Who loves the people, the one who is lying to them to get them to love him or the minister who is faithfully telling the people of the true Person, way, will, and eternal purpose of God?

The answer is obvious, to me at least—maybe not to everyone. I think we are so confused in America, so pressed by moral uncertainty and confusion, that we are not always able to perceive truth.

Love, love, love as proclaimed by much of society and also by the Christian churches—is as phony as a three-dollar bill.

It is not God's love. It is not the love of Christ. It is an imitation. Satan wants to be like God but not part of God. Satan wants to show love, love, love while he is looking for ways to destroy. His followers are like that.

Years ago I went to Iceland to preach. While I was there God baptized me with His love for the people of Iceland. I have never before or since had such an experience. I felt like every transistor in my personality was burning out.

I would have laid down in the street (and in Iceland that is saying something!) if it would have resulted in helping one soul.

This was not an attitude of love I adopted for the occasion, it was the real stuff. I wept many times, which for me is unusual. Even when I returned to America I was still weeping. It frightened one young lady of our church and she got back to the Lord.

That was a long time ago, and yet when I think of Iceland there still is something special . . . I guess this is what is meant by the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. It certainly surpassed my knowledge.

I am going to try to describe to you the main lesson I gained from this most unusual experience although I am not sure I can make it clear.

I learned about God's love. I learned that it is the basis for everything. I learned that the motivation behind all God does is His great love.

For many years previously I had taught about the Temple of God, about God bringing us into oneness with Himself in Jesus Christ. I had taught the new covenant. I especially favored the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John where the Lord tells us about eating His flesh and drinking His blood.

I held forth at length, and scripturally I think, concerning the new covenant.

And then the Lord showed me something: I was a noisy gong and clanging cymbal.

The motivation that moves God to desire a living Temple constructed from living stones is love—nothing else. God loves His living stones and God loves the people of the world whom He can bless through His living stones. It is a fiery, all-consuming love—the most powerful motivation in the world.

God's love is bringing us into union with Himself. True love always seeks union with the beloved.

To be continued.