Its a peaceful, easy feeling. And there's nothing in the world like it. When you have the issue of God's love settled... you can rest. And I'm not talking about sleeping--but there IS truth to that too... there's nothing like a good night's sleep when you know that you're safe and loved--I'm talking about doing whatever you do from a posture of rest. Not trying to force things. Letting things flow. Letting what's inside come out by knowing and believing that its in there. Settling the issue that we ARE loved instead of constantly trying to "get" love. Or earn love. You can't earn a gift. And if you try, you just end up robbing yourself of what you already have. Looking for love in all the wrong places ensures that you miss out on it. What we need to do is really settle the issue. Really listen to the still, small voice of our heavenly Father. And here's what it says. Watch this: "And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22). That's the Word of God. And the affirmation of the Father always empowers His Son. God being pleased with us, for no other reason that He is our Father and we are His Son(s), is what allows us to rest. That's what equips and empowers us to do what we do. Because we should do what we do... because its in our heart to do it. It is the power of God (power of love) working in us. Working through us. Working OUT of us. As we fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've been filled with. As we let what's inside come out. And we LET it come out by knowing and believing its in there. By having the issue settled. By resting in the loving arms of our heavenly Father. If we try to earn His approval... that's labor and works. And that don't work. But we understand what family is really all about--that unbreakable bond of blood--then we know that our heavenly Father has our backs no matter what. That love will carry us through. No matter what. What's that old saying I quoted the other day? "God said it, I believe it, that settles is." That, realistically, is the way it is. The problem is when we "hear" Him say things that He might not necessarily be saying. I think we all know by this point that the Bible can be made to say anything. Its easy to twist Scripture. To misinterpret things. But its also easy to look at things cross-eyed (through the lens of the finished work of the Cross). Its easy to see love everywhere, if you're looking for it. Not trying to find it in all the wrong places, but letting it come out from inside so that wherever you are... love is. We are Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. Love coming out. Naturally. Because (one more time) we know and believe that its in there. We know and believe that HE'S in there. We have that much, at least, settled. And when we have that strong foundation, we can build. Upward and onward. Upward and God-ward! We can stop struggling and we can rest. We can let it flow. We can make peace. But only when we ourselves are AT peace. That's the only way to live. So settle it in your mind and your heart; God is love and He loves you!

When you've settled the love issue--when you know (and believe) in your heart of hearts that God is love and He loves you--that's when everything else begins to flow. When you're standing on that foundation--that Rock--that's when you can start building. Look at Luke 6:48, "He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock." When you're rooted and grounded in love... when you're settled and resting upon the right foundation... that's when you can withstand anything. That's when you can stand and not be shaken. That's when you can get through whatever you're going through. Love never fails because love endures, right? And when you have peace on the inside (which is a big part of what it means to be settled) that peace will exude to the outside. Blessed are the peace MAKERS. But you can't give what you don't have. You can't produce something out of nothing. It all flows from the source. From the God who is love. That's where our peace comes from. That's why we can stop running around like chickens with our heads cut off looking for love in all the wrong places. It doesn't matter when kind of wind, or rain, or flood comes into our lives. We can endure. Long suffering isn't about suffering for a long time. Its about having the patience and the grit and the stick to it to make it to the other side. But, like I've been Ranting about recently, being settled doesn't mean being stuck. Its easy to do things "because that's how they've always been done." But that doesn't always make it right. Some things we do because they work. But I don't like obligations. I don't like doing things just to do them. That's one of the things I try very hard to teach my seven year old: Always do things for a reason. Always know why you're doing what you're doing. Do it because its in your heart to do it. Do it because love made you do it. When you have the "God is love and He loves you (and me)" issue settled... that's when you can really truly love people. Because you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. When you know you have love... when you know you are loved... you can love. Because you don't just HAVE love. You ARE love. Its about receiving AND releasing. Receiving BY releasing. Releasing by receiving. Letting God love the hell out you and loving Him back by loving each other. Taking what has been settled in your spirit (by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth... the truth that--one more time--God is love and He loves you) and then DOING something with it. Faith without works is dead. Because our actions flow from our beliefs. What we believe is what we do. What we believe is inside is what comes out. Its not about settling for anything less than. Its about settling the truth in our hearts so that we can live out of our hearts. Keeping our hearts with diligence so that they remain open and the issue of life--LOVE--can flow in and out. You can love in the midst of a storm because you are planted, and settled, and rooted, and grounded... in love!

When you have the big issue settled, everything else flows from there. Look at Proverbs 4:23, just so we're clear on what we're talking about: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Love is the issue of life. Love is the desire of our hearts. Love is why we were created. Love is what we live for, and how we live. Because to live is to love. To love is to live. Its all about love. So the issue we need to settle is whether or not we're loved. Because if we don't know (and believe) that God loves us... we'll spend our three T's (Time, Talent, Treasure) looking for love in all the wrong places. Trying to earn something that can't be earned. And in so doing we rob ourselves of the gift we've been given. Because here's the deal, as simple as I can make it--God is love and He loves you. That's the ultimate truth of the universe. That's the foundation that we stand on. That we build on. That's the bare minimum of where we need to start. Love--and remember, God IS love--is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. And everything in between. So keeping our heart (or some translations say "guarding" our heart) isn't about shutting it down once we've been hurt. I know when you touch the fire and get burned you don't probably want to do that again. But the heart is meant to receive and release love. And it can only do that if its open. Every night when I pray with my son I thank God for an open heart that full of love. Filled to overflowing with love so that what's inside comes out... naturally. Its so important that we don't let ourselves become cynical. So important that we are diligent in keeping our hearts open. Because the whole point of the whole thing is (one more time) love. Being loved by God and loving Him back by loving each other with that same love. That's it. That's how we experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God. We let Him live it in us, and through us, and as us. We experience it by giving it away. Because love is giving. But you can't give what you don't have. You have to have the isse of life settled in order to live. Remember in the last Rant series I said the love that is hidden inside is revealed by love shining on us, and in us, and through us, and as us? Well, that's because it ALL love! I quoted Colossians 1:23 yesterday and I want to do so again today. "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister." So much there. But to me our faith is what grounds us and settles us. Because faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word (Jesus, LOVE) of God. Knowing and believing (because you can't believe something you don't know) is what settles the matter for us. Hearing God say, "I love you" with every beat of His heart in our chests is where everything else flows from. His love in us filling us up and coming out of us. Receiving and releasing the love that He loves us with. That's how we truly live this life. Because its a life of love. Life IS love. Love is life. Once that's settled, everything else is just details!

This is what I preached about tonight in my Guerrilla Gospel video, and its what has been on my heart for a while now, so I'm going to take my pastor's advice and preach it until my heart is empty on it: When you're settled... things can flow. When you're running around like a chicken with its head cut off, you will wear yourself out and not accomplish much of anything. Banging your head against the wall only ever gets you a headache. But let me quote my passage of Scripture before I get too far into wandering around and hoping I can make my point. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19). And I know I say this about just about every memory verse or passage that I quote... but this is one of my favorites. I've been thinking about writing a book about it. Because there's so much here and its all so good. But the phrase I want for this Rant series is "rooted and grounded." Because to me, that's a big part of being settled. In order to know where you're going, it helps to know where you came from. And in order to be happy where you're at, you need to put down roots. But here's what I was focusing on in my video: When you're rooted and grounded IN LOVE, you can begin to EXPLORE love. From glory... to glory, as one of my other favorite verses (2 Corinthians 3:18) says. You have to start WITH love in order to get TO love. We love because He first loved us. Everything we have to give comes from the One who gave us everything. And the problem is that so often we get mixed up, twisted around. We look for love in all the wrong places. We are completely unsettled when it comes to believing that we are loved. And I get that, most of us have been burned by the idea of love. People telling us they love us when they didn't mean it--when they really just wanted to manipulate or control us. And once you get burned, its hard to get near the fire again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on ME. That sort of thing. But the thing about love is... love just keeps giving and giving and giving no matter what. Love never fails because love endures. Love doesn't worry about getting. Love doesn't worry about what someone does with it after it is given. But you can't give what you don't have. And if you're running around trying to get something--if you're unsettled, if you're not rooted and grounded in love--you'll miss out. Let me end this Rant series with the memory verse I want to pick up on tomorrow. Colossians 1:23, "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister." Rooted and grounded, grounded and settled. Established. Confident. Full of. Love. 

I've been hinting about this, and kind of turned it on its head a little bit yesterday, but to end this Rant series I want to focus on what Jesus said in Luke 8:17, "For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad." In other words, what is in you WILL come out of you. Or, as I always qualify it, what you BELIEVE is inside will come out. Because its your belief in it that brings it out. What you believe--either the lie of the world or the truth of the Lord--is what will manifest in your life. And what I've been trying to say these past few days is that the buried, hidden treasure--the hidden man of the heart... love--is what is so valuable. Being hidden doesn't make it less valuable. It can, in fact, make it more valuable. Because it takes effort to get it out. Not works and labor--because works and labor don't work--but the maximum effort of putting in the time to get to know someone... to build that relationship that really lets you reach someone... that's huge. I think a lot of people feel like they aren't worthy of love. That's that lie of the world tells. That's what the serpent hissed in Eve's ear. "You're not good enough. But if you do this, this, and this... if you jump through all of these hoops... then maybe, just maybe, some day you might be good enough." And, unfortunately, that's the trap that religion uses too. But that's not the ultimate truth of the universe. The ultimate truth of the universe says, "God is love and He loves you." Always has and always will. When Jesus was lifted up on the cross He drew all men unto Himself. And He planted Himself in all men. Deep inside. The inner man. But that's what's so glorious about all of this. He planted Himself in us, AND He draws Himself out of us. Out THROUGH us. What's hidden shall be known. And when WE know it, that's when other people will know it. When we know and believe what is really inside... that's when it comes out. Nothing stays hidden forever. Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead, right? What's inside is too big to stay inside. It HAS to come out. And what makes this hidden love manifest... what makes this hidden love be known and come abroad... is the light (of love) shining on it. Love feeds on love. Love FEEDS love. Love is what makes everything grow. Love is what makes the world go 'round. It takes effort sometimes to uncover what has been hidden. But, as always, that effort comes from God. He always does all of the heavy lifting. He never requires anything He doesn't first provide. We love Him because He first loved us. We love Him by loving each other. We love each other because of the love He has filled us with. All we have to do is fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. All we have to do is have a little faith. Have faith in God. Have faith in love. Where your treasure is, so will your heart be. What's important to you is what you take care of. And in this case, we take care of it by giving it away. By sharing it. We reveal what has been hidden by shining the light on it. By showing it to people. Giving it to people!

I've mentioned a couple of times that what is hidden will always come to light. Its kind of the same idea as how what is inside--or what we believe is inside--WILL come out. It has to. Because whatever it is, good, bad, or ugly, its too big to keep inside. But look at 1 Corinthians 4:5, "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God." So, like, I'm not talking about deep dark secrets coming to light and hurting people. That can happen, sure, and probably will. Because, as Benjamin Franklin famously said, "Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead." Nothing stays buried forever. People talk. But what I'M talking about, today, is what happens when the Lord comes. When the light shines. Let me say it another way, "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered..." (Psalm 68:1). Let the light shine, let the darkness flee. And here's where it gets really cool: God is love, right? Love is what is hidden deep inside us, right? So when love shines... love is revealed! Love feeds on love. And what you feed is what will grow. Even the smallest act of charity (love in action) can snowball and grow and grow and grow. The smallest spark can start a Holy Ghost wildfire. And it all comes from the Father of lights. Because WE are the light of the world. When God arises... WE arise. When He shines His light... its us! The hidden man of the heart is Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. And, like I said before, what's inside WILL come out. It has to. So its vitally important for us to know what's in there. What's really in there. To look past all of the "stuff" that gets piled up on the surface. The "stuff" that WE so often pile up on ourselves. Unfortunately. But the God comes. Then God says, "Let there be light." Then love shows up to save the day. And that love reveals OUR love. What is hidden comes to light when the light that we are--the light that love is--shines on it. Everything (except maybe mushrooms? I'm not sure, I'm not a scientist) needs light to grow. Even people. Seasonal depression is real. When its gloomy out, we feel gloomy. But on that bright sunshiny day we get a little bit of pep in our step. Its easier to deal with what we have to go through. We get that strength from within. And while it does seem to be hidden a lot of the time... when we put in that maximum effort to get past the surface stuff (our own and each others'), what comes out is extremely powerful. Extremely valuable. People need who you are. The people in your life need YOU to be in their life. We need each other. Life is about relationships. Because life is about love. To live is to love and to love is to live. And love is giving. So you have to have someone TO love. Someone to give what yo've got to. That's why God created us--so that He could love us. So that He could express Himself to us. So that He could give us everything He has and everything He is. Love is only hidden until love shows up and reveals the love that is deep inside!

Something being hidden doesn't make it of less value. In fact, that usually increases the value. Buried treasure.Every pirate's dream.  Which is, by the way, exactly what we're talking about in this Rant series. Only without the parrot and peg leg. Look at Isaiah 45:3, "And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel." God gives to us so that we will know who He is. Because God is love. And love is giving. Only by giving Himself to us could He truly help us understand who He is. Understand who WE are. Because as He is, so are we in this world. He gave... so we could give. We love, because He first loved us. We give because He has given us something to give. And just because it's hidden deep down inside doesn't mean it can't get out. It simply means its that much more powerful, that much more valuable, when it does. When you give what you've got... when you put in the effort to find out how you can give what you've got in the best way... that's when what was hidden is revealed. That's when the Christ is us comes out of us for all to see. Out of the secret place. The heart. Out of the heart flows the issue of life. Love is the issue of life. Love is what its all about. To live is to love and to love is to live. Love is the reason we live, and love is the reason we CAN live. So even though sometimes it feels like it is hidden (or buried) under "stuff"... that doesn't mean its not valuable. That doesn't mean its not worth the maximum effort of letting it out. And, please listen to this, that maximum effort is NOT works and labor. It is faith. Believing that love is in there is what lets it out. Knowing and believing that what we have is enough, and then giving what we have, is the effort. Sometimes we have to unbury it. By letting go of the "stuff" that has piled up on it. Someone hurts you and you think you'll never get over it. Never get past it. Never love again. But that doesn't have to be YOUR truth, because that surely isn't THE truth. The ultimate truth of the universe says, "God is love and He loves you." Nothing can change that. No matter how badly you've been hurt... you are loved. Always have been, always will be. There's a treasure inside you. You are valuable. You ARE good enough. What you have to offer is just exactly what someone needs. Now, having said that, I always say, "I'm not for everybody." And that's ok. You don't need to reach everybody. Just stay in your lane and do what you can do for the poeple you CAN reach. Charity starts at home. I think it was Mother Teresa who said, "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." Love everybody, yes, but don't try to overreach or over-extend. Love everybody that you come into contact with. And if someone doesn't pick up what you're laying down... don't even worry about it. Do what you can do. Do your best and forget the rest. That buried treasure was given by God so that we might know who He is. So that what's buried in us can come to the surface and people can know who WE really are! 

I mentioned yesterday that our love is sometimes hidden underneath all of the stuff that the world--and we ourselves, if we're being honest about it--pile up on top. But look at Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." So let's look at it through that frame of mind. Maybe instead of blaming the world for everything that happens (or even blaming ourselves, but trust me... I know how easy that is to do), maybe we can see the bigger picture. The grand scheme. Maybe the hidden man of the heart was hidden for a reason. Maybe, well, let me say it this way: "And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the thresingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekles of silver" (2 Samuel 24:24). And, listen, I'm NOT saying we need to work for what we get. I'm saying when we go through things we learn and grow. Its a maturation process. Sometimes you have to go through this to get to that. Sometimes you have to search out a matter in order to really appreciate it. And sometimes its not about the destination. Sometimes its the journey. Learning to love by learning how we are loved. By letting God love us. And loving Him back with that love... by loving people. Its the glory of God to conceal Himself in us. Its our honor to seach out the matter by letting Him reveal what He hid IN us.. to us, and through us, and as us. I know this might seem tricky. Because we know that its all about receiving and releasing. Receiving by releasing. Releasing by receiving. So when David was talking about how he wasn't going to sacrifice something that didn't cost him anything... the cost isn't works and labor. The cost is putting in the effort of building relationships with people. And I mean, there's a way to love people that you don't know. Everybody needs food. Everybody needs warm clothes when its cold. And that's nothing to sneer at. Those basic human needs that are common to us all still need to be met. But there's an ever deeper level. Things that only you can do. To people that only you can reach. But if you don't pay the cost to uncover what is hidden... listen, everybody is going through stuff. And sometimes that stuff makes them irritable, or sad, or angry, or bitter. And then they lash out. And that can be a big turnoff. When you reach your hand out and someone slaps it away... kind of makes you want to quit reaching your hand out. But the people who are the hardest to love are the people who need love the most. Because someone probably DID reach out to them, probably did get slapped away, and probably decided not to reach out again. So if nobody (including you) is reaching out to them... then they aren't getting what they need. They're giving what they've got (the hurt, bitterness, sadness, whatever) but they aren't getting the mercy, and grace, and love. So pay the cost. Put in the effort. Search out a matter. Get in there and find out what they need. What they really need. And then meet that need. What's hidden will always come to light, but sometimes it takes a little effort. Love is maximum effort!

This might take a little getting into. But that's why I spend a few days on a single subject. So let's start with one of my favorite verses (and yes, I know they're all my favorites), 1 Peter 3:4, "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." I love that phrase, "hidden man of the heart." And I love it that the hidden man of the heart is not corruptible. Love never fails. Love endures. And here's why its hidden--its meek and quiet. And don't ever forget, meekness is not weakness. It is strength under control. I've been Ranting about how strength isn't forcing things down people's throat. Strength isn't about always getting your own way. Strength is about being able to stand (on the Rock, which is Jesus, which is love) even when things don't go your way. Being quiet, but taking care of business. "I didn't know you could do that!" Well, I'm not out here bragging or advertising. Just quietly going about my business. I think that's the best way to do it. But heres' the thing about the hidden man of the heart: Every time you act in love (and the Word becomes flesh), the hidden man of the heart is revealed. Look at Colossians 1:27, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." And in the Amplified Bible it says it even better, "To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory." Realizing the glory... by revealing the glory. By letting what's inside come out. That's how what is hidden is brought to light. The hidden man of the heart comes out when we let our heart lead the way. And those who are led by the Spirit are identified as the Son(s) of God. Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). The only way people will really know who we are is by what we do. Actions speak louder than words, right? The rubber meets when the road when you put your money where your mouth is. Is that enough mixed metaphors? My point is, there's something inside us. Christ in you. And there's only one way to let what's inside come out--loving people. And here's the thing--what's hidden will always come to light. So its all about knowing and believing that love is what's really in there. Sometimes, and this is part of what I'm planning to get into in this Rant series, the love is hidden under "stuff." Bitterness can hide it. Hurt can hide it. Fear can hide it. Now don't get it twisted, nothing can STOP love. But sometimes it takes some doing to get past the "stuff." And that's where faith comes in. Faith is what makes everything else go. What you believe is what will manifest in your life--either the lie that the world yells at you or the still, small voice of God saying, "I love you" with every beat of His heart in your chest. The still, small voice can be hidden by the big loud lie. But when you know the truth you absolutely can ignore the lie. The hidden man of the heart is incorruptible. Love never fails. What is hidden will come to light!

To end this Rant series I want to go back to where I started it. Jesus saying, "I can do nothing of my own self." To me that's so powerful. Because even Jesus Himself, God in the flesh, didn't try to do anything on His own. Let me say it another way, "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19). And, look, Jesus said this a few chapters later: "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). So I'm not trying to put any distance between the Father and Son. Its the same God. The same light. The same love. And that's the point. When we try to rely on "ourselves" we are creating a separation that doesn't exist. The only way to truly experience life is to "live Jesus' life." And I put that in quotes because the only way to live Jesus' life is to let HIM live His own life in us, and through us, and as us. So let's take this idea of "I can only do what I see my Father do" to the next level. Let's say, "In earth as it is in heaven." Let's understand that we see the Father doing things... in us. Through us. As us. Its not about trying to copy and paste. Its not about trying to follow in Jesus' foot steps. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" (John 14:12). We aren't supposed to be carbon copies. I've never been to a wedding that ran out of wine and been put in a position to turn water into wine. But greater works than these... giving a drink to someone who was thirsty? I did that today. Its not about the actual act. Its about the Spirit (of love) behind the act. Love in action is charity. And that's what happens when we shift from selfish to selfless. When we stop being self-centered and start being Christ-centered. Which means people-centered. Or, even better yet, when we understand that focusing on self IS focusing on others. Because we are all different parts of the same body. We're all in this together. The tide raises all ships. If I put someone down to make myself look better... what I've really done is hurt them AND myself. But if I lift someone up--not of my own power, but by the power of God (of love) that lives in me... then I've really done something. Edifying others. Esteeming others higher than ourselves. Putting others first. Sounds like what a parent does. The heavenly Father, first and foremost, and then us taking a parental pride and responsibility in and for each other. If I've got your back, and you've got my back, neither one of us has to look behind us. We can both go upward and God-ward. Together. Remember the old saying, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far... go together." We need each other. Its not good for man to be alone. Not even the Son of man. He was totally and completely dependent on His Father. But not in a childish way where He couldn't do anything. In a child-like way where He trusted His Father to help Him do what needed to be done. So see what the Father is doing... by looking at things with His eyes. DO what the Father is doing by letting Him do it in you, and through you, and as you!