Mentoring Minutes

The False Kingdom – The Serpent’s Deception

We’ve talked about Christ’s Kingdom and all Authority belonging to Him in heaven and on earth.  We’ve looked at the absolute Truth that comes from Him as Author.  Why aren’t we all on board?  Why isn’t everyone clamoring to be a part of His incredible Kingdom of Truth and Love? 

Maybe it’s because there is another kingdom that we must deal with and the lord of that kingdom lies, deceives and does whatever he can to appeal to our selfish desires to draw us away from Christ’s Kingdom and into his.  Satan is very good at what he does and we would do well to be aware and know that Christ has conquered satan’s kingdom if we will choose to walk away from it. 

Remember He will not force us to choose His Kingdom so we must be alert and self-controlled to the enemy’s deceit and lies (1 Peter 5:8).

“You Can Be Lord of Your Own Life”

Satan knew that God had given us free choice from the beginning, and that is where he got mankind to fall. And it’s still the source of every sin in our lives and world today.  You see, Satan can’t stand God and tries desperately to dethrone Him—but he can’t.  Yet God has given him an eternal kingdom that completely contrasts Christ’s Kingdom. So, Satan does all that he can to get us to believe that we don’t need a lord believing we don’t need to submit to anyone.  Said another way, you don’t have to think of yourself as anyone’s disciple.  But is that true?  More on this later as it is the root of The Fall and Sin. 

In direct contrast. Christ calls us to be His disciples and make disciples for Him.  Jesus calls us to be His “student-servants” from our chart in our previous post,  to learn from Him and then emulate Him.  If we are His disciples, then that is what we will do.  If we are not, then we must determine that there is another “lord” and we are someone else’s disciples.  Don’t fall for Satan’s lie; you are a disciple to someone.  You need to know who that is and what that looks like.

Ask The Spirit to show you how where you are when it comes to His Truth, Authority, and Lordship?

Who’s Your Lord/lord – Satan’s Greatest and Only Deception

You’ve likely heard many sermons or messages on Satan’s lies and deception to lure Eve and Adam into sin and The Fall.  They almost always focus on how he questioned God’s Word and called God a liar, substituting partial truth and lies.

All of this is true, as we will recount, but I want to focus on something I think is much more alluring and therefore destructive in Satan’s scheme.  He not only used it as the final and fatal appeal with Adam and Eve, but it continues throughout history and with us today.

 Take a look at the Genesis 3 interaction between the serpent and Eve with my paraphrase that I pray will help you more fully understand the same tricks he uses in our lives. 

“Did God really say…” (v. 1) – Two things to consider here for our own walk with Christ as Lord: 1) Rephrase this and ask yourself, “Do you really know God’s Truth?”  That’s what he wants to know. Are you spending time to know His Truth or can the enemy confuse you with the same question? 2) Note how cunningly Satan asked if God had restricted them from eating from any of the trees.  He didn’t just focus on the one God had forbidden as he wanted Eve to think it through to see if she truly knew the Truth of what God had said.  How easily we can be deceived if we do not spend time in His Word to seek and know His Truth.

“We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” (vv. 2-3) – Eve’s reply reveals that while she had some knowledge of God’s Absolute Truth, it was not complete.  The question itself coupled with her partial knowledge accomplished two things that the serpent desired: 1) Partial truth led to her confusion and; 2) Her response literally “created” an alternate or relative “truth,” one that likely worked in her favor.  Now we have “two truths,” God’s and Eve’s.  What to do?  Relativism is not a modern or post-modern phenomenon; it is as old as human nature itself and the enemy used that very human nature and the free will necessary for love to exist to confuse and deceive.  God’s Absolute Truth can never be compromised.  Don’t fall for the lies.

“And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die:” (v. 4) – The serpent calls God a liar without even using His Name.  He simply appeals to Eve’s desire to live and recants God’s Words, yet Eve still has not given in.  The Serpent is just laying the groundwork for his grand finale and the source of every sin since, including yours and mine.

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (v. 5, bold emphasis mine and added) – Ah, the coup de grace for the serpent (likely Satan but never stated in Genesis) that continues to appeal to every human being that has ever existed.  And, according to Romans 3:23, all of us have fallen for it! 

Only Two Kingdoms, Two Kings, Two Lords

Track with me here as we see the serpent build on the confusion and, I believe, desire coming from the free will that God had given Adam and Eve to accomplish his ultimate goal: death or separation from God.  Using the cunning script he has devised and carried out with Eve, he springs the final trap and in so doing secures his prey. 

He does this again in two strokes that we all struggle with:

1) He uses a lie to appeal to Eve’s free will.  The lie is this: “Guess what?  You don’t need a God or Lord; you can be lord of your own kingdom and life!”  Brilliant!  He knows that free will desires to be in control and he offers a pseudo kingdom—our own—knowing that when we choose to reject God/Christ, there really is no other kingdom but his.  He doesn’t want us to know that and he doesn’t care that it’s a lie.  He simply knows that when we reject Christ—when we claim Him as Savior then live out our own lives in our own kingdoms—that what we’ve actually done is choose the only other kingdom: Satan’s.  I know this is tough to swallow, but it’s reality and we need to understand it.  We need to know who our Lord/lord is? 

2) He finishes the deception by presenting relativism to Eve (and to us): “You will know good and evil.”  How awesome is this?  The Hebrew word here for “know” includes, and is properly translated as, “classify.”  In other words in one fell swoop the enemy presents us with our own non-existent kingdom that our flesh loves, and now that we have it we can make up our own rules and laws.  Sound familiar?

It’s this simple: there are only two kingdoms, which means there are only two Kings/Lords.  You’re not one of them, and neither am I.  There is only God’s/ Christ’s Kingdom of Light and Life and Satan’s kingdom of death and darkness.  You and I do not have a kingdom; so don’t fall for the lie that you can be king or lord, “like God.”  In light of this, it’s even more important to know God’s Word, living in Christ and written in The Bible, so you can know Him and know that you belong to His Kingdom.

The bottom line:  We can and must know to which Kingdom we belong.  Don’t be deceived.  Know Christ as Lord and know His Truth.  He died to make it possible. 

Path to The Fall and Sin

For practical purposes, check out the path below found in the serpent’s temptation that led to The Fall and Sin of Adam and Eve and persists in our sins today.  Think about how this applies to your life, temptations, sins, and struggles. Christ has made a way to rescue and redeem us from The Fall and Sin. 

1. Confusion – “Did God really say…?” Do I know His Truth? 
2. Deception – “Surely you won’t die.” Do I fall for subtle lies?
3. Touch – “You must not touch it.” Relativism leads to initial appeal to the flesh.
4. Taste – “Pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom.”  Satisfy the flesh (senses/emotions rule rather than God’s Truth).
5. Indulge – “She took some and ate it … and he ate it.” Please the senses (self).
6. Addiction/Bondage – “They realized they were naked… made coverings for themselves.” Now trapped in their sin they must cover it up.

Christ came to earth and took on flesh in the form of a baby in a manger for the express purpose of dying for our sins so that our relationship with God could be restored.  His death on The Cross removed our sin(s) before God and made the way for us to live forever in His Kingdom.  It’s your choice.

Whoever is Lord in your life determines your every motive, thought, decision, action, and relationship.

Who’s Lord/lord of your life?  Knowing Christ as Lord and His Truth makes all the difference when the subtle lies and temptations come from the enemy.  It’s a matter of life and death—and eternity!

In the world, authority is demanded, manipulated, and all about control and “lording it over” others, even when we do it nicely.  In God’s Kingdom, authority is invited influence in the lives of those who have willingly surrendered.

The Rest of the Story

If you remember we started this series of posts on the 2 Kingdoms with the story of *John.  You can read the intro here.  Here’s the conclusion…John arrived for our weekly “iron sharpening” time, it was evident that something had changed.

He began to share with me that the previous week when we were discussing whether or not Christ was going to truly be Lord of his life, relationships, everything, including his sex life, something clicked.

He said that as we discussed the sin of pornography/porneia (Greek word for sexual immorality or sexually immoral mindset and root word for pornography), lust, and promiscuity, that The Holy Spirit literally overwhelmed him.  That’s when he abruptly left.  I’ll let him tell you the rest of the story as he shared it with me:

“There is no way you could have known last week that I was planning to take my girlfriend from work the following day and spend the weekend at my lake house where we would consummate our wonderful “Christian” relationship.  The Holy Spirit made it clear that I couldn’t follow through on that.  I left the restaurant and after spending some time in prayer, tears, and asking for forgiveness, I went straight to her office and asked her to come with me.  She obliged and I took her to a quiet place and explained what we’d been talking about and that there was no way that we could go away for the weekend.  In tears I asked for her forgiveness and she graciously gave it.  From that day forward my life was changed.”

You see John had rationalized that porn and sex as a divorced man and with other women from bars and strip clubs were okay until God began to show him the consequences of his actions.

After dating a nice Christian lady for a few months that rationalization had changed. He was now committed and faithful to one person, so surely God understood that they were meant for each other and could act upon that sexually prior to being married.  He knew better, but the temptation was strong.

Choosing to be obedient to Christ as His Lord, John and his girlfriend chose to remain abstinent until they were married six months later.  He called me from their honeymoon to thank me and confirm that the union of love in covenant was far better than any other experience he’d had.

Just like John, we all have the fruit(s) or temptations rooted in our selfish fleshly desires that we either know are wrong and pursue them anyway, or justify and deceive ourselves in pursuit of them.  Their end is destruction as John found out.  When he understood and began to walk with Jesus as Lord, everything changed. 

Nearly 12 years later, John and his wife are now mentoring other couples to walk in The Lord.

What a beautiful blessing and reward to know your Lord!  It will change everything for your good and His Glory.  It’s called Discipleship and it’s the only response that makes our lives worthwhile. 

“Never nourish an experience which has not God as its Source, and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you try to lord it over Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? He must be Lord over you, and you must not pay attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. There comes a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience — “I do not care what I experience; I am sure of Him.”  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Contact Love and Lordship and let us know what you’re thinking and how we can help. 

Check out @Loveandlordship for L&L LIVE every Thursday at 4pm on our Facebook page for more.  Also you can find videos and podcasts at www.loveandlorship.com.  Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!

*All names anonymous

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Have you ever thought of satan’s greatest deception as appealing to your flesh with a lie that you can “be like God/god” (be your own lord) and still belong to Christ’s Kingdom?  If not, how does that change how you see your commitment to Christ’s Kingship/Lordship?

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s) – Take some time during your Bible study, prayer and quiet time to reflect on areas of your life that are not fully committed to Christ’s Kingdom and Lordship.  List those areas where you have compromised with regard to His Truth and rationalized where you have done so.  What do you need to do to bring all of your life into Christ’s Kingdom…for Him to be Lord of all your life?

We all need to be on the same page and that begins with a solid foundation.  That foundation must reflect the authority on which we base our decisions, and build our lives and relationships.  In other words the foundation, good or bad, is rooted in lordship and discipleship. Who is your Lord/lord (Christ as Lord or the enemy as lord)?  Who are you a disciple of?

In order to establish our lives on the right foundation, we must also understand that the most important word in any language is Truth, God’s “capital T” Truth!  Stated another way, Lordship and discipleship reveal everything about your life and what you believe.  Regardless of what you state to your spouse, when you sit in church, at the office, or anywhere else, your daily life choices reveal that you have a lord and you are someone’s disciple.  Do you know who that is?

Let me share with you how we help people begin to understand this universal principle and, even more importantly, to recognize how it is playing out in their lives, relationships, and world.  Remember, from our previous post, that absolute Truth is the most important word in any language.  If we don’t have an absolute foundation of Truth then words and their application can mean what anyone and everyone wants them to mean.  What happens when the inevitable conflict occurs in disagreement?  Everything else crumbles if we don’t have Truth.  The following five words and contrasting definitions are not all-inclusive, but they are integral and help us cover a lot of ground in getting people to see where they truly live out their lives.

With this chart we can begin to ask questions, discuss how their decisions are made, and ask them to share what their answers reflect as far as the “truth” they are revealing.

No one argues or questions the worldly definitions; we’ve all lived them.  Remember, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23.  This is the root of the deception and sin.  

As we apply Scripture defining each “TRUTH” along with the contrasting worldly concepts, we lay the foundation that helps us determine who is truly our lord/Lord and the impact that has on our lives.  Following is the Scriptures and brief explanation that, again, helps us grasp His Truth and whether or not we are walking with Him as Lord on this foundation.

1) Love as Commitment – The Truth lies in Christ and The Cross as the greatest example of Love ever given.  In Matthew 26:53, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” With this statement, Jesus tells us He had a choice in the matter and none of it felt good. 

Think about how Jesus felt relationally as His best friends all abandoned Him?  Matthew 26:56

How do you think He felt socially with the crowds crying, “Crucify Him!”?  Matthew 27:22-23

What about mentally and emotionally as He was in so much anguish in the garden that He sweat drops of blood?  Luke 22:44

Obviously He did not feel good physically as He was mocked, spit on, flogged, beaten, and crucified.  Matthew 26:67-68; 27; 26-31; Luke 23:33-34; John 19:1-17

One final thought on love and feelings: How do you think He felt spiritually as He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34

Think about it, if love were a feeling, as our culture predominantly defines and lives it today in nearly every situation, then what would Jesus have done?  He would have looked to His Father and said, “Nope, this feels awful and if ‘love’ is a feeling, this must not be love at all. I’m outta here!” 

Instead because God in Christ is the Author and Authority, the Truth is that love is a commitment.  He loved His Father and us, so He remained committed and obedient (in love) to His Father and for us to show us what love truly is. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

By the way, we must understand that Jesus here is modeling the greatest commands for us.  In Luke 22:42, we see Him petitioning the Father and fulfilling the greatest command by submitting to His Authority (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29), asking if He could be spared from the cup of suffering and sacrifice if there was any other way.  Obviously, the answer was no (a great lesson for all of us in that God always answers our prayers but not always as we think best) as Jesus then continued to submit to and fulfill The Father’s plan.  In following through to the Cross—He is obedient; showing His first and highest love was to His Father (Mark 12:30).  As He then completes God’s plan in dying on the Cross, He is giving His life in an ultimate act of love (John 15:13) for all who would believe on Him—you and me—loving others as He loved Himself (Mark 12:31). 

Love is a choice, a commitment, an act of the will for the sake of others, according to The Author’s words and example.

2) Humility as True Confidence and Contentment – I once read a Tweet from a prominent author and pastor that said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s not thinking of yourself at all,” echoing a very common quote and misconception about humility.  It sounds really good according to the world and how we can attempt to get people to place others above self.

Matthew 22:39 states, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”  Romans 12:3 says, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you should but think of yourself with sober judgment according to the measure of faith God has given you.”  And finally, Jesus Himself modeled this kind of humility and love in John 13:1-5 (emphasis on v. 3) where it reads, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.”

According to God’s Word and Christ’s example, humility is knowing who you are in Christ so you can choose to place others above yourself.  God must have known that unless we are confident and content in who we are, any consistent attempts to put others above self would end in “false humility” or pride.

3) Authority was explained in previous posts with the clear contrast of the disciples and the world desiring to control or “lord over” others in Christ’s Kingdom (Matthew 20:20-24) and Christ teaching authority as serving others (vv. 25-28).

4) Integrity is another very interesting term that has been watered down in our culture by placing success and reputation above character.  Hall of Fame Coach John Wooden said, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”  There are numerous examples in our culture where people propped themselves up with success and an outward reputation claiming integrity only to see it crumble revealing the very lack of it. Think Enron, Firestone, and Worldcom in the early 2000s just to name a few.

Integrity according to God’s word is very closely related to the Greek word for integer or akéraios, which means whole, integral or undivided.  If you remember your second grade math lessons, you’ll know that an integer is a “whole number.”  Integrity is also found in the Hebrew word, “Shalom” which is most often interpreted as “peace.”  So what do whole numbers have to do with peace and integrity?  I’m glad you asked.

Shalom, in Hebrew, actually has at least 27 related meanings, as we understand it in English.  The closest English word to capturing the full meaning of Shalom is “completeness” or “wholeness.”  Integrity or akeraiótita, from the same root word as integer or whole number, means much more than just making everything look good.  It literally means uprightness and is found in wholeness.  We find Shalom or peace when we apply the whole of God’s Truth to every part of our lives.  This is the character of integrity, not the world’s compromise of reputation sufficing for character.

I hope this brief explanation of terms has helped you.  Even more so, it would serve you well to remember them in light of God’s Truth as we dive deeper and apply them to every aspect of our lives and discipleship walk and relationships, especially in marriage, family, and His Church. 

5) Finally, we come to discipleship.  This is crucial in understanding Lordship as it defines our response to whoever is Lord/lord in our life.  Just as profound, if not more so, is our understanding of the enemy’s use of this in our lives.  We will build on discipleship in future posts.

We’ll wrap up this series next in next week’s post, Lord willing.  Share your comments and let us know what you’re thinking and how we can help. 

Check out @Loveandlordship for Love and Lordship LIVE every Thursday at 4pm on our Facebook page for more.  Also you can find videos and podcasts at www.loveandlorship.com.  Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Understanding the absolute nature of God’s Truth in His Word and in Christ is essential for us to come against the relativism (truth as relative) and the deception that always accompanies it.

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s) – During your devotional and quiet time take a look at each of the 5 words in the chart above and determine how you’ve been living your life…according to the world’s definitions or in line with God’s Word?  Determine what steps you need to take each day to assure that you’re living in line with His Truth.

The Kingdom and Lordship of Christ

“Temptation usually comes through a door that’s been deliberately left open.”

         Scottish Theologian Arnold Glasgow (1905 – 1998)

*John came up to me after a Sunday morning church service and asked if I remembered him.

“Of course,” I said, “I worked for your dad one summer.”

“Dad’s got late stage cancer and I’m running the company now,” he said.

“So sorry to hear that.” I replied, “How can I pray for and help you?”

“Can we meet?  I’m struggling and I understand that you work with men and couples in difficult relationships.”

“We sure can.” I looked at my calendar and we found a time to meet.

Then I asked, “How can I pray specifically for you?” 

He shared, “My first marriage is over and I’m losing my two children as well.  I can’t let that happen and I need help.”

That exchange led to one year of weekly mentoring and discipleship.  John explained that he’d chosen his own lifestyle in his first marriage.  While he provided well for his first wife and children, he didn’t like that he had to be home when she wanted him to be.  He wanted to do what he wanted to do. 

John’s passions and desires were not unlike those of many young married men with two little children in the house.  He wasn’t getting enough attention (read sex) so he found it wherever he could—bars, strip clubs, business trips, etc.

His wife had had enough and filed for divorce.  It went from bad to worse as John continued to seek his own desires in all the same wrong places, and now it was getting ready to cost him his children. 

That’s where The Lord began to get his attention, but old habits die hard, especially the ones that bring us the most and immediate reward.  Sexual sin is one of the easiest to fall into and by far the most difficult to conquer and get out of.

He knew The Lord but had decided, like so many others, that he was doing fine as he continued to live as he desired, show up at church, give a little money, and convince himself that all was well.  After all, the reason we had connected was because he was dating a lady that went to our church and that was going pretty well.

About four months into our weekly discipleship we found ourselves in a deep conversation about lust, pornography, and sexual sin.  He abruptly got up from the table at our usual restaurant meeting place and told me he’d explain the next week in person.  He didn’t want to share it over phone or email.

 I wished him well and prayed for him as he hurried out the door.  The following Thursday he came bounding into the restaurant with a big smile on his face and plopped down in our booth. He proceeded to tell me why he had so quickly left the week before, a story you’ll read later in the chapter.

John was living much the same way as many others in our day and culture.  Even if they attend church, it’s usually not so much to know Jesus but to interact and mingle, assuage their conscience, and/or keep up appearances.  Or maybe it’s because their girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse, even their extramarital “partner” goes to church and that’s their motivation.  However, their lives do not reflect that Christ is Lord.  They may be at church, but they are still looking in all the wrong places because their hearts do not fully belong to Him.

The fictitious Father Smith sums up how many live their lives apart from God unknowingly seeking Him, “The man who rings the bell at the brothel, unconsciously does so seeking God.”  (Bruce Marshall, The World, The Flesh and Father Smith.)

We could substitute various options for “brothel,” and many of them are nice compromises that we’ve justified and condoned in place of Christ as Lord.   We fill the emptiness with drugs, drink, food, sex, marriage, spouse, children, family, on and on—even “church.”  Many of these only destroy lives and several are very noble and worthy, but none should supersede Christ in our lives.  

Augustine said it this way: “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”

Christ as Lord

In previous newsletters we discussed and determined that God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the Authority and as such we need to look to Him, in particular to Christ, as The Father has placed all Authority in His hands.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” – Matthew 28:18

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.’” – John 17:1-2

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.”       – John 13:3

As we’ve already established, our natural selfish desires with regard to authority always incline us toward demanding respect, control, attention, and results.  Jesus contrasted this with Godly Authority in every way – being last instead of first, serving instead of being served, placing others above self. 

John’s story in the intro tells us, and we can all relate, old habits die hard.  It is difficult to let go of control, especially once we’ve gotten it and it works for us.  That literally means we’re playing “lord” in our lives and not submitting to Christ.

So, what’s the big deal, you say?  I’m a good person, attend church, don’t kill or abuse animals and help needy people every once in a while.

That’s nice, but you do see that you’re justifying “lordship” of your own life against the standards of the world, all while feigning Christ as Lord?

What does Jesus say it means for Him to have authority and to be Lord of our lives?  Let me give you a visual that helps explain this idea, and also will help us recognize when we are deceiving ourselves when it comes to who is truly Lord/lord of our life.

Whenever someone asks to come see me about what’s going on in their life—marriage and family or otherwise—I don’t begin by saying, “Tell me about your problems or struggles.” I begin with the following chart and concept to begin to find out where their heart is…

Lordship –> Discipleship –> Relationship –> Sin/Problems/Issues

I then follow up with this statement that sums up the initial step toward a solution to every person’s or couples’ problems: “All of the issues we will discuss today stem from the first two, but so often we only deal with the symptoms that occur in the latter two.”

Lordship is of Utmost Importance

For many, the root issues become apparent right away. Yet often, as with John in our story above, we have to dig deeper to find what is really being fed or protected before the person will truly admit that they are trying to run their own life.  As we will see, the enemy’s greatest deception is, “You can be captain of your own ship, master of your own fate; you don’t need a lord.”  He’s simply appealing to our natural desire to be in authority, in control.

At this point I will ask the question, “How’s that been working for you?”

Usually the light begins to flicker and maybe even come on.  Now we can talk about why it is of utmost importance that Christ is Lord of our lives and the evidence, no matter how much we want to think otherwise, is that we have not made Him so.

Another of Satan’s greatest deceptions is that in luring us away from The Author he can now get us to define key words and concepts according to our whims and desires rather than according to God’s Truth.  We’ll unpack the story of sin and the fall a bit later in this chapter to show you how the enemy lures and deceives us.

We alluded to this in Chapter 1, but we must take it further. I’m going to do so with perhaps the most misused and misunderstood word in all of language, especially in today’s culture. 

Dr. Gary Chapman, author of Five Love Languages, states, “Love is the most important word in the English language—and the most confusing.” 

I agree that it is the most confusing word, generally because we have defined it outside of God’s Word and Authority as feelings or emotion-based and that is dangerous (see chart below).  I don’t agree that it is the most important word in our language, but the fact that we so often attribute it as such creates much confusion and many problems.  We have chosen to relatively redefine terms, again falling for Satan’s deception to lure us from God’s Authority and Truth.

Whenever I ask couples or conference attendees to define “love,” we have nearly as many definitions as we do people.  Why is that?  Because we’ve fallen for the lie that “love” is whatever we want it to be in making us feel good and fulfilled.  It’s all rooted in feelings and satisfaction. 

As they said at NASA, “Houston, we have a problem!”

We continue this series over the next couple of weeks.  Share your comments and let us know what you’re thinking and how we can help. 

Check out @Loveandlordship for Love and Lordship LIVE every Thursday at 4pm on our Facebook page for more.  Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Every motive, thought, decision, action and relationship reflects who is Lord in your life.  Whoever is Lord/lord in your life is revealed in every outcome based on our choices and actions.  Have you given much thought to whose Lord/lord of your life?

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s) – Take some time each day and reflect on what your decisions, actions and relationships say about who is Lord/lord in your life.  Determine who is your Lord/lord (don’t deceive yourself) and if it is Christ determine further to continue to live as such.  If not, find out what you need to do to move out of satan’s kingdom into Christ’s and make Him Lord.