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Love one another even as I have loved you


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#1 Charles Miles

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Posted 14 January 2018 - 05:57 AM

As I have read and watched the news over the past half century or so, I see a change in the reporting, the response, and even what is considered news to the American public. I can remember when the evening news was simply a report on what happened on that day and surrounding days. Some of it disturbed me, but it was because the events were things that were of national importance(Cuban Missile Crisis, bad weather, etc). 

  Now the majority of any news is not actually news, but totally different. Today`s news is full of hate, gossip, distortion, and things that probably wouldn,t be of any concern unless one side actually hates the other. I don`t care who is liberal and who is conservative, it makes no difference, they all got us to where we are both financially and emotionally. Why has all this hate become our national passtime? Why do we have all these people who are there just to tell us what we are to think about any event or person discussed on the news? The American people are smart, just tell us what happened, honestly and truthfully, and we can figure out what happened. Telling me that I am not a good person because I don`t agree with the "correct" version of the news(usually the version being told by another) is just not going to work!

  Looking at stories, gossip, hate, and divisiveness(today called news) leads me to a conclusion.....there is an instigator. Jesus said.."I am the truth", then He said...."I am the light of the world". Satan is the father of lies, the accuser, the one who enjoys tumoil, bloodshed, divisiveness, confusion, and anything else that harms mankind, so who does that place behind all this?

 We as Christians need to take a stand and begin earnest prayer for our nation and the world, because this is not getting better, it`s getting worse, fast. I am not worried about my future, that is settled by the blood of Jesus, but the concern for my children and grand children is of concern. Their lifestyle is at stake, not their salvation. 

 

May God bless our nation and our families as never before. May He also calm all the raging, hateful voices and hateful thought. It is our job, as Christians, to inject love into converstions filled with hate and show others the Light and the Truth.

 

Charlie


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#2 bob wire

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Posted 16 January 2018 - 07:47 PM

if not me   who  am I that uncaring  to not  begin earnest prayer for our nation  our God appointed leaders Lord keep us  at night  in the still quiet hours of the morning call us  stir us  move Lord on this unruly  heart'


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#3 Candice

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Posted 17 January 2018 - 09:48 AM

Charles, 

This reminds me of my reading today in Ecclesiastes chapter 4:1-2:  

 

Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
    and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
    and they have no comforter.
2
And I declared that the dead,
    who had already died,
are happier than the living,
    who are still alive.
3
But better than both
    is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
    that is done under the sun.
4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
5
Fools fold their hands
    and ruin themselves.
6
Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil
    and chasing after the wind.

 

That's why I am really not engaging in any talk about politics, etc.  I don't even know what's going on any more because the devil, the author of confusion, has caused so much trouble to plague our nation.  I'm keen on what  Bob Wire is saying--pray for our leaders as God has put them in authority.  The USA has become so vile, I fear it is too late.  People are so bold to persecute believers--my own sister has been doing this a lot these past several months.

 

I believe we are just going to have to pray--I'm not saying I do pray for our nation any  more.  I don't but will ask the Lord to show me how to do so.  I'm just kinda in a "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" prayer mode any more.

 

Blessings to you Charles,

Love, Candice


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#4 Tony Davison

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Posted 18 January 2018 - 04:40 AM

I have always said that the Christian Church or the believer does not grow unless they are under persecution. I know that this sounds cynical but when I was saved on a construction site in 1977 and the other workers found out I was reading the Bible the abuse both physical and verbal was a lot. Instead of backing into my shell and turning into my introverted self the Lord changed me to a extroverted person. I stood up to the abuse, which made me stronger, people started to get saved through my witness. 


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#5 Charles Miles

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Posted 19 January 2018 - 02:11 PM

Bob, Candice, and Tony

 

I certainly do not want to inject politics into this forum....and I won`t.  Whatever political beliefs one has, they must recognize that everything has ground to a halt due to the anger, vitriol, hatful speech that is on all sides of the debate on any issue in our country. Satan must be smiling over how he has pulled all debate down to a spitting, growling, hate filled mess. Just because I don`t agree with your ideas does not mean I have to hate you! 

 My prayer is that we can all sit down and have a sane discussion about the issues and not start spouting all the hate and anger we see so much today. I am not a citizen of this hate filled world.  I`m just passing through, but I do see all the mess being created by hate, half truth, and outright lies. Maybe we all need to learn how to stop yelling at each other and just walk away if the discussion becomes irrational. Jesus had words for those who hate their brother/sister and I don`t think He will claim anyone who does that.

  Why doesn`t God step in and stop all this mess?  He can and He will, when enough of His children get on their knees and ask Him to.

 

Lord, I ask for your help and intervention into the divisions that create strife in this world,

 

Charlie


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#6 Meema

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Posted 22 January 2018 - 05:40 AM

The love of money is the root of all evil. I could add that the desire for power is a close second. When News became a business, when the quest for money became the reason for news, the power brokers saw the opportunity to manipulate the masses to their benefit. And so it goes. I do believe, of course, this is underwritten by satan. And, I might add, I believe we have reached the point of no return. Which sounds negative and defeatist but actually it is simply a call to the Remnant to armor up.

 

The day does come - historically speaking. When Jesus was teaching his disciples all the ways they would face tribulation for their faith, He also delineated that the day had come that those who refuse to see will be blinded, ‘lest they see’.  I’ve been warning for years - get it or don’t. I have no other words to say this. This sounds harsh, and unloving, by the standards established by organized Christianity, but then I fall back on the day that finally came and accept that sometimes reality is harsh. 

 

My prayer life, for awhile now, has been - and deliver us from evil. Recently, I’ve felt compelled to add - and spare us from tragedy. Amazing thing - prayer. I’ve already witnessed this petition answered several times.


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#7 Ginger

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Posted 23 January 2018 - 12:53 AM

So grateful to have the Holy Spirit stir my heart to love one another even as I have loved you.

 

A while back this verse came to mind and I began thinking that I didn't really love....

 

Then I came to realize only God knew the truth about whether or not I truly loved anyone or not.  Sometimes only God Knows what folks truly think and feel.

 

Reckon I can speculate and think that I may know something and then find out I'm only quibbling with myself over one thing or the other..... This helps me to come to believe that God Knows are the two words I can trust and rely on until God lets me know that I really do know a fact, or a feeling to settle on.

 

Do I truly love God more than anything or anyone?  "God Knows."

 

Perhaps I'm being drawn to reach out and just share a bit and to be thankful you are here. "God Knows."

 

Only God knows if I truly love others.  Sometimes I become emotional or feel a strong feeling and now realize that only God knows me to the core of my being.  I can suppose that I love or that I don't love and then realize that I can speculate about anything.  God Knows and I tend to suppose. Supposing that I love or that I do not love leaves me in a quandary at times and "God Knows" comes to mind and calms my mind and my heart.

 

What comes to mind and gladdens me now is the best that I am able to think upon.

 

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.

Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.

 

Reckon for this now moment this is the greatest thing I know and it will keep me till the Lord gives me something more to rally my thoughts around.  Maybe this will always be the greatest thing I know.

 

“God Knows” so I don't have to suppose.

 

Thank you for being here.

 

God bless each of you.

 

Love and prayers,
Ginger


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