Learning To Love

WebersHome · Jul 30, 2020

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● Rom 14:2-4 . . One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.

If somebody sincerely believes that fast food, GMO, high fructose corn syrup, non organic produce, processed foods, grain-fed beef, raw oysters, sushi, and/or anything fried in lard is sinful; well; more power to them; but God forbid they should condemn others who disagree.

So then; whether or not to eat grass-fed beef or grain-fed beef is your call; although in my judicious estimation; you run a much higher risk of contracting E.coli 0157-H7 by eating grain-fed beef. But the choice to run that risk is yours alone; not mine. The important point to note is that either way, God will accept one's diet just so long as they are convinced in their own mind it's not a sinful diet. And God forbid that we should undertake to pressure someone via debating to violate their conscience.
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WebersHome · Jul 31, 2020

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● Rom 14:5 . . One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

Common Christian holy days are The Lord's Day (Sunday), Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, the Epiphany, Solemnity of Saint Joseph Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Ascension Trinity Sunday, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Good Friday, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, All Saints, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas), and the Sabbath. Some would probably include Easter and Ash Wednesday, et al.

If your denomination, or your church of choice, rules that days like the above are sacred, then for you they are. Whether God himself really and truly rules them as sacred is irrelevant. What matters is whether you are convinced He does because the focus of the 14th of Romans is upon matters of conscience rather than matters of fact.

NOTE: The Jehovah's Witnesses' personal opinions about birthdays, holidays, and holy days are protected by the 14th chapter of Romans; and forbids debating with them about it.
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WebersHome · Aug 1, 2020

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● Rom 14:13a . .Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.

Within the context of the 14th of Romans, "passing judgment" pertains to criticizing others for refusal to accept and/or comply with your own personal gray-area beliefs and practices.
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WebersHome · Aug 2, 2020

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● Rom 14:13b . . Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

The Greek word translated "stumbling block" means a stub. For example: one year I cut down a troublesome bush in my front yard and left a bit of a stump sticking up out of the ground that later damaged my lawn mower when I accidentally ran over it while cutting the grass; which had grown tall enough to conceal the stump. In that respect, stumbling blocks are hazards not easily detected.

Within the context of the 14th of Romans, I would equate stumbling blocks to the clever sophistry that silver-tongued Bible thumpers employ to persuade people to do things contrary to their convictions and their conscience; and if you get pulled into a debate with one of those thumpers you'll probably lose.

NOTE: The Star Wars era spawned a pertinent colloquialism that goes like this: "Let the Wookie win one." When it comes to gray-area disputes, that colloquialism is pretty good advice.
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WebersHome · Aug 3, 2020

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● Rom 14:14-16 . . I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of The Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is alright.

For example: We may believe that there is nothing wrong with eating freaky, barbarian foods; but our Christian dinner companion might feel very strongly about it. Well; sure, we can get by with eating freaky, barbarian foods; but Rom 14:14-16 is saying don't. In other words; it is Christ's wishes that we restrain ourselves from eating distasteful stuff in front of our Christian companions in thoughtful and sympathetic regard for their feelings about it.

I'm pretty sure this principle isn't restricted to diet, but can be applied to any debatable issue with the potential to drive an unnecessary wedge between ourselves and other Christians. For example; if you have friends over for an evening of entertainment, and know they're uncomfortable with movies saturated with crime, cruelty, obscenity, vulgarity, deviance, indecency, and violence; then accommodate their feelings by selecting something a bit more tolerable for them.
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WebersHome · Aug 4, 2020

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● Rom 14:19 . . Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

The Greek word for "edification" is oikodome (oy-kod-om-ay') which is a word related to the building trades; and in this instance would be related to structural improvements like a new wing, or a bedroom, or another floor; and in many instances adds square footage to an already-existing structure and/or improves its appearance, its value, and it's utility. Edification then, is just the opposite of demolition, i.e. it builds up instead of tearing down.

Webster's defines "peace" as a state in which there is no war or fighting; viz: harmony and mutual concord.

There are times when it's appropriate to accommodate people's feelings about certain things for the sake of us all getting along together.
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WebersHome · Aug 5, 2020

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● Rom 14:20-21 . . Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.

The critters that God lists in the Jews' covenanted law as unsuitable for food aren't intrinsically unsuitable. They're only unsuitable for the Jews because that's how God wants it for Moses' people. But outside the covenant; and for everybody else: whatever you'd like to eat can be eaten; all flora and all fauna.

"Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." (Gen 9:3)

"The voice spoke to him a second time; "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." (Acts 10:15)

But still; we wouldn't want to invite someone over for dinner serving foods that they sincerely believe are wrong for them to eat; and thus lead them to contradict their own personal convictions about what's right and what's wrong for Christians. Prepare something else that you both can eat without feeling guilty. That's the Christian way to go about it; it's also the sympathetic way to go about it.
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WebersHome · Aug 6, 2020

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● Rom 15:1-2 . . We may know that certain things make no difference, but we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves. We must be considerate of the doubts and fears of those who believe certain things are wrong.

Webster's defines "considerate" as thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others, i.e. deferent, gallant, chivalrous, sensitive, yielding, and diplomatic.

NOTE: The subject of "yielding" is currently very relevant; especially in this day and age when certain elements of American society are perpetually clamoring for so-called equal rights in matters relative to race and gender.

Consideration is almost a dirty word among strong-willed, bossy Christians who perpetually insist upon having everything their own way; even in trivial issues that, in the grand scheme of things, mean nothing at all. But these folk are militant; every disagreement is an act of war to be won at any cost; even to the destruction of the dignity and self respect of their fellow Christians for whom the Lord gave his life.
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WebersHome · Aug 7, 2020

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● Rom 15:7 . . Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

That's a bit tricky but I think it just means all Christians should acknowledge each other as Christians, and treat one another as Christians though they may differ in opinion about what constitutes a real Christian.

For example: it's not unusual to hear a Christian pontificate that real Christians would never watch R-rated movies, gamble, wear a speedo or a string bikini, use cosmetics, smoke marijuana, expose cleavage or wear skin tight yoga pants in public, stop for a beer on the way home from work, have a glass of wine before bedtime, listen to RAP music, ditch church and Sunday school for years at a time, or go in a bar or a nightclub where there's topless female dancers up on a stage twining themselves around a pole while leering men stuff currency into the hems of their skimpy little costumes.

Too many Christians are bigots; they have the opinion that unless others believe and practice the very same way they believe and practice, then those others are not Christians. Well; the easiest way to settle this is to follow Webster's definition that a Christian is simply someone who professes a belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ. That's it: no more, no less, and no qualifiers. They don't even have to practice The Lord's teachings; they only have to profess to believe in them.

An internet forum I was on in the past made it even easier. In order to qualify as a Christian on that forum; one only had to believe they were a Christian; viz: they didn't have to prove they were a Christian; no, they only had to be convinced in their own minds that they were a Christian. If we all followed that rule it would put a stop to a lot of unnecessary quarreling, name calling, and bad feelings.

NOTE: Heresy is subjective. In other words: what's heresy to a Catholic may not be heresy to a Methodist, and vice versa. And what's heresy to a Mormon may not be heresy to a Jehovah's Witness, and vice versa. And what's heresy to a Baptist may not be heresy to the Church Of God, and vice versa. So my advice is: never, ever call another Christian a heretic.

Just to be on the safe side; edit that label from your remarks because it just might be that you yourself are the one infected with heresy and don't know it; viz: be circumspect with your choice of words because the hapless day just may arrive when you are forced to eat them.

It ain't what you know that gets you into trouble.
It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
Mark Twain
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WebersHome · Aug 8, 2020

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● Rom 15:27 . . For if the Gentiles have shared in the Israelite's spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Israelites to share with them their material blessings.

Within the context of Rom 15:25-27, the Israelites to whom Paul refers are not those who believe and practice Judaism; but those who believe and practice Christianity. It is unbecoming for Christians to support religions that undermine their Master's; especially when it's taken into consideration that 1Cor 16:22 requires Christ's followers to regard the followers of religions opposed to his as cursed.
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WebersHome · Aug 9, 2020

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● 1Cor 1:10 . . I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Official belief systems-- e.g. the Nicene Creed and/or proprietary church covenants and statements of faith --are very effective for achieving the unity required by 1Cor 1:10; and should always be imposed upon new people applying for membership in a local congregation. A church composed of an amalgam of beliefs and practices isn't a unified church: it's a forum.

» I would have to say that after belief in God and His son, then next thing that church members need to believe in is each other; and if they can't believe in each other, then I really think they ought to disband. I'm not kidding around about this; without trust and loyalty a church is just as dysfunctional as any other maladjusted family.
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WebersHome · Aug 11, 2020

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● 1Cor 6:1-6 . . If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

. . .Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another-and this in front of unbelievers!

Apparently some of the Christians in the church at Corinth let the Sermon On The Mount go in one ear and out the other.

"But I say unto you: That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also." (Matt 5:39-40)

"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." (Luke 12:57-59)

The Lord began his teaching in Luke with the words "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?" In other words; if someone threatens to take you to court over a tort matter, and you know darn good and well he's in the right; don't force him to go to law. Instead, admit to your wrong and settle out of court. According to The Lord, it’s unrighteous to tie up the courts when you know your own self that you are the one who's in the wrong. There's just simply no righteous reason why Christian defendants and plaintiffs can't be their own judge and jury in tort matters.

"Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren." (1Cor 6:7-8)

The Greek word for "defraud" is apostereo (ap-os-ter-eh'-o) which is an ambiguous word with more than one meaning, and more than one application. The meaning that seems appropriate in this instance is "deprive".

It works like this: Were I to trip and fall because of a crack in the walk leading up to the front door of the home of one of my kin; I wouldn't haul them into court over it because we're related; viz: any injury I might incur by tripping and falling because of a crack in their walk would be a family matter rather than a legal matter; and they have a right to be treated by me as family rather than as enemies in a lawsuit because we're related. Were I to sue them for tripping and falling because of a crack in their walk; I would be depriving them of the love that kin have a right to expect from one another.

Well; Christians are supposed to be brethren; in the highest possible sense of the word.

"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. . . We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1John 3:14-16)

I think it's safe to say that if somebody is comfortable taking a fellow Christian to court; then they certainly are not prepared to lay down their life for the brethren.

It's sad to see relatives suing each other in court; but it happens all the time. When the world does it; well, that's to be expected; but when Christians sue each other; that's dysfunctional.
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WebersHome · Aug 12, 2020

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● 1Cor 7:3-4 . . Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not authority of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not authority of his own body, but the wife.

What we're talking about in that verse is the principle of private property in marriage that was established right from the get-go.

"And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Gen 2:23-24)

There are no specific Hebrew words for "wife". The word for wife in that passage comes from the very same word as woman-- 'ishshah. The possessive pronoun "his" identifies an 'ishshah as somebody's wife. The same grammar works for husbands too, for example:

"And Leah said: God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons." (Gen 30:20)

The Hebrew word for "husband" in that verse is 'iysh which is a nondescript word for males. The possessive pronoun "my" identifies a male as somebody's husband.

So Eve became Adam's woman; and Adam of course became Eve's man. They quite literally owned each other: consequently they had a right to all that a conjugal relationship with each other implies.
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WebersHome · Aug 13, 2020

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Continuing from post No.33

● 1Cor 7:5 . . Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

It's not uncommon for wives to withhold intimacy from their husbands as a strategy to manipulate them. God forbid that any woman believing herself to be one of Christ's followers should ever pull a stunt like that! Same goes for the husbands. There is just no excuse for that kind of behavior in marriage. It's deplorable and it's unbecoming.

The Greek word translated "defraud" is apostereo (ap-os-ter-eh'-o) which means: to despoil; which Webster's defines as: to strip of belongings, possessions, or value; viz: pillage.

In other words, married people who withhold intimacy from their spouses without a valid reason to do so are nothing less than thieves, and in violation of the 8th commandment.

"Thou shalt not steal." (Ex 20:15)

The temptation in question is of course adultery. In other words; if one spouse denies the other spouse's conjugal rights for too long a time they run the risk of pushing them into another's arms.

I heard a story recently about a rather conniving Christian woman who wanted a divorce from her Christian husband; but seeing as how God only allows death or adultery to dissolve the marital bond; she deliberately denied her husband his conjugal rights in order to force him to think about taking a lover; and when he did; she proceeded to divorce him on the grounds of unfaithfulness. That way, in her mind's eye, she was the victim and he the villain. (chuckle) What people won't do to circumvent the laws of God.
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WebersHome · Aug 14, 2020

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● 1Cor 7:36 . . If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married.

We have a saying in America that goes like this: So and so married what's her name and made an honest woman out of her. Well, most grown-ups know what that means without me having to say so. The point is: if a Christian man finds himself on the brink of exceeding the limits of propriety with his best girl; it's time to either break up or tie the knot.

And then too there's the so-called biological clock that stalks women during their productive years. It's cruel, unthinkable, and utterly selfish and psychopathic of a man to keep a girl on hold during those years if and when he's fully aware that she's longing to settle down and have a family of her own. A man who does that has no clue what the word "honor" means.
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WebersHome · Aug 16, 2020

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● 1Cor 8:4-13 . .We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

. . . But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

. . . Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

That passage can be said to be a codicil to the 14th chapter of Romans.

Putting this into a modern context is pretty simple; e.g. here in Oregon we have tavern-style restaurants; viz: a section of the tavern is a bar, and another section is dedicated to dining. The bar sections usually host State-sanctioned gambling machines too and typically off-limits to minors.

Suppose you have Christian friends who sincerely feel it's wrong to dine in a tavern-style restaurant because of the alcohol and the gambling. Though you yourself might be comfortable in your own mind that there is no sin in dining at taverns, your friends are not so sure. So if you were to take them to a tavern, they would be committing sin in compromising their conscience; and you would be committing sin by knowingly leading them into a situation that causes them to make that compromise.

"We may know that these things make no difference, but we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves. We must be considerate of the doubts and fears of those who think these things are wrong. We should please others. If we do what helps them, we will build them up in The Lord." (Rom 15:1-2)

Another pertinent example is Hooters; where the waitresses are cute buxom girls filled out in all the right places clothed in short shorts, and clingy tops; so that the situation is a double whammy of babes and alcohol. Supposing your Christian buddy sincerely feels it's wrong for Christians to dine at Hooters? Then you would be wrong in taking him there for a burger even if you were convinced in your own mind there is nothing wrong with Hooters because you would be leading your Christian buddy into a situation that's below him and causes him to feel guilty and/or less of himself.

The Bible says that Christians should accommodate others to their edification (edification means to build someone up as opposed to tearing them down), Well, when we please ourselves to their detriment; that's being selfish. Some guys feel that cute buxom girls and yummy gams are a God-send, while other guys regard them as the Devil in disguise. The correct route here is to accommodate the more sensitive conscience.

This is one of those situations that requires that each individual to be convinced in their own mind whether Hooters is wrong for themselves or okay for themselves (Rom 14:5) and God forbid that Christians should criticize a fellow Christian who frequents Hooters because this is indeed one of those gray areas; and just who are you to legislate the rules for others in gray areas (Rom 14:3-4). It's unfortunate that there are some very imperious, domineering Christians out and about who see nothing wrong with bullying others to compromise their convictions just so long as they get their own way and everybody conforms to their way of thinking.

For example: it is my own personal feelings that Luke 22:35-36 makes it okay for Christ's followers to own guns for self defense. Well; a rather opinionated Christian in one of my Sunday school classes sneered at me for feeling that way and proceeded to pontificate that Jesus' instructions were only "preparatory" for the upcoming confrontation with Judas and the crowd that came with him that night to arrest Jesus. Okay; that's fine with me if that's the way he feels about it; but sneering at me for feeling my way about it was not only thoughtless, but improper too.
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K2K · Aug 16, 2020

Jn 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;

There is a purpose for the Scriptures being written and maintain so that we have them today. That purpose it to testify about Jesus Christ!!! They can give us the wisdom to seek Him and hear from Him.

Jn 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

But as can be seen in the Bible not all who read the Scriptures and studied them were willing to come to Him. So we need to ask ourselves if we are seeking Him and His voice?

WebersHome said:
● John 13:35 . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

God is love. The Scriptures explain this. 1 Jn 4:8 "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

So if God is love and we going to Him, listening to Him, and doing what He says we are going to love and be doing the loving thing! So there is really only one command that we follow!!!

Deut 6:4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

"Hear, O Israel" Is the only commandment!

If you truly keep that commandment then everything else falls into place. First you find out that the Lord our God is one. Then from your hearing Him you love Him because He is love. Then you will love your neighbor because He loves your neighbor and you are doing what He asks of you.

If you listen to Him, hear what He has to say. and do what He tells you - then you will be loving the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. So by keeping the ONE commandment you fulfill all the law!!!

WebersHome said:
"But I tell you: Love your enemies

I tool the above bit from all the prior posts on this thread because I believe it got over looked!!

Look close please - It is written "But I tell you" Are we considering that He tells us??? It seems that many people then to think that by their own thinking and their own good works that they are going to love their enemies!!!! That will not happen!

You may try to love your enemies, but they are your enemies! So is that going to happen by a force of your will when part of your will sees them as your enemy? Now God sees them as His creation and so even if they have turned against Him He still loves them because He created them. That is why God is love!! He created everything and He cares for His creation like we can not possibly do, because they are not our creation. What we can do is listen to Him, and seek His voice. But seeking the Scriptures and trying to follow all the rules in the Scriptures are not going to get us to love our enemies because we are not love!! Have we not read that only God is good?

Mat 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Look!! You are evil!! Perhaps you can give good gifts to your children, because they are your children. They were created through you, but your neighbor and especially your enemies were not. Yet even they are your Father in heavens children, so how much more do you need to ask Him?????

We need to listen to Him!! If we are going to love our enemies we have to listen to the creator, because we are evil and only God is God! Only God is love - quite thinking you are love and seek Him! If you do seek Him will it not become apparent that you are evil and He is love? It sure does! But if you don't seek Him it will also become apparent that you have been searching the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life instead of going to Him.

Paul wrote to the Galatians

Gal 3:2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

So how many things was Paul concerned with? Only one thing! He wanted to know if they received the Spirit by works of the Law of by hearing with faith?

Paul was only concerned with one Commandment and it was "Hear, O Israel"!!

Paul was not concerned with knowing if they were loving their neighbors, their enemies, or God, because if they were hearing the Lord, who speaks to us via His Holy Spirit to our spirit, then they were loving their neighbors, their enemies, and their Lord who is God!!

Mar 12:29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;

There is a foremost command and it is "Hear, O Israel". 'The Lord our God is One Lord, is a statement not a command. It is what you conclude if you hear from the Lord!

WebersHome said:
● Rom 14:13a . .Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.
Within the context of the 14th of Romans, "passing judgment" pertains to criticizing others for refusal to accept and/or comply with your own personal gray-area beliefs and practices.

Now there is one other thing I wanted to get at from all the posts on this thread. If you are hearing the Lord and doing what he says you are not judging others!!! God might be judging them but not you. It may be apparent to them that they are coming under judgement, but it is not your judgement because you are just hearing Him and doing what He askes.

That does not mean that I don't have judgements. I can think! He made me a living being also, but if I am doing what He asks then even if I judge my judgements are not mine because as I hear I judge.

Jn 5:30 “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just,
because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Jn 8: 15,16“You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.

The Father sends me to do things. I am not the Word of God but I can listen to Him. I can go and do what He tells me the best I can. Since God is love, then what I am doing is out of love, because it is out of His commandment "Hear O Israel".

I was about to wash my car. He has told me to do that this morning, but before I got to it He asked me to go do something else for Him first. Now I need to get that car washed.

Isilwen · Aug 16, 2020

K2K said:
Jn 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;

There is a purpose for the Scriptures being written and maintain so that we have them today. That purpose it to testify about Jesus Christ!!! They can give us the wisdom to seek Him and hear from Him.

Jn 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

But as can be seen in the Bible not all who read the Scriptures and studied them were willing to come to Him. So we need to ask ourselves if we are seeking Him and His voice?

God is love. The Scriptures explain this. 1 Jn 4:8 "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

So if God is love and we going to Him, listening to Him, and doing what He says we are going to love and be doing the loving thing! So there is really only one command that we follow!!!

Deut 6:4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

"Hear, O Israel" Is the only commandment!

If you truly keep that commandment then everything else falls into place. First you find out that the Lord our God is one. Then from your hearing Him you love Him because He is love. Then you will love your neighbor because He loves your neighbor and you are doing what He asks of you.

If you listen to Him, hear what He has to say. and do what He tells you - then you will be loving the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. So by keeping the ONE commandment you fulfill all the law!!!

I tool the above bit from all the prior posts on this thread because I believe it got over looked!!

Look close please - It is written "But I tell you" Are we considering that He tells us??? It seems that many people then to think that by their own thinking and their own good works that they are going to love their enemies!!!! That will not happen!

You may try to love your enemies, but they are your enemies! So is that going to happen by a force of your will when part of your will sees them as your enemy? Now God sees them as His creation and so even if they have turned against Him He still loves them because He created them. That is why God is love!! He created everything and He cares for His creation like we can not possibly do, because they are not our creation. What we can do is listen to Him, and seek His voice. But seeking the Scriptures and trying to follow all the rules in the Scriptures are not going to get us to love our enemies because we are not love!! Have we not read that only God is good?

Mat 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Look!! You are evil!! Perhaps you can give good gifts to your children, because they are your children. They were created through you, but your neighbor and especially your enemies were not. Yet even they are your Father in heavens children, so how much more do you need to ask Him?????

We need to listen to Him!! If we are going to love our enemies we have to listen to the creator, because we are evil and only God is God! Only God is love - quite thinking you are love and seek Him! If you do seek Him will it not become apparent that you are evil and He is love? It sure does! But if you don't seek Him it will also become apparent that you have been searching the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life instead of going to Him.

Paul wrote to the Galatians

Gal 3:2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

So how many things was Paul concerned with? Only one thing! He wanted to know if they received the Spirit by works of the Law of by hearing with faith?

Paul was only concerned with one Commandment and it was "Hear, O Israel"!!

Paul was not concerned with knowing if they were loving their neighbors, their enemies, or God, because if they were hearing the Lord, who speaks to us via His Holy Spirit to our spirit, then they were loving their neighbors, their enemies, and their Lord who is God!!

Mar 12:29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;

There is a foremost command and it is "Hear, O Israel". 'The Lord our God is One Lord, is a statement not a command. It is what you conclude if you hear from the Lord!

Now there is one other thing I wanted to get at from all the posts on this thread. If you are hearing the Lord and doing what he says you are not judging others!!! God might be judging them but not you. It may be apparent to them that they are coming under judgement, but it is not your judgement because you are just hearing Him and doing what He askes.

That does not mean that I don't have judgements. I can think! He made me a living being also, but if I am doing what He asks then even if I judge my judgements are not mine because as I hear I judge.

Jn 5:30 “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just,
because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Jn 8: 15,16“You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.

The Father sends me to do things. I am not the Word of God but I can listen to Him. I can go and do what He tells me the best I can. Since God is love, then what I am doing is out of love, because it is out of His commandment "Hear O Israel".

I was about to wash my car. He has told me to do that this morning, but before I got to it He asked me to go do something else for Him first. Now I need to get that car washed.

Did Jesus tell you to hijack another's thread?

I just need a yes or no, not a 10+ paragraph thesis. This isn't college! I also don't want to read the question, did you ask Him yourself. I don't need to ask Jesus if I should ask you a question. I was given a brain and the intelligence to go with it. Asking another human a question doesn't need to go through divine intervention to ask a question.

K2K · Aug 17, 2020

Isilwen said:
Did Jesus tell you to hijack another's thread?

I just need a yes or no, not a 10+ paragraph thesis. This isn't college! I also don't want to read the question, did you ask Him yourself. I don't need to ask Jesus if I should ask you a question. I was given a brain and the intelligence to go with it. Asking another human a question doesn't need to go through divine intervention to ask a question.

I didm't "Hijack another's thread" I posted on it

Who told you I Hijacked it?

And Yes, He did tell me to post on it.

He also bugged me to come on and post again, though He didn't tell me what it was about.

He wanted me to post last night before I went to bed, but I had shut off my computer and was tired so I told Him 'no'. I was going to bed. Yet this morning He was still asking me to go post, but perhaps you don't know Him? He is a live and active, so perhaps you might want to ask Him about the questions you have in your life. That would be like using your brain wisely.

Now, I am trying to make sense of your post. Why are you saying that you don't need to ask Him to ask someone else a question. I certainly had not written anything about you not being able to think or even ask others questions. My specific point on this thread is that it is not our thinking that produces loving actions!! God is love! Of us it is said that "If you being evil"... so we are evil. We are evil, and only God is good! Do we consider that?

Perhaps you and I, thought evil, can still look for a good gift for a specific person who we do care about, like a son or daughter of ours, but what do you care about those you don't know? Yet God, He made all things, so He cares about people as if they are sons and daughters of His. So don't you think, with the brain that He gave you, that perhaps you should consider asking Him some questions???

Wouldn't talking to Him and listening to His answer be better than just leaning on your own understanding - and especially you understanding of love?

That's a question!!! … but I don't need to hear your answer, He needs to hear your answer!

If your answer is that He is smarter and more loving than you; then your answer is that you will be seeking Him and what He has to say. He says the type of things you read in your Bible, like:

Prov 1:21,22 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

K2K · Aug 17, 2020

People - if you want to learn to love you talk to God who is love!! That is what the Bible tells you to do!

Yet know this: He is going to reprove you, and that because He loves you.

Rev 3:19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

I remember once when the Lord told me to give $5 to a homeless man. I told Him, 'Lord, if you need I can give him $20". The Lord responded, "Karl, if you give Him $20 He is going to spend it on alcohol and it will hurt him, but if you give Him $5 he will spend it on food which he needs."

So consider: Is it your efforts and thoughts on love which are right or is it His thought and your following them that is right?

We tend to preach this all wrong. We tend to preach leaning on our understanding of love forgetting that God is love! So learn from Him!

Learning To Love

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