WORKS FROM THE MOTIVATION OF LOVE
WORKS FROM THE MOTIVATION OF LOVE
Kriston Couchey
THE LOVE OF GOD
Jesus was the perfect expression of the Love of our Father. Philip said, "Show us the father". Jesus replied, "Have I not been with you all this time and you do not know me? He who has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus also said, "The Son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do; for all that He does, this also the Son does together with Him." (JB 2000)
EVERYTHING Jesus did was sourced in the nature of His Father. He was ONE with His Father expressing the Love of his Father by what He did. In union with His Father, He did miraculous works that are still talked about 2000 years after the fact.
In Jesus we see divine compassion (love) of God that moving him to perform the miraculous works of God. Many accounts in scripture show Jesus performing miracles after being moved with compassion for people. He didn’t work wonders to prove to men who he was, he did the works of God to express the Love God has for people.
BEING JUST LIKE HIM
We also are called to be ONE with the Lord like Jesus. He is not calling us to do works to prove we are His, He calls us to His LOVE that meet the needs of those around us, just like Jesus did. It is not by works they will know we are His, but by Love that expresses itself though good works.
HE IN ME AND I IN HIM
The Lord spoke to me years ago when I was struggling with some things, "Believe that I am in you and that you are in Me!" I did not realize then the revelation I would be getting over the next 10 years about letting Him BE in me, and me BE in Him. It took me years to come to the place of abandoning my self serving ministry aspirations and just say, “I don't care anymore about fulfilling the ministry call you have given me, I quit! I just want to spend my time with you!"
HIM IN ME
When I abandoned my selfish ministry motives for the sake of knowing Him, the Lord took me into His arms and showed me the Joy of walking continually with His presence IN me. He removed all of my dependencies on MY prayer times and MY Bible readings and just came to dwell IN me with joy and constant communion. He was always there before, I just had to stop trying to prove by what I did that I was worth being loved. He just wanted me to receive His love.
After revealing Himself to me as ever present in me, He asked me "Will you let me break your heart?" I said "Yes Lord, but please not by the destruction of my children." He said "You will see the destruction of spiritual children, it is inevitable." He then proceeded to show me the bondage and state of the bride of Christ who was bound to religion and fleshly pursuits. I began to see the abuse and way in which men had taken advantage of her and stole her virginity. I cried out to God, "Lord send me I will go to her!" I weep even as I write this. The Lord had changed the motivation of my heart from that of doing ministry work, to being one of Love for His people, becoming one with Him in heart and purpose.
BEING IN HIM
Christ has an inheritance IN us, a place prepared for Him to dwell in the hearts of those who receive Him. But, we also have an inheritance IN Christ, the Lord HIMSELF being our inheritance. Jesus said "If you abide IN me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you." He IN us is the presence and Nature of God imparted to our being by His Spirit; we are partakers of His divine nature. But, being IN Him is embracing and walking by faith in the place IN His body He has prepared for us. It is the unique manner in which we were created to express to others the Love and goodness of God. This is the ministry He has called us ALL to; To express the love of God by our good deeds and the unique gifts and graces we each have received IN Him as members of His body.
Eph 2:10 - For we are God's workmanship, created IN Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
It is not works we aspire to, it becoming ONE with the Lord that we aspire to. As Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, so also He has prepared works for us before the foundations of the earth. We no longer do what we do for any motive other then the Love of God in our hearts that compels us. As we take our place IN Him He gives us authority to actually do the same works and greater than Jesus did to meet the needs of others.
THE KINGDOM COME = CHRIST IN ME AND I IN HIM
The reality of God in Christ was the Kingdom of God come to earth. Jesus said to the unbelieving Pharisees, "If I drive out demons by the finger of God then the kingdom of God has come to you." The Kingdom of God was come to them by Love expressed in works that He did.
Paul wrote, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” The kingdom of God is love expressed through power to deliver, heal, change, and restore. Jesus didn’t come to just be a nice guy; He came to destroy the works of the Devil and redeem mankind through the work of the cross, the greatest expression of love ever shown.
Jesus said, “As Father has sent me so I send you!” We are the containers of His Love, expressing this love by doing His works. Truly the kingdom of God is come in His people.
Kriston Couchey
http://my.opera.com/Boanerges/blog/
Kriston Couchey
THE LOVE OF GOD
Jesus was the perfect expression of the Love of our Father. Philip said, "Show us the father". Jesus replied, "Have I not been with you all this time and you do not know me? He who has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus also said, "The Son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do; for all that He does, this also the Son does together with Him." (JB 2000)
EVERYTHING Jesus did was sourced in the nature of His Father. He was ONE with His Father expressing the Love of his Father by what He did. In union with His Father, He did miraculous works that are still talked about 2000 years after the fact.
In Jesus we see divine compassion (love) of God that moving him to perform the miraculous works of God. Many accounts in scripture show Jesus performing miracles after being moved with compassion for people. He didn’t work wonders to prove to men who he was, he did the works of God to express the Love God has for people.
BEING JUST LIKE HIM
We also are called to be ONE with the Lord like Jesus. He is not calling us to do works to prove we are His, He calls us to His LOVE that meet the needs of those around us, just like Jesus did. It is not by works they will know we are His, but by Love that expresses itself though good works.
HE IN ME AND I IN HIM
The Lord spoke to me years ago when I was struggling with some things, "Believe that I am in you and that you are in Me!" I did not realize then the revelation I would be getting over the next 10 years about letting Him BE in me, and me BE in Him. It took me years to come to the place of abandoning my self serving ministry aspirations and just say, “I don't care anymore about fulfilling the ministry call you have given me, I quit! I just want to spend my time with you!"
HIM IN ME
When I abandoned my selfish ministry motives for the sake of knowing Him, the Lord took me into His arms and showed me the Joy of walking continually with His presence IN me. He removed all of my dependencies on MY prayer times and MY Bible readings and just came to dwell IN me with joy and constant communion. He was always there before, I just had to stop trying to prove by what I did that I was worth being loved. He just wanted me to receive His love.
After revealing Himself to me as ever present in me, He asked me "Will you let me break your heart?" I said "Yes Lord, but please not by the destruction of my children." He said "You will see the destruction of spiritual children, it is inevitable." He then proceeded to show me the bondage and state of the bride of Christ who was bound to religion and fleshly pursuits. I began to see the abuse and way in which men had taken advantage of her and stole her virginity. I cried out to God, "Lord send me I will go to her!" I weep even as I write this. The Lord had changed the motivation of my heart from that of doing ministry work, to being one of Love for His people, becoming one with Him in heart and purpose.
BEING IN HIM
Christ has an inheritance IN us, a place prepared for Him to dwell in the hearts of those who receive Him. But, we also have an inheritance IN Christ, the Lord HIMSELF being our inheritance. Jesus said "If you abide IN me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you." He IN us is the presence and Nature of God imparted to our being by His Spirit; we are partakers of His divine nature. But, being IN Him is embracing and walking by faith in the place IN His body He has prepared for us. It is the unique manner in which we were created to express to others the Love and goodness of God. This is the ministry He has called us ALL to; To express the love of God by our good deeds and the unique gifts and graces we each have received IN Him as members of His body.
Eph 2:10 - For we are God's workmanship, created IN Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
It is not works we aspire to, it becoming ONE with the Lord that we aspire to. As Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, so also He has prepared works for us before the foundations of the earth. We no longer do what we do for any motive other then the Love of God in our hearts that compels us. As we take our place IN Him He gives us authority to actually do the same works and greater than Jesus did to meet the needs of others.
THE KINGDOM COME = CHRIST IN ME AND I IN HIM
The reality of God in Christ was the Kingdom of God come to earth. Jesus said to the unbelieving Pharisees, "If I drive out demons by the finger of God then the kingdom of God has come to you." The Kingdom of God was come to them by Love expressed in works that He did.
Paul wrote, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” The kingdom of God is love expressed through power to deliver, heal, change, and restore. Jesus didn’t come to just be a nice guy; He came to destroy the works of the Devil and redeem mankind through the work of the cross, the greatest expression of love ever shown.
Jesus said, “As Father has sent me so I send you!” We are the containers of His Love, expressing this love by doing His works. Truly the kingdom of God is come in His people.
Kriston Couchey
http://my.opera.com/Boanerges/blog/
Comment
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Comment by Ron Kellington on February 11, 2009 at 1:41pm -
He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
You know, Kriston, the more I hear of the Spirit's working in your life the more encouraged I am about 'the process' I'm in of the Spirit's working in my life!
I wish I had responded to him like you did 10 years ago, but I missed it. Thank God He's more patient and persistent than I am. I probably would have given up on me a long time ago... He never gave up on me!!!
I was very encouraged by what you had to say because I've been going through a similar process as you, but I'm not as far along the Path as you are. I learned a while ago ... or recognized a while ago... that I have no sufficiency in myself and that I need to just let go and "allow Him to drive"... It's like the portion of Scripture I quoted above, it was the Father in Christ who did the works. In the say way, I'm learning that I must live by means of the Father's Life in me.. the same Life that is in Christ who said, "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."
You articulated it so well that I will send this (in its entirety) to the small fellowship I'm a part of ( a dozen of us ).
God bless you and your family, Kriston
Ps.24:6
your brother, Ron
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Comment by Clark Wade on January 30, 2009 at 3:00pm -
Hey brother,
I was much touched in the reading of this. It brings up some of my own journey in Christ and of my "ambitions" that weren't of Him but of and about me. You quote the Lord saying to you, "Will you let me break your heart?" It is only in this brokenness that we can become vessels of honor. But Oh what a hard lesson to learn, eh? I remember I said a long time ago, almost outloud in exasperation, "Lord, I'm about to give up!" And all of a sudden, I started laughing "outloud" when I heard our Lord say, "Clark! That is exactly what I want you to do."
You spoke in another blog of "Revolution or Reformation." I believe this revolution that is currently taking the church by storm is what you describe here as knowing Christ within us, and not just as an ascended Lord. So much of the preaching has been about doing good here on earth, reading our bibles, etc. and waiting for our "real" reward in heaven or the Second Coming of Christ. I really do consider the Second Coming of Christ as His "Third" coming. The glorious reality is that He really has come to us, now, and is coming to us, and waits for us in our inward parts to fellowship with Him in reality. The amazing thing brother is that the church is really waking up to this spiritual reality of Christ in us, and we in Christ. Now if we can show this reality to the world, the world would be banging on our doors to be let in. The gospel that we have presented is a church going, pew sitting, sermon listening kinda thing that is not the reality but a dismal reflection of something not found in scripture or practice of the early church. May we come alive to Christ in us, not as a theological abstraction and a subject for debate and even honor, but, as one translation says, "the secret center of our lives."
And that's awesome about your book brother. Please keep me updated on it. And that combine brings happy memories for me. When I was a mere lad of 16, I went on a custom combining crew up through Kansas and South Dakota. I drove one of those suckers. It was a great time for a kid. We slept in tents and got rowdy.
Bless you brother
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