A New Commandment for a New Day

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:45 am Post subject: A New Commandment for a New Day

A New Commandment for a New Day

Scripture:

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch: Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith: and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained to them priests in every church and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed. And passing through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia. And having spoken the word of the Lord in Perge, they went down into Attalia. And thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been delivered to the grace of God, unto the work which they accomplished. And when they were come and had assembled the church, they related what great things God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. (Acts 14:21-27)

I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth was gone: and the sea is now no more. And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men: and he will dwell with them. And they shall be his people: and God himself with them shall be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more. Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me: Write. For these words are most faithful and true. (Revelation 21:1-5)

When he therefore was gone out, Jesus said: Now is the Son of man glorified; and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself: and immediately will he glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek me. And as I said to the Jews: Whither I go you cannot come; so I say to you now. A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another. (John 13:31-35)

Reflection:

To the children of His creation, He sends His Word with great love. To the children of His creation, He sent those who would preach His Word so that all may hear and all may see. His love He sends to all with great hope they shall receive it and will know in their hearts with what He has blessed them. To the children of His creation, He calls to all so that all may walk through the gates of heaven so that they may be counted among the eternally blessed. As the faith of one is kindled, He calls to that heart to share with another so that what was in the darkness may be brought into the light.

In the hands of a few, He places great trust so that the few of faith may grow to be many. To those who hear His Word, He gives the choice as to whether to accept His blessing. Through the generations, many have rejoiced as understanding sifts into their hearts. Through hearing and prayer, their hearts are filled with the understanding gifted by the Holy Spirit; an understanding which reveals the glory and blessings of the Lord. As it was then, so it may be today that the blind in spirit may be healed of their ignorance and see the wisdom of the Lord. In the days of awakening, many voices are raised in rejoicing as love grows and thrives in hearts across the land. In prayer, we should ask that we may see in our hearts the blessings of the spreading of His Word.

In the passing of time, what is old passes away so that the new may come. It is through the one who is forever that judgment shall be passed upon what comes from the hands of the children of His creation. He will decide the good which shall be kept and the bad which shall be swept away.

For a time, He has entrusted dominion of the earth to the children of His creation so that they may know the struggle of good and evil. For a time, He has left the children of His creation to their choices, but a day shall come where He will deliver His faithful from the ways of the world; a new day where all in His kingdom shall rejoice and praise His name. Blessed are those who prepare for this day, for they will be counted amongst the wheat to be gathered into His barn and not amongst the chaff to be swept away and burned.

As He prepared for the moment of sacrifice, the moment prophesied where all who believe in Him shall receive salvation; He gave a glimpse of the kingdom to come. He spoke to those present and the generations to which His Word would be spread, that He gave us a new commandment, a commandment to love one another as He loves us. In that moment, He revealed the blessing of heaven and how all might experience a portion of heaven while on earth.

In the commandment to love in service of one another, we find that which disarms evil. Evil is spawned of selfish desire. When our decisions are rooted in greed or we judge others so that we might feel superior, we open our hearts to evil. When leaders and rulers play the people as pawns for selfish reasons of power, only evil is served while the people suffer the consequences of decisions wrapped in the veils of good intentions. As evil stalks and seduces the children of His creation, conflict and great misery is unleashed upon the people. As evil fans the flames of selfishness, the foundations for crimes, corruption, wars and oppression are set. Evil seduces, then consumes; leading unsuspecting souls to eternal anguish.

Through the commandment to love in service of one another, the ways of evil are banished so that all might know joy. Selfishness serves but one heart while selfless love nourishes many. What one offers, one shall receive. When one offers selfishness, they shall receive the emptiness of selfishness; but when one offers selfless love, one shall receive the abundance magnified through all who offer from their own selflessness.

What He revealed to the generations is the path to eternal joy, but the faithful must remember that evil lurks to confound. The evil one cares not if we profess His Word as long as we do not live according to His Word, for if we are to truly believe in Him, we must live by what we believe. It does not matter what passes our lips if what we do does not reflect His commandments to love and care for one another.

The traps for our souls are many, but if we apply the test of love, we have the means to avoid them. As we walk our daily journey, we must question ourselves about what we say, what we do, what we fail to say and what we fail to do. We must look to the consequences of our choices and what our choices reflect. If the words from our lips and the work of our hands offer love in service of Him and one another, we follow His path; but when the consequence of our words and the work of our hands yields harm to the innocent, we walk the way of sin.

In prayer, we should ask that we are guided so that we are not deceived. When bitterness passes our lips or judgment or any work designed to elevate ourselves at the expense of another, we speak and act contrary to His call to love. In prayer, we should ask that we are guided, for though there is nothing we can do to buy our way into heaven, what He does ask is that we take His hand. If we are to accept Him, then, we must seek to offer ourselves to participate in the glory of His Works and the glory of His love.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier