Living in the Spirit
August 21, 2018
Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43
‘Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name—for they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm—when a foreigner comes and prays towards this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built. 1 Kings 8:41-43
God spreads the fear of love. While the Bible includes all kinds of stories of violence carried out in the name of God, God’s own rules posit that love is more powerful than any violence that exists. Violence is the tool of lust for power and greed. God having no need for either, invests all efforts in wanting the very best for all God’s creatures and the worlds in which they exist. God’s power of love is the only force that can overcome the power of evil and evil does fear it.
In preparation for a bible study, I will be facilitating this fall about the return from Babylon of the Israelites to Jerusalem, I have been studying recently the fall of Israel when it was taken into captivity. That made me wonder about the failure of Rome, so I started looking at its history. Both explorations invoked concern for the USA as we seem to be falling into the same behaviors. Both the history of the fall of Israel and of Rome are presented very pessimistically as inevitable. The principalities and powers of evil cannot be contained. I disagree with the inevitability of the USA failing but our path to salvation is daunting.
The only power that is greater than the powers of evil is the power of love and evil knows that. Evil works hard at coercing the energy of love into selfish gain robbing it of its true nature and thus its power. Divide and concur is one of evil’s favorite tools.
Those of us who trust in the power of God, in the power of love which is one and the same thing must work hard to purify its components in our own lives and love evil to death and resurrection into the body of Love.
Prayer: Lord, create in us pure hearts and so fill us with your love the only inevitable result will be more love. Amen.