How much do you love Jesus?

[angels4u]

Judgeing by some of the reactions I get to some of the posts I make, I would say my words don't always reflect the love or wisdom of Jesus. It worries me that I can so easilly go against His will and voice MY opinion even though it may hurt some one. I believe part of loving Jesus is respecting Him enough to consider "what would Jesus do?" with every time I respond. Alas, pride becomes a factor and upon reflection can seem very hateful.

I'm sorry people. I'm sorry Lord

Fiosh Posted Today, 08:54 PM

Its good we can see this part I agree for 100% with it, this will problaly stay with us until we reach heavens door. After that we will be able to love the way we should.

It worries me that I can so easilly go against His will and voice MY opinion even though it may hurt some one.

You're not alone in this..........

It would be interesting to hear from the guys about how they relate to Jesus on a personal level---if they'd be willing to share?

I would like to hear too how a man does relate on a closer level with Jesus, my husband does experience this so very different then I do, more level headed??

I'm more sentimental.....

YSIC, Angels

[Fiosh]

I was just thinking....

Gerioke, don't assume that the "ecstacy" you see on the outside reflects true happiness on the inside. It often masks deep pain and sorrow.

We all know people who try to put on a smile, but are hurting inside.

In fact, from time to time, we ALL do that to a point, don't we???

[Scarletprayers]

I was just thinking....

Gerioke, don't assume that the "ecstacy" you see on the outside reflects true happiness on the inside. It often masks deep pain and sorrow.

We all know people who try to put on a smile, but are hurting inside.

In fact, from time to time, we ALL do that to a point, don't we???

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Amen!

[Fiosh]

I may be wrong, but I believe in some ways it's harder for a man to experience love for Jesus, than it is for a woman.

It would be interesting to hear from the guys about how they relate to Jesus on a personal level---if they'd be willing to share?

Peace,

Fiosh

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[Gerioke]

I believe women are generally emotion driven while men are more rationally minded

[Guest HelpmeLord]

The whole of Christ's dealings with the children of men was throughout a giving and a taking, a wondrous exchange, such as it could only have entered into the heart of God to conceive. He everywhere taking from us whatever was poorest, meanest, saddest, most painful, most ignominious, and giving to us what was highest, noblest, choicest, best and most glorious; taking earth and giving heaven, taking our poverty and giving to us His riches. But this is not all; taking our shame and giving to us His glory, taking our cross and giving to us His crown, taking our sin and giving to us His righteousness, taking our curse and giving to us His blessing, taking our death and giving to us His life.

Gerioke...only think on these things.

Father in heaven, wean us from the things of the world, gently, in Your mercy until all we see is Your precious Son!

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[Shimshon]

Many have given their lives for God, and many still will. Here is a true story about someones 'faith' in the God of Yisrael.

Think maybe he might have known Yeshua? But not by name. Think you could show someone the love of God and yet not speak his name? If I jumped infront of a bullet ment for a stranger, would my witness be any less that I never said, "Jesus loves you"? Or would the fact that I died for someone I had never even met mean more to this person than all the words and teachings I ever could have 'told' him?

Rabbi Akiva was born to a proselyte named Joseph. He was an am ha'aretz (Hebrew: ignoramus) during his first forty years. During that period he used to say: "O that I would find a talmid chacham (Torah scholar) and bite him like a donkey" (Talmud tractate Pesachim, 49b).

He was the shepherd of a rich man nicknamed Kalba Savua because anyone who entered his house hungry like a dog (Kalba) went out sated (savua) (a reference to his hospitality toward guests). Kalba Savua's daughter, whose name was Rachel, noticed his modesty and good nature. She asked him: "If I marry you, will you go study at (a Torah) school?" He answered positively, and they married in secret and she sent him off (to study). Her father, hearing this, drove her out of his house and prohibited her by vow of having any share in his assets.

He went and sat twelve years at school, starting off in the same class as small children. When he returned, he had twelve thousand disciples following him. He overheard an old man saying to Rachel: "How long will you live as a widow while still married?" She answered him: "If he would listen to me, he should go study another twelve years." Hearing this, Rabbi Akiva said: "So I'm doing it with her approval!" and went and studied another twelve years.

When he came back this time, he had twenty-four thousand disciples with him. Hearing this, his wife was about to go out and greet him. Her female neighbors said to her: "Go borrow garments and dress yourself!" She replied: "A righteous man knows the spirit of his domestic beast" (Proverbs 12:10).

When she reached him she prostrated herself and started kissing his feet. His servants started pushing her away. He said to them: "Let her be! What both I and you have is hers."

Her father heard that a great man arrived in town. He said: "Let me go to him, perhaps he may annul my vow." Rabbi Akiva asked him: "Had you known that her husband would become a great man, would you have vowed?" Kalba Savua answered: "Why, if he even knew one chapter, even one Halakha!" Rabbi Akiva then said: "I am him." He prostrated himself and kissed him on his feet, and gave him half his assets (tractate Ketubot, 62b-63a).

Rabbi Akiva was very rich. The Talmud enumerates (tractate Nedarim, 50a-b) six occasions in which he gained his riches.

When the Simon bar Kokhba (bar Kozeba) revolt took place (135), Rabbi Akiva expounded the following verse homiletically: "A star has shot off Jacob" (Numbers 24:17) - "Kokhba has shot off Jacob" (a word-play based on the Rebel's nickname, bar Kokhba). (It was because of this homily that bar Kokhba got his name). When Rabbi Akiva would see bar Kozeba, he'd say: "This is the Melekh Hamoshiach (Anointed King)!" (Jerusalem Talmud, tractate Ta'anit 4:8).

Following the failure of bar Kokhba's revolt, the Romans prohibited the public study of Torah. Rabbi Akiva defied this order, and was imprisoned. The Roman officer Tornos Rufus sentenced him to death. It was the time of reciting the Shema (see: Jewish services). They ripped his flesh with iron spikes, and he acknowledged the "burden of the Kingdom of Heaven." His disciples asked him: "Rabbi, as far as this?" He replied: "All my life I was worried about this verse (from the Shema Yisrael), "(And you shall love the Lord your God) ...with all your soul," (and the sages expounded this to signify) even if He takes away your soul. I said: "When will I encounter such a situation and fulfil this!" Now that I encountered it, won't I fulfil it?" He laid out the word "Echad" (one) until his life expired with that word. A heavenly voice went out and announced: "Blessed are you, Rabbi Akiva, that your life expired with "Echad" (Talmud Berachot 61b).

He gave his life in faith of the God of Yisrael. The very God who walked in a body of man called Yeshua.

[Christ's Free Servant]

I struggle with this question myself.

I know I love my wife and kids because I can hug them and stuff but I am not sure how to demonstrate love for Jesus.  It just doesn't seem to be enough. I see others in relationship with Him and they look ecstatic. Why doesn't that happen with me?

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This, I believe, is the answer to your question, and I have found this to be true in my life:

I John 5:3-4: "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."

II John 1:6: "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."

I John 4:20-21: "If anyone says,

[Guest Independentflyer21]

pride...which also goes into humility...reminds me of the postings all about humility.

HOw much do I love Jesus? I'm a woman and I can't say that I have felt that awesome powerful spiritual revival some people say that they feel...I have often wondered about that.

It's hard because Jesus you cannot touch or hear talk back to you. As much as it really is a TWO person relationship, sometimes I only feel like it's ONE because you do all the talking in prayer, you put in so much effort to understand more about this huge being in Heaven that did an awesome thing for the human race...the love of all love. He died for us. Sometimes I get a feeling of thankfulness and it makes me cry, but that hardly ever occurs.

Don't you think it would be easier to answer this question if you could:

Hold his hand for real..even holding his hand would make me feel more connected.

Hear his voice for real...

flyer21

[Pilgrim7]

Love is not a feeling, it is a way of life. Feelings come and go, but love, agape love, remains the same. Unfortunately most of the modern christian experience is based on emotion, glowing words of praise and lots of music. Yet the true Christian experience is when we lay down our life for Jesus in response to His death for us.

JOHN 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

We enter the kingdom through the death of self, the old man. That is how much we love Jesus. We give up our life to Him to live out His life in us.

ROM 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as

Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even

so we also should walk in newness of life.

6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we

shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body

of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

GAL 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ

liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the

faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Eternal life is having Jesus living in us, directing us, and living His life through us.

He gave His life for us, we give our lives to Him. Therefore we can live like Him. This is how we show our love to Him. And because we belong only to Him, live only to please Him, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, The Word, Jesus the 'Living Word' and the Scriptures, the 'written word'.

MAT 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

We don't need to consult our feelings, they are not the proof. Sometimes I love God with alot of emotion. Sometimes I'm as dry as the 'hills of Gilboa'. It doesn't matter. I still belong to God and live by every word no matter how I feel. Love is a decision made by faith that doesn't change, it is not dependent on feeling.

In the love of Christ,

Dennis