Greetings MOL Family!

There’s another reason why Jesus uses us, instead of angels…

The Power of Love

Jesus uses us, instead of angels, so that we can talk to people. The people that we are sent to, know that we’re just weak, human beings like they are. And that encourages them to believe that the God who has done something for us in our weak, fallen condition, can do something for them. Do you see? This is so important.

This is why the preaching of the gospel was committed to erring men rather than to angels. It is manifest that the power which works through the weakness of humanity is the power of God; and thus we are encouraged to believe that the power which can help others as weak as ourselves can help us. – The Desire of Ages, pg. 297

That’s the thing. Here’s a man that’s been a slave to tobacco, but God has delivered him. The power of love has transformed his life. Does he have a witness to bear to other men who are puffing away? Oh, yes. Here’s a fellow who was an alcoholic, but God has delivered him. The power of love has broken the chains of alcohol. Does he have a witness to bear? Yes.

Now, some of us don’t have that witness to bear. Some of us have never smoked. We’ve never taken alcohol. But I want to tell you something, friends, everyone of us who knows Jesus has had a battle that Jesus has given us victory on. Suppose it’s the question of reading. Can a person get drunk with reading, the same as somebody else can with alcohol? Oh, yes, it has happened. I know. I remember when I was in my early teens, I got hold of a book and it was supposed to be a good book, too. It was a religious novel on the life of Christ. But I got drunk on
that as much as I could with beer, I’m sure. Oh, yes.

Well, I thank the Lord He gave me the victory over that. Now I can try to help somebody else that’s having a battle with reading. And I know by experience that there’s power in the love of Jesus to break that habit of reading that diverts the mind from God.

Now, there are many other things. Take worldly amusements. I remember when there were certain amusements that would just grip my soul, and I’d rather be in those amusements than I would to eat. And I like to eat, too. That competition – to see who could beat, who could win. Oh, that just thrilled me.

Well, I thank the Lord that His love got hold of me, and I found something better than that. When I see people that are just filling their minds with that competitive spirit, I understand how they feel. And I feel like getting my arm around them and helping them, not to condemn them. Not to say, “Oh, what you’re doing is wicked.” But, “There’s something better. There’s something more wonderful than that. It’s not beating people. It’s loving people.”

I tell you this, the more you love people the less interested you are in beating them. That’s right. You want to lift them. You want to help them. Instead of leading them to get a low score, you’re anxious to help them get a high score. And that would just destroy a lot of forms of amusement, because if you’re playing a competitive game, and everything you do is to help the other fellow win, you can see what would happen to a lot of these things.

But oh, there are so many things to do in life that we can show our love for people, to help lift them instead of our desire to better ourselves at their expense. My point is, friends, there’re all kinds of things in which you and I have had experience in seeing the love of God change us. And these are avenues to souls.

Were you born with a critical tongue? A fault-finding spirit? Has Jesus given you the victory over it? Then, instead of denouncing and condemning some other poor soul that has a similar trait, you’ll be down on your knees praying for them, and you will watch the opportunity to turn the conversation out of the channel of gossip and criticism onto the high plain of love for Jesus, and appreciation of His goodness.

Or has your problem been with foolishness? Jesting and joking? Just telling one silly thing after the other to make people laugh? Ah, friends, if Jesus has helped you to see that there’s something sweeter than that, something more pleasurable than that – to speak of Jesus and thank Him for all His goodness – then as you come in contact with others who are in a similar place where you were, you will watch for the chance to help them to see that there’s a better use for the tongue than folly, a better use for the lips than jesting and joking. And you’ll watch, not in a mean way, not in a critical way, but in a kind, loving way, to turn the conversation into the higher channels.

So it is all through life. Jesus says, “Do you love Me? Oh, Peter, do you love Me? Do you really love Me, Peter?” “Yes, Lord, you know.” “Well, then, I have something for you to do. I want you to feed my sheep. I want you to take care of my lambs. I want you to look after folks who need help.”

Yes, thank God, Peter was given his job back, again, of being a shepherd, an under shepherd, and that takes love. I’ve been quite interested in noting the difference between the eastern shepherds that Jesus was talking about and these western sheepherders. Out there in the west, you’ve seen these great bands of sheep. Well, you don’t see a shepherd out there walking along with a band of sheep following him, do you? No. You see men on horseback, and they usually have some dogs. What are they doing? Driving the sheep. Well, that’s one way to get sheep from one place to another, but there’s not necessarily much love in it.

Sometimes in the work of God, men become sheepherders instead of shepherds. They want to drive. And a sheepherder, to be successful in that, needs some dogs. I would hate to be either a dog or a sheepherder dealing with sheep, friends. But oh, to be a shepherd such as Jesus was, and such as Peter came to be, to lead, to get people to follow because they love you. To know you, and in knowing you, to know Jesus and love Him, this is the science of soul winning.

They Can See You

“Peter, do you love Me? Then I want you to love somebody else, that they may know Me and love Me.”

There are souls perplexed with doubt, burdened with infirmities, weak in faith, and unable to grasp the Unseen; but a friend whom they can see, coming to them in Christ’s stead, can be a connecting link to fasten their trembling faith upon Christ. – Ibid

Isn’t that wonderful, friends? Here is Jesus. By His Spirit He’s hovering over people, longing to reveal His love to them. They can’t see Him. But, oh, they can see you. And if you’ll let Jesus use you, He will guide you to that soul that needs help. And you can be the connecting link between Jesus, the One they can’t see. You, the one they can see, can be the connecting link.

You have one hand on Jesus, reaching up into the unseen world. He’s real to you. You know Him. You love Him. Now you reach out your hand to somebody that can’t grasp the unseen. They can’t picture the invisible. They don’t know the Master. But they’re hungry. They’re weary. They’re longing for help and you reach out and help them. You are the connecting link. Isn’t that wonderful?

Let’s read a similar thought:

As Christ has pitied and helped us in our weakness and sinfulness, so should we pity and help others. Many are perplexed with doubt, burdened with infirmities, weak in faith, and unable to grasp the unseen; but a friend whom they can see, coming to them in Christ’s stead, can be as a connecting link to fasten their trembling faith upon God. Oh, this is a blessed work! – Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, pg. 246

What do you say? This is indeed a blessed work. You know, friends, this is one of the great reasons that God gave us the medical missionary work. It’s to reveal this love. When a person’s in pain, oh, how much he appreciates somebody doing something for him, whether it’s putting on a fomentation or giving a rub or something that human skill and divine love may find a way to do.

So, in the medical missionary work, in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, comforting the sad, ministering to the sick, we find ways of revealing this love. That’s what it’s for – to reveal the love of Jesus that souls may be won to Christ.

“Peter, do you love Me? Do you really love Me, Peter? Oh, then I have something for you to do.” Now I want to ask you something, friends. We don’t have very much love. Would it be a good thing to get some before we try to help people? Oh, yes. There are those who think that their business is to set others right. And there’s a lot of setting right that needs to be done. But before we engage in such work, we need to be sure that we have love – plenty of love. Without love we may only make a bad matter worse. Without love we shall be, what did I read here? A failure. But oh, if we have love, then love will find a way.

That man only who has unselfish love for his brother has true love for God. …

 

Those who have never experienced the tender, winning love of Christ cannot lead others to the fountain of life. His love in the heart is a constraining power, which leads men to reveal Him in the conversation, in the tender, pitiful spirit, in the uplifting of the lives of those with whom they associate. Christian workers who succeed in their efforts must know Christ; and in order to know Him they must know His love. In heaven their fitness as workers is measured by their ability to love as Christ loved and to work as He worked. – Acts of the Apostles, pgs. 550-551

Now, how do we get love, anyway? There’s no factory that manufactures it. There’s no store where we can buy it. There’s no tree that we can go and pick it off. Love is of God. The unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. So, we must come seeking from Jesus the love that will make us efficient workers, today.

Together, MOL Family, we must unite and open the windows of the soul heavenward that the divine love from the mercy seat may come into our hearts. Shall we do that? Wouldn’t you like more love? Oh, I want more. I’ve had some, friends, and I’m like a boy who’s just had a slice of a big, ripe, red watermelon. I know what I want. I want some more of the same. I want some more of this love. Don’t you?

And we can have it. If we’ll come to Jesus with open hearts and give up our selfishness, He will give it to us. We’re told:

If we would humble our souls before God, and be kind and courteous and tender-hearted and pitiful, there would be one hundred conversions to the truth where now there is only one. – Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, pg. 189

Isn’t that wonderful, friends? How the results can be multiplied if you and I will just become more loving. But this is not a science to be learned, a skill to be mastered. This is an experience to be entered into. So, let us seek God for that love, even right now.

Please take a moment, pouring out your heart to God, asking Him to help you to enter into this experience, today. Jesus will hear our united intercessions…

Until next week – Invite a friend, and we’ll see you then…

-Continue on to the next study-

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There is a work that Christ is seeking for us all to unite in. A work to bring relief to this world of sin. But, this work must first begin in our own sin-sick souls… >> Learn More

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* This study has been adapted from classes taken by Elder W.D. Frazee.