The Most Important Word in the Bible

Love is the most used and abused sentiment in the world. It has healed many hearts and broken many others. Interestingly, love is the key theme of all 66 of the Bible's books. The very definition of God comes in the context of love, and the greatest commandments in the Bible are based on love.

Because God is LOVE, He desires for His love to be duplicated throughout the earth. That is why, as children of God, we have been commanded to LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE. However, Jesus gives us a warning in Matthew 24:12, when sin and lawlessness abound, the love of many will wax cold.

In the Book of Revelation, we learn from the Church of Ephesus what happens when our love waxes cold. While Jesus affirmed the Church of Ephesus for their perseverance, He had one complaint against them. Amid persevering, they lost the most important thing; their proper expression of love for God and others.

The solution was to repent and redo the works associated with their first love. And, Jesus firmly told them that failure to facilitate this act of turning back would result in removal of their lampstand.

Like the Church of Ephesus, Jesus wants us to persevere, but he also wants us to love people. Have you considered if there are places where you have persevered, but your love for God and others has grown cold along the way? Do you need to turn back and revisit the place where you invested in your first love?

Check out this message from Pastor Eric to learn the definition of a church's lampstand and how to know if you are in a spiritual danger zone.

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

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How to NOT Look Like What You’ve Been Through

When I was 17 years old, I desperately wanted a step-side Chevy Silverado with a 350 engine, five-star rims, dual-exhaust pipes, and a five-speed transmission. It was my dream truck. But, it was outside of my financial means. Yet, to my surprise, after several months of dreaming, my dad bought one for me!

My response: immediately, determine how fast it would go.

Every time I took off, I was blessing the blacktop with a new layer of rubber. Not long into my ownership experience, I got an itch for racing backroads. The suicide lane was my standard line of sight. Too often during races -- to avoid oncoming vehicles -- I put my prized truck in ditches and cleaned out culverts. On weekend excursions, I took it through creek beds and gravel roads, and I even hit a massive deer. By the time I entered my 20’s and finished my testosterone-fueled cruises, the truck was nearly destroyed. But if you were to see that truck today, it looks like it did the day it rolled off the showroom floor. I think it looks better.

To me, it's amazing when I go into my garage, and while staring at the truck, reflect on all of my teenage recklessness. I think about all of the life-threatening mistakes I made trying to prove my manhood, the things I put in jeopardy while behind the wheel. With ease, my memory vividly recalls the events that created deep dents, long scratches, destroyed bumpers, and busted headlights and taillights. Yet, when I see the truck today, it doesn’t look like what it’s been through.

My truck has been restored.

Do you look like what you’ve been through?

Your marriage?

Your business?

Your relationship with your children?

Seriously, be honest. Do any of those things look like what they’ve been through?

If so, then you need to know: God is in the restoration business. He doesn’t just desire to cleanse you (wash you off, but leave the dents and dings), he wants to restore you so that you don’t look like what you’ve been through!

I invite you to watch or listen to my message on this subject. Within it, you will learn some practical ways to position yourself for restoration. I also share a personal story of how God cleansed my marriage from the disfiguring effects of offense and bitterness and restored Mandy and me to the point where our relationship no longer looks like what it’s been through.

You can watch it here: You Don't Look Like What You've Been Through

An Invitation To The Secret Place

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalms‬ ‭91:1‬ NKJV

There is a place that God wants to invite us into, a secret place, a place predicated on complete trust. The good news is EVERYONE has an invitation.

“He…”

Notice, it’s not a name, title or position. It is just a general statement, implying availability for all. But so few choose to go there that it remains a secret.

Think about it, WE ARE ALL INVITED but it’s still a secret!

So, how do we get there?

The sharing of secrets is all about TRUST. It is the same with God. But in this scenario, it is not so much about God trusting you as it is about you trusting God.

To get to this place of complete trust, this place called “secret” by God Himself, you will not be able to use your own UNDERSTANDING as a crutch to navigate the path. Solomon taught us this truth in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” The implication is that if you are leaning on your own understanding you are not trusting God.

The truth of the matter, when you choose to trust God, you ARE NOT going to understand everything. God never said there wouldn't be a lion. He never said they wouldn't be a snake. He never said there wouldn't be pestilence. He just said that when 1,000 falls at your left hand and 10,000 falls at your right hand because you are in the secret place, you'll still stand. And so, when pestilence is breaking out and plague is covering the earth, we all start struggling to understand... But, God never said that someone wouldn't fall... He just said you had the opportunity to stand if you would keep trusting him.

Make the declaration, “Lord, even if I don’t understand this season, I am going to keep trusting You. Even if my pencil and my calculator can’t make it all come together, I’m going to keep trusting You. Even when medical professionals can’t help me understand this battle, I am going to keep trusting You. Even if..............."

The secret place… Everyone has an invitation and TRUST is what gets you in. Let’s go!