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YOU ARE 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR LOVE LIFE
In his 21 Suggestions for Success, H. Jackson Brown, Jr. declares as number one: “Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.”
“Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Why we don’t pay this more attention is beyond me. It should be taught to us in school. Required to be memorized before a marriage license is issued. Printed in large letters at any facility where one might go on a date. It probably should be read to us in the womb.
The only question I have with regard to the veracity of Mr. Brown’s First Success Suggestion . . . is whether his affixed percentage is high enough.
What Must I Do To Get My Life Back on Track?!?
Readers of The Prefixed Life know that we preach about how to make significant changes in life, we must accept 100% responsibility for each area of our life: For our job, where we live, our income level, physical health, etc. But are we really 100% responsible for our Love Life?
What if I am living some place where it is not just a funny saying, but in truth there simply are no ‘good men’ left? Or, perhaps my ex-girlfriend went psycho and slept with every single guy at the bar one night because I implied she wasn’t a good reader? Or maybe my spouse and I argue every single night? Am I really responsible for another person, even when they act irresponsibly? Even if I check with my friends and my therapist and even my lawyer . . .and they all agree I am behaving perfectly while my partner . . . is clearly the one who is mostly at fault? Even then?
Yep.
Well, no, of course. You cannot control how another person acts. Nor should you — even if you possessed that power.
So accepting 100% responsibility might not ‘technically’ be completely accurate.
But failing to accept 100% responsibility for your love life will almost certainly result in you spending months, if not years, in maintaining romantic relationships that ultimately fail. But that never happens in a vacuum. Those fleeting, ephemeral, unsatisfying relationships bring with them immense amounts of fear, pain, rejection, heartbreak, yelling, regret and left-upright toilet seats.
And all in exchange for what? Not much, in truth. Not in the long run.
Accepting 100% responsibility for your love life will have you weed those potential partners out quickly. Often in a single date. Accepting 100% responsibility will keep you in a space where whenever Prince or Princess Charming walks into your life – and it will not be long after you take full control of this area of your life — you will know it immediately and can start planning your fulfilling life together.
Don’t believe it?
Fine. Look, you can read this article and go right back to lying to yourself . . . if that’s what you want to do. But…wouldn’t it be a whole lot easier to simply admit something is jacked up in your Love Life, figure out what it is, fix it, and find the man or woman of your dreams?!?
And no, I am not talking about “someone who completes you.” That line from Jerry Macguire, complete with the music and emotional anchoring, did no favors to anyone who is single.
You know this. You have always known this: No human relationship that rests on “being completed” is EVER going to work. . . only God makes those relationships work — and look at the headaches He has getting us to buy in to surrendering to that kind of relationship.
NO! You must accept 100% responsibility for your life SO you may become complete! Once you do that, the right person will walk into your life. The perfect person for you. The one with whom you can celebrate your completeness together! Doesn’t that sound a lot more fun and fulfilling? Find the One with whom you can celebrate your completeness together!
You must be complete. NOT perfect! Complete. Anything less will doom your relationship with another human before it even begins. Be clear on that.
And, yes, once you accept this Truth and make a 100% personal commitment that nothing less is acceptable, that you will do whatever it takes to get to that place . . . once we let go of the ridiculous cattle-excrement-laden stories we tell ourselves, our lives begin to change at ludicrous speed.
It is is certainly easy to blame.
It is is certainly easy to blame. Our society practically conditions us out of the womb to learn how to blame others. And how could we not follow this conditioning? We still consider ourselves a “Christian nation’ here in the U.S. Look at the central role blame takes and how heavily it factors into the very first story we read in Christendom, where after taking the forbidden fruit and being confronted by God about it, Adam manages to blame both Eve and God by suggesting the fault was properly attributed to, “that woman You gave me.” Eve, in turn, tried to roll over on the serpent as the primary cause for the appearance on Earth of ‘sin’ and disobedience.
And yet, we usually smirk as we read the Genesis account. Neither Adam’s nor Eve’s feeble attempt to place the blame elsewhere seems particularly credible to us. Is it possible that attempting to blame someone or something else ALWAYS comes across as ridiculous and ALWAYS makes us look exceedingly foolish?
Perhaps after this many years since Adam and Eve it is time for us humans to grow a little bit, evolve if you will, and mature as a species?
We all know, deep down, that all blame really does is keep us mired in mediocrity. We all know that. Why are we so adamant that we wish to continue sucking? Is our pride and ego really that fragile?
Okay. Fine. I am in. Where do I begin?
I admit I am 100% responsible and accept 100% responsibility for my Love Life!
(Click here for Part II of this post)
Scotty b.
about.me/AttorneyBlackburn
YOUR MIND’S GOALTENDER: AVOIDING MISDIRECTION
Gatekeeper of the Mind
Karen and Scotty b. debated some elements of gatekeeping and the need to carefully monitor what we let into our conscious minds in the “I am the Gatekeeper of My Truth” series which you will find here, here, and here.
Although it was a fun and friendly debate, it mainly focused on the semantics of relative truth such as “My Truth” or “Your Truth” vs. objective truth such as “The Truth.”
The bigger issue, of course, was whether it is really necessary to carefully guard “Things” from entering your mind without you really being conscious of it.
If you are unsure whether wisdom really requires a Gatekeeper of Truth, watch this astounding video. The video is called Apollo Robbins: The Art of Misdirection by TED Talks, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.
Make today a great one,
Does Truth Need a Gatekeeper?
Scotty b.
about.me/AttorneyBlackburn
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST BIBLE TRANSLATION
We understand you.
You are not alone if you felt totally overwhelmed at the Christian Bookstore when you found the gigantic Bible section, with dozens of translations…and each of those had multiple variations from which to choose. Then, perhaps, you asked people for their advice. Instead of resolving the issue, the chaos intensified and acquiring your study Bible became more overwhelming, as you heard responses such as:
- “Get the same version they most often read from at your Church.”
- “Don’t get a Bible translated by a single translator.”
- “The King James is the only authorized Bible. Other versions aren’t really the Word of God.”
- “The NIV definitely. King James is impossible to comprehend.”
- “Unless you get a Catholic Bible, a bunch of books are missing.”
So which Bible translation is the best?
So which Bible translation is the best? I don’t know.
What is the most important tool in completing a project?
Who knows?!?
If we were told the specific kind of project, however; and the materials we were using and the background and skill level of the worker(s); we would have a much wiser opinion on the topic.
It would still be an opinion, though. That information puts us in a better position to wisely opine. . . but it is still just an opinion. You want to keep in mind that most ‘projects’ would be severely limited by using only a single tool. In fact, having only one tool may prevent the job ever being completed in many cases. To get most projects done, and certainly to do so with maximum effectiveness and efficiency, we need a host of tools to fulfill a variety of functions. (Note: that is a GOOD thing…it means don’t stress too much about your first primary Bible! Just get one and start…instead of being overwhelmed).
Some other things to keep in mind as you are prayerfully deciding on the best Bible Translation for you: No translation is ‘more’ or ‘less’ pleasing to God. No matter what your particular religion may say, God does not “grade you” based on your Bible reading habits. All that matters is your relationship with Him. Having said that, your Bible reading is a primary way to develop that relationship. With that in mind, I think your enjoyment of your Bible should be given great weight — especially with regard to choosing your first Bible. I would much rather see you purchase a loose paraphrase that may be doctrinally questionable (and get to know God with only a 92% accuracy), then let your KJV or ESV collect dust on your bookshelf (and get to know God with a 0% accuracy).
While I personally avoid denominationally-translated Bibles (especially if this is your first serious attempt to deeply study the Bible), I have not yet seen a Bible that fails to contain Salvation. It is hard for me to believe that a Bible exists that will fail to point you to peace of mind, joy, truth, love and salvation if that is what you are prayerfully seeking.
If, on the other hand, we are acquiring a Bible simply because that is ‘what “Christians” do,’ or to impress others, or as an attempt to “earn points” with the Almighty or make “all nations disciples,” you may find that every version of the Bible is difficult to comprehend. But if you do: Don’t let that dissuade you from reading. Just ask for God’s guidance. Reading the Bible has an uncanny way of working into every part of your soul…even if you know you are reading it for the wrong reasons.
I made a little chart to give you some ideas of the range of Bibles available for you to consider. On the left are literal word-for-word translations. These Bibles attempt to render the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek literally. This results in a Bible that may be somewhat difficult to read and because of changes in expressions, language, customs, and many years – may result in serious differences between the author’s intent and what you actually are understanding
On the other end of the spectrum, to the right on my chart, are idea-for-idea translations. These Bibles seek to convey the meaning the author was trying to impart and are not nearly as concerned with keeping each individual word the same as the original language.
The “blended” translations attempt to strike a balance between the two and tend to be my favorite.
Various Versions of the Bible
Some notes about specific translations:
King James Version (KJV) – The KJV is considered by many to be “the only authorized” translation of the Bible. It is a literal word-for-word translation of the original text. It is written in Old English, which gives it the elegance that we are used to hearing when we hear the Bible read aloud.
I am an outspoken critic of the King James. The “original” or “only true” translation and other reasons the “KJV-only crowd” advances are propaganda-laced nonsense. The truth is that King James gave his 47 Church of England translators direct instructions to translate his version to conform to the views and practices of the Church of England. With the thees, thous, charities (meaning “love”) and other words that we no longer use, especially in the U.S., this is not the Bible I would choose. But Salvation can certainly be found in this beloved book!
New International Version (NIV) – The NIV version of the Bible is currently the most widely read English translation. It is a more modern translation and is easy to read. It is not as literal of a translation as the word-for-word translations, but in most instances captures the original meaning of the Bible well by attempting to translate thought for thought.
New Living Translation (NLT) – The NLT is one of the newer translations of the Bible. It is easy to understand, perhaps at the cost of complete accuracy. The criticism is that it is sometimes ‘watered down’ in its effort to make the Bible more understandable. Its easy reading, however, makes the NLT an excellent choice if you are a new Christian or if you are just getting into studying the Word for yourself. Find out if the Bible is for you or something you even want to study. I think I translation like this will help you decide if you love it. If so, after have read this Bible a time or two, you can always ‘graduate’ to a more literal version. Even if you have been studying the Bible for years, you may still enjoy the ease of reading that accompanies a version like the NLT.
There is not a best Bible translation. As your depth of understanding increases, you will want to compare various translations, instead of just one translation alone. It’s kind of like when you were a kid and one parent had been trying to teach you something for an hour, and it took the other parent a sentence or two. Sometimes it just clicks when you hear the same idea in a different fashion.
When you become expert level at handling The Word, you may wish to acquire a Comparative Study Bible that includes several translations in one.
If you still are unsure or have questions about which Bible is right for you, feel free to ask Karen or me. We will do our best to help you decide which Bible is best for you.
May light always shine on your path,
Scotty b.
about.me/AttorneyBlackburn
INTERACTIVE QUIZ: WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, TRUTH and JOY?
DISEMBODIED VOICE: “Today, from gorgeous, rainy, Babylon, er, uh, I mean . . .Southern California, it’s time to play everybody’s faaaaavorite blogging game show . . . THE OPPOSITE GAME!
Where, today, one lucky contestant wiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllll win, the opposite of a trip to Israel and the opposite of ONE-MILLION DOLLARS!
. . . And, now, here’s your host of THE OPPOSITE GAME . . . Ann Tipodes.”
ANN: “Thank you and welcome to THE OPPOSITE GAME! You know how the game is played. And you know the RULES.
And, by rules, I mean those pesky, annoying, little things that we all have to pretend to follow perfectly. And even though we know we all fall short, we still grit our teeth and white knuckle all our little Christian behaviors — in the hopes that we will either fool God Almighty, or at least that He will find “that we have tried hard enough” and therefore be acceptable to Him via our Self-Righteousness . . .
Even though we have all been clearly informed that Trust in Jesus is the ONLY PATH to Salvation. And once on THE PATH our lives automatically begin to fall in line with the Rules . . .
But have we forgotten that observing rules in the hope of finding THE PATH to Jesus IS THE OPPOSITE of the New Testament Gospel?!? (If so, perhaps we should quickly read Galatians Chapter 3 again!)
Have we taken the Gospel, literally meaning “Good News” – and turned it into THE OPPOSITE – that we must merit our way to Heaven?!? Because, if so, we all have major problems since we all have sinned and fallen short of the Demands of the Law. And anybody who says they do not sin is a liar and the Truth does not Live within them.
So, without further delay – or sermonizing – here are our questions for today. Good luck and good knowledge. . .
Scotty b.
about.me/AttorneyBlackburn
And thank you for playing THE OPPOSITE GAME!”
Each Correct Answer is Worth the Opposite of Ten Points:
and, your FINAL QUESTION, worth the Opposite of Fifty Bonus Points!
Thank you again for playing THE OPPOSITE GAME! If you are The Winner, feel free to send your one-million dollars via check, money order, or bank draft (NOTE: we cannot except cash over $500,000 in a single envelope) to:
MY TREASURE IS IN HEAVEN, LLC
7 TrustinHimalone Way, Suite 77
TrueAgapeJoy, California 77777
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAPPINESS AND JOY?
Yes! There is a difference. Although we tend to use these words interchangeably, they are worlds apart. Happiness describes a temporal emotion which can come and go faster than you can read this post. Joy describes a long-term state of being.
Happiness is external. It’s based on other people, circumstances, events and things that are not in your direct control. Happiness is linked with your hope for a promotion, or your love interest liking you back, or your favorite team beating the Eagles. Your happiness, or unhappiness, depends on how closely your expectations match reality. If “how things should be” is different then “how things are” – you will be unhappy.
So if your year-end bonus exceeds your expectation, that will make you happy. You are sad when you don’t receive one. You will be happy if your dating interest seems genuinely anxious to spend time with you. But sad when she flakes on your big date. You are happy when Tony Romo throws 5 touchdowns and Philly ‘Fears the Star.’ You are unhappy when the network switches to ice skating in the third quarter because the Eagles are up, 47-3.
Joy, however, is internal. It is present in the Lives of those who know their Truth and possess an abundance of Love. Joy exists even when one is unhappy. A good example is a soon-to-be-mother who is unhappy while in the pain of labor, but joyous to deliver a beautiful child. There are times when life is filled with sorrow and even misery (unhappiness), but it is still great to be alive. (Joy)
There were two dudes wrongfully sent to prison. There were no windows. You couldn’t walk around. You were shackled underneath the Town of Philippi until you died. Faced with this unbearable reality, these guys burst out singing. Why? Because they couldn’t help themselves. They Lived in Joy and thus complete freedom. They were not ‘happy’ to be in prison. But prison was merely a circumstance. In didn’t define them. They lived in Truth and in Love, and thus Joy was their reality!
Complete Freedom is Joy.
Silas and Paul understood that complete freedom is joy. They knew that gratitude for what one has – instead of covetousness for what one lacks, makes all the difference in Life. A Joyous state produces a fulfillment and satisfaction with life that cannot be shattered or shaken. Joy, true joy, never depends on a number in your bank account, the current weather conditions, or what model car you drive. To live in joy, is to consistently think about the person we wish to become and take daily action to become that person. If we do, we will find joy, peace and freedom. . .
. . . whether we are on top of the world . . . or chained in a cold, bleak, dank, hopeless, lifeless prison.
Life will chain you in that Philippi prison every now and then. When we lose someone we love, a relationship ends, or the inevitable struggles and frustrations of this world occur. The best way to regain your joy is to take a few minutes to reflect on the things for which you have cause to be thankful. Gratitude is an incredible joy producer.
And burst out in Joyful singing!
From my heart to yours,
Scotty b.
WHY ARE CHRISTIANS OBSESSED WITH FOLLOWING RULES?
I do not know if it is only where I live, but it often seems like Christians focus on blindly following rules. Interestingly, we know better. When the question is asked at Church, ‘How are we saved?,’ no one at my Church answers, “following commandments.” So we intellectually understand that rule following is not what it means to be a Christian.
So why do we focus on rules so often? Why do we make doing or not doing things one of the most important aspects of our Christian walk?
I am not saying that no lying, no swearing, no tattoos, no stealing, no smoking and the all-important supreme focus of the Christian’s life: no sex of any kind outside of marriage (and seemingly only controlled, conservative, and minimally-pleasurable sex within), are terrible ways to live life.
Well, actually, I might take issue with them if they are not . . . uh . . . strictly Biblical…but that may have to wait for a future post.
But the important question is: Why do we do this? Does any of this “no fun” behavior help us to be Saved? Or does it just confirm Lucifer’s first rebellious accusation against God: That He is a tyrannical dictator who just makes rules without the consent of His governed . . .
Am I wrong in thinking that if we just follow rules without knowing why or under what circumstances we should or should not follow those rules — than we should call ourselves “Church-ians” rather than “Christ-ians” ?
Really. Do these behaviors, these “thou shalt nots” make us better Christ-ians?
If so, then I assume that every single Girl- and Boy-Scout is a shoe-in for Heaven, right?
Does the Bible ever indicate that any of these things we refrain from has the power to save us?
Does refraining from them somehow make us better Christians?
How about better people?
Or have we forgotten what the first six letters in the word “Christ-ian” actually stand for. I mean, if we embraced the name we seem to devote much of our focus to, our name may become the slightly more unwieldy: “I-don’t-do-that-ian” or “I-don’t-enjoy-sex-ian” or “No-tats-under-my-shirt-ian”.
It seems that we follow these ‘rules’ that God may-or-may-not-have-established but have no reason to do so except all our fellow Christians do so.
Which makes me wonder: If everybody else decided to reject and jump off the “Salvation Bridge” or the “Salvation Cliff” . . . would you?
I would Love to hear your thoughts.
From my heart to yours,
Scotty b.
WHAT COUNTS IS WHO YOU ARE BECOMING
“Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’” – Matthew 19:16 NIV
When I read about the “rich young ruler” from Matthew 19, I sometimes get sucked into the things about him that make him likeable. This man has the world by the tail. He is young and already “made it.” He is rich and has power and authority. You get the sense that his presence and poise are off the chart. He certainly has been taught the best manners, is charismatic and has a great outlook on Life.
You might say he has a dream life. He is the guy that every man wants to be.
And he is the guy that gets any lady he desires.
He is the alpha male.
I find myself wishing I had that guy’s life.
Or, maybe, wishing I had the house on the corner when I drive through Beverly Hills. Or had more money. Or was more important. Or was better educated. Or better athletic abilities. Or . . . well, the list goes on for quite awhile . . .
But notice the question he asks Jesus in Matthew 19:16: ‘What good deed can I do to ensure I go to Heaven?’
Did he really ask what “good” thing can he do? Is that what going to Heaven is about? Do we forget so easily that Being Saved is about Who We Are more than What We Do. And even Who We Are counts very little compared to Who Came To Save Us!
Yes, I know. In your House of Worship . . .and in mine, too – we give lip service to “grace” or “God’s Love” or “the Plan of Redemption.” And yet, it doesn’t take very long to hear a conversation where we have again forgotten that God has better things to do than walk around like a despised foreman with a clipboard: Always on the lookout for someone who is not doing their job properly.
God doesn’t send out his Angelic task force to take notes every time we screw up. He doesn’t stay up late at night to ensure He sees when we decide shalt-ing is more fun, even when we know we should be ‘thou shalt not-ing.”
I often mess this up in reverse, too. I tend to become so very pleased with myself when I do something great – or even mildly good.
And, of course, somewhere on the inside I am just sure that their must be loud celebratory trumpet fanfares in Heaven denoting my good work. On the inside I smile smugly because I know that God has been watching . . . and God must think I am all that and a bag of honoring-you-parents-while-not-taking-God’s-name-in-vain right about now.
Until, that is, I remember that if I gave a million dollars to church while saving an animal and an elderly lady and doing this while reciting a memory verse – and not bearing false witness or coveting . . . well, God can and does much greater things all the time. He is NOT impressed.
Nope, not even a tiny bit.
Something about my Righteousness and filthy rags I sometimes hear in a small whisper.
Fortunately, that whisper is usually drowned out by that Trumpet Fanfare that is crescendo-ing right now! Yay me!
No. God is not the Big Scorekeeper in the sky. We are going to screw up – and He yearns to have us ask forgiveness as soon as we are able. But not for His ego. So that we can be rid of the shame of our mistake and go back to living a great life! And sometimes we are going to do something fantastic. But this does not merit an entry on the imagined scorecard God keeps for all humans.
God Loves us so much! What He really cares about is who we are and who we are becoming. It is why we face challenges and why we must confront the things we fear. If we don’t, we will always be stuck in our comfort zone and we never become all we can truly be.
God knows this. It is why he allows us to face Life’s difficulties.
Oh, back to the enviable young man that spoke to Jesus in Matthew 19.
Did you notice how Jesus responds to him?
Jesus does not call him out for his sins. He doesn’t put him down. Jesus doesn’t write a blog posts with trumpet references.
At the same time, He does not shower him with affection or praise, either. See, God is not into either one. He doesn’t pile on the guilt when we screw things up, nor does He lavish the praises when we get it right. God does what he always does: suggests ways we can improve and be a little bit better today than we were yesterday.
Jesus pointed something out to this man that he could not do. Perhaps he was not quite as ‘good’ as he had thought himself.
Or, perhaps he was. I honestly don’t know.
What I do know is that as long as we are alive, we can get better. There is always more to learn, more to experience, more to reflect upon, more ways to build up our character and become more like Jesus. More ways to help those around us. More ways to Trust. More ways to Love. More ways to live our lives with Respect for everybody. More to learn about living in Peace and Joy.
At the end of the day, it is not our ‘stuff’ that makes us happy. Ask any rich person and they will confirm that. What makes us happy is who we are and who we are becoming. Period. In fact, most people who are rich got that way by passionately pursuing something that they Love…and the riches were a by-product of that passion.
The only thing we take with us to Heaven is our character. More than that, it is the sole indicator of whether we will be happy or miserable, industrious or lazy, rich or poor.
As the late, great, Jim Rohn might say:
“Don’t wish it was easier; wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.”
“I used to say, “I sure hope things will change.” Then I learned that the only way things are going to change for me is when I change.”
“If you don’t like how things are, change it! If you don’t like your circumstances, change them! If you don’t like your address, move. You’re not a tree.“
From my heart to yours,
Scotty b.
about.me/AttorneyBlackburn
IF I DON’T LOVE, I DON’T KNOW GOD.
Whoever does not LOVE does not know God, because God is LOVE. 1 John 4.8 (NIV)
Have you ever let that really sink in?
No really?
Have you stopped for a minute and thought about the implications of “God is Love.”
We can go to Church each week. We can try our best to follow commandments. We can give a lot of money to the Church.
None of it matters if we do not Love.
The Beloved (cool nickname, eh?) makes it unequivocal: If we don’t LOVE others, then all our little “Christian” behaviors and rule-following makes us . . . moral, I suppose.
But perhaps we need to adopt the nickname we deserve: “CHURCHians”
We are Boy Scouts who attend Church.
Real Christians. Real CHRISTians…LOVE. It is not a platitude, it is a job description.
Real CHRISTians understand that LOVE is a verb, not a noun.
Because how can someone be a real CHRISTian if they don’t do the One Thing that Jesus repeatedly said was most important?
In fact, we often pat ourselves on the back whenever we hear talk of the third commandment since we rarely, if ever, take God’s name in vain . . . by saying His name together with an expletive.
But do we not take His name in vain when we call ourselves CHRISTians, but do not LOVE others?
In verse 8 as we read above, John varies the thought of his previous versus, and again very remarkably. Instead of “love is of God” (verse 7), we have “God is Love” – a far deeper thought; and instead of “knoweth not God,” we have “knew not God,” or, as we would say in English, “NEVER knew God.”
Let that one sink in . . .
If I do not LOVE others than I NEVER KNEW GOD.
Being a CHRISTian is much easier than we make it with our rules and rituals: All we have to do is LOVE.
Conversely, being a CHRISTian is much more difficult than we can imagine: We are called on to actually LOVE people.
The person that is not Loving his brother shows that in no real sense has he ever in the past known God: he is of the world (chapter 3:1), not of God. We must beware of watering down “God is Love” into “God is loving,” or even “God of all beings is the most loving.” Love is not a mere attribute of God; like light, it is His very nature. As “God is Light” sums up the Being of God intellectually considered, so “God is Love” sums up the same on the moral side. Only when this strong meaning is given to the statement does John’s argument hold, that “he that loveth not knoweth not God.”
A person who has no idea of any one of the attributes of God, as order, or beauty, or power, or justice, has an imperfect knowledge of God. But someone who has no idea of Love has no knowledge of God, for LOVE is Himself. God alone Loves in the fullest and highest sense of the word; for He alone Loves with perfect disinterestedness. It is LOVE which alone can explain creation.
Consider this: Why should a Being perfectly blessed in Himself create other beings, but to bestow a blessing upon them?
Next time Life gets you down, try to remember that you were created for one primary reason: Because God couldn’t stand to not have you around and He wants to bless you. He can and will make your Life full of Joy, Truth, and LOVE. But He will not force you to accept what you do not want. Decide you want Joy, Truth and Love.
Decide you want God.
From my heart to yours,
Scotty b.
WHAT IS AGAPE LOVE?
Agape, pronounced uh-GAH-pay, refers to selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. We generally think of Agape as the highest form of Love.
Agape is a Greek word and variations of it are found throughout the New Testament. Agape perfectly describes the kind of love Jesus Christ has for his Father and for his followers, such as in this passage from John chapter 14:
15-20 “If you really love me, you will keep the commandments I have given you and I shall ask the Father to give you someone else to stand by you, to be with you always. I mean the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, for it can neither see nor recognise that Spirit. But you recognise him, for he is with you now and will be in your hearts. I am not going to leave you alone in the world—I am coming to you. In a very little while, the world will see me no more but you will see me, because I am really alive and you will be alive too. When that day come, you will realise that I am in my Father, that you are in me, and I am in you.
21 “Every man who knows my commandments and obeys them is the man who really loves me, and every man who really loves me will himself be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and make myself known to him.”
23-24 And to this Jesus replied, “When a man loves me, he follows my teaching. Then my Father will love him, and we will come to that man and make our home within him. The man who does not really love me will not follow my teaching. Indeed, what you are hearing from me now is not really my saying, but comes from the Father who sent me.
27-31 “I leave behind with you—peace; I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world. (John 14; PHILLIPS)
Remember that time and time again Jesus explains His command. And His command is this: Love Each Other!
Scotty b.
about.me/AttorneyBlackburn
PREFIX POWER
How does a prefix change the root word? Every English student must learn this lesson. Webster’s dictionary defines the “re” prefix in several ways. One being, as once more; afresh; or anew: reaccustom or reactivate. Another definition is ‘return to a previous state’ or restore
The Israelites had spent hundreds of years as slaves in Egypt. It was a vicious period of living in survival mode filled with decades of forgotten dreams and crushed hopes. It is not difficult to imagine that in their oppression and God’s apparent forsaking of them, they may have picked up new ideas about the true character and nature of God. After all, based on circumstantial evidence, believing in polytheism rather than in a one true God seemed to be working out alright for the Egyptians.
If we are honest with ourselves, even in times of prosperity it can be difficult to remember who God truly is, because it is almost intuitive to think that blessings are a response of proper actions. But how much more difficult is it to trust in God’s goodness when Life has been very traumatic, and it appears that our cries for help have fallen on deaf ears?
Sometimes we need to be reaquainted with the true heart of God when life becomes very dark.
When God does begin to move and answer the Israelites pleas for deliverance, He reveals Himself as one with complete dominance over their enemies. Yahweh literally uses ten plagues to defy and dismantle all of the Egyptian’s beliefs in the natural world while revealing the way he provides for His people.
For example, the Egyptians supreme deity was Ra, the Sun God.
(21) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” (22) So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. (23) No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
The Bible is pretty clear that we will have trouble. But thanks to God, we never have to live without light in the places where darkness can be tangibly felt.
Zech 9:12 “Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope, and I will restore twice as much to you.”
That is the power of the prefix “re”. God “re-wrote” my story through Jesus. For most of my adult Life, I did not have an interest in a personal relationship with Jesus. . . but my God of Love had other plans! And God always gets what He wants – just ask Jonah’s whale or Balaam’s Donkey.
I encourage you to develop a habit that would forever change my life. I decided to read about the Life of Jesus for an hour each day. I began and before long it became a habit. I was becoming “reborn” in more ways than one. It was during this time of personal renewal that I became a Christian – instead of merely a member of my religion – a “Churchian,” you might say. I discovered a Love that I never knew before.
And I came to believe, as the apostle John wrote, that God is Love.
Now that is “Rewarding”! I hope that you will spend a few minutes each day reading the first four books of the New Testament. It will change your Life!
The Prefixed Life 