DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD

[Daniel’s desire was to please his Abba Father, so he felt they could not eat the king’s food and asked for a strict diet. Though a vegetable diet might have produced that wellbeing of the system in general, and of the countenance particularly, as mentioned here; yet we are to understand that there was a special blessing of God in this, because this special diet was taken for a spiritual purpose.] “…Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “PLEASE TEST YOUR SERVANTS FOR TEN DAYS: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. AT THE END OF THE TEN DAYS THEY LOOKED HEALTHIER AND BETTER NOURISHED than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” (Dan. 1:8-15) [The agape (the love of devotion) love of God and the love of earthly things are not compatible. If we give in to the love of the world, the love of God cannot reside in us; and if we do not have his love, we can have no peace, no holiness, and no heaven.] “Do not love [agapao] the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but WHOEVER DOES THE WILL OF GOD LIVES FOREVER.” (1 John 2:15-17) [Jesus said that we must observe all His sayings, and have our affections and conduct regulated by His Spirit and word!] “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…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.” (John 14:21-23)

Be blessed as you praise The Lord, knowing that JESUS AND THE FATHER WILL COME TO US AND MAKE THEIR HOME WITH US!
-Bill Stockham