February 14th is right around the corner. It is a festive holiday to some and generally in the world’s culture a day of fellowship in intimacy, romance, and love with your intimate other. This article’s messages is to direct our passions into pleasing God and having a focus of what eternal rewards are from True Love. To my concern as a believer with like passions as any human being? I have the desire to live truthfully and to love faithfully for God. - I pray as well you have the same intention. As my encouragement would be that we both benefit from learning and understanding God’s instructions for us to live in love and in faith. Here’s some things revealed to me:
History of Valentine’s Day
Saint Valentine(in Latin, Valentinus) is the name of several martyred saints of ancient Rome. The name “Valentine”, derived from valens (worthy), was popular in Late Antiquity. Of the Saint Valentine whose feast is on February 14, nothing is known except his name and that he was buried at the Via Flaminia north of Rome on February 14. It is even uncertain whether the feast of that day celebrates only one saint or more saints of the same name. For this reason this liturgical commemoration was not kept in the Catholic calendar of saints for universal liturgical veneration as revised in 1969.[3] But “Martyr Valentinus the Presbyter and those with him at Rome” remains in the list of saints proposed for veneration by all Catholics. Source = Wikipedia
The love of a Servant:
(Building the Father’s House)
I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. ( 1 Corinthians 7:32-34)
Saint Valentine’s love for God is alternate to what we may call love. A pastor or priests love for God is to be an example for the people to follow. It is personal discipleship. It is devotion to God as his life was consecrated to become a vessel used by God. Therefore, the lusts of this world they would deny; for the Love of God. To listen to the words that God offered as their most prized possession. In purity, he sanctified himself in his devotion to God. In value of the his neighbor: Man, Woman, or Child he exemplified the love for God. In respect for his elders he loved God. (Ex 20:12) To be a martyr alone was not someone who half-hearted worshiped God but, men and women who would die for the Love they had for God. His time would be given to learn of God and his devotion would be in understanding God. Not to be distracted by denominational constraint; an argument that draws no end. The inspiration of a priest (believer) and martyrdom has no value with God if their fellowship has no impact with the others around them. That is his calling to service. Whatever your design of influence is in this world you with God have been given a purpose to impact it for Him. – You already have the same love as he; by your faith. In gratitude and thanksgiving a person unmarried learns to Love another by first loving God. Building himself in God’s wisdom. God as a Father, purifies your heart that you may be a blessing to the next man. That the fellowships we contend for are not in vain, but edifying. Though, St. Valentine was a Priest, you have been given the same calling as him through faith in Jesus Christ. To love one another as you love yourself. (Lev 19:18) - You have been made Kings and Priests according to Christ. A vessel building God’s house within your body (1 Cor 6:19) than sharing the love you have received with others.
“John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:4-6 (New King James Version)
God’s Love for You:
(Every day is Valentines day)
Now here is love. God is love. (1 John 4:16) That before you even knew you were loved HE did something for you. He loved you. He washed you from your sins, and made you a king and priest to God and his Father.” (v. (5 – 6)) In your current spiritual condition – you are someone that is qualified to be loved by God. Because, you have a choice at the hearing of His love to choose Him. Through God, he sent His son Jesus for you to have a blueprint on living this life unto eternity. He didn’t first love you by: gifts, cars, houses, roses, or anything material. He (Jesus), through his life, made a way for your soul to love God unto eternal life. If we foreknew the end of all things according to our faith would you love? – Then I tend to ask. Why would Jesus have to come, in love, if there was something to what God is trying to save us from? Why does God want us to restrain from sex before marriage? Why does God not want men and women to commit adultery? Why, if single, would he instruct those to keep focused on the Lord; to do His service? Why, would a God of all creation have so many specific instructions; to what we may believe are insignificant? - What can he see that we cannot?
A Lifetime Commitment:
(Love by faith and not by feeling)
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Matthew 19:3-6 NKJV)
“But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:32 NKJV)
In a marriage vow, the most famous words that are uttered are, “For rich or poor; sickness and health. Til death do us part.” How many of us have had the God given opportunity to utter these words? They are the most powerful words to utter before God and man. Why? I believe, when you come to the altar and are dedicated to another person. By the witness of a representative of God in the form of a minister. You bear witness in both Heaven and Earth that you commit to unite both the experience of our Sovereign God between you and another human being. It is a relationship that becomes both vertical and horizontal – That when in trouble we call on the name of Jesus to save us. – Yet, in marriage, both can honor the name of God as two unite and remain faithful. According to Him and not each others feelings. Though, the Father’s love is also pardoning if that person chooses not to believe accordingly. Not being condemning but to peace. He wants service both inour heart to him and our hearts with others. Therefore, even in mariagge, His service is also complete in the pleasing of one another. The serving of one another. The hope in one another. The growth with one another. That under marital constraints both unveil to each other the depth and measure of God’s love with themselves to each other. – He grants us grace to serve one another in the Fear of the Lord. The grace to speak to one another in the Fear of the Lord. If it is not returned does that shallow to call to be that witness of God’s love. Not at all.
For this is God’s Love:
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor13:3-13)
Therefore, if Love is granted gracefully to all mankind that we all should come into the image of Christ. What would it be like to grow in the fullness of True Love; it also challenges you to deny what is not love? If God designed you to folly he would have never laid foundation for wisdom. If God by love, would lead you to death he would have never sent Jesus. Therefore, if God, being pleased that the Fullness of his love be within Christ Jesus. How could we embrace another? If salvation is an act of God’s love for us would ignorance be beneficial? Though, we being intelligent in our own minds are still by far ignorant to the greater scope. – God cares for all mankind with the same amount of Love.
“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Colossians 1:18-20 (New King James Version)
Cupid’s Destruction:
(A delusional belief of Love)
I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. ( 1 Corinthians 7:32-34)
In Roman mythology, Cupid (Latin cupido, meaning “desire”) is the god of erotic love and beauty. He is also known by another one of his Latin names, Amor (cognate with Kama). He is the son of goddess Venus and god Mercury. In popular culture Cupid is frequently shown shooting his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an icon of Valentine’s Day. Source= Wikipedia
Could erotic love be beneficial in an extra-marital affair? No. Could erotic love be beneficial before marriage? No. If self gratification is good to ourselves why are some of the after effects condemning and guilt-conscience worth? – By lack of knowledge we have all failed. A person’s service before God can be dangerously hindered by his lack of control. This would approve the Apostle Paul’s statement,” But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” (1 cor 7:9) Would it be love to God, who created all things, to give place to another form of worship? – Therefore, if Love did not come in the form of erotic love; the image of a child with wings bearing a bow and cross. Is this love destructive? Yes, both spiritually and physically. It’s beliefs, in the knowing of God, contradict pleasing Him and leading to salvation. It entices us to conceive sin which would lead to death. It’s contaminants to those who have been redeemed by God; would cause calamity in ones devotion and service to Him. If God desires, that you become like his Son and knows us more than we know ourselves. A better hope, was set forth by His Son that we may reach our potential’s in God. “For without faith it’s impossible to please God.” (Heb 11:6)
