Choose Me

1 John 3:8 (AMP) The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Beloved, resist the urge to create separation from Me. Refuse to choose anything which causes such separation. For I AM here, I AM with you and I have chosen you. In return, choose Me. 

And choose Me over and over as temptation comes. Know that relationship with Me exceeds the fulfillment or joy that anything else claims to give. So lay aside anything that would inhibit your closeness with Me, and pursue Me with your whole heart – just as I pursue you.

Known by Love

1 John 4:8 (VOICE) Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Beloved, I AM love. So if you truly know Me and reflect Me, you too will love – unreserved and without exception. You know those who know Me by the fruit that they bear. Those who do not walk in love do not truly know Me. So walk in love because you do. 

Those who have been given much are able to be generous. Be generous with love. Resist the urge to withhold it because someone has acted in an unloving way – that speaks to their character, but your response speaks to yours. 

Those who truly know Me, have felt the fullness of My love and know how limitless it is. They receive, and then like a vessel filled to overflowing they pour out that love to others from their abundant supply. So love and love well – refusing to withhold – knowing that you too will be recognized by your love. 

I AM Love

1 John 4:7 (VOICE) My loved ones, let us devote ourselves to loving one another. Love comes straight from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and truly knows God.

Beloved, I AM love. It is not simply that I love you without measure, but that I AM love itself. And you are made in My image. So love like Me – without restraint or limitation, without taking offense or growing impatient – love as I love. 

Love doesn’t mean always agreeing with someone, but it does mean being kind and long suffering when you don’t agree. And love doesn’t mean allowing yourself to be abused, but it does mean hoping for the best about that person and releasing them to Me.

So, beloved, choose to love and love well. For walking in love shares your faith faster and more effectively than any words could accomplish. And loving well makes you more and more like Me.

Choose Obedience

1 John 5:3 (VOICE) You see, to love God means that we keep His commands, and His commands don’t weigh us down.

Beloved, choose to walk in obedience not because you fear punishment, but rather because your love for Me is so great and your honor for Me goes so deep you’d never want to choose differently. You want to choose My blessings – the ones that come by obedience. Just as a good earthly father rewards good behavior, so do I. But even so, resist the urge to obey simply for My rewards. 

Instead just love Me so much that you want to obey My instructions with a joyous heart to demonstrate your love for Me. You know if I’ve said it, it must be important – even if you don’t understand. Choose obedience above understanding. Beloved, obeying My Word is not a burden, it is where true joy and blessing are found.

True Foundation

1 John 3:1 (TPT) Look with wonder at the depth of the Father’s marvelous love that he has lavished on us! He has called us and made us his very own beloved children. The reason the world doesn’t recognize who we are is that they didn’t recognize him.

Beloved, don’t be concerned when those around you reject or mistreat you, they did the same to Me. So refuse to take their actions as a measure of your worth, but rather trust My assessment of your value. 

I love you beyond measure. I cherish and adore you. You are the apple of My eye – the light of My world. Be filled to overflowing with the blessing of My love. Be so full lies and misperceptions from the world cannot shake your true foundation in Me.

Trust My Love

1 John 4:16 (TPT) We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them.

Beloved, trust My love for you. Relish and delight in it. Be intentional to see all the ways I lavish you with My affections. I know your heart and I know it well, for it is precious to Me. Abide in this place of intimacy with Me – cocooned in the safety of My heart for you. 

Allow My love to penetrate and saturate, and live as one with a keen understanding of being inherently worth loving – someone worth pursuing, someone worth giving it all for, for that indeed is My heart for you. And as you walk in the confidence that My love inspires, you will change the lives of those around you, and they will know Me more simply by knowing you. 

The Presence of My Perfect Love

1 John 4:18 (TPT) Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts…

Beloved, fear is abolished in the presence of My perfect love. You no longer need to fear punishment, for even though I chasten those I love, I do so in love. If I wound, I heal. And if I break, I bind. And even then beloved, I only do so when it is necessary and I AM with you through it all. 

You are cherished and loved. I AM not looking for things to reprimand you for nor seeking reason to punish you. I AM a good Father, and I love My children. Receive that love and be made whole. 

The Power Source

1 John 1:5 (AMP) This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].

Beloved, I AM El Ori, God your Light, and surely you must know the innate power light embodies. Light when harnessed can start fires or form a laser to create a tool both precise and powerful. Light illuminates. It brings truth. It mandates its atmosphere. Light controls the darkness, not the other way around. 

What can darkness do? It can distort and lie, but it has no real power. It has only as much power as the lack of light allows. And you are called to be a light – to reflect Me. So shine brightly. Don’t concern yourself with the darkness, but rather focus on the Source you are reflecting, for that is where the power comes from. So make room for the Power Source and reflect Me brightly. 

Be a Radiant Reflection

1 John 1:1-7 (TPT) …We testify to this truth: the eternal Life-Giver lived face-to-face with the Father and has now dawned upon us…

Beloved, let your life and your mouth testify to the truth of who I AM. Shine before men – a radiant reflection of My glory – that those who know you might know Me. Be mindful that your words and actions align with My heart.

Do nothing to intentionally diminish the evidence of My hand in your life. There will always be those offended by Me. Remember when the world rejects you, they first rejected Me. Walk in the truth that I have accepted you and in the end that is all that matters. Continue reading “Be a Radiant Reflection”

Drink Deeply

1 John 1:1-7 (TPT) …This Life-Giver was made visible and we have seen him…

Beloved, I make Myself known to those who love Me. My handiwork surrounds you. Choose to have eyes to see, hearts that expect, and minds that believe. Encounter Me. Without air and water, you have no life, but beloved, I AM the life-giver, how much more vital is relationship with Me?

I AM essential. Drink deeply. Be saturated and thoroughly satisfied in My presence. Refuse to waste your efforts on that which profits nothing, choosing instead to place your focus on Me. Flourish under My loving hand. Continue reading “Drink Deeply”