Where is the Love? (62 views) Subscribe   
  From:  Watchman77    11/20/2002 5:22 am  
To:  ALL   (1 of 4)  
 
  494.1  
 
As I surf the different christian forums here on Delphi my heart breaks... I see christians backbiting, gossiping and having sport over the misfortunes and failures of others.. These things ought not be.. where is the love, where is the edification? 

 How are we suppose to recognise a follower of the LORD Jesus? we know it is not by signs and wonders because we know that there are many false teachers who show signs and wonders..  we know it is not by rites and rituals, because all religions have such things.. Neither do we recognise a follower of the LORD Jesus by his profession or confession of faith or the words that come out of his mouth, because many will say, "LORD, LORD" and He will answer them, "Depart from Me, I never knew you"

We can recognise a follower of the LORD Jesus by one thing.. the LORD Himself told us exactly what to look for. If we are to judge a man, we should do so by his love. Love is the mark of a true follower of Jesus, not just love for God and those you hold dear, but the love OF God for those you find unworthy and unlovable. Did not the LORD Jesus love us unconditionally and without warrent while we were yet sinners? Did He not love and forgive us when we were still lost in sin, did He not die for the unworthy and unlovable of which we have all been at one time or another.

Are we only suppose to love the child next door and pray for them because they live in an abusive household, or the mother, who because she is so abused herself does not have the ability to protect the child? While we pray for these two suffering souls, are we at the same time cursing the suffering soul who is their abuser? Do we see his suffering and feel his pain and fear and try to understand this is what he is reacting to or do we curse him and wish him to suffer more, maybe even wish him dead or condemned to hell? 

Where is the love, where is the mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ in the church today? We have allowed doctrines and traditions of men to separate us from the one thing Jesus says will unite us and that is the love of God, not just for the lovely and good, not just for the things that please our senses, but to look upon the creation of God and see the purpose and place of all things and understand that it is only by and through the love of God in Jesus Christ that we can ever hope to come to the unity in Christ Jesus we are called to.

As we go into this season of celebration and gift giving we should all look in our hearts and see why we do and say the things we do, we need to examine our words and see if they are the honest reflections of our hearts or nothing more than vain imaginings of our prideful minds. When we let our opinions and ideas become so important to us that we can no longer obey the simple command to love, it is time we ask ourselves are we really following the LORD Jesus Christ or are we merely giving Him lip service because we are afraid not to? 

Where is the love? Where is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts that men are suppose to see and be drawn to, the love that causes Israel to become jealous and bring her to Jesus? Where is the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5? why can't we just obey God and let Him love through us and quit trying to judge everyone else by standards we refuse to live up to ourselves?  Where is the love?

John 13:35, By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.

 

Rest in Jesus \o/

Watchman77
http://forums.delphiforums.com/Godswrath/start 

http://www.topsitelists.com/topsites.cgi?ID=6&user=BrookeH&area=start  Vote for Watch ye therefore in Best Forums

  

Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
Click here to visit her "Revelation Illustrated" site.
Pat Marvenko Smith


  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. Rev 19:11

 

http://www.bushcountry.org/readyornot.htm



 
 
  
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  From:  David (DavidABrown)    11/20/2002 7:36 am  
To:  Watchman77    (2 of 4)  
 
  494.2 in reply to 494.1  
 
Hi Watchman77,

There really is a problem with peoples love growing cold.

Jesus spoke about it and characterized it as one of the "end time" events. Many people even consider this another proof that we are indeed in the "end times." We are to know about it and more importantly to guard against it and take steps of compassion to overcome this coldness.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity (disobeying the law) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Matthew 22:36-40 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. And thy second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang the law and the prophets.

God bless you,

David



David A. Brown
Basic Christian: Forum
www.BasicChristian.org

 
  
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  From:  Watchman77    11/20/2002 5:27 pm  
To:  David (DavidABrown)    (3 of 4)  
 
  494.3 in reply to 494.2  
 
  
Hi Watchman77,

There really is a problem with peoples love growing cold.

Jesus spoke about it and characterized it as one of the "end time" events. Many people even consider this another proof that we are indeed in the "end times." We are to know about it and more importantly to guard against it and take steps of compassion to overcome this coldness.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity (disobeying the law) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Matthew 22:36-40 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. And thy second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang the law and the prophets.

Amen! these truly are the end times.... 

 

Rest in Jesus \o/

Watchman77
http://forums.delphiforums.com/Godswrath/start 

http://www.topsitelists.com/topsites.cgi?ID=6&user=BrookeH&area=start  Vote for Watch ye therefore in Best Forums

  

Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
Click here to visit her "Revelation Illustrated" site.
Pat Marvenko Smith


  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. Rev 19:11

 

http://www.bushcountry.org/readyornot.htm



 
 
  
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   From:  inhiskingdom   12/15/2002 11:14 am  
To:  Watchman77    (4 of 4)  
 
  494.4 in reply to 494.1  
 
Hi. 
Something in your post caught my eye. When you said it is not by signs and wonders because we know that there are many false teachers who show signs and wonders. Jesus said in Mark 16-17 that the signs that will follow the believers will be: then states them in verses 17-18 and says in verse 20 that the Lord working "with them" and "confirming" the word with "signs following". 

That is the ONLY way that we can know if we are truly believers and that what we are being taught is the complete truth. 

The signs and wonders that you must have been talking about would be other than the ones mentioned in verses 17-18. 

In His Love 
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