One of the most memorized and beloved verses in the Scriptures is found in the Book of John. “For God so loved (agape, Strong’s #25 to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly) the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Now I really like the Book of John, but did you know the word “prayer” does not appear in any Book (KJV) in the Bible that John wrote. Not in the Gospel of John, not in any of his three epistles, or in the Book of Revelation, but the attitude and heart of “prayer” seems to be flowing out from John’s words. The Bible is a spiritual Book and must be understood by the Spirit of God or we will miss its meanings and misrepresent the words just like with the word “prayer” not being in the five books of the Bible that John wrote. God’s word, the Bible, is truth and has many edges of understanding that is progressive. Now please remember there are also God’s words, the individual words God speaks to our spirit so that we will know His will in a given situation or circumstance. Now God can speak to us in many ways: through nature, His word, the Bible, or to our spirit if our spirit is tuned to the Holy Spirit. For example Paul in Romans shares, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Many Christians say faith comes by hearing the Bible preached or riding around in a car listening to the Bible on tape. We know this cannot be true, millions of people attend churches around the world and hear the Bible and yet have no faith. This was very popular when I was growing up, but that is not what the Bible says. The Bible says “faith comes by hearing” and “hearing by the word of God.” In other words we get faith when we hear God speak to us through His words. The Greek version of this verse does a better job explaining this truth, “So then faith cometh by hearing, a word from God.” (Romans 10:17 (GK)) Do you see the difference? Today if you need faith you must hear from God (faith is God’s not ours), because in the hearing is contained all of the faith you will need for the situation or circumstance you are facing. We cannot work it up, pray it up, or stand on God’s promises to get it up, we must hear from God, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
Well now that I have your attention and we have a better understanding of the many facets of the workings of truth, let us take a closer look at John 3:16. I do not know about you my friend, but this verse scares me to death. Why do we Christians believe our lives are going to be filled with flowers and candy, a real bed of roses, all of the time? Let us read John 3:16 again, but this time let us not use the Pollyanna, sugar coated thinking that sets many Christians up for failure, “For God so loved the world, that he gave (Strong’s #1325, of one’s own accord to give one something, to his advantage) his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) We often miss the point here that God stood by while His Son Jesus Christ was crowned with 3 ½ inch thorns, flogged, beat with a cat of nine tails (whip), despised, spit on, had His beard plucked out, and then when totally exhausted from the loss of blood and physical pain, had His only begotten (a past participle of beget; to be the father of; cause to be; produce) Son crucified. And God loves His Son very much. God the Father gave His own Son for His (not Jesus’) own advantage. What an unbelievable love (agape) by Jesus, but who wants God to love them that much? I am not sure if I would raise my hand here. Paul tells us in Romans, “He (God) that spared not his own Son, but delivered him (Jesus) up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) God spared not His Son and we think He will do more for us? Why do we think God wants to only give us a happy and pleasant (a life of Riley) things and not allow some hard, difficult, and troubling things into our lives? Is the servant better than the Master? I think not. My friend we better wake up to the reality of truth before we wake up from our religious dream and find God is loving us like He loved His Jesus. Make no mistake my friend hard, difficult, troubling times are coming our way God will see to it. I believe America, because of her waywardness to God and His words (both spoken and written) is looking down both barrels of God’s judgment and punishment. I hope I am wrong (if I am I will get the rocks), but I feel strong in my spirit hard, difficult, and troubling times are heading America’s way. I am really a coward and do not want to see them come, but we can only play fast and loose for so long then God will say enough and pull up on the reins. For all of those who look to America for financial help and support, please I would advise you all to start looking at the Lord for your help and support. Again I hope I am wrong, but as with all things in God time will tell.
For years I had a hard time with the word “agape” (love) because what I had been taught and what I saw around me did not seem to line up with what I was reading in the Scriptures. But one day, my teacher, Charles Haun, opened up a more complete understanding of the word that opened it up to me personally, but also allowed me to help others with it. Agape is defined as a dedication to the well-being of another. The Greeks have three words one being agape to express what we use one word to express our love. But agape is nothing like love as we thing of it something warm and fuzzy. Agape is a marvelous force in God that moves from God towards us and then from us towards Him and then towards others. It makes choices and then it is faithful to the choices it made (faithful, that is, to the object of the choice, or the person to be loved). If I make a choice for Jesus through agape moving in my heart then I will be faithful to him – regardless of the situations, circumstances, or consequences. If I were to be hauled away and delivered to the lions, I would still remain faithful to Jesus. Circumstances and situation never changes agape. It is no wonder Jesus could go to the cross, agape was moving in His life and not just love. If we only love our spouse (or family) when they get old and their hair and teeth fall out we will leave them, but if we agape them, if we dedicate ourselves one to the other no matter what happens in our relationship we will never leave them. In its simplest form, agape is a decision, not an emotion. Whether we like it or not we are saddled with certain emotions and we have to learn to deal with them. If not they will lead us off track and out of God faster than anything else. We must not allow our emotions to dictate the way we relate to God and people, we must let the principles of the Spirit and the word of God direct and lead us. Agape is not affected by our emotions. It is something totally apart from our natural feelings. It was no wonder Jesus could endure the cross, agape was the force and not His feelings and emotions that compelled Him to lay His life down. Please know if we love the things if this world too much, then agape I not in us. It is agape that holds together all of the affairs of men, especially a marriage. A week or so ago our Pastor asked me to pray for marriages within the church, I said I would and I did, but what is needed is not more prayer, or more love, but more agape (dedication) towards each other. If a good husband holds his wife as his objective and her well-being becomes his interest, then his every decision is based upon her needs as agape moves through him toward her. What we need is more agape working in lives today, if so we would have less divorce and unfaithfulness in marriages. Most people can quote Romans 8:31, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” but how many Christians can quote verse Romans 8:32? Did you known agape is the foundation of our faith? We do not want to identify with a God that will hold us accountable for our actions. We will quickly give our life for a God who forgives all of our sins, but how about a God that is holy and righteous and who expects His children to be the same. Now please do not misunderstand me, I too like to be forgiven when I sin or fall short of God’s glory, but unless I learn the lesson of my failure and there is a change in my heart condition (which will always cause a change in my attitude and behavior) my failure and God’s forgiveness will do me little good. Oh yes, my sins will be forgiven and if I die I would probably go to heaven (God gets to make that call not the Pastor or friends), but I will not be of any use to God while on earth. Always wanting and having to have our sins forgiven is a selfish position in God. We say we want all of God’s love, but we are not to keep having our sins forgiven. Jesus died once on the cross for our sin and He Himself died once to sin. “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” (Romans 6:10) It is God’s intention for us to confess our sin once and believe Jesus died for us once, then “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) There is no wonder there is not a desire for spiritual growth and development in the church we keep laying again our foundation of dead works, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.” (Hebrews 6:1) I think today one of the greatest works we should allow God to do in our hearts is faith toward God.’ I believe most Christians go to church to do all of the religious duties and traditions of men, but really and maybe secretly in their hearts have not really settled if there is a God. They may have “walked the aisle” as a good Southern Baptist would say, but there has not been an inward change in their heart and lives. Their decision was based on an emotional response to a gifted speaker or maybe fear from the promise to be saved from hell’s eternal flames, but inwardly there was no realization of what sin has wrought in their lives, no dedication to the things of God, a momentary decision to soothe a guilty conscience, but no real commitment to God and His ways. Apparently we do not believe some day we will stand before a holy and righteous God or we would get serious about our walk with the Lord (I can include himself here at times) and stop all of this religious denominationalism; what the Chinese would call “look see pigeon” or what I call it “a Christian dog and pony show.” My friend let us embrace all of God’s agape. Remember for those who agape God His agape towards them is His longsuffering, mercy, and forgiveness. But for those who only eros (covers our animal instinct and most of our strongest feelings and emotions. It is where we get the word erotic) or phileo (friendship love) God His agape toward them (same agape as those who agape Him) is His judgment, wrath, and punishment. The difference is our heart condition toward Him, not His towards us. His heart is always, all of His agape towards us. Written by David Stahl
Well now that I have your attention and we have a better understanding of the many facets of the workings of truth, let us take a closer look at John 3:16. I do not know about you my friend, but this verse scares me to death. Why do we Christians believe our lives are going to be filled with flowers and candy, a real bed of roses, all of the time? Let us read John 3:16 again, but this time let us not use the Pollyanna, sugar coated thinking that sets many Christians up for failure, “For God so loved the world, that he gave (Strong’s #1325, of one’s own accord to give one something, to his advantage) his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) We often miss the point here that God stood by while His Son Jesus Christ was crowned with 3 ½ inch thorns, flogged, beat with a cat of nine tails (whip), despised, spit on, had His beard plucked out, and then when totally exhausted from the loss of blood and physical pain, had His only begotten (a past participle of beget; to be the father of; cause to be; produce) Son crucified. And God loves His Son very much. God the Father gave His own Son for His (not Jesus’) own advantage. What an unbelievable love (agape) by Jesus, but who wants God to love them that much? I am not sure if I would raise my hand here. Paul tells us in Romans, “He (God) that spared not his own Son, but delivered him (Jesus) up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) God spared not His Son and we think He will do more for us? Why do we think God wants to only give us a happy and pleasant (a life of Riley) things and not allow some hard, difficult, and troubling things into our lives? Is the servant better than the Master? I think not. My friend we better wake up to the reality of truth before we wake up from our religious dream and find God is loving us like He loved His Jesus. Make no mistake my friend hard, difficult, troubling times are coming our way God will see to it. I believe America, because of her waywardness to God and His words (both spoken and written) is looking down both barrels of God’s judgment and punishment. I hope I am wrong (if I am I will get the rocks), but I feel strong in my spirit hard, difficult, and troubling times are heading America’s way. I am really a coward and do not want to see them come, but we can only play fast and loose for so long then God will say enough and pull up on the reins. For all of those who look to America for financial help and support, please I would advise you all to start looking at the Lord for your help and support. Again I hope I am wrong, but as with all things in God time will tell.
For years I had a hard time with the word “agape” (love) because what I had been taught and what I saw around me did not seem to line up with what I was reading in the Scriptures. But one day, my teacher, Charles Haun, opened up a more complete understanding of the word that opened it up to me personally, but also allowed me to help others with it. Agape is defined as a dedication to the well-being of another. The Greeks have three words one being agape to express what we use one word to express our love. But agape is nothing like love as we thing of it something warm and fuzzy. Agape is a marvelous force in God that moves from God towards us and then from us towards Him and then towards others. It makes choices and then it is faithful to the choices it made (faithful, that is, to the object of the choice, or the person to be loved). If I make a choice for Jesus through agape moving in my heart then I will be faithful to him – regardless of the situations, circumstances, or consequences. If I were to be hauled away and delivered to the lions, I would still remain faithful to Jesus. Circumstances and situation never changes agape. It is no wonder Jesus could go to the cross, agape was moving in His life and not just love. If we only love our spouse (or family) when they get old and their hair and teeth fall out we will leave them, but if we agape them, if we dedicate ourselves one to the other no matter what happens in our relationship we will never leave them. In its simplest form, agape is a decision, not an emotion. Whether we like it or not we are saddled with certain emotions and we have to learn to deal with them. If not they will lead us off track and out of God faster than anything else. We must not allow our emotions to dictate the way we relate to God and people, we must let the principles of the Spirit and the word of God direct and lead us. Agape is not affected by our emotions. It is something totally apart from our natural feelings. It was no wonder Jesus could endure the cross, agape was the force and not His feelings and emotions that compelled Him to lay His life down. Please know if we love the things if this world too much, then agape I not in us. It is agape that holds together all of the affairs of men, especially a marriage. A week or so ago our Pastor asked me to pray for marriages within the church, I said I would and I did, but what is needed is not more prayer, or more love, but more agape (dedication) towards each other. If a good husband holds his wife as his objective and her well-being becomes his interest, then his every decision is based upon her needs as agape moves through him toward her. What we need is more agape working in lives today, if so we would have less divorce and unfaithfulness in marriages. Most people can quote Romans 8:31, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” but how many Christians can quote verse Romans 8:32? Did you known agape is the foundation of our faith? We do not want to identify with a God that will hold us accountable for our actions. We will quickly give our life for a God who forgives all of our sins, but how about a God that is holy and righteous and who expects His children to be the same. Now please do not misunderstand me, I too like to be forgiven when I sin or fall short of God’s glory, but unless I learn the lesson of my failure and there is a change in my heart condition (which will always cause a change in my attitude and behavior) my failure and God’s forgiveness will do me little good. Oh yes, my sins will be forgiven and if I die I would probably go to heaven (God gets to make that call not the Pastor or friends), but I will not be of any use to God while on earth. Always wanting and having to have our sins forgiven is a selfish position in God. We say we want all of God’s love, but we are not to keep having our sins forgiven. Jesus died once on the cross for our sin and He Himself died once to sin. “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” (Romans 6:10) It is God’s intention for us to confess our sin once and believe Jesus died for us once, then “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) There is no wonder there is not a desire for spiritual growth and development in the church we keep laying again our foundation of dead works, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.” (Hebrews 6:1) I think today one of the greatest works we should allow God to do in our hearts is faith toward God.’ I believe most Christians go to church to do all of the religious duties and traditions of men, but really and maybe secretly in their hearts have not really settled if there is a God. They may have “walked the aisle” as a good Southern Baptist would say, but there has not been an inward change in their heart and lives. Their decision was based on an emotional response to a gifted speaker or maybe fear from the promise to be saved from hell’s eternal flames, but inwardly there was no realization of what sin has wrought in their lives, no dedication to the things of God, a momentary decision to soothe a guilty conscience, but no real commitment to God and His ways. Apparently we do not believe some day we will stand before a holy and righteous God or we would get serious about our walk with the Lord (I can include himself here at times) and stop all of this religious denominationalism; what the Chinese would call “look see pigeon” or what I call it “a Christian dog and pony show.” My friend let us embrace all of God’s agape. Remember for those who agape God His agape towards them is His longsuffering, mercy, and forgiveness. But for those who only eros (covers our animal instinct and most of our strongest feelings and emotions. It is where we get the word erotic) or phileo (friendship love) God His agape toward them (same agape as those who agape Him) is His judgment, wrath, and punishment. The difference is our heart condition toward Him, not His towards us. His heart is always, all of His agape towards us. Written by David Stahl
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