2021-06-11
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I have been on a personal journey since my husband’s sudden death that has called on me to be strong, wise in decision-making, and seeing the definition of love shown by others. The Holy Spirit has kept me protected by His many angels, and I have felt the power of so many people’s prayers.
It’s time now to return to the gifts that the Holy Spirit has for us. GA 5: 22-23, “But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.” GA 5: 24, “And those who belong to Jesus Christ have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires.” This latter effort really can’t be done without the gifts from the Holy Spirit or His marvelous presence. This is an example of the principle put forth in 1 COR 2: 14, “Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God’s Spirit.” Yielding over our lives to the Spirit is no easy task. It means making choices that go against the desires of the flesh. Suppose another person says things to you that are highly provocative and mean-spirited. Only a person with the gifts of the Holy Spirit can gain control of his temper and find the right words to say that will defuse the situation. A true believer would be able to accomplish that effort.
There are several types of love that is expressed: (1) Eros [in Greek], which is the kind of love that is between a man and a woman who are married. It has a sexual component, but also a friendship one; (2) Philos is a general expression for love, but when the word adelphos is added to it, the meaning is altered to brotherly love. That’s where the word Philadelphia arises, which William Penn, famous for being a Quaker [The Society of Friends], named the biggest city in the land he acquired to settle a state. Pennsylvania, arose from Penn’s lush, green land. That’s the description of a sylvania; (3) The purest love is agape, the love that God shows us and that we should show Him. It is the love that Christ taught us by His example and His words.
Today, the Holy Spirit directs me to discuss Philos adelphos, or brotherly love. I would assume that it includes the love and fidelity to one’s country. On 9-11, the citizens the United States watched in horror as El Qaeda pilots took over American planes and flew them directly into the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Alexandria, VA. Three thousand people, some of this first responding firefighters died that day. For a while afterward, people were affixing American flags and yellow ribbons in the form of magnets on their cars. I loved the bumper sticker that said, “Honk if you love the USA!” Once again, American citizens were suffering and dying just before the Covid 19 vaccines were discovered and made available. The year from March 2020 to February 2021 was a nightmare! The question about if this is the end times came up more than once. [See REV 6: 1-8]. There are prayers for our country’s leaders, social welfare of America, protection from nuclear and chemical weapons, and prayers for the spiritual growth of our nation, and yes, even our country’s stands for allies (like Israel) and against enemies (Vladimir Putin’s Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China).
Another aspect to this brotherly love has to do with building community, as Wm. Penn visualized it. One town’s citizens joining with others to help the common good. America is a land of many weather zones and microclimates. The stories of neighbor- to- neighbor help in the times after tornados hit or tremendous down pores or winter blizzards. The news on TV is always full of stories of this kind of help afterward. I remember a story about several adjoining properties where walnut trees were all dropping mature nuts at the same time. The harvest was too much work for each lot owner to only do his own harvest. Instead, this was a community project where all the neighbors got together, husked, dried, and shelled the nuts. Rooftop gardens to grow vegetables and flowers that were a community project for all the residents of apartments is yet another example. I used to grow vegetables in a community garden at one of the neighbors in which I lived.
The feeling of peace and comfort one gets from serving others is beautiful. Truly selfish people don’t know what they are missing. I once had someone say to me, “Please don’t rob me of the chance to help you. It gives me great satisfaction.” That’s a slightly different way of looking at service to someone. Food for thought!
PRAYER: O Lord, our country has been on a dangerous and slippery slope. This is said about what qualifies one to be a good leader, the moral stance of decisions that are made, and what we have allowed in the media. We greatly need Your wisdom, so that no leader can demoralize our country as Mr. Trump did. We not only need to find an obedient believer in Christ, but he or she must respect the needs of the citizenry. On January 6th of 2021, rogue men broke into the capital of the US, just as an important vote was to be taken. This shameful incident caused us all to question the security of our highest legislative leaders and the very process of democracy itself. A policeman’s first response saved numerous lives. We need to pray for our leaders and for the process of leading our fine country. Dearest Father, we offer You our praise and thanks for helping us wherever You can to lift our moral compass to where You want it to be. We look to You for leadership and desire to be obediently faithful to You. In the mighty/holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I am commanded to continue discussing love, next week. There are some Scriptures that should be shared and discussed, before going on to agape-that pure love that God has for us, and we should have for Him. There have been many challenges to our country and our personal lives. I can’t complain about my own circumstances during our Covid year, because I kept busy with the Lord’s work and didn’t have time to complain about not taking a vacation for the last three years. My mind was kept occupied and my heart satisfied. When my husband of 44 years passed away suddenly, my dear children opened their home to me. It will be quite a transition to live in their home, but there are so many others who have no home at the end of this challenge. The grieving process is making it hard for me to feel strong and independent. But I will survive Peter’s death with the same strength I’ve always had and try not to be a burden on my family. There is no question that I miss Peter’s companionship. We were each other’s best human friends. I know that he would want me doing the ministry work that is so much a part of me, and that he would want me to be happy. I may have to miss a week or two while I move from UT to CA. But there is much more that the Holy Spirit would want me to say about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that will be forthcoming. Praise and thanks be to God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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