It is very important to understand the meaning of Love because God is Love.
By understanding the meaning of Love we can understand the very nature of God to the most clearest extent. The word Love is very commonly used in everyday life, but we do not know the real meaning of it.
There are 4 types of Love namely
a) Brother and Sister Love,
b) Friendly Love,
c) Sexual Love and
d) Selfless Love.
We often use the word love for all the possible things in the world. Example: I love my dog, I love my wife. I love my chicken burger. Love here differs in all the three sentences.
In a very broad sense we can differentiate it as Human Love and Godly Love.
Let us concentrate on Godly Love, which can also be termed as Selfless Love. Let us first try to define it: Doing always good to others irrespective of the other people's behaviour towards us. This calls for unconditional Love and is a sure qualification to be termed as Godly Love.
Human Love is conditional and mostly based on other person's response towards us. It can be best expressed as: I love you if you will do.........., I love you because you are.......
Problems with human love
People love based on their feelings, depending on other people's actions
People think that they could earn Love through their performances. But they do not realise that Love has to be received and cannot be bought. People depending on feelings tend to be very uncertain, they cannot tell whether they will be happy today or not? Very pitiable indeed.
Returning back to God's Love: What does it take to Love like God? Can we really do it?
Let us consider certain scenarios and try to answer them to our best knowledge.
Is it possible to say:
I Love you but i can't forgive you.
I forgive you but i can't Love you.
I Love you but i don't have compassion on you.
I Love you but I won't act humbly towards you.
After a brief thought we agree that it is impossible to Love without involving the essence of the terms forgiveness, compassion, humility so on and so forth. We can also say that whenever we show Love towards a person, all the other attributes like forgiveness, compassion and humility will be manifested automatically.
To emphasize on this point a little further, we cannot Love any person without completely forgiving them. Compassion does not equal Love, but it is a step closer to Love. Humility does not mean you show your Love to people, but it is a sure part when you start Loving the person. You cannot strip these attribute of Love and still Love a person.
Unforgiveness has the attributes like anger, bitterness and pride, so it cannot coexist with Love. If we see fire we know that there is heat and light along with it. These individual attributes when found alone, ex: heat does not mean we have fire near always and light does not mean fire is there around too, but it is the other way around. You can recognize Love when we see all its attributes manifested.
When i say that i Love my wife, it means that i have forgiven all her wrong actions and my compassion is not conditional on any of her behaviour. I humble myself and give up my life to protect her.
Love is real and exists. Reality is outside of our feelings and emotions. Love is a decision and cannot be based on our feelings which are very uncertain and volatile.
The attributes of fire like heat and light exist independent of your beliefs. If you put your finger in the fire, you will sense the heat. Putting the finger inside the fire did not create the heat, it only revealed the existence of heat in the fire. Similarly if you Love your wife, whenever she does a mistake, the forgiving attitude in you should be revealed to her without checking your feelings whether you should/ want to forgive or not. The mistakes of your wife would have just revealed the forgiving attribute of the Love that you had for her all along.
In order to follow God's way of loving we should make Love a decision and should not base it on other people actions or our own feelings. Love does not require repentance on the other people's part, but requires a decision from your part.
To sum it up all:
I corinthians 13 chapter speaks about Love in a wonderful manner.
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.
Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy;
love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
If Love is a decision then we can surely show God's kind of Love. Joy, happiness and lot other things have to be a decision to have a wonderful life, and that is what God has initially planned for us.
John 10:10 says
I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.
If we desire this Godly Love to be a part of our lives, be sure that we cannot attain it by our own effort, it is a gift from God. Unless we receive it from God we cannot share or give it to others.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Speaking in Tongues
Speaking in Tongues: Revelation knowledge from God.
Jude 1:20
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Benefits of speaking in tongues.
1.Builds you up
2.Keeps you in the love of God.
Galatians 5:22 says
God has already given us the fruits of the Spirit, we need to stir in and get it into our spirit and life. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves in the love of God.
Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
It is already poured by God, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves and stay ourselves and take all things and encourage and build ourselves in it.
Speaking in tongues is one of the ways of stirring up ourselves. It is foolishness to our mind when we speak in tongues.
1 corinthians 14:14
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful
There will be natural, mental or emotional resistance in the begining when we pray in tongues, by practice we can breakthrough all the resistance and go into the realm of faith.
Colossians 2:6-7
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness
1 Corinthians 14:17
You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
Connect the above two verses. It says that speaking in tongues means you are giving thanks well. and colossians 2:7 says that we should strengthen our faith, overflowing with thankfulness. so it leads that speaking in tongues leads to abounding in faith.
God has given us a tool when we are baptised in the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues, you naturally build yourselves up with the most holy faith. All we have to do is to just speak in tongues.
Many people are not taught the benefits of speaking in tongues and they do it occasionally to prove to themselves that they have received the anointing of God, they do it under some emotional urge.
Benefits:
1 Corinthians 14:17
You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. (it is a powerful way of speaking to God).
Isaiah 28:10-12
For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there." Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues
God will speak to this people, to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"— but they would not listen.
1 Corinthians 14:21
In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord.
1 corinthians 14:21 quotes the old testament prophet isaiah 28:11 and the context of corinthians chapter 14 is speaking in tongues. Isaiah 28:12 says that this is the resting place. Speaking in tongues refreshes you. You are ministering rest and refreshment to you.
1 Corinthians 14:2 and 4
For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself
The word edifies means to promote spiritual growth. Praying in tongues gives us revelation knowledge also. It is not acquired knowledge (forcing to learn in school and daily life). Revelation knowledge is imparted by God directly.
1 John 2: 20 and 27
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
*****Jesus says to his disciples that when they are persecuted and stand before the authorities He asks them not to premeditate on what they will speak but that God will put things in their heart on what to talk.
1 corinthians 2:1-10 (background)
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written:
“ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”[c]
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.
1 corinthians 14:2
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
compare the above verse with 1 corinth 2:7 that wisdom of God is spoken in a mystrey.
1 corinthians 2:16
For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Our mind is limited and we keep forgetting, but it speaks about the spirit
Colossians 3:10
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
we are already renewed in the knowledge, it is not our physical brain. We have a mind in the spirit also as it is there in the physical body.
according 1 corinthians 14:14 when we pray in tongues we pray in spirit, so by doing this we can draw in on the knowledge of God.
spirit is the one which has the mind of christ, which has the holy anointing from God, which is perfect so on.... so when you pray in tongues you can draw in on the truth of God.
John 16:13
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Holy spirit will help us draw up on things which are to come, not just the present things, but future things also. In the spiritual realm God has given us the ability to see things in the future, we need to understand the same and try to walk in it.
Jude 1:20
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Benefits of speaking in tongues.
1.Builds you up
2.Keeps you in the love of God.
Galatians 5:22 says
God has already given us the fruits of the Spirit, we need to stir in and get it into our spirit and life. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves in the love of God.
Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
It is already poured by God, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves and stay ourselves and take all things and encourage and build ourselves in it.
Speaking in tongues is one of the ways of stirring up ourselves. It is foolishness to our mind when we speak in tongues.
1 corinthians 14:14
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful
There will be natural, mental or emotional resistance in the begining when we pray in tongues, by practice we can breakthrough all the resistance and go into the realm of faith.
Colossians 2:6-7
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness
1 Corinthians 14:17
You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
Connect the above two verses. It says that speaking in tongues means you are giving thanks well. and colossians 2:7 says that we should strengthen our faith, overflowing with thankfulness. so it leads that speaking in tongues leads to abounding in faith.
God has given us a tool when we are baptised in the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues, you naturally build yourselves up with the most holy faith. All we have to do is to just speak in tongues.
Many people are not taught the benefits of speaking in tongues and they do it occasionally to prove to themselves that they have received the anointing of God, they do it under some emotional urge.
Benefits:
1 Corinthians 14:17
You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. (it is a powerful way of speaking to God).
Isaiah 28:10-12
For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there." Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues
God will speak to this people, to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"— but they would not listen.
1 Corinthians 14:21
In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord.
1 corinthians 14:21 quotes the old testament prophet isaiah 28:11 and the context of corinthians chapter 14 is speaking in tongues. Isaiah 28:12 says that this is the resting place. Speaking in tongues refreshes you. You are ministering rest and refreshment to you.
1 Corinthians 14:2 and 4
For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself
The word edifies means to promote spiritual growth. Praying in tongues gives us revelation knowledge also. It is not acquired knowledge (forcing to learn in school and daily life). Revelation knowledge is imparted by God directly.
1 John 2: 20 and 27
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
*****Jesus says to his disciples that when they are persecuted and stand before the authorities He asks them not to premeditate on what they will speak but that God will put things in their heart on what to talk.
1 corinthians 2:1-10 (background)
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written:
“ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”[c]
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.
1 corinthians 14:2
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
compare the above verse with 1 corinth 2:7 that wisdom of God is spoken in a mystrey.
1 corinthians 2:16
For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Our mind is limited and we keep forgetting, but it speaks about the spirit
Colossians 3:10
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
we are already renewed in the knowledge, it is not our physical brain. We have a mind in the spirit also as it is there in the physical body.
according 1 corinthians 14:14 when we pray in tongues we pray in spirit, so by doing this we can draw in on the knowledge of God.
spirit is the one which has the mind of christ, which has the holy anointing from God, which is perfect so on.... so when you pray in tongues you can draw in on the truth of God.
John 16:13
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Holy spirit will help us draw up on things which are to come, not just the present things, but future things also. In the spiritual realm God has given us the ability to see things in the future, we need to understand the same and try to walk in it.
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