Elysia Principle #3: The Attitude of Gratitude

Jul22
by Michael King on July 22, 2020 at 6:03 pm
Posted In: fundamental truths
gratitude

Saying Please and Thank You Says “I Love You” In Many Ways

Just as God loves a cheerful giver, He also loves a thankful heart. When you think about it, that makes perfect sense, because we love it when someone expresses gratitude for things we do for them.

In Elysia, acknowledgment of those who serve us and do us good is a core principle. An attitude of gratitude says ‘thank you’ to both God and man for the big and little things they do for us. It also helps us to concentrate on the good that is happening in our lives. Saying thank you goes a long way towards honoring those around us.

Be a realist in God, believe for the impossible!

Many people, under the guise of being a realist, focus on the negative aspects of life. They believe that “telling it like it is,” somehow protects them and others from disappointment. However, though we do not advocate saying things that are not true, we do believe that accentuating the good things in life is a better way to live.

Moreover, God desires to bless us and that is a fact, even if things seem difficult at any given time. Being the one person who says, at the Red Sea, “Yes Moses, God’s got this!” is a better mindset to have than those who cried,

“And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?”

Exodus 14:11

Expecting positive things in God is most often right

Declaring a thankful heart to others and to God is often true, because in a short while God does bless us. Isn’t it better to err on the side of faith and be proved right, than to be downhearted and be proved wrong?

Faith moves the hand of God. When we believe that He is able to deliver us, even though we see no natural way forward, it pleases God to make a way. Often, when things seem the worst, that is the precise time to lift your hands up and thank God. Jonah did that and just a short time later, he stood on dry land (though he probably stank to high heaven!).

An attitude of gratitude is the way forward

Being positive and thankful doesn’t mean that we will never have a down day. However, if in general we seek to be upbeat in God, then if someone is temporarily down, we can lift them up or even carry them through if they can’t manage it.

The truth is this,

“It all works out in the end!”

Faith by Jordan Feliz

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Elysia Principle #2: Whatever Is Not Of Agape Love, Is Not Of God

Jul21
by Michael King on July 21, 2020 at 10:24 am
Posted In: fundamental truths
agape

Love One Another, As I Have Loved You

Loving one another is a commandment from Jesus himself. Yet, the way Tabernacle Saints keep his commandment is different than many have been taught. We do not love only from our natural love, we mostly allow God’s love to flow through us.

True love from above is self-sacrificial love. In other words, Agape Love puts others’ needs first and does not seek it’s own. This is the best kind of love, because it always prefers to do what is best for another person rather than concentrate on what we desire. Therefore, Agape Love does no harm.

Let God’s Agape love flow

In Elysia, we believe that whatever is not of Agape Love is not of God. If our motivations are selfish, self-centered, or focused on our own wants and desires, it is a fleshly, earthly love not worthy of Elysia.

Some may say that, “If I focus on others’ needs all the time, how will my needs be met?” This is the paradox of Tabernacle Love, but Jesus says,

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”

Mark 8:35

Likewise, when we love unselfishly, in giving we receive God’s love. In God’s economy we gain by losing, we receive by giving, and we experience His love by loving others.

The Niagara of God’s love

The Love of God is like a great Niagara Falls. When we take a cup of cold water from it and give to another, it doesn’t diminish the available water at all. In fact, if we took cups of water and gave it to everyone we met, the waterfall would still be just as big. At no time, by giving water to anyone, do we lack a cup of cold water. So it is with God’s love, it is infinite and no matter how much of it we give away, we always have more than enough to satisfy ourselves.

In Elysia, our desire is to allow this waterfall of love to flow out from each of us, quenching everyone’s thirst. As we connect with God through one another, His love flows through all of us. All we do is become a love faucet, allowing His love to pass through us. In the process of giving God’s love, we supernaturally experience Him, too.

God’s love never fails

This type of love never fails, for it is Divine. Whereas earthly love has limits, God’s love meets whatever need it is presented with. We love without limits, but only as the Holy Spirit leads. Our own desires do not figure into the equation, because as we give ourselves away, Jesus flows through someone else to love us.

Therefore, the rule of thumb in Elysia is:

Whatever is not of Agape Love is not of God

If our motivation for doing anything is self-centered desire, then all or part of it is not of God. When we do something out of selfless desire to bless another or a whole group, what we do is most likely led by His Holy Spirit.

It’s not about perfection, it’s about yielding to God’s Spirit and trying our best

Again, we don’t expect those who come to Elysia to be perfect. No one has perfect love to begin with. Agape love is an ideal, a goal, a destination that we only attain as Jesus lives through us. As we yield to God’s love, allowing His character to flow through us, we become love. When we make mistakes, we seek to learn from those experiences, too. Elysia is a safe place to love for individuals to find out what God’s love is all about.

We need to completely rewire our concept of what love is

In conclusion, learning to love as God loves requires a whole rewire of our concepts about this area. Many have been taught that restriction is next to godliness. Therefore, their concept of God’s love is extremely narrow. Elysia is a safe place to experiment with His love as He leads. Those who are more acquainted with yielding to God’s love provide leadership and guidance, but you must experience His love yourself. True leaders gently guide God’s sheep for the sheep’s benefit, not their own. When their master comes, they step back and allow Him to speak to His sheep, doing as He pleases with them.

Finally, Agape Love does not harm

Finally, if you act from a place of Agape Love, you do no harm to others. Even if you make a mistake, it will be an honest one, and when aware of it, you’ll correct it swiftly. Thus, there is no need for constant supervision or many rules, because the Holy Spirit Himself is your teacher. In a true Agape environment, there is very little need for correction, because God Himself is in our midst. Amen.

Love Each Other by The Renewal

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