Do You Love Me?

[jiggyfly]

Today's quote.
“If we are to accept the teaching of Jesus at all, then the only test of the reality of a man's religion is his attitude to his fellow men. The only possible proof that a man loves God is the demonstrated fact that he loves his fellow men.”
—William Barclay

John 13: 34&35
34*So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35*Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 14:23&24
23*Jesus replied, “All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them. 24*Anyone who doesn’t love me will not do what I say. And remember, my words are not my own. This message is from the Father who sent me.

John 15:12-14
12 I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. 13*And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. 14*You are my friends if you obey me.

John15:17
I command you to love each other.

Luke 6:46-49
46*“So why do you call me ‘Lord,’ when you won’t obey me? 47*I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. 48*It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49*But anyone who listens and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble into a heap of ruins.

How many times have you heard on Sunday morning, "I love you brother" or "I love you sister"? Now how many times have you heard it and felt that it was genuine? Jesus said to measure it in reference to someone laying his life down for a friend. How often do you see this today? When I was a participant in the religious institution. I would often test the genuineness of my fellow church goer's words. I could not tell you how many times someone would greet me on Sunday morning and say " how are you doing brother" and I would answer "not so good" and many times they would reply "praise the Lord". They didn't even hear what I said. To me it was a sign that they were just "going through the motions" or "acting out christianity".

It was about 11:00 pm on a week night when the phone rang. It was a lady who I had met at a bible study once or twice. " I need some help" she said, " my son is in jail, he really needs deliverance and someone to talk too, can you please help him". I answered with, " well let me pray about it and see what God says and I will call you back in a few minutes". I hung up the phone and asked God if I should go and He replied with "do you love them"? So I called her back and I went to the jail that night. There have been many other times that I have failed to express love toward others, and I am ashamed to say there are more than I can count.

So in light of this, and what Jesus said in the scriptures listed above, does jiggyfly love Jesus? Yes, sometimes I do, but honestly there have been sometimes I love self more. Peter gave certain instructions to us concerning our love for one another. I"ll quote him in the KJV because there is a word that is very important and not found in some of the other translations.

1Peter 1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.

The greek word used in the original text is anupokritos and means; without hypocrisy or in my words, without play acting. The sad truth is that this kind of love is not prevalent in most of the religious institution's fellowship meetings. We say that we gather in His (Jesus) name, and we say that we love Him, but do we really? Jesus said if we really love Him we will do what He says. A.W. Tozer said, " christians don't tell lies, they go to church on Sunday and sing them". You might say that "this is where the rubber meets the road" when it comes to demonstrating our love for Jesus by loving one another. Do we? Do we really?

 

[hadirfuss]

Perfect In One

Hey Jiggy
your thread is timely, infact, the reason why we have so many problems and evils today is because we have broken the commandment that Jesus taught us i.e to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

Just to add ,People who do not know the true meaning of "neighbor" think that it means an individual, and that being kind to that person means loving our neighbor. But "neighbor" and "loving our neighbor" have a wide range of meaning, rising to a higher level as the number of people increase. Can anyone fail to see that loving a number of people in a group is loving our neighbor more than loving just one of the group? A community, large or small, is our neighbor because it is made up of a number of people. This means that when we love a community, we love its members. If we wish well and do good for the community, we are thinking of each of its members.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest to me I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.

O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared to them thy name, and will declare it, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:20-23, 25, 26)

God Bless

 

[Faithful Son]

Now's your chance to express your love

I you jiggyfly

 

[jiggyfly]

O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared to them thy name, and will declare it, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Amen hadirfuss, good scripture.

 

[Coconut]

So in light of this, and what Jesus said in the scriptures listed above, does Coconut love Jesus? Yes, sometimes I do, but honestly there have been sometimes I love self more, and I am ashamed to say there are more than I can count. amen

There was a glib expression I used to hear growing up; 'if you need help, pray you dont need it on a Sunday morning, because the 'christians' are on thier way to church, and wont stop to help you'

We have our priorities all messed up, but it doesnt seem to bother us much. Still how glibly we go on with our self centered lives, and our pretenses of loving Christ, while barely willing to give a cup of water, (if its any bother) let alone our time to our neighbor. Or then we will help once, but get annoyed if we have to help the same needy person twice.

There is an expression I hate with a passion, and I think I have the mind of Christ when I say so, that is 'self sufficiency.'
The world loves those words, I think it is anti-christ by its very definition. I had never heard those words used so much as I have in the 12 years since my husband got hurt, and not just by the world.

The church has taken the 'watch' (LOOK, SEE) out of Christs words, tho we are still willing to pray, especially that God will help US.
We need help all right, in the worst way.

Peter, you say that you love me, now show me. - Jesus
God HATES lip-service.

 

[jiggyfly]

Peter, you say that you love me, now show me. - Jesus
God HATES lip-service.

Amen Coconut Amen.

 

[Dreamer]

Coconut, Amen. As I read your thought-provoking post, I took a hard look at myself.