Dear Ones:
If there is one thing that the Bible does, among so many others, it is to reveal to us the truth, or reality of the great issues of our existence. Indeed, without a doubt, it brings us face to face with the true nature of man, the evidence of sin, the supreme principle and power of love, all of these and more. And perhaps nowhere is the reality of our plight so revealed as in Jesus’ words concerning the last days, when there will be, among other things, “…wars and rumors of war.” In the course of human history after the sin of Adam, there has never been a time of perfect peace, nor will be, until the Lord Jesus sets up His kingdom on earth. In fact, we see the crescendo of violence, godlessness, and the expression of what is truly in the heart, “war.” And yet, even with a backdrop so dire and dark, there is a remarkable statement that comes from Jesus’ heart: “…see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass.” (Matt. 24:6) Why does he say such a thing? How can we be not troubled, or anxious, in such a time as this?
All through Scripture, we see a struggle, in the hearts and minds of men and women, who profess faith in Christ. It is what the Apostle Paul calls the, “…fight of faith.” And at the center of this struggle against the powers of darkness, our sinful natures, and the world, there is the supreme issue of love. What a remarkable contrast to “wars and rumors of wars.” And yet, there it stands in all of its power and glory, that edifice of truth, the Word of God, declaring that our highest calling is to love God and to love one another.
Jesus, in speaking to his disciples, as recorded in John 14:15, said: “If ye LOVE Me…” He goes on to broaden that thought in v. 23, “…if a man (anyone) LOVE Me, he will keep my commandments…” When confronting Peter after his denial of the Lord, He asked Peter three times: “Do you LOVE Me?” (Jn. 21:15,16,17) In speaking to the Ephesian church in Rev. 2:4, He declares, “…You have left your first LOVE…” There is no question that our highest calling, in the context of communion with Christ, is LOVE FOR CHRIST. And nothing is to dissuade or deter us from this highest of all objectives, even “wars and rumors of wars.” Indeed, if we would be most useful and fruitful in such a context, then love must be our aim.
It is a remarkable observation and reality, that after the Apostle Paul had prayed for the Ephesian church with regard to the Spirit of Revelation (Eph. 1:), that he would then pray for them to be strengthened in their faith, TO LOVE, “…strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in the heart by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love…to KNOW the LOVE of Christ.” (Eph. 3:16-17, 19)
So, today, let us not be deterred by the context in which we find ourselves. Let us look up and pray this prayer of the Apostle, believing Him, “…to do the exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.” Let us trust Christ, by His Spirit, to enable us to truly love Him, and out of such love, to serve Him, to love others.
Love, Dad