Bishop's Blog
Matthew 8:18 Now Jesus, when He saw the great throngs around Him, gave orders to cross to the other side [of the lake].
Many of us don’t understand the purpose of storms in life. Storms are designed to get us from one side to the desired place or the ‘other side.” When the storm arose, the disciples were fearful because they thought that the storm was designed to take them out. They didn’t realize that the storm was designed to get them to the other side. Shortly after the Lord spoke peace to the storm, they found themselves in the desired place.
When you make a petition to God concerning advancement in life, when a storm comes, don’t fear and don’t worry, it’s just there to get you to the other side. Storms will help you to get to the other side faster than just than usual. Whenever God accelerates your trials, He accelerates your destiny. Celebrate your storm because it’s taking you somewhere greater!
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.
It can be easy to be distracted by bills, circumstances, bad relationships, and negative things. When we find ourselves discouraged, it is because of a lack of vision. If you live life like you have nothing to live for, then you’ll perish with an unfulfilled assignment. The King James Version says that “where there is no prophetic revelation, the people cast off restraint.” In other words, vision determines your actions. If you forget that God showed you you’d own your own business, you’ll make bad decisions and “cast of restraint” like you’ll never have it. If you forgot that God showed you that your family will be saved, you’ll stop praying for them and they’ll perish. God allows us to enter places of frustration in order to give us revelation.
If you feel like you are in a stagnant place, that might be a good place to be!! That means God is trying to speak to you and remind you of the vision. Once you get it, write it down. When discouragement comes your way, which it will, you then can go back to what you wrote and say this isn’t what God promised me, so that must mean that I’ve got to keep on pressing on.
Sometimes we need to be reminded of what real love is all about. Many people rush into relationships because they are burning with passion and with physical lust and they confuse that lust for genuine love. You’ve heard people say that they “fell in love.” The problem with falling in to love is that you may trip and fall out of love. Love is not a feeling or an emotion. The emotion associated with love is called compassion. Compassion is being moved to care for someone or something that you love, but love itself is a choice. The Bible defines love in several places, but 1st Corinthians 13:4-8 AMPLIFIED is one of the most popular:
4Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 8Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy ([d]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
When you say that you love someone, those attributes should come forth. Those attributes are the fruit of love. They are proof that you are walking in love. When you say you love someone, you are saying that you decide to be patient, you decide to be kind and sometimes that means doing things that the other person may feel are “too tough.”
Let’s be clear, love is not a doormat. It’s not foolish. It’s not ignorant and it’s not blind. In a relationship, if you find that someone chooses not to love you but rather abuse you, use wisdom. Don’t allow yourself to be dogged out in the name of “love.” That’s foolishness.
Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
As Christians, it is most important for us to love God with everything that’s in us first and then to love our fellow man. Here’s the catch, we are to love them as we love ourselves. I’m convinced that one of the biggest issues we have in relationships and treating people right, is that we don’t really love ourselves. Most people are walking this Scripture out, just in a negative way.
They treat people poorly because that’s how they treat themselves. They are rude to people because they are rude to themselves. The only way to start improving relationships, is to start by improving your relationship with yourself. Realize that God really loves you and that you have value. When you realize that you have value, it changes how you approach everyday life. You are a King & a Priest according to Revelation 1:6. Learn to love spending time with yourself. Most people don’t like being alone because they don’t like having to deal with their issues. Love yourself, then you’ll be able to love someone else.
