Family...'Love Is The Key'

SCRIPTURES: 'So, we, though many, are One Body in Christ, and individually
members one of another.' Romans l2:5

'Now, these three remain, faith, hope, and love. But, the greatest of these is
love." I Corinthians l3:l3
There is nothing greater in God's Kingdom than 'Love'. There is no height,
depth, or width that is greater. There is no person, place, or thing greater than
God's love.

I John 4:l6 says, 'And, we have known and believed the love that God hath to
us...God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.'
Love is the sum. It is everything. It is the beginning and it is the end. It is all
that God is. Love is a creative force. Love created the heavens and the hosts.
Love created the heavens and the earth. Love creates life. Love is sacrificial.
Love gave itself for all. Love is restorative. Love is a provider. Love is a giver.
Love is a 'kind' word. Love is a warm embrace, a hand, a shoulder, a kiss. Love
is understanding, compassionate, considerate, merciful...Love is a comfort. Love
is a visit. Love is a helping hand, a full plate, a warm cup...A 'Hello', a 'How are
you?'

What is love? Love is what it does - Love is both a 'noun' and a 'verb'.
In the beginning, man was created from the heart of God. He wanted a 'family'
to love one another and to love Him. His love and desire was transferred to us
when He molded Adam with His own hands and He, Himself, breathed life into
Adam. Love was the theme of the day. The Garden of Eden was a paradise on
earth. It contained virtually every provision, except one. That was a help mate for
Adam. So, God created Eve. From man came woman. God had His Family.
However, God placed in the midst of the Garden a special tree. The 'Tree of
the Knowledge of Good and Evil' was created as a token of trust. God's desire
was that Adam would rely on God for everything. He wanted to care for Adam's
every need. Yet, He placed one thing in the Garden that if Adam had thought for
himself, he would think that he no longer needed God.
The love between God and Adam was as a Father for His Son. Adam wanted
for nothing. All God required was love, trust, and obedience. This was Adam's
way of worship.

But, in came an enemy that (desired worship for himself). He entered the
Garden and tricked mankind into worshipping the 'god of self'...See (Genesis 3:4-
5). By doing this, Satan received the worship of mankind through disobedience.
Therefore, love was 'interrupted'.

Today, we live in a world where love is often interrupted. Death, infidelity,
divorce interrupts love. But, even more often, we see hatred, anger, cruelty to oneanother, lack of compassion, thoughtlessness, unforgiveness, or being
inconsiderate interrupts love more than ever. All are children of the knowledge of
evil.

SCRIPTURE...'But after that, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward
man appeared...Titus 3:4.
Leaving man in this condition was not an option. Because God knows the end
of all things. He was ready to act. His love for mankind was so great that He

orchestrated a plan of redemption. At the heart was His only begotten Son...See
Ephesians 2:4. His Great Love is one that sacrifices. His love hopes. His love is
full of kindness, mercy, and forgiveness. His love does not love to (be) loved, but
loves for love's sake'. "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that while wewere yet sinners, Christ died for us'. Romans 5:8.

Jesus suffered the cruelty of man and gave His life without seeking retribution,
or asking for anything in return. He did it because He loves the Father and He
loves mankind.

Who do you know today who truly loves unconditionally? Who loves enough to
give their time, money, or energy? Who loves enough to endure? Who loves
enough to let go of the pain and hurts others have caused them? Who loves
enough to sacrifice themselves for the good of others? That would be a very rare
person indeed.

'Love is Key to the Kingdom' - Hereby perceive we the love of God,
because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for
the brethren.' I John 3:l6.
Do you realize how important it is to 'love'? Not love as we think we know it
but I'm talking about the 'God Kind of Love...that is His agape type of love.

God iswaiting for the church to love the way He loves. That is the only way anyone willexperience heaven on earth. Why?
Because, 'God is Love'...'He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is
Love'....I John 4:8.

We cannot open the Bible without reading about 'love'. In fact, its pages speak
of nothing else. Because God is love. We know but do we practice His love? We
must because without it, our lives for Christ 'mean nothing'. In fact, if we don't
have His love, He said we cannot even say we know Him!
We are to be 'Bearers of that love' - 'And hope maketh not ashamed;
because the 'love of God' is shed abroad in 'our hearts' by the Holy Spirit
which is given unto us...Romans 5:5.

Now, if we claim to have the Holy Ghost, we have to love...Right? If we still
can go around not speaking to one another, think again! If we can toss a person
aside because they don't agree with us or make a mistake, nope. If Christians stillmistreat one another and show anger, what can the unsaved world expect of
love? Remember the saying, 'Charity begins at home'? By letting go of
selfishness, thoughtlessness, no consideration, cruelty, gossip, idle talk,
arrogance, slander, worldliness, then and only then can 'love' come in. The Holy
Spirit will not come in and speak through an 'unclean' vessel.

Ephesians 5: 1-5 says...'Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children,
'Walk in Love', as Messiah loved us and gave Himself for us as a fragrant offeringand a sacrifice to God. And do not let sexual immorality, or any impurity, or greedbe named among you, as these are not proper among holy people. 'Let there beno filthiness, or foolish talking. Instead give thanks. For this you know, that no
sexually immoral or impure person, or one who is greedy, who is an idolater, has
any inheritance in the Kingdom of Messiah and of God.'
Because we are born in sin. We do not by nature know the love of God. The
Holy Ghost or His Presence coming to dwell within implants His love into our

hearts. The question is, have we received that love from above or are we trying to
manifest it on our own? We want the gifts of the Spirit so we can do exploits with
God. Yet, as Paul wrote in I Corinthians l3: l-3...'If I speak with the tongues of men
and angels, and have not love, I have become as sounding ''brass or clanging
cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
love, I am nothing. If I give all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to
be burned, and have not love, it profit me nothing.'
As you can see, 'Love is the Key'. You can have all the gifts and the power.
You can have prosperity and success. But, without love, it means nothing. Love
comes by the Holy Spirit indwelling Your heart as you surrender totally to His will
for your life.
Matthew 7: 21-23 says, 'Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord" shall enter
the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to Me on that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your
name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your
name? But then I will declare to them, "I never knew you. Depart from Me, you
who practice evil.'
Luke l0: 25-28... 'Now a lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, 'Teacher,
what must I do to inherit eternal life?' He said to him, "What is written in the Law,
how do you read?' He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all of
your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your
mind, and your neighbor as yourself'. He said to him, "You have answered
correctly. Do this, and you will live.'
We will conclude with this...'Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full
restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God
of love and peace will be with you!'
Closing Prayer: Lord, God, we thank you for this teaching today. We are your
'Family - One Body in Christ'. Help us to understand your will through this
teaching, help us to die to self and our worldly ways that the world will begin to see
'You' in Your fullness in and through our lives. Open our eyes to the wondrous
things that you have planned for us in these Last Days. We praise and thank you
for Your innumerable ways and love for mankind.

In Jesus

Name...Amen.
The Wilderness Preacher