NEW BEGINNINGS - STANDARD OF PERFECTION

Dear Precious Child,
   Jesus said something very plainly and without hesitation.  He said for you to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.  In that statement He was talking about love and that you must be perfect in loving others.  He said to love your enemies and to pray for them.  He called attention to the fact that I am no respecter of persons, that I do not release My blessings on some people and withhold them from others.  He said that I cause it to rain on the just and the unjust and that I make the sun to shine on the good and the evil. 
   My Son Jesus said that when you love your enemies that you will be known as My child.  He was describing unconditional love, the kind of unconditional love that treats everyone the same, with honor and respect as well as love.  My love is the same for the sinner as well as for the saint. (Matthew 5:43-45)  Jesus was stressing in that teaching that you must be perfect in loving others as I love you, unconditionally and without reservation. 
   He contrasted My unconditional love with the love of the unbelievers and tax collectors who only love those people who love them.  He said that there is no reward from Me for only loving those who love you.  He said that you must greet with equal love both your family members and strangers.  Then He said that you must be perfect in loving others just as I am perfect in loving everyone.
   The people who heard that message were confused but challenged.  They knew that they had never been able to love people unconditionally and the instruction of Jesus was a challenge, also one which the hearers thought was impossible to attain.  I knew that it would be hard for My children to love as deeply and unconditionally as I do, but I also knew that after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when He came to live in My heaven that He would send My Holy Spirit into the earth to live inside of My children who invite Me into their own spirits.   As a result of having My Holy Spirit of love in them, He knew that I would provide the power and ability for My children to love with My perfect love and that it would be possible through the power of My Holy Spirit and His ability to love unconditionally because He is My own Spirit, the Spirit of Love. (John 13:34)
   So it is easy to love others as I love you when you are born of My Spirit and baptized in My Holy Spirit.  When My Spirit lives inside of you and you are attentive to His words of love to you, then you have the ability and power to allow My love to flow from you like rivers of living waters.   It is not in your own fleshly power; it is only in My power of Holy Spirit that you can love others with My unconditional love.  So even though the challenge to love others as I love you remains, My children know that My love supplies the unconditional love necessary to love others as I love you, even to love your enemies. 
   When you are opposed or stricken or robbed or insulted by someone, you must know that  the devil is behind that action and that the way to overcome his power is for you to love your enemy as much as you love your friends and to pray for them.  In doing that, in spreading love in the earth, you have become perfect in love, just as I am perfect in love.  You are known as My child only by your loving your enemies as well as your friends and family.   Jesus said that even the tax collectors, which were a classification of politician at the time, that they love their friends and families.  It is the people who love their enemies who are My children because they are mirroring My love characteristics of loving the unlovable and the people who curse Me and call Me their enemy.  
   It is not easy for you to love others as I love you, and it's only possible with the power of My Holy Spirit.  First you must know My love for you, being firmly rooted and grounded in My love by your knowing the depth, width, breadth and height of My magnificent love for you.  (Ephesians 3:14-20)
   Meditate upon My words until you become intimately acquainted with My love in the inner man.   It is when you are rooted and grounded in My love for you that I am able to do exceeding, abundantly more than you dare think or imagine, according to the power of My Holy Spirit that is in you. Fear has to leave you when you are rooted and grounded in My love because perfect love casts out fear.
   Jesus would not have told you to become perfect in love if it were not possible to do it.  Seeking to know Me with your whole heart and to know My love is the secret to knowing My love.  You must diligently seek to know My love.  With My Holy Spirit's power, nothing is impossible.  My Spirit is the Spirit of Love and He will teach you how to love others unconditionally.
    You must come to Him in faith for Him to teach you  (James 1:5-8)
    Your Father of Love and Mercy