Learning to Love

1 John 3:23New King James Version (NKJV)

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

I struggled for months to find love in my heart for someone who had hurt me deeply. I avoided contact with the person because I was truly ashamed of my inability to love this person as commanded by my Lord and Savior and I was afraid that my words, behavior or demeanor would poorly represent my Lord and Savior.

I moved quickly past the point where I was angry and even vengeful towards this person, but I seemed stuck in a position of stroking my wounded spirit. It was fairly easy to stop wishing them distress, but seemed impossible to truly wish them well.

I asked the Holy Spirit, in prayer, to help me to move beyond this stalemate because it prevented spiritual fulfillment and just felt wrong.

Luke 6:32-36New King James Version (NKJV)
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.                                                                                                    33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.                                                                                                          34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.                                       35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.                                                                                                           36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

This morning I was led to revisit some of the definitions of “Love” and to seek a better understanding of what it was that I was praying for.

I found the following definitions at http://typesoflove.org/four-types-of-love-greek-style/; and, through study felt a great weight lift from my heart.

  

Agape

This is an unconditional love that sees beyond the outer surface and accepts the recipient for whom he/she is, regardless of their flaws, shortcomings or faults. It’s the type of love that everyone strives to have for their fellow human beings.                                    Although you may not like someone, you decide to love them just as a human being. This kind of love is all about sacrifice as well as giving and expecting nothing in return.      The translation of the word agape is love in the verb – form: it is the love demonstrated by your behavior towards another person. It is a committed and chosen love.

Phileo

The phileo love refers to an affectionate, warm and tender platonic love. It makes you desire friendship with someone. It’s the kind of love which livens up the Agape love. Although you may have an agape love for your enemies, you may not have a phileo love for the same people.                                                                                                          The translation of the word phileo is love in the noun – form: it is how you feel about someone. It is a committed and chosen love.

Storge

It is a kind of family and friendship love. This is the love that parents naturally feel for their children; the love that member of the family have for each other; or the love that friends feel for each other.                                                                                                   In some cases, this friendship love may turn into a romantic relationship, and the couple in such a relationship becomes best friends. Storge love is unconditional, accepts flaws or faults and ultimately drives you to forgive. It’s committed, sacrificial and makes you feel secure, comfortable and safe.

Eros

Eros is a passionate and intense love that arouses romantic feelings; it is the kind that often triggers “high” feelings in a new relationship and makes you say, “I love him/her”. It is simply an emotional and sexual love. Although this romantic love is important in the beginning of a new relationship, it may not last unless it moves a notch higher because it focuses more on self instead of the other person. If the person “in love” does not feel good about their relationship anymore, they will stop loving their partner.

I am convinced that it is Agape Love which is demanded of me. It is love which wishes well, provides a willingness to help if needed and truly expects nothing in return, not even good will.

WOW! I can do this. When I separated my needs from His Commandments it was like a light in a previously dark room.

35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.

Even though I would have strongly denied that I wanted anything at all from this person it simply was not true. I wanted respect, I wanted honesty, I wanted fairness; and I refused to love until I got what I thought were my due.

I thank God for the light of His Word.

I thank God for a higher reward, a reward beyond the capacity of this person to give. My reward for faithfulness to His Commandments is the joy of being a child of the Most High.

I seek His mercy for myself and those I love. I strive to extend the mercy of true forgiveness to all. I pray the help of the Holy Spirit in times of weakness.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

The GIFT of the Holy Spirit

Dr. Wilbur Smith, a seminary professor, once stated, "The man who denies the Trinity will lose his soul. The man who tries to understand the Trinity will lose his mind." We, who are finite, cannot comprehend God, who is infinite.

Romans 11:33-34Living Bible (TLB)
33 Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! 34 For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide?

It always amazes me when I run into people who base their denial of the existence of God on their inability to explain Him in human terms. I share with them this, for me, simple truth...I would not serve a God who was as simple as I am. I am more than content with the gift of understanding as He sees fit to reveal Himself to me.

This does not mean that I believe my God is confusing. To the contrary, God makes perfect sense, He just doesn't conform to man's rules and measures.

Today, I am composing this message on a computer. When I'm not sure just where a verse comes from I simply type in the words and, walla! just like that, the correct scripture comes up in seconds.

Try very hard to imagine explaining the concept of the internet to someone as recent as the 1950's and imagine how very lost they would be. How hard it would be for someone at that time to believe that we could carry around in our pockets a gadget that would navigate, play movies, do research and so much more. But we take cell phones and computers for granted.

If we were able to live a thousand years our lifespan would remain insignificant in God's scope of things and we would have as little understanding of Him, in the natural, as that person from the 50's would have of those things we just accept as real today.

But, God did give us a way to understand as much of Him as we can. He left us His Word and He left us the Holy Spirit.

John 14:25-26Contemporary English Version (CEV)
25 I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.

Now, there are those who say that the Holy Spirit and being indwelled with the Spirit were temporary things which were only needed in the times of the New Christian Church when they did not have access to bibles and a multitude of preachers/;ministers to help us understand His Word.

I thank my God that they are wrong!

The Holy Spirit is my “go to guy” when I'm lost, when I'm in pain, when I just don't understand.  I pray in the Spirit. I seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit whenever I attempt to study or write. I ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for me when I am overwhelmed and don't even know where to start in prayer.

Thank You God for having the wisdom to present yourself in my life in the person of the Holy Spirit without Whom I would be lost.

 

John 3:5New King James Version (NKJV)
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

I pray you find God in the Person of the Holy Spirit revealed in your heart.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Walking in His Light

1 John 1:7King James Version (KJV)

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

There is cleansing in the Light. There is warmth in the Light. There is peace in the Light. There is joy in the Light.

The author, Patti M. Hummel, describes joy as:                                                             “Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle; it is the cream of the sincere milk of the Word.                                                                                                                   Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles and fenced against future fear.” -

As a child of God I expect to have more days in the light than days in darkness and many more days on top of the pinnacle of joy. 

John 1:12King James Version (KJV)
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Now, don't misunderstand, I don't mean to imply that being a child of God means I won't experience bad times. I understand that some of the greatest prophets and saints suffered greatly and our Lord, Himself, suffered a mean death on the cross. But, in good times and bad, I expect to be always in His Light.

Philippians 4:11-13Contemporary English Version (CEV)
11 I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have.                                                                                                                 12 I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. 13 Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

Although I know that trials have absolutely nothing to do with the JOY that comes from living in the reflected Light of Jesus Christ, I struggle to truly be free of complaints in times of trouble. But I am glad that the Holy Spirit brings me back to Words of encouragement at those times when I am weakest. I thank my God for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who keeps the light visible so that I don't stray too far from His path.

I stay in the light by staying in His Word. His Word contains His promises. His Word contains comfort. His Word contains correction and guidance. His Word contains joy!

Walking in the light

Chorus 1:
Walking in the light,
beautiful light;
ain't it wonderful how the light shines?

Thank You, Lord, for being my Light!

May each of you experience the joy of Walking in the Light!

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

In Danger of Being Spewed From the Mouth of God!

Psalm 119:9-10
9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!


An old woman is comforted by these scriptures, even though they are so convicting at just this moment! The comfort is that My God cares enough to provide gentle reprimands when I have strayed so far from His will.

Hebrews 12:6New King James Version (NKJV)

6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

That He takes the effort to chasten me is a reminder that I am truly one of His children. That He chose to lead me back to His Word to strengthen and remind me of who we are, My God and I, is my source of great gratitude today.

Lets look at this short journey:

Last week I accepted an invitation to attend a service at a friend's place of worship. The very best part of this night was the trip to and from the meeting place. On the way one of the travelers began talking about the Book of Revelation. Now, this was a bit of an “out of nowhere” conversation, BUT, I promised to look up the references to the seven synagogs spoken of in Revelation.

It was as if the scriptures about the Church of the Laodiceans just jumped off the pages in BOLD print. This was me!

Our scripture lesson for this week is from Psalm 119, one of my favorites. As I prepared for the lesson I revisited a week-long study I did three years ago and made another discovery!

I started a blog for our church on Wednesday, February 3, 2010. When I started I was truly on fire!!!

In that first year there were 172 postings to our blog; but the following year there were 46 and it dwindled down to 1 (one!) in this year. I confess that's pretty lukewarm.

Through all of this neglect God has continued to protect and bless me beyond measure, even when I whined and kicked like a toddler when things I wanted didn't come in my time.

Today I thank God, again, for giving me the job of preparing the bulletin and insert for our weekly Sabbath Service because I am compelled to study at this time. I thank God for allowing me to have ears to hear this chastisement.
I pray like David that God not remove His Holy Presence from me!
Psalm 119:9-10

9 How can a young man cleanse his way?By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

I pray the strength of the Holy Spirit to help me to keep on track and in His Word.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Luke 22: 7-13 (NKJV) Jesus and His Disciples Prepare the Passover

7 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.

8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”
9 So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”

10 And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.

11 Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’                    

12 Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.”
13 So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.


I wonder if we consider the overwhelming faith it took to follow the simple directions of Luke 22: 7-13? Here they are about to enter one of the larger cities in the Roman empire on it's busiest week of the year and they are to locate a man with no more of a description than “carrying a water jar” and he will know that they are the ones to take home and give the guest suite for Passover dinner.

When I read this story I am reminded of the chaos on the night of Jesus' birth when there was no more room in the inn. Bethelehem only had to accommodate those from the House of David while every Jew who could possibly be there was in Jerusalem for this holiest of weeks. Yet Jesus was confident that there would be room for Him and His disciples in a private “upper room” and His disciples chosen for this task, Peter and John, had faith in His confidence..

This, the holiest season of the year for Christians, is a good time to reflect on the miracle that was the life of Jesus Christ. As we prepare for the miracle that sets us apart from the rest of the world, the knowledge of the miracle of the Resurrection, we can spend time in wonder at the evidence of faith found in Luke 22: 7-13; Matthew 26: 17-19 and Mark 14: 12-16.

Most of us can recall the miracles of water into wine, feeding of the multitudes, walking on water and the many healings but it is good to remember the small miracles of faith that can shore us up in our own moments of doubt.

I am comforted by the gentle outpouring of grace and mercy from Jesus to His disciples. I am reassured of His capacity for patience even when I fall short.
I am thankful for every opportunity to learn of His love.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Building Faith

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.         5 Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, 6 self-control, patience, devotion to God, 7 concern for others, and love. 8 If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. 2 Peter 1:5-8 (CEV)   The Apostle Peter encourages us to continuously grow in our faith because he understood so clearly that this growth would strengthen us against the stresses of this world. When we try to follow Peter's advice we can find many encouraging examples in scripture.                How do we add goodness except through a conscious effort to love our brothers.          We know that the inability to forgive hinders all efforts to love.           A beautiful example of the power of forgiveness is seen in Esau's forgiveness              of  his brother, Jacob.          We understand that our Savior expects us to show love beyond the love we have           for our friends and family 46 If you love only those people who love you, will God           reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. Matthew 5:46 (CEV)          An exciting picture of brotherly love is seen in the stranger who stopped to help a          “neighbor” he did not know.  We all know about the "Good Samaritan" and this            group which was viewed with derision is now seen as the prime example of the            way a good man should behave.          Our bible provides for us the “building blocks” we need to improve our faith and           grow in our love of God, but it is up to us to study and use this gift. Every bible           study, Sunday school lesson and sermon provide opportunities to grow in faith.          6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected           knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou           hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6 (KJV)              Self control, patience and devotion to God can be shown in our willingness to           spend time in His word as we prepare ourselves to hear with understanding the            Word as it is presented to us.          15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be           ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)         Peter encourages us to live lives that are useful and meaningful, lives that fulfill           the “Great Commission” (8 If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what           you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful.        Father God we thank you for wonderful teachers and pray that You strengthen         our resolve to do all that we can to be worthy of Your bountiful gifts. Amen.        May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Seeking Grace, Not Entitlement

Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father

Seeking Grace, Not Entitlement

Genesis 32:9-12 New International Version (NIV)

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

 

          Esau is often pictured as somewhat of a crude man, the hairy hunter, the man's  

          man.   We are not prepared for the graciousness with which he greets his brother  

         after his brother had stolen that which was most precious to him, the blessing due   

         the older son.

  

         When Jacob prepared to meet his brother he had to acknowledge to himself and to  

         God that he had seriously wronged his brother and that his brother was justified in  

         seeking vengeance. What he did not know was that his brother had prospered in  

         material as well as spiritual ways in his absence and no longer needed vengeance.

        Although Jacob was not entitled to his brother's love and forgiveness, he did     

        receive it through Esau's grace.

 

        Many years later Jacob, now called Israel, had to reach out to his favorite son and  

        beg him to show that same unmerited favor to brothers who had sorely wronged   

        him.  Joseph, like Esau, had grown in material as well as spiritual ways and had a  

        heart that could forgive past wrongs.

 

        Esau and Joseph provide good examples for us in the art of forgiveness. One   

        endured  the theft of a birthright, the other slavery and prison yet each was able to 

        embrace his brother(s) in the warmth of forgiveness.

        Sometimes we feel entitled to our hurt feelings and justified in our wish for    

        retribution, but are we robbing ourselves of moments of God's grace?

 

       We pray...”forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”...

       The “gift of forgiveness” is a gift to both the giver and the receiver. Let us be eager 

       for this gift.

 

       May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!