And Jesus said-Love Your Brother!

God came to us in the flesh and walked among us, was scorned, ridiculed, beaten and killed, but His love endureth forever. This is the kind of love God wants us to have. A love that can not be broken or changed. A love that will withstand all things. A greater love that overcome's the flesh. God knows the flesh is weak and vulnurable. God also knows the only thing that can save us is love.

So what is this great love and what does it mean to posess it? To attain the love of God is to be changed/transformed into meekness, gentleness, lowliness, kindness, forgiveness and humility beyond measure. In 1 Peter 5:5 it states "Be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." This is a love this world has never known or will ever know. To posess it is to know the love of Christ.

We all have fallen into darkness and have shuned the truth. Pride covers us like a blanket for fear our stubborn nature will be exposed. The hope we have is to learn through our trials to love and to be vulnurable to love rather than to be angered or bitter, for this is how God would have us be. To become stronger and wiser and more subseptable to love.

God does not want us to be consumed by pride or a stubborn nature, because they consume and destroy love. In fact, they make a mockery of it. God wants us to be consumed by love which produces forgiveness and humility. Pride is a major stumbling block in our relationship with others and with God. Pride produces stubborness. It is unforgiving and shows no mercy or compassion. It is also a killer of peace, joy and unity. One cannot be lowly or humble if one is consumed by pride. One has nothing in common with the other. They are completly opposite. One opposses the other.

One cannot be a forgiving person if one allows pride and stubborness to overtake them. Here are a few examples regarding forgiveness that come from people who are stubborn and prideful. One may say "I go to God for my forgiveness, not you" or "I love you but I can't forgive you" or "I am too good to associate with you, your damaged" or "I am a better person" or "I am too good for this" or "I don't have time for this nonsence" or "I don't consider you a child of God, so I am not required to forgive you" or "you have repeatidly caused me harm, so you don't deserve my forgiveness. We are all deserving of God's forgiveness. God is the teacher and the judge, we are not to judge as it is written in James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethern, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

God will surly test until the truth be known, in full ie; fully known, and the tests will be repeated until one excepts and lives by the Word of God.

In Luke 17:3-4 it states, "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; (rebuke meaning correct, not rid oneself of) and if he repents, forgive him. "and if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, I repent," you shall forgive him". Is this not God teaching us to forgive? And in Matthew 6:14-15 it states, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespassess, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses". If we really took a good indepth look at why we have a problem with forgiveness we would see that it boils down to someone not living up to our standards ie; meeting our requirements. We are to look at our brethern in the sense that we have all fallen short and "forgive him".

Stubborness and pride bind love and unity. This is why we must go to our brother for forgiveness, to break those ties that bind. A greater love is found through forgiveness. Forgiveness brings unity, it unites, which in turn brings us into unity with God. It brings love to light.

If we are to be in the likeness of God, we cannot forsake our brother. A person is denying the love of God when one denys their brother. To deny forgiveness is to be of the flesh. One is living in the flesh and not in the spirit as God would have us live.

I would like to quote some more scriptures regarding the love we are to have, not only for our brother but for our enemies as well. Matthew 5:39-48. "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. This proves that God is no respector of persons. He sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

This world will never be a perfect place to be, but we can be perfect in our Lord and take heed to His words and put off our sinful nature and love our brother and our enemies as God loves us. Jesus was crucified ie; pierced, whipped, beaten down and a crown of thorns stamped on His head and yet He loved and forgave. He is and was and always will be perfect as He would have us be. We cannot be perfected until we release the chains that bind. God knows all. Even the things that "we think" are hidden from Him.

This does not mean we are in agreement with or take part in, but that we "acknowledge" as it states in Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". We are all guilty of sin as it states in John 8:7 "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first".

If there is someone in your life that you haven't forgiven, do it now. If there is someone who needs your forgiveness, give it to them. God requires us (before we go to Him) to go to our brother first and make things right because no one can say I am a child of God and have unforgiveness in their heart....It is written in Matthew 5:23-24 "If you bring your gift to the alter, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift". If we want to make things right with God, we must first go to our brother. If we cannot do this, we cannot be right with God. If your heart is filled with pride and a stubborn nature, lay it down right now, at the cross of Jesus. Ask Jesus to remove the turmoil that is stirring within you and heal you and to bring love to light. It's not too late.

Don't let Satan have power over you and in you. Release it. Let love in and never fear it for it is a new beginning. Once you expose Satan by denying him the power he has in your life you can be free from it. God has great plans for you and He's waiting to begin this journey with you. There is so much more to be gained from God. Lay your broken spirit before Him and be changed/made new....DO it...DO IT NOW!...... AMEN!!!