"Pursuing love" places itself as most prominent and sovereign in the overall hierarchy of kingdom laws

     With what is nothing more than an attempt at a "perspective reset", when it comes to the specific feedback loops of living "inauthentically", the various man-made attempts at addressing the human condition are not void of all benefit and value. Neither is there ever no human enjoyment or satisfaction from either the exercise disciplines, or from the life-style, soul-realm reflections of these man-made wellness programs. Having said this, it all needs to be put into some kind of context and clearer perspective.

     Man is born with a "sense of incompleteness" that presents as a "void or hole" in the heart of man, a hole that man endlessly pursues to fill. There is only one thing that can ever fill that hole, and that is restoring the umbilical with God. Because that is specifically what created the hole in man's heart in the first place. All man-made pursuits are effective, yes, but effective at the "symptom layer" only, and they endure merely for a moment until the next necessary installment or partaking. They also all vary in their depth of spectrum coverage, mostly addressing either the first layer, or the first two layers only, of the three-layer "body, soul, spirit composite" that makes up man. The particular variety of each man-made panacea subsequently pursued, requires constant revisiting and refreshing to dull the symptom. And if those who partake of the lifestyle practices of, for instance, Yoga, do so fully knowing this, there is no harm done. It's when people are looking to the likes of Yoga, or any other man-made industry, to remedy at the "root cause layer", that their ambitions ultimately become unstuck. It is at this level of focus that this "perspective reset" is aimed. Neither Yoga, nor any other man-made pursuit or industry, will ever be able to restore the umbilical at the root cause layer. It will merely silence the feedback loops to the void for a brief moment in time. And as any reasonable logic will prove, it's only when you get to the "root of the problem", that the feedback loops will, once again, begin to point at the human condition of "living authentically".

     The "kingdom charter" is the collection of absolute truths and principles that operate specifically with the singular purpose of fully restoring man's severed umbilical with God. These are those priceless laws of kingdom physics that set a pilgrimage trajectory to a Garden-of-Eden relationship and mode of living. And when it comes to kingdom living, as His "kingdom charter", God decrees that as kingdom denizens, we are to all "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy." (1 Corinthians 14:1). As God puts it, being all called to be "IMITATORS of Christ" (Ephesians 5:1), and as such, being then also "prophetic", is something that in God's own words is "greatly to be desired".

     From this single statement, we can clearly tell that one of the "highly preferential bylaws" to authentic and effective kingdom living, is especially "that you may prophesy". And of this particular preference, God clearly then shakes the reality tree, when only a mere handful of verses later, He remarkably declares "For you all CAN prophesy, one by one." (1 Corinthians 14:31). So not only is prophesy preferable for one and all, but in fact, by God's very own account, we all CAN actually prophesy. Not one, but ALL.

     In the interests, then, of expressing and accomplishing the high "office of love", in order that we may thereby glorify God, and honour His peremptory blueprint for our lives, God expresses His perfect will that not only SHOULD we all prophecy, but that we should all greatly DESIRE TO do so as well. And in our desiring, we are to furthermore desire it ABOVE ALL OTHER gifts. At this time, the obvious and correct question to logically follow, then, is none other than simply, "Why?"

     As we contemplate the real reasons as to why, it is at this time that we notice an intentional "pairing of prescriptions" in this very same sentence. In a single statement, God's kingdom charter decrees that together with "pursuing prophecy", that we are to all also "pursue love". In the span of a single breath, through this deliberate pairing, God forever establishes a masterful connection between, firstly, "pursuing love" and then, secondly, "pursuing the prophetic". From this marriage by association, and in an order of incremental seniority too, God simultaneously defines that the abiding laws of kingdom physics all cascade in a mantle of hierarchical preference and priority.

     At the very outset, based entirely on what proceeds "first" from the kingdom charter, being at the same time, then, also the opening and "framing argument" of all that is to thereafter follow, by virtue of its notable preeminence, the earth-bound prescription of "pursuing love" places itself as most prominent and sovereign in the overall hierarchy of kingdom laws. In fact, the call to "pursue love" is the prevailing anchor caveat unto which all else thereafter cleaves, and from which all else furthermore takes its rightful expression and direction.

     Whilst being prophetic is one of the "blueprint principles" of kingdom physics, when it comes to authentically living and walking in the Spirit, "PURSUING LOVE" is decisively peremptory to all else. For this reason, what we then subsequently prophecy, and what we also thereafter bind and loose on earth and in heaven, are together a trademark exclamation point on the "sovereign pursuit of love". They are "signature expressions" of living and walking in the Spirit of Love. The reason for this imperative insistence on the pursuit of love above all else is self-explanatory. With incisive lucidity, God reminds us, lest we should somehow forget, that "if you have ALL these things (including prophecy) and HAVE NOT LOVE, you have NOTHING." (1 Corinthians 13:3). This reminder decidedly sets the pursuit of love to be the uppermost bar of kingdom life, and, therefore, for living and walking in the Spirit.

     What it also teaches is that besides the pursuit of love, of all those OTHER things combined, that God specifically singles out "prophecy" as that heavenly gift that is, above all other things, to be the most desired, most prized, and most sought after. It needs to be pointed out that without first referencing the pursuit of prophecy against the defining framework outlining "the priority of love", to suggest that we seek prophecy "above all else" in isolation thereof, or in the absence of God's masterful pairing, would ensure that the mandate to pursue the gift of prophecy above all else, would be thoroughly misconstrued. Without balancing the "above all else" of prophecy with the proviso of above all else EXCEPT the pursuit of love, it would consequently ensure all loss of context, and ultimately ensure improper kingdom posture. But now, however, through a divine coupling, we have the appropriate context that whatever we subsequently prophecy, must both "preserve and protect" the most high NAME of love, as well as "promote and profit" the great BANNER of love. Likewise, whatever we bind and loose on earth and in heaven must first and foremost both "protect and preserve" as well as "promote and profit" LOVE. And firstly, love “for God". And secondly, love “for our neighbour".

     In both this age, and the age to come, we also, thereby, now have the appropriate context of "position and priority" for all those other things that the laws of kingdom physics have to richly offer. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-3‬). The pursuit of love clearly FRAMES and sets the "lines of longitude and latitude" for navigating the dual call of living and walking in the Spirit.

     In keeping with this, God makes the further standout announcement that we are all made "in His image and His likeness". "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" (Genesis 1:27). This provides tremendous additional context as to WHY God couples "pursuing love" with "pursuing prophecy". Both "prophecy" and "what we bind and loose on earth and in heaven", are operationally tied to this defining "image and likeness" declaration. How they are tied, is that God tells us that "DEATH AND LIFE are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it, will EAT ITS FRUIT." (Proverbs 18:21).

     Life and death are in the power of our tongues. Life and death are in the power of God's tongue too. We see specific reference to this in Revelation 1:16, where it describes “a sharp, double-edged sword proceeding out of the mouth of Jesus”. Since the power of life and death prevails in all of our tongues, so too, then, does a sharp, double-edged sword, therefore, also proceed from our own mouths. Whereas the "sword of the Word" has the distinct double-edged authority to either bless or curse, our tongues likewise have the ability to equally bless and curse. In this way, it is TRUE therefore, that we are all EMPHATICALLY and indisputably made in both His image and His likeness. This likeness is both God's gift to us, and simultaneously, His great concern for us.

     By pointing this likeness out, like any invested parent, as "ABBA Father", God teaches us that with ALL the gifts attached to kingdom living, there is also attached real responsibility and accountability. This is specifically why God greatly desires both the "maturity and relationship" of the five wise virgins. This is precisely why God definitely does not desire the "folly and immaturity" of the foolish virgins (Matthew 25). In much the same way that in our natural life, where we first have to learn to walk before we learn to talk, so, too, in the spiritual do we first have to “walk before we can talk”.

     Now we begin to understand why God initially LEADS with the comment that we ought to all "desire prophesy", and then, immediately thereafter, astonishingly FOLLOWS with we all "CAN prophesy". And all with no contradiction. It is certainly especially right to desire the gift of prophesy. The reason, simply, is that like any Father, God only wants to give His children what they genuinely desire. Although all His gifts are without revocation (Romans 11:29), before He gives us the very desires of our hearts, we first have to be tested, just like Jesus was first tested in the wilderness before he began to walk in His earthly ministry. Until such time as we can be trusted with the responsibility of the gifts of God, and until we become both age and maturity appropriate to receive our desires from God, God simply won't move us into our ministries. Out of absolute love for us and others alike, until that time, He simply won't reward our desire for His gifts. Because like us, God is equally bound by His own rule of first and foremost "pursuing love" above and before all other things.

     Until, with a measure of certainty, God holds that we will use His gifts both responsibly and wisely, and exclusively to honour love, God will not permit any of us to walk in either the gift of prophesy, or any other gift for that matter. What is additionally helpful to appreciating this approach to parenting by God, is that God regards the one who "CONTROLS HIMSELF as "better" than he who takes a whole city". (Proverbs 16:32). Consider the sheer enormity of what He is saying. If all the accumulated effort, skill, wisdom and might of all those needed to successfully take an entire city are then placed into a single man, God regards the man who is able to control himself as "better, wiser and more mighty." That is an astonishing testament to the value God places on self-control. And it is for THIS reason specifically that God says that the fruits of the Spirit BEGIN "with love" and END "with self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). God is always incredibly intentional and deliberate.

     To wield such stellar self-control requires the relationship and maturity of the five wise virgins. Secondly, the framing argument for self-control is covered by the sovereign prescription that all our living and walking is to serve and glorify the pursuit of love. Only when we are suitably able to administer and dispense our binding and loosing, and our prophecy, with the correct type of wisdom, will God reward our desire with the gift of prophecy. This is why God says "wisdom is the principal thing." (Proverbs 4:7).

     Before we receive the gift of prophecy (so that we may then walk in the Spirit), we first have to hear (live in the Spirit). We need to demonstrate and prove that we choose to rather eat from to the “Tree of Life” (listen to God's wisdom) than choose to eat from the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (listen to our own wisdom, and decide for ourselves, what is right and wrong). Now we also understand why God says those who love the power of the tongue will "eat its fruit". Depending on our choice of source of wisdom, we will either eat the fruit of the Tree of Life, or we will eat the fruit of the Tree of our own wisdom and sense of right and wrong.

     For those who daily choose to rather eat exclusively from the Tree of Life, this is, incidentally, what it means to "die to self" and "take up our cross". In "dying to self", we renounce eating from our own wisdom. We renounce eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. In "taking up our cross", we renounce the sovereignty of self, and the government of self, for the sovereignty of God and government of the Holy Spirit. We restore the erstwhile relationship of the Garden of Eden that preceded the Fall. In this way, before we can walk in the irrevocable gift of prophecy, we need to first prove from which Tree we choose to ultimately hear. In order to prophecy, we need to eat specifically of the fruit from the Tree of Life. Only when we demonstrate consistent dependence on God for all things (live in the Spirit and eat from the Tree of Life) will God give us the desires of our heart, that we may, then, not only LIVE in the Spirit (first hear), but also WALK in the Spirit (then prophecy) (Galatians 5:25), and as such, effectively live and walk in authentic love.

- To God be all the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

- Blessings, Wayne Biehn