April 2017 – Quaddot Productions

Two Greatest Commandments is Really Three

This is a little different look at the two great commandments we covered back in March.

In Mark 12:28-31, we read,

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The key word at the center of both commandments is LOVE. That is because God is love. Everything that is of God, that is a part of Him, is based in love.

We see this in 1 John 4, beginning in verse 7.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

So how are those two commandments Jesus gave us three? Let’s look at 1 John 4:20-21.

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

So the first commandment Jesus gave us, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” depends on the second, which is “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” How can you love God if you hate your neighbor?

But read closer. “You shall love your neighbor… as yourself.”

How can you love your neighbor, and God, if you have issues with yourself? You must love yourself first. Do you have skeletons in your closet, or something in your life, you haven’t forgiven yourself? Do you believe He has forgiven you, but you are still carrying the burden of guilt of them on yourself? Or maybe you haven’t given them up to Him yet. Either way, you are not loving yourself and are keeping yourself from loving your neighbor and God.

1 John 1:9 says

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Once you have done that, and He has forgiven you, and He has cleansed you of that unrighteousness, shouldn’t you let go of your guilt? He has made you new, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Forgive yourself. Let your guilt go. Love yourself so you can love your neighbor and love the Lord your God with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind and with ALL your strength!

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Visualizing Jesus

Meditating and visualizing Jesus physically right beside you

Jesus walking up and hearing the grass and sticks crack beneath his feet as He approaches

Having conversation with Him as you would your better than you and your best friend have ever talked

Feeling love like you’ve never felt it before

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Hearing God

Devotional on why we hear God sometimes and sometimes we don’t.

“the teacher is silent during the test”

Bruce Almighty “God just give me sign” – truck full of signs passes

listening for what we want to hear

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Faith

In the old classic Christmas movie “Miracle on 34th Street,” we hear the quote “Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to.” Dictionary.com has as one of its seven definitions of faith as “belief that is not based on proof.”

When it comes to having faith in God, many of us who call ourselves Christians are very often found wanting in this area. Jesus Christ pointed out in Matthew 17:20

“… Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

It is easy to say “I have faith.” It is harder to truly have faith and to then see Him work as a result !

Faith in the Lord is built first by seeking a closer relationship with Him in every part of your life. Then, as your faith grows, you see him working according to His plan. You see this because you had the faith that He would handle things. When you see Him do this, your faith grows even more.

As a kid growing up, I noticed how the older generations seemed to have a trust and faith I didn’t have. I am now am reaching those ages, and I am learning to trust in Him more. I also find He’s even more a part of my life.

Maturing in our Christian faith, we can see His work more and more often. We can now trust that when He calls us to something that He will handle the details. Once you have seen this first hand, it works to strengthen your faith and trust in Him.

C.S. Lewis said “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

How can you see God working if you don’t have the faith?

2 Corinthians 5:7
For we live by faith, not by sight.

No matter the sacrifice, have faith in God. When He moves, trust and have faith that He will keep His promises. Then open your eyes and watch Him work! Continuous faith, coupled with prayer and study in the Word, increases the closeness of your relationship with Christ. The closer you draw to Him, the more you see Him work and then your faith strengthens. It is a cyclical pattern that can only work to get you closer to that place where you have the faith of a mustard seed!

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