Wisdom for Living: The Wisdom of Love, #11 | Mac Hammond
Recap
After hosting the powerful and anointed Flashpoint meetings last week, Pastor Mac expounded on how the meetings were not a political rally, but rather spiritual meetings where the power of the anointing of God could shape things to hear that we needed to hear about the dynamics of what is happening in the earth right now… which led to Pastor Mac providing clarification about what was happening in the Middle East with regard to the enemy invasion of Israel. Lastly, he concluded his “Wisdom for Living” series with his final message entitled, “The Wisdom of Love,” and how all wisdom that comes from God is filled with love.
Dive Deeper
The Flashpoint meetings were an investment of our spiritual knowledge to evaluate some of the political dynamics that are a corruptive force in our nation with an eye to how we can bring this nation back to God.
Regarding politics in the local church, there are two viewpoints:
1) There are those that love the freedom and openness to say whatever about politics in church meetings. They do not want limits on what to say about politics in church services.
2) And there is the other extreme where people feel like religion and politics do not go together. They want to keep politics out of church.
Pastor Mac explained his viewpoint and experience with mixing politics and church together.
Israel…
Regarding the upheaval in the Middle East, Pastor Mac strenuously made it clear that this upheaval is not about two parties who are equally responsible for the disturbance taking place right now.
The media has framed the narrative of this conflict as one group being occupiers and the other group being poor, oppressed people that are helpless against the occupiers. This is an inaccurate narrative.
This conflict between these two people groups had its start in Genesis. Both groups can tout that they are the seed of Abraham. One group is the seed and offspring of Ishmael, while the other group is the seed and offspring of Isaac, the child of promise.
What is happening is a spiritual war; however, God entered into covenant promise with the seed of Abraham. It is an everlasting covenant.
Wisdom for Living
Scriptural reference is James 3:17, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
There is a wisdom that comes from above, and there is a wisdom that doesn’t come from above.
The verses before verse 17 tells us about the wisdom that doesn’t come from above: “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (vv. 14–16).
Meaning there are things you might want to achieve and ways to achieve it that would minister to your sensual nature. This is a reference to self-gratification. The kind of wisdom that is not from above produces strife and division and confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, which means undefiled. It is peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, which means willing to yield to reason. It is full of mercy, good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Meaning it is available to anybody.
The Passion Translation says, “But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love. It never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form.”
That’s the wisdom of love. Love is synonymous with wisdom in the sense that it is filled with wisdom.
Wisdom is filled with love. Any wise choice you make, you will be able to see the earmark of love in it.
Meaning that the wisdom you seek God about will never be self-concerned. It will always reach out because love gives without regard to who it’s giving to. It is no respecter of persons. It is unconditional. It’s not related to performance. It is just pure love. And it’s not a feeling.
The Greek word agape means “to give.” Love is an action.
Anytime you ask for wisdom, you will see something that has something to do with love. Wisdom is always filled with love.
Read About It
Psalm 20, “The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; 2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; 3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. 4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions. 6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. 9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.”
Psalm 83, “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. 2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: 6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; 7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. 9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: 10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. 11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: 12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. 13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. 14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; 15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. 16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. 17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: 18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.”
Proverbs 4:7, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
James 3:17, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
Discussion Questions
Have you been confused about what is happening in the Middle East? Did the meetings help clear up some of the confusion for you?
What actions have you taken in the past that now you see were not a result of wisdom from above?
How would you change those actions to include wisdom from above?