Love

This is a repost. I've done that over the years, but usually it's been months or even years between the two posts.  This one is less than a week old. I neglected to 'share' this post - to let readers know it was available - and it has not received as many hits as more recent blogs.  Regrettable, for God's message of love is the center of Christianity and that message is not being heard far and wide.  Take a moment more and look for love in all the right places.

FreeDigitalPhotos.net "Cross Religion In The Hand" by Luigi Diamanti

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10 KJV)

Did you know that the lawsuit that brought the decision on gay marriage was filed based on inheritance taxes? Had the federal government had allowed civil unions the same tax deductions, the decision would have been different. We’re back to money.

The one person who explained to me the reason for her abortion was specific – she could not afford another child. We’re back to money.

These two issues have literally divided our country, but there are more.

Wars appear to be fought for ideology – but how many can be traced to a battle for power, which can be translated into money, can’t it? How many battles within family really comes down to money, too?

We should be concerned that the desire for what money can – or cannot – buy will have us err from our faith. I trust the Bible. I believe it will pierce us through with many sorrows.

So – what should a Christian do when we discover that we really do love money? Perhaps it has brought us sorrow, too. What should we do?

Strangely enough, the answer is:  LOVE.

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40 KJV)

Yes, I’ve used that one before, so let’s look at another verse:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

He loved us first, the Bible says so:

We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 KJV)

And, it says we’re supposed to work toward being as He is, in love:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4 KJV)

If we don’t love, there’s a problem:

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21 KJV)

Then we’re at the question, “Who is my brother?” Pretty much answered by Christ:

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12:50 KJV)

Wait a minute, Christian – don’t jump to conclusions. That doesn’t mean we only love other Christians. Remember when you weren’t in His will? He loved you then, too. Weren’t there other of His children ready to be of help, ready to love you enough to show you just how much He loved you? Can you do that, too? Love the unloved, the unlovable, share God’s love?  If not, take another look at 1 John 4:20-21.

Fulfilled

For those who think the Old Testament irrelevant, remember what Christ told His disciples during His sermon on the mount:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)

He knew the scriptures, especially the prophecies His life fulfilled:

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:21)

The scripture He read was:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (Isaiah 61:1-2)

There are slight variations between Isaiah and Luke:

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:17-19)

That does not negate the message, nor the fulfillment of this prophecy. I won’t attempt to list them. There are too many books available that accomplish that purpose so much better, and many blogs. A favorite blog author of mine, Robert Lloyd Russell, did a series on those prophecies.

Beginning in Matthew 1:22, we can read them in the New Testament, but cannot understand them unless we read the Old. One fulfills, but the other completes – and those roles reverse every once in a while. We cannot understand Matthew 22:35-40 unless we know Exodus 20. We cannot understand Hebrews 11 without reading through Kings and Chronicles. One without the other is incomplete.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

That was written based on the Old Testament only. Obviously the New was still being written.  Those who wrote it walked with Jesus, heard His words, preached His good news and that was understood – as Peter tells us:

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16)

Which Freedoms?

What freedoms did you celebrate on the 4th? There are several listed in our Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Look a little deeper at the list following the words:  “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”

Those were given as substantive reasoning to institute a change in government in 1776. How do they fit with the current changes in government going on in our world today?

I don’t know what to think about Egypt’s recent change. I’ve read what a Christian Egyptian thinks of it, though. He sees it as a difficult time for his country, but a change that will increase his safety. His new government may be interested in his life, liberty and his pursuit of happiness.  The previous government supported Sharia law, which did none of those things for a Christian.

Through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, he knew what liberty meant:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1 KJV)

That liberty is defined as our Lord:

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17 KJV)

There is work to be done in our liberty:

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25 KJV)

There are constraints, too, to do good and not evil:

As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16 KJV)

We do have the ability to relinquish our liberty – but at what cost?

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (2 Peter 2:18-21 KJV)

As Christians, we need to understand that the only freedom we’ve relinquished is the one to sin without guilt. No one sins without consequences, saved or lost.

Changes

We’ve seen major changes in our world within the last week, some based on laws in the United States, another based on the government in Egypt. The laws of our world change almost daily and we need to be aware of them because in our world, ignorance of the law is no excuse. It is disconcerting, to say the least, to find ourselves breaking a law we did not know existed.

It is easy, however, to break laws we don’t care about, which have no penalties or ones we simply want to be changed. One young man told me that laws against speeding are simply fines for going as fast as you want to. Unfortunately, it wasn’t seen quite that way when he was ticketed for speeding and felt the fine was unfair, complaining about having to pay.

Obeying laws are a bit difficult as they change, and many feel God’s laws changed from the Old Testament to the New. They really didn’t.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:40)

Take a look at the surrounding verses. The foundation of God’s commandments is love. Then spend some time with 1 Corinthians 13, the chapter where Paul expounds on love, though the English word love does not appear. That word permeates the New Testament and is intended to make changes in our lives.

In the King James version, the New Testament contains 180 instances of the word ‘love’, though there are three Greek words used to achieve that count. The one that describes the love between men and God – agapē – is translated in 1 Corinthians 13 as ‘charity’ instead of ‘love’, but it is the same root word – agapaō - used in John 3:16 and 1 John 4:19 (go ahead, look them up. I like the thought of a Bible in your hand.)

That has not changed. Oh, there have been some who call themselves Christian who do not live by or express this love for their fellow man, but God does. There are some who have perverted God’s word, but we were told that had happen:

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (Romans 1:25)

We were also told it would continue:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

God’s word changes lives through sound doctrine, not in changing doctrine to meet societies’ changes.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-8)

Love

FreeDigitalPhotos.net "Cross Religion In The Hand" by Luigi Diamanti

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10 KJV)

Did you know that the lawsuit that brought the decision on gay marriage was filed based on inheritance taxes? Had the federal government had allowed civil unions the same tax deductions, the decision would have been different. We’re back to money.

The one person who explained to me the reason for her abortion was specific – she could not afford another child. We’re back to money.

These two issues have literally divided our country, but there are more.

Wars appear to be fought for ideology – but how many can be traced to a battle for power, which can be translated into money, can’t it? How many battles within family really comes down to money, too?

We should be concerned that the desire for what money can – or cannot – buy will have us err from our faith. I trust the Bible. I believe it will pierce us through with many sorrows.

So – what should a Christian do when we discover that we really do love money? Perhaps it has brought us sorrow, too. What should we do?

Strangely enough, the answer is:  LOVE.

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40 KJV)

Yes, I’ve used that one before, so let’s look at another verse:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

He loved us first, the Bible says so:

We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 KJV)

And, it says we’re supposed to work toward being as He is, in love:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4 KJV)

If we don’t love, there’s a problem:

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21 KJV)

Then we’re at the question, “Who is my brother?” Pretty much answered by Christ:

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12:50 KJV)

Wait a minute, Christian – don’t jump to conclusions. That doesn’t mean only other Christians at this moment in time. Remember when you weren’t in His will? Weren’t there other of His children ready to be of help, ready to love you enough to show you just how much He loved you? Can you do that, too? Love the unloved, the unlovable, share God’s love?  If not, take another look at 1 John 4:20-21.

Spared?

This graphic from Wiki Commons is found under:

Category:Deluge (mythology); Category:Noah

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2 Peter 2:1-4 KJV)

A number of examples where God did not spare follow these four verses, beginning with the flood that wiped out all but Noah and his family. We move then to Sodom and Gomorrah, with the sparing of Lot. God knows how to spare and preserve:

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (2 Peter 2:9 KJV)

It’s up to us to strive to be the godly, not the bad examples given:

But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (2 Peter 2:12-15 KJV)

However, if we turn away from God, from what we know:

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (2 Peter 2:20-21 KJV)

Doesn’t sound very good, does it? Consider v 2:10 – “despise government”. Don’t confine that word to elected officials, think instead of self control, of respect of others.  A Pulpit Commentary said, “Living an evil life, they will not endure restraint of any kind. Self-willed and daring, they despise every form of authority, and speak evil of those who are better, or nobler, or loftier than themselves.” Seen any of that attitude?

Perhaps it is because professed Christians have not respected God’s commandments? Have proven hypocritical examples to non-believers who depended on them to see His word in action. I know I have, and pray I don’t repeat that error.

Interesting People

Timothy Dwight IV

THERE smiled the smooth Divine, unused to wound
The sinner’s heart with hell’s alarming sound.
No terrors on his gentle tongue attend;
No grating truths the nicest ear offend.
That strange new-birth, that methodistic grace,
Nor in his heart nor sermons found a place.
Plato’s fine tales he clumsily retold,
Trite, fireside, moral seesaws, dull as old,—
His Christ and Bible placed at good remove,
Guilt hell-deserving, and forgiving love.
’T was best, he said, mankind should cease to sin:
Good fame required it; so did peace within.
Their honors, well he knew, would ne’er be driven;
But hoped they still would please to go to heaven.
Each week he paid his visitation dues;
Coaxed, jested, laughed; rehearsed the private news;
Smoked with each goody, thought her cheese excelled;
Her pipe he lighted, and her baby held.
Or placed in some great town, with lacquered shoes,
Trim wig, and trimmer gown, and glistening hose,  
He bowed, talked politics, learned manners mild,
Most meekly questioned, and most smoothly smiled;
At rich men’s jests laughed loud, their stories praised,
Their wives’ new patterns gazed, and gazed, and gazed;
Most daintily on pampered turkeys dined,
Nor shrunk with fasting, nor with study pined:
Yet from their churches saw his brethren driven,
Who thundered truth, and spoke the voice of heaven,
Chilled trembling guilt in Satan’s headlong path,
Charmed the feet back, and roused the ear of death.
“Let fools,” he cried, “starve on, while prudent I
Snug in my nest shall live, and snug shall die.”

That was written by Timothy Dwight IV, (1752-1817). There’s a short biographical pie here about this Yale President and Christian preacher. He was successful at both, this bio telling us that he was liked by the students and that “He also ushered in several religious revivals associated with the Second Great Awakening (c. 1795–1835).”

Harvard was started by and for preachers, over a hundred years later Yale had a preacher for a president. We’ve certainly come a long way, on a very broad path.

Back to the subject – it is a pleasure to run across such interesting people, learning about those who followed God’s narrow way through a strait gate in more recent years than biblical times. It appears that there were preachers a couple of hundred years ago who felt it would offend their congregation to teach all the word of God. It appears there were those who would pick and choose which verses to take as fact and which to ignore.

Some times that ignorance was because such studies would refute what was built upon a single verse. Other times, certain verses were ignored by those whose sins were specifically described in those verses. Paul was not afraid to face the question of how much to preach:

For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. (Acts 20:27 KJV)

Can we follow Paul’s advice to Timothy?

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:2-4 KJV)