Ok, so what are you going to do today? Are you going to LOOK UP or are you going look down? Before you decide, here are a few things that you might consider.
God is up. Heaven is up. Angels are up. The saints that have passed on before us are up. And all the blessings of God come DOWN from the Father of lights; which means all the blessings are up. The Sun shines from ABOVE. Your newly begotten spirit was born ‘anothen’ (which means ‘from above’). When Christ returns, He will be coming from above. When He takes you home with Him, He will be taking you UP to where He dwells.
Now let us consider what ‘down’ represents Scripturally. The lower parts of the Earth is where the dead go. Earthly, sensual, and devilish wisdom are said to be from below. The beast of the world system ascends from below out of the bottomless pit and comes to kill Christians. Demons also are said to come from places under the earth. In the Psalms is says that God brings the wicked down to the pit of destruction. And the Lake of fire also is a place that one is thrown INTO; and hence one would sink therein.
Here’s the point. There are only two roads in life; and one of them is definitely not a plateau. And the soul taking the journey must decide in advance where it will place it’s heart. As iron is drawn to a magnet, the human soul is drawn into the direction which the heart is focused on. If the heart is Heavenward, then Heaven shall be it’s ultimate resting place. If the emotions are facing downward, then the final abiding place shall be in the depths of hell. Living the Christian LIFE is based on:
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Live your life looking up, having your chin up, and your heart up!
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M., Th.M. 7/25/1999
Do you judge God’s love based on how well He performs? Do you believe that God is judging your love based on how well you perform? If you do, then you probably are choosing to not love yourself because you are looking at how well you perform!
The Bible says that God loved the world BEFORE it ever returned to Him! The Bible says that Christ is the Savior of all men; which means even those who do not yet love Him or obey him are already in His heart and part of His plan. The Bible says that God IS love; which means HE FIRST LOVES and then interacts in other ways.
We have been raised by people; people who are filled with suspicion, unlove, broken hearts, damaged souls, and wounded spirits. We have been nurtured by the insecure and shown appreciation by the spiritually immature, for the most part. Because of that fact, we have imbibed a set of mixed signals about ourselves.
Rejection is seen everywhere a thousand times a day, and in a thousand different ways from a thousand different sources. And it always has the same sting to it – I reject you because I don’t love what you are, who you are, or you. And with that comes the corollary concept of: “and if you will just do what I say, what I like, and what I want you to do, then I will love you again.”
And we have a hard time conceiving that there can actually be someone who loves us first, and requires things of us second. We find it hard to accept the fact that God can love us IN SPITE OF our foolish, fleshly, faltering failures. He loves those who obey Him; but he loves the sinner too. He proved his love for THE LOST by having His Son die. Will He surely not accept A SAINT who has a little trouble with obedience? Don’t judge yourself! Don’t judge others. Let God’s love become an active part of your “self-esteem”; ONLY THEN WILL YOU KNOW HOW TO PERFORM!
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M., Th.M. 8/1/1999