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God’s Personal Love -1-See how He loved him?
Series Introduction:

We hold many different understandings of love and views of those who receive God’s love. Perhaps no Image of God’s personal love imprints the minds of man more than that of the Son of Man, Christ Jesus.

Jesus embodies the Father’s love of others and God’s love of the world in so many ways.

During this brief season of Easter and until the occasion of Pentecost we will glance at God’s relational love for the Church.

Yes, EASTER is a season for the Church and not just one Resurrection Day –– a season of significance recognizing the risen Messiah and Lord who walked the earth as Jesus had prior to His Crucifixion for our sins. Jesus instructed disciples for fifty days after the Resurrection and He was witnessed by many saints soon to be built into His foundation of the Church.

We begin by returning to a scene just prior to Jesus’ Crucifixion at the tomb of Lazarus, who no doubt walked among those five-hundred witnesses until the day of Pentecost.

How God loved His friends personally

So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”
It’s one of the tenderest lines in Scripture.
Roger@talkofJESUS.com – on witnesses of Jesus at Lazarus’ funeral John 11:36

Jesus: Image of God’s Personal Love

Lazarus – HELP from the grave

Jesus wept.

When YOU die will you have even one friend observing a mourner saying, ‘See how he loved him?’ (or ‘see how she loved her?’)

Do you have any friend — any mortal soul who loves you that much?

I don’t think that I do.

But then again, I’m far from the man of compassion our Lord Jesus is as once again He shows here the extent of his personal love of Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

Throughout the Gospels — the Good News of Jesus Christ — the Lord’s Disciples and many others continually witnessed Jesus’ love for others both publicly and personally.

But Jesus IS God we rationalize, so you and I can’t possibly love real people that much. Yet aren’t Christians supposed to be built into His Image?

the Challenge of a personal conversation about Christ

Our public witness of Jesus (at funerals and other life events) may characterize Christ at times, yet away from these occasions we frequently fail to love others as we see Jesus do here at the funeral of Lazarus.

Some family, certain ‘friends’ and even a few from our ‘church’ convict me without mercy of the sins of all ‘christians.’
Roger@talkofJesus.com

Dare I call Jesus Christ my Lord?

YES. (And I certainly plea for grace from you and any who willingly confess your own shortcomings in relational love of others.)

So many will compartmentalize ‘christians’ as those who hate certain things too much and love certain people too little.
Roger@talkofJesus.com

Jesus Christ IS the Very Image of our loving heavenly Father modeling God’s Personal Love of us and for us. My desire in Christ is to love JESUS first and secondly to love those whose desire is to seek and remain in Jesus’ unfailing love.
- Are you one of these so called, ‘Christians?’
When we want to talk of Jesus, we remain ‘Christians’ (capital ‘C’) in Him, even though many ‘christians’ (small ‘c’) conveniently claim ‘Christ’ on their terms and not His.

Relating to God personally provides the fruit of the Holy Spirit which connects Christ to His Church (as well as our heavenly Father).

Two Personal Challenges

IF YOU are up for a personal challenge,

AND IF you have not encouraged me as your brother in Christ by subscribing to my occasional New Post Series notifications,

THEN I ask you to respond personally to my opinion as a ‘CHRISTIAN,’ identifying yourself as part of one of two groups:
1. ‘christians’ or
2. one who does not like ‘christians.’
Why not accept my challenge to your own hypocrisy (my fellow sinner)?

I too prefer not to associate with some ‘christians.’ For I also receive accusations or snubs by some ‘christians‘ impersonally distancing me in most unchristlike manners.
1. For those of you who do NOT like to relate personally to ‘christians’:
  - Just email me and make it personal, rather than judging me as ‘one of those closed-minded ‘christians’ shouting hatred and waving ‘Jesus’ signs in front of the cameras.’
2. For those ‘christians‘ who do NOT like to relate to other ‘christians’ from your ‘church,’ because they (I) won’t get involved in YOUR issue:
  - Maybe you’re one of them and really would like to talk to another Christian about your ‘ISSUE.’
  - Let’s talk. Email me. I’ll respond to you and that ISSUE so important to you personally.
As for our Christian community here on talkofJESUS.com, we will carry on conversations concerning our personal Lord witnessed in Scripture, Christ Jesus. We are Christians under construction by Christ.

So how did God love His friends?

I’m NOT going to give you the stock JOHN 3:16 answer, but it would apply.

Last year in A.D. 2020, we witnessed our Lord’s personal love of those He loves in the Gospel of John.

Jesus’ Commandment

..that you love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:14

Jesus IS God’s Personal love

Would you like to understand this special relationship of the Lord God to His church?

(Hopefully you are a part of the church, my dear brother or sister in the Lord.)

Look back at what you may have missed from our 2020 look at the Good News of John.

In case you missed it, Church..

Jesus loved his friend Lazarus

We begin this series on God’s Personal love with the example of the death of Jesus’ friend Lazarus. Observation of the Lord by their fellow Jews present for Lazarus’ memorial service was: ‘Jesus wept.’
- Do you have compassion like this for most of your ‘christian’ friends?
Perhaps more importantly I ask you,

‘Do they know how much you love them?’

Again, as friendless as my own life would seem at times, perhaps they do not know.

My friends do not know how much I love them. (And that may include YOU, beloved friend.) So as you read the Good News of Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave, consider His human love for a friend you may not have ever seen in our Savior.

Lazarus – God’s personal friend

Below you will find a link to most of the story of Lazarus, but before we continue in this series just a highlight:

So the sisters [Martha and Mary] sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he [Lazarus] whom You love G5368 is sick.”
John 11:3 NASB20 – Strong’s G5368 phileō love

And yes, phileō is the same verb the mourners used of Jesus when they remarked, “See how He loved G5368 him!”

With ‘love’ as we use in English we have some confusion, not to mention misuse of application of Scripture. There is, however, some overlap as you will see in this next quote related to the context of Jesus and Lazarus.

(Now Jesus loved G25 Martha and her sister, and Lazarus.)
John 11:5 NASB20 – Strong’s G25 agapaō love

Lazarus – the Dead Man came out!

Do you love your friends like Jesus?

Why does love even matter?

Quite simply, because Jesus loved His friends so much AND our Lord (if we really love Jesus as our Lord) commands His followers to love one another as He has loved us.

God is a RELATIONAL GOD! And in Jesus we know the Lord’s LOVE PERSONALLY. We are connected in Love to Him and to each other.
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To be continued...
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April 17, 2021
SHAKEN 3 a great cloud of witnesses over our head
TODAY we move forward in time from about 520 B.C. to around A.D. 100 and ‘a great cloud of witnesses’ from the New Testament book of Hebrews. This cloud of witnesses, however, goes back to the Old Covenant and continues until this day.
Epistle of St Paul [*] to the Hebrews
God spoke of old by the prophets, but now by his Son, who is incomparably greater than the angels.
A List of Fathers of our founding
Jesus Christ OR Judgment?
Hebrews 10:
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All
the cloud of Witnesses [Hebrews 11]
What faith is. Its wonderful fruits and efficacy demonstrated in the fathers.
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Previously in SHAKEN 2 “Think carefully about your ways we found political and religious leadership along with all the people once again turning back to the Lord their God who now proclaims HE IS with them.
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“Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
Haggai 2:21 NASB

Epistle of St Paul [*] to the Hebrews

* NOTE: Some commentators question if this epistle or letter to the Hebrews, who’s author is unidentified in its text, was written by Paul or possibly by other A.D. 1st century apostles.
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Some excerpts from D-R Bible {pictured with Joseph Biden, a professing Roman Catholic, being sworn in as 46th President of the United States}

Most translations from NASB translation or versions as noted.
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God spoke of old by the prophets, but now by his Son, who is incomparably greater than the angels.
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The Prophets provided not only a cloud of witnesses to Israel but spoke the very admonitions of the LORD God to a disobedient and unfaithful people.
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[1] God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all,

[2] In these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.

A List of Fathers of our founding
- He again sets a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,
“Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
Hebrews 4:7b CSB
- 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.
- Melchizedek and Abraham – Heb. 7
- Aaron & Moses – Heb. 7:11,14
- And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us.. Heb. 10:15
Now where there is forgiveness of these things, an offering for sin is no longer required.
Hebrews 10:18

Jesus Christ OR Judgment?

Application to a 21st century world.

So you want justice, do you?

Is this justice you demand finally for ones you judge (opponents to your own world view)?

Or do you seek judgment on your own sins, transgressions and trespasses (for which you ask forgiveness)?

The Apostles wrote to a 1st century church persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.

It was not faith in their failing leaders of government

OR was it faith in a zealous vision of their pastor.

Nor was it faith that their country would come under the LAW of God, their state under a mandate of morality and their community forced into the fellowship of love.

The CHURCH believed GOD in Christ Jesus and it was counted to them as righteousness.

These faithful saints suffered for their hope in the Lord and persevered by grace suffering for a higher community in a heavenly kingdom.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com – on the 1st century saints of the Church

Hebrews 10:

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

26 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.

For we know Him who said,

“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:30-31 CSB

the cloud of Witnesses [Hebrews 11]
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From the Douay-Rheims Bible [background of Biden Presidential oath pictured above]
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What faith is. Its wonderful fruits and efficacy demonstrated in the fathers.

[1] Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not. [2] For by this the ancients obtained a testimony. [3] By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God…

Hebrews 11 continues, mentioning these witnesses of faith in the Lord God:
- Abel
- Enoch
- Noah
- Abraham
- Sarah
- Isaac
- Jacob [Israel]
- Joseph
- Moses
- Rahab
- Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets..
Hebrews 12 – surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses

Exhortation to constancy under their crosses. The danger of abusing the graces of the New Testament.
Hebrews 12 summary from the Douay-Rheims Bible

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith..
Hebrews 12:1-2a RSVCE
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To be continued...
NEXT: SHAKEN 4 ! His voice shook the earth
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Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
January 27, 2021
Return Journey of a Church from Prison to Paradise
We began from a dream of beloved relationship in a sinless paradise. But then our security met with unexpected interruption when our eyes opened to a scene east of Eden.

There we discovered dependence on prayer and seeking the Lord’s direction.
- What if there is no escape from this misdirected chaotic place, even from a prison of isolation not of our making?
Our own prayer as one after God’s own heart longingly pleas:

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted.
Psalm 25:16

Prayer, and then.. ?

Jesus illustrates how prayer’s persistent knocking will guarantee relationship with our loving Heavenly Father.

I illustrated what it must have been like for our beloved friend David who awake to the knock of a friend.

Loneliness in the Solitary Confinement || Distanced from Friends

Luke || on the Lord’s Prayer
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You may read it again in the link above.
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Luke does not tell us anything from Jesus’ parable about the man who journeyed many miles to meet his friend late in the day. But you know him.

Most know Luke’s second scroll from which today I will take our illustration of a pilgrim with frequent traveler credentials.

Acts of Good News

He had an encounter with with the Risen Christ Jesus, then journeyed the rest of his mortal life from place to place teaching the Gospel to beloved friends in distant lands.

Saul of Tarsus – Breaking through Social Boundaries
- How can we be in relationship with our beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord when we will not break the virtual bonds of artificial relations?
Saul of Tarsus was a socially connected leader of traditional religion and traditional values imprisoned by his zeal for righteousness of others; that is, until the Lord Jesus called him along a road to Damascus as an Apostle.

Paul preached the Gospel from prisons to public squares.

Acts of the Apostles:

Saul (Hebrew name) or Paul (Greek name) encountered more social distancing by way of imprisonment and avoidance of former friends determined to kill him than any of us ever will. The instances are too numerous to mention here.
- [They] instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. – 13:50
- .. the crowds .. stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. –14:19
- [leading businessmen of the town] .. seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities… But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.. – 16:19b,25
||| — A.D. 2021 — | | | – Now what?

Prayer to the Father.
the Lord Jesus taught us that
Read God’s Word and open your heart to the Holy Spirit.
Reach out to fellow believers in faith, as so often the Apostle did by letter from prison.
and finally,
when you are released from your prison,
like Paul:
GO to those brothers and sisters,
who with you are members of Christ’s body the Church, beloved friends on a journey who love you and embrace the Good News.
Paul calls himself ‘a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.’ + Romans 1:1

He confesses that he is ‘called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.’ 1 Corinthians 1:1
- Are you willing to be a slave of Christ rather than a leader of the worldly?
- Like Saul of Tarsus can you admit that your own zealous works are nothing without confirmation of the will of God?
The Apostle writes a second time to the Church at Corinth:

Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
2 Corinthians 10:1

We should be so meek and gentle as Christ in our love for each other and also with those distanced from genuine relationship.

It’s more than just virtual Good News.

Walk in love as Christ has walked with us, releasing us unchained from the prison of our loneliness east of Eden.

Amen.

Will you encourage a prisoner?

Won’t you imitate Paul and take just a moment to add your brief letter?

It’s simple to encourage a brother in the Lord by way of your comment below.

Like the Apostle, I hope to greet you in person once we are released.

Christ’s servant,

Roger @talkofJesus.com
January 15, 2021