Integrity- People of God

Who and What Defines You? The Creator and Purpose!

The Bible is the one book of documented history that tells all, the good, the bad and the ugly. The Bible tells of the creation in the beginning of time of how God created the heavens and the earth and all that exists and He made time, space and matter. Life began as a beautiful love story of God the Creator and His love for His creation. Mankind was created in His image to reflect His love in the world He created and gave to them.

Life as it was created was destroyed by the deceiver and the authority of this world system was transferred to the deceiver, the father of lies, and the enemy of God. Evil began to reign over God’s creation and systems of lies, deceit and destruction became the method of operation in the world. Mankind lost their God given authority to rule and their ability to discern with spiritual wisdom. They no longer had the Spirit of God in them to show them God’s way. People were living in darkness and influenced by evil until Jesus came and brought God’s kingdom upon the earth.

We are now living in a time that measures most things by the measuring stick of economics, the ruling majority and social media. Society used to be concerned with truth and honor and about doing what was right morally with a standard of loyalty, commitment and honesty. These qualities have been replaced with getting ahead, making a profit, and with social and financial status. We can no longer trust people to heed to a code of conduct that will influence them to do the right thing. Most people will only have regard for the bottom line, revenue, status and influence.

We have allowed our children to sit before media screens or look at cell phones, which displays all types of deceitful lies about our world and who they should strive to be. This is a time when bullying is causing children and young people to take their lives and give up on the precious gift of the life God has given them. This is a sad state of affairs when strangers and people who have no vested interest in the lives of our children, can speak and influence them to a point of despair, so much so, that they are willing to take their own lives.

Parents have lost sight of their created purpose to train up their children in the way they should go. So when the world comes in and tries to steal, kill and destroy them, they do not have the truth of God’s word in them to dispel the lies of the enemy. In these times it seems even the parents fail to realize their primary role, purpose and function is to lead, guide and instill in their children the love, purpose and the design God has intended for them. Many people have allowed the norm of social media and the lies of this world to turn their focus on selfish, self-indulgences. They often do not take time to direct and esteem their children. Children have been labeled a financial burden to their parents or a nuisance by this world system and many people have fallen into that mindset; that trap of not recognizing and appreciating this wonderful gift from God.

This is why it is so important to understand and know where we get our information from, especially the information that tries to define us, our children and our communities. We can be trained by the lies of this world or the truth of God’s word.

Psalm 127: 3-5 Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. NLT

God’s word is a stark difference from what the world system says about children. It is no wonder so many children do not have a good understanding of who they are or their purpose. The world is constantly telling them they are a bother to their family and worthless to society.

God has called children a gift and a reward from Him. If people valued their children as much as we value our 401K and our investment streams, we would take more time to instruct and lead them in the word of God and in the wisdom of God. When children are grounded and rooted in the love of God the enemy will not be successful in trying to kill and steal their lives. They can be like trees planted by the rivers of waters and not be moved by the storms. This is not to say they will not experience storms but like the house built on the Rock, they will weather the storm and will remain standing.

Jesus came to earth and payed all sin debt and through faith in Christ we are restored back into the family of God. Then we see the two world systems vying for our time, attention and obedience; the kingdom of God and this fallen world system of death and destruction. We must choose to believe God and trust His word. Then talk to our children about the love of God and choices they will face in life. We are to instruct them on how this world system will try to deceive them and tell them they are worthless but God has called them His Beloved, created in His Image for His glory. Let it be God our Creator, who defines us. Let God be the one who tells us who we are and tell our children they are a child of the Most High King, the apple of His eye and created in His love to be love.

The Gospel Is a Message of Love; the Power that Impels Us to Serve Others

Love is the most powerful force in the universe and the most misunderstood and distorted truth. If we want to know what is important to God, look at what His enemy has attacked relentlessly and ferociously. We will find mankind at the top of this list and their created purpose, which is to be and show the love of God in the earth.

When we grasp even a fraction of the depth of God’s love for us and His abundant Grace and Mercy we are able to rest in His love and that frees us to love others well. True love, God’s love thrust us into a life that gives and serves others. The spirit of Love is a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness for all we have received from God because of Jesus and for who He is and for all He has done for us. Love overflows and spills out with joy and delight from our inner spirit, the Holy Spirit, to those around us. Love transforms a life; love renews a life to see things differently, to think differently and to act differently. True love, the love of God gives of itself. God so loved the world that He gave, His best for the ones He loved. God gave Jesus the Son whom He loves to save creation which, He loved and had lost in a rebellious act of sin.

Love is patient; God sent Jesus thousands of years after the fall of mankind, at God’s appointed time, to save the world. God’s plan of salvation is offered to all who believe and accept Christ by faith. God did not fly off the handle in a whirlwind of emotions at the fall of mankind or first sign of trouble, as we tend to do. Love waited and gave all mankind an opportunity to repent, to change their mindset and the way they were thinking so to turn from the rebellious direction they were going.

God’s love and grace towards us is what drives us to love and serve others. With such an awesome display of love and grace displayed by God toward us this empowers us to show His Amazing love and grace to others. Love is something we have within but will inevitably spill out and overflow to those around us. That is the power of love, it cannot be contained.

Love; the true gospel of God transforms us internally so that we are at peace with our past, our struggles and those around us. Love enables us to turn from the idols that we made in our own hearts. The love of God, the gospel of God allows us to love and engage those who are different. We become no longer self-centered but God focused. God’s love gives us the power to die to self and propels us into action for the kingdom‘s sake and we are no longer satisfied with this carnal life of self-gratification that engulfs this fallen world system.

We are transformed into the Kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s original purpose for all mankind is reborn within us. That is the gospel, dying to the old selfish self and being born again in the newness and likeness of Christ. Though we are born as babes with all the failings of a child we mature into adults, the Image of Christ. This is when we begin to make disciples and pray God’s will be done in us, in our home, family, community and society. Knowing His will is far greater than our own will and desires.

When we pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will be done we are acknowledging Jesus as our Sovereign Lord and for Him to reign in our hearts and of those around us. And that we live in accordance to God’s heavenly principles on earth. We are not just waiting to go to heaven when we die, we are living in God’s kingdom and bringing the light of God’s love, Grace and Mercy on earth where we live. We can begin loving our neighbors because the love of God in us compels us to die to our selfishness and to be concerned for others and to want the best for them.

The power of God’s love impels us to serve others and it is no longer a duty or drudgery. It becomes a natural outpouring of the love that is inside us. If love is not flowing naturally from us we must examine our hearts and seek The One who is love and ask Him to let His love flow through us. His love allows us to get our eyes off self and seek God’s will to be done in us so that Jesus will be glorified in our lives and in our actions. The love of God renews our heart but it will also change our desires to seek the best for others and their relationship with Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.