Walking in love by Karen Bangs

Recently Karen Bangs gave a word on Walking in Love. There was a lot to say on the subject and karen gave part two of this 3 part Word last week. her notes from the first part one are presented below with details of the scriptures she is drawing on.


Walking in Love by Karen Bangs

Nervous but we need to be obedient

This message It's been my heart for a very long time to share this so not surprising that it's the first thing God wants me to share.

A key = next level.

Everything comes back to LOVE. (No more down days)

So big, we could study it in-depth for weeks and still have skimmed the surface!

2 parts.

What's love got to do with it? - Everything!

1 John 4:7-21 (NLT)

So much in that

1. Walking in love brings the presence of God. And the power of God (turning the other cheek). Enables us to live without fear (for kid's, homes, finances etc.). Enables us to know who we really are in Christ – not our own strength and actions.

Love is a process so we all need to work on this area. I certainly do even if it hurts. When we start getting into the word and see the truth – it shows up the bits of us that we need to work on. Ouch! We can thank God's when things start to hurt because it means we're growing. Growing pains! You need to get them unless you want to stay the same size!

But God causes us to grow because he loves us so we need to be open to wat God wants to do!

Misconceptions (fallacy) about love –

1. Love is a feeling / an emotion.
Sometimes - warm fuzzy feeling. When somebody's done something really nice we build affection for them, after being in the presence of God sometimes “hug a lamppost”.
The one referred to here is agape.

It's not an impulse from the feelings. It doesn't always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered.

This is an active type of love – you show it through your actions – God so loved the world that he gave his only son – An act of Love – evidence. Love seeks the welfare of all.

Meaning:
to express the essential nature of God. Love can be known only from it's actions or prompts.

It's not dependant on how we feel.

2. There are some people that you just can't love! (unloveable) We've all had disagreements with people or not seen eye to eye - “we're different personalities and just clash”, “I'm sorry, I've tried but that person really hurt me”.

We only hurt ourselves – Unforgiveness and not walking in love blocks the blessing and all of the promises that are activated by love.

(WE may have everything else sorted but if we have not love, we have nothing – and we don't love God! - strong stuff)

But what if this person is truly in the wrong – do we then have to love them?

God loved us while we were still sinners. If love was reserved for people who deserved it, we'd never have made the cut! We need to let go of any hurts because otherwise. We need to love then and pray for them and let God sort them out (Not easy) (but - burning coals on their head).

Concordance – Self will / self pleasing is the negation (opposing force) to the love of God. Hanging onto past hurts, (let's face – we love a drama) is opposing to God's love.

I wonder if God puts people like that in our lives to give us a chance to practice love. If we're only ever surrounded by lovely people – how are we going to practice and become 'full grown' and mature and perfect this area. Because look at the rewards of being mature in love – abiding with God and living without fear! (fear is the opposite to faith). So if you can think of anyone that really chaffs, thank God for them and for giving us an opportunity to grow in this area! KCM always says the best way to get in love with someone is to pray for them. You'll soon find yourself getting into line with your emotions also.

1 John 4 – 'full-grown' 'not yet reach maturity' in love. Love is a process, it's something we need to grow in and practice.

3. Love is just a nice thing that we should if we're nice people or we're Christians. Nullifying!

It connects us to God – It casts out fear.

1John 4:16 (Amp)
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Fear (the opposite to faith) can't stay. If we're in fear, we can't be in faith (double minded) Perfect love casts out fear.

It's a higher purpose. As long as we're believing that and not actively pushing and seeking it – we're not able to walk in God's best. For us or for others. We need to actively pursue and seek it – make it our goal! (pretty heavy!)

Lots of scriptures where God is making it very clear that LOVE is a key to some many things.

1 John 4:7s

1 Cor 13 – We could be spot on in loads of areas – very powerful ones but if we don't have love we're nothing / it's not worth a jot! We could actually say to God – OK, here I am am, I'm offereing myself to be burned and giving my life seflessly to you – but if we havn't got love, it's worthless and not even counted!

That's strong stuff – it couldn't be clearer really. Love isn't just a nice thing that we should try to do – it is an essential compenent of our walk with God that we sould try to practice as much as we possibly can.


There may be lots of areas that we're trying to work on but if we sought love first, they'd be added. Love connects us to God. BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE – WE WOULD KNOW ...

When we want the power of God in a situation, we need to make sure we're walking in love as this brings the very presence of God. - Turn the other cheek 'in love' this would bring the power of God. Od didn't want us to get our cheeks slapped – he wanted us to bring the power of God on the scene theough love and our cheek and that person would never be able to slap our cheek!

God's love brings His power

His power and love never fails we can trust in his love

His power would prevent you from getting your face slapped.

His love on the seen turns any situation to good! Even if it looks like you're about to et slapped in the face!

What is love?

Love is kind, patient - not rude, puffed up, self seeking etc.

We love God because he first loved us. It's God's love in us!

Sometimes people are not very loveable. Even people we're close to. We've all known people that we'd like to take gently by the neck. But love is something we need to practice.

We love God because he first loved us. It's God's love in us (not our own strength) so if we take his love to others – they'll have that same opportunity to love God because he first loved them (through us). God's love brings power – it's a force – a law – it can't fail.

Practicing and understanding God's love helps us to recognise who we are in him (not in us but in him) and when we have that kind of revelation, we can't stay depressed.

How?

Practice and perfecting (When you have been made perfect – God knows it's a process and wants to help us through it)

Be led by God and be sensitive to the holy spirit. Be still and sensitive to what God wants you to do. Try not to do it in your own strength (I'd feel constantly frustrated!). Remember that God's love is in us – consciously dip into it!

Well what do you want me to do.

Accept when it's the flesh and don't act on it. (when I kept my mouth shut)

We're human – if you don't get it right first time and get it worng (blow up), don't feel condemned (there's no condemnation in Christ. But do be quick to repent and if necessary, eat some humble pie!

What we'll be doing is dsciplining our flesh.

Now this may not be comfortable but we have the victory. We are not our flesh.

We are a spirit. We're born of God.

We have a soul (mind will and emotions)

and we have a body.

The body can be trainined and the soul (mind will and emothions) can be renewed to God's way of doing things. We can be lead by the spirit. And although the flesh will skwinny – in the end, we'll be thankful, grateful and victorious!

and be obedient to him. When he tells you bless someone – that's not going to be the devil! (Andy Gaor).

The fruit of love is Patience, kindness...