September 29, 2007

• Looking at others through the Eyes of Love by Pastor Don

  I thought you might like to know that we are having a wonderful time here in Richmond VA. Tomorrow we begin the drive home – all 7 hours of it. It was wonderful to see Christopher and meet some of his friends. My two others had a good dose of what college life is like, and have decided that it is pretty cool. Please read Pastor Don’s teaching on love below -it was so impactful to me that I hope you find yourself blessed.

   

  I love how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Last Sunday Pastor Don preached on Love and Pastor La Fayette Scales also is teaching about love.

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  Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were wary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

  Jesus is an example of the way we should be with others. He showed us how to be bigger and better in love than ever before. Compassion means sympathy, pity, and a concern about people, and a love for them.

  Pastor Don said that he liked the New Living Translation of Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

  Galatians 5:5-6 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

  Early in his ministry Pastor Don knew that if he did not have compassion for the people he couldn’t heal them for he would be disconnected from them and he would have no effect.

  The Church is being tested now and judgment begins at the House of God. In the Body of Christ when a pastor is exposed, when a marriage is seen for what it is not, if pastors are involved in subterfuge it reflects on the Church. People need to walk the walk, talk the talk and people need to be exposed for who they are. We need to pray for the weak vessels, praying that the flesh remains in control.

  It is the Love of God that is exposing us if we are not what we are supposed to be – that is a good thing.

  Promise keepers have had a season of prayer. Pastor Don told us that we had better know who is set over us as our spiritual daddy. For example, if they are preaching against gambling and are buying lottery tickets or at the OTB stand, they have to be exposed.

  We want to learn from Spiritual people who can walk the walk and talk the talk. Granted, we all do sin, but we need to be quick to repent.

  LOVE MUST BE THE ROOT!

  You need a sense that your pastor cares for you, and that his behavior is not just some kind of show.

  Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

  How could He do it? His faith worked by His love. He had great power because He had great love. He had John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. kind of love.

  Pastor Don then sang part of the Beetle’s song, “All you need is love…..”

  Why is Jesus the Lord over all? It is because He loves greater than anyone ever had or ever will. One example is that when Jesus met the funeral procession with the widow whose only son died, He had compassion on her and raised her son from the dead because He knew that  if He didn’t she would be destitute or a beggar. So Jesus tells the boy, Get up, Get a job and provide for your Momma.

  Mark 10:13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. The disciples rebuked the parents who brought the children.

  Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.

  Jesus was greatly displeased when he perceived what the disciples were doing.

  Mark 10:15-16 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

  Pastor Don said that we are the most selfish generation that walks this planet. Kids bring chaos and distractions, but we did too when we were children. Little children are the harvest of God, and God will pick some from them to be earthshakers. Some children have high energy, and don’t do anything that people tell them to do. They can be a challenge to deal with. When the Holy Spirit breaks one like that, we then end up with a Moses type of person. Moses was determined to do things his own way. He killed the slavemaster and then had to cool his heels in the backside of the desert for 80 years, then God could use him.

  In the Church we get so busy. Pastor Don has noticed in some churches that there is a value system of jobs around the church. Sunday School teachers and ushers are considered to be lower position jobs in some churches. But that is a wrong perception. Bad ushers can chase people away. Children are the life of the church, and need good Sunday School teachers to form them. Every job in the House of the Lord is an important ministry and working with children is the highest calling of all! The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

  In Verse 16 (see above), Jesus blessed the kids. Jesus loves you, and Pastor Don added, “I love you too.” We want a church that is friendly to kids and a safe church.

  Mark 10:17-18 deals with the rich young ruler. Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is God.”

  People misread the meaning of “good” in this passage, and use this to try and claim that Jesus is not God. In this passage, the word “good” means perfect, without flaw. Jesus is excluding himself here because as He was speaking, He was not in a perfect body – He (God) was wearing a flesh suit that would die. In the earth, a body is subject to decay, so it is not perfection to decay and die.

  Mark 10:19-20 “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery’, ‘Do not murder’, ‘Do not steal’, ‘Do not bear false witness’, ‘Do not defraud’, ‘Honor your father and your mother’. And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

  The youth is proud that he had done such a good job Jesus does not rebuke him by saying, “you lying dog.” The boy is pretty on the ball, but because he kept these commandments he did not perceive his need. But Jesus knew.

  Mark 10:21-22 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

   Jesus looks and knows. The boy wants the key to eternal life. What’s blocking Him? He has a pride problem and is attached to things. His things have him, he doesn’t have his things.

  Our society has a problem with things. We have so many contraptions, fill up storage bins. Our culture is a culture of gluttony. We are gluttons for things.

  Pastor Don reminded us of the parable about the man who had a good harvest, and decided that he would build storage barns to hold his surplus. But Jesus told the people that the man’s soul would be required of him, and he ended up taking NOTHING to heaven.

  He then told the joke about the man who took a suitcase of gold bricks to heaven, and when met at the pearly gates was told that he was given permission to bring them to heaven. St. Peter says, sure, if you want to bring paving stones….(the streets of heaven are paved with gold.)

  Love compels us as we deal with people. Just like the rich young ruler, we have to see where a person is coming from. This young man wanted the secret to eternal life, had Jesus told him the man would have then left. He was not committed to serving others, for he was trapped by his riches. We too have to decide if a person that comes across our path is one that we disciple or one that we tell a hard truth too. If they are a disciple we may drop the truths to them in bits and pieces and move them a step at a time so that they ultimately grow in the Spirit. But some are not our disciples and for their sakes, we need to tell them a hard truth, the cold facts. Sometimes we only have one shot to get the truth to them. Jesus knew that this boy had a pride problem, and would not be able to humble himself to be discipled. Jesus fired off the truth out of compassion and told him.

  Pastor Don told us that with people we cannot look at the fruit, we have to deal with the root. As an example, he told us that if someone verbally attacks you, you may want to overlook the attack and see what is at the root of the attack. Is it insecurity? Many who are insecure attack to keep people at arms length. If you can keep your love for them, you can get past their defenses and walk in love with them. Some people want to make sure that you really, really love them so they show you their worst personality, figuring that if you can still love them even with that behavior, then you really love them. Many don’t get past that personality and the people end up with a self-fulfilling disaster whose root is the devil. But if you look at that person with compassion and love, and don’t give evil for evil, you have a chance to get beyond the behavior to the root of the problem.

  COMPASSION OVERIDES UGLY.

  When we look with the EYES OF LOVE, we can see beyond the outside to the root issue.

  If you have a boss that is upset, try to find out what they are really upset about. Is it really your work, are they having trouble at home or having a bad day. Negative people act negative. Sometimes if you act positive they don’t get it. But look for the root, what causes the situation and then you can find the right way to help. Sometimes it seems that the whole world is taking pot shots at you, but guess what, Jesus makes it all up to you.

  Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

  We need to see our enemies through the EYES OF LOVE.  To deal with them on a different level. To understand Islam through the eyes of their history. Kings and other Arabs have robbed them, subjected them and taken wealth away. The Shaw of Iran, with all the oil, kept all the profits for himself – having a fleet of Mercedes and many palaces, yet most of his people live in abject poverty. To hide the truth from the people they teach the citizens that it is the satan United States that is the cause of their poverty. The people are desperate, hungry, full of hate and angry. They blame the Christians and foreign powers for their problem, a problem that is really caused by the leadership of the country.

  John 8:4 “They said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.” Jesus loves the woman and He loves the people standing there. He wrote the law including the law concerning adultery. He looked at the people with the eye of compassion, knowing that if they stoned the woman, they would be judging themselves to condemnation. If they were making a right judgment about this situation, they would realize that you do not commit adultery by yourself, and they would have brought the man with the woman, but by doing this, they were testing Him. So he knew that if they stoned her, they would face judgment for this action. So He told them that if they were without sin to cast the first stone. None of them were without sin. Only Jesus could claim that.

  John 8:10-11 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

  Jesus looked at the woman with the eyes of love. He spares her. He is able to recognize her sinful condition, and she is now shamed, but He wants her to go to her glory, free from that shame and sin. She can’t get to that glory if she was dead because of her sin. So He gave her another opportunity, cared for her, and allowed her to step into glory, to move from Glory to Glory, to go and sin no more.

  Jesus loved Lazarus and Mary and Martha. Mary and Martha inform Jesus that Lazarus is sick unto death. Jesus knows the sickness is not unto death, but through the sickness God will get glory. God is not the author of sickness, death and disease and certainly would not cause that to get glory, but God can use something satan meant for harm to get glory.

  Sometimes the reason that these things happen is because it is our fault, we test God’s rules. Pastor Don told us that his mom used to tell him to wear a jacket if it was chilly and raining or he would get a cold. When he didn’t wear the jacket and got a cold, his mom informed him that it was his fault.

  Love compels us to deal with truth, to find a way to get truth so that we can walk in truth and come to our glory. Sometimes it is easier to reach out to other people and help them, but we don’t do the same for ourselves. We have to love ourselves enough not to do things that can kill us (like not taking care of our health). 

  We don’t know what made Lazarus dead, but it wasn’t God. But God will use the circumstances to His Glory. Lazarus was sick two days. If Jesus had healed him then, God would have gotten some glory, but not great glory. The greatest glory would come from Lazarus’ death. So Jesus did not arrive until after four days, and on the fourth day Mary and Martha came up to Him and said, “If you had been here, Lazarus would not have died.” But Lazarus, Jesus told them, was not dead, just asleep. Death is not a permanent finality to our God. We struggle to live, forgetting that death is passing to a new life.

  Paul says, That he stayed here on earth, forsaking the better thing, because of his love for the saints and their need for him.

  We may not like the circumstances or burdens we have – children, sickness, etc, and may feel that our situation is going on way too long. But Jesus had to leave Lazarus in the tomb for three days so that those who witnessed the miracle would be sure that he really was “dead”, only then could God get the greater glory. When Lazarus walked out of the tomb, God received great glory.

  The Pharisees and Sadducees would rather that Lazarus was dead, for they did not like how the miracle was perceived by the witnesses.

  Pastor Don had a sickness unto death, where the doctor had told him that his wife would be a widow at 30. The sickness was so bad, that when Pastor Don received a complete healing, God received great Glory that was witnessed by the doctors and the doctor’s report.

  We need to begin to see our circumstances through the eyes of love, to look to the root of situations and walk them out through eyes of love.

  We will be going to visit my son in college, so I don’t know when I will get the third teaching from Pastor Scales up. I have 1/3 typed but do not know the accessibility of computers where we are going. But keep checking, I am praying I can get it finished soon. Hoping you have a blessed day.

  Heather

  • 10:36 pm
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