Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
Leaders lead others in walking in the light of God’s love. Knowing God’s love inspires and empowers our love for Him and for others. The light is not some measure of right verses wrong. The light is what turns our night into day. The light is what turns our death into life. The light is what turns our world into a testimony of the kingdom of God. The glory of God is to be like Him in our character, nature, and way.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
The blood of Jesus is a testimony of God’s mercy for us all. It’s a testimony of His great love for mankind. No greater love has anyone than one who lays His life down for a friend (Jn. 15:13). Jesus gave His life for us upon our cross because He saw us as His friends. He saw us through the eyes of our heavenly Father.
God saw us as His friends when we were acting like His enemies. He could do this because He has always looked through eyes of love. Jesus saw things through the eyes of His Father. He always did what He saw the Father doing. Loving his children is what a father does. God is love and His actions are actions of love on our behalf.
As leaders we grow in being loved by God. With each new day comes another opportunity to know God. In this, we grow in knowing His love in our lives. When we know His love for us, we can’t help but love Him. When we love Him, we trust His words to us, and we obey what He asks of us in our lives.
1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
How did Jesus walk as a man in our world? He walked this world as a man demonstrating the Father’s will. That will was one of love for all men. He destroyed the works of darkness by being a testimony of the Father’s light. He didn’t condemn men but loved them in the midst of their darkness. His love in their life destroyed the darkness that held them in bondage. His light was God’s love for us in our world. We should walk in this same way. It’s not about ministry. It’s about God’s love. This is why we minister.
1 John 2:9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
The older we become in Christ, the more loving we should become. The testimony of knowing God is seen in the way we walk in our world. Knowing God’s law will make us judgmental of others in our world, but knowing our heavenly Father will empower us to be loving towards others in our world. This is not weak love. It’s love that understands weakness but also love that empowers others to receive God’s presence to overcome every weakness in their lives.
We should walk as Jesus walked. Everything that He did was done in love because He knew the love of the Father in His life. Everything that we do in life should be done in and for love. This is the testimony of Christ in us, and this is the hope of God’s glory!
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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Our Ministry Information Is:
House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
