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Originally Posted by WomanLovesTX
Karaster, you ask if we have the love of God? That reminded me of this writing from 119 ministries.
Do You Love God?
Absurd question right? Don't we all love God? Biblically though, what does that really mean? Does God define how He wants to be loved, or do we? Does loving God matter at all, or is it all about God loving us (grace)?
Mat 22:35 - 38 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.
Do we love God with Biblical definitions or do we love God with our own definition of love? This matters, right? So what definition are we using? I believe we may have put so much emphasis on God’s grace that we sometimes forget how to love Him back.
1Jn 4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.
So because of His love through grace, this should cause us to love Him back, right? This begs the question “How do we love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind? This is, after all, the Number ONE COMMANDMENT. And shame on us if we cannot get the #1 commandment correct.
So how do we love Him? Is there a practical answer to this question or are we left with self-determined philosophical definitions of love?
How much does God play a role in answering on how He wants to be loved?
You have probably heard that the best way to interpret the Bible is through the Bible itself. So, in order to better understand what our Lord’s definition of what love is let’s look at the 7 scriptures written by the apostle John, with the first 4 of Jesus speaking.
1. Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
2. Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
3. Joh 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
4. Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
5. 1Jn 2:4-5 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6. 1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
7. 2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
It should be obvious that loving God is by keeping His commandments. This strips away all philosophical or self-determined definitions of love. When we disobey or ignore His Word we are in fact showing Him we do not love Him, regardless the loving things we might say about Him or to Him in puplic or private . It is our obedience to Him that reveals our love to Him. It is not our loving words or good intentions or deeds.
Why do you think Jesus said this to the Pharisees? Mar 7:6-8 This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
What would you think if your spouse told you that they love you but always ignored what you like and did whatever they wanted to do day after day without ever considering your wishes? What if they did whatever they want based on their own ideas on how they decided how to love you? Their profession of love would not mean much. You would know they are lying or they don’t really know what the word love means.
1Jn 2:4-5 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
So it is the same when we tell Jesus how much we love Him while ignoring or disobeying His Word to do whatever we want to do.
To make matters worse, Satan has taken advantage of our Biblical ignorance of love and it has become wilfull disobedience through overall confusion and has formed a very unbiblical theology that persuades Christians through various movements, programs, peer church organizations that proclaiming and obeying God’s commandments is not love at all, but in fact, legalism. You might even hear pastors say that God’s commandments are a scrary list of do’s and don’t do’s. Instead, we are sometimes told we should focus on grace and His love for us.
Sadly, by down-playing the commandments we are in fact down-playing the love of God.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Many times I have read here in CC the idea “don’t focus so much on God’s commandments, but just focus on grace.” But what are they really saying? They are saying we should not focus on loving God, but instead focus on being loved by God.
Grace is God’s love for us. No debate!!! Keep in mind that God’s commandments are our love to Him and to others, which we have already scripturally established.
So, perhaps the next time you read “Don’t focus so much on God’s commandments”, we should ask “Why shouldn’t I focus on loving God and others? Sadly, they are in effect saying with their lips “I only care about God loving me and not loving Him back”. Surely, no one wants to be saying such things!! But if you really want to love God, then keep His Commandments. I am not saying that, the Bible is.
Some people actually praise God in the belief that God has abolished His Law. In reality, God defines His own character in His own heart through the law that He gave us, yet some praise Him for abolishing it. It is the same image that we are to conform to and following God’s will is going after Him in His own heart.
Act 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
Are you interested in knowing and going after God’s own heart and do you want to be after God’s own heart? Then I hope you will read all of what David wrote in Psalms 119. It is a long chapter, actually, the longest chapter in the whole Bible. It is completely dedicated to loving God through His law. Psalms 119 does not look like anything you see streaming out of mainstream pulpit too often. Sadly today, the church is not likely to generate too many David’s.
So if the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and loving God is actually defined by the Bible as keeping all of His commandments, perhaps there is only one thing left to say:
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
(Transcribed from 119ministries.com video teaching.)
Do You Love God?
Absurd question right? Don't we all love God? Biblically though, what does that really mean? Does God define how He wants to be loved, or do we? Does loving God matter at all, or is it all about God loving us (grace)?
Mat 22:35 - 38 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.
Do we love God with Biblical definitions or do we love God with our own definition of love? This matters, right? So what definition are we using? I believe we may have put so much emphasis on God’s grace that we sometimes forget how to love Him back.
1Jn 4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.
So because of His love through grace, this should cause us to love Him back, right? This begs the question “How do we love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind? This is, after all, the Number ONE COMMANDMENT. And shame on us if we cannot get the #1 commandment correct.
So how do we love Him? Is there a practical answer to this question or are we left with self-determined philosophical definitions of love?
How much does God play a role in answering on how He wants to be loved?
You have probably heard that the best way to interpret the Bible is through the Bible itself. So, in order to better understand what our Lord’s definition of what love is let’s look at the 7 scriptures written by the apostle John, with the first 4 of Jesus speaking.
1. Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
2. Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
3. Joh 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
4. Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
5. 1Jn 2:4-5 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6. 1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
7. 2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
It should be obvious that loving God is by keeping His commandments. This strips away all philosophical or self-determined definitions of love. When we disobey or ignore His Word we are in fact showing Him we do not love Him, regardless the loving things we might say about Him or to Him in puplic or private . It is our obedience to Him that reveals our love to Him. It is not our loving words or good intentions or deeds.
Why do you think Jesus said this to the Pharisees? Mar 7:6-8 This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
What would you think if your spouse told you that they love you but always ignored what you like and did whatever they wanted to do day after day without ever considering your wishes? What if they did whatever they want based on their own ideas on how they decided how to love you? Their profession of love would not mean much. You would know they are lying or they don’t really know what the word love means.
1Jn 2:4-5 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
So it is the same when we tell Jesus how much we love Him while ignoring or disobeying His Word to do whatever we want to do.
To make matters worse, Satan has taken advantage of our Biblical ignorance of love and it has become wilfull disobedience through overall confusion and has formed a very unbiblical theology that persuades Christians through various movements, programs, peer church organizations that proclaiming and obeying God’s commandments is not love at all, but in fact, legalism. You might even hear pastors say that God’s commandments are a scrary list of do’s and don’t do’s. Instead, we are sometimes told we should focus on grace and His love for us.
Sadly, by down-playing the commandments we are in fact down-playing the love of God.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Many times I have read here in CC the idea “don’t focus so much on God’s commandments, but just focus on grace.” But what are they really saying? They are saying we should not focus on loving God, but instead focus on being loved by God.
Grace is God’s love for us. No debate!!! Keep in mind that God’s commandments are our love to Him and to others, which we have already scripturally established.
So, perhaps the next time you read “Don’t focus so much on God’s commandments”, we should ask “Why shouldn’t I focus on loving God and others? Sadly, they are in effect saying with their lips “I only care about God loving me and not loving Him back”. Surely, no one wants to be saying such things!! But if you really want to love God, then keep His Commandments. I am not saying that, the Bible is.
Some people actually praise God in the belief that God has abolished His Law. In reality, God defines His own character in His own heart through the law that He gave us, yet some praise Him for abolishing it. It is the same image that we are to conform to and following God’s will is going after Him in His own heart.
Act 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
Are you interested in knowing and going after God’s own heart and do you want to be after God’s own heart? Then I hope you will read all of what David wrote in Psalms 119. It is a long chapter, actually, the longest chapter in the whole Bible. It is completely dedicated to loving God through His law. Psalms 119 does not look like anything you see streaming out of mainstream pulpit too often. Sadly today, the church is not likely to generate too many David’s.
So if the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and loving God is actually defined by the Bible as keeping all of His commandments, perhaps there is only one thing left to say:
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
(Transcribed from 119ministries.com video teaching.)
I do not gloat over a Jew of today who does not know Jesus, I am concerned about their salvation as well an unbeliever non-Jew. If you want to distinctions between Jews and Gentiles who don't know Christ, that's your folly I guess.
Matt. 21:
43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
This site is becoming a joke.
Matt. 21:
43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
This site is becoming a joke.
Bookends, I understand your frustration, most of these posters assume today's "Jews" are descended from the Judah portion of Israel. They are not. Google on The Invention of the Jewish People by Israeli professor Shlomo Sand, and The Thirteenth Tribe by Jewish author Arthur Koestler, and the 2012 Johns Hopkins Jewish DNA study. These all document the non-Israelitish Khazar ancestry of modern "Jews." Thanks to a source of uncensored information called the Internet this is becoming better known. The religious establishment though, is still ignoring it.
2Thewaters, your statement assumes that contemporary "Jews" are of the same ancestry as first century Jews. That this is not true is documented by Israeli professor Shlomo Sand in his book The Invention of the Jewish People, and in The Thirteenth Tribe by Arthur Koestler, and in the 2012 Johns Hopkins Jewish DNA study. All of these document the fact that today's "Jews," being primarily of Ashkenazi-Khazar ancestry---are not Israelites. Google on these titles, there are many websites containing much suppressed truth on this subject.
Genesis 32:28
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
This is an Israelite; it is someone that has overcame there sinful nature, but if a person that is born from a person that has overcome sin, doesn't means that they are an Israelite, but they themselves has to overcome it as well. Jacob had plotted to get what he wanted in life, but he has reaped what he has sowed by what Laban his uncle has did to him by deceiving him to get Jacob to work for him longer. Jacob has learned that being deceitful can hurt the one that is being deceived and so he didn't did it no more; but the wicked learn from the scheme and use it for future purposes. But a Christian is someone that has overcomes their hatred towards another , and love them unconditionally from the heart and which that is call being Christ-like; and not being judgmental at all, but understanding. There's time in the scriptures mentioned Jacob, and then it mentioned Israel. Jacob represent the ones that are still in their sinful life and Israel is the ones that has overcame.
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
This is an Israelite; it is someone that has overcame there sinful nature, but if a person that is born from a person that has overcome sin, doesn't means that they are an Israelite, but they themselves has to overcome it as well. Jacob had plotted to get what he wanted in life, but he has reaped what he has sowed by what Laban his uncle has did to him by deceiving him to get Jacob to work for him longer. Jacob has learned that being deceitful can hurt the one that is being deceived and so he didn't did it no more; but the wicked learn from the scheme and use it for future purposes. But a Christian is someone that has overcomes their hatred towards another , and love them unconditionally from the heart and which that is call being Christ-like; and not being judgmental at all, but understanding. There's time in the scriptures mentioned Jacob, and then it mentioned Israel. Jacob represent the ones that are still in their sinful life and Israel is the ones that has overcame.
Karraster, you need not be confused. Read Hebrews an epistle to Hebrew-Israelites. Chapters 8-10 especially tell us that the prophesied "new covenant," that which was promised to, and made with---"...the house of Israel and with the house of Judah" (Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8:8) was in effect with those people 2000 years ago. It was not, as the Dispensationalist-Futurist establishment says, "put on hold." James also, writing to---"the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad" (James 1:1) describes them in a Christian New Covenant context. These, obviously, are not one and the same with the non-Christian people masquerading as Israel today. This element is better identified as---"them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9; 3:9).
2Thewaters, your statement seems to tell us it is you who are cheering for the representatives of Satan ("...them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan" [Rev. 2:9; 3:9]). Why do you choose to serve the anti-Christ people, the counterfeit Jews masquerading as Israel? Read Hebrews, an epistle to Hebrew-Israelites, and James, an epistle to "the twelve tribes...scattered abroad," these do not describe a non-Christian Israel. And what about those---"thousands of Jews" in Acts 21:20? Do you not see a difference between them and the counterfeits you support as "Israel"?
How naïve can one be?
How naïve can one be?
Karraster, have you been watching John Hagee? Why are you kissing up to those of the Talmud---"...them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9: 3:9)? Jesus, a real Jew, did not do this. Why do you close by asking, "do you have the love of God?" Are you trying to tells us that the apostle John was wrong ("for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments"[1 John 5:3])? Why, instead, does your closing sentence imply that the love of God is, that we support synagogue of Satan type counterfeit Jews?
K
Why is there such blatant rudeness in your post? What have I done to you to deserve that you scold me like I am a brainless idiot? Unless you can be a gentleman, I won't respond to you anymore, but this once.
No I do not listen to Hagee!!I don't care to listen to any mainstream preacher or belong to a mega Church!!! I don't care for TBN,
I don't "kiss up" to anyone, what a vile statement. Back when real gentlemen were around, a thing like that would never be said to a lady.
Messiah was speaking of the Religious leaders, and those who worshiped them. He was not speaking of the people who made up Israel. It is the people I love, not their leaders. Can you find it in your heart to see the difference?
Likewise, I do not follow a man! Especially those who are in the limelight on TV. The majority of Churches today are no better than the religious leaders back then.
I may not know or understand some of the phrases or terms being used on CC, and frankly I don't want to know the majority of them. There is one doctrine, and one only that counts. That is the Bible! The Word that our Creator delivered to us, through the Jews.
That gratitude for anything this day and age is rare. We live in a free this and free that. I don't want to have to pay for that, it should be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. After all I deserve it!
Well let me tell you something, somebody had to pay for it. Messiah paid in blood. The Jews paid in blood. I have done nothing to deserve any Word, but I can have gratitude, and I can love them and be a friend to them.
The Bible warns Gentiles not to boast! Perhaps you sir, should examine your heart.
No I do not listen to Hagee!!I don't care to listen to any mainstream preacher or belong to a mega Church!!! I don't care for TBN,
I don't "kiss up" to anyone, what a vile statement. Back when real gentlemen were around, a thing like that would never be said to a lady.
Messiah was speaking of the Religious leaders, and those who worshiped them. He was not speaking of the people who made up Israel. It is the people I love, not their leaders. Can you find it in your heart to see the difference?
Likewise, I do not follow a man! Especially those who are in the limelight on TV. The majority of Churches today are no better than the religious leaders back then.
I may not know or understand some of the phrases or terms being used on CC, and frankly I don't want to know the majority of them. There is one doctrine, and one only that counts. That is the Bible! The Word that our Creator delivered to us, through the Jews.
That gratitude for anything this day and age is rare. We live in a free this and free that. I don't want to have to pay for that, it should be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. After all I deserve it!
Well let me tell you something, somebody had to pay for it. Messiah paid in blood. The Jews paid in blood. I have done nothing to deserve any Word, but I can have gratitude, and I can love them and be a friend to them.
The Bible warns Gentiles not to boast! Perhaps you sir, should examine your heart.
Mattithyah20:19, "They will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to impale; but the third day He will be raised up."
Mark 10:33, "And said: Behold, we go up to Yerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes; then they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, And they will mock Him, and will scourge Him, and will spit upon Him, and will kill Him; but the third day He will be raised up."
Luke 18:32, "For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, insulted, and spat upon. Then they will scourge Him, and put Him to death: but on the third day He will be raised up."
Mark 10:33, "And said: Behold, we go up to Yerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes; then they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, And they will mock Him, and will scourge Him, and will spit upon Him, and will kill Him; but the third day He will be raised up."
Luke 18:32, "For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, insulted, and spat upon. Then they will scourge Him, and put Him to death: but on the third day He will be raised up."
I see what is pasted in the post above, 54. Who else sees this as cursing the Jews? The Children of Israel, no matter which tribe, are the chosen of Yahweh. We have been invited through their Gate by God. They are the natural, we are the grafted in. Lord it over them, and you may be pruned and thrown into the fire. Do not curse Yahweh's people; Jesus was a JEW.
S
There is a problem Karraster,
What is a "Jew" today? I think it's more as a religion than an actual race, but I could be wrong. As of right now there is at least 12,000 to 15,000 Jewish followers of Christ in Israel (by the VOM report). Are they just Jews who believe in Christ, or were they converted from Judaism?
I don't know if I want to call them my brothers if they plainly hate Jesus our Lord...
What is a "Jew" today? I think it's more as a religion than an actual race, but I could be wrong. As of right now there is at least 12,000 to 15,000 Jewish followers of Christ in Israel (by the VOM report). Are they just Jews who believe in Christ, or were they converted from Judaism?
I don't know if I want to call them my brothers if they plainly hate Jesus our Lord...
K
If you are concerned, what are you doing to show it? What does it mean bear fruit? Isn't it good fruit to lead others to Messiah? Or is is good fruit to gloat in that they have become blinded for our sakes?
That's the bottom line really. Are we leading others to the Light of the Word. Anything else will be burned up. What are the treasures we can store up, besides leading someone to Messiah and His ways? Because, if you don't, the joke's on you.
That's the bottom line really. Are we leading others to the Light of the Word. Anything else will be burned up. What are the treasures we can store up, besides leading someone to Messiah and His ways? Because, if you don't, the joke's on you.
Certianly being a modern day pharisees (judaistist) does not make one blood Hebrew, thing is Yahweh knows who is of the 12 tribes even if man doesnt. And literally speaking agaisnt Jews in a blood term is foolish. Talmudic converts, those are "the synagoge of satan" and are not actually Jewish blood.
There are so many folks who use the Bible but do not believe what it teaches. If they did understand anything at all, they would realize our God is the God of the Children of Israel, those then, those now, and those to come, we are two flocks made one for the Good Shepherd. He said it; I believe it; that settles it!
Those aforementioned should wake up and realize when they say they see and they do not, their guilt will remain. I do not know all, but what I say here, I certainly do.
Those aforementioned should wake up and realize when they say they see and they do not, their guilt will remain. I do not know all, but what I say here, I certainly do.