Michael - - Bless you for your steadfast devotion and love shared with thousands who read your words and are moved and humbled by their simple elegance.
May the Lord watch over you and continue to give you wisdom and an out pouring of HIS love.
It is interesting Jesus said the 1st command about agape (selfless) love comes first.; love God totally.
The second command about agape love is "like" looks just like it, a reflection like a mirror of the first.
Our agape love for my neighbor reflects my love for God. I need both, true agape love is a reflection of my Love for the Gospel played out for my love for my fellow man, they are connected.
Michael makes a great point, it's easy to rescue sacrificially someone I love (know), and loves/knows me, but what about the stranger who has no visible love connection to me, what about my enemy?
Jesus addresses this in Luke 6 :31 He said to do unto others (everyone) as you would want done to you.
Now Jesus adds the hard part vs 32-33
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. You must be perfect (in agape love) as your Father in Heaven is perfect (perfect/agape love).
(Jesus says if you just love those who love you it's meaningless).
Paul wrote in 1 Cor 13,
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have (perfect agape) love, it profits me nothing. (I can do outwardly loving things but with less than perfect/agape motives is meaningless as well).
Can I truly love my enemies 365/24/7?
As a father how do I respond to a man who rapes and murders my 13 year old daughter?
Psalm 139 David asks God to slay the wicked, David loath and hates those who rise up against God.
How do I deal with that? This is not easy.
Paul describes what Jesus said to be ye perfect as God in Heaven is perfect (in agape love), I Cor. 13
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails;
How many of us do this all the time? No none of us can, we all fall short from time to time, my fallen emotions often get in the way.
Our failure to 100% keep the two commandments drives us to one place, our knees, in humility, confession and repentance seeking forgiveness. And what does God do?
He responds in perfect love with grace, mercy and forgiveness (the gospel). Thus we must give as we have received from God. It's not about keeping the commandments we can't, it's about the love and forgiveness we receive (undeserved) when we fail. Thus we can forgive those who fail us as well.
The greatest act of love I can show is to share the Gospel when the door is opened.
How often is that a priority of love in my life? Especially to the man who killed and raped my daughter
My expression of perfect love can not be given expecting an outcome (like changing the world). Then I'm giving to get something and that is not selfless. My love must be given with no strings attached ("expecting nothing in return" a true free gift).
In fact Jesus said If you truly love Me (the first commandment) the world will hate you and persecute you. The most perfect lover on this planet was Jesus and look what the world did to Him, what do expect the world to do to you? Jesus said. Luke 23:33-34
Once you understand the proper prority Re sequencing, it is simples.
God is the God of life, light, love.
But BEFORE that, God IS Love, Truth, Light, Life.
We are either on team God is Life, or Team Satan is death. Period, full stop.
Our Lady keeps trying to communicate the top priority is God is Life, but we don’t want to hear our Mother. We want “it” and we want “it” now.
Even so, our Mother petitions our Father who art in Heaven on our behalf. And the Divine Mercy Chaplet acts as a shield of mercy, between Paternal justice and Maternal Blind Love. IF we choose, via free will.
True God=Love would not exist with out free will. With out temptation/evil, fee will would be useless and pointless.
Michael - - Bless you for your steadfast devotion and love shared with thousands who read your words and are moved and humbled by their simple elegance.
May the Lord watch over you and continue to give you wisdom and an out pouring of HIS love.
Powerful! Thank you for this wonderful reminder and so beautifully written. God is love and we don’t want the love in us to be waxed cold. Wow
Excellent post. More love is what everybody needs. Thank you.
It is interesting Jesus said the 1st command about agape (selfless) love comes first.; love God totally.
The second command about agape love is "like" looks just like it, a reflection like a mirror of the first.
Our agape love for my neighbor reflects my love for God. I need both, true agape love is a reflection of my Love for the Gospel played out for my love for my fellow man, they are connected.
Michael makes a great point, it's easy to rescue sacrificially someone I love (know), and loves/knows me, but what about the stranger who has no visible love connection to me, what about my enemy?
Jesus addresses this in Luke 6 :31 He said to do unto others (everyone) as you would want done to you.
Now Jesus adds the hard part vs 32-33
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. You must be perfect (in agape love) as your Father in Heaven is perfect (perfect/agape love).
(Jesus says if you just love those who love you it's meaningless).
Paul wrote in 1 Cor 13,
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have (perfect agape) love, it profits me nothing. (I can do outwardly loving things but with less than perfect/agape motives is meaningless as well).
Can I truly love my enemies 365/24/7?
As a father how do I respond to a man who rapes and murders my 13 year old daughter?
Psalm 139 David asks God to slay the wicked, David loath and hates those who rise up against God.
How do I deal with that? This is not easy.
Paul describes what Jesus said to be ye perfect as God in Heaven is perfect (in agape love), I Cor. 13
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails;
How many of us do this all the time? No none of us can, we all fall short from time to time, my fallen emotions often get in the way.
Our failure to 100% keep the two commandments drives us to one place, our knees, in humility, confession and repentance seeking forgiveness. And what does God do?
He responds in perfect love with grace, mercy and forgiveness (the gospel). Thus we must give as we have received from God. It's not about keeping the commandments we can't, it's about the love and forgiveness we receive (undeserved) when we fail. Thus we can forgive those who fail us as well.
The greatest act of love I can show is to share the Gospel when the door is opened.
How often is that a priority of love in my life? Especially to the man who killed and raped my daughter
My expression of perfect love can not be given expecting an outcome (like changing the world). Then I'm giving to get something and that is not selfless. My love must be given with no strings attached ("expecting nothing in return" a true free gift).
In fact Jesus said If you truly love Me (the first commandment) the world will hate you and persecute you. The most perfect lover on this planet was Jesus and look what the world did to Him, what do expect the world to do to you? Jesus said. Luke 23:33-34
Lust of anything...money, clothes, people, etc is temporary.
Love is eternal...it only comes from God.
Happiness is temporary...buying things, drugs, alcohol, trips, etc.
Joy is eternal...it only comes from God.
Therefore...when God pulls you in, you will have love and joy...otherwise, you will not.
Once you understand the proper prority Re sequencing, it is simples.
God is the God of life, light, love.
But BEFORE that, God IS Love, Truth, Light, Life.
We are either on team God is Life, or Team Satan is death. Period, full stop.
Our Lady keeps trying to communicate the top priority is God is Life, but we don’t want to hear our Mother. We want “it” and we want “it” now.
Even so, our Mother petitions our Father who art in Heaven on our behalf. And the Divine Mercy Chaplet acts as a shield of mercy, between Paternal justice and Maternal Blind Love. IF we choose, via free will.
True God=Love would not exist with out free will. With out temptation/evil, fee will would be useless and pointless.
Great encouragement. Blessed by today's posting.
I am going to be happy, cheerful, laughing every possible minute, during this artificially created "End Time".
I would much rather be wealthy and unhappy then poor and unhappy.