KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13:29. “For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.”

  In life to be ignorant about anything is to be in the dark about that thing. On the flip side, to be in the light is to have the right knowledge about any particular matter. Whatever is a problem that keeps one from making headway becomes an issue that one is ignorant about. John 8:12

  In our story above, the Lord Jesus dipped his bread in Judas’ meal. He said to him, “That thou doeth, do quickly”. Some of his disciples heard him and wondered what he said. Other disciples began to ask each other what the meaning of what Jesus said to Judas. They started imagining their own views. They said that because Judas kept the group’s money, he was instructing him to go buy the items they needed for the feast.

  The disciples were all wrong. Many children of God are in the dark concerning a lot of things. Like Jesus’s disciples, they kept explaining what they thought was the reason things went or happened that way.

These disciples failed to ask Jesus His reasons for saying that to Judas.  Remember when Peter asked him to tell them who would betray him? He asked John to ask Him, and He did tell them who was going to do it by showing them how they would know.

  Why did they not ask Him this time? They felt they could explain why He spoke to Judas that way. This is the very reason why most people remain in the dark. They did not ask Jesus. A lot of us fail to ask the Lord about our various problems. They keep going around their problems. Do not commit the error of these disciples. Ask the Lord. He says those who ask will be given, those who seek will find, and those who knock have the closed doors being opened to them.

 Some also fail to get out of the dark because they are not ready to persist in prayer for the Lord to bring the answer. Prov. 25:2 KJV” It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”

  Many also easily give up their pursuit of certain answers    and rather decide that God will not answer. I wish to say that God is always a good God. God seeks for the good of His people. Rom 10:12 KJV” For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.”

  There are many who just settle for a “NO”. Well, has God said no concerning your case? God has consistently shown that He is favourably open to all who come to Him in faith. We need to be very positive towards God. He says His promises are YES and NOT YES AND NO.  2 Corinthians 1:20.

Throughout the scriptures, God has always answered those who call on Him. Jeremiah 33:3 KJV Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. God is ready to make a way. Please do not accept that God says yes to some , but says no to you. This is a deception.

THOUGHT: DO NOT SETTLE FOR LESS WHEN GOD HAS PROMISED MORE.

FURTHER STUDIES:

Mark 9:23” Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”.

2 Corinthians 1:20”For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13: 23. “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved”.

 In the gospel of John, we find the term the disciple Jesus loved, used a couple of times( John 19:26, 20:2,21:7. This disciples was the apostle John who wrote this particular gospel.

  Why did he claim he was the disciple Jesus loved? Was he just giving himself a special identity more than the other disciples? Is this showing any partiality on the part of Christ?

 On what grounds does God show a special love for certain individuals? This is when that person first places a high regard on his love for the Lord. 1st Corinthians 8:3 says if any man loves the Lord, then that person is also known of the Lord. James 4 teaches that, we draw near to the Lord, and he would also draw near to us. In 1st Samuel 2:30, the Lord God said to Eli, the high priest that he the Lord will honour those who honour him, but will lightly esteem those who dishonour him.

God never shows favouritism. If a man decides to show love towards the Lord, that individual would likewise receive a reciprocal attention from the Lord.

  Let’s consider the life and some of the acts of John. In the report of John’s gospel, we see he reported events that were the more private of the master. He gave a full account of Nicodemus visit to Jesus. He reported the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.

  John, on many occasions, was very close to the master. He was the only disciple who stood close to the Lord when He hanged on the cross. During the reports of Jesus’ time with his disciples, John was always next to Jesus. All these show that he took pains to love and stay close to the master. These acts of His received a corresponding love from the master.

 God is never biased. He would respond to anyone who gets very close to him. All who love him in sincerity would receive his full presence and special blessings on their lives. God cherishes those who love Him. Every child of God must endear to sincerely love the Lord. The Lord said the greatest of all the commandments is to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Anyone who does this would surely have the father showing himself mightily on that person’s behalf. He said if you love Him, you would keep His commandments. The Lord said He and the father will make their abode in you and manifest himself unto you. John 14:21. This was the experience of John.

THOUGHT: LOVERS OF GOD ARE VERY MUCH CHERISHED BY THE LORD AND ARE HIGH FLYERS IN THIS LIFE

FURTHER STUDIES:

John 14:21” He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Deuteronomy 7:9” Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 13:21 KJV “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”

Life experiences have revealed many friends who have turned out to be enemies. Judas was such a close friend of Jesus, yet he sold Him for 30 pieces of silver. On the day of his betrayal, he used a kiss to sell him to those who had come for Him Luke 22:48 KJV “But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” A kiss is an act of love. (Well among the believers they had what was called a holy kiss.1Co 16:20 KJV” All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.”) In the case of Judas, he became an enemy of the Lord through greed.

There are a number of conditions that make certain friends become enemies. Before I consider some of the causes of what makes enemies out of friends, I wish to say that, money can never buy a trusted relationship. A former classmate of the nation’s president can have access to him, whiles a man’s money may not be able to do so. Your money may give you an association but not a relationship. Do not destroy a relationship through any carnal means.

Friends may become enemies through;

1. Envy. David was an aid of King Saul, who played the harp for demons that came upon Saul to depart from him. When Saul heard that, the women in his kingdom sang saying, Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousand, he became very envious of David to the point that he wanted to kill him. Many supposed friends are so envious of their colleagues that, they go to any length to harm them, make them fall, or eliminate them. That is, they seek to kill them.

Any friend who becomes envious of the success, achievement or victory of his friend was not a friend in the first place.

True friends do not seek an advantage over their friends but rejoice to see the joy of their friends. John 3:29 KJV “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy, therefore, is fulfilled.” The bridegroom is the privileged one because he has the bride, yet his friend the best man, rejoices over his success.

Some friends may become enemies when they do not overcome a hurt or an offense, which their friends might have caused them. Sadly, the one who offended might not be aware that, he has offended his friend, yet the offended keeps the grudge and does not tell the one who offended him. When a grudge stays for a long time, it becomes anger, from anger, it becomes rage, which grows to become bitterness, bitterness develops into pain and such pain is only satisfied when the one who caused it is taken from his or her life. The end result is a destruction of the friendship. It becomes worse when the offender does the same thing again,  not knowing he has offended him. The bible says let he who is offended go to him that has offended him and tell him what he has done. Matt 18:15 .

There are countless friendships that has been destroyed, whiles one party is full of accusations, and the other party knows not one thing why the relationship was destroyed.

The next reason why certain friendships get destroyed or becomes an enemy is when a third party comes in between them. This one sows seeds of discord. Pro 26:20 KJV “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.” The talebearer destroys the friendship.

 To escape the traps of tale bearers, never rely on the information of that third person who has come between you and your friend says, always confirm everything through your personal inquiries from your friend.

THOUGHT: FRIENDSHIPS ARE SO EXPENSIVE, DO NOT DESTROY THEM, WITH TRIVIALITIES.

FURTHER STUDIES

Prov 11:13 KJV” A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.”

Mat 18:15 KJV” Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 13:21 “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”

One of the painful parts of life is when the one you love turns against you. Proverbs 25:19 says, “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint.” This is when that which you are leaning on fails you.

Friends are supposed to be a house of refuge, a defender against predators, and an encourager when you are down. In light of this, we tend to place our trust in them or on them.

Our key scripture revealed how Jesus became troubled in his spirit because a close pal was going to betray him. Jesus loved all his disciples and loved Judas as well. If an enemy betrays or hurts you, you may not be so hurt, but a betrayal by a friend hurt so much. Friends have a special place in the hearts of their associates. A betrayal sends cold chills through the individual’s heart.

Proverbs 18:24 teaches, “A man that had friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” This is the Lord’s advice to all. If you have a friend, then you should not be a fair-weather friend. Your friendship must be real. It is amazing to have certain friends who call on their friends when times are hard or difficult for them. Such people are not true friends. Showing yourself friendly is sharing your life with your friends. You share good things with them and are ready to know them, and also be of help in times of difficulty. You should be a friend who sticks closer than a brother. The basis for such friendship is selflessness.

Judas was not a friend. He loved money and was rather full of himself. He was basically selfish. Such people are dangerous. Judas was around Jesus because of what he could obtain. John 12:6 “This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. “

Friendship is for caring and showing love. Happiness in life is not about what you can get from others, but what you can give , or how much you can put smiles on the faces of others. Make sure you are the friend who seeks to give, help, and support. Remember, you always reap what you sow. Jesus taught; it is always better to give than to receive.

Friendship must evolve from association to relationship. An association is when you meet to talk and fellowship, but relationship is when there develops the feeling of brotherliness among you.At this stage you share things in common.

THOUGHT: YOU ARE A BETTER AND HAPPIER PERSON IF OTHERS CAN SAFELY RELY ON YOU.

FURTHER STUDIES

Ruth 1:16 “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Proverbs 25:19 “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13:20. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”

 The Lord is saying by our key scripture that everyone He sends represents Him. Whatever treatment given to you is indirectly or directly given to Him. In Acts 9:4, the Lord met Saul on the Damascus Road and asked “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul, who later was named Paul, was persecuting the Christian’s, yet the Lord said you are persecuting me.

  The believer has an inseparable union or oneness with our master Jesus, which should influence all that we do for Him. It is rather unfortunate to find a servant of God or a preacher of the gospel who does all kinds of mischievous things because times are hard, and he must survive. Some even go as far as contacting other beggarly gods, mallams to receive power. It is due to a lack of understanding of who they are. You are a representative of the monarch of the universe. You must not allow the challenging situation you find yourself to dictate your behaviour. The servant of God must always act as a representative of the greatest one of the universe.

  When a servant of God loses the fact that he or she is a representative of God, that is where he or she begins to fail. I believe no envoy of any country in another nation loses the thought that he is a representative of his home country. He acts and functions in dignity, knowing he has the full backing of his motherland. His interest and success in the place of work is the concern of his home country. If our earthly nations have such protocols, how much more the heavenly kingdom.

 2nd Corinthians 5:20 says” Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” The apostle Paul knew that as the ambassador of Christ, he acts in Christ’ stead. He speaks on behalf of Christ. He knows Christ will always honour his word.

 Dear servant of God, according to the scriptures God has sent you and you must be bold to speak for him. Never act as if you are on your own. Our Lord Jesus spoke in God’s stead, and the father always honoured His words.

 God wants His glory to be seen and only waiting for the right channels to deliver His power. Those who do not speak for Him are not His channels, only those who know He is with them.

THOUGHT:  GOD DELIGHTS GREATLY IN THOSE WHO KNOW HE IS WITH THEM AND ACTS LIKEWISE.

FURTHER STUDIES:

Matthew 10:40” He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”

John 14:18” I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13:18. “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.”

 A pretender is one who presents himself for what he is not. He is a deceiver. Traitors are not just pretenders, but they deceive in order to betray or sell out their own associates.

 Jesus said the one who is eating with me has lifted his heel against me. He is a pretender and ultimately became a traitor. The scriptures are filled with lots of such people. In Genesis 37, Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites who also carried him to Egypt. His brothers brought his coat of many colours soaked in the blood of some animal. They showed it to Jacob to identify whether it was indeed Joseph’s Coat. All these brothers were pretending. They had betrayed their brother and came to the father pretending. They even mourned with him, yet it was all lies.

We find pretenders and traitors in all walks of life. At work places some pretend, and scheme to win the heart of their superiors. There are those who secretly tell lies about their colleagues, in order to get them sacked. Even in churches we find such people pretending to catch the eye of the pastor in order to be appointed into leadership. Some ladies pretend to win prospective husbands, only to show their true nature’s when they are fully married. Some men also join certain churches acting as true Christians, in order to win certain unsuspecting women. After marriage they even stop going to church.

Pray always to know the true nature of the people you are relating with. The consequences of being deceived by such pretenders can be very fatal.

The story is told of a pastor who got married to a lady, and after their first night together, the lady woke the pastor and asked him, ‘did you pray well, before proposing to me? I am a witch!’

  Why do people pretend and ultimately betray their close friends or neighbours? Pretense is a function of lies. Lies are always rooted in fear, and fear is also a baby of self-centeredness or selfishness. All these begin with a desire to have an advantage or a desire to partake of something that should not be rightly theirs.

  Dear one, who are you? Are you a pretender or a traitor? No Christian should be any of the above. The Christian is born of God with the seed of God in Him and should not manifest any of these traits. The man who does not know who he is, may do some of these things, but dear child of God, you are the workmanship of God created in Jesus Christ unto good works, which God has already ordained that you walk in them (Eph 2:10)

Those who pretend, always end in shame and destruction. Every pretender or a traitor is a tool of Satan, used to destroy other lives, but remember, Satan never leaves any tool , in its original state, he destroys it, after using it, and goes for another tool to cause more harm.

THOUGHT: IT IS REAL BONDAGE TO BE A PRETENDER, FOR THE DECEIVER IS ALWAYS DECEIVED

FURTHER STUDIES:

Romans 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

1st John 5:18 “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”

2Tim 3:13 KJV But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13:17. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

  There are a lot of professors of many areas of life, but a few practitioners. It is the practitioners who become partakers of the blessings of whatever that endeavour contains. 2 Timothy 2:6 reveals that “The husbandman that labours must be the first partaker of the fruit.” The Lord said it rightly, happy are ye if you know these things and you do them. The word “happy” means blessed, fortunate, or privileged. The Lord was saying that these things are the principle to a glorious life. You are most privileged if you practice them. No idle man is blessed, for he has no product or fruits to partake. It is the active committed man doing something worthwhile that receives the reward of his labour.

 The Lord taught on his sermon on the mount that those who hear his words and do them can be likened to the man who built his house on a rock. The rains came, the floods came, the winds blew against it but his house stood firm.  He was a happy man or a blessed man. He did not lose his possession. The building of such a person also refers to his life or character. If he takes pain to do what the master says, he would have a very solid life able to resist the changing scenes of life. In the end, he overcomes and is a happy, blessed man. (Matthew 7:24-27).

 The man who hears the word and does not do it will be a sad person or a miserable man. Why? Jesus said such a person is likened to a man who builds his house on the sand; that is loose sand. Such a house will surely have a very poor foundation. Any adverse idea that rises against it will begin to crumble. He would lose everything and become very sad.

  There are many today who are enjoying great victories and conquering diverse challenges that come their way because they committed themselves to doing what the word says (James 1:25)

According to James 1:25, the man who continues to do what the word says will be blessed in what he does. Jesus has given us the example in humility and service. Let us learn from Him and do likewise. We would be blessed in doing so.

THOUGHT: THE WISE HEAR, OBEY, AND ARE BLESSED. THE FOOLISH HEAR, DISOBEY, AND ARE PUNISHED.

FURTHER STUDIES:

James 1:25 “ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Deuteronomy 28:1 “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13:16. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.”

 As the Lord was expounding His teachings through his demonstrations, He said to them that if He their master had done so, they the subjects must equally do likewise because the servant is not greater than his master. He added that the one sent is also not greater than he who sent him.

This implies the servant must always learn from his master and do likewise if he is to have what he’s had. Every servant must diligently follow his master so he could become like him.

The servant must acknowledge and accept that he must be submissive to the instructions of his master. The servant is also a learner, and it always takes humility to learn. The Lord said in John 8:29 that “ And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

 Remember that the Lord said God resists the proud but gives more grace to the humble. More grace means greater capacity to do more, and it takes humility to receive this greater capacity.

 The Lord, our master practised certain activities to make Him who He is. If any followers of His must experience what He experienced, then that follower must do the same.

 The Lord never missed His early times of prayer. The Bible said, “He woke up a great while before day to go into prayer.” (Mark 1:35;). The Lord spent days fasting and praying. If you wish to do like He did, then you must walk where He walked. The Lord Jesus walked through the villages preaching about the kingdom and healing the sick. There are many servants of God who find it very difficult moving from place to place, preaching the gospel to others. The Lord also spent time with single individuals to teach and explain the gospel to them (John 3 and John 4).

Since the servant is not greater than his master, we must likewise follow after Him in that regard. Jesus, our Lord, ministered to the sick by taking the place of the father. He acted as if it was the father directly speaking to the sick. We must carefully learn from His example and do likewise if we wish to see the results. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” The following means learning from Him. Looking at His examples and doing the same.

THOUGHT: TO PRODUCE LIKE JESUS WE MUST DO WHAT HE DID.

FURTHER STUDIES:

Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Matthew 8:9 “For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 13:14. “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

 The Lord washed all the disciples’ feet, and then He asked them if they had seen what He had done to them. He made sure that everyone’s feet were washed. He then instructed them that if I your lord and master have washed your feet, then you must likewise wash one another’s feet. This was a very profound act and a corresponding statement he made in addition.

 He is the Lord. He is their creator and king, yet He humbled himself and washed their feet and cleaned it as well. The first lesson is that none of them must see himself too big to serve the rest. It was an instruction to be selfless. This is one condition that makes a team great. Teams are never divided but carry one main agenda. Phil 2:2 “fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

 To wash one another’s feet is to love one another. No individualism. Apostle Paul states it so clearly in Phil 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

 Washing your brother or sister’s feet means you esteem him better than yourself.

 One may ask, if I esteem my brother better than myself, would that not give him an advantage over me? Please get the whole idea well or clearly. It is not about who gains the advantage but rather how much Christ is revealed in us. Many are busily seeking to show what they can do and how great they are. This is the deception of the enemy. It is a trap that many have fallen into. He saved us not to make us great but to reveal Christ in us.

 He saved us to make Christ great in us. It is all about Christ. Gal 1:15 “ But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen.” He saved you to reveal Jesus in you and not to reveal you.

Stop the struggle to reveal yourself. If in your life Christ is magnified and daily revealed through you, then you are fulfilling your mission.

 When God uses us in any way, it is to reveal Jesus. Healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and even feeding the hungry should not in any way make us feel proud. We should be full of praise to the master who has made use of us to glorify His name.

 All that we have been called to do is to wash men’s feet. Teaching, healing, and delivering the oppressed is all washing other’s feet. We do not get offended if they fail to acknowledge what we have done because we only sort to please the master in washing His children’s feet.

THOUGHT:  LET IT BE YOUR JOY TO RENDER SERVICE THAN TO RECEIVE PRAISE.

FURTHER STUDIES

Phi 1:20 KJV” According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

Acts 20:35 “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 13:10. “Jesus said to him, Anyone who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is clean all over. And you [My disciples] are clean, but not all of you.”

  In our key scripture, the Lord gave a proverbial statement. He said to Peter, the one who has bathed only, needs to wash his feet because he is already clean, and you are all clean but not every one of you. The one who he referred to as not clean was Judas. Judas was with his team of disciples, yet he was not clean. From the Lord’s analogy, one could say Judas had not washed himself.

What made Judas not to be clean?

 Judas was in the team, yet his language and desires were very different. He was very covetous. He had a strong lust for money.

1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love(lust) of money is the root of all evils;

Which some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows”.

 Judas had erred from the faith. He was in the Lord’s ’s service but never served the Lord. Judas had a different motive for following Jesus. His motive disqualified him. Jesus said he was not clean.

  Dear servant of God, are you clean? Are you serving Jesus because of the money you wish to get? Are you after souls or after savings? There are some men of God who organize programs with certain financial targets on their minds. The whole program is not about the transformation of lives but to obtain certain amounts to obtain certain material gains. Such a mind is unfortunately defiled. Dear child or servant of God, motive is everything.

  Financial gain is not the only wrong motive people may have. Any other worldly or carnal longings other than seeking the glory of God and the continual transformation of lives makes that servant of God unclean. The Lord said at the last day, he would say to some, get away from me , ye workers of iniquity, I do not know you. What criteria does the Lord consider to claim knowledge of His servants? When the person loves Him Jesus. In 1 Corinth 8:3, the Lord said If one loves the Lord, then the Lord knows him.” This implies that if one does not love the Lord, then He does not know such a person. In the case of Judas, he did not love the Lord. He loved the money that he would be stealing from the money bag he carried along. Love for Jesus is the underlying criteria for acceptance before Him.

 If your actions are of no benefit to the love of God, then you are unclean and have seriously missed God’s mark or standards. Love for God is God’s marking scheme for eternal qualification or disapproval.

 THOUGHT: MAKE SURE YOU LOVE GOD IN SINCERITY, AND YOU WOULD NEVER MISS GOD’S APPROVAL

FURTHER STUDIES:

Philippians 3:18 “For there are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, who walk (live) as enemies of the cross of Christ (the Anointed One)”.

1 John 2:15” Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him”.