It's the relationship

It's the relationship (Full Version)

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blue1914 -> It's the relationship (4/7/2008 8:57:49 AM)
Have you ever felt very much in love with someone-be it a spouse, a parent, a friend, whomever? What did that feel like? How did you want to relate to that person? How did you want to ge to know them? How did you want them to know you? How did you express that you loved them? What would have expressed to them that you did NOT love them? Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your mind with all your soul and with all your strength. The second was like it-to love your neighbor as yourself. He said that ALL of the laws were encompassed within these two. That said-when we get done debating doctrine and rhetoric, how is the RELATIONSHIP between yourself and God-do you love him enough that your BEING radiates out those things which make Him happy, or are you bogged down in trying to figure out if you have followed the rules correctly today?

Grace-N-Mercy -> RE: It's the relationship (4/7/2008 9:42:08 AM)
Great thread!! Yes, I have been very much in love with people at various levels, and they have been family and friends. That love is very comfortable and "safe", like you can just be yourself and know that you are loved for who you are. It's not that vibrant "newly in-love" feeling, it's an enduring feeling. For each person, I would try to learn their love language and express love to them in a way that they felt loved. I feel that my relationship between God and myself is paramount - way above theology, doctrine, and rules. What I do radiates out of my love for Him. If I love Him, I will follow His rules. I'm not going to debate the rules or split hairs. If I'm close to Him, then I know when he is displeased with me and I try to accommodate Him. One of the things I am re-learning right now is that in therapy (which I am studying), the relationship is the most healing thing... not the techniques. I can learn all these fancy techniques, but if I don't have a relationship and if the person doesn't feel "safe" to open up and share what's on their heart, there will be very little change. Psalm 28:7 says УЕ my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.Ф It's the same with God. We can follow all kinds of rules, but if my heart doesn't trust in Him, it's all for naught. There are verses in Isaiah and throughout the Bible that say that He longs to be in relationship with us. And we long to be in relationship with Him. One of the reasons for our loneliness is our lack of connectedness with Him. Oh, I could go on and on, but I do have to get back to work.

Liveloved -> RE: It's the relationship (4/7/2008 11:10:44 AM)
Another wonderful question (s) that are good to ponder. . .thanks! Yes, it is ALL about relationship. So I worship, I love, I sit at His feet and pray His word, His will, His way back to Him. I thank Him and bless Him. I cry GLORY! And I quietly listen. And He speaks. One of the most meaningful scriptures for me is found in Numbers 25:22. The Lord is instructing Moses regarding the construction of a sanctuary for Himself and these are the Lord's words to Moses. He is to put the mercy seat on top of the ark of the covenant which contains the Lord's testimony. "And there I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel." This is the place OF meeting, the mercy seat, and it is the place FROM which we receive mercy and ALL that God has to give to us through Jesus. It is the place where God speaks to us, the place where we meet mercy. Whispers of mercy. We must be quiet to hear Him call. Come, my child, to the mercy seat. There I will meet with you. The mercy seat is where I dwell. That's where I'll speak with you. Don't fear My presence, child of My love, Don't fear, I know your all. I made you, child, you're made for Me, Come, precious one, when I call. I created you to pleasure Me, So sit with Me, sit with Me now, I long to have your company, Come to My feet and bow. I'll speak to you, dear child of Mine. Come quietly now and sit. All I have I'll give to you, your heart for Me I'll fit. I have so much to say to you, I have so much to give. Come, My child, come to My rest, My life for yours I'll give. O thank you, child, for answering Me. O beloved, you are so close. Rest in Me and hear My voice. The whispers of mercy know. Yes, the whispers of mercy are only known by those who know their misery. Misery and mercy meet. That is the relationship. Jesus (mercy) consumes our sin (misery). Thank you, Jesus. The words above in bold print (aside from the scripture) are a song He gave me in response to answering His invitation to meet with Him at the mercy seat.

groovymovieman -> RE: It's the relationship (4/7/2008 11:14:20 AM)
Very good thread! I mean, this is what it is ALL about! I think one thing we have to realize is that we know love beyond what the world does because we know the One who is love. Their highest form of love is seen in movies where they "fall in love." The man comes running after the woman and expresses his love to her, she cries and they both walk off hand-in-hand into the sunset. Sadly, many Christians have adopted this mentality toward Jesus. I call it the "Jesus is my boyfriend" mentality. They try to "fall in love" with Him. You hear it in many worship songs and you see people trying to get that lovey-dovey feeling as they sing those love songs. But that's not the deepest form of love! The world doesn't have the ultimate picture of love, we do! See, I love my daughter ever so deeply. (As most parents love their children.) I would do anything to protect her and care for her. I would even die for her! But yet here's a strange thought, I'm not "in love" with my daughter. I just love my daughter. And that love runs deeper than most forms of love I've ever known. There was never a date when I "fell in love" with my daughter. I just started loving her and never have stopped. Same with my parents. I never "fell in love" with my Mom and Dad. I just loved them. (They have past away.) I was born loving them. I needed them. I was depended upon them. Then as I became more independant I began to actually have a relationship with them and I continued to love them. I think our love for God is much more like these pictures. We love Him because He first loved us and showed us His love for us by laying down His life for us. So we know that the greatest form of love is that of laying down our lives for one another. Not too much unlike how parents lay down their lives in serving their children. So we receprecate that love by following that example and laying down our lives for Him and for one another. This is how the world sees God in us, by this kind of love played out in front of them. And only we can know this kind of love because we know it's author. But sadly, it is greatly missing in the Western church.

mvic -> RE: It's the relationship (4/7/2008 3:50:35 PM)
When we love someone we try our best to please them, make them happy and trust them. I suppose the same applies with God. He loves us so much that He gave us life to enjoy (and not endure), He gave us free will to decide for ourselves, and He trusted us to do good and please Him by the way we live. When we failed He gave us His only Son to save us. Looking at our relationship with Him, we may say we love Him in return; but how do we really show it? Do we live by His commandments? Do we please Him by loving each other as Jesus taught us? Do we forgive each other? As for trusting Him - do we really do that always? I remember an exercise in a management seminar where one person would stand on a stool and lean back whilst others behind him would catch him before he hit the ground. This was meant to teach employees to trust each other. How many of us really do lean back and know for certain that God will catch us? Or is there a small nagging doubt in the back of our mind that perhaps ... maybe ... He will not help us this time ... Do we give way to these doubts? Do we question and try to reason rather than trust Him totally? These are many questions to ponder; and each individual will answer them his/her own way. It is in those answers that we define our relationship with God.

SonInMe1 -> RE: It's the relationship (4/7/2008 9:46:12 PM)
quote: do you love him enough that your BEING radiates out those things which make Him happy, or are you bogged down in trying to figure out if you have followed the rules correctly today? Obedaince comes from love. The one you love you will obey. Loving God more than your sin will make you give up the sin, it makes you obediant. So yes, there is a connection between love and obediance. Who do you love?

Dakotasunbeam -> RE: It's the relationship (4/8/2008 1:25:43 PM)
Yes, I know what it is to love someone, and to feel that ooey-gooey feeling. But, I've realized of late, that love is a little bit more than wanting to please that person. It's a committment to that individual in a way that cannot be quantified with feelings. Love is mourning with them, staying up late in the night with them, forgiving them, it's coming to the conclusion that no matter what happens, you will not forsake that person. And the growing process of love is huge. Love grows and grows, until it is perfected. The greatest love is to have determined so definately and so unconditionally that you will not foresake that individual as to give your very life if it means keeping that committment. . . . I think God Jesus came to that very conclusion too; when He laid down His life for us: His friends, and His bride.

frankman -> RE: It's the relationship (4/8/2008 4:51:39 PM)
If you love your boss at work you will do your best to obey your boss`s rules and do the very best work possible. As a result your relationship with your employer will be first class. If the opposite is true your relationship with your employer would be very poor. So it is with our relationship with Jesus our Lord and Savour. For Christians Jesus is our boss. Jesus tells us in John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will obey what I command". Jesus also commanded us in 1 John 3:23 "And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us." One of the reasons why some Christians are not walking in "the way" today is because they have lost their first love for Jesus their Savior. Also because they have lost their first love for Jesus, their relationship with their spouse, or fellow Church member, or other humans in general may be in a serious deteriorating stage. [sm=heart.gif] Oh! may we love Jesus more and may we love one another more unconditionally.

delete123 -> RE: It's the relationship (4/8/2008 8:38:00 PM)
I use to have a one way relationship with God. It wasn't until I learned that it was a two way street that added more of a depth to it. I learned that with any relationship it take work and is an ongoing process. I think sometimes He added to love thy neighbor as a curve ball, we are not always likeable, lol! But yes to me the relationship is more important than any rule someone may try to instill. After all you may forsake me CRH

URForgiven -> RE: It's the relationship (4/9/2008 10:15:01 AM)
As the saying goes: Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship. That is such powerful truth, and it gets so swept under the rug. For no religion offers what Christianity does. Religion is mans attempt to make himself acceptable to God. Christianity is God making man acceptable to Himself. And our relationship with Him is that of a Child to their Daddy [Abba]. Romans 8:14-16 "Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. We are God's Children. Powerful, humbling stuff. Great thread. Peace.

blue1914 -> RE: It's the relationship (4/9/2008 11:54:16 AM)
I wanted to stay away from this thread and just check in on the responses from time to time-I did that some, but I feel drawn back to it again. Today, God showered me with His love (that's really the only way that I can describe the experience), washing over me a strong understanding (as much as I could understand) of exactly how much He loves me. To say the least, I was simultaneously blown away and awed. I mean WOW-to know that He loves me, that He loves us ALL with a love that is beyond words-that there is no way to earn it, that there is no way to reject it, that it is ALWAYS there available to anyone who will ACCEPT it. MAN-that was deep. How that experience has drawn me to Him-how much more I want to do His will (even though my own is still trying to rear it's ugly head at times)! I will indeed bless the Lord at ALL times!

terryjohn -> RE: It's the relationship (4/20/2008 3:46:02 PM)
It occured to me the other day that we do not have 10 commandments to follow for they are but the consequences of loving God. Hence, if we find them a burden, then we simply do not love God. Here we also get the idea that even if we obey them perfectly and have not love, we are still lost and less than nothing. I guess this is what they were saying about no longer having to follow thelaw written in tablets of stone for now we are only subject to our love for God and the obligations of that love. Hence, love is not a burden and nything that is not of love/faith in God is sin for it is impossible to please Him with out faith.

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