Love, What Is It

I think it’s so amazing when the people of God are inspired to do things outside of the box.  Praise Fellowship Bible Church under the leadership of William Coleman began a 40 Days of Love campaign on Sunday, April 20, 2014.  The overall theme is to share and demonstrate the love of God, not specifically in the church, but outside its walls.

Many Believers, regardless of the denomination, get so caught up in “their” Salvation, their organization’s rituals and doctrines that they forget about the greatest commandment given by Jesus:  And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.  1 John 3:23 (NLT).  The challenge? Jesus commanded us to love everybody (gay, straight, bi-sexual; tri-sexual; your enemy; the less desirables, etc.).  We don’t have an option of loving the ushers more than the deacons, the person who votes for my committee idea over the person who opposes them; the seasoned “Saints” more than the new members; or the person that hurt you, emotionally or physically.  This type of person reminds me of a husband/wife withholding sex or money from his/her spouse, dolling it out to maintain a sense of manipulative control. 

Victory Nugget:  Whenever someone tries to manipulate and control another (e.g. spouses, friend, colleague, etc.) they are operating under the spirit of witchcraft.  Believers (including church leadership) do it all the time rather than giving the people back to God, using His word and lovingly leading them.   

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen television preachers and/or attended big church services only to be subjected to a person making the “money appeal” for this Saintly, great angel of the house who works untiringly, blah, blah, blah, blah.  They guarantee that if you give (even if it’s all the money you have left) the return will be seven times greater than what you gave in seven days after you high-five seven people while you jump up and down on your left leg seven times in the next seven seconds.  Maybe they should change it from offering appeal to the Demand because you aren’t offering anything, they are demanding it through manipulative words and gullible people who don’t know any better fall for it all the time.  I’m not bashing all churches and televangelists, nor am I telling you not to bring your tithes and offerings to the “store house” (church).  I am making several points:  1) this is not a demonstration of love, it’s an abuse of power; 2) pray about what you should give over and above your tithes (especially if it’s a TV ministry or you’re visiting another church; 3) study the scriptures to understand the principals of giving and talk to your church finance administrators; 4) be wary of church leaders that use the pulpit as a bully platform.  If it doesn’t feel right, it probably ain’t right.

What is love?

 

Love (Webster): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; attraction based on sexual desire; affection and tenderness felt by lovers; affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests; an assurance of affection.

Love (Wikipedia): Love refers to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection ("I love my mother") to pleasure ("I loved that meal"). It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment.  It can also be a virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection—"the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another".  It may also describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals.  Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be clarified by determining what isn't love. Love as a general expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of like) is commonly contrasted with hate (or neutral apathy); as a less sexual and more emotionally intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, love is sometimes contrasted with friendship, although the word love is often applied to close friendships.

It seems to me that someone took the above explanation from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

Love (The Bible):  ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT). 

To summarize this text:

·        If you’ve been socked you in your eye, hit upside the head, cussed out and/or regularly called out of your name (in public and/or private) and the offender next move is to want to “make love” to you or purchase items for you, that’s not love, that’s called domestic abuse and God didn’t call us to be punching bags to be called out of our names;

·        When you share your successes, accomplishments, dreams and/or fears with someone and they hate on you in your face or on the DL (e.g. break your confidence, try to sabotage your success; cut you off – stop returning your calls, texts, tweets, etc. -- try to imitate your success; spread lies about you; brag about their successes, etc. instead of celebrating you; that’s not love;

·        If there is never or rarely any compromise for the things you have interest in; that’s not love

·        If someone is always snapping, you can never seem to please them and/or everything you do seems to be wrong, that’s not love.  Getting irritated because of a situation and being irritated with a person(s) is two different things.  Love will warn you to chill out, take a step back, breathe

·        Keeping a file on a person’s mistakes whether it is mental or physical; is not love

o   Once we accept Christ as our Saviour our sinful actions are erased; we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.  That was the purpose of Jesus shedding his blood so that we could be forgiven and re-establish the right relationship with God.  He doesn’t keep a file of all the crap we’ve done, the times we planned to sin with the assumption we would be forgiven and intentionally sinned, accidentally sinned; or completely gave up.  It’s in our past, never to be remembered by God ever again.  Who do you think you are keeping a record on someone like you’re the judge, jury and executioner?

·        Gloating over negative information shared with you (gossip) about another’s misfortune, trials and/or mistakes and assuming that these negative things are God’s way of punishing and then you share information (gossip); that’s  not love that’s being a hypocritical coward

Victory Nugget:  Just because someone says or accuses you doesn’t make it true.  Unfair things happen to Believers who love God to the marrow, misfortune doesn’t mean they have sinned, and if they did what business is it of yours?  Ever heard of a man named Job?  We grow the most in adversity, not when things are going well.  Try praying diligently for the person that’s going through rather than talking about them and assuming the negative.

·        Throwing in the towel on a child, spouse, relative, friend or yourself when it seems like all hell is breaking loose when you seem to reach the height of madness, chaos and frustration; that’s not love and if you allow the distraction to cause you to give up who will stand in the gap for that person?  You might be their only hope.

Victory Nugget:  Things seem to reach their peak just before the end.  This is a tactic in spiritual warfare that the enemy always uses.  It’s intentional to get you to give up just before the break through.  Instead of giving up, that’s the time to dig your heels in and hold on with all of your might.  

More to come tomorrow, in the meantime Demonstrate your love intentionally today.

In His Infinite Love

Tan