Cookbook, Part 2
Baby Girl,
You went to bed and woke up thinking about our conversation about the Christian faith being a cookbook. You were dreaming up new recipes. My heart is that you would all look like Me. If you were to get that right, you would walk like Jesus, talk like Jesus, live like Jesus, and above all, LOVE like Jesus.
Jesus was AND IS My heart incarnate.
Incarnate = embodied in flesh; in human form. Put (an idea or abstract concept) into concrete form; be the embodiment of (a quality)
As you develop and mature in your faith, My desire is that My children literally become My heart incarnate to the hurting and hopeless world around them; that you embody the LOVE of Christ. When you embody the LOVE of Christ - dying to your sinful desires and taking on the characteristic LOVE walk of Jesus - you will become perfected in LOVE.
You’re thinking of a Bible verse. Share it.
1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
Last night on the Santa Monica pier, your heart was grieved by a group of sisters with signs and a microphone. Tell Me about that.
They were disturbing the whole pier with an aggressive and angry message of repentance. The woman with the microphone was yelling things like, “Don’t be stupid and go to hell. Repent. Jesus saves.”
Was she wrong?
The message was true but her approach was offensive and repulsive.
What did John the Baptist do?
He was the voice in the wilderness crying out, “Make straight the way for the LORD!”
What do you know about John the Baptist?
He ate wild honey and locusts and wore camel skin
He was Jesus’s cousin
He was sharing a message of repentance to prepare people for the coming of Jesus
He baptized people
He ended up going to prison and getting his head chopped off and put on a platter
Do you think John the Baptist was offensive?
Obviously he was if he ended up being put in prison and beheaded for his message.
The women who went to the tomb after Jesus died, they loved Jesus. They were the women who prepared meals for Jesus and the disciples, sat at His feet as He taught, and were also followers of Jesus; but Scripture does not mention them going to jail or being beheaded.
Why do you think that is?
Because following Jesus, living LIKE Jesus is not offensive, it’s actually quite a beautiful way to live. That’s why I was so upset about the approach of those women on the pier.
What did you tell your niece and her husband?
Those women were giving Christians a bad reputation.
Tell Me what would be a good reputation. What did you go to bed and wake up thinking about?
I want to:
Live a simple life and dress modestly like the Amish
Focus on the teachings of Jesus like the Anabaptists
Take care of my body like a 7th Day Adventist
Be dedicated to sharing my faith like a Mormon
Pray in the Spirit like a Pentecostal
Believe confidently like the Word of faith
Forgive and LOVE like Jesus
All without appearing jarring or offensively different from the world.
Do that, Little One.
Lead by example.
Be a beautiful expression of My LOVE to every soul you encounter, then let ME be God in the lives of everyone else.
I don’t need you to “improve on” religion. I don’t need any more recipes in that cookbook you all call Christianity. I need you to MODEL the supernatural peace, joy, and contentment you have found walking humbly and obediently in step with Me.
MODEL relationship.
What did I tell you about judging other believers' attempts to reach others for the Kingdom?
(From Walk Around Your City, A Call to Pray) “Don’t point out what other people have or have not brought to the gates of the city in human effort to defeat the foe. Their feeble attempts have been no less impressive than yours. You have been equally unimpressive.”
Don’t try to change anyone else’s approach to sharing the gospel.
You will never convince them by criticizing them.
Guard your heart against judgement.
Don’t allow yourself to become angry, bitter, discouraged, or concerned about how others represent Me.
Your job is not to correct anyone else but to walk humbly and joyfully with Me.
Lead by your quiet example and let Me be God in the lives around you.
You don’t need to save the world. Jesus did that. Just go out and shine that light. I can handle the rest.
LOVE you, Baby Girl.
Daddy
Philippians 1:15-18