7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In my Welsh great, grandfather's home I recall an icon of The Sacred Heart of Jesus hanging over the living room fire place inviting us to spread His love to all, especially those whose life needed filling with love.
We can only ever begin to understand God when accepting His invitation to love Him, by loving all who He invites us to love.
Psalm 86:15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Love and faithfulness are manifestations of God's presence in our life, inviting us to become all that He is.
John 15:9-17 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you
The thoughtful person is well aware that there is within the stream of thoughts that daily flow through our conscious awareness a whisper constantly guiding our steps, inviting us to walk the path that He has designed for us to live a happy, and fulfilling life.
Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.
No human person is denied Our Father's love, in abundance when we of our free will choose to reciprocate by loving all who the divine mystery sends to us, to love without condition.
1 John 4:9-11 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Wise sages over the centuries teach us that God's love for us is never a matter of waiting on God, but of reaching out to those whom God sends to us, to love with all our heart's desire, as if this were our last day alive.
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Clever words or confusing....?
Posted by Pete on May 27, 2018, 11:43 am, in reply to "In God's name"
: Wise sages over the centuries teach us that : God's love for us is never a matter of : waiting on God, but of reaching out to those : whom God sends to us, to love with all our : heart's desire, as if this were our last day : alive. : :
Let me get this straight ... God's love for us is NOT a matter of waiting on God...
God's love for us is reaching out to those whom God sends to us, to love with all our heart's desire, as if this were our last day alive?
I would have thought God's love for us..is what it is.. His love for us. And if one was apparently so inclined to wait on God (seemingly a wasteful occupation by your implication) would God not be desirous that the waiter love others considering we were given a TWOFOLD commandment to LOVE GOD AND OUR NEIGHBOUR AS OURSELVES?
Pete
God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply
Well, Pete, there are people whose reluctance to follow God's guidance, is the result of believing that they are waiting on God's magical intervention. God does not practise magic.
A Jewish community in Tsarist Russia was hit by an influenza epidemic obliging the village rabbi to plead with God to send help. The rabbi waited, and waited. With no help arriving the rabbi set up an isolation clinic manned by village volunteers 24 hours a day to assist the influenza victims including making available 24 hours a day, a large churn of chicken soup generously garnished with locally grown garlic, and onions to feed the stricken villagers. The rabbi also ensured that every villager ate two apples every morning. The villagers one, by one recovered.
A week, or two later the village was devastated by heavy rains, and an overflowing river that flooded homes. The rabbi tearfully asked God for His assistance. No help came despite waiting, and waiting the rabbi took it upon himself to organise clean up operations, ensuring that those whose homes had been flooded were housed in dry houses, provided with dry clothing, freshly cooked food, and warm liquids for all the unfortunate families. The flood waters receded, and the village returned to normality.
Angry that God had not appeared to assist the village community, the rabbi scolded God, asking Him why He had rejected his pleas for help for good, God fearing people.
A voice whispered into the rabbi's ear...I sent help. I sent you.
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Waiting on God
Posted by Tony M on May 27, 2018, 9:58 pm, in reply to "In God's name"
This talk of waiting on God brought to mind the conclusion of Carlo Carretto's book The God Who Comes.
Carlo was one of the Little Brothers of Charles de Foucauld who lived the life of a hermit. I discovered and devoured his writings while barely 20 and discerning whether I would live my life according to the faith I had inherited, or not. Some 40 years later, I am very grateful for Carlo's writings (despite his whacky politics ) and remember well this conclusion to what was then my favourite work:
During my life I have had plenty of time to discover my poverty in body, in heart, in spirit.
At first it annoyed me; sometimes it scandalised me, as something incomprehensible.
Then it made me think. The meeting with Jesus in the gospel taught me endurance, resignation, acceptance of this poverty of mine.
But when He, Jesus, and the Father sent the Holy Spirit, I understood and lived the beatitude of poverty - the loving and joyful understanding of my limits, the certainty that life is born of death, the contemplative experience that visible things are images of the invisible and that poverty on this earth is only thirst for heaven, which is thirst for the Absolute.
Then I walked with faith on the path of my poverty to meet with Him, the Invisible, the Eternal One, Life, Light, Love, the Merciful One, the Personal God, the God of Abraham, the God of Moses, the God of Elijah, the God of Jacob, the God of Christ.
The meeting has not always been easy: darkness, nausea, dryness, desire to escape. But I have remained sustained by hope.
I have understood that God is the God who comes. And I have waited. For me to pray means to wait. On the frontier of my limits, in the tension of my love, to have the strength to wait....
....And even as I foresee that my poverty will grow as I approach death, and that the waiting will always be more bitter, I no longer wish to break the appointment. By now the God who comes has conquered me, and my eyes, tired of seeing only things here below, are happy to smile at Him. And I should like them to be well opened and ready to smile before His marvels when He comes the last time to break through the veil of my limits and to introduce me - with all 'His people' which is the Church - into His invisible Kingdom of light, life, and love.
In order to hurry that day, from now on I am taking for myself the most beautiful prayer, expressed in the last words of Revelation and placed like a seal on revealed things:
"Come Lord Jesus". How I embrace as mine the joyful hope contained in the reply: "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen!
Re: Waiting on God
Posted by Alex Caughey on May 28, 2018, 12:56 am, in reply to "Waiting on God"
Yes, Tony M, when living in Italy some forty years ago, I became well acquainted with a pastry chef in Genoa who confidently informed me that he was waiting for the final call...momentarily. My old pal Vincenzo Rossi had just celebrated his 50th birthday with no hope of reaching 51 for he had been diagnosed with an inoperable cancer. At 90 years of age Vincenzo has reached the conclusion that the good Lord had other plans for him. Vincenzo emails regularly writing of his growing enthusiasm for fishing and taking care of his two dogs.
To quote a wiser person, than I:
“Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.”
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God's timing
Posted by Alex Caughey on May 28, 2018, 1:22 am, in reply to "In God's name"
Some dozen years ago during a sparring session with my martial arts teacher (Argyris) I injured my arms sufficiently to need physical therapy. Argyris introduced to an amateur therapist (Dimitrios) who successfully resolved the problem with my arms in one session using his fingers.
Dimitrios' talents had been brought to Argyris' attention by his uncle, a Greek Orthodox monk and member of a monastic community on Mount Athos.
Brother Athanasius had developed a painful nerve related condition on his right cheek leading to long tearful periods that had obliged him to seek permission from his abbot to visit a hospital in Saloniki. The abbot invited Athanasius to remain patient reminding him that God would provide for his healing according to His timing. Some days later the pain became so severe that he persuaded the abbot to allow him to visit a hospital.
Two days later Athanasius returned to his monastery with pain killers, informing his abbot that the hospital could not help him.
The day of Athanasius' return to the monastery the amateur therapist, Dimitrios arrived for a 72 hour pilgrimage noticing that Athanasius was in pain, offered to massage his cheek. The session lasted some thirty minutes with Dimitrios patiently using his fingers. Brother Athanansius was reduced to tears but noticed a significant improvement. Athanasius awoke next morning fully healed.
God's timing encourages us to remain patient, knowing that He always honours His promises, to those who reciprocate in kind, when asking us to become His outreach to those He invites us to help.
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Re: God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply
I'm familiar with the story you've recounted, albeit another version, but the conclusion is the same. It's problematic for the following reason. The Rabbi's method of prayer is flawed. He asks God to do something and sits back and waits for something to happen. Nothing happens so he gives up on prayer and does what he believes is best. Although well intentioned he is really reverting to behavior as a non-believer. He's operating from SELF WILL. His prayer should have been "Lord, I'm all yours, show me what to do!" He needed to learn to turn to God always, SURRENDER himself fully, and "listen" for God's guidance.
Pete
--Previous Message-- : Well, Pete, there are people whose reluctance : to follow God's guidance, is the result of : believing that they are waiting on God's : magical intervention. God does not practise : magic. : : A Jewish community in Tsarist Russia was hit : by an influenza epidemic obliging the : village rabbi to plead with God to send : help. The rabbi waited, and waited. With no : help arriving the rabbi set up an isolation : clinic manned by village volunteers 24 hours : a day to assist the influenza victims : including making available 24 hours a day, a : large churn of chicken soup generously : garnished with locally grown garlic, and : onions to feed the stricken villagers. The : rabbi also ensured that every villager ate : two apples every morning. The villagers one, : by one recovered. : : A week, or two later the village was : devastated by heavy rains, and an : overflowing river that flooded homes. The : rabbi tearfully asked God for His : assistance. No help came despite waiting, : and waiting the rabbi took it upon himself : to organise clean up operations, ensuring : that those whose homes had been flooded were : housed in dry houses, provided with dry : clothing, freshly cooked food, and warm : liquids for all the unfortunate families. : The flood waters receded, and the village : returned to normality. : : Angry that God had not appeared to assist : the village community, the rabbi scolded : God, asking Him why He had rejected his : pleas for help for good, God fearing people. : : A voice whispered into the rabbi's ear... I : sent help. I sent you. : : end : :
Re: God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply
Well, Pete, there's the thought that ones conversations (prayer) with God is a personal matter resting entirely upon our free choice to speak with God as it pleases us. God is well aware of our sincerity when we are asking Him for help.
Had the rabbi been a non-believer he would not have requested help from God, nor would he have been angry with God.
God's words whispered into our inner life: I sent help. I sent you is the awareness that God's Spirit is present in every human person inviting each of us to love Him, by loving our neighbour. Loving our neighbour should never be reduced to an abstract belief when our neighbours' needs are crying out for our assistance. By mustering the villagers to assist one another the rabbi revealed his love of his neighbours, by inviting them to work together to relieve the distress of those in dire need of assistance.
Love of God, and love of our neighbour is always revealed through our actions.
end
Re: God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply
Well I hope everything's OK with the community re: pandemics and inundations.
Previous Message
Well, Pete, there's the thought that ones conversations (prayer) with God is a personal matter resting entirely upon our free choice to speak with God as it pleases us. God is well aware of our sincerity when we are asking Him for help.
Had the rabbi been a non-believer he would not have requested help from God, nor would he have been angry with God.
God's words whispered into our inner life: I sent help. I sent you is the awareness that God's Spirit is present in every human person inviting each of us to love Him, by loving our neighbour. Loving our neighbour should never be reduced to an abstract belief when our neighbours' needs are crying out for our assistance. By mustering the villagers to assist one another the rabbi revealed his love of his neighbours, by inviting them to work together to relieve the distress of those in dire need of assistance.
Love of God, and love of our neighbour is always revealed through our actions.