#god loves you
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:2 NIV
LOVE CONQUERS ALL
At Sinai the voice of God spoke from the midst of the fire, an event that foreshadowed the great advent of the King and Lawgiver Himself, when the Eternal Word would become flesh and dwell with us. Any theology that regards God as entirely transcendent (i.e., God is beyond any analogy with the finite) will have a problem with divine immanence (i.e., God is inherent within the finite), since the highness, holiness, and perfection of God will make Him seem distant, outside of us, far away, and unknown… Incarnational theology, on the other hand, manifests the nearness of God to disclose the divine empathy. Indeed, the LORD became “Immanuel,” “God with us,” to share our mortal condition, to know our pain, and to experience what it means to be wounded by sin, to be abandoned, alienated, forsaken. The “Eternal made flesh” bridges the gap between the realm of the infinitely transcendent One, and the finite world of people lost within their sinful frailty. We therefore celebrate the giving of the Torah both at Sinai and especially the giving of the “Living Torah” at Bethlehem with the birth of Messiah. We rejoice that God is indeed the King and Ruler over all, but we further affirm that God’s authority and rule extends to all worlds– including the realm of our finitude and need.
John J. Parsons
The word ‘commandment’ often implies coercion and regimentation, and ‘obedience’ implies an unwilling or even a sulky child. In the case of God’s commands, however, a commandment is a gift, indicating the way in which love can be expressed; and obedience is a way of seeking to draw closer to God by imitation. The lover seeks to act like the beloved, to be modelled on the qualities which are loved and admired. The commands of God are not random or domineering, but are indications of the ways in which we can draw just a little nearer to the infinite qualities which are seen in the creating and redeeming God. The generosity seen in the beauties of nature and humanity, in the beauty of tolerance and forgiveness, are reflections of the divine qualities. This [humble, constant, compassionate “reflecting”] is how Jesus kept His Father’s commandments and remained in His love, and how we too may do the same.
It might even be said that Jesus needed to suffer so that we might see that God too can endure suffering. Suffering and the supreme suffering of death are human experiences which cannot [derive from] God, [nor can they be said to reflect any quality of divine perfection, for sin and death only entered the human experience through sin]. And so Jesus Himself took them on to share and ennoble these also, [transmuting death itself into a door to life– a paradox only God Himself could accomplish]. Jesus showed His love of the Father and His love of humanity by adopting and enduring the experiences which cannot touch an impassive God– [by being so touched, He proved His tender heart forever.] Such is the full meaning of the love expressed by ‘as the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.’
Dom Henry Wansbrough; Commentary on John 15:9-17
‘If you ask for bread, your heavenly Father will not give you a stone.’ The sages call this a kal va'chomer inference (i.e., קַל וְחמר, “light and weighty”), namely, that if a light condition is true, then a heavier one is certainly true. Jesus used this kind of reasoning all the time: If God cares for the needs of the birds of the air, how much more (kal va'chomer) will He care for your needs? (Matt. 6:26). If God so clothes the grass of the field, how much more (kal va'chomer) will He clothe you (Matt. 6:30)? If your heavenly Father knows the number of hairs on your head, surely He knows the state of your soul. And if God wants us to walk in righteousness, kal va'chomer does He want us to know His love. Only God can give to us the love for Him that He fully knows we so desperately need; only God can deliver us from our “disordered loves” to take hold of what is truly essential. All we can do is ask, and keep on asking- even as we struggle on, despite ourselves- until we begin to understand what we really need.It’s as if we are constantly being asked, “Is this what you want?” and our choices confess the truthof what we believe. Only God does the miracle of real change within the human heart- only God can give life from the dead!
John J. Parsons
Not being welcome is your greatest fear. It connects with your birth fear: your fear of not being welcome in this life; and your death fear: your fear of not being welcome in the life after this. It is the deep-seated fear that it would have been better if you had not lived.
[So] here you are, facing the core of the spiritual battle. Are you going to give in to the forces of darkness that say you are not welcome in this life? Or can you trust the voice of the One who came not to condemn you, but to set you free from fear? You have to choose life. At every moment you have to decide to trust the voice that says, “I love you. I knit you together in your mother’s womb” (Psalms 139:13).
Jesus offers you His own most intimate life with the Father… Everything Jesus is saying to you can be summarized in the words “Know that you are welcome.”
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Midnight Prayers & Meditations Volume Two
The Lord has blessed me with much music for His glory through the risen Lord Jesus Christ in me. But He only directs me to publish what He wishes according to His plans and purposes.
It is as if the Lord uses each song or composition to teach me that not
Album 28 of Music Inspired by the Holy Spirit since 2013
Original Keyboard Instrumental Prayers Featuring the Various Instrumental Voices of Guitar, Strings, & Piano Solos Performed by Suzanne Davis Harden, through the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, Inspired by the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father, In Jesus’ name, amen.
Midnight Prayers and Meditations, Volume 2, is the second chapter of…
The Rabbit Writer
The Rabbit Writer~ I drew this whimsical rabbit writer several years ago when I was doing a lot of pen & ink work before I came down with the virus that caused my auto immune illness.
I drew this whimsical rabbit writer several years ago when I was doing a lot of pen & ink work before I came down with the virus that caused my auto immune illness.In those days I drew and painted or wrote incessantly; from the time I woke up until I went to bed at night.Like the rabbit character in the illustration I was always thinking of something to draw, write, or create.I was certain that…
God has beautiful plans for your future but you’ll never get there if you keep looking at the past.
I have times when I feel very lonely and depressed. I’m only human and sometimes my emotions take control over my life. When I start to feel that way I usually move away from God. And then I feel even more depressed and lonely. Satan wants us to feel that way. He wants to separate us from God’s peace but God is bigger. When you struggle with doubt don’t move away from God but come closer to him. Tell him about it. God is bigger than our doubt and our bad thoughts about ourselves. He knows our pain and our dreams. He is the supernatural God, he knows everything that’s in your heart. Don’t let emotions control your life. Open your Bible, speak to him and worship. He cares about you. He loves you.
Amen ❤️
His mercy has no limits.
18.30
No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God
1 Samuel 2:2
I probably won’t post here again because stumble is distracting me from God. So…here’s what I want to say:
- Jesus loves you
- Jesus wants to SAVE you
- Jesus might be coming soon, so spread His word and stay strong in your faith through everything.
- Study the Bible before you shun it
- Never be afraid to ask real Christians questions about The Bible
- Christianity is more about the relationship with God, than the religion.
- God is always listening to your prayers, He just might not answer how you want Him to
- God’s timing is perfect
- The Holy Spirit will guide you once you’re saved
- Strive to live for God
And I love you!
This is my side blog.
This is also true for this blog.
Thank you for following. I love you all and so does God. Follow Him and listen to Him before it’s too late for you. I love all of you more than you know.
You matter.
“You are loved more than you will ever know, by someone who died to know you.” -Romans 5:8
Post link
