BEHOLDING THE SPIRIT

I THINK OF HOW MANY TIMES I THOUGHT I WAS IN LOVE...

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE SAID IT...

"I JUST LOVE THIS CAR...THIS FOOD...THIS DRESS...THAT BOY OR GIRL"

WE ATTACH THE WORD LOVE TO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WE WANT OR SEE...

THE EYES LUST OVER OUR FLESHLY DESIRES...

AND I'M NOT SAYING IT IS WRONG TO HAVE THE DESIRES OF OUR HEART...

FOR THE LORD LONGS TO GIVE US THE DESIRES OF OUR HEART...

IT'S THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH, THAT GET US INTO TROUBLE...

SOMETIMES THEY ARE PERFECTLY INNOCENT DESIRES...WELL MEANING DESIRES...JUST UNDISCERNED AND MISGUIDED...

THE PICTURE OF CHRIST ABOVE HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE...

BUT I HAVE COME TO FEEL THAT IT IS MY FLESH THAT IS DRAWN TO THIS IMAGE OF HIM...

HOLY SPIRIT...LOVINGLY AND SWEETLY CORRECTED ME BY SAYING,

"DO YOU SEE ME IN THIS SAME WAY WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THE EYES OF A CHILD...OR THE FACE OF A LONELY WIDOW, OR THE HOMELESS AND HELPLESS...?

CAN YOU OFFER THOSE SAME AFFECTIONS THAT YOU FEEL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS IMAGE, TO THESE SAME PEOPLE...?

DO YOU LONG FOR THE ONENESS WITH THEM IN ME AS YOU DO WITH ME ALONE...?

AND I HAD TO BE HONEST...THE ANSWER WAS NO...

I WAS ASHAMED TO ADMIT IT...BUT I KNOW I CAN'T HIDE ANYTHING FROM HIM...

HE REPLIED,..."BEHOLD MY HEART...YOU SEE IT WITH THE LOVE I HAVE PLACED IN YOU...

BECAUSE OF MY LOVE FOR YOU...YOU CAN LOVE...

LET THIS LOVE OPEN YOUR EYES TO WHO I AM...

THOSE WHO LOVE SEE WITH THEIR HEARTS...

THE VEILS OF RACE, RELIGION, POLITICS AND FINANCIAL STATUS ARE TORN ASUNDER BY THE RULE OF MY KINGDOM IN YOU...

I RULE IN JUSTICE AND TRUTH...AND THAT GOES FOR THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY...

SOME OF MY MOST PRECIOUS JEWELS ARE UGLY TO YOU...

BEWARE! LEST YOU TRAMPLE THEM UNDER YOUR FEET...

JUDGE NOT LEST YOU BE JUDGED...

COME FOLLOW ME...

BEHOLDING BY MY SPIRIT.

IN THIS, IS SPIRIT COME...THAT YOU MAY LOVE.