A SAFE DWELLING PLACE

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The moving of the Spirit is a strong desire in the hearts of the people of the Lord. However, there is a price which must be paid if we are to have the very best that the Lord has for us. It is not a pleasing thing to the carnal man but its dividends are absolutely the greatest. It has to do with the first new testament commandment, a love for the Lord which knows no limits. Jesus urged His very own to love the Lord with all (the entire) their heart (the source of human emotions), with all thy soul ( the life of the flesh. Lev. 17:11). With all thy mind ( comprehension, thoughts and imagination) .
With all thy strength (ability, force and power). Mark 12:30 That involves the total person and the entire being of the individual. This is a powerful key toward the achievement of that which will produce a mighty demonstration of the glory of the Lord in His church. We want Him to demonstrate signs, miracles and wonders in the midst of His people, and He will, when we meet our obligations toward Him.

When we realize how tremendously He has loved us and provided for our salvation how can we but love Him. Let us be practical, we will love something, be it human or an animal, often it will be ourselves or most usually the world. His sacrifice is the very epitome of love. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends. John 15:13 He then defined His friends as those who obey His commandments. John 15:13 We reiterate the fact that love for God is the first commandment. The second being similar, which is a love for our fellow man equal to the measure of love we have for ourselves. Mark 12:31.

Negative love. Love which hinders is explained by John as being a love for this world and the things which are in the world. So extremely serious is this loving the world, or the things which are in the world, that John felt compelled to go so far as to say that anyone who possessed such love, was devoid of the love of the Father. 1 John 2:15 John then gave us three elements which define the love of the world. The lust (strong cravings) of the flesh (the soulish desires, strong overwhelming cravings). It is that entity of the make up of man which drives him to partake of sinful desires. The lust of the eyes, beholding, desiring and then partaking. Modern day terminology, keeping up with the Joneses. Wanting something which is in the possession of others. The pride of life. A sense of self-importance over some accomplishment earned or consummated. Also a feeling of smugness when comparing themselves with others. The whole gamut of those things which hinder spirituality may be found in these three.

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