A Valentine Message From YAHWEH”
Today is February 13, 2018.
It is the day before "Valentine's Day".
I've been "prompted" by YAHWEH (God)
to write this very special article.
It's intended to serve as a special "Valentine Message"
to all who read it.
This is perhaps the most challenging article I have ever been "commissioned" to write.
It's written on behalf of YAHWEH Himself.
It's written by one whom He is teaching the proper meaning of "love".
This is not about "romantic love".
It IS about YAHWEH's Love - a love which is so amazing
that we have great difficulty even beginning to comprehend
it's true nature or its full significance.
This article is an attempt to provide in one relatively short article
what is presented in roughly 1500 pages of Scripture -
an "impossible task", really, but worth the challenge.
All of Scripture is in Truth "A Love Letter From YAHWEH".
Practically speaking, this article is but a brief summary
of The Love Story of The Ages.
It's only by the grace and kindness of YAHWEH
that I can even attempt to write this.
I pray He will grant me the right words and thoughts to use
as I seek to express what's in my heart
in a manner that you will be able to comprehend.
Therefore, a prayer accompanies this article
that He will grant you the ability to comprehend His great love!
I want to begin with some Scripture verses.
The passages quoted are from Scripture For Seekers (S4S Version).
I'll begin with "The Love Chapter" from 1st Corinthians.
Please pay very careful attention to these words.
1Cor. 13:1 If I speak with the languages of the human beings
and of the YAH-messengers (traditionally - 'angels') but do not possess love
I have become noisy brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all trust so that I could move mountains
but do not possess love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my possessions to feed others
and if I surrender my body
in order that it might be set on fire
but do not have love, it benefits me none.
4 This love is patient, kind.
This love is not jealous.
This love does not boast,
is not arrogant,
5 does not behave rudely,
does not seek for oneself,
does not provoke,
takes into account no depravity,
6 is not happy over injustice
but is happy with truthfulness,
7 patiently endures everything,
believes everything,
anticipates everything,
endures everything.
8 This Love never at any time disappears.
Now if there are predictions
they will be rendered entirely useless.
If there are languages they will cease.
If there is knowledge
it will be rendered entirely useless.
9 Indeed, we know from a portion
and we predict from a portion.
10 But whenever that which is complete has come
then that which is a portion
will be rendered entirely useless.
11 When I was a child I spoke as a child,
I understood as a child, I thought as a child.
But when I became an adult male
I rendered childish things entirely useless.
12 Indeed, now we look at things
with a mirror, with obscurity.
But at that time we will look at them face to face.
Now I know in part.
But then I will see just as I also am seen.
13 Indeed, now abide faith, hope, love, these three.
But the greatest of these is love.
And now from 1st John 4:
1John 4:8 He who does not love does not know YAHWEH,
because YAHWEH is love.
1John 4:16 And we have known and have trusted
in the love that YAHWEH possesses for us.
YAHWEH exists as love.
And he who abides in love abides in YAHWEH,
and YAHWEH in him.
The word used for "love" in these passages is agape in the Greek.
It refers to a type of love that transcends every concept of "romantic love”,
the kind of love human beings typically think of in relation to each other.
Agape love is a type of love that places far more value on the person loved
than on the one doing the loving.
There is a second form of "love" in Scripture.
It is phileo in the Greek.
It refers to "brotherly love”.
This is the kind of caring for another
that is typically found among friends,
and even among family members.
This type of love speaks of fondness, respect, and appreciation.
But it is generally not as intense,
nor as pervasive,
nor as self-less as agape.
Phileo tends to be somewhat self-serving.
Agape is in the category of self-denying, other-serving,
seeking the welfare of the one loved even above one's own welfare.
YAHWEH's love for us is demonstrated most clearly
in the gift of the very life of His only Son
to and for the benefit of every person
who has ever lived or ever will live!
It is THIS type of love we are called to have for one another
as we commit our lives to Him.
We are instructed that YAHWEH IS LOVE!
It's His very nature.
I'd like to share with you a story from my own childhood.
It's a very special story.
It involved a little girl who came to stay in our family
on a week by week basis.
Her father was quite ill with tuberculosis,
and hospitalized much of the time.
Her mother worked as a school teacher.
They needed someone to look after their daughter.
My mom agreed to do that for this little girl.
This little girl's name was Janie,
Jane Louise, actually.
She came to live with us, typically from Monday through Friday.
She became part of our family.
Janie became "my little sister".
She was a very precious treasure!
She was a beautiful child!
She had long naturally curly hair that hung down in ringlets
around her always smiling face.
Her eyes sparkled!
She was a bundle of energy, filled with life!
And she became the joy of my life!
We played together hour after hour.
And seldom was there any disagreement between us.
I loved Janie - with my whole heart.
I would have done ANYTHING for her!
I would have been willing to give up my own life to protect hers.
I now understand what I could not understand as a child.
This was agape in action!
THIS was the kind of love YAHWEH has for us,
no matter who we are or what we have done!
Now I want to tell you a bit more of this story.
Time and circumstances separated us after a while.
We went our separate ways.
Janie didn't come each week to stay with us any more.
We lost touch with each other over the years.
And I am no longer able to provide this kind of love to Janie,
now I'm sure called Jane,
because I don't know where she is or how she is today.
I am attempting to rectify that….
but I don't know if we will be able to re-connect.
This brings me to "Valentine's Day”.
It's noted as a day to show others we love them.
But this is an "artificial” day
set aside by merchants to help them sell things.
It's not really about our "love" for one anther.
It's more about our guilt for failing to properly love one another.
Once a year we get "motivated" to do something “special"
for those we are claiming we "love".
Love NEVER requires a special day
in order for it to be expressed!
We ought to be acting with love towards those we care about
every single day we are alive.
Buy the roses, etc.!
Buy the cards and candy, etc.!
Buy the lovely gifts!
But do it EVERY DAY and ANY DAY!!!
Do it just because you want that special person in your life
to KNOW FOR CERTAIN that you LOVE THEM (agape)
- EVERY DAY, not just on "Valentine's Day"!
Now, I want to return to the real theme of this article,
to YAHWEH's great love for us.
There's a song I enjoy, sung by Kathy Troccoli.
It's titled, "That's How Much I love You!”
It's readily available on You Tube.
Here's the link to it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW1TkaZz-KU
I strongly encourage you to listen carefully to this song.
It speaks of YAHWEH's great love
for the people He has created for His own pleasure - US!
It speaks of The Messiah giving up His own life
in order that we might have access to total forgiveness
and to a life of eternity in YAHWEH's presence.
Here's another Scripture passage that is vital for us to comprehend.
It's from John 15:12-14.
It is The Messiah Himself,
YAHUSHUA (The One called Jesus)
Who is speaking:
12 "This is My instruction,
that you are to love one another just as I love you.
13 Greater love has not even one than this,
that one lay down one’s life
for the sake of his friends.
14 You are My friends
if you do whatever I am instructing you."
The concept of "laying down one's life”
speaks literally of what The Messiah has done for us.
He allowed Himself to be put to death
in order to establish a way for us to be forgiven
for every error (sin, offense) we have ever committed
or ever will commit.
He gave His very life in order to redeem, to spare, ours!
That is agape in action!
He gave us the ultimate gift!
He paid the ultimate price for us!
Now, I want you to consider very carefully
that He instructed us, His "followers",
to love one another in the same way He loves us!
That's our standard for "love" on His terms.We are to "lay down our lives" for each other.
Does this mean "dying" for someone - in their place?
In a very real sense, yes.
It may not necessarily mean literally dying
for the sake of someone else.
Then again, it might come to that at some point.
It does mean being willing to "set aside" (lay down)
our own desires and interests
in order to seek what is beneficial and meaningful
to the one for whom we are seeking to act with love.
It's an act of self-sacrifice within the intent of our heart.
We can choose to act this way with YAHWEH and His Son,
or we can choose to act this way
with a family member,
or with a good friend,
or even with a complete stranger.
Are you willing?
The Messiah has declared to us
that there is no greater love than this!
This is a way of demonstrating His love for each of us
to one another.
This is what He has instructed us to do.
We are to love one another just as He has loved us!
In doing so we are able to exist as His love
acting in the life of another,
ultimately drawing that person toward Him.
I want to encourage you to seek to live like this,
to love like this!
If you claim to "believe in God, or His Son”
this is what you've been instructed to DO!
Faith, without this kind of action, is meaningless.
If we are going to say we are following the ways of The Messiah
then we need to ACT according to those ways.
It's not enough to "say" we're "believers in Him”,
but then not live, speak, and act as He did.
There's a second song by Kathy Troccoli
that I want to encourage you to listen to.
It's titled "May I be His love".
This may be understood in two ways:
1. As a question:
May I BE (exist as) His love for you?
2. As a statement of intent:
May I BE (exist as) His love for you!
Here's the kink to it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxiqslWvgTI&list=RDxxiqslWvgTI&t=232
Here are the key words to the song:
"May I be His love for you!/?
May I lift your eyes toward heaven!/?
May I come to you and lead you to His light!/?
May I cry His tears for you!/?
May I be the place that you can run to
where you'll hear His voice
and see Him in my eyes
All your life!/?
May I be His love!/?"
And there is one more extremely important line:
"Only when I follow Him can I begin to love!”
THIS line is perhaps the most important one in the song!
We can ONLY love His way when we choose to follow His ways.
And then it is only the beginning of our learning to love - as He loves!
Now I want to get personal once again.
I have been granted the supreme blessing
of being allowed to learn some profound lessons in this regard.
These lessons have come both in my family relationships
and in my relationships with my friends.
YAHWEH has confronted me!
He has greatly humbled me!
He has called me to accountability
for my failures to act in this manner.
There are many of them.
Yet in His kindness He has also forgiven me for my errors
and He has blessed me with some very personal insight
into what He desires of me as his servant.
If you were able to look back along the trail of my life
you would see numerous broken or damaged relationships
that have occurred over my numerous years.
I am now 75.
It's taken this long for YAHWEH to "get through to me”
with His astonishing message of love and forgiveness
- at this depth.
I'm finally beginning to understand.
I've been learning many things over the course of my life
concerning His love, His Word, and His Truth.
The more I have sought Him
the more I have been granted insights
and understanding concerning His ways
- as compared to my own ways.
It gets pretty difficult when I am confronted face-on with my offenses.
But I'm learning that when I'm willing to be completely honest with Him
and acknowledge (confess) my offenses to Him
He is INSTANTLY WILLING to show me His way
- without criticism, without retribution!
I am overwhelmed!
I am intensely humbled!
I am eternally grateful!
I am learning to love as He loves.
But I also understand that I have much more to learn.
This brings me to another personal story I want to share with you.
It is my prayer that you will see in this story
the profound significance of what He's been teaching me.
I have been granted some opportunities to encounter
some unique and challenging personal circumstances.
In the midst of these YAHWEH has asked me
if I would be willing to act as His "ambassador" to another,
and not necessarily to one who "likes me".
That means He was asking me if I would be willing
to act toward these persons as He acts toward me.
Specifically, would I be willing to forgive as He forgives?
Would I be willing overlook as He overlooks,
the offenses of others I encounter?
Quite sadly, and with great shame, I must admit
that several years ago I would not have been willing to do this.
I had become self-righteous and prejudicial.
I was like the Scribes and Pharisees of old.
I somehow felt I was "above" certain individuals and certain situations.
However, I have been "in training" concerning these attitudes.
It's taken years of that training
because I often responded as if I already knew
what I was supposed to learn.
And it's taken a new commitment on my part
to serve Him WITH ALL MY HEART
before it was possible for my life to be changed by Him.
He placed me in circumstances that would challenge me
to the very depths of my being.
His initial question to me was, and is
"Are you willing.......?"
I will admit to you that particularly in the first of these instances
I was TERRIFIED!
Initially, I did not know if I was REALLY all that willing.
So I honestly told Him that I would be willing,
but ONLY if He would promise to help me do
whatever He was calling me to do.
He reassured me that He would be there to help me -
IF I would be willing to act on this!
Please pay attention to the conditions involved here.
Having received this assurance I said,
"YES I am willing!"
That first instance was a difficult test.
I acted, but with much fear and trembling -
afraid I would disappoint Him as I have so often done.
But I stepped out "over the edge”
based on His reassurance He would help me,
and I did what I had agreed I would do.
I attempted to "put a good spin on this”
as I started into this.
I felt something good would likely come out of this,
in part because I knew He was with me,
and He had asked me to do this.
Surely there must be a blessing for me in this
if I was willing to do this.
(Do you see my selfish thinking here?)
And it certainly could have worked out very well.
But it did not.
The response to my actions was a total rejection
of what I had offered to another person
with whom I had had an extended relationship
covering some 30 years.
This wasn't quite what I expected.
This wasn't what I had hoped for.
But it WAS what YAHWEH KNEW WOULD HAPPEN,
before I ever started.
And He was prepared to "pick up the pieces”
when I "crashed into that brick wall."
It was an act based on His love
- yet it was totally rejected,
even despised.
And that very day I began to personally learn something
concerning the experience of The Messiah!
I experienced the kind of rejection He faces
when those He loves, those He died for,
refuse to accept what He has provided for them!
The lesson was most profound!
I will NEVER forget it!
Loving as He loves carries a cost!
And we, like Him, must be willing to "pay the price”
if we are ever going to learn to love as He loves us.
He then presented me with another situation.
This one was quite a bit different in many aspects.
I was granted a friendship.
It was a friendship I welcomed because of my own situation.
I was living alone and I was in a stage of despair personally.
A friend, one whom I really didn't know very well,
reached out to me at a crucial time in my life.
I needed a friend.
But even I did not recognize just how much I needed this friend.
It was a simple "random act of kindness" that was extended to me.
It was nothing elaborate, nothing that seemed like any "big deal”.
I was simply invited to go for a drive in the country with this "acquaintance”.
I was very grateful for this kind act.
I accepted the offer.
And without realizing it a very special friendship began.
I had no idea how special this friendship would become for me.
And I'm pretty sure the other person did not recognize this either.
As with most friendships it took time for this one to develop.
There were a few intermittent contacts, but that was all.
But, most importantly,
someone had demonstrated YAHWEH's love to me
through this simple act of kindness.
And I'm not sure if this person even realized
that this is what they were actually doing.
As time went on our friendship grew.
We found that we were able to "be there" for each other
when times arose that called for some support in our lives.
We now have a very special friendship.
This would not have happened without that first act of kindness.
Without knowing much of who or what I was, I was accepted.
I was once again in YAHWEH's School.
He was about to teach me the most profound lessons so far
about what His love really is like.
But I didn't recognize it at the time.
My previous attitudes were indeed shifting
from what they had been.
But even I didn't realize how much they had changed.
And He was once again going to challenge me
by asking if I would be willing
to serve as His "ambassador" to this person.
This time I did not hesitate.
I KNEW He would be with me.
I told Him I was willing, most willing.
I was willing to try to serve Him to the best of my ability,
but again I knew I would need His help.
I was not fully prepared for what would follow.
I've been burned badly in some of my previous relationships.
I had grown very cautious
about "opening myself up" - TO ANYONE!
Yet within a relatively short period of time
I found myself at a point where I had become willing
to go so far as to "set aside my own life”
for the sake of my friend.
I was willing to offer all that I am and all that I have
to this very special friend
- without hesitation, and without “conditions"
that so often accompany our friendships.
I wasn't sure how this person might respond to such an offer,
given the multi-faceted circumstances that each were involved with.
I understood I might experience another "rejection”.
But this time I was more prepared for that possibility
and I knew YAHWEH would help me deal
with whatever followed.
I had come to the point where I understood
that His love, acting as His ambassador,
was not about a possible "rejection"of me.
It was about offering His love to another -
without reservation -
regardless of the outcome.
Was I truly willing to risk everything I am
for the privilege of being able to learn to love as He loves?
I could find only one answer within my heart
- YES!
I am indeed willing to risk everything
for the profound privilege
of being able to love another just as He loves me -
without conditions, and without reservation,
no matter what!
Love, YAHWEH's kind of love,
is not about a "Valentine's Day" experience.
It's about laying down one's own life
for the sake of the well-being
of our families, and of our friends,
and even possibly for complete strangers
when YAHWEH asks us if we are willing.
It matters not whether they are "family", or "friend”,
whether they are known to us,
or whether they are a complete stranger.
The standard, YAHWEH's standard,
is ALWAYS THE SAME!!
We are to love - just as He loves -
with everything that is within us!
I challenge you to seek to live HIS WAY!
Please don't let a "valentine's Day standard”
become the standard by which you live your life
if you claim to be a follower of The Messiah,
and YAHWEH, His Father!
Commit your life to learning to love
in the same manner as YAHWEH loves you!