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Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.
(John 4:14) |
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And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev 22:1) |
For His Glory!
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What is love? Can we Quantify this love? Last time we investigated the pursuing of eternal life. In short we are commanded to love God above all and our neighbor as ourselves. And this love comes from empowerment by God’s Spirit; by His grace, a gift from Him to those that love Him. Because of our Creator’s great love for us (He died for us) we have great worth. And because of that worth we should reflect the love He has given, toward Him and to all the world. (John 3:16) For those that believe in a Supreme Creator we have a starting place - the self-revelation of God - His Word. Our Creator’s Commandment to us Matt 22:37 (NAS Unless indicated) And He said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 39 The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (It is the same Greek word in "love for God," as in "love for neighbor." G25 see below) [Bolding and Highlighting by MEM]Defining of love nearly 200 Years ago: Webster (1828) (edited) LOVE, v.t. luv. [L. libeo, lubeo. The sense is probably to be prompt, free, willing, from leaning, advancing, or drawing forward.] 1. In a general sense to be pleased with; to regard with affection, on account of some qualities which excite pleasing sensations or desire of gratification. We love a friend, on account of some qualities which give us pleasure in his society. We love a man who has done us a favor; in which case, gratitude enters into the composition of our affection. We love our parents and our children, on account of their connection with us, and on account of many qualities which please us. We love to retire to a cool shade in summer. We love a warm room in winter. we love to hear an eloquent advocate. The Christian loves his Bible. In short, we love whatever gives us pleasure and delight, whether animal or intellectual; and if our hearts are right, we love God above all things, as the sum of all excellence and all the attributes which can communicate happiness to intelligent beings. In other words, the Christian loves God with the love of complacency in his attributes, the love of benevolence towards the interest of his kingdom, and the love of gratitude for favors received. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind - Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Mat 22. 2. To have benevolence or good will for. John 3.
LOVE, n. 1. An affection of the mind excited by beauty and worth of any kind, or by the qualities of an object which communicate pleasure, sensual or intellectual. It is opposed to hatred. The love of God is the first duty of man, and this springs from just views of his attributes or excellencies of character, which afford the highest delight to the sanctified heart. Esteem and reverence constitute ingredients in this affection, and a fear of offending him is its inseparable effect. 2. Courtship… 3. Patriotism… 4. Benevolence; good will. - God is love. 1 John 4. 5. The object beloved. - The lover and the love of human kind. 6. A word of endearment. - Trust me, love. **** Our love toward God is evident in our love for our brother. Yeshua (Jesus) tells us John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."1John 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.This love for our brother needs to be an obvious trait in our life. (What is commanded is not an emotion; it is the disciplined will to seek the welfare of others.) **** Let us examine ourselves by considering the following quotes; From - The Complete Book of Zingers Real love is helping someone for Jesus' (Yeshua’s) sake who can never return the favor. Love does not keep a ledger of the sins and failures of others. True love is willing to help people even if it hurts them. A bit of love is the only bit that will bridle the tongue. Those who deserve love least need it most. Respect is what we owe; love is what we give. The only way to understand your enemies is to love them. A love that will not bear all, care for all, share all, is not love at all. God loves his children, not because of who they are, but because of who he is. Where love reigns, God reigns. **** The Apostle Paul’s "more excellent way" 1Cor 12:31 … And I show you a still more excellent way.1Cor 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.1Cor 13:2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.1Cor 13:3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.Defining love - How are we doing? 1Cor 13:4 1Cor 13:13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.**** The Greek for this love (edited) G26 (love/charity) - Transliteration: Agape - Phonetic: ag-ah'-pay - Definition: 1. brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence - Origin: from G25G25 - Transliteration: Agapao - Phonetic: ag-ap-ah'-o- Definition: 1. of persons a. to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly 2. of things a. to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing **** No need to explain God’s love toward us, it is evident (our value - our worth) John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.1John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are…Rom 5:5 …the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.Oh the depths of His great love Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.The Love of Messiah for us John 15:9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.Rev 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; …who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.2Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?Now our love for others John 15:12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.Gal 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word…, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."Mark 12:33 and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.Therefore can this apply to us also? John 21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.Caution - be on the alert … Matt 24:12 "And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.John 12:43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.1John 2:15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.1John 3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.Yeshua promises: John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.For we know: Rom 8:28 …that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.Food for thought: "No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions; he had money as well." -Margaret Thatcher |
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A Lesson in Love - From the Proverbs Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.Proverbs 3:12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father, the son in whom he delights.Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.Proverbs 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times…Be a friend |
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"As human beings we are endowed with freedom of choice and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is up to us." --Arnold J. ToynbeeChoices Deut 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days…" |
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How Old is Grandma? Stay with it-- the answer is at the end. One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. The Grandmother replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before: - television - penicillin - polio shots - frozen foods - Xerox - contact lenses - Frisbees and - the pill There were no: - credit cards - laser beams or - ball-point pens Man had not yet invented: - pantyhose - air conditioners - dishwashers - clothes dryers - and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and - man hadn't yet walked on the moon Your Grandfather and I got married first, and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir." And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir." We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy. Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions. Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends -not purchasing condominiums. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CD's, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to Big Bands on our radios. And I don't ever remember any kid taking his life listening to Tommy Dorsey. The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of. We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all 5 cents And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your 5 cents on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. You could buy a new Ford Coupe for $600, but who could afford one? Too bad, because gasoline was 16 cents a gallon In my day: "grass" was mowed, "coke" was a cold drink, "pot" was something your mother cooked in and "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office, "chip" meant a piece of wood, "hardware" was found in a hardware store and "software" wasn't even a word And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap. How old do you think I am? This woman would be only 63 years old... Born in 1952... |
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True or False
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Holman Bible Dictionary (edited for length)LOVE Unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the well-being of another. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul described "love" as a " more excellent way" than tongues or even preaching. The New Testament maintains this estimation of love throughout. The King James Version uses the word charity instead of "love" to translate the Greek word Paul used (agape). The word charity comes from the Latin caritas which means "dearness," "affection," or "high regard." Today, the word charity is normally used for acts of benevolence, and so the word love is to be preferred as a translation of agape. Nevertheless, the reader who comes to the agape of the New Testament with the idea of benevolence in mind is better off than the reader who comes with the idea of physical pleasure and satisfaction.In the Old Testament In the Old Testament, the verb "to love" has a range of meanings as broad as the English verb. It describes the love within a family and among friends (Gen. 22:1-2). Love as self-giving appears in the significant commandment that Israelites love the stranger. The basis for such selfless love is God’s act of redemption (Lev. 19:33-34). The Shema (Hebrew for "hear") of Deuteronomy 6:4-6 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 "And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; is echoed in Paul’s declaration that love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10).In the Teachings of Jesus In Jesus’ teachings in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Shema of Deuteronomy (the command to love God) is united with Leviticus 19:18 ("Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself") (Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28). Just before the parable of the Good Samaritan, a lawyer quoted the two commands to love and then asked Jesus: "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29) Jesus gave the story of the Samaritan who took care of the man who fell among robbers to illustrate the selfless love which is to be characteristic of citizens of the Kingdom. In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus gave the radical command to love one’s enemies and to pray for those who persecute. Loving only those who love you is, according to Jesus, no better than those who are not His disciples. The love that Jesus’ disciples have for others is to be just as complete as God’s love (Matt 5:48; compare Rom. 5:8). In these teachings, of course, the selfless love is a response to God’s prior activity. It is a way of living expected of those who are citizens of the Kingdom. The teachings of Jesus on love of enemy, it will be noted, are a part of the Sermon on the Mount which is directed to Christian disciples. In the Teachings of Paul In the poem on love in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul associated love with the all-important biblical words of faith and hope and declared love the greatest. Paul’s understanding and discussion of love make love a central theme, and his use of the noun agape makes that term almost a technical term. Paul took the seldom-used term and filled it with Christian meaning. This love of which Paul wrote is somewhat different from the love we normally experience and speak about. It is a relationship of self-giving which results from God’s activity in Christ. The source of Christian love is God (Rom. 5:8), and the believer’s response of faith makes love a human possibility (Rom. 5:5). Love is vitally connected with faith in that the believer’s faithful response is one of love. Love is also connected with hope. In the Writings of John The Johannine writings magnify the significance of love as forcefully and fully as any other writings. John’s writings account for only one tenth of the New Testament but provide one third of the references to love. The key text in the first half of the Gospel of John is John 3:16. This passage indicates the relationship of the Father’s love to the work of Christ and of both to the life of believers. This command of Jesus to love one another gives us insight into the nature of Jesus Christ for the church and the nature of Christian love. What is commanded is not an emotion; it is the disciplined will to seek the welfare of others. Jesus speaks with the authority of the Father, the only One with authority to make such demands of men and women. The Letters of John make explicit statements about the ethical implications of love. Our appreciation of these letters and the command to love is increased when we realize that John’s opponents claimed that they loved God in spite of their unlovely temper and conduct. John’s distress at the gap between profession and practice is seen in his repeated admonition to love. This love is being manifested in deeds (1 John 3:18). John left no doubt about the relationship of love and belief in God. Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness (1 John 2:9). First John 4:8 is the climax: " He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.(Edgar V. McKnight) |
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Love Do you love your friends? Is it difficult for you to say so? Our culture narrows the concept of love by tying it so closely to romance, but the Bible makes it clear that this is a broader concept. You shouldn't be awkward about expressing love for your friends. This comes more easily for women, but Jesus was speaking to my disciples when He said greater love had no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Do you understand that love is His defining characteristic, as it is of those who follow Him, who are being transformed into His likeness. Don't be uncomfortable with the concept. (Adopted from a blog post by Dale Cresap) 1John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. |
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Ps 31:23-24 O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful, And fully recompenses the proud doer. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. **** Blessed be YHVH (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High…) |
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The Rogues' Gallery The Devil, You Say He goes by many names in the Bible-Satan, the devil, the evil one, etc. Jesus made it clear that the devil and a horde of demons had dedicated themselves to making human life unpleasant (not to mention to kill and destroy). As nasty as Satan is, however, the Bible makes it clear that human beings are responsible for their own sins. The devil does tempt people, but people themselves choose to do wrong.
The Devil, You Say (Answers)
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