The Path of Love

This is a word God gave me in my prayer time this week. It is a word for all who have found themselves in a situation or relationship which has been under pressure, especially in ways which do not make sense. Love is a path which costs you everything else.

Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him. Philippians 3:4,7-9 ESV

Here is the word God gave me on 08 08 2016.

"Do not be discouraged or down trodden. The enemy loves to turn the body against itself. There has been a dramatic falling away of accountability towards one another. The tearing of the heart and soul is the plan of the enemy to shatter people’s hearts. Keep your heart soft and open with love towards God and each other. Do not allow the offenses of the moment stop you from inheriting the blessings of God. The cost of forgiveness is a small price for the riches of heaven. Do not feel as though you need to vindicate yourself in any way. God has your past, present and future in His hands. Do not give up. Do not loose heart. Things are ridiculously hard and the trial brings a depth of suffering which has not been experienced before. You must know that the glory which is to be revealed in and through you is going to be far more glorious than the suffering which brought you to this place.

"God is faithful to do the things he has promised. There is nothing too hard for Him. All things are possible in the realm of love. “Now I will show you the best way of all.” Love is the highest aim. Love is the best goal. What does this path of love look like? The path of love is patience and kindness. It is without jealousy, not boastful, not proud, rude or selfish. This path is one not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs. The path of love does not gloat over other people’s sins but delights in the truth. This path always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. The path of love never ends. Three things will last forever — faith, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love. Pursue love!"

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:2-5 NKJV

Remeber that we are being perfected into the image of Christ. This is why we are pressed and persecuted, to be tested in our faith so we might be made complete and lack nothing. What a joy we can have in the midst of trials if we can keep our eyes on Christ, the perfecter of our faith. This is the joy set before us: to be made perfect in His image and likeness.

Relational Evangelism

What is evangelism? And how do we evangelise? Evangelism is to tell others what you know or believe to be true. Jesus gave clear instructions to go into all the world and share the good news about God’s plan of redemption. Here are some principles associated with relational evangelism which I have observed.

Relational evangelism is authentic, genuine and sincere. When we have an authentic relationship with God, we will have a genuine desire to share Him with others around us. They will know if we are trying to hard sell “God” to them, or if we are in authentic relationship with God. When the relationship is true, what we say bears weight; it has depth and substance. Our lives produce God’s fruit.

I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. John 15:5 MSG

Relational evangelism is natural. Who we are in Christ, is how we demonstrate and represent Christ to others. When they meet us, we naturally display God’s love and character through our personality and character to them. Our only agenda becomes to demonstrate the life of Jesus, to become God with skin on to others. When we relate to people naturally, they respond in like manner open up to us.

Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other. John 13:35 MSG

Relational evangelism is personal. When you connect with an idea, it can be impersonal. But when you connect with a person, every exchange has meaning and becomes personal. God did not give the world an idea, but He gave us the person of Jesus. God wanted to connect with us personally, and we have now been given this mandate.

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. John 3:16-17 MSG

Relational evangelism is process oriented. Relational evangelism lends towards a kind of “pre-Christian discipleship” in the way that it is process oriented. By being in a long term friendship or relationship with someone, we are able to see the process of what God is doing in their life and their response to Him. We have the opportunity to be an ongoing part of this process.

Just as You commissioned and sent Me into the world, I also have commissioned and sent them (believers) into the world. John 17:18 AMP

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19-20 AMP

Relational evangelism is team oriented. God likes to use many members of the body to complete His missions. God often choses not just one person or event to draw people to Himself, but multiple people or events to do His work. It is not about us as individuals, but we, collectively, are Christ’s representatives and ambassadors to the people of the world.

That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but cancelling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God]. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 AMP

Encountering the Saints

It was at a time when I was just learning about the ways of heaven and how God had been showing me many things of his goodness and nature. I became aware of the fact that upon going to heaven I only saw the Father, Son or Holy Spirit. I requested to the Father could I please meet David next time I was on heaven. I did not know what the outcome would be. The very next time I stepped into heaven, this is what unfolded before me.

I turned the attention of my heart and I stepped into heaven to engage the Father, as I was growing accustomed to doing. When I looked up, David was standing directly in front of me. My heart melted with gratitude towards the Father for allowing me this pleasure and honour.

David spoke to me. He told me that I was being given the authority that had been resting on him while he was on the earth. He reached around and took off his royal robe, which he then placed on my shoulders. The he said to me, "You have been called and chosen to walk in the mantle that I walked in when I was on the earth. You will also need this to go with it." As he spoke, he took the crown off his head and placed it on mine. Then he stepped aside.

His manner was so honouring of me. And there was a distinct gentleness about him. I felt way out of my depth and I did not know if I would be able to go on any more, such was the weight of what was being released to me. I did not expect or understand what was happening.

As I was able to, I looked up again. Esther stepped forward to talk with me. My heart was overcome with the royalty of her presence. I held my focus enough to listen to what Esther shared with me.

Esther stepped forward and spoke to me in a similar manner as David had. She took her royal robe off and placed it over my shoulders. I was completely undone. She looked at me and spoke in a clear and direct manner. "This is for you," she said. Then taking off her crown and placing it in my hands she continued, "And you will need this too. This is the authority to carry out the calling of the mantle." Then she also bowed in acknowledgement and stepped aside.

I looked down to process what was happening,  as I tried to regain my composure. I felt as though I might burst from what was happening. I had not anticipated this happening when I asked the Father if I could see David. It was almost more beautifully overwhelming than my heart could bear.

I tried to compose myself and looked up again. This time I saw Ruth. As she stepped forward, it was as though I knew what to expect next. Yet at the same moment, I felt caught up in a divine mystery, struggling to comprehend what was happening. Struggling to not pull back from the weight of what this might mean, I found myself reeling from what was taking place before me.

I stepped back, looked up and saw there was a long line of Saints waiting to talk to me which stretched beyond what I could see. It was as though the entire cloud of witnesses was waiting in heaven to speak with me. ME, little Louise. And it was as though they had been waiting for this moment for a long time, anticipating a time when I would come into understanding of their presence. They were honouring me for what I carried in the spirit and they wanted to talk with me to impart what they knew, all of their experience and encounters.

All of a sudden, it was too much for my mind to understand. I could not compute what this could all mean for my life and my future. I pulled myself out of the encounter and worshipped the Lord in my room. Over the next few days I asked Jesus what this encounter was about. Why were there so many who wanted to talk to me? Why me? What was the meaning and the significance of this encounter? I was impacted so much by this encounter, it took me weeks to gather enough courage to engage the mysteries of heaven again.

As I was meditating on this, the Lord whispered to my heart. "The saints in heaven long to impart what they carried on the earth. And there is much joy to see their mantles released to and carried by another generation. They are cheering you on. They want you to do your best in your generation." I understood that the Father showed me the urgency in this generation which is unprecedented in the previous generations. Heaven is waiting for us to engage. They have been watching us and waiting for us to step into the heavenly realms and learn from them.

In Hebrews chapter 11 there are grand accounts of faith and endurance from many saints, but my attention has been draw to the summary further down the chapter.

The world didn’t deserve them. Hebrews 11:38 CEB

How clear of a statement is that?! They lived in such a way that the world was not found deserving of them. And even though the world did not deserve them, they gained divine approval.

And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised,
Because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they [these heroes and heroines of faith] should not come to perfection apart from us [before we could join them]. Hebrews 11:39-40 AMPC

Yet in spite of winning divine approval, they did not and cannot see the fulfilment of their promises without us. This shows why they have such a keen interest in what the saints on the earth are doing. We are in God's view, and now we are in their view also. God did not want them to step into their perfection without us, so why do we think we will step into our perfection with out them?

This was because God had something better in store for us. And he did not want them to reach the goal of their faith without us. Hebrews 11:40 CEV

God has a better plan, something better in store for all of us. He wants us to be connected with them as part of the family in heaven and on earth.

From whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. Ephesians 3:15 ESV

He wants us to learn from them, and to share the journey together. We are to run our race, knowing that we are surrounded by this cloud of witnesses as it were.

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1 AMPC

What an honour, what a joy, and what an incredible adventure awaits us in the saints in heaven. This encounter took place in 2010 and my life is forever changed.