The topic today is how to tell one is loved by GOD, and there is more on how the church is “good.” A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using ID “Dawn” (Level 2 with 301 points, a member since April 23, 2013) posted the following:
Christians why don’t I feel loved by God?
He sometimes answers my prayers and why does it feel like he really doesn’t care about me
THE BATTLE AXE: Church is Good? (06/15/2013)—While Bible knowledge, information, or academic and intellectual excellence are not needed for one to be saved, full truth and understanding continue to be important for cooperation, interaction, and sharing as a church body. Members of the church nourish one another by prophesying. All believers serve GOD as spokespersons who speak his word to comfort, edify (build-up the faith and understanding of others), and exhort (encourage and urge immediate, unselfish action). Simple acts of ministry include sharing baked bread, providing transportation assistance, showing ones smile, and visiting the sick. See 1st Corinthians 14: 1-5, KJV. The truth shared with non-believers, non-members, children and adults is the same, for there is only one truth. However, given differences among their demands, expectations, and needs, how the truth is shared with minors and outsiders often has to be adjusted. In the same way parents must respond to the death of adult family, friends and casualties occurring through public events, children must gain strength for the loss of schoolmates, family, and recurring tragedies. As an association of men, women and children who participate at various levels of commitment, maturity, skill, spiritual power, study, and understanding, the church must also use such tools as acknowledgment, assigning duty, authority, division of labor, goal-setting, praise, and reward. Even so, the church does not buy, sell, or make merchandise of compassion, forbearance, forgiveness, inclusion, mercy, resurrection, or the imparted, indwelling Spirit. See Luke 17: 1-10 and Acts 8: 3-25, KJV.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1st John 3: 13-24, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: A GOD of Love? (05/07/2013); Commanding the Storm? (05/08/2013); Wanting To Have Our Way (03/09/2013); The Love of GOD (03/03/2013); Our Need for a Son (03/04/2013); Therefore There Was Trust (01/07/2013); When Does Gossip Become Sin? (01/08/2013)
Dawn, for believers in Jesus as Savior and Christ, the experience of knowing the love of GOD is not made real within our understanding by changeable emotions and thoughts. As physical persons, humans often acknowledge love only when displayed through such carnal, material, and social features as affection, attention, attraction, lust, passion, and romance. The ability to correctly discern and recognize love as an appearance of divine being is acquired only by the operation of GOD through the Holy Spirit.
GOD is a spirit who does not function in the finite, limited manner of created beings and living creatures. Thus, instead of the frameworks of time and space that characterize human interaction, the lovers of GOD learn to answer within spheres emanated from the inseparable aspects of divine content. Included are such sacred substance as faith, forbearance, holiness, joy, longsuffering, truth, wisdom, and wrath against sin.
Where any person receives baptism, and enters into death, resurrection, and re-birth of their own spirit substance, we say, they are “born again.” However, born-again, they must encounter “growing pains,” learn, meet peculiar challenges from the flesh and from the world, and persevere to arrive at spiritual maturity and perfection.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, most believers endure periods of “looking for love (i.e., the love of GOD and Christ) in all the wrong places (i.e., using the wrong indicators as evidence).” In part they are misdirected because they seek only the pleasure of love without its pain. Such developing believers fail to grasp that as an aspect of divine make-up and being, love is invisible without unselfish actions to add value and benefit to others, obedience (the putting aside of self-will to carry out the will of another), and suffering that appears through uncomplaining execution of duty (included here are giving, risk-taking, and sacrifice.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
No comments:
Post a Comment