"You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things ... " Hebrews 12:22-24 NKJV "This heavenly Jerusalem is the Church, that is to say the number of all believers throughout the world, having one and the same Gospel, one and the same faith in Christ, one and the same Holy Ghost, and the same sacraments." ~ Martin Luther, Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians (verse 4:26)
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Life Consists of Loving
Fri, 03/23/2007 - 04:05 — Alberto C. Reyes
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
There exist 3 classes of Love in the Greek language:
1) EROS - Sexual Love
2) FILEOS - Philanthropic Love
3) AGAPE - the Love of God, the God-kind of Love
No matter what you say, or what you believe or do - without love, its broken.
Since God is Love, The most important Lesson that the Lord wants in the earth is: How to Love
1 John 3:16-18, 4:7-11
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ... Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
4 of the 10 Commandments [of the Law of Moses] are:
a) Our relationship with God.
b) The remaining 6 deal with our relations with people.
But all 10 commandments have to do with relationships!
WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT in my existence are my relationships and not my accomplishments, not the Adquisition of goods.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'
25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
27 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'
29 Abraham said to him,'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'
30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
31 But he said to him,'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"
NKJV
The Meaning of Life is:
1) LOVING GOD
2) AND PEOPLE
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
NKJV
p2 LOVE LEAVES A LEGACY
The most lasting impact that you can leave on earth
is the relationships that you had with people.
a) Its not your riches
b) Or your achievements
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
...
40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it," when you have it with you.
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
31 And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
MOTHER THERESA (CALCUTTA, INDIA)
What matters is not so much what one does,
But how much love you put into doing it.
Ilustration: People that I have accompanied in their final moments, that are on the verge of Eternity, I have never heard them say:
1) Bring my diplomas.
2) ... MY trophies.
3) ... MY medals that I won.
4) ... MY gold Rolex watch.
These people want to be surrounded with their loved ones, with those they have relationships in this life.
p3 LIFE CONSISTS OF RELATIONSHIPS
We would not expect to be on our death beds and begin our relationship with our fellow man, which is the most important thing.
IN HEAVEN THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ASKING US ABOUT:
a) Our professional career
b) Our bank account
c) Our hobbies, pastimes, etc., etc.
The Lord will review how we treated other people and especially the needy.
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
...
40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
NKJV
When they transfer us to Eternity, we will leave everything behind.
What we carry above will be our character
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
1) Time is the most precious gift that we have because it is limited.
2) We can produce money but not time.
3) When we devote time to someone we are handing over a porcion of our LIFE that we can never get back.
p4 OUR TIME IS OUR LIFE
The best gift you can give someone is your time.
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
a) Sacrifice is the Essence of Love.
b) Its possible to give without loving, but one cannot love without giving.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
c) TO LOVE IS TO GIVE ONESELF - commentary
d) The most useful thing you can give is LOVE.
e) The best expression of love is TIME.
f) The best moment for LOVING is now.
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Conclusion:
Ilustration of the DISCIPLE of LOVE.
THE APOSTLE OF LOVE, JOHN.
"DO YOU LOVE EACH OTHER YET?"
CHORUS
God is Love, God is Love
and he that liveth in love, liveth in God
and God in him,
And he that liveth in Love, liveth in God
and God in him.
GIVING TIME IS MAKING A SACRIFICE
BIBLICAL QUOTES
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