son. But, like I said, that's different because I'm responsible for him. When it comes to just about anybody and everybody else in the world... its not my place to tell them what to do or who to be. There aren't--or I should there there shouldn't be--Spiritual policemen all over the place. Especially when you consider that it seems like people are always on a sin hunt. Looking for what's wrong with people. Looking to make themselves bigger by making others feel smaller. But that's more imposing your will on someone than placing expectations on them. Both or messed up, but one thing at a time, right? I'm trying to say that we need to live and let live. People aren't always going to agree with you, and that's ok. Even if you're "right" and they're "wrong." Because from their point of view YOU'RE "wrong" and they're right. So instead of ruining relationships because of disagreements what I think we ought to do is just love people no matter what. Love without expectations. Because you might love someone as hard as you can... and they'll still reject it, and you. It happens. Not everybody is ready for what you bring to the table. I say this all the time, I know I'm not for everybody. And that's ok. Get in where you fit in. Don't expect people to react to you in a certain way, and you won't be disappointed when they don't. Love them anyway, but don't do it for the reaction. Do it because its in your heart to do it. And--I think I'm going to get into this aspect tomorrow--when you don't have expectations, you are pleasantly surprised more often than bitterly let down. What's that old saying? "Hope for the best, but plan for the worst." If you're not expecting anything, you can just take things as they come. You can stop trying to manipulate and control people, and you can just let it be what it is. Things aren't always (or ever) going to be what you want them to. But you can still find joy no matter what. No matter where. No matter who. You just have to change your mindset. You find what you're looking for, most of the time. So look for the love!

I'm just going to go ahead and dive into a full Rant series on the folly of having expectations. I talk about it a lot, but I want to really dig into it. Because I believe our expectations are our biggest roadblocks. It seems to me that the reason we get so disappointed isn't because of how things actually are, but because of how we wish things were. Let's start with a memory verse: "For all their expectations, they are doomed to disappointment; even though they have come and searched this far" (Job 6:20 NIV). Doomed to disappointment. Because of our expectations. Because the picture in our head doesn't exist. And don't get me wrong, I'm a realist if I'm anything, but I'm guilty of this. Wishing and hoping that things would turn out one way and then getting frustrated when they don't. This is especially true when it comes to people. When I get to know someone I can pretty well figure out what they're going to do in a given situation. But people aren't robots. We have good days, bad days, and everything in between. So just because something happened once doesn't mean it will happen again. Just because something has never happened doesn't mean it will never happen. And the best way to get upset with someone is to expect them to do what you want, insteaad of what they want. Because people do what they want. Almost all of the time. Sure, we'll jump through hoops. But usually only to GET what we want. I don't want to go to work, but I want to get paid. The end justifies the means, right? But when you put what YOU want on someone else... you're setting yourself up for frustration and you're setting them up for failure. I bristle against the idea of obligation. If its an obligation... to me its like having to beg for something. Its not worth it. Because if you're doing something simply because you're obligated, then your heart isn't in it. And I think the only reason you should do anything is because its in your heart to do it. Now, again, I understand taking care of business. You don't work, you don't eat. I get that. But I'm talking about the important stuff. Relationship. And if you have to manipulate someone in order to get them to do something for you... that's a problem. "You owe me!" Well. "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8). And that's the thing: When you love someone you'll do what they want WITHOUT them having to beg, or manipulate, or obligate. Love is giving. We give ourselves to the ones we love. And we do it without expectation. Because if you're loving someone with the intent of getting something from them... that's not love. Period. Love is never about getting. Because love is giving. And when you give something, as a gift, there can be no expectations. Even what the person does with the gift is none of your business. If you expect them to do something specific with what you've given them... you're doomed to disappointment. So stop with the expectations. Stop expecting people to do what YOU want. Let people be who they are, and love them anyway. Love them... and don't worry about anything else. Love fearlessly. Without expectation!

When you're full of something, you can't keep it in. No matter how hard you try. That's the principle behind living from the inside-out. And that happens whether you realize it or not. What's inside WILL come out. Or, I should say, what you BELIEVE is inside will come out. It has to. So the key to this whole crazy, mixed up thing called life is to know (and believe) what you're REALLY full of. Because if you think its anything other than love you'll spend (waste) your three T's (time, talent, and treasure) chasing love. Looking for love in all the wrong places. And when you do that, you rob yourself of experiencing the gift you've already been given. AND you rob others of the gift that you are. I mentioned yesterday how love does NOT mean, "I love you, so gimme gimme gimme." But the flip side of that coin is, when you love someone, you give give give. Because that's what love is. And--see if my Logan logic follows on this one--you can't give anything when you're trying to get something. You can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. And you can't give at all when your focus is on what you don't have. I'm telling you, what's inside comes out. If there is bitterness inside... bitterness comes out. Let me say it like this: Hurt people hurt people. But loved people love people. You can't stop what you believe is inside from coming out. What you believe you're filled with WILL overflow out of you. Naturally. Without even trying. For example, when you're having a bad day you're more likely to snap at people, right? That inner turmoil comes out. Without you even trying. And in the same way, when you're resting in the loving arms of your heavenly Father... that love comes out without you even trying. Naturally. Which makes sense (I'm all about trying to make sense today) when you consider that love IS our new (true) nature. When you understand just how full of it your are. Just how full of God's love you are. God--who is love--lives in you. If you're looking anywhere other than within, you're looking for love in the wrong place. And I'm not saying you can't get love from people. Of course you can. But if you're counting on someone loving you... chances are you're going to get disappointed. Especially if you're counting on big love when they're having a bad day. Right? That's why people seem to be so miserable when they're "in love"... because they're putting their happiness in someone else's hands. And, again, I'm not saying you shouldn't try to make people happy, or let people make you happy. I'm talking about expectations. If you expect someone to make you happy, chances are they're going to let you down. At the very least once in a while. But if you take your happiness into your own hands, so to speak, and focus on what's inside... letting the love inside come out... you will find that making people happy makes you happy! You don't decrease by giving what you've got. You increase what you've got by giving it away. By sharing it. Its a Holy Ghost wildfire that feeds on itself and grows and grows and grows. Consuming everything but itself (HIMSELF) and leaving behind nothing but love. So stop chasing it. Look inside. See what you're really full of and experience the fullness of God's love. The fullness of a life of love!

You're full of it. No, really, you are. In the very best way. Because Jesus is the fulness of the Godhead bodily. All of God in a human body. God in the flesh, love in a body. God in YOUR flesh, love in YOUR body. As He is, so are we in this world. Everything God is, is everything you are. And God is love. Which means, not only are you loved, but you are LOVE. You have been filled with the love of God. And, through the Holy Spirit, you are able to receive this glorious truth. The Holy Spirit IS the Spirit of Truth. And He leads and guides us into all truth. He testifies of our true identity by testifying of Jesus. Because Jesus IS our true identity. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. And when we fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with, that's when the hidden man of the heart is no longer revealed. Colossians 1:27 refers to, "...Christ in you, the hope of glory." But the Amplified Bible renders it as, "...Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory." Its not just a hope that someday Jesus' glory will shine. Its not hope deferred with maketh the heart sick. Its us realizing what it means that Christ lives in us. That we live in Christ. Realizing what it means to be full of it. And the only way we can really understand what it means is by testing the height and depth and length and breadth of His love. And we do THAT by loving people bigger than we ever thought we could. I'm telling you, we learn how to love by learning how we are loved. We let the love inside come out when we know and believe that its in there. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God. But that's where it can get a little bit tricky, because you've probably heard someone tell you, "I love you," when what they really meant was, "I want something from you." Which is a total perversion of "love." Because love is never about getting. Because love IS giving. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. And if you're trying to get something, or control someone, its not love. Period. And I was trying to kind of say this yesterday: I can understand the impulse to try to get what you think you haven't got. Especially when what you think you haven't got... is love. We were created to be loved, and to love one another. So if we think we're missing love, then we think we're missing the key ingredient to existence. The one thing we need more than anything else. But here's what I have to say about that: If you're looking for love in all the wrong places you're (obviously) never going to find it. So go to the source. You can't fill a God-shaped (love-shaped) hole with anything else. No matter how hard you try. Unless its God's love... all is vanity. And the best part is, when I say, "go to the source," what I mean is... look inside. You're full of it. It might be buried under quite a bit of "stuff" (the HIDDEN man of the heart), but its in there. All we have to do is let it out. Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of that gift that we've been given. Listen to God saying, "I love you and I want the best for you" instead of listening to the world say, "I love you... so gimme gimme gimme." And, of course, when you hear that still, small voice, you give give give. But that's the whole point of BEING full of it. Living out of abundance can't happen if you're living like a beggar. If you're living out of lack, you don't have anything to give. So realize what you've got, and share it. Give it away. And in that way experience it to the fullest degree!

Its scary when you think you don't have what you need. Terrifying. And if its truly something that you NEED, not just WANT, you'll be willing to do just about anything to get it. That's why religion is so seductive; we think it gives us our best chance of getting what we need. And we don't mind earning our bread with the sweat of our brow. Working hard and being rewarded for it is the definition of the carnal mind. Getting what you (think you) don't have by conforming to someone else's idea. Because they have what you want, and they'll give it to you... for a price. But look at Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." There's such a huge difference between CONformed and TRANSformed. One means trying to fit in. The other means being who you are. And the best part of all is that, well, let me quote the memory verse: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). That was the cross. We were conformed to the image of God's beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. So when Paul is writing a few chapters later to not be conformed to the world... what he's saying is, "Don't go back to that! You have been freed from the world. You can live in (and out of) the Kingdom because you are the Son of the King! You are kings and priests! You don't have to beg for anything, or earn anything, because it has all been given to you." So when we BE transformed by the renewing of our mind, what we're really doing is just being who we already are. We've already BEEN transformed. The old has passed away and the new has come forth. We don't need to transform. We just need to understand that we have BEEN transformed already. We don't need to shake our cup, hoping someone will have pity on us and fill it up. We've already been filled to overflowing with the very thing that we need. Because--don't get me wrong--we NEED love. Every single one of us. We were created to be loved by God and to love each other with that love. To receive and release the love of God. To receive it BY releasing it. To release it by receiving it. That's our purpose. That's why we're here. But you can't give what you don't have (or what you THINK you don't have). And you can only give what you do have. That's what the Good Fight of Faith is all about: laying hold of eternal life. Which is the gift of God. Which is not something we need to get, but something we've already been given. So we don't need to fight in order to get something, but we need to fight in order to believe that we have something. We are already full of it. Completely. Jesus is the fulness of the Godhead bodily. All of God in a body. LOVE in a body. So when we let God love us, we are filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've been filled with. We are letting what's inside come out simply by knowing and believing that its in there. Because its too big (and too good) to keep to ourselves. We couldn't keep it to ourselves if we tried. Love is giving. And what we have is meant to be given away. Shared. And in that way, experienced. That's how we live a full life... a life of love... by letting what's inside come out! We have it. We just need to know it, believe it, and share it!

Do any of you all remember that old song, "Here's my cup, Lord. Fill it up, Lord"? Something like that. Anyway, that seems to be how most "religious folk" operate; walking around with their hand out, begging for something they haven't got. Or, if they're really feeling good about themselves, trying to earn something they think they haven't got. But the problem with that is, we think we have to be someone we're not in order to earn something we haven't got. We think we're not good enough as is. I've even heard it preached, "God loves you just the way you are... but He loves you too much to leave you that way." And, I gotta say, I wholly reject that. The first part is good. Solid. I completely believe that God loves you just the way you are. But the thing about love is that love doesn't demand its (HIS) own love. Love doesn't try to change people. I think a more accurate statement would be that God loves you just the way you are, and wants more than anything for you to know how you REALLY are. That's why Jesus wrapped Himself in sinful flesh and dwelt among us. Not to condemn us, or change us, or give us a religion. But so that we might have life and that more abundantly. So that we might know what life really is. Living is loving, I say it all the time. He came to show us who we are. By showing us who God is. God is love. Jesus is God in the flesh, love in a body. God in YOUR flesh, love in YOUR body. He is the fulness of the Godhead bodily. All of God in a body. All of LOVE in a body. So we don't need Him to "fill us up." And, listen, one of my favorite Bible verses is when David strengthened himself in the Lord. I'm not talking about Him being there for us when we need Him. Of course He is. He swore He would never leave us nor forsake us. I'm talking about getting rid of the mindset that says, "I'm lacking something." Because, as I stated yesterday, we have no lack because our God has no lack. And He has already filled us to overflowing with His love. With Himself. Jesus did it all (on the cross) so we could get it all. We have it all. We can--if we would just be still and know that HE is God--enjoy the fruits of HIS labor. The fruit of the Spirit. Which, spoiler alert, is love. That's what He gave us. That's what we have. Which means we don't need to go around begging for it. From God Himself OR from each other. I've often said, "If you have to beg for something, even if you get it... its not worth it." Some things are worth fighting for. The good fight of faith. But I don't think anything is worth begging for. Especially when the very thing we want the most--to be loved--is something that we have always had. We just didn't know it until the Holy Spirit--the Spirit of Truth that leads and guides us into all truth--equipped and empowered us to know and believe that our heavenly Father loves us. To receive and release His love. To receive it BY releasing it. To release it by receiving it. By filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. Not holding out an empty cup and hoping against hope that somone will put something in it, but by understanding that we are who we need to be, and we have what we need to have. And then pouring out that FULL cup all over everybody we come into contact with. Giving what we've got instead of always trying to get something we think we haven't got. Letting what's inside come out. Letting the fullness of God's love manifest in us, and through us, and as us!

I have no lack because my God has no lack. We used to say that just about every Sunday at my old church as part of our statement of faith. And it really stuck with me. Because, while I believe that is absolutely true, we sure do stumble around acting like we have a lot of lack. Chasing the carrot but only getting the stick. Missing out on what's available to us because we don't know and believe that we already have it. And that's a tragedy. Because Jesus did it all so we could get it all. He did all the heavy lifting. He finished the work. Look at Colossians 2:9-10, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." Another way to say this is, "As He is, so are we in this world." Jesus is our true identity. We are complete in Him because He is complete in us. He is God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. He is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. Which means WE are light, and there is no darkness in US at all. Let me say that one more time for the cheap seats: We are light, and there is no darkness in us at all. Making a mistake doesn't make you less than. It doesn't disqualify you. It doesn't change your identity. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. Nothing can change that. But its like its easier for us to believe that we are low down dirty sinners than it is for us to believe that we are saints. Kings and priests. Which, of course, is why I'm writing this Rant series. Because I believe if I keep shouting the truth from the mountaintops, someone somewhere will hear it and believe it. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God. Which is Jesus. Which is love. God is love and He loves you. That's what it means for all the fulness of the Godhead to dwell in a body; it means love lives in Jesus. And we are complete in Him. Because He lives in us. LOVE lives in us. Look at this passage of Scripture in the Message Bible: "Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything." The power of love. Extending over every aspect of our lives. The fullness of Christ. The fullness of love. And the emptiness without it (HIM). Love is the difference between life and death. We kind of looked at that a little bit in the previous Rant series. But let me say it like this: No love, no life. Know love, know life. That's about as simple as I can make it. And, again, that's what we have. Because that's who He is. That's who WE are. He is the fulness of God in a body. God in the flesh. Love in a body. And I know there are some people out there that think I'm full of it in a negative way, but I'm here to tell you that we are ALL full of it. Full of Him. Full of love. Filled to overflowing so that we don't have to do anything except believe in order for what's inside to come flowing out. We don't have to do anything, earn anything, or get anything. We are who we need to be and we have what we need to have. We're full of it. All we need to do is fill ourselves with the fullness. Let God love us, and love others with that same love!

Jesus--God in the flesh, love in a body--is the Life of God. And He lives in us. LIFE lives in us. LOVE lives in us. That is how we are able to experience His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God--by letting HIM live it in us, and through us, and as us. That's the Way to love (it is inside us) and that is the Truth about love (God is love and He loves you). And it all manifests in the person of Jesus. God in YOUR flesh. Love in YOUR body. Because Jesus is our true identity. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. As He is, so are we in this world. So what I want to say to end this Rant series (and the kind of uber series about the Way, the Truth, and the Life) is: Live your best life. Stop trying to be someone you're not in order to try (unsuccessfully) to get something you think you haven't got. Jesus did it all so you could get it all. And now you have it all. We have been blessed with all Spiritual blessings. We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. We have not lack because our God has no lack... and He has given all things into our hands. So we can stop chasing... and we can be still and know that HE is God. Know that God is love. Know that God loves us. And with that knowledge, we can love Him back by loving each other. We can give what we've got because we know what we've got. What's inside WILL come out. When you know and believe that its in there. Your belief dictates your actions. If you believe you're a dirty rotten sinner and God is mad at you, you'll run from Him. If you believe you are His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased, you'll run TO Him. You'll stop trying to control everything and you'll let Him live His own life in you, and through you, and as you. Obedience is a trust issue. If you trust God, you'll let Him do what He wants to do. And here's the best part: What He wants to do--the ONLY thing He wants to do--is love. Because He IS love. He wants to live. Because living is loving. Loving is living. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. And in us He lives, and moves, and has His being. We are God's expression on this earth. We are LOVE'S expression. When we act in love the Word is made flesh. Charity--love in action. That's what truly living is. That's what Jesus came to show us. He didn't come to save us from an angry God, because God was never mad at us. He has always been mad ABOUT us. Head over heels in love with us. But we didn't know it, or believe it. So He gave us His only begotten Son. He gave us Himself. His Spirit. The Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Truth, the love receptor. See, the cross didn't change us into something God could love. He always has and always will love us. The cross changed us into something that could RECEIVE His love. Receive it and release it. Receive it BY releasing it. Release it by receiving it. That's what the Life is. Being loved by God and loving others with that same love. That's the New Commandment, for the New Man. That's what its all about. Jesus didn't come to give us a religion. Or an afterlife. He came that we might have life, and that more abundantly. He came to show us how to love, by showing us how we are loved. He filled us up with His love--with Himself--and now we can let that love out by filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. We can live... because we can love. Because we ARE loved. Because we are love!