Jesus IS Lord, Amen
What do you think? https://pin.it/fbs56zoziu3kfw
This beautiful morning, l pray that the Almighty God will pour fresh oil upon you to bless you and mark you and your household out of danger and untimely death.
You will enjoy the full benefits of God’s grace and mercy today and you will never sow your seeds for birds to consume in Jesus Mighty name.Good morning and have a wonderful day.
We spoke about Saint Peter, upon which The Church is built. In our recent share, after Jesus pronounced him the rock upon which The Church was to be established, Jesus rebuked Satan’s effect on Saint Peter. Matthew 16:23 says: Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
The rock was then asked a number of times if Saint Peter Loved The LORD. We can imagine his feeling (the first time I answered that. And again, now a third time! Is there something I am doing wrong?)
“…A third time Jesus asked him, “Simon son of John, do you Love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I Love You.” Jesus said, “Then feed My sheep.”
–John 21:17
We can discuss this to no end! But rather, I will start simply by asking you, do you Love The LORD?
Why?
I ask this seriously, why do you say, think or know that you Love Him?
What is Love to you? What does it mean? What does it do?
We launch on a journey; think, meditate and focus on the concept of Love.
It is a difficult concept to grasp!
Describing a biblical view of love turns out to be no simple matter. First off, the Bible was written in both Hebrew and Greek, and each of these languages has multiple words that we translate as “love.” (On this count, Hebrew wins out with about a dozen words expressing a range of emotions from sexual desire to intimate friendship, and from covenantal fidelity to acts of mercy and kindness.)
There are also understandings of love floating around among different authors. So what the author of the Song of Solomon says about love isn’t the same as what the author(s) of Genesis say, which isn’t the same as what John says, which isn’t the same as Paul … and so on. All of which means that not only is there no single view of love in the Bible but any larger scheme you propose by which to organize these various treatises on love will inevitably fall short.
This is why I direct you to seriously meditate, feel and know what true Love is!
We can tear this down, there are three different descriptions of the feeling: Love.
Three Greek words: Eros, romantic, passionate love, from which we get our word “erotic”; Phileo, the love of great friends and siblings, from which we get “Philadelphia,” the “city of brotherly love”; and Agape, parental, self-sacrificing love that seeks only the welfare of the other. All three kinds of love are represented in the Bible, which means that all three are considered to be created and blessed by God.
I will be forward again, what do you feel for the reason you are here? You were created, no? We can look at Biology, Genetics, even Evolution. You are here! No? Why? What have you done with ‘life’, what is your function? Your center? What, Why, When and Where are you? Hopefully, I make you think! Dwell on these.
Do you like yourself? Stand yourself? I will ask the somewhat difficult question: Do you love/Love yourself? This is ‘difficult ‘ in so many ways. Let us refer once again to the definition of Love in all its forms:
1. Eros
Eros is sexual or passionate love, and is the type most akin to our modern construct of romantic love. In Greek myth, it is a form of madness brought about by one of Cupid’s arrows. The arrow breaches us and we ‘fall’ in love, as did Paris with Helen, leading to the Trojan War and the downfall of Troy and much of the assembled Greek army. In modern times, eros has been amalgamated with the broader life force, something akin to Schopenhauer’s will, a fundamentally blind process of striving for survival and reproduction. Eros has also been contrasted with Logos, or Reason, and Cupid painted as a blindfolded child.
2. Philia
The hallmark of philia, or friendship, is shared goodwill. Aristotle believed that a person can bear goodwill to another for one of three reasons: that he is useful; that he is pleasant; and, above all, that he is good, that is, rational and virtuous. Friendships founded on goodness are associated not only with mutual benefit but also with companionship, dependability, and trust.
For Plato, the best kind of friendship is that which lovers have for each other. It is a philia born out of eros, and that in turn feeds back into eros to strengthen and develop it, transforming it from a lust for possession into a shared desire for a higher level of understanding of the self, the other, and the world. In short, philia transforms eros from a lust for possession into an impulse for philosophy. Real friends seek together to live truer, fuller lives by relating to each other authentically and teaching each other about the limitations of their beliefs and the defects in their character, which are a far greater source of error than mere rational confusion: they are, in effect, each other’s therapist—and in that much it helps to find a friend with some degree of openness, articulacy, and insight, both to change and to be changed.
3. Storge
Storge (‘store-gae’), or familial love, is a kind of philia pertaining to the love between parents and their children. It differs from most philia in that it tends, especially with younger children, to be unilateral or asymmetrical. More broadly, storge is the fondness born out of familiarity or dependency and, unlike eros or philia, does not hang on our personal qualities. People in the early stages of a romantic relationship often expect unconditional storge, but find only the need and dependency of eros, and, if they are lucky, the maturity and fertility of philia. Given enough time, eros tends to mutate into storge.
4. Agape
Agape is universal love, such as the love for strangers, nature, or God. Unlike storge, it does not depend on filiation or familiarity. Also called charity by Christian thinkers, agape can be said to encompass the modern concept of altruism, defined as unselfish concern for the welfare of others. Recent studies link altruism with a number of benefits. In the short term, altruism leaves us with a euphoric feeling—the so-called ‘helper’s high’. In the longer term, it is associated with better mental and physical health, as well as longevity. At a social level, altruism serves as a signal of cooperative intentions, and also of resource availability and so of mating or partnering potential. It also opens up a debt account, encouraging beneficiaries to reciprocate with gifts and favours that may be of much greater value to us than those with which we feel able to part. More generally, altruism, or agape, helps to build and maintain the psychological, social, and, indeed, environmental fabric that shields, sustains, and enriches us. Given the increasing anger and division in our society, and the state of our planet, we could all do with quite a bit more agape.
5. Ludus
Ludus is playful or uncommitted love. It can involve activities such as teasing and dancing, or more overt flirting, seducing, and conjugating. The focus is on fun, and sometimes also on conquest, with no strings attached. Ludus relationships are casual, undemanding, and uncomplicated but, for all that, can be very long-lasting. Ludus works best when both parties are mature and self-sufficient. Problems arise when one party mistakes ludus for eros, whereas ludus is in fact much more compatible with philia.
6. Pragma
Pragma is a kind of practical love founded on reason or duty and one’s longer-term interests. Sexual attraction takes a back seat in favour of personal qualities and compatibilities, shared goals, and making it work. In the days of arranged marriages, pragma must have been very common. Although unfashionable, it remains widespread, most visibly in certain high-profile celebrity and political pairings. Many relationships that start off as eros or ludus end up as various combinations of storge and pragma. Pragma may seem opposed to ludus, but the two can co-exist, with the one providing a counterpoint to the other. In the best of cases, the partners in the pragma relationship agree to turn a blind eye—or even a sympathetic eye, as in the case of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, or Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson.
7. Philautia
Philautia is self-love, which can be healthy or unhealthy. Unhealthy self-love is akin to hubris. In Ancient Greece, a person could be accused of hubris if he placed himself above the gods, or, like certain modern politicians, above the greater good. Many believed that hubris led to destruction, or nemesis. Today, hubris has come to mean an inflated sense of one’s status, abilities, or accomplishments, especially when accompanied by haughtiness or arrogance. As it disregards truth, hubris promotes injustice, conflict, and enmity.
Healthy self-love is akin to self-esteem, which is our cognitive and, above all, emotional appraisal of our own worth relative to that of others. More than that, it is the matrix through which we think, feel, and act, and reflects and determines our relation to ourselves, to others, and to the world.
Self-esteem and self-confidence do not always go hand in hand. In particular, it is possible to be highly self-confident and yet to have profoundly low self-esteem, as is the case with many performers and celebrities.
I am aware that we started with three main definitions, I thought it important to discuss all we feel/experience/have.
If and when we say God Loves you. What does it mean? Seeing, knowing and believing that God divided Himself to enhance His Glory (we can discuss this) He was and is known as The Holy/Blessed Trinity. Three in One! Three as One! This blows your mind if/when you think of it.
God created The Universe, what is seen and experienced was created from the unseen. Talk as much as you like…Do you ever see words? He spoke and it was/is/will be. We do not have to say for always! There is an end to all. We may have heard of the new Heaven and the new Earth. Read Revelations Chapter 21. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/%3Fsearch%3DRevelation%2B21%26version%3DNIV%26interface%3Damp&ved=2ahUKEwic48mtndLbAhVRnFkKHSu_CJYQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw37TZs_nmUGYtTOzQnqCJKp&cf=1
https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1159-what-are-the-new-heavens-and-new-earth
We have a LOT to consider. We started off talking about Jesus asking the rock upon which The Church is built, if he (Peter) Loved Him. Three times! That took us to meander about definitions and kinds of love (here because the very widely in definition I use “l” instead of “L” which I use for true Love, God’s Love. Who He is, What He is, What moves Him.
To Love something so much that you sacrifice Yourself (or a part of you for it.) Is inexplicable! I know this might sound outlandish, a part of God came to redefine life. Yes, there are many opposing forces, you have a decision to make!
Nor publicly, but in your heart. IF it shows, let it show, you are a new creation, a brand new individual. Old things have passed away, knowing how ‘disagreeable’ the term is…you are a new person. In essence you are renewed (new Creation.) It is essentially being born again. You Must Be Born Again to see The Kingdom of Heaven.
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God So Loved the World
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:1-21
“The LORD reigneth/He liveth for ever; our God is on The throne, His throne and beholds all Hechas created! Is it not His to do with it as He wills? Fall before Him O ye nations; for He is The King of kings and The LORD of lords.
Hossanah! Blessed be The Rock; and O my soul, let the God of my salvation be exalted, Amen.
What should and can I bring before The LORD? I am nothing before Him. As a grain of sand in the sand of time, on His shore, Amen. Nothing but praise and Thanksgiving do I possess and control in my will; I offer it up as I lay before Thee- my Creator, my Saviour, my ALL, Amen.
It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the naysayers under me. HE delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me, Amen. Your praises do I sing, Amen.
You have placed a new song in my heart to sing and I can shout Hallelujah! For You in Your Love has lifted me. O glory, glory Hallelujah: Thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto Thy name among the brethren. Great deliverance giveth Your Essence to Your people LORD; and Ye sheweth mercy to Your anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore, Amen.”
Psalm 18:46-50 led and filled in by His Spirit, Amen. Not to memorize, but to heart, know and live, Amen.
Y’all, I was moved to proclaim The Essence of The LORD in our lives. With your spirits let us give a praise worship and thanksgiving, Amen
The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, Amen
Numbers 6:25
Amen!!! Amen, Amen!!!! We have a ‘small World’ indeed. You know when Moses asked to ‘see’ God? Many do NOT get it! Not His ‘Person,’ but His GLORY passed Moses by! Even THAT would slay a human! His glory! “No Man can see My face and live.”
Even Apostle John who penned Revelations did not behold His face! Yes, The glory was shown unto him, but note (and read) God’s face was NEVER seen!
Let’s Job it for a quick moment: “One day the angelsa came to present themselves before The LORD.” (and Satan also came with them.)
“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.”
Isaiah 40:5
“But we all, with uncovered face beholding as in a glass The glory of the LORD, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
See, we will behold Him when the time is ‘right’ as Human we cannot see Him.
Here, I tend toward my oft quoted ‘concept.’
Even the Sun, a star God made cannot be viewed in its fullness! Blindness, eye damage…This is SOMETHING God made! It wanes in His presence, Amen
I go further to point out that our galaxy revolves around the sun. Yes, there may be ‘other’ galaxies, but our main concern is ours. We can discuss the ‘probability’… black hole! What is that? Nothing seen, nothing experienced?
black hole
ˈˌblak ˈhōl/
noun
A region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.
informal: A place where people or things, especially money, disappear without trace.
“the moribund economy has been a black hole for federal funds”
A black hole is a region of spacetime exhibiting such strong gravitational effects that nothing—not even particles and electromagnetic radiation such as light—can escape from inside it. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass can deform spacetime to form a black hole.
As I said, we can discuss this for a while. But, I will leave it and let it be!
As said, we have a Universe, black holes etc. “Junk.” What we see, have, experience is key!
Live on, know Him, experience Him, Faith Him!
Definition of “Faith”:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11: 1
Faith is the connecting power into the spiritual realm, which links us with God and makes Him become a tangible reality to the sense perceptions of a person. Faith is the basic ingredient to begin a relationship with God.
‘Nuff said. Faith in y’all, be blessed.
Awesome isn’t He? Isn’t our Father, who exists in Heaven!!! Beyond description, definition of imagination how vast His glory is, Amen. Well and way beyond definition or our ability to comprehend, understand, or know His ‘vastness’.
His length, breadth or depth; Who He is, What He does! The ‘Who-ness’ of Him, The vastness of Him, we are blessed to see, have, experience and know LOVE!!!Amen.
We just have to Faith it, and ALL shall be revealed in ‘time,’ as we understand it, but when we leave this ‘realm’ all the ‘known’ becomes our past and our ‘existence’ is the all-‘ways’ experienced, Amen
Daddy day! We need to give honor, respect, appreciation, and LOVE where it is due. Ladies first we learn in ‘politese’, Mother’s day respectively comes before Daddiy’s day, no? Be polite, be Loving, be Christian.
You may have noticed that I write (loving with a capital “L”.) There are so many reasons. How do you compare the emotions feelings for a parent, other half, Significant other, siblings to a friend/colleague/co-worker, Coach etc.
I use this term ‘Daddy’ because The Word says in Matthew 23:9 “Do not call anyone on Earth ‘Father,’ for you have one Father, and He is in Heaven.”
Imagine what you’re life would be like if you completely trusted God as your loving Father. These Bible verses on the Father’s love will help!
Abba!
Jesus showed us that the Almighty God is our Abba Father! Our dear Papa! (Mark 14:36). The Holy Spirit lives in the heart of all of us who follow Jesus and he intercedes for us from deep within, crying out, “Abba Father” Romans 8:15; Galatians 6:4
Our image (concept) of God is the most important thing about us. It determines our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. Many people we talk with need healing in their image of God. Do you? Your answer to this question will tell you: Can you look back over your whole life and say, “My Father God has always been good to me.”? If not, your heart is hurting and your image of God needs healing.
“[The Father] guarded him as the apple of his eye.” Deuteronomy 32:10
“A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.” Psalm 68:5-6
“O Lord you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hands.” Isaiah 64:8
“Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:4
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:8
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11
“Your Father in heaven is not willing that any one of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:14
In Matthew 23:1–12, Jesus is denouncing the Jewish scribes and Pharisees for rejecting Him as their Messiah, in particular for their hypocrisy in elevating themselves above others with titles such as “teacher” and “master.” The Jewish teachers affected those titles because they supposed that a teacher formed the man or gave him real life. They sought, therefore, to be called “father,” as if they were the source of truth rather than God. Christ taught that the source of all life and truth is God, and no one ought to seek or receive a title that properly belongs to Him. No one should be as revered as God is.
This denunciation is equally relevant today. In no way should any person look up to, follow, or elevate a human leader in any religious or church organization above Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His body. He alone is the author of our salvation, source of comfort in difficulties, and strength to live the Christian life. He is the only One to whom our prayers should be directed. No one else has the right to say, “Look to me to meet your spiritual needs.” Jesus’ warning against calling men “father” is a caution against ostentation, pride, and hypocrisy.
As we have shared The Word is complex, mind you – I did not say ‘complicated.’ How if The Word says in Deutronomy 28.
“Honour thy father and thy mother” is one of the Ten Commandments in the Hebrew Bible. The commandment is generally regarded in Protestant and Jewish sources as the fifth in both the list in Exodus 20:1–21, and in Deuteronomy (Dvarim) 5:1–23.
I decided to study further and found this out: A transliteration of the Aramaic term abba also appears three times in the Greek New Testament of The Bible. Each time the term appears in transliteration it is followed immediately by the translation ho pater in Greek, which literally means “the Father.” In each case it is used with reference to God.
What I have done is to utilize father (Earthly) versus Father (Heavenly.) Yes, God caused you to be, but for some reason that we have discussed, through your parents.
We can see so much in The Word regarding both parents, so Happy parents day!
Ephesians 6:4 ESV / 108 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:6 ESV / 95 helpful votes
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV / 77 helpful votes
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Colossians 3:21
“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”
Proverbs 13:24
“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”
Proverbs 29:15
“Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.”
Proverbs 29:17
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
Colossians 3:20
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 20:12
And we focus on some truisms for fathers:
Y’all father’s, from God you have come.
Your hard times, build you.
Your tough times, strengthen you.
Your trials, form you.
Your tears, clear your vision.
Your cries, build up your voice for praising, prayer, thanksgivings and laughter.
When down, we learn the advantages of being up.
When tempted, driven to despair, tried, tempted – we learn Where to lean, Who to follow, Who wipes our tears away.
Cherish it, love it, hold it, act it – Amen
In Heaven there is NO gender. Amazingly in The Word, ALL we have seen are spiritual beings. Here on Earth, differences in gender were Created for procreation. In Heaven, God makes ALL.
We have a Home to head toward. Do it with pride. There is a location, a reason, a season for our plenty, Amen
Previously, we pointed out a few reasons we are blessed to be ‘Male’ – heads of households as God has directed; the differences between Male and Female, in the Earthly families in His-story, it was noted the ‘differences’ between gender. In creating, first came
Exodus 20:12
In the 5th period, creatures were created to fill The sky and water. If we think, there was a period that all came to be. In seeing that it was ‘good’, Man was created in The sixth period. Man has developed and continues to, it is my prayer that we progress as He wills, Amen. Man was created in The Form of our Father, Amen
On/In the seventh period He ‘rested’, we are in this 7th period. Look around you, there is not ‘much’ different! Yes, we ‘create’ with the knowledge we were given. More importantly, things are at rest. God rests in His Creation, no new things are ‘created.’ Earth is as Earth does! Look around: Mating of species, creating hybrids in animals, even ‘technology’ it is as we have ‘figured’ it to be.
I am stepping of path, but Man together sought to build the tower at Shiloh, God seeing this and knowing that Man had a ‘oneness’ about him.
“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel —because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole Earth.”
Genesis 11:1-8
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/continent/
“From Whom every family in Heaven and on Earth derives its name.”
Ephesians 3:15
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html
When I studied the continents, I realized the shapes were consistent with one body.
The second major phase in the break-up of Pangaea began in the Early Cretaceous (150–140 Ma), when the minor supercontinent of Gondwana separated into multiple continents (Africa, South America, India, Antarctica, and Australia).
After Pangea broke, due to the tectonic plates, and volcanic eruptions, it was split into two parts called Laurasia, and Gondwanaland. 100 million years ago those parts split apart into the seven continents the earth is made of today.
At this time most of the dry land on Earth was joined into one huge landmass that covered nearly a third of the planet’s surface. The giant ocean that surrounded the continent is known as Panthalassa. The movement of Earth’s tectonic plates formed Pangaea and ultimately broke it apart.
You may ask what this has to do with father’s day. We are all one! From The Aborigenes in Australia to The Jewish, Palestinians, Africans…
“One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:6
“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
Romans 12:5
I will ease your pursuit of fact: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-equality/
To throw a pebble in the morass, The statement in the American independence statement “All men are created equal” tosses quite a bit into the pot. Abraham. One of the earliest mentions in The Bible, we can ask where he as the father of many nations was.
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/november/bible-never-says-all-men-are-created-equal.html
This has covered many topics, but you are fathers. Have a blessed Fathers day and season to follow.