{"id":12293,"date":"2015-02-04T09:01:11","date_gmt":"2015-02-04T14:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=12293"},"modified":"2015-02-04T11:47:06","modified_gmt":"2015-02-04T16:47:06","slug":"the-compelling-majesty-of-his-power-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=12293","title":{"rendered":"The Compelling Majesty of His Power"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 class=\"entry-title\">The love of Christ compels us\u2026 \u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?version=31&amp;search=2+Corinthians+5%3A14\" target=\"_blank\">2 Corinthians 5:14<\/a><\/h1>\n<p><!-- .entry-meta --> <!-- .entry-header --><\/p>\n<section class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"post-content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GXHxpLvv2y8\" width=\"620\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nPaul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by \u201cthe love of Christ.\u201d Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. \u201cThe love of Christ compels us\u2026.\u201d When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person\u2019s life. When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you \u201creceive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you\u2026\u201d (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Acts+1:8\">Acts 1:8<\/a>). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, \u201c\u2026you shall be <em>witnesses<\/em> to Me\u2026.\u201d Not witnesses to what Jesus can do\u2014 that is basic and understood\u2014 but \u201cwitnesses to Me\u2026.\u201d We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it\u2019s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane\u2014 he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for\u2014 to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of \u201cthe love of Christ.\u201d This total surrender to \u201cthe love of Christ\u201d is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God\u2019s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">_______________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>February 4 2015<\/p>\n<p>Journal Entry for Today-JDV<\/p>\n<p>Lord, this devotional made me think about the difference between obligations and rules and being motivated out of love. And then I began to think about the love I find in You from our connection and relationship. The rules? I too will break them. Lines in the sand, I too will cross them. But the love I find in You as a result of our connection and relationship, well that is a different thing altogether. But how can I make sure Lord that I am operating out of love and not obligations, guilt or responsibility?<\/p>\n<p>And God says\u2026\u201d<em>If you will seek Me first, in the morning, in the idea, opportunity, life and or challenge, I will make your paths straight. Acknowledge Me in all your ways, and I will lead, guide and direct you. I never wanted rigid rules and responsibilities for my children. They serve to demonstrate your inabilities and my mercy and grace. But when you put our relationship first, when you seek Jesus first, you are connected to Me and our relationship based on love goes on and on and on. Anything apart from love misses the mark. Love your God with all your heart mind and soul, and love your brother as yourself. You can do this through Jesus Christ who died and gave His life for you.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The love of Christ compels us\u2026 \u20142 Corinthians 5:14 Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by \u201cthe love of Christ.\u201d Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12293"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12293"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12299,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12293\/revisions\/12299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}