"And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32)

To love the Lord our God is the disciple's mission, ministry, and purpose. From this love flow the desire, the anointing, and the ability to be His disciples. Many today are crying out to God, "Father, we once experienced your presence and passion, but You seem so distant from us." Like the disciples traveling to a village called Emmaus, the seeming absence of His presence has come from either divine intervention or despair. Jesus said:

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6).

Most of us have never experienced real hunger or real thirst. We have more than enough and we often times become complacent. Our lives are filled with so many good things, but there is only one essential thing and that is to love and worship and adore and praise God simply because He is God.

Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40). By fulfilling these two commands, you keep all the other commandments.

The Apostle John writes, “If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

It is easy to say I love God when that love doesn't cost me anything. The real test of my love for God is how I treat the people right in front of me - my spouse, children, neighbors, co-workers, employees, believers, and those lost souls all around me. I cannot truly love God while neglecting to love those created in God’s image.

In the New Testament, godly living is living in, through, and for Jesus through the power of His Holy Spirit. It is evidenced by love, obedience and unity. The greater these manifestations, the greater my surrender to His Holy Spirit.

So many today desire God's presence, the manifestation of His glory, or physical evidence of His presence. Jesus petitioned His father to bring about the unity of all believers for all generations to come. The oneness He asked for is spiritual unity which will be visibly manifested in the life of the church and will be recognized as such because it will bear witness to the very mission and heart of Christ:

"I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them" (John 17:26).

The return of the Lord will bring judgment and division. This judgment will be based on moral character, and character is evidenced by charitable deeds or the absence of them. Outward evidence demonstrates inner righteousness or unrighteousness. Good works do not produce good character - good character produces good works. Jesus says that if we truly love God and our neighbor, we will keep His commandments.

So, how do we get back to a heart burning for God? The entire duty and direction of a disciple of Jesus is to love God and his or her neighbor. The pathway is to love as Christ loved us, "laying down His life." Christ gave up the comforts, joys, and adoration of heaven to fulfill His purpose. Jesus bore agonizing pain through beatings, nails in His hands, the spear in His side, the thorns on His head; all of which bear witness to the measure of His love for you and for me. We not only find His love, but we can also see His pattern of loving and we are called to bear with other's sins, with inflicted pain, with stabbing, cruel remarks and treatment. It is impossible! Yes, but the moment we understand that with human nature it is impossible, we begin to see that with God it becomes possible. We can ask God for and receive the grace and guidance to love as Jesus loved.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:9-13).

Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.

Grow In Grace and Truth,
Doug Morrell

CORE Notes From Doug