Hi Guys, thinking about trettep's post "My Universalist Brothers..", it made me think of something I had read and printed out a long time ago. 1 Corinthians 13 is one of my favorites. This is an article entitled "How Love Behaves":
http://www.zianet.com/maxey/Study2.htm
I think everyone in this world is seeking God, though most don't realize it. I think everyone in this world is truly seeking LOVE. (God is LOVE.) So since we know the character of God and have been blessed with this knowledge, we really do need to BECOME LOVE. How Love Behaves... that is what we all should be as brothers and sisters. People in this world need PROOF of God. That is what they YEARN for. We HAVE the proof, the LOVE in our hearts. The type of LOVE outlined in that article. We HAVE it! God put it in our hearts for a purpose.
I don't want to lose sight of this. I feel like lately, getting pulled into debating sometimes... I am losing sight of the power of love He put in my heart. Why should I act in a way that pushes that power of LOVE in my heart into a dark corner? With every interaction, that LOVE should always be front and center. No matter what people disagree with, or fight against my words, or twist good into evil and evil into good, the one thing that should always remain constant is LOVE. Love MUST be what stands out. Like a lighthouse beaming in the midst of dark waters. Pettiness has no place. Those who are in the dark... they need proof of LOVE the most. Perhaps the reason why they STILL see good as evil and evil as good and are locked into their confusion is because they do not have the PROOF of Love that they so desparately need.
For anyone who doesn't know the true character of God, the TRUE POWER of HIS Love, they are like outsiders looking in. What do they see when they look in? Just another group of people arguing...pettiness...strife... or are they going to see something different? A people who can show PROOF of God by showing PROOF... PROOF OF HIS LOVE!
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"Nothing we do, no matter how noble and good (such as fighting against ET) is of any profit, if it is not done in LOVE."
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"Be patient with ALL men."
-"A man's wisdom is slow to anger and it his glory to overlook an offense"
-"Genuine love does not keep a list of wrongs suffered, or of the WEAKNESSES, SHORTCOMINGS or failing of others"
- "
He who covers over an offense PROMOTES LOVE." That is so true, covering over an offense QUICKLY and easily promotes LOVE!
-"Love does not seek to make itself distinctive by tracking down and pointing out what is wrong;it gladly sinks its own identity to REJOICE with others at what is RIGHT!" - This is one that is sinking in more and more into my being. I am definitely guilty many times of doing the opposite. But isn't that GOD'S job? Isn't it God's job to do this? Maybe HE is the one who condemns the wrong picture in a man's heart, not us. Maybe we need to turn this around and focus on REJOICING over what is RIGHT! Instead of picking out what is WRONG. (Even though our minds want to pick out ET and fight it so much... IS this the right way?? Or should we leave them to their devices and instead REJOICE and put the SPOTLIGHT on what is RIGHT! His LOVE!) Do you guys know what I mean? I so want to HOLD ONTO this thought. It feels like sand in my hands, so easily this thought slips away from me. I want to hold onto it!
- "Love stands by the weak and protects them, and strengthens them IN SPITE of their weakness." Who are the weak? Those who do not YET KNOW the POWER of God's love! They may have a hard outershell, but inside there is a fearful man. Fear promotes weakness. The more we fight this man, the more that outershell is just going to form more and more layers.
LOVE. The
PROOF of God.
Just like our lovely sister, ShanaBrown... who someone mentioned on that thread. She is a beautiful inspiration. She is definitely a picture of "How Love Behaves".
And she most definitely has shown proof of the existence of God by her interactions.
Well just some things that have swirling around in my mind, lately. Just thought I'd share and see if you guys had any input or other ways of seeing this that may benefit us all and help us all to become stronger witnesses to God's magnificent love. Maybe some of the things I am thinking aren't quite the way to go, I'm not sure. I just know that with so much NON-love in this world... it's LOVE that transforms and nothing else. LOVE is the only thing that overcomes NON-love. THAT is why LOVE (God) is the most powerful thing in this universe. What can fight AGAINST love and win? NOTHING. ALL will finally be completely saturated with, overwhelmed by and OVERCOME with LOVE. GOD.
If God has shown us this POWER of HIS love and He has PUT His love in OUR hearts... y'know? We need to let it overcome US and let it come flowing outwards to the rest of the world.
Peace guys..
I love you. Your presence in this world is such a comfort and joy to me.
love,
sparrow
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Christian Universalism
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