Easy To Love

Hello precious and glorious Beloved Family!

As I sit here in Colorado, I find myself affectionately drawn to you all a thousand miles away.

Hear the sincerity of my confession. It is NOT because I am not enjoying every minute with all of our amazing leaders who serve y’all and Kay & I so well. We literally have some of the best leaders on the planet, and I am honored to do life with them. Honestly, I look forward to the time with these amazing folks as much as I do with anyone else, anywhere else. It is also NOT because we are not receiving some OUTSTANDING teaching and training from Andrew Wommack, Duane Sheriff, and Bob Yandian. It is also NOT because I have been in so many places and countries fellowshipping with, ministering to, and just enjoying all of these beautiful people around the world. It is simply because you are MY tribe… the kind of people who are truly cut from the same cloth as Kay and I are. Plus, y’all are living day in and day out for the same purposes that we are. There is no place like home… and Beloved is truly where my heart calls home.

Romans 1:8-12 (BSB)
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world. God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times, asking that now at last by God’s will I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

I would like to draw your attention to the difference in this type of, “emotional,” writing, that it is not an emotion of the flesh, but an expression of the spirit. Paul was writing that he was attracted to the faith (way of life) that the folks in the church at Rome were renowned to posses. Man… I know exactly what he was writing about. Also note that he was desiring to be with them according to, “God’s will.” Many believers never really consider or process a statement like this. There are people who God’s Divine will has orchestrated to be in our lives, there are times that we must be away from them for Gospel reasons, and there are obviously people that could try to get into our lives who are NOT according to God’s will. I pray that you mediate on that and it’s application for your circle of people.

Additionally, I want to highlight that there was a true, “longing,” in Paul to be there, physically, with them, to experience the things that God willed for both the minister and the church. It is not a one-way street of just one-sided receiving and one-sided giving. It is a supernatural connection of the flowing of grace between them both that was so special that it had to be done together, IN PERSON (not online or remotely) and Paul was deeply longing for it. There was a mutual encouragement that Paul anticipated upon his visit that was willed by and orchestrated by the comforting Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:2-4 (BSB)
To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

Please notice that the connection between the leader (Paul) and his disciple (Timothy) was literally so dear and intimate that Paul called Timothy his, “beloved child.” Wow… how touching and powerful that truth is for us today. Our society has been devastated by loneliness (stupid pandemic lies), fatherlessness (almost 50% of every born child today), divorce (the most destructive tool of the enemy to destroy the family), and dysfunction nearly unheard of in past generations. The, “normal,” of our world today is set up to destroy relationships and divine intimacy. Yet, here we see the supernatural solution to the darkness enveloping those outside of the Kingdom. What we have inside the Kingdom is a way to do family in a way that is completely foreign to the rest of humanity.

One of the ways that Paul was able to have the fullness of joy and strength that accompanies the supernatural, “joy of the Lord,” was through this Divinely connected relationship with Timothy. Notice how the sincere tears of a spiritual son in Godly affection was a compelling force in the Apostle Paul’s heart and planning. Here is something that few folks recognize because of how deeply religion has changed the Kingdom… there are people that are easy to love and others who require work. Notice how effortless and without difficulty there was in the free-flowing and legitimate Agape love between these two in ministry. This is an absolute rare breed expression of love today. How many people are striving to make themselves difficult to love and then feel justified in condemning all the people who will not express love to them. I see this ALL THE TIME! I strongly encourage you to be a person who is easy to love and thereby making yourself positioned to be available to change the whole world like Paul and Timothy did.

I pray that you receive the pure, powerful, and joyful opportunity that these few words offer to you. You are in a family that is genuine in the culture of the Kingdom and in the love of God. We are not perfect, but we are authentic. I would also, secondly, encourage you to go to your Father in humility and submission to seek how you can become one that is easy to love and desires to be a spiritual father, a spiritual offspring, or both!

This weekend will be so powerful when we come back together… my anticipation is accelerating!

I love you all greatly!
Steve