12 Pillars of God
“Love”
Part - A
By
Nita Johnson
Transcription of New Orleans Teaching
His love is just captivating me. Open your hearts to His love tonight. I think He wants to reveal His love to us. And, guess which Pillar we are going to talk about tonight? Lo0ve.
There are many Pillars of God, 20-25 maybe more, and while I've never stopped to count them, I did want to know what the 12 Pillars of the Kingdom are. I asked the Lord for a long time, many years, in fact, for the answer to my question. What Lord, are the 12 most important Pillars of the Kingdom? I asked Him for a long time.
Then, just a matter of weeks ago, I was in California ministering in the Church we had our Gathering in that week. I was preparing to minister that Sunday morning, and the Lord spoke to me suddenly in prayer. It was early in the morning, and out of the blue He said to me: "I am now going to reveal to you the 12 Pillars of the Kingdom." I was so excited as I scrambled for a pen and paper. I sought Him for so long on this subject; He was about to reveal powerful truths to me, and I didn't want to miss a single point. Before I could even get the paper and pen out, the vision started! Worried I'd miss something, I said to Him, "Slow down, Lord, please slow down, I want to write out everything, and I don’t want to miss a thing!" Can you imagine? Well, we captured it, and you’ll see them tonight as I minister.
Friends, the season we are heading into almost demands that His children grow and develop particularly in these 12 areas or "Pillars" of the Kingdom. Difficult times are coming, very difficult, but if you establish yourself in the 12 Pillars, you will not waiver. You will be steady, strong and God will take care of you. You will walk in the faith that will sustain you. These Pillars are very important for the days ahead, especially if you want to remain strong. You want to know and commit them to your heart.
Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 13:1. "IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."
As you and read these scriptures I want you to think about everything very carefully because that is what’s going to heal your soul and that is what’s going to make you strong. Tonight I’m going to read to you out of the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. I want you to listen very carefully to the words because every word written here, has you in mind. There is a love letter from Jesus in this chapter. When you get a wonderful letter from someone you love very much, don’t you read it again and again? Perhaps, you even go over each line slowly, savoring it to ensure that you capture the full meaning of the letter, and you don't misconstrue anything. That is what I want you to do because this is a love letter from Jesus.
"If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging symbol." [1 Cor 13:1 AMP]to
In your Christian walk, have you ever wondered to yourself; Am I a "noisy gong" to anyone? Who, when they relate to me, hear a noisy symbol because I don't walk in love? If I have a prophetic gift along with the gift of interpreting the Divine will and purpose, along with an understanding of all the secret truths and mysteries of Him, with all knowledge but don't walk in love, I am worthless in the Kingdom.
Listen to the words here, listen to warning provided in this scripture. You can have the capacity to know the deep mysteries of God and yet not be mature in the nature and character of God. Even still, if you know all of the wonderful mysteries there are to know, but you do not walk in love, you are worthless to the Kingdom. If I have sufficient faith so that I can move mountains but have not God's love in me, I am nothing—a useless nobody. Those are powerful words. Those words written by the Holy Spirit, are strong, but they are words God wants us to know because there’s something better in store.
You do not have to live in a world where love doesn't abound. Rather, you can live in a world where love consumes, motivates, and moves you. Not only can you but you're called to love here and anything less is not good enough to God. He wants us to grow up. (Is that statement too hard?) He want's us to grow up where He calls us and gives us the grace to go. Even if I dole out all I have to the poor in providing food and even surrender my body to be burned for His name's sake but have not love, I gain nothing. Some think the ultimate gift is to die as a martyr for Christ. However, the Bible warns us in advance, without love, we gain nothing.
This life is not about what you can show; it is what you are to become. You can be the finest preacher in the body of Christ. You can tell the church all of the heavenly mysteries. You can work to get the church to see the great signs and wonders you move in but if you have not love, you are useless. Those are rough words, and I think Paul used rough words a lot, but few ever loved the way he loved. How many have you ever heard of who stood before the Lord and said: I would, that I would be cursed for all of my brethren, the Jews? You have to understand this is the Bible God put His stamp of approval on; it is His Word.
When Paul said those words, he was not lying. Paul was willing to go to hell, forever, to save even one Jew. Do you have any idea the level of love that it takes to do that? That is a lot of love, and this man who loved so much said the chief thing is love. He flowed in tremendous signs and wonders, but he said that’s not what is most important in the Kingdom. He was one of the most incredible prophets of the New Testament Church yet he said this is not what makes you of value. It doesn’t matter how many people you lead to the Lord; God wants us to lead people to the Lord, that is very important, He wants us to flow in the gifting He gives us; that too is important.
What matters most in the whole scheme of things is love. When you stand before the Throne, God is going to say to you, “What did you do about love?" You can answer, "Lord, You know I gave everything I had away; I didn’t even keep food for myself. I constantly gave to the poor. I was wracked with sickness. Even when I was miserable, I’d walk the streets to give to the poor."
He will respond, "And what about love?"
"I loved those poor!"
His reply, "But what about the others that I brought into your life. How did you love them?"
"Oh, well..."
Consider this for a moment. When things happen in our life, especially really difficult things, we may think Jesus is angry with us, or, perhaps disappointed with us. You might even say He is disciplining us, not because He loves us, but because He’s angry, displeased, or disappointed with us. It's quite the opposite.
The Bible tells us Jesus is not self-seeking; He is never self-seeking. If He has to discipline us, it is out of His highest love for us. Since He puts it upon Himself to suffer with us in the discipline, He says: "When you are afflicted, I am afflicted." The same is true if we are going through difficult trials. He chooses to bear the af0fliction to give us something of worth in our trials. He’s not self-seeking. I don't know many who will do this for us, but Jesus will.
It’s all about becoming like Jesus. Jesus is patient with me, He is kind to me; Jesus is never envious of me, He is never envious of my progress or anything that I receive, He never boils over with jealousy. Jesus is not boastful. Have you ever sat and talked with someone who liked to brag about everything they do, everyone they ever knew and ever thought to know? How easy is it to sit and talk to someone like that about? It’s very difficult, isn’t it? Jesus doesn’t do that. He’s never boastful. He’s not vainglorious, nor does He display Himself haughtily. Jesus is not conceited, arrogant, inflated with pride. He is not rude, unmannerly, or act unbecomingly; Jesus never insists on His way. Have you ever gone into an argument with the Lord? Have you ever argued a point out with Him? He never insists on His way—even if it is best for you. He does not demand His rights or insist on His way. And, He is not self-seeking. All of this is amazing when you think through each of those points, but when you consider it as a whole, only Jesus could do all of this consistently.
To be continued next week...
In His Amazing Love,
Nita Johnson
