Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but on what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. John 1:4 NASB
The apostle John in the first few words of his account of Jesus, uses the words life and light. The Greek word for life used in this Scripture is zoe. Another Greek word used for life is bios. To me the word zoe is more than just physical life, it is more than just being alive. When we experience zoe we go beyond the physical. I hear people talk about enjoying life, and I take this to mean more than just being glad we have a physical body. Of course it does! Enjoying life means having some honest feeling of enjoyment about where we are at in the broad scale of existence. It means being able to take the ups and downs that we experience and roll with the flow, knowing that down is not down forever, and up is never up forever. Enjoying life is being able to stub your toe and not let it ruin your whole day. Enjoying life is having unexpected blessings showered upon you and not letting it take you somewhere you regret later on. Enjoying life is knowing that there is more to what the eyes see than just bios. There is life that was before, life now, and life after. For me, enjoying life has been and still is knowing that In Him was life and the life was the Light of men. The foundation of my recovery from my addiction to alcohol has been knowing that there is new life for those who seek it. I have discovered Zoe and it was In Him. Thanks for letting me share. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
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Many attempts have been made to find an analogy that will help us better grasp the mystery of the Trinity: the Three-in-Oneness of Scriptures one God. All fall short. The Trinity remains a mystery. Perhaps the best suggestion though was made in the fourth century of our era by Saint Augustine. Augustine argued that God must be a Trinity, for God is love. Before the Creation of the world, God must have had someone to love, and some way to convey love. It follows, Augustine taught, that there must be Three within the oneness of God: a Father to love, a Son to be the object of that love, and a Holy Spirit to convey and express love.
What a thought. Before God created, God was a Person who loved. Because He existed as a Trinity, God has always been able to express that love fully within His own being. And yet Gods love is so great that it overflowed beyond His own self. In love God created the world and populated it with persons in His own image. In love God gave those persons freedom of choice. And, in love, God sacrificed the Son He loved to preserve all who believe, from the disastrous and eternal consequences of the choices they have made.
Lawrence O. Richards .Devotional Commentary page 761
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Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends, this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.
Alcoholics Anonymous page 89
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. John 1:4 NASB
The apostle John in the first few words of his account of Jesus, uses the words life and light. The Greek word for life used in this Scripture is zoe. Another Greek word used for life is bios. To me the word zoe is more than just physical life, it is more than just being alive. When we experience zoe we go beyond the physical. I hear people talk about enjoying life, and I take this to mean more than just being glad we have a physical body. Of course it does! Enjoying life means having some honest feeling of enjoyment about where we are at in the broad scale of existence. It means being able to take the ups and downs that we experience and roll with the flow, knowing that down is not down forever, and up is never up forever. Enjoying life is being able to stub your toe and not let it ruin your whole day. Enjoying life is having unexpected blessings showered upon you and not letting it take you somewhere you regret later on. Enjoying life is knowing that there is more to what the eyes see than just bios. There is life that was before, life now, and life after. For me, enjoying life has been and still is knowing that In Him was life and the life was the Light of men. The foundation of my recovery from my addiction to alcohol has been knowing that there is new life for those who seek it. I have discovered Zoe and it was In Him. Thanks for letting me share. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
********************
Many attempts have been made to find an analogy that will help us better grasp the mystery of the Trinity: the Three-in-Oneness of Scriptures one God. All fall short. The Trinity remains a mystery. Perhaps the best suggestion though was made in the fourth century of our era by Saint Augustine. Augustine argued that God must be a Trinity, for God is love. Before the Creation of the world, God must have had someone to love, and some way to convey love. It follows, Augustine taught, that there must be Three within the oneness of God: a Father to love, a Son to be the object of that love, and a Holy Spirit to convey and express love.
What a thought. Before God created, God was a Person who loved. Because He existed as a Trinity, God has always been able to express that love fully within His own being. And yet Gods love is so great that it overflowed beyond His own self. In love God created the world and populated it with persons in His own image. In love God gave those persons freedom of choice. And, in love, God sacrificed the Son He loved to preserve all who believe, from the disastrous and eternal consequences of the choices they have made.
Lawrence O. Richards .Devotional Commentary page 761
********************
Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends, this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.
Alcoholics Anonymous page 89
