Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
We were destined to receive the punishment of eternal death due to our sins, but God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to save us. If you realize this love deep in your hearts, your lives are bound to be changed.
First, you will have the desire to live by God's will in return for His love. You will try to cast away sins and change yourselves to become holy children of God. You will long for the eternal kingdom of heaven.
Another important change taking place in those who realize God's love is that they will deliver this love to other people as well. Especially, if you have the duty of winning the souls, you have to cultivate this love as well as realize it deep in your heart.
Now let's delve into the heart of love necessary to expand the kingdom of God to the fullest extent.
First, it is the heart to consider others better than ourselves.
Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves."
Love does not look down on others or act unbecomingly. Even if others have ten negative points, if they have at least one good point, you acknowledge it and praise them for the good point. If they do just one thing better than you, you should try to learn from them and encourage them so you can all march on together.
I have never considered myself better than anyone else. I have never ignored opinions of even little ones. I interacted with all people with the attitude to learn something from them. If you look down on others and insist on your opinion just because you have more enthusiasm, or because you are a leader, then, it is not love.
Secondly, the heart of love is the heart of compassion.
In Luke chapter 10, there is a parable of the good Samaritan. A certain man was mugged, severely beaten and was left half-dead. A priest and a Pharisee just passed him without helping him. They were giving sacrifices to God and keeping the Law, but they did not have compassion to help the one who was in trouble.
But a passing Samaritan had compassion for his neighbor who was in need. He bandaged up his wounds, brought him to an inn, took care of him, and paid for the stay. This is the kind of love that the Lord wants of us. Only when you have the heart of love to understand and empathize with others according to their faith can you have compassion for the weak and those in difficulties and help them.
Jesus came to this earth in human flesh, and Hebrews 4:15 says that He sympathized with our weaknesses. It means He understands our positions and situations and has mercy on and empathizes with us. For this reason, He healed those who were blind or crippled and returned life to those who were dead. He did it with sympathy and love. When the only son of a widow died, He had compassion for the widow who was left alone and revived her son. Sometimes He had to worry about the food of those who were following Him. He provided them with food by performing the work of 'seven loaves of bread and two fish' (Mark 8:3). The reason why He manifested many signs and wonders is His compassion for souls.
Also, with the gifts that people presented to Him to give thanks for His grace, He had them used to help the poor. The Bible puts a great emphasis on charitable works. In the Early Church charitable work was one of the most important parts of the ministry (Galatians 2:10). The reason why the Early Church appointed seven deacons was to properly execute the ministry of charitable work.
Proverbs 19:17 says, "One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed." When we are gracious to poor souls, it is like God assumes a personal indebtedness to us and He will repay us for it. Storing up acts of goodness with compassion is the way to revival, as well as the way to receiving the desires of your hearts and changing yourself more quickly.
Thirdly, the heart of love is to give up everything for others.
Jesus led a very busy life when He was ministering on this earth. While traveling through Judea, Galilee and other areas, He saved minutes and even seconds to preach the gospel. When a crowd surrounded Him, He did not have enough time to eat or sleep while teaching them the word and healing the sick.
He spent three years expending all His energy, but He did not consider He had finished everything. He gave His life on the cross, and He poured out all His water and blood.
Even today He is not resting. He has been interceding for the souls and preparing our dwelling places without even eating since His resurrection and ascension. It is the heart of love of the Lord to give again and again. And He wants us to cultivate this heart as well. If we really love somebody, we can sacrifice ourselves (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
I received the spiritual messages and the power of God through countless times of fasting and prayer. With the messages and the power, I testified to the living God. However, I do not say I have done everything. I have taken full responsibility for the things that happened in this church. I fasted or gave peace offerings to God with all my best so that God would not be disgraced. And I tried to demolish the wall of sin with my tearful prayers.
When the believers committed sins and could not be saved, I did not say, "I have taught them the truth enough, and they still committed sins. I cannot help them." But I clung to God saying that it was all my fault since I am their shepherd.
Some people continually broke their promises with me. Some others complain, sulk, or resent others without a reason. Still others receive works of darkness and fall into a pool of fleshly thoughts, so they keep on saying negative things no matter how much they hear the truth. Although I advise and teach them with tears, some souls cannot cut off the world and indulge themselves in sins.
I hope you will keep on loving and serving such souls as well. If you love them and give them everything, all your deeds will be rewarded in great glory. You will not only have the fruit of revival but also enjoy eternal glory in heaven.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God opened the way wide leading to salvation, eternal life, and heaven by the love of the cross. When we dedicate ourselves to work for Him with our thanks to Him, He lets us prosper in all things even as our souls prosper. He also pays us back pressed down, shaken together, and running over, and 30, 60, or 100 times more.
I pray in the name of the Lord that with this hope you will expand the kingdom of God and later dwell in the great glory like the sun.
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