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LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 5:52:05 PM
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Walker311
Posts: 1500
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Love is simple, complex, heart-wrenching, extraordinary, difficult, painful, exhilerating, pleasurable, and easy. There are different levels... partial, too much, just a little, not enough, one-sided, real, imagined, and so on.
You could live your whole life and not personally experience love, experience it and wish it would go away, or have a rich abundance of it.
Overall, I personally believe the greatest tragedy is stealth love. It is the kind where you love but never reveal it either in word or in deed.
Christians should have the greatest understanding of love because we personally know the inventor. A Holy Spirit guided child of God can seemingly reach into the very depths of hell and rescue the most ungodly and unloveable of souls who have no clue what real love is.
What has been your experience in loving others to the cross?
Did you experience firsthand a kind of love that saved your life? Explain!
How have you learned to love in ways that you thought was impossible?
Do you know someone right now who feels unloved?
< Message edited by Walker311 -- 6/14/2008 6:09:49 PM >
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 6:24:44 PM
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LivingParadox
Posts: 623
Joined: 2/28/2007
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Walker311
Love is simple, complex, heart-wrenching, extraordinary, difficult, painful, exhilerating, pleasurable, and easy. There are different levels... partial, too much, just a little, not enough, one-sided, real, imagined, and so on.
Whew. You said a mouthful there.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Walker311
Overall, I personally believe the greatest tragedy is stealth love. It is the kind where you love but never reveal it either in word or in deed.
This is a tragedy. Tell people you love them.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Walker311
Christians should have the greatest understanding of love because we personally know the inventor. A Holy Spirit guided child of God can seemingly reach into the very depths of hell and rescue the most ungodly and unloveable of souls who have no clue what real love is.
...remembers lyric..."love is the answer" I know that when I as a child of God know that there is unconditional love it's very freeing and allows growth. And the day and age we live, many people really don't feel very lovely -- sometimes just believing in someone else unconditionally can make all the difference for them. (And they'll test you to know if you really mean it)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Walker311
Do you know someone right now who feels unloved?
Oh, yeah.
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 6:37:52 PM
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Cloak
Posts: 4139
Joined: 1/4/2008
From: Canada
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The best example to manifest and envision love or Godly love to me is (1 Corinthians 13: 13 NIV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Ever since I gave my heart and soul to the Lord Jesus Christ, I cannot think of ANYONE who loved me and cherished me as HIM. He is the Lover of my soul, my best friend, my right-hand....He is EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY in my life.
When we taste Jesus' Love, human love becomes shallow, superficial and meaningless; unless that person offers us divine Christlike love.
Godly love enabled me to FORGIVE so many people whom I thought I could never forget no matter what the harm or the amount. Jesus' love is so deep and therapeutic that with Him and thru HIM all things are possible.
Yes, I know many folks who have never been loved. Sadly, some of these people do not want to be helped or received God's love or too proud. Too bad for them if they refuse God's love, they are the only losers in this case.
As an Evangelist, I always try to reach out to others and extend God's unconditional love...esp. when I see someone unloved, discriminated against, biased against, treated unfairly by simply showing them God's unconditional love. Many times, I offer literature, pamphlets or tell them to watch a Christian program on TV or if I know of good church I would tell them about it.
That is the Least I could do to show Jesus' Love in this loveless hurting world! 
< Message edited by Cloak -- 6/14/2008 6:49:58 PM >
_____________________________
And My God shall meet ALL Your Needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4: 19)
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 7:13:29 PM
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Giulia
Posts: 831
Joined: 9/29/2005
From: Giulia
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Love should be either hot or cold, if it's in between it is not worth it.
_____________________________
Rejected by the world but loved by the heaven
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 8:36:57 PM
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Walker311
Posts: 1500
Joined: 4/11/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Giulia
Love should be either hot or cold, if it's in between it is not worth it.
Giulia,
I don't see how this fits with the topic. Furthermore, we sometimes cannot help where our human love will fall as I mentioned in the OP.
We may not be capable of giving or receiving the right amount at the right time. We may try to have "hot" love and fail miserably.
Love is a choice but God did not design IT to always be "hot" or "cold" plus if it could always be hot, there would be no orphans and no abortions.
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 9:13:26 PM
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Liveloved
Posts: 1628
Joined: 1/22/2008
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quote:
Love is simple, complex, heart-wrenching, extraordinary, difficult, painful, exhilerating, pleasurable, and easy. There are different levels... partial, too much, just a little, not enough, one-sided, real, imagined, and so on.
This is a description of human love. Divine love, God, Who is Love, is perfect Love.
You could live your whole life and not personally experience love, experience it and wish it would go away, or have a rich abundance of it.
This is the experience of all unbelievers. That is what unbelief is, to NOT KNOW LOVE.
Overall, I personally believe the greatest tragedy is stealth love. It is the kind where you love but never reveal it either in word or in deed.
Stealth love would be another form of human love and not love at all.
Christians should have the greatest understanding of love because we personally know the inventor. A Holy Spirit guided child of God can seemingly reach into the very depths of hell and rescue the most ungodly and unloveable of souls who have no clue what real love is.
True.
What has been your experience in loving others to the cross?
From start to finish? None. But some inbetween love for sure but only by His doing.
Did you experience firsthand a kind of love that saved your life? Explain!
Yes. Probably more than I know. But one time I was to the point of wanting to end my life. The Lord let a powerful, prideful person come against me. And I wanted to die. But instead the Lord used it to bring me to an even greater death of self and knowing of Him and His great love for me. Now I know His favor surrounds me.
How have you learned to love in ways that you thought was impossible?
By His Spirit living and doing the loving in me. Asking Him to love people who I could not love. And He did. My flesh can't. But He can.
Do you know someone right now who feels unloved?
Probably everyone. Until we are as He is, we need Love.
< Message edited by Liveloved -- 6/14/2008 9:20:37 PM >
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 10:27:15 PM
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Giulia
Posts: 831
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From: Giulia
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Walker I am saying that when we love half heartedly it is not actually love but a half hearted attempt at love. That type of love is not worth it because danger may come and that type of love doesn't stay trhough danger. Better to not love me at all than to turn your back when I am in most need.
_____________________________
Rejected by the world but loved by the heaven
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 10:57:47 PM
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Walker311
Posts: 1500
Joined: 4/11/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Giulia
Walker I am saying that when we love half heartedly it is not actually love but a half hearted attempt at love. That type of love is not worth it because danger may come and that type of love doesn't stay trhough danger. Better to not love me at all than to turn your back when I am in most need.
Again! This not on topic.
You are drawing from personal experience and when it comes to human loving relationships, we all have been burned.
We all at one time or another take a chance at love and we all have been damaged by the results... therein lies the danger. There is none of this in agape love.
When we are fortunate enough to find the ONE who has a little understanding of that kind of love that comes from God, we no longer worry about being burned.
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/14/2008 11:30:51 PM
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pstrdebi
Posts: 657
Joined: 4/28/2008
From: So. Oregon, by way of So. Cal.
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Walker311
What has been your experience in loving others to the cross?
Did you experience firsthand a kind of love that saved your life? Explain!
How have you learned to love in ways that you thought was impossible?
Do you know someone right now who feels unloved?
What has been your experience in loving others to the cross?
One of my favorite remembrances was when I worked as a director at a Christian camp. There was a young teenage girl who had come there with a church group... hard as nails. Every arrow of love I shot at her... bounced right off of her Kevlar shell! But, I just kept loving on her. On the last night at campfire, I gave my testimony and preached one darn good sermon, watching her the whole time. Nothing. At least, I thought, I planted the seed.
Two weeks later, I received a letter from this girl who told me how when she got home, she kept thinking about everything I said... bowed at her bedside and received Christ. Wow!
(thanks Walker... for making me remember that again!)
Did you experience firsthand a kind of love that saved your life? Explain!
I was raised Catholic... my sister had married a Baptist man and converted to Christianity. She was not just my sister, but my spiritual mom as well. She sent me to camp, where I received Christ at 13... but at 16 I returned to the world and all of it's entrapment's. My sister never stopped loving me... not with sister love, but with the love of Christ. Not just the gentle love of Christ, but with the judging... accountability love of Christ. I remember once being in an awful place and she came there (she could have only been guided by Christ!) and dragged me out... took me home, cleaned me up and then just looked at me.... a look that carried with it every emotion possible... a look of Christ. That look was piercing to my heart. I was still in rebellion... but it was her prayers and her unwavering care and love for me that saved my life.
How have you learned to love in ways that you thought was impossible?
I was also raised in an abusive home with "conditional" love. After moving out, I found myself in abusive relationships (a normal procedure of a co-dependant). I never knew what unconditional love was until I learned it from Jesus. It wasn't til then that I could love myself and others.
Do you know someone right now who feels unloved?
Yes... there a couple. But they have barricaded themselves in to a stone wall that's about a mile thick! We just keep chiseling away a little at a time... and maybe one day they will see the light of the love of Jesus.
Blessings...
Pastor Debi
_____________________________
"For in Him we live and move and have our being..." Acts 17:28a
http://www.therockfellowship.org
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/15/2008 12:47:58 AM
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LivingParadox
Posts: 623
Joined: 2/28/2007
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Danger, huh?
You mean people actually walk through the hard stuff and still believe in the other? Actually it's the unconditional part of it that makes a human relationship more like God's love. Willing to stick it out even through the messy, sticky, unlovely stuff. It's easy to be lovey dovey when things are good but when you know someone has your back when they'd rather throw you out the window -- that's intimacy and that, sir, is LOVE.
and Danger...if it's the kind described above ....that's good ....abusive danger, not good.
"Aslan isn't a tame lion...but he's good"
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/18/2008 5:00:33 PM
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Walker311
Posts: 1500
Joined: 4/11/2005
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quote:
How have you learned to love in ways that you thought was impossible?
I believe how we love others is based on our genes and our environment. I don't care if you have the opportunity to love only a few or a great many, if it is true and honest, the rewards or wonderful.
It is much the same in our relationship with God. If it is truth and honesty that we present to Him, then we will have more than this world can ever offer.
Not everyone can or wants to do this. I wanted to, I needed to, and I can't imagine it any other way.
< Message edited by Walker311 -- 6/18/2008 5:07:24 PM >
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/18/2008 7:44:46 PM
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LivingParadox
Posts: 623
Joined: 2/28/2007
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Walker311
quote:
How have you learned to love in ways that you thought was impossible?
I believe how we love others is based on our genes and our environment. I don't care if you have the opportunity to love only a few or a great many, if it is true and honest, the rewards or wonderful.
It is much the same in our relationship with God. If it is truth and honesty that we present to Him, then we will have more than this world can ever offer.
Not everyone can or wants to do this. I wanted to, I needed to, and I can't imagine it any other way.
Something about this statement didn't ring true to me. I've always found love is a choice, we choose to love those around us -- while genes and environment can affect how we express love and affection, I don't think it really has a lot to do with love. As far as truth and honesty, isn't that what we all want but on what foundation? Is it based on as long as it "feels" true and honest? Or is based on eternal principles given by God? I think we remember when determining truth and honesty to also remember the human heart is deceitful.
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/18/2008 9:34:58 PM
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Walker311
Posts: 1500
Joined: 4/11/2005
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quote:
I've always found love is a choice, we choose to love those around us -- while genes and environment can affect how we express love and affection, I don't think it really has a lot to do with love.
Have you heard of babies from Romania in orphanages that were barely handled? Those who bravely adopted them are learning the hard way about how environment affects the young.
I'm a white guy and just road my bike thru a black neighborhood and a little 4 yr old girl yelled at me to "git on outta heya".
You don't really know... do you? Yeah! Love IS a choice when you are not damaged societally, physically, or emotionally.
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RE: LOVE IS... - 6/18/2008 10:12:34 PM
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LivingParadox
Posts: 623
Joined: 2/28/2007
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Walker311
quote:
I've always found love is a choice, we choose to love those around us -- while genes and environment can affect how we express love and affection, I don't think it really has a lot to do with love.
Have you heard of babies from Romania in orphanages that were barely handled? Those who bravely adopted them are learning the hard way about how environment affects the young.
I'm a white guy and just road my bike thru a black neighborhood and a little 4 yr old girl yelled at me to "git on outta heya".
You don't really know... do you? Yeah! Love IS a choice when you are not damaged societally, physically, or emotionally.
*NOPE, I know nothing about abuse, neglect, receiving taunts, slander, prejudice or defamation* 
Actually in my earlier post I said "genes and environment" can play into how love is expressed (or lack of it) but love is still a choice, whether you are damaged societally, physically or emotionally. Given the opportunity to help, care for a orphan from Romania, would you choose to love. What was your choice of how you treated the little girl who yelled at you for being a oddity in her world? You have a choice.
There is a movie where a Jewish fellow is put into a concentration camp with his small boy -- I think the movie is called "Life is Beautiful". In heinious circumstances people do chose to love; a "good" Nazi probably loves his family while "choosing" hatred. I'd have to look up the versus but the basic thought what credit do you get from loving those who love you. Love your enemies. And also, while we were still sinners, Christ paid the price of love.
Yes, Love is a Choice. Christ Chose Us.
< Message edited by LivingParadox -- 6/18/2008 10:22:27 PM >
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