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Dear maranathamedia subscriber
I recently wrote a letter of appeal to Pastor Dwight Nelson regarding his sermon called Trinity under Fire (See Part 6 in the series.) I have greatly appreciated the ministry of Pastor Nelson and I write these things in the spirit of love and grace with the desire that we all might rejoice in the truth together.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Dear Pr Nelson
I just want to say how much I have enjoyed your heart felt preaching over the years. I have a fond memory of you praying for a friend of mine and I back in 1994 when you came to Sydney, Australia. I really appreciated your personal ministry. I was most blessed by your Net 98 series when I served as an associate pastor in Sydney at that time. Those messages spoke to me and many of those attending the meetings at that time.
I have just finished listening to your sermon called Trinity under Fire from March 10 this year and I wanted to ask you some things about it if I may. I ask these questions in a manner of respect and honour for you as a minister of God?s remnant church.
You quoted from 1 John 4:8 indicating the wonderful statement that ?God is Love.? I understood from what you were saying that this verse is actually saying that there are three persons that lovingly serve each other. The problem I am having with this from 1 John 4:8 is the immediate context of this passage.
1 John 4:7-12? Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.? (8)? He that loveth not knoweth not God; for?God is love.? (9)??In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.? (10)??Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.? (11)? Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.? (12)? No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
As I understand this passage, John defines the love of God in the giving of His Son to die for us. So at the end of verse 8 he defines God as love and then expands this definition into the manifestation of God sending His Son. Would not consistency of usage in this passage point to the fact that the God mentioned in verse 8 is the same God in verse 9-12? Does this not suggest that the God in verse 8 is the Father and that His love is revealed in the giving of His Son?
The second thing I would like to mention is that the Greek, as you are well aware, indicates that God is?agape. My understanding from my studies is that?agape?is a love that invests value rather than seeks it. God giving His Son to us invests value in us and is indeedagape. Yet when I listened to what you were saying about the love expressed between the Godhead members, I heard something different. I wrote down some of the points from your sermon:
so God is love. God needs someone else in order to be love
for love requires the presence of another to receive it.
"For if love be of the essence of God, He must always love. And being eternal--I thought this was very helpful He must have possessed an eternal object of love. Furthermore, keep reading, perfect love is possible only between equals. Good point.
Oh, come on, God, aren't I enough Wouldn't you be happy with just you and me And the answer is, "No! I need somebody like Me! To love and receive and give!
in order for God to be God and to be love He had to have at least one co-equal, one co-eternal person with whom He bestows love and from whom He receives love. He has to have it or He's not love
From what you have said, I understand that the love being described here is a love that needs another to function. It also is seeking for another of equal value or status to itself. This love is a love that seeks for value and a love that needs or desires another. From my understanding of the Greek this type of love is not?agape?as described in 1 John 4:8 and 1 Cor 13. I found this quote to be quite helpful explaining the difference between?agape?and the love I sense you are possibly speaking about. I have added some thoughts in square brackets. [Read More...]
Free Book Offer
This month we are offering 30 free copies of the book Sabbath Diagnosis for those living in the USA and Canada. Just so you wont miss out we are offering an ebook version to those living in other countries. This offer is available for the next three or four days.
The book is well researched bringing together an amazing amount of history and Bible evidence to show that the Seventh day is the Sabbath. At just under 500 pages, it is not only excellent to read, but also very handy as a reference volume.
To secure your copy just email Gary at [not available]. Please be patient if it takes a little while to get a response.
We hope to provide more book offers in the coming months, so be on the look out for when these offers are made.
Divine Pattern Presentation Series
Following on from the release of the book Divine Pattern We will be following this with a series of presentations from the book. The first two presentations are available to watch or listen to.
The Patience of Jesus
Matt 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
In the last few days as I have been thinking on the life of Jesus, I have felt poor in my character. I am grateful to have this sense of my lack, for it drives me to my knees with the urgent request for the sweet character of Jesus. I have decided to read and mediate on the article The Character of Christ every day and pray that I might possess all the things listed there.
A few things that really spoke to me in the last two days
He did not meet argument with argument. DA 171
He did not contend for His rights. DA 89
and especially this one,
He never manifested an impatient word or look. DA 88
As I let that last sentence lighten my soul, I thought about how much my character is tainted with impatience. Often hidden from others, but alive and flourishing in my poor heart. It creeps into my heart when my wife and children interreupt my work for an extended period. It puts a shadow on my soul when my children fail to do what I have told them resulting in further expense or inconvenience. Often hidden from others, yet the seeds of this weed are still in the heart and spoil my soul.
Dear Father
How I need the Spirit of your Son. I ask forgiveness for my impatience. I want to be always patient, loving, gracious and caring. I believe your victory is mine Lord Jesus and that I can drink the living water of patience continually. I thank you Father for granting my request for myself and for all who read this.
I thank you in Jesus name.
While there is still time and Jesus intercedes in the Most Holy Place, I have opportunity to ask for a pure and clean character. I determine to avail myself of the precious privilege and ask, ask, ask believing that I shall receive.
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