.......recently one of our family laid his heart on the table for all to see. This innocent gesture left him open to scrutiny and ridicule. Much advice and opinion was expressed. Was there damage done? Perhaps.
I hope we learned something, at least, that reality is in the eyes of the observer, and we can't see thru another's eyes.
So opinions need to be expressed with utmost sensitivity, least we do more damage then good.
If harm was done unintentionally, please forgive us.
Math.18:6. :heartbeat:
Thank you E-magine for starting this thread.
I think in the midst of debate, we forget that words can cause much damage and wounds. We are so wrapped up in being right, that we forget to tell each other that we love them, treasure them, and need them.
I know many are hurting right now. Alot of accusations and insuations being spoken. Even to the extent of implying a persons faith, and spirit stems evil sources.:cry: I know if these things had been spoken of me, or even insinuted I would be devestated, especially when I was opening up myself for all to see.
Maybe it is time that we remind each other, how much we love them.
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every, part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Lets edify each other in love.
I will start. Anthony. I treasure your posts and thoughts. I have found them personally encouraging and faith strengthening.. Thank you for sharing yourself and your faith with us. May the father bless you in all you do. May he make your steps lighter in your Journey home. May his Kingdom shine in your eyes.
To all my brothers and sisters on the Board. I send my love.. and thank the father for all of your expressions of faith. May his love be poured out on each one of you.. to fill your heart with Joy.
amen
Love
Lynn
We must continue putting up with one another in love, without judgment. For the judgment we use will be the judgment God will put right back on us and expose our sinfulness. If we claim to follow the Christ, the only thing that counts is our love for one another, and if we lack in that, we are liars by saying we love God.
:clap: Hey e-magine!! :clap:
Thanks for the thread my fellow Entangled brother! There are two Laws that come into play here, and that is the Law of Reflection and the Law of Reciprocation. Im starting to see that our judgment of others is in direct proportion to the judgment we are given as individuals, especially since we claim Christ as our King.
This is why Love fulfills the Law, in all its facets. It supersedes doctrinal perspective, personal perspectives and subjective perception -- at least it should do.
Over the course of the last week or two, I have come to see just how judgmental I really am -- which is a good thing -- because the areas that need work are now even more blatant. I know im going to work on being more loving, merciful and humble.
I hold no grudge here with anyone -- you are all dear to me, everyone. And I hope that we can all get off our high horses and get on with it!
:read: "According to their way I shall act toward them, and with their judgments I shall judge them; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah.’†-- Ezekial 7:27 :read:
May LOVE be with you!
your bro -- beau! :friends::friends::friends:
Thank you Brother E for starting love flowing once again.:giverose:
Yes, "Love fufills the law." And it forgives, it does not keep account of injury, It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and it never fails.:hug:
We all came here from the wilderness. How we loved each other and made sure every one of us was here and no one was missing...:friends:
What has drawn us all together is our LOVE for our God, :heartbeat:and LOVE His Son, Christ Jesus.:heartbeat:
"From far away Jehovah himself appeared to me, “And with a love to time indefinite I have loved you. That is why I have drawn you with loving-kindness" ~Jeremiah 31:3
Let this love bring us together, not separate us, each and everyone here has a place and is loved and appreciated for who they are, not the expectations we may have. Jehovah made us all so different and so wonderful! Celebrate the differences and love one another, let love prosper and forgive...
"Love prospers when a fault is forgiven
but dwelling on it separates friends." ~Proverbs 17:9
"Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and ]disregards the offenses of others]."~1 Peter 4:8
I love you all,:friends:
Sparrow:heartbeat:
1 Corinthians 13
The Way of Love
1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (Message)
Thanks for the refining,
gus
Hi gus,
Unfortunately, there is something within us that stands in the way of love as a restraint to what we want to do and to be.
"For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"-Romans 7: 19-25
Hello there dear br. emagine ...:hibye::D
When I read your 'illustration' just now what a picture comes to mind ...:friends:
Thank you for that ... :present:
When we open our hearts we DO expose a bit of ourselves don't we ... a scary thing when one isn't used to doing it ...:shocked:
Do not all of us here 'expose' ourselves in some measure by what we write ... showing a side of us that we ourselves may not have known about ourselves once we have 'seen ourselves' ... and perhaps may not see about ourselves but others might ... :huh:
This comes across especially in poetry does it not ...
I agree that when we say something in response to others we should heed the various kinds of counsel we have in God's Word ...:read:
Seasoning our words with salt, be slow about speaking, REALLY listening and seeking to understand what exactly is being said, whether it be 'openly' ... or 'sublty', be kind to one another, patient, long-suffering, and so on ... and one thing that I personally like to think is important is using self-control ... not just jumping before stopping to think ... and perhaps if one feels that one just HAS to speak ... but that it MIGHT just prove to be hurtful or damaging to others ... then there is always the PM button to speak 'one on one' so as to come to a unity of mind and heart ...:friends:
And above all else ... WHATEVER it is that we say, write or do ... should ALWAYS be based on the SINCERE and HEARTFELT MOTIVE of LOVE ...:heartbeat:
But then you already knew that didn't you ...:P thank you for that 'deep' illustration ... there is MUCH that can be taken from it when you meditate on it ... :idea::scratchhead:
Warmest Christian love to you ... BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts:
e-magine I agree with what you said .
I am known for championing the cause of the underdog and I hope my efforts of late have been seen in this context. I know that they havent in some cases but I feel for Ant and hope my efforts have helped at least in the long run.
Well, OK then!!, or, HokyDoky.....:grouphug::groupwave:
Hi gus,
Unfortunately, there is something within us that stands in the way of love as a restraint to what we want to do and to be.
"For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"-Romans 7: 19-25
Two outta three ain't bad, AR...not bad at all. Maybe that's where the 'trust in God' and 'hope unswervingly' come into play. All we need is a little stick-to-it-iveness and the cajones to turn back, turn back, turn back. I think Paul did alright for himself.
gus