We are made to love

In Mt 22:37 Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all we are and have - our mind, our heart, our soul and strength. This is the most important commandment for many different reasons. One reason is because if we do that, the rest of the commandments will flow out of our hearts following the first one. 1 John 4:20 says that it is impossible to really love God and hate a brother.

Another reason is that the human heart is fearfully made to be only completely satisfied if we walk in the first commandment. There is a spirit of boredom and dullness in the body of Christ, because many  of us don't put first things first. Continuous submission to God will energize the human heart and will keep us vibrant throughout the years. David is a perfect example, who remained a worshiper of God on the first place even in his elderly years.

Our obedience is maturing as we are faithful on the little things. The Holy Spirit is our escort in the journey of complete surrender.

Love on the streets is an expression that we want to love God with our time and gifts. Evangelism, reaching the lost and discipling the Lord's people is to be lived as a lifestyle, but I have found it important to make time to focus on it.

When I think of Love on the Streets I think of loving people of course, but first  and foremost I think of showing love to Jesus. By making time in my schedule for it, I would like to express to the Lord that what's important to Him is important to me. Jesus tells us in Mt 28:19 to go and make disciples of all nations. A nation can be a far country, but starts at the place where we live. 

Evangelism is only one facet of living our lives fully for the Lord, but it's an important one. Jesus was very focused on this during His earthly ministry. His healing ministry was submitted to the message of forgiveness of sins through faith.

Every LOTS is different and we are open to the Spirit's leading. Today for example we played chess with an elderly man. We did not speak about the Lord to him directly, but we had our Bibles with us as we entered into his world for a little time.

For another man God has given a place today to stay at after we asked Him to. Praise the Lord!

Another man needed some scriptural foundation on the topic of salvation, so we offered him a Bible study. We pray that he would show up next week.

I enjoy seeing the diversity of actions we do during the outreaches and I am very thankful for it.

Loving God is the most fulfilling thing we can live for. That's how we are made!

Blessings,
Adam

Hephzibah

Hephzibah - The Lord delights in you. That is the word the Lord gave Isaiah in a time when Israel was in a place of backsliding in their relationship with God. The Lord promised that He would not give Israel rest until they mature into a delightful Bride who partners with Him. He delights in His people even while they are growing.

Jesus not only sees us wholly with all our good and bad attributes, but He also sees what we can become. He called Peter the rock when he was an unsaved fisherman. He knew what Paul could become by His grace while he was still persecuting the Lord's people. 

He sees us as we are, but also know whom we can become 10-20-50 years from today. On the streets we often encounter people who are in terrible condition - addictions, sickness, they seem hopeless to the human eyes. But who would have thought that Peter, who denied Jesus to a young girl would soon speak under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and 3000 men and women would repent of their sins.

I love to see God taking seemingly hopeless people and radically turning their situations upside down for the better. I love to go out on the streets and look for "tax collectors", "fishermen", "prostitutes with 7 demons" whom the Lord can turn into mighty warriors.

I always pray that God would send laborers to the harvest and sometimes the way He answers my prayers can be surprising. The fact that He sees the warriors in Gideon-like people speaks of a heart of a Father who has faith in His children. How wonderful!

My prayer is that God would give us His heart and eyes and vision for these people.

Finally, here is a quote by Brad Long:

"Thirst is a gift given by the Holy Spirit, who already dwells with believers, drawing us to a place of need where we may be reduced to praying for everything He wants to give us.  Take the risk of following Jesus wherever He calls you.  Before long you will find yourself in some situation where you crash up against impossibilities.  You don't have to go to the foreign mission field to be reduced to this state of dependence.  Just try to bring a non-Christian to Jesus or minister to someone with problems.  Sheer powerlessness will lead you to dependence on Jesus, who will -- if you ask Him -- give you the power of the Holy Spirit... And so I say, ask for the power of the Spirit. Definitely ask, until you have an urgent yearning born of helplessness..."

Amen!
Recommended passage: Isa 62:1-8