29/12/2007

LOVE

What is love, does it really exist?

I said there is nothing like love or if there is, then the definition given to love is not correct. Oxford learners dictionary define love as “a strong feeling of deep affection for somebody or something” yet with this definition there is nothing like love, some one said it is because you have never been in love that‘s why you say there is nothing like love, then I tried to reason with him, saying may be he’s right when I fall in love I will know the truth my self. Fortunately or unfortunately I fell in love or I thought I did, everything seems to be going on fine and it was fun as long as it lasted, in fact it was like heaven on earth, while dating her I got another definition for love, love is the kind of feeling you feel you have never felt before, or was it what I felt. After weeks of dating, she did things which I easily forgave her for, from this I also got another definition of love which is love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes an habit, because even in this I still wanted her the more. After some months of dating, we separated for no just reason, then my eyes got opened and I ask myself what it really was, was it love and if it was love why cant I be with the one I love, so I thought I was in love, days rolled by and weeks followed and I forgot about the girl and moved on with my life but I was yet to understand what I actually felt, was it love or something else. This led me on a little study on the subject of love.

I said to myself maybe what I felt was infatuation, so I began my study from there, what is infatuation?
Checking the oxford dictionary again,” it says it is a very strong feeling of love or attraction to somebody or something” Then I said now I can tell it was infatuation I felt all the while I thought I was in love, but wait the definition is the same as that of love or almost the same definition. Now the question I ask myself is what is the difference between love and infatuation, I turn to friends seeking answers to my questions but none was able to give me satisfactory answer, then I realize that if I can’t differentiate love from infatuation then I am bound to make mistakes in my relationships in the future. Growing curious by the day, I kept on talking to people but none could come to my aid so I continued on my little study all alone. The first thing I discovered was that, the dictionary made mention of infatuation not lasting for long, then I said I have gotten the answer, love last long while infatuation do not, but wait I said to myself what of relationship that last long say five to ten years only for the partners to realize that they were not meant for each other, then I concluded that it can be misleading if I take this for my conclusion, I continued with my search only to discover again that the dictionary mentioning “especially when this are unreasonable” then I said that means that I have to use my head to fall in love but I have always thought of love as a thing of the heart, besides when you are in love you do unreasonable things, like a comedian once said when a man is in love a new mumu (fool) is born. Then I concluded that there is nothing like love, and neither is there any difference between love and infatuation. If there is nothing like love, why is there a need for the word or why is it in the dictionary, so I must be wrong, which makes me continue my search.

I said to my self if I continue like this I will never get an answer to all my questions, so I turned to the scriptures what it has got to say about love. The bible brought a new and interesting approach to it, it says love is patient and kind, love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude, love does not demands its own way, love is not irritable, and it keeps no wrong when it as been wronged, it is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out, love never gives up, never looses faith, is always hopeful and endures through all circumstances. WOW! after going all through this list, if this love, then I am right then, there is no love or better still no one has ever loved, I know something for sure that the bible is always true and if the bible is true, all that is written thereof is true, so I continued with my search. Searching through the scripture and looking up all it has to say about love, after all my search and study I discover something that love exist and not just that, it can be reached. The first thing I discover was that there is nothing like love outside God, so I am partially right, anyway the second thing I discover is that all the quality of love listed in the scriptures is very possible in Christ in that if we walk with Him we will know true love. So where does infatuation comes in, I discover that it can not be explained but experienced, when true love comes you will know infatuation.

In conclusion, love is real and it is the sweetest thing that could ever happen to anyone but we need to go about it the right way because if not, we will never come to the realization of true love and continue on an endless search as I was at the beginning, and which will definitely lead to failure.


ENDTIME REVIVAL MINISTRY


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Ok

wazobia_for_u: Ok

Behold what manner of d Lord has bestowed upon us dat we should b called d sons of God!

love is like the scroll the matyr John the beloved ate, sweet in your mouth, bitter in your stomach but makes you a conqueror

@oP

Ok reconcile your new found concept of Love with God's actions against non Israelites in the Old Testament.

Yooguyz: love is like the scroll the matyr John the beloved ate, sweet in your mouth, bitter in your stomach but makes you a conqueror

Get you, its more than the facial appearance.

Kay 17: @oP

Ok reconcile your new found concept of Love with God's actions against non Israelites in the Old Testament.

Its goes way back before the Israelites and non-Israelites, it started in the Garden of Eden when man willingly committed treason and sold out to the devil, he lost God and relationship with Him, so there was not much God could do for him because that was his choice.

After the fall the whole human race was lost, but because God loves man so much and do not want us to perish started the work of redemption with the Israelites, He chose a people for Himself and prepare them for what He had planned and it was consummated in the coming of Jesus Christ.As many that comes to Him through Jesus Christ would experience the love to the fullest, the love of God is a choice and it does not change.

It is just like the sun it does not change, but sometimes some part on earth experiences sunlight and some darkness, those that are positioned directly to the sun do experience sunlight and vice versa.

^^
How does this affect a Canaanite?

Kay 17: ^^
How does this affect a Canaanite?

You have to understand something about the plans of God, it does not just do things for the immediate satisfaction of anyone, there is always a big picture to everything. He wanted to save all of humanity and not just the Israelites, all men was lost including the Israelites, but in order to achieve the ultimate goal so sacrifices had to be made. The Canaanites issue was sacrifice and also they were being punished for their sins, read through the bible He even patiently waited for them, they started sinning right from the time of Abraham but God still had to make the Israelites wait for hundreds of years.

Genesis 15
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Pastor Olu T:

You have to understand something about the plans of God, it does not just do things for the immediate satisfaction of anyone, there is always a big picture to everything. He wanted to save all of humanity and not just the Israelites, all men was lost including the Israelites, but in order to achieve the ultimate goal so sacrifices had to be made. The Canaanites issue was sacrifice and also they were being punished for their sins, read through the bible He even patiently waited for them, they started sinning right from the time of Abraham but God still had to make the Israelites wait for hundreds of years.

Genesis 15
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

You earlier mentioned the abundant love God has for all humanity, that its the purest and only definition of love. However, your post doesn't adequately explain why the Canaanite is sacrificed and for whom.

The Canaanite was as guilty as the Israelite, yet God chose to treat both separately. God took one under his wing and condemned the other. I believe intuitively, that Love is fairness. God did not treat the Canaanite fairly.

God has a plan, but for whom? The Canaanite is long dead and condemned, his salvation is futile. What plans did God's Love have for him? Whatever plan God has is definitely not for the Canaanite.

Before the Canaanite can sin, he must act deliberately against God's clear instructions. So I ask you, what instructions did God send to the Canaanites??

@
kay 17

I told u see d big picture, death is not d end bt a transition. It wont b
a surprise 2 see some of d canaanites in Heaven, sometimes some ppl
would have 2 die so dat they would not perish.

Besides there is some thing called election which cant b questioned, God
decides 2 show preferece (or grace better put it) 2 some. Bt in d issue
of d canaanites it was 4 a greater good, which we 'll fuly understand when
our knowledge is perfected.

^^
In a few words, you are saying that God's grace isn't understood, that the Canaanites were probably not saved or no plans were made for them, that you don't understand God so well

AND yet you believe he expresses the purest love despite the fact you don't know much about God's reasons behind his actions in spite of how baffling they are.?!

Kay 17: ^^
In a few words, you are saying that God's grace isn't understood, that the Canaanites were probably not saved or no plans were made for them, that you don't understand God so well

AND yet you believe he expresses the purest love despite the fact you don't know much about God's reasons behind his actions in spite of how baffling they are.?!

Don't put words in my mouth man, in fact all that happened to the canaanites was part of the plan, this you can only understand when you come into the fold, like i told you before the gospel is foolishness to them that are perishing.

Coming to not understanding God or His ways, i understand His ways which is why i wrote the article. To walk with God requires faith for it is only by faith that we understand, when you try to reason out everything you are going to miss it for many at times God don't make sense to our little minds for His ways is higher than our ways. we are so limited and so is our understanding, but if we truly desire wisdom then we should come into the fold and there would be a whole new world open to us.

Ok, what was the plan for the Canaanites and how does love shine through that?

.

Kay 17: Ok, what was the plan for the Canaanites and how does love shine through that?

the plan for the canaanites was that they should preserve the land for the isrealites who are the original owners of the land
love shines through that such that. Their encouter with isrealites would provide an opportunity for them to know the one and only true God

Kay 17: Ok, what was the plan for the Canaanites and how does love shine through that?

Now let me ask a question, when your teenage child (age 13)ask you for permission to go to club till done, definitely you would not allow her, you might be a loving father and tell her all the reason she should not go, but she will never see you as a loving father because all she want is her immediate gratification but you are seeing the big picture.

There is a big picture like i told you earlier, though God might not seem loving or it might look partial but God is not working for the immediate satisfaction or comfort of anyone, He does things with the big picture in mind. Just like @yooguyz said, God took away the canaanites and planted the Israelites His chosen race that through them the Messiah will come and all men on earth will be saved even the canaanites, because Jesus actually went to Hell to preached to those there and set them free.

The plans was vividly revealed to Abraham that He will bless him and through his descendant shall all men be blessed, but the plans of the same redemption goes way back even before Abraham, the bible says Christ was slain before the foundation of the world, and even when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God said the seed of the woman meaning Christ, would crush the head of the serpent meaning the devil.

@yooguyz

The only encounter God intended for the Canaanites was for their extermination. The Bible is quite clear that the Canaanites are not to be saved, negotiated with, they were not entitled to have mercy shown onto them. So the encounter wasn't beneficial.

The question arises, why and how is it a display of love to take away a person's livelihood and give it to another person without merit? Same scenario can be played between African pagans and European Christians, can it be said that God took away from the African his pride, wealth, and existential values and gave it to the Europeans?

@pastorolu-t

The Canaanites were to be exterminated. So all the people that died ages ago before Christ came, are saved?

@pastorolu-t

The Canaanites were to be exterminated. So all the people that died ages
ago before Christ came, are saved?[/quote]

Understand man, death is not d end of man n neither is it d worst thing dat can ever happen 2 him. Though they died according 2 d flesh, they still have a hope n a future.

They are not all saved, salvation n accepting christ is a choice, they had d power of freewill even when christ offered salvation 2 them in Hell, some fellowed Him 2 Heaven while some held on to d lie of d devil n remained. This is a teaching u can only understand when u come into d fold.

^^

You mean to say, freewill extends to those in Hell?

Would it ve justifiable in the sense you are talking about, for Christian Europeans to kill without scruples thousands of pagan Africans in order to save them when they vehemently stick to their religion?

[quote
author=Kay 17]^^

You mean to say, freewill extends to those in Hell?

Would it ve justifiable in the sense you are talking about, for
Christian Europeans to kill without scruples thousands of pagan Africans
in order to save them when they vehemently stick to their
religion?[/quote]

Far from what i am saying, the issue of freewill in Hell
is a teaching i would not want to go into right now, for you to
understand that means you have to have understand so many other things, beside that was for those dead before the coming of Christ.

Concerning the killing of the canaanites is very different from the
example you gave, the first thing you need to understand is that we are
in different dispensation. They are in the dispensation of the patriarch
(the chosen) and we are in the dispensation of grace, God made the
Israelites His own chosen people and displayed His love which does not
mean that He do not love all humanity, the coming of Jesus proves that.
For man to kill man is totally unacceptable today and not that it was
acceptable then for i know you might want to ask that. Then there was so
much for man to learn, so God allowed so many things.

When you encounter the love of Christ then you have the capacity to love others. It is only in Him you can truly love your spouse and experience genuine for anyone which transcends all understanding.

Falling in love with Jesus was the best thing i have ever done, in His arms i feel protected in His arms never disconnected, in His arms i feel protected, there is no place i will rather be!