What Is Love?

The Christian understanding is that love comes from God. The love of man and woman (Eros) in Greek—and the unselfish love of others (Agape), are often contrasted as "ascending" and "descending" love, respectively, but are ultimately the same thing.

There are several Greek words for "Love" that are regularly referred to in Christian circles.

* Agape: In the New Testament, is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental love, seen as creating goodness in the world; it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another.

* Phileo: Also used in the New Testament, Phileo is a human response to something that is found to be delightful. Also known as "Brotherly Love."

* Two other words for love in the Greek language, Eros (sexual love) and Storge (child-to-parent love), were never used in the New Testament.

Christians believe that to Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and Love your neighbor as yourself are the two most important things in life, (the greatest commandments of the Bible, according to Jesus; Mark 12:28–34).

The Apostle Paul glorified love as the most important virtue of all. Describing the essence of love, and the 14 characteristics of it he wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." (1 Cor. 13:4–7)

• Love suffers long, having patience with imperfect people.
• Love is kind, active in doing good.
• Love does not envy; since it is nonpossessive and noncompetitive, it actually wants other people to get ahead. Hence, it does not parade itself.
• Love has a self-effacing quality; it is not ostentatious.
• Love is not puffed up, treating others arrogantly; it does not behave rudely, but displays good manners and courtesy.
• Love does not seek its own rights and demanding precedence; rather it is unselfish.
• Love is not provoked; it is not irritable or touchy, rough, or hostile, but is graceful under pressure.
• Love thinks no evil; it does not keep an account of wrongs done to it; instead it erases resentments.
• Love does not rejoice in iniquity, finding satisfaction in the shortcomings of others and spreading an evil report; rather, it rejoices in the truth, aggressively advertising the good.
• Love bears all things, defending and holding other people up.
• Love believes the best about others; credits them with good intentions, and is not suspicious.
• Love hopes all things, never giving up on people, but affirming their future.
• Love endures all things, persevering and remaining loyal to the end.

The Apostle John wrote, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the Name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16–18)

• True love is not conditional, it is unconditional.
• It covers a multitude of sin.
• Love is a choice.

John also wrote, "Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:7–8)

One must be able to decipher the difference between love and lust. Lust is an overindulgence, but to love and be loved is what is sought for our entire lives. One does fall in love and is loved back, by God. The only one who can love you truly and fully is God, because love with a human only allows for flaws such as “jealousy, suspicion, fear, anger, and contention.” To love God is “to attain the peace which is yours.”

God is the source of love, which is mirrored in humans and their own loving relationships.

"God is love." All human beings, are created in the image of God, who is love, are able to practice love; to give themselves to God and to others (Agape) and by receiving and experiencing God's love in contemplation, and expectation, (which is a form of Eros). This life of love, is the direction Christians take when they believe that God loves them. Without love, the most magnificent manifestation of gifts and the most heroic self-sacrificing mean nothing.
..

Choose You This Day!

God is beginning a process of calling the world into a
relationship with Him concerning the finality of His Kingdom,
establishing itself on this Earth. Everyone who seeks to live through
the end times of great tribulation and live on into a new world,
where God’s Kingdom reigns, will have to choose for themselves if
they will receive God’s truth, or stubbornly hold onto traditional
beliefs that are fables. It is a choice, but one that will not be up for
debate with God.

People must repent of their wrong ways and receive God’s way
of life, or they will simply be erased from the earth at this time. The
way of greatest hope (because there is still no guarantee to survive)
is to repent of error and receive what it true. That is the right thing
to do, no matter what the immediate outcome. If we do not receive
such favor immediately, then it will come when we are resurrected
to life once more. However, your best hope, concerning your own
life now and the lives of those that you love, is that you repent
speedily and pour out yourself to God, seeking His guidance,
forgiveness, favor, and every day help and intervention in life.

As God reveals truth to you, a decision each time will have to be
made in your life. You will repent of your wrong ways and receive
the truth with gladness, or reject it. Will you accept what is true?
Will you embrace the light that removes the darkness in you
and from you, or will you continue to resist God and hold to false
ways, like the world has done for so long a time?

For now, what will you choose? It really is a simple choice.
This is where you must begin. It will not be easy. It was not easy for
all those who lived during the past 6,000 years and who chose to
follow the true ways of God. It was hard because of the
resistance, the mocking and oppression that came from others
who hated such ideas and beliefs. It will be the same for you.

These Blogs are written to give you the tools and means whereby
you can find answers to what is coming on this Earth, so that you
might have some opportunity to share in what lies just beyond the
end-time tribulation. God is bringing His worldwide ruling
Kingdom to the Earth. All who live on into it will be able to become
a part of His Church. It will be the only Church on earth.
No other religion will exist that can hurt and deceive mankind any
more. It will be “One Church.” There is only one Church anyway,
but in that new world it will be manifested throughout
all the world!

Do you grasp what God may be offering you? What will it take
to bring you to your knees? If death comes, your choice ends. If you
live, how long will it be before you will repent and accept the truth
you are reading? ...You are about to find out, one way or the
other!!!

God’s desire for mankind is that he repent—that his heart be
changed to receive the kind of heart that the faithful fathers of
old—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—possessed. But the history of man
is that he rejects such a heart. God has long expressed His desire
for man to change and receive His ways, that he might live life
to the full. It has been expressed in many ways and at many times.

God is going to bring down all nations. All governments of man will be
brought to an end. God will gather all people into a single
kingdom—His Kingdom over the whole earth. In the end-time, God
will destroy all religions, idols, and false gods, including the false
ways of what is called Christianity. Then God’s Kingdom will
begin to reign, and God will pour out His Spirit on all mankind.
God must bring down all nations from their haughtiness and
pride—humble them—so they can receive a new heart and spirit.

God’s final judgment will indeed be righteous and just.
..