Love

On the second day of our 2024 week of prayer and fasting, we collectively prayed into being a people who are known by love, and into being a people who care about the salvation of lost souls and leading many to Christ.

As our Administrative Assistant, Hannah, prayed, “God, let your love be our theme in life!” Yes Lord! A theme is something that recurs and is pervasive in a work of art or literature. May it be that the love of God is something that recurs and is pervasive throughout every relationship in our lives. This means that when people look at the way we treat others and the outward expressions of the intents of our hearts, they see God’s love.

Love must be without hypocrisy.
Detest evil; cling to what is good.
Show family affection to one another with brotherly love.
Outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.
Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
Be in agreement with one another.
Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble.
Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.
If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.
Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.
But if your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

- Romans 12:9-21

Love is the ultimate command. Love for God, and love for people. Everything else hinges on this.

When Jesus wrote the letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 3, He commended the things they did right, which are the same kinds of things we still tend to think would make a good church today. They did good works! They labored for the church! They were patient! They didn’t tolerate those who were evil! They tested those who called themselves apostles! They persevered! They labored for His Name’s sake! They didn’t become weary! But…even though they did all those things right, Jesus still told them, “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember from where you have fallen…”

We can do all the outward things right. But if we do them by any other motive or for any other reason than love…we’re missing the mark. Remember when Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your Name, drive out demons in Your Name, and do many miracles in Your Name?’ Then I will answer to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’

Thankfully, we know what the will of the Father in heaven is, because the Scriptures tell us!

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. - John 13:34-35

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. - John 15:12-13

[Jesus] said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands. - Matthew 22:37-40

We are not left to do this on our own! We are meant to receive this love that comes from God, and then allow ourselves to be vessels of that love outward toward everyone we touch. We love because He first loved us. We can only give what we have received from Him.

During this consecrated time of prayer and fasting, “May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance” (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

Witnessing

It’s not possible to fully love people without caring about the eternal condition of their souls. If we are going to be a people who are known for our love, that means we will be a people who are known for leading people to Christ!

Some Christians think it is just for the evangelists to lead people to Christ, but this isn’t accurate. It’s for every follower of Jesus to help people receive the free gift of salvation! The role of the evangelist is to help equip and edify the Church to do her job! And the evangelist usually has a grace to lead people to Christ on a larger scale (like at crusades). But every believer should know how to and be comfortable with leading someone to Jesus. The differences in our unique callings might affect where this happens (as a missionary sent to another country, or as a street preacher with a microphone, or as a lover of people passing out tracts, or as a faithful employee who’s colleagues continually seek you out for advice and prayer, or as a neighbor of an alcoholic who consistently prays for him, or as a student at the university who feels a quiet tug at your heart every time you pass by a certain person).

Regardless of the scenario, at some point, we must each be willing to open our mouths to share Christ!

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. - Romans 10:9-10

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. - 1 Peter 3:15

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. - 2 Corinthians 5:18, NLT

If we’re going to pray and ask God to send the laborers into the harvest, then we must also be willing to be one of those laborers in whatever field we find ourselves. The harvest isn’t just ripe in Iran. It’s ripe on your college campus. The harvest isn’t just ripe in the underground Church in China. It’s ripe on your street. The harvest isn’t just ripe at the crusade in Africa. It’s ripe inside of Target. The harvest isn’t just ripe for strangers. It’s ripe for people who you already know and have a relationship with.

He said “As you go, preach…” That means, wherever you are living your life, that is the place you can be a witness! You don’t even have to go somewhere special (although, some are called to). You just have to open your eyes and hearts to care about those around you wherever you already are.

Diana, one of our leaders, intercessors, and a pillar in our community, shared a powerful the Lord gave her for us in this season! “We believe this year many will see the salvation of our loved ones! Especially those who we’ve been praying for a long time…And we will be like those who dream! Our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy! We will say ‘The Lord has done great things for us!’” (Psalm 126)

If you have been praying for the salvation of your loved ones…especially for a long time…don’t lose hope! Look up! They are almost ripe and ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in a transformative way! We can’t wait to hear these testimonies, so please be sure to share them as they start coming into this wonderful, beautiful eternal family!

May Christ’s love compel us more urgently and tangibly than ever before. And may we have the wisdom and courage to obey when it does.

Love,
Dawn Kopa