A Short Study of the Word LOVE!

[Colin2000]

Hi All,

I have been drawn back to this recently,

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
and with all your soul
and with all your strength.
[Moses, Deut. 6:4&5 NIV.].

"Love the Lord your God!"

Do we understand what LOVE is?

Love is,

1. Great fondness,

2. Feelings for person giving one delight:

3. The object of affection.
[Derived and Codified from Chambers Compact Dictionary, ed. 1969].

Possibly, "Love with great affection and delight for the Lord your God!"

The Amplified Bible uses,

"With all your [mind and] heart,
And with your entire being,
And with all your might."
[Amp. Bible].

Jesus says,

Love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind.
[Jesus, Matt. 22:37 NIV.].

1. Heart,
1). The seat of the affections.
2). With Love.
3). With Courage.

2. Soul,
1). The innermost being of a person.
2). The part which thinks, feels, desires.
3). A perfect example of honour.

3. Mind,
1). The power by which we think.
2). Intelligence.
3). Understanding.

[Derived and Codified from Chambers Dict. ed1969.].

Is Jesus asking us to Love God with all the Power which we think, with our innermost being, our very seat of affection?

How say you?

In His Name,

Colin2000.

 

[hopeful]

Thank you so much for emphasizing on the meanings of " loving our Lord, The God Almighty ". May God Almighty, let us live with this love and with His guidance in this world and when we die, we die with the same love and in the same guidance to Him. Ameen!

 

[To Christ]

Colin, greetings with the blessings of Christ Jesus.

From The Old Testament, under the Law, the only way for a man of God to demonstrate love for God was by willing obedience.

With the new covenant of Jesus Christ, the will to love is no longer necessary. We are in the love of God. It is by our abiding in Christ and thus His abiding in us that we purely love God, that is the faith that comes from the Holy Spirit provides the love of God that proceeds "with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength" from the abiding love of Jesus.

Jesus prayed,
"'Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

"'I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

"'Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.'" ((John 17:17-26)

Thus say our LORD.

The Holy Bible NKJV​

 

[Colin2000]

Freedom to Choose?

Hi 'To Christ',

Did not the Lord say, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." .......... ""Love your neighbour as yourself."
[Jesus,Matthew 22: 37-40, NIV.].

Did He make a mistake or am I missing something here??? I want to love Him with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind, because if I don't my neighbour stands no Chance!

I am happy to express my Love for my Lord God personally to Himself, (I don't really want to bother the Holy Ghost with this matter, exciting isn't it!).

Yours in His-Tender-loving-kindness,

Colin.

PS. The Lord has just allowed my first attempt at answering you, 'To Christ', to be wrecked, (Somebody must have got it?), Thank you Jesus!

 

[To Christ]

Hi 'To Christ',

Did not the Lord say, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." .......... ""Love your neighbour as yourself."
[Jesus,Matthew 22: 37-40, NIV.].

Did He make a mistake or am I missing something here??? I want to love Him with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind, because if I don't my neighbour stands no Chance!

I am happy to express my Love for my Lord God personally to Himself, (I don't really want to bother the Holy Ghost with this matter, exciting isn't it!).

Yours in His-Tender-loving-kindness,

Colin.

PS. The Lord has just allowed my first attempt at answering you, 'To Christ', to be wrecked, (Somebody must have got it?), Thank you Jesus!

Hey, Brother Colin2005. Luv your humor. But I must ask, are you a Christian?

Sorry, man, the Holy Ghost goes with the infinite package; Himself is three. If you are happy in your Love for our Lord God, it includes Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and though speaking for God is not something to which any person in their right mind would aspire - ah, the life of Ezekiel - He surely wants you to know that the Holy Spirit is the indwelling by which your spirit can love God at all. (We all have our large or small tenacious aspect of pride - yours is a strange one.)

Love in Christ,
Sister To Christ

 

[Colin2000]

Are you a Christian?

Hi 'To Christ',

Quote, "Are you a Christian?"

Now you just be careful, "My top lip is quivering and I'm just about to take the deep, deep, pet with a huff thrown in. A Self-righteous one of course!!!"

May be not your sort of Christian perhaps?

I believe that there is only one kind of Christian,

1. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. etc. etc. etc.
[Jesus, John.3:16 from John.3:1 -21! NIV.].

2. Confess my sins to the Lord.

1). In the Name of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

2). And if I fall off my Perch, I climb back up again and make sure my sins are confessed and the slate is wiped clean! (I wonder if an Angel has fallen off his perch over this one?).

"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." [Paul, Romans. 10:10].

3). Keep a short account and try to change my ways. Bearing in mind that it is , " .... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His Blood. ........".
[ Paul, Romans.3:23 - 25.].

3. I am Saved by Grace and the precious blood of Christ Jesus! But I am still a Sinner! Despite having Fellowship with the Holy Ghost in my heart!


Are you a sinner, 'To Christ'? Or are you one of those Christians who are oh so terribly holy and without SIN, walking Perfectly in the path of sinless Righteousness?

Not me Lord, not me, I have sinned today, but only little one's Lord? And some I do not even know I have committed, and I'm sure I have sinned when I wrote this?

Almighty and most merciful Father,
I/we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
I/We have followed too much the devices and desires of my/our own heart/hearts.
I/We have offended against thy holy laws.
I/We have left undone those things which I/we ought to have done;
and I/we have done those things which I/we ought not to have done;
and there is no health in me/us.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.

Restore thou them that are penitent;
according to thy promises declared unto mankind

in Christ Jesu our Lord.

And grant, O most merciful Father, for His Sake,
that we may here after live a godly, righteous, and sober life,

to the glory of thy Holy NAME.

Amen. Alleluia, I am sinless again, Oooops, sorry Lord shall I say it again?


But, 'To Christ,' do you know what the greatest sin is this day?

YOU HAVE JUST KEPT ME FROM MY DINNER AND IT HAS GONE COLD!!!

I'll check this later,

Yours in his Loving-tender-kindness,

Colin nearly made it as a Christian this time! Good job it's by BELIEF and not by good works.

Are you ducking 'To Christ', I am, (No sorry Lord, not you,), I am.

PS. Chad, With permission I shall tinker later!!!

 

[To Christ]

Dear Colin,

Admittedly, I am the type who ends every day with a rundown to the Lord of all the day's recollection and asks forgiveness for every thought, word, or action described in The Bible as sin that I did not give to Christ's captivity - "...bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ."(2 Cor 10:5)
And if upon awakening the following day there is uneasiness, after my asking the Holy Spirit what grieves Him and to reveal any hidden sin, then I ask forgiveness of Jesus thereupon.
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."(Eph 4:30)
"Do not quench the Holy Spirit."(1 Thess 5:19)

I am sorry to have riled you. I just thought that one of the most evident things about following our Lord and being given to Him is that true love, the agape, comes only from Him. Since we cannot know Jesus without having allowed a door to ourselves opened to receive the Holy Spirit, the Witness that reveals Jesus as Son of God, Lord and Saviour, I think it is logical to ask if Christian of one who wants to exclude the Spirit, especially about love.

If you would like Scriptures that show the Holy Spirit to be the essential equal to God the Father and God the Son, I shall work on it.

Perhaps I should have previously clarified with John 15:5, the words of Jesus,
"'I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.'"



Heeey... I just realized I asked a non-accusatory question, and you attacked me! You must have done a good job apologizing in your own fashion, because by the time I finished reading your response, I didn't notice the attack.

 

[Colin2000]

The Devious Sin?

Hi 'To Christ',

I don't think I need the proof of Trinity, 'To Christ', but others reading here might. Do it anyway. To say I know it all I believe is a sin in itself if you get the point!

An attack with humour is not so hurtful!!! Not meant as others might read it! The act of the Holy Ghost or human deviousness? There I go again!

Yours in His ever loving-tender-kindness!

Colin2000.

PS. Please forgive me!?!

PPS. You/I might look under Chad's articles of Faith here for a little help, (No offence meant or it might become a habit!).?

PPPS. Yes, just took in (John, what was it?), at the bottom of your last one "I am the true vine, well there we have Two parts of the Trinity for starters? We in my Church take that to be relating to good works after Salvation. But that is the Lord's ground Rules not mine.

PPPPS. Uhummmm..... "I AM! TRUE VINE! The Third part of the WHOLE, The Holy Ghost/Spirit.

And now, back to bed, not awake yet!

 

[To Christ]

Hi 'To Christ',

I don't think I need the proof of Trinity, 'To Christ', but others reading here might. Do it anyway. To say I know it all I believe is a sin in itself if you get the point!

An attack with humour is not so hurtful!!! Not meant as others might read it! The act of the Holy Ghost or human deviousness? There I go again!

Yours in His ever loving-tender-kindness!

Colin2000.

PS. Please forgive me!?!

PPS. You/I might look under Chad's articles of Faith here for a little help, (No offence meant or it might become a habit!).?

Now I'm puzzled why you reference the Faith articles - have read them, though - but to be sure, you are forgiven; since I wasn't hurt, it seems that there is nothing to forgive, though I know what it's like to ask someone's forgiveness for something that did not bother them, and get no response except the answer "no problem."

 

[To Christ]

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;"

Ephesians 2:8

 

[Colin2000]

A Dreaded attack of the PS's.

Hi 'To Christ',

Sorry, attention drawn to PPPS and PPPPS. Oops.

In Doctrine God: I believe in one God revealed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Hoy Ghost ".." making up the blessed Trinity. (Matthew.3:16,17; 1John.5:6,7).

".." Be pleased for you to fill that bit in? (Part of our qualifier here!).

Don't you just love been a Pharisee here, (If the Computer can spell it? Who needs the Chat Room!).

Yours in His Name.

Colin. (Words they usually are the problem. Need a couple of hundred here to explain this, but I wont, I promise!).

PS. You should see what I just did to Chad's Site? I forgot I was off line!

 

[Colin2000]

Yes after being clever, I always need His grace! But He knows that and He knows me? Shall I go to the General Confession now or later I wonder?

Loving Kindness with a little Tenderness that's what I need, no it isn't it's sleep.

Colin.

PS. Not one spelling mistake, I think I must be awake, Yes I know I am I can see myself typing this!

PPS. Now the Virus Check has just kicked in! I wonder whether the Holy Spirit is my Virus Check or have I just stepped beyond the pale or is it pail?

 

[Eve]

Hi Colin,

Sorry, I got to the end of this thread and quite forgot how it all started!!! I believe the subject was love for God wasn't it?

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.(deuteronomy 6:4 new living).

I particularly noticed the reference to strength in this passage. In looking at this thread I have in fact answered a problem of mine so thanks.

All my love

 

[Colin2000]

Loving!

Hi Eve,

Yes you are not the only one who forgot how the Thread started! The object was to define LOVE and then hint at how we must experience and apply it. How we can generate it within ourselves?

Love is felt and experienced in the heart of the persons being and experienced as it is given to the one we love.

In this case it stems out of the First Covenant between Israel and God, Before the CROSS!

Jesus' First Commandment of our Second Covenant after the CROSS.

Hear O Israel. -- In Judaism it is called the Shema, (Hear!).

Shema is said by the Jew in private prayers twice a day and it is his bedtime prayer also. He also says it as he is dying. That is how important it is to Judaism!

It is the beginning of a personal relationship with God.

'The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.'

The Jew is commanded to have only one God and He is YAHWAH, (But this Name is held to be so sacred and holy that it was never fully written, only the consonants and that is why the word Jehovah is a miss spelling and pronunciation in English translations! (But I'm sure we can forgive the translators for that!!!).

You must LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart ....................................... as you Eve and my first Post here says.

If you cannot LOVE somebody with the whole of your being --- Sad!

God Commanded Israel to totally absorb themselves in Loving Yahveh and as you love completely you are to pass it onto your children. Talk about Him in the home and when you journey out.

A Command/directive here for some of us to adopt a private prayer, Morning and Evening with a Night Prayer(Compline) is said in some of our Churches. Personally, I do tend toward these three but it's hard sometimes in our daily life to achieve it! It can also sometimes get in the way of intercession?).

Duet.6:4 finishes with the :- "Tephillin (Phylacteries), which are two small leather cases with straps attached to fasten them round the head and arm. This is in literal fulfilment of the verse, 'Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. (Duet.6.8).
"The tephillin enclose texts of which one is the famous Shema, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the LORD is One.' [Worship in the World's Religion Parrinder G. ed.2, 1974, Sheldon Press, London, P171.].

I am writing this for others reading this rather than you Eve, but maybe this is what you were hinting at in your Post?

I have stressed this here because I have always when saying this Prayer reminded Myself that for us when we move our hand and when we think behind the tephillin in front of our Mind and Soul, (Me). I must speak and touch in LOVE towards God and my neighbour.

I did at one time set up the Mezuzah on the house door posts with the ten commandments in them but I though that was going to far for a Christian. Nevertheless The Law of God's Love to us and Our Love to Him.

An interesting start to the Jewish daily liturgy is, "Blessed art thou, O LORD our God, King of the Universe, who hast chosen us from all nations, and given us the Torah, Law! [Parrinder.G P171]. (A hint of what has been given to us perhaps, Trinity itself?).

The Law is the two Great Commandments given to us by Jesus. Loving with great affection and delight for the LORD our God!"

Doing it not saying it!

That element of your Soul, applying it through your mind with all your deepest most being (Your Heart).

With your entire being loving God with all your might.

Jesus says,

Love the LORD your God
with all your heart.
and with all your Soul.
and with all your mind.
[Jesus, Matt. 22 :37 NIV].

Hope this helps with anyones present needs. A way to search for the Love within yourself and a love for God.

In His Everloving-tender-kindness.

Colin2000.

PS. Eve, this may be slightly off beam depending on what you had in mind regarding answering that problem, but you seem to have managed anyway!

 

[To Christ]

1 Corinthians 2:9-13:
"But as it is written:

'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'"

"But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."


1 Corinthians 12:3:
"Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."


Romans 5:5:
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who was given to us."

 

[Colin2000]

Jesus be Cursed??? I hope and Pray Never!

Hi 'To Christ' and All,

"Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking under the power and influence of the (Holy) Spirit of God [ever] can say, Jesus be cursed!
And no one can [really] say, Jesus is [my] Lord, except by and under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit."
[Paul, Corinthians. 12: 3, The Amplified Bible, ed.1954, Zondervan Publishing House.].

There is a point to this?

I say, "Jesus is my Lord, by the Blessed Comforter the Holy Ghost and the Blessed Trinity, and I don't need to string verses together to prove it! Do I 'to christ'?

Are you trying to provoke me into Debate, 'To christ'? I will and with great determination? But is this not a taboo and against this Forums Rules?

Are you a Christian 'to Christ', and does that question not offend you? It certainly offended me when you did just that! Usually this one comes from Baptists. They think they know you know, and sometimes they do you know, (No don't try to work that one out!)!!! But I LOVE you anyway in His Holy Name, and under His Precious Blood I stand in safety, cleansed by His Blood! I tried to avoid saying this today as before when I felt under attack!

You shall be my Penance for the rest of the month!

Yours in His Everloving-tender- kindness,

Colin A Christian, (Yes I am, I know I am, I asked Him, so there?).


PS. A Child of God, A Child of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. When I meet One I meet The Holy Trinity! Indivisible...... sorry Lord. I've just been told with Holiness in His voice to SHUT UP!

 

[To Christ]

I am stating up-front (and allowing for the counsel of my brethren) that, though the inkling was there earlier in the thread; since post #11, my impression is that the only way to respond in this thread is upon the model of the temptation of Jesus after He fasted in the wilderness.


"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)


Especially for my brothers and sisters in Christ who have the particular calling of evangelism:

Ephesians 4:11-16

2 Corinthians 9:10-15

Ephesians 3:14-18



"and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19)

NIV​

 

[Colin2000]

Love!

Hi All,

1. "Are you Saved?"

2. "Are you a Christian?"

3. "I know what is good for you, you know?"

These are the three which I have always considered to be the biggest turn offs when used in the wrong place that has ever been invented!

Above, Scriptural/unscriptural, anybody, comments?

Especially when evangelising, cold calling in the street and even at the back of Church it matters not! In we go with both feet! Without prayer and consideration before we even begin to understand the situation, is it scalp hunting perhaps? Are we approaching someone and being able to read the situation in the Spirit, loving consideration and understanding towards the stranger at the gates, to the Glory of God or ourselves?

Those who are called to Evangelism must realise that this sort of thing can happen! One of my team just avoided a 'bunch of fives' because of one of these three above in the street a few years ago, mainly because the stranger challenged was near drunk! It was at the wrong time and in the wrong place? Not to much love being displayed there, (Fortunately the drunk was to drunk and missed!).

Showing LOVE by how you act and live is much better than showing LOVE by what comes out of the mouth. The world listens sees through it and knows it is insincere! Yes I know that Jesus was very concerned with what comes out of the mouth. That is why I started this Short study on LOVE generated by us naturally, under our control and responsibility? Then suddenly I found the Thread parked up in a siding somewhere down the line not discussing personal Love at all?

If I may again state, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, Soul and Strength, and all variations in between!" And if we are walking correctly, (Or as near as possible with the LORD?), we might just be able to find time to LOVE our neighbour.

You and I, if our Heart is not right, how can we LOVE ourselves? But I'm sure the Holy Ghost is a very, very patient part of God's Holy Presence within us! How say you?

Ahh there now we are back on track, then again wait for it!!!

"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool."
[Isaiah.1:18, NIV,].

Praise the Lord for we can be as white as the driven snow!

May the LOVE of GOD be with you and help you become as white as the driven snow! Then guess what you will still drop one and sin again, sickening isn't it? But that is no excuse for stopping to try to reach perfection, is it!

Regards,

Colin.

PS. Because of past events in this Thread I'm afraid I have hardened my heart. After finishing work and taking another prayerful look at this posting I believe that this is what I should have said in the first place, or something similar.

Praise, praise be the Lord our Saviour and His redeeming Blood cover and protect us!

 

[Mike]

Colin2000 . You speak in riddles yes? no? undestand me ? maybe ? who knows ? You ? Me ? Only God knows ! You have made good points but you are also sarcastic in the way you do it . You are well versed in the scriptures , and also understanding of things . It takes years for some to see some of what you are saying . Now I will tell you what the Lord has shown me about why this is happening .

Although you are speaking deep mystery's of Gods word , they are tainted with a Haughty Spirit . This is the problem here . Many who responded to you are not unlearned as you are trying to make them out to be . To Christ is one of them . She talkes to you about the fruits of the Spirit , which is the evidence of the Holy Spirit , that brings about the workings of Godly love , and you come back , not to build line upon line , here a little and there a little . But rather to be one up in the fellowship . Is this a fruit of the Holy Spirit Colin2000 ?

No it is not . It is an inward desire to be right at any cost . Haughtyness in it's application . God hates a haughty Spirit , and a boastfull servant . Are you a Christian ? I see the offense taken . But when you ask that same question to test the Spirit of a person , and they respond with high-minded sarcasm against one who magnifies the fruits of the Holy Spirit as the guidlines for asking ... then I think the question is one that needs to be asked . So I will ask you again . Which Spirit are you of and where are the Holy Fruits that you are moving in ? Mike

 

[To Christ]

Thank you, BROTHERSINARMST4G for the defense.

Had I had a greater initial glimpse into the thread author, I would have had a better approach, and perhaps not so to invoke his resentment. Thus, I take responsibility for my part in what subsequently and unfortunately transpired.

My bluntness in these forums is over for the time being. I always have to remind myself that others are not so inclined to know what another sees about them. I am oddly grateful to have anyone point out my own areas of pride, because that is the Holy Spirit speaking for the purpose of cutting out any barriers to God's love.

I know that my first answer to this thread was a right response, and that it was not received with consideration. My intent had been only for Colin2000 to receive a direction on the same things that I had to work out with our Lord for me to begin to understand His love. I had been works oriented, even after coming to Jesus, and was continually steered in the right direction by God's Spirit and by being around more mature grounded Christians.

Whatever folly on my part God allowed, I pray that the recipient who did not have his expectations for the thread fulfilled will come to the understanding of surrender to God, rather than holding on to the Law.