Love God?

Dr. Frederick K.C. Price

When I first got saved, I used to have a problem trying to relate to the Father and Jesus in an attitude of love. It was difficult because I had never seen Jesus or the Father, and the only way I knew to love was, in some way, to tell someone you loved them. Or you could hug them, kiss them, hold their hand, cuddle them, or give them something. I tried telling God that I loved Him, but I never really felt satisfied that I was expressing that love. I could say, "I love you," and that was nice for starters, but that was not sufficient by itself. To me, there had to be some demonstration that went along with what I said.

One day, I was reading the Word, and I found out how to love God. I found out how to love Him in a way that I know I am loving Him, that He is receiving my love, and that He is satisfied with my demonstration of my love to Him.

Jesus says in the first part of John 14:21:
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me....”

I want to immediately arrest your attention to the fact that when Jesus says commandments, He is not just talking about the Ten Commandments. If you think only of the Ten Commandments, you will shortchange yourself. Anything God says to do is a commandment. God does not fool around with suggestions. He does not mess with reading between the lines. He directly tells you what He wants. When He tells you, it is a command—no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The reason we should do it, according to Jesus, is out of love. If we love God, we should make it a point to do what He commands in John 14:21-23.

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And He who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word....”

That leaves a whole lot of people out of the picture. If you are doing God's Word, you are tithing. You are not a fornicator, an adulterer or adulteress, or a gossiper. You are not lying, nor stealing. You are doing everything God tells you to do in His Word. That also means that you are seeking the Kingdom of God first, and His righteousness. You have time for Bible studies. You have time for prayer.

Also notice that Jesus does not use the word perfect here. We should be glad for that. If the word perfect were in this verse, it would leave us all out. Praise God that word is not there.

Jesus goes on to say in John 14:23-24:
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. “He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.”

This is how God interprets your love to Him -- not by sending Him a card at Valentine's Day, not by sending Him a box of candy. Jesus says, "If a man loves Me, He will keep My word." If you love God, you will do His Word. Jesus also says, "He who does not love Me does not keep My words." A person who does not love God is someone who is not doing His Word -- and you have to be the judge as to whether or not you are doing God's Word.

Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visit www.faithdome.org.

Beyond What You Can Ask or Think

Gloria Copeland

"I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all."
(1 Corinthians 14:18)

Few things in the Bible have created more fuss than the issue of speaking in tongues. Churches have split over it. People have been persecuted for doing it. People have even been killed for it.

Who's behind all the trouble? Satan himself. He's so frightened of our ability to pray in tongues that he's continually trying to steal it from us through persecution and strife.

You see, the devil knows (even if we don't) that praying in tongues is the only way you and I can pray beyond what we know. It's the tool God has given us to use to tap into the mind of the Spirit.

When we pray in tongues, we activate the Holy Spirit within us and He begins to teach us and enlighten us. If you want to see an example of what praying in tongues can do, look at the Apostle Paul. He said he prayed in tongues more than anyone in the whole Corinthian church and he was responsible for writing most of the New Testament!

Another example is the first church at Jerusalem. They didn't yet have any of the New Testament to read. They couldn't turn to Ephesians and find out what God's plan was for them.

They just had to pray in tongues until the revelation light of God dawned in their hearts. That's all the equipment they had. So they used it and turned the world upside down.

Some years ago God began directing me to spend an hour a day praying in tongues. After I did it awhile, I began to talk to other Christians who'd been directed to do the same thing. God was speaking to believers all over the world to spend time praying in the Spirit.

If you haven't made a commitment to spend some time each day praying in tongues, make one now. Set aside all the disagreements and confusion the devil has stirred up about it and just say, "Lord, I'm going to do it. I don't care what the devil says. I don't care what any man says. I know You have plans for me that are so good my human mind hasn't even conceived them--things that are beyond what I can ask or think. And by praying in the Spirit, I'm going to receive them."

Don't let the distractions of the devil disturb you. Tap into the mind of God. Speak forth His wisdom. Pray in the Spirit today.

Scripture Study: Isaiah 28:9-12