Love is the context and currency of the kingdom
I have been a lifelong charismatic believer. This is declarative, confessional, repentant, and pejorative all at once. I have given my life for the issue of continuation of all the gifts of the Spirit, and the Eph. 4:11 ministries. However, the adjective “charismatic” has a lot of unfortunate baggage because of the debris it has accumulated over forty years of use.
To my fellows: There is a reason 1 Cor. 13 is between 12 and 14. Love without power is impotent piety. Jehovah’s Witnesses can be “loving” after a sort. We are supposed to be able to deliver something of a foretaste of a quality of existence that others cannot. Power without love is utilitarian. People become commodities for an expression of a phenomenon, rather than the phenomenon serving people. It does not have to be an either or matter, rather, both and: power contextualized and administered in, through, and by love.
I am disheartened among my heritage by what I call:
- revival anxiety – straining and striving to get some sort of preconceived “move of God” in the earth.
- “revelation” itch – itching ears for some “new,” “deep,” avant garde, or esoteric “teaching”
- anointing addiction – codependent need for experiences and touches from His ‘presence.’ It is one thing to enjoy an experience. It is another to require one for well-being.
- power lust – chasing signs and wonders – thinking “signs that follow” equals “passion for the supernatural” – it doesn’t.
Love is nakedly spectacular. Glory is contained in very common things. Isn’t that the definition of the incarnation? Love relentlessly pursued and consistently practiced at the price of death to self interest, will yield all the revival and glory we can handle. It just won’t be flashy. It won’t make its way to the cover of Charisma Magazine or TBN. It is easily overlooked, just like a God-Man baby in a barn in a little despised region of a despised country–nothing there to see, no headline there. Let’s keep the show in Jerusalem rolling. Lots to see there.
Love doesn’t sell. It just produces. It’s effective. It is the context for all legitimate, but lesser things (see above).
Jesus is enough–period. Love works–period. Love never fails. It is just not practiced very well, very often, for very long because it is crucifying to ambition to do so.
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It seems like an accurate definition/description of love is a huge missing piece?
Definition is everything.
True, but revival, anointing, revelation and power are exciting and make me feel special. Love is ok when I’m the recipient, but it’s a pain in the butt when I have to sacrifice to love someone who may not love me in return. No kudos there. I don’t think your blogs are much fun, so don’t look for a big following. Besides, my favorite prophet just wrote an article about how the treasures of the wicked are going to be turned over to the righteous and life will be sweet, so I need to focus on how I can best use my coming windfall to promote my ministry of instant gratification.
Seriously, excellent article and describes succinctly what should be the norm for every follower of Christ. You can understand why Jesus asked; “..when the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?”
Good question!
Spot on – Steve! The centrality of Love is the basis of and foundation of everything in Christianity. All aspects of what we practice and what we believe must pass the Love test or they fail! That is the basis for a book my wife and I have been in the process of writing for the last year – we are getting close to completion. It is called Rethinking the Unthinkable in the Light of Love. Imagine a magnifying glass or lens of love held up to everything we think, believe, and practice as Christians – from Relationship with God to Scriptures and “doctrines”. It was so good to see you last week! Blessings!
Hi Chad. Well said. It was good to see you and your family also. You might like my friend, Michael Roses’s book entitled, Becoming Love. He has a siilar burden to what you are describing. Here is a link. He will be doing a guest blog for me after the first of the month. http://amzn.com/B00AXS27ZK
Yes, I have been reading Michael Rose’s book Becoming Love – about halfway through it. Great book and a great man!
Michael is a very close friend of mine. He was with us in Spokane last week.
Yes – Jesus is enough – well said
I am all for signs following, at least what Jesus said in Mark 16…. and these signs shall follow them than believe… What I have done, and so many others have done, is to reverse this and follow the signs. That is look for the show, for the experience – which is not about growing in relationship. In Ps 103:7 there is a contrast between the children of Israel looking for the exploits and the miracles, but Moses knew the ways of God (RELATIONSHIP). If we follow this out we could be close to being those Jesus refers to in Matt 7:21-23 ; and yes, this is meant as a “heavy” comment.
This whole behavior and focus you describe actually works against the work of God on the earth, the expansion of the Kingdom of God – because it is a self focus, an inward focus, that does not have people going out to the harvest fields – it puts them in meetings seeking experience. Your comment on it being an addition is spot on, it is like a narcotic. Taking this to the root/core demonstrates spiritual idolatry and/or spiritual adultery – it is not following the two great commandments that Jesus taught – to love God and to love others.
Hi Jay, agree on all points.