Paul Email -13August2013- What comes 1st?

How you doin? Speaking to a friend of mine last night facing calamity, reminded me of a familiar question... "how can I hear God and stay hearing Him". It sounded all too familiar. I've pondered this question for years (3). It's easy to see that we need God in crisis. When crisis hits, we tend to scramble around trying to make sure we're praying enough, well behaved enough, tithing enough, & living a Christian life enough in hopes that God will show up and help us. My friend reminded me of something I wrote on Sun. 8/11, "Perhaps I can't hear Jesus' call. I believe He calls ALL believers. There's no special prayer, church attendance quota, tithe, behavior criteria, or deeds that turns our Heaven cell phone on. Jesus calls... it's up to us to answer, respond, and receive "power and authority"'. So what do I/we do to hear Jesus? I suggest that we love Him and seek Him 1st.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (Matthew 6:25)
³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34)

This sounds great, but still doesn't answer how. These verses tell us what we need to do. Seek Him 1st... got it! Here's how.

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” ²² Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. ³⁰ I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, ³¹ but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.
COME ON!!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!! YES & AMEN!!!!!!! OH SNAP!!!!!!! DIG IT!!!!!!! If your not weeping right now you may be dead. Audrey and Paulie are bringing me tissues and asking me if I'm alright. This scripture is the most incredible promise, invitation, instruction, display of authority, power, & compassion I've ever read. I can't help but to know who I am after reading verse 20. Loving Jesus and seeking His kingdom sounds easy. When I hear that I think to myself, "ok, I'll do that", but then, as I have pointed out before, "why doesn't my life look like this". I have more undoing to be done. I still believe the lies I've been taught that steals my identity in Christ. I want Kingdom solutions for worldly problems. "Seek first his kingdom". "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching". The Holy Ghost will make this possible. I cry reading these verses, because the Holy Ghost shows me how God sees me in these verses. He also shows me the ridiculously extravagant love that God has for me. COME ON!!!!!!! What comes 1st... the love of/for Jesus or the lies of the world? Jesus 1st today.