Love Is... Sharing The Good News

Paul's message is that The One true God (YHVH) is alive and almighty, and that His Son, Jesus, was sent not to condemn the world, but that through Him, all mankind may find that He is The Way, the Truth, and The Life, thus being at peace (reconciled to) with and in God. 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Paul says "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you and He also will bring it to pass."

Did you know that "peace", according to Strong's Exhaustive Hebrew Concordance, means:

shalom (n)
completeness, soundness, welfare, peace; well, favor, friend, great, good health, perfect,

shalom {shaw-lome'}; from shalam; safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. Health, prosperity, peace -- X do, familiar, X fare, favour, + friend, X great, (good) health, (X perfect, such as be at) peace(-able, -ably), prosper(-ity, -ous), rest, safe(-ty), salute, welfare, (X all is, be) well, X wholly.

shalam (v)
amends; to be complete or sound; make amends, make an end, finish, full, give again, make good, repay again

A primitive root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed; by implication, to be friendly; by extension, to reciprocate (in various applications) -- make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-)pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, X surely.

In John 14:1, Jesus is talking to His disciples, and starts out with "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me."

In John 14:5-6, one of his disciples asks "...how do we know the way?" Jesus said to him "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

Jesus explains to Nicodemus, who was a teacher of Israel, that "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."² Well, this made no sense to Nicodemus, so Jesus continues His explanation, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."² The discussion continues, and Jesus tells him "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him."² 

Here Jesus was speaking to someone who knew the Jewish law, as well as the prophecies, psalms and the oral tradition.  A while later (the next chapter in the book), Jesus was speaking to a woman in Samaria who said "'Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.' Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father.  You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worshipers.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.'  The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.'  Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am He.'"³

All things...  These things...  Jesus asked Nicodemus how could one who knew and believed and followed the law (of Moses) not understand the message? 

Do we understand the message?  What (or WHO) do we really know, really believe, really understand, really trust? 
Do we follow a law, or a set of rules, either by choice or by habit, or do we understand why the rules were made and see the wisdom or folly in them? 
Do we just accept our feelings or what we have been taught without thinking about the reason, or actual purpose, or if it is true? 
We often accept that which we "know" as the truth, when in actuality, we may not know the "whole truth" or we may not be seeing from the correct angle or perspective or objectively enough to distinguish what the truth of a matter really is.  Sometimes, our circumstances, emotions, or habits cloud our consciousness so completely, that we can't even examine if "it" is truth.  

Go (Turn) to the One Who Knows!

In John 8:31, Jesus gives us the answer of how to find The Truth:  "Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'"

Perhaps when we "worship in spirit and truth", it means we spend time with, and enjoy, because we WANT to...  And the more time you spend with someone, the more they "rub off" on you.  As Paul says "transformed into the same image."   God knows everything - including you, inside-out...  If you want to know something, just ask! 

"Therefore The Lord longs to be gracious to you and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For The Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him." --Isaiah 30:18

Isaiah goes on to say "O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer.  he will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, he will answer you.  although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher, And your ears will hear a word behind you, this is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left."5

Paul says "But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.  But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."⁴  

When Paul says "we all", he's speaking to those who have recognized Jesus as the Messiah of Israel (and savior of all the world), to those who have turned to the Lord, who by faith (believing and trusting) in Jesus' testimony of "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."7, and have believed in the good news of His victory over death have entered into the Kingdom of God.  And what, exactly is the "Kingdom of God"?  In Romans 14:17, Paul states "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."  And in Luke 17:20-21, Jesus stated "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!'  For behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

Did you know that "repent" means to change your mind and go from an evil direction to a good direction?  If you are unhappy, unsatisfied, frustrated, or have no purpose in life, we ask that you examine your perspective of God and get to know Him.  He planned a beautiful life for you, an abundant life.  God is always faithful and His ways are completely certain, proven, and sure. 

In Acts, chapter 13, verses 32-33, Paul explains "And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'Thou are My Son; today I have begotten Thee.'"  And in verses 37-39, Paul says "but He whom God raised did not undergo decay.  Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses."

Then in Romans, Paul shares his motivation for sharing the Good News with the Gentiles "if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"8  Earlier in his letter to the Romans, Paul writes "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."9  And before that, he wrote "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted

justification of life to all men.

For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous."10

Jesus made many statements to which Paul may be referencing here.  A few of our favorites are: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life."11, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God."12, and  "Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'"13

We have been deceived, or we are deceiving ourselves, if we believe there is no God.  Or if we believe that God doesn't or can't or won't love us.  Or that He doesn't "have time" to listen to us!  He gave us ALL life!

  "The Mighty One, God, the Lord (YHVH), has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting."..."He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who sets his way aright I shall show the salvation of God."14 

In John 16, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to them.  "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.  And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative; but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you."15 

"faithful...", "can count on...", "a promise made is a promise kept..."

"But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no.  For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you ... was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.  For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.  Now He who established us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge."16