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The Living God part 1

03/21/2016 11:38

I think it's interesting that we are so focused on the after-life. Especially when you consider that we've already been given EVERLASTING life. Especially when you consider that Jesus came to GIVE us life, and that more abundantly. We spend the gift we've been given trying to get something we've already got. Look at Mark 12:26-27 (NLT), "But now, as to whether the dead will be raised--haven't you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error." I always thought this was interesting. Because Jesus is literally saying that even though Abrahm, Isaac, and Jacob died... they aren't dead. It's like we still look at physical death as the end of the journey. When really I believe it's simply the end of PART of the journey. Let me say it another way, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51). And to me this verse (along with Enoch and Elijah) totally blows the whole "everybody dies so we might as well accept it" theory out of the water. But here's the real question, the question I ask myself before I preach or Rant something: Who cares? What does it matter? Is this important? And I think it is. Because I think God wants us to LIVE. He's the God of the LIVING. He's concerned with LIFE. In the garden of Eden there were two trees, the Tree of Life and the tree of death (the tree of knowledge of good and evil). And God only wanted us to eat from one of them. In fact, Jesus went so far was to curse the tree of death (the fig tree) because it couldn't bear any fruit. So that when to get to the true paradise of God in the book of Revelation there's only one tree left. The Tree of Life. Jesus. He is the vine. And we are the branches. We experience His life not by trying to live it out of our own strength and power, but simply by being connected to Him. By letting Him live His own life in, and through, and as us. That's why Jesus gave His life for us, and gave His life to us. Because He's the LIVING God. I always say it like this: God doesn't want to be a part of your life. He wants to BE your life, because He IS life! He LIVES in us. We LIVE in Him. Acts 17:28 says it like this, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." And that means that in us HE lives, and moves, and has His being! There is no separation. No duality. No good and evil. Just life, life, and more life. And, because to live is to love and to love is to live, there's just love, love, and more love! The living God is the loving God! The happy God! The God of joy unspeakable and peace that passes understanding. The God who lives in us, even as we live in Him!

Follower part 5

03/20/2016 09:08

It's like this: We are Jesus. That's our true identity. That's the name that's written on the white stone of victory that's given to us. But Jesus' name is His NATURE. The love nature. And the nature of love is to give. To share what you've got. That's what "following Christ" really means. Receiving and releasing the love of God. Walking in love. Letting your true nature fill you to overflowing and flow out of you... naturally. I said earlier in this Rant series that we might never find ourselves in exactly the same situations Jesus found Himself in. Literally laying our lives down for our friends. But every time we esteem someone else higher than ourselves we lay our life down. Every time we put someone else's needs and wants ahead of our own we lay our life down. Jesus said we would do all the works He did and greater works than those because He went to the Father. And the signifigace of Jesus going to the Father is that, in a sense, when He ascended the Holy Spirit descended. Instead of Emmanuel God WITH us we were filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed into the realm of God WITHIN us. So instead of trying to follow in His foot steps (which is impossible. Only Jesus can be Jesus) we present our bodies as living sacrifices and let Him make His foot steps with our feet. Guys, it's not about acting like Jesus. At best all that will ever be is an act. And when we think about taking up our cross and denying ourselves and following Him, what we have to understand is that it's HIS cross, and when we deny our old selves we totally and completely identify with our new selves. Our true selves! Let me quote our main passage of Scripture for this Rant series: "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour" (Ephesians 5:1-2). Be followers as dear children. Faith like a child, right? Abraham faith that when God says, "Go" we go. A child who trusts His Daddy. Walk in love just like Jesus did. Love one another as Jesus loves you. He sacrificed Himself for us. Gave Himself both for us and to us. And we ought to love each other in the same way. We have been equipped and empowered TO love each other in the same way! Because in the Old Testament love seemed like a burden. It was given almost in order to get something. But if you're trying to get something then you've comepletely missed the point. Because we've already been given the Kingdom. Already been given all things that pertain to life and godliness and blessed with all Spiritual blessings. It's not about getting anything because He already gave us Himself! He did it all so we could get it all. And now we have it all. Which means we have something to give. Something to share. Now we CAN follow Him because while the gate might be straight and the way to life might be narrow... HE IS the way, the truth, and the life! We don't follow a certain rigid path. We don't try to fit into a religious box made up of rules and laws. Nothing external dictates to us. What's INSIDE comes out naturally when we know and believe it's in there. The light of the world (that Jesus is, and that we are) shines naturally. Because it's light. That's it's nature. And we, now that we know and believe that we are loved, love naturally. Because that's our nature. We walk in love, and in that way we are followers of Christ!

Follower part 4

03/19/2016 14:57

I don't want a rigid path where I have to step here, here, and here or else. And, listen, I'm NOT talking about Matthew 7:14, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Because according to John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Did you catch that? Narrow is the way because only JESUS is the way! Not following IN His foot steps (which is impossible anyway) but letting HIM make His own foot steps with our feet! Presenting our bodies as a LIVING sacrifice so He can live in us, and through us, and as us. Being a "follower of Christ" doesn't mean trying to act like Jesus. It means walking in love. Walking by faith and not by sight. And I like to mention this every chance I get so I'll mention it here and now: It's not walking anything OUT. I hear that term a lot too. "Walk it out." As if we could walk it out in our own power. It's not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God. Look at Isaiah 30:21, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." That voice behind you (because it's a finished work. Remember on the isle of Patmos John heard a great voice, as of a trumpet, coming from behind him) is the Word of God. Jesus. Love. And while I said earlier I don't want a rigid path with strict rules, correction is a good thing. Especially when you start to lose your way. When you STOP walking in love, if I can say it that way. When you let what's outside start to dictate to what's inside. That's not how it works. The inside defines the outside. Always. What's inside is what comes out. Or rather, what you BELIEVE is inside comes out. The gate is straight. The way is narrow. But not because you'll get punished if you step off it. But because there's only one way (LOVE) to stay on it! And, again, it's not by might or power. It's not by walking it OUT. It's by walking IN it. Walking IN love. Walking by faith, because faith works by love. It's all about love. Being a disciple is being an everlasting life-long student of love. Learning to love by learning how God loves us. Being a follower of Christ is walking in love. Wherever you go. Not having a path in the sense of, "Go here or else." Not trying to follow in Jesus' foot steps and act like Him. All that will ever get is frustration, because all that will ever be is an act. It's not about having a path. It's about having a way. A more excellent way. Before the early church was called Christians they were simply called followers of the way. And what's the more excellent way? Love! What's the "path" that we follow? Loving people wherever we're at and wherever we go. Sometimes I liken it to being a thermostat instead of a thermometer. SETTING the temperature instead of just taking the temperature. Affecting those around you, not by trying to emulate what Jesus physically did when He physically walked the earth, but by doing what YOU can do as YOU physically walk the earth. Touching the people you come into contact with and leaving them better than you found them. Because you're sharing what you've got. Giving them what they need. Walking in love. Loving people. In that unique way that only YOU can love them. You can touch certain people in certain ways. And that's all you're called to do. Receive and release the love of God into everyone you come into contact with. Do what you can, where you're at, with what you've got. That's a follower of Christ!

Follower part 3

03/18/2016 11:34

As strange as it may sound, being a "follower" of Christ has nothing to do with trying to follow in Jesus' foot steps. Trying to act like Jesus is doomed to fail. Because only Jesus can be Jesus. The best it will EVER be is an act. So instead of trying to be someone you're not, what you ought to do is learn who you really are. That way you can BE who you really are naturally. Yesterday we looked at "denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Jesus." And what we saw, most importantly, is that "your" cross is really HIS cross. Denying "yourself" is denying the old man who died on that cross. Galatians 2:20 in the NLT says it like this, "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Did you catch that? My old self died on the cross. It's no longer me who lives, but Christ lives IN me. I don't have to try to be like Him because as He is, so am I in this world. Jesus gave Himself for me. And He gave Himself TO me. I don't follow Him by trying to be like Him. I follow Him by walking in love. By letting Him be Himself. In, and through, and as me. Because that's my new self. My TRUE self. And you don't ever have to TRY to be your true self. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. At the end of the day, what you believe about yourself manifests. That's why the gospel is so important. Not telling people what to do, but telling people who they are. When you know who you are, you can believe who you are. And when you believe it... it flows. Naturally. What you believe is inside always comes out. That's why trying is doomed to failure. Because if you're trying to be someone you're not then you don't believe that you are. That was the lie that Adam and Eve swallowed in the garden of Eden. The lie that says you're not good enough, but if you jump through hoops someday you might BECOME good enough. Again: That's the lie. Here's the truth: We ARE complete in Him. How much more perfect could you possibly get than to have the perfect One living inside you? Where we get mixed up is trying to fill His shoes. Trying to figure out what Jesus would do, and then trying to do that thing. That's too much trying. Guys... it's not my might, or by power. It's by the Spirit of God. God is a Spirit, and God is love. So the Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. Everything--including faith--works by love. Works and labor don't work. But love does work. Love FINISHED the work. Jesus said we'd do all the works He did and greater works. You can't do greater works if you're trying to recreate what came before. That's our foundation, absolutely. That's lets us, to some degree, know what we're capable of. But love is limitless. And that's not just what we do, that's who we are! WE are limitless because we ARE love! As a follower of Christ we let Him walk in our feet. We walk in love.

Follower part 2

03/17/2016 10:43

I think one of the most important keys when it comes to reading--and interpreting--the Bible is finding ourselves in Jesus, and finding Jesus in Him. That way, when we totally identify with Him, it's a lot easier to understand verses like Matthew 16:24, "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Because as far as I'm concerned MY cross doesn't really get me anywhere. And, listen, I know we all have our crosses to bear. Things we have to take up and carry, so to speak. But look at Matthew 27:32 (NLT), "Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross." When Jesus was on the way to Golgotha the soldiers forced Simon to carry HIS cross. And, in a sense, THAT'S what it's all about. Understanding that our cross IS His cross. We were crucified with Christ, right? When He was lifted up on the cross He drew us all into Himself. Trying to go through what we have to go through on our own--trying to act like Jesus--isn't ever going to get the job done. But understanding that He has already gone through it... being of good cheer because He has overcome the world, and understanding that because He already overcame we don't NEED to overcome... allows us to bear whatever it is. Learn from it and grow from it. Let me say it another way. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Revelation 12:11). Overcame. In the past tense. Because it is finished. Because OUR testimony is really HIS testimony. Not what we (try and fail to) do for Him, but what He did for us and as us! Being a follower of Christ requires us to "deny ourselves and take up our cross." But what that means is to stop trying to be someone we're not and just be who we really are. Deny "ourselves" and embrace HIM as our true selves! Take up "our" (HIS) cross and follow Him by walking in love. Not trying to act like anything or anybody, but letting the love that fills us to overflowing flow out of us naturally. Stop trying to overcome every little thing you come up against, and start resting in the glorious truth that He already overcame it. For you and AS YOU. Which means YOU already overcame it. The ONLY fight left is the good fight of faith. BELIEVING the truth that there's nothing left to fight about. God won. LOVE won. So instead of trying to earn something that can't be earned by trying to follow in foot steps that are too big for us... we need to just come to the understanding that as He is, so are we in this world. That we can do all the works He did AND GREATER works because He lives in us. Because He's the One doing it. He's just using our hands and our feet and our mouths to do it. It's not what I can do FOR Him. It's what He can do in, and through, and as me! Denying myself and taking up His cross is about the death of the old and the birth of the new. Letting go of who we thought we were and embracing who we really are!

Follower part 1

03/16/2016 10:48

I heard this term the other day: "I'm a follower of Christ." Now maybe that means different things to different people. Most things do. But in the context that I heard it, it meant trying to be just like Jesus. Walking in His foot steps. Patterning your life after His. Which, on the surface, seems fine. Seems like a good idea even. "What would Jesus do?" Right? But here's the problem I have with it: While the Bible tells us that Jesus experienced the human condition, and He's a high priest that was tempted like as we are yet without sin... we can't live His life. No one can except the man Himself. That's the difference between trying to act like Jesus--which will only ever be an act--and letting Him live His own life in, and through, and as us. That's the difference between trying to follow in His foot steps, and letting Him make His own foot steps with our feet. Look at Ephesians 5:1-2, our key passage for this Rant series. "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ himself hath loved us, and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." And, again, on the surface we see it in black and white. "Be ye therefore followers of Christ." But in the very next breath we see what it MEANS to be a follower of Christ. A follower of Christ doesn't try to act just exactly like the guy with the beard and the sandals acted. A follower of Christ is someone who walks in love. Period. I preached and Ranted a while back about what it truly means to be a disciple. And what it means is to be a student of love. Learning how to love by learning who we ARE loved. Following Christ doesn't mean trying to recreate His deeds. In fact, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father" (John 14:12 NLT). He didn't say we'd emulate Him perfectly. He said we'd do the same works... and even greater works! So if we limit ourselves to trying to do only the things Jesus did we'll miss out on doing some of the things WE'RE supposed to do. I've been in a situation where one of my disciples cut someone's ear off and I had to put it back on. But I have been in situations where I could give an ear to someone who needed to be heard. And you can try to compare apples with oranges if you want, but sometimes the smallest thing (in your opinion) is the biggest thing in someone else's opinion. Sometimes you can "raise the dead" by being there for someone when they feel so desperate and alone that they're thinking about ending their life. All I'm trying to say is that we don't have to try to be Jesus. Because He lives in us. And as He is, so are we in this world. We don't have to try to follow in His foot steps. All we have to do is walk in love. Let God love us, and love others with that same love. Receive it and release it. Let it fill us to overflowing and just be ourselves. Be who we are in Him, by letting Him be who He is in us!

Cherish part 5

03/15/2016 14:34

We cherish the things that are important to us. Or at least, we really really should. We take care of them. Make sure nothing happens to them. Because they're valuable. And, in my opinion, there is nothing more important or valuable than people. I think there are only two important things in the entire univerese: God and people. Love God and love people. Love God BY loving people. But here's where it gets tricky--people can be infuriating. People don't always (in fact rarely ever) do what we want them to do. People get on our nerves and let us down. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it's very easy to love someone. Because our focus shifts from giving--which is what love is--to getting. We start to ask, "What have you done for me lately?" We start to get into the realm of appearance. Judging by appearance, instead of judging righteous judgment. We start "loving" people based on whether or not they deserve it. When, to quote on of my favorite movies, "Deserve's got nothing to do with it." And when all of that happens--when we start being self-centered instead of Christ-centered--that's when we start to feel... off. I'm telling you: Love is our natural state of being. So anything other than that is foreign. And remember what we learned yesterday? We love ourselves by loving others. We feel most loved when we are sharing the love that we have. When we receive and release the love of God. When we remember that we are in this together. All parts of the same body. Different parts, assuredly, with different functions. But one body. The body of Christ. So instead of building walls, and letting those annoying things people do pull us apart... we nourish and cherish each other. We stop worrying about how things affect us, and we start bearing one another's burdens. Putting each other first. Looking down on people... but only to help them up. Esteeming others higher than ourselves. Putting others first. Walking a mile in their shoes and trying to figure out WHY they are doing the things we don't like. Judgment and condemnation doesn't turn anyone to repentance. But it does cause people to flee. No, the GOODNESS OF GOD leads men to repentance. Because the goodness of God is what we are repenting about. We think He's mean, and scary, and out to get us. Then we hear the gospel, the good news, and we see that He already got us. He drew us into Himself when He was lifted up on the cross. Connected us all together with the only thing that CAN truly connect us--His blood. His love. So instead of "us vs them," instead of me over here and you over there, we see that we are one. In Him. Because He is one. In all of us. Helping your brother is helping yourself. It's fulfilling your EPIC Destiny. Your Eternal Purpose In Christ. It's a cold, cruel world out there sometimes. And to cherish means to warm. We give a warm, friendly embrace and we let each other know that it's going to be ok. That we're all in this together. That differences are ok. And are not just there to be tolerated, but celebrated! You be you. I'll be me. And when we both line up with Jesus--with LOVE--then we'll automatically line up with each other in the only way that matters. The Jesus in me connecting to the Jesus in you. You're important. And so instead of hating you, I love, and nourish, and cherish you. Just as the Lord does with the church. We love, because He first loved us. We receive it... and release it!

Cherish part 4

03/14/2016 14:58

Let's back up a verse from our key verse. Ephesians 5:28, "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself." Then we see, "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church" (Ephesians 5:29). I think this is so key, so important to our "Christian walk." Because it seems that a lot of the time we are too busy trying to protect ourselves that we inadvertantly end up hurting people. Remember we've been talking about not taking people for granted, but nourishing and cherishing them? Well, according to Paul, "...He that loveth his wife loveth himself." I Ranted (and preached) on this idea before. We guard our hearts by making sure they are open, not by closing them down. We love ourselves by loving others. That's why I always say the best way to FEEL love is to GIVE love. It's the difference between being self-centered (trying to take care of ourselves at the expense of others) and being Christ-centered (doing unto the least of them and knowing that we are doing unto the Lord). I heard it described like this, "Some people, when you meet them, let you know how great they are. Some people let you know how great YOU are." That's the difference between a little man trying to look bigger by putting other people down (and really just hurting himself in the process), and someone who knows exactly who he is and doesn't need to prove it to anybody. Somebody trying to climb over others... or somebody willing to lay His life down FOR others. "...even as the Lord the church." In order to take care of ourselves we have to take care of others. Because when we take care of ourselves it comes with a selfish attitude. And then even if you get what you (think you) want, it's no good. It's like begging. If you have to beg for something, even if you get it it's not worth it. I'll tell you: Anytime I buy something for myself I feel a little bit "ugh" about it. But anytime I buy something for my son, Logan, I feel great about it. Probably because it's more blessed to give than receive. Probably because by loving him I'm actually loving myself. Filling myself to overflowing with the love I've been filled with. Receiving it and releasing it. Receiving it BY releasing it. We're all one body. All connected. What happens to one of us happens to all of us. That's why we should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. It's about sharing. And sharing is about more than just material goods. More than just stuff. It's about sharing EXPERIENCES. Letting people know, "You're not alone. I'll never leave you nor forsake you." AND, if you've already gone through what they're going through... that's the perfect opportunity to help them through it! To bear one another's burdens. To love them as if they are your own body. Because they ARE your own body. There's only ONE body! The body of Christ! And while we are all different parts, and while different parts connect in different ways, we're all connected through that unbreakable bond of love. We're all the same brood, which is what "cherisheth" means. We can foster one another, give warmth to one another, and lift one another up. In effect lifting OURSELVES up (although that's just a happy by-product, not the goal). The goal is to share what we've got. To love one another as Jesus loves us. In fact, that's not just the goal, it's the New Commandment. It's what we were put here to do. It's our EPIC Destiny. Our Eternal Purpose In Christ. Love, and nourish, and cherish one another!

Cherish part 3

03/13/2016 11:24

I think you have to be careful with the things that are important in your life. And I'm not talking about 1 Peter 5:7, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." I'm not talking about stress and worry. I'm not talking about Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." I'm not talking about stress and worry (I know I already said that, but it's important). Stress and worry are killers. They can literally make you physically sick. We shouldn't be careful (or full of cares) because we should cast all your cares upon the Lord. Remember that the Lord and the church is what this is all about. That relationship of love. I'm talking about 1 Corinthians 12:25, "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." I'm talking about TAKING care of one another. And I know I preach and Rant on this truth a lot but if I take care of you and you take care of me, neither one of us has to take care of ourselves. Because we're covered. Daddy's got our backs, and He does that by each of us having each other's backs. Unfortunately, it seems pretty rare to find someone who is willing to lay down their life for their friends. It seems rare to find that kind of agape love. That kind of love that doesn't want to GET anything, but simply wants to share what it's got. That kind of love that nourishes and cherishes. That bond that only love can make. All the same body. All the same brood. The warmth that comes from the loving embrace that Jesus wrapped the whole world in when His arms were spread wide on the cross! It's a rare and wonderful thing. What seems more common (to me at least) is that we will take advantage of someone if they show the least bit of love to us. And I don't think it's intentional. I think we're just so desperate to be loved that we pounce on it when we see it. I think that's why sometimes we confuse someone loving us with them being "in love" with us. It's not something we have a whole lot of experience with. Because usually there IS that schism in the body. Usually it's, "us vs them." Or, "every man for himself." So when somebody goes against the grain and shows us a more excellent way... it's like, "What are you up to?" It's hard to believe and hard to trust. Even while we grab it with both hands so it won't get away. But you know what happens when someone gives and gives and gives and never gets anything back? They start to feel empty. And, listen, the TRUTH is that we are connected to the unlimited source of love. The God who IS love. And we can't run out. He poured Himself into us, filled us to overflowing, and continues to do so. There's no such thing as giving love away to the point of not having it anymore. But it surely does FEEL like that sometimes. Which is why we need to be careful with people. Finding someone who loves you is rare. And even as they cherish you... they need to be cherished. Celebrated. Nourished. Remember, it's not just someone taking care of you and that's all. It's a two-way street. We take care of each other. We receive and release. And that's the key. If I'm releasing what I receive then I won't feel empty. Because I'm only giving what I've got. We love, because He first loved us. We don't love in order to get. We love because we've got!

Cherish part 2

03/12/2016 13:06

Our key verse for this Rant series is Ephesians 5:29, "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church." So before we really get into it today I want to discuss the beginning and the end (the Alpha and Omega) of this verse. Because the first time I read it I said to myself, "That's not right. People hate themselves. In fact, it seems to me that more people hate themselves then love themselves." You know, self destructive people who really don't care about themselves. People who are slowly killing themselves, or people who literally kill themselves. But that actually brings us to the end of the verse. It, like everything else in the Bible, is about the Lord and the church. About Jesus and us. He died so we could die, right? And all of that self-condemnation, all of that self-loathing, and self-hatred died with Him. All of that "self." So we could stop being self-centered, and start being Christ-centered. So we could STOP hating and start nourishing and cherishing. I think people hate because they've lost hope. I think hope springs eternal, otherwise it wouldn't be hope. But I also know that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Hoping and hoping and hoping and never seeing what you hope for is about the worst thing there is. That's why faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for. Jesus isn't our blessed hope, He's our blessed assurance. Because it is finished. And everything we were hoping for, deep in our heart of hearts, has come to fruition. All we ever wanted was to be like God. To be accepted, and loved. To be nourished, and cherished. And that's what we got when God poured out His Spirit on all flesh. That's what we got when He gave us His Spirit, the love receptor. And, again, it wasn't that He all of a sudden loved us. He always loved us. It was that all of a sudden we could receive and release (receive BY releasing) His love. All of a sudden we knew HIM, and we knew OURSELVES. We knew Him as heavenly Father and ourselves as His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. All of sudden we knew ourselves--ALL of us--as the body of Christ. When the old man died, the new man came forth. One new man. One new body. And now instead of being self-centered, we are Christ-centered. And that means we are people centered. Remember Jesus said whatever you've done unto the least of them you've done unto Him? We love God by loving people. When we nourish and cherish each other we are nourishing and cherishing God. We are nourishing and cherishing ourselves. Because the best way to feel love is to give love. To share what we've got. Now look at what the word, "cherisheth" means: It is number 2282 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, "to warm; to brood, that is, (figuratively) to foster." It's a mean, cold world out there. And what we do--what we CAN do because of the love of God that He filled us with--is warm each other up. We can foster each other. Help each other. Edify each other. We can lay down our lives for our friends because we are loving them with the love that we are loved with. We can stop looking at faults. Stop looking at differences. We can stop seeing "us vs them" and we can start to love ourselves. Love each other. We're all members of the same body. The same brood. We're all in this together. We don't hate ourselves, or each other. We love... even as the Lord and the church!

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