WHEN LOVE IS NOT SWEET

Love is powerful and mysterious in my careful consideration because it is full of varieties of emotions. Love can make you smile, and it can make you cry. It can bring out the best in you, and sometimes, if not well managed, can bring out the worst in you.

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I remember a song by Billy Ocean of those days when boys were boys titled “There’ll be sad Songs”. A part of the song says “... There'll be sad songs to make you cry, love songs often do, ... They can touch the heart of someone new saying I love you, I love you. ...”

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All he was trying to say with that song is that some songs can bring back some memories that would make you sad.

Another song Billy Ocean sang was titled “Suddenly”. Woo! That guy was a master of love songs.

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Back to the Bible. The story of JESUS is the story of love, and the story clearly expressed to us that love can be sacrificial. Love can bring pain. Love dimes hurts.

JESUS HIMSELF said ...

John 15:13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

One of the pains of love is when the one or ones you deprived yourself so much for abandoned you in time of trouble like it happened to JESUS ...

Matthew 26:56-57
“But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. 57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.”

True love is not tested in good times … when things are rosy and well, but in bad times … when things are not looking bright and nice.

Anyone can stay with you when the going is good, but only true lovers stay when the going is bad. That is why the scriptures severally made mention of the bond of true love in friendship …

Proverbs 19:4
“Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.”

I remember some years ago, when I was much younger … a song by William Onyeabor hit Nigerian Radio waves. It was a song with a simple lyrics as that goes thus: “When the going is smooth and good many many people will be your friend … But when the going becomes tough many many of them will run away … … higher higher higher higher Higher higher higher … “ . Another part of the song say, “When the going is good, You will have many friends, They will call you many names, They will say they love you, They will say they need you, And will say you are great, And so on and so forth, … But when the going is tough, Most of them will disappear, And they never come back, When they come back, They have come back to help in knocking you, Down, down, down, down ….”

What a song!

Though the rhythm and the beating didn’t really catch my fancy. Not really my kind of music, but … the message is true and ever green, and so relevant for all times.

The summary of the message of that song to me is, “TRUE LOVE IS A SCARCE COMMODITY”. True love is in short supply! If I can put it that way.

JESUS performed quite a number of recorded miracles, and I dare say, HE also performed a lot of miracles that were not recorded in the Bible. That was why we were told that if all the works HE did were recorded, no book would be able to contain them …

John 21:25
“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

No doubt, many people came around HIM because of what they could get from HIM, and HE knew it …

John 6:24-26
“When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”

That was why when HE began to speak hard WORDS of the Kingdom to them, many left HIM.

John 6:66-68
“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”

Love … True Love … has two parts. The TENDER PART and TOUGH PART.

Tender love and Tough love. Many people only want the tender part, and their love for that tender part had driven someone to compose a song called, “Love me jeje - love me tender…” by a Seyi Sodimu.

But the truth is that it takes the mixture of both tender and tough love to be grounded in love. But many only want the tender love. This is good, but it won’t give your love the necessary strength to carry on.

Back to our opening text.

All the while, the topmost twelve disciples of JESUS had experience the awesome Power being displayed by JESUS… HE made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, the dead to live again. HE wrought so many miracles, and they must have been proud of being associated with HIM.

It’s a good feeling to be a friend of a superstar. Somehow, the reverence being given to a superstar spills on the ones connected to the superstar.

That was what the colt that JESUS sat upon experienced. It was JESUS the people were honouring, but by virtue of the fact that he was carrying JESUS, he enjoyed the honour of JESUS too …

Mark 11:7-9
“And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:”

So, as I was saying, JESUS was a DIVINE SUPERSTAR, and the disciples were privileged to be connected to HIM. Infact, there was a time they wanted to arrest JESUS, and HE miraculously walked through them unhurt …

Luke 4:29-30
“And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,”

But in passage we read earlier on, the opposite was the case. JESUS had been arrested. HE had been crucified, and laid in the tomb. No more free food … no more miraculous acts … no more flamboyant gestures from HIM: and HIS twelve disciples, who all promised to stay by HIM through thick and thin, ran away in HIS time of trouble …

Matthew 26:35
“Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”

But when trouble came, they all forsook HIM …

Matthew 26:55-56
“In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. 56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”

Infact, Peter that was said to be the closest in distance after fleeing, was still far from HIM …

Matthew 26:58
“But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.”

What do you do when your HERO is being incapacitated? What do you do when the one that used to help you now needs help? What do you do when they one you used to be proud of is now in a situation you are not proud of?

Do you leave, or do you stay?

It’s a different thing if HE was nicely treated while arresting HIM, but HE was being humiliated, slapped, spat on, and all sorts of dehumanizing treatments meted on HIM …

Matthew 26:67-68
“Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”

At this time, no one wanted to associate with JESUS. Where were the 70 disciples we were told of in the scriptures earlier on? Where were the ones that ate of HIS miraculous bread? Where were the ones that benefited from HIS ministry of healing and deliverance? You mean, no one could remember the good times they have had with HIM in the time past, and stayed with HIM in HIS trying time?

Fast-forwarded to three days after HIS crucifixion. HIS BODY should have decomposed by then. No one dared to come near the tomb…not with the heavily armed soldiers put there. Everyone stayed away … but … wait a minute! … there came two ladies. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.

Matthew 28:1
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”

Matthew 28:5-9
“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.”

Wow!

These were real lovers.

They were not there at that point for healing, nor deliverance, not for miraculous supply, nor were they there for HIM to preach another impactful and insightful message of HIS. They knew HE had been crucified three days before. They knew HIS BODY would probably be stinking at that time. They were there just to be with HIM …in HIS dead state. .. to see what they could do to reduce the stench of HIS decomposing BODY. And if nothing they could do, they just wanted to weep for the fact that they missed HIM.

What love?

Sometimes, love is hidden in unlikely places. Who could have thought it would be Mary Magdalene that would be there for JESUS, and not HIS biological siblings or HIS key disciples?

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That’s why sometimes, it’s good to spread your goodness to people beyond your circle of friends and family because you may never know who GOD will use to reach out to you in the time of your need.

Who was this Mary Magdalene?

Mary Magdalene was a woman from whom JESUS cast out seven demons …

Luke 8:2
“And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,”

Mary Magdalene was at that sepulcher, not for any flamboyant reason, or anything she could get from JESUS, but what she could give to JESUS. The main disciples, who ought to be much closer to JESUS, didn’t show up.

When you’ve prayed and prayed, asking GOD to change a situation in your life which could be bringing you pain or shame, and HE seems unperturbed … will you still love HIM?

JESUS showed true love to HIS FATHER when HE went through hurts and pains for the things HE didn’t do that HIS FATHER wanted HIM to bear. HE even received a disapproval of HIS request from HIS FATHER .. yet HE refused to put up a negative attitude...

Mark 14:36
“And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

When all you started before have suddenly gone ahead of you to achieve what you have been trusting GOD to achieve for a long time … will you still stay with HIM?

When your hopes seems dashed, and your confidence in HIM seems let down … will you still love HIM?

Job was a true lover of GOD through pain and shame. He said …

Job 23:8-9
“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:”

Job 13:15
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”

WHEN LOVE IS NOT SWEET … WILL YOU STILL STAY? … WILL YOU STILL LOVE HIM?

One day, JESUS showed up again after HIS resurrection, and Peter rushed to meet HIM again, and like the old times, JESUS brought success to Peter’s fishing venture …

John 21:5-6
“Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.”

John 21:13
“Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.”

John 21:15-17
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”

The same question JESUS is asking you today. “Lovest thou me more than this?”. Do you love HIM enough to be insulted for HIS sake? Do you love HIM so much to keep on serving HIM faithfully even when things are not going well in your life, or home?

GOD is looking for true lovers ...

John 4:23
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

Proverbs 8:17
“I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”

After passing the test of love, there would be promotion and abundance..

Psalm 50:5
“Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.”

I went somewhere to pray one night, after the ministration and other things I did in church that day. Somebody was supposed to follow me to a place, and at around 10pm, the person called me, and I was not ready. I was busy somewhere else, and by the time I was through with what I was doing there, it was close to 11pm.

I drove to the brother’s house to pick him up to go and pray where we planned to pray earlier in the day. As he entered the car, I said, “Welcome to the world”.

At such time, many have slept off, and I was yet to get home. We finished the prayer session at around after-eleven pm. I didn’t check the time I got home, and I was to be in church around 6am the next day.

You want the anointing and all the good things you see around anointed men of GOD sometimes? Embrace the sacrifices he makes in a regular basis without complaining or grumbling here and there, and you’ll have more that the anointing he had been given by GOD to do all he does.

After the thrill is gone … will you still be there for HIM?

Prayer: FATHER, please touch my heart to love you genuinely at all times in JESUS’ NAME.

HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY And have a blessed week ahead..

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