Love

Episode 258 -No Fear Don’t Fear the Online Mob

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Disciple Up # 258
Don’t Fear the Online Mob– Judges 6-7
By Louie Marsh, 5-11-2022

11  Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites…27  So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. Judges 6:11,27 (ESV)

7  for we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)

 18  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 (ESV)

How God Wants Me to Deal with Fear

 1) RECOGNIZE who God wants me to be.

12  And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Judges 6:12 (ESV)

19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19 (ESV)

2) REFUSE to get sidetracked.

13  And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Judges 6:13 (ESV)

2  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)

3) REMEMBER three powerful truths.

  • I ALREADY have all the strength I need!

14  The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14 (NIV)

14  And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian…” Judges 6:14 (ESV)

37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37 (ESV)

  •  I really am on a MISSION FROM GOD.

do not I send you?” Judges 6:14 (ESV)

  • God is with me ALL THE WAY!

 16  And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” Judges 6:16 (ESV)

…“And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:20 (GW)

4) RID myself of the causes of fear.

 3  Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. Judges 7:3 (ESV)

 5) REALIZE when & where God is moving.

 9  That same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10  But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. 11  And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp…. 14  And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.” 15  As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.” Judges 7:9-11; 14-15 (ESV)

 6) RUN with the ridiculous!

 16  And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17  And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18  When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’” Judges 7:16-18 (ESV)

 7) GIVE God ALL the credit.

 2  The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Judges 7:2 (ESV)

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Episode 250

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Disciple Up #250
Ukraine: Love Your Enemies
By Louie Marsh

Introduction: Give what’s happening in the Ukraine today, not to mention Myanmar (Burma) and many other places, I thought it was well past time to take a close look at how loving our enemies fits into wars and other situations where violence seems to be the only way to defend the innocent and stop evil from murder and destruction on a mass scale.

Links consulted for this podcast:

https://gratefulness.org/resource/love-your-enemies/

https://www.vulture.com/2022/02/annalynne-mccord-putin-poem-russia-ukraine.html

https://www.pray.com/articles/love-your-enemies-what-it-means-and-examples-on-how-to-do-so

https://www.theleadermaker.com/love-your-enemies-what-it-really-means/

Scripture Does Not Teach Pacifism:

“14Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”” (Luke 3:14, ESV)

“36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”” (John 18:36, ESV)

“3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:3–4, ESV)

Jesus Did Teach We Owe Our Government Something

 “15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.” (Matthew 22:15–22, ESV)

 “13Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” (1 Peter 2:13–14, ESV)

Does this include military service? Does this mean I must kill for my country when I believe the cause is just?

“27“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:27–36, ESV)

Sermon outtakes on Luke 6:20-31

But notice when Jesus gives us a list of seven ways we should behave toward our enemies, forgiveness isn’t one of them. He says do good to them, bless them, pray for them, offer the other cheek, give to them, let them take from you, do not ask for restitution. But he doesn’t say “forgive.” Why not? I think the answer is, because he is talking about hatred and abuse and violence that is still going on. To forgive something that is still going on is a kind of category mistake. Jesus gives us plenty of ways to respond and engage while the hostile and cruel and destructive actions are still going on. But forgiveness has to wait until the activity is over. You can’t forgive something that is still going on, because that seems to be saying that what is going on is the whole story and therefore that it’s somehow ok. This is the force, it seems to me, behind the mother in the baptism story saying about the person who had dominated her life and overshadowed her relationship with God, “ BUT JESUS DID – Father forgive them …

 So what does loving mean, in the face of hatred and hostility, if it doesn’t mean being a doormat and it doesn’t mean a warm feeling? It means carefully and doggedly, not passionately or sentimentally, following the words of Jesus and the seven actions he commends to us. First, “Do good to those who hate you.” Say by your actions, “However much you hate me I will never hate you.” Remember this will end. Don’t let these people turn you into a monster. Repay evil with good. Second, “Bless those who hate you.” Mind your speech. Try not to lose your temper. Think of those who are hating and hurting you and see them as tiny children they once were, longing for trust and safety, and speak to them as if they were still those children. Third, “Pray for those who abuse you.” As I have said, sometimes abuse is incredibly difficult to become disentangled from. Remember God is always as much a part of any story as you are. In prayer, ask God to be made present not just to you but to your enemy. Fourth, “Offer the other cheek.” In other words, not just don’t get into a fight, because then there’ll be no difference between you and them, but don’t let those who hate you think you can be intimidated by violence. Offering the other cheek means saying “I’m not going to accept that violence trumps everything else.” Fifth, “Don’t withhold your shirt.” In other words, surprise your enemy with your generosity, and thus show your enemies you have not become like them. Sixth, “Give to everyone who begs.” Remember that, even when you can only think of how you’ve been hurt, there is always someone worse off than you, and reaching out to them is a way of rescuing yourself from self-pity. And seventh, “Don’t ask for your property back.” I think this means remember you will lose everything when you die so start living toward your possessions in such a way that they don’t determine who you are. When we reach the end of this list we realize that what Jesus has just described is what is about to happen to him

“43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43–48, ESV)

“14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:14–21, ESV

Loving of enemies is always directed at INDIVIDUALS and their dealings with PERSONAL foes. Nowhere did Jesus tell us what the GOVERNMENT should do about war and bloodshed.

This is True in BOTH Testaments:

“5If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” (Exodus 23:5, ESV)

“17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, 18lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. 19Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, 20for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.” (Proverbs 24:17–20, ESV)

“29“If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him 30(I have not let my mouth sin by asking for his life with a curse),” (Job 31:29–30, ESV)

So We Must Submit to Our Governing Authorities…

“1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Romans 13:1–7, ESV

…Unless they Contradict God’s Word

“27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:27–29, ESV)

SO, WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?

Can I love my enemy and kill him to protect the innocent and restrain evil?

My Dad’s story, and many other’s who’ve fought war as well.

Classic illustration: Someone breaks into your house and is going to rape and kill your children. You have a gun, do you shoot him?

The painful reality of choosing the Lesser of Two Evils.

It’s bad to allow someone to be killed, BUT it’s also bad to kill. In the above, no-win situation, what do you do? Most would say use the gun and I would agree with that. We have to choose between the lesser of two evil’s.

But it’s done as a last resort, in sorrow and with as little personal hatred as possible.

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Episode 148

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148 Disciple Up
Hope Against Hope
By Louie Marsh, 2-26-2020

Recent events have caused this phrase to echo through my mind quite often lately.

I hope against hope that a few meager words spoken on a Sunday morning will heal a marriage, mend a troubled mind or motivate someone to respond to the Word of God.

I hope against hope that an hour’s counsel will help someone begin to overcome a life time of running and hiding from their inner monsters.

I hope against hope that this new class or that new program or this new book will finally cause the hearts of the people in my church to catch fire for Christ.

Hope against hope.

In a way I guess you could say this describes what we Ministers do for a living. We are called and paid to hope against hope – and to never stop doing so!

After hearing this echoing around in my mind, I checked and found out some interesting info on what this means and where it comes from on Dictionary.com.

hope against hope

Hope or wish for with little reason or justification, as in I’m hoping against hope that someone will return my wallet. This expression, based on the biblical “Who against hope believed in hope” (Romans 4:18), was first recorded in 1813.

 

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Here’s verse in the NIV – Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Romans 4:18 (NIV)

The story of Abraham and Sarah is one of the great examples of faith in the Bible, and is often presented that way as it should be. But I want to point out to you that It’s also a prime example of hope as well.

Hope against hope – hope that God will work in spite of most of the evidence pointing to the contrary. Hope that with God’s help tomorrow can be better, a marriage can grow and heal and thrive. Hope that a child can learn and turn from sin back to God.

Hope, hope, hope – and hope is almost always pitted against itself. We hope against hope. God calls us to, in the words of the late, great Mark Heard, “withstand the winds of time,” and the winds of culture, opinion and the devil as well!

And of course we have to hope against the evidence of our eyes as well. Just because things look hopeless doesn’t mean they are! Indeed God “…is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

I love how Peterson paraphrased this verse in the Message. Read it, and then read it again, letting it sink into your heart.

20  God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, “You’re going to have a big family, Abraham!” Romans 4:18 (MSG)

That’s hope against hope all right!

It’s deciding not to live on the basis of what I quite correctly know I can’t do – and instead live life based on what God has said He will do!

Wow – what a liberating thought!

Or as we call it in Celebrate Recovery – Principles One & Two

Principle One: Realize I’m not God. I admit I’m powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.

Principle Two: Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.

So, go ahead, hope against hope today!

May I live today on the basis of what God has said He’ll do – not on the basis of my helplessness!

During his time in a Nazi prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote to his friend Eberhard Bethge that he was neither a pessimist (expecting things to get worse) nor an optimist (expecting things to get better). He said that he was living by hope.

Hope! One of three foundational forces—faith, hope, and love—that St. Paul said “remains” when everything else goes belly-up.

 I find Bonhoeffer’s allusion to hope as an alternative to optimism or pessimism to be insightful and inspirational. He has identified a biblical idea that I think sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

SESSION ONE:

Know the Power of Hope.

 3 Graces to  MOTIVATE ME.

 1) FAITH

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith… 1 Thes. 1:3a

Work = a job or task

  • Faith BRINGS US INTO SALVATION.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— Eph. 2:8a

 Faith LOOKS BACK.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

 Faith always PRODUCES ACTION.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:26

2) LOVE

… your labor prompted by love… I Thess. 1:3b

labor = to cut, beat and used of working bread dough

 Love is my response TO GOD’S LOVE FOR ME!

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

 Love LOOKS AT THE NOW.

 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 1 John 3:17

  • Love keeps me going THROUGH THE TOUGH TASKS.

 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

3) HOPE

 and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thes. 1:3c

 Hope keeps me from GIVING UP.

 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

 Hope LOOKS AHEAD.

 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:24-25

  • Hope is JUST AS IMPORTANT as faith & Love.

 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:5-6 (NIV)

because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints– the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel  Colossians 1:4-5 (NIV)

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:22-24 (NIV)

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NIV)

  • How To REMAIN HOPEFUL.

Renew your relationship with God daily

my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon–from Mount Mizar. Psalm 42:6 (NIV)

Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless? Put your hope in God, because I will still praise him. He is my savior and my God. Psalm 42:5 (GW)

We encourage you, brothers and sisters, to instruct those who are not living right, cheer up those who are discouraged, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (GW)

David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. 1 Chronicles 28:20 (NIV)

Maintain Fellowship with Believers

But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 2 Corinthians 7:6 (NIV)

for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:19-21 (NIV)

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Episode 14

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Love Defined or The Return of Dr. Love

By Louie Marsh, 7-19-2017

The Beatles recorded a song in 1967 with was then and in many ways continues to be the anthem of our culture. Yet look at the lyrics and you’ll see that like everything else, love needs some definition.

Lyrics – John wrote this as is clear from the lyrics.

Love, Love, Love.
Love, Love, Love.
Love, Love, Love.
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.
It’s easy.
Nothing you can make that can’t be made.
No one you can save that can’t be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It’s easy.

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.

Nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.
It’s easy.

All you need is love (All together, now!)
All you need is love (Everybody!)
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need (love is all you need).

1 Cor. 13

1 Cor. 13 in context,

Written about spiritual gifts, not inspirational love poem.

It’s called a gift BUT… Love is also in the Fruit of the Spirit as well in Galatians 5:22-23

In fact if you understand the Fruit of the Spirit like I do Love IS the fruit of the Spirit – the rest of the qualities in that list are what love is made up of. It’s a shorthand description of the character of Christ.

This is different because now days most people teach that the fruit of the Spirit is completely different from the gifts. Gifts are God given abilities to do things while Fruit are characteristics the Spirit develops in us.

But – that’s not true of Love. And note that in 1 Cor. 13 Paul talks about faith, hope and love, and that hope is also a fruit of the Spirit.  Paul says love is kindness, here its kind in the fruit is kindness, but very close. So in THIS context – there is crossover between the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit

After making the point that love is the most excellent gift of all Paul goes on to define it.

IS Patient – literally long suffering, takes a long time to burn, this word used primarily of patience with people.

IS Kind – Not found elsewhere save in Clement of Rome and Eusebius. “Perhaps of Paul’s coining” (Findlay). Perhaps a vernacular word ready for Paul. Gentle in behaviour. – Word Pictures in the New Testament.

DOES NOT Envy– Love isn’t envious of others because love only compares itself with God.

DOES NOT Boast – Rare word means one who sounds his own praises.

NOT Arrogant –  literally “puffed up.”  Similar to Boast but perhaps more aimed at how we feel inwardly while boasting is outward. Someone to constantly tells themselves how great they are. How does this relate to what we teach on building self-esteem?

NOT Rude – Not acting in a way that is unseemly or indecent. Love does not act out the attitudes of envy, boasting or arrogance.

NOT – Insist on its own way – Love does not act out of self-interest alone.

CHRISTIAN QUOTES ON LOVE

To love someone means to see him as God intended him – Fyodor Dostoevsky

The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now. – Rick Warren

You will never really love until you love someone who hates you. – Jack Hyles

The chains of love are stronger than the chains of fear.- William Gurnall

Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. – C.S. Lewis

The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy. – Dwight L. Moody

In biblical thinking, genuine love exists only when good works are done in a context where God rather than the doer gets the credit. – Daniel Fuller

1 Cor. 13 Again:

NOT Irritable –  Rare word used of Paul by Luke. 16  Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. Acts 17:16 (ESV)

So Paul must mean not provoked out of selfish needs.

NOT Resentful – Easily provoked to anger.

NOT  Rejoicing with Evil BUT DOES rejoice in the Truth – true love comes from God and agrees with God’s assessment of what good and evil and is always happy to see truth triumph.

DOES – bears all things – old word for roof. Love protects all things, covers a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4:8

DOES –  believes all things – not in the sense that love is gullible, but in the sense that love is hopeful, it tries to see the best in everyone, knowing God will bring good from evil. Love takes risks on people because not being selfish it fears no loss.

DOES –  hopes (fruit of the Spirit) all things – hope stems from God and truth. Love never gives up on God working in any and all situations. It looks forward to what God will do, not back on past failures or lives in past successes.

DOES – Endures all things – to stay under or remain, Love doesn’t quit, it’s steadfast and reliable.

DOES – love never fails. Never falls off, used of actor booed off the stage. Love never gives up and remains.

The Disciple Up Low Down

Closing

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Episode 13

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Disciple Up #13
What Is Love? Pt 1 Or…When Dr. Love Comes To Town
By Louie Marsh, 7-12-2017

Drivel from Psychology Today article.

Greek words

E-Harmony’s Definitions

The ancient Greeks used seven words to define the different states of love we can experience:

  • Storage: natural affection
  • Philia: friendship
  • Eros: sexual and erotica
  • Agape: unconditional, divine love
  • Ludus: flirting
  • Pragma: committed, married love
  • Philautia: self love

Oxford Dictionary’s Definition of Philautia

In a classic book titled Colors of Love (1973), J. A. Lee defined six varieties of relationship that might be labeled love.

Eros is romantic, passionate, love—what Tennov labeled limerence. In this type of relationship, love is life’s most important thing. Lee said a search for physical beauty or an ideal type also typifies this type of love.

Philia – friendship love.

Ludus is a game-playing or uncommitted love. Lying is part of the game. A person who pursues ludic love may have many conquests but remains uncommitted.

Storge (STORE-gay) is a slow developing, friendship-based loved. People with this type of relationship like to participate in activities together. Often storge results in a long-term relationship in which sex might not be very intense or passionate.

Pragma is a pragmatic, practical, mutually beneficial relationship. It may be somewhat unromantic. A person who leans toward this type of relationship may look for a partner at work or where the person is spending time. Sex is likely to be seen as a technical matter needed for producing children, if they are desired.

Agape (a-GOP-aye) is a gentle, caring, giving type of love, brotherly love, not concerned with the self. It is relatively rare. Mother Theresa showed this kind of love for impoverished people.

A Jewish Perspective

Segment Two – When did we get so crazy about love?

My candidate – The Beatles signed a contract to represent the BBC, and Britain, on Our World, the world’s first live television satellite link-up to be seen by approximately 400 million people across five continents.

The Beatles’ appearance was announced four days later, on 22 May. John Lennon wrote the song All You Need Is Love especially for the occasion, to the brief given by the BBC: it had to be simple so that viewers around the world would understand it.

Our World took place on 25 June 1967. Video of Beatles singing, “All You Need Is Love during Our World 1967.

Lyrics – John wrote this as is clear from the lyrics.

I’ll get into this Next Week

What Love is from Biblical Perspective.

God is love.

15  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:15-16 (NIV)

“When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?’” (Luke 9:54), (Mark 3:17).

  • God only wants the best for everyone

9  For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:9-10 (ESV)

  • Love does no harm, therefore it only does good.

 36  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38  This is the great and first commandment. 39  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV)

 Love is the fulfillment of the Law.

Therefore: Love is doing what’s best for the object of your love.

Love is the Golden Rule

 12  “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 (ESV)

Note: Both love for God and love of others is said to fulfill the Law.

Christian love has nothing to do with feelings one way or the other. It’s not about liking someone or disliking them because of a personality clash. Love is acting towards others as God would and Jesus did.

The Disciple Up Low Down on Love, Confusion & Loving Confusion

Video of Larry Norman song mentioned.

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