Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

February 14
Saturday


A MATTER
OF LOVE

READ:
Mark 12:28-34
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You shall love the
LORD your God with
all your heart, with all
your soul, and with
all your strength.
__Deuteronomy 6:5
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where intellect and emotion clash, the heart often has the greater wisdom" wrote the authors of A General Theory of Love. In the past, they say, people believed that the mind should rule the heart, but science has now discovered the opposite to be true. "Who we are and who we become depends, in part, on whom we love."

Those familiar with Scripture recognize this as an ancient truth, not a new discovery. The most important commandment God gave to His people gives the heart the prominent place. "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deut. 6:5). Not until the to gospels of Mark and Luke do we learn that Jesus added the word mind (Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). So, what scientist are just now discovering, the Bible taught all along.

Those of us who follow Christ also know the importance of whom we love. When we obey the greatest commandment and make God the object of our love, we can be assured of having a purpose that transcends anything we could imagine or our strength could achieve. When our desire for God dominates our hearts, our minds will stay focused on ways to serve Him, and our actions will further His kingdom on earth and in heaven. __Julie Ackerman Link

````````````````Lord, we long to make You the supreme desire of our`````````````
```````````````````heart. As You taught Your disciples to pray,``````````````````
```````````````````so too we ask You to teach us how to love.```````````````````
````````````````````````````````Guide us today.``````````````````````````````
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Count as lost each day you have not used
in loving God. __Brother Lawrence

*********************Today's Bible Reading __ Mark 12:28-34************************
28 Then on e of the scribes
came, and having heard
them reasoning together,
perceiving that He had
answered them well, asked
Him, "Which is the first
commandment of all?"

29 Jesus answered him,
"The first of all the
commandments is: 'Hear,
O Israel, the LORD our God,
the LORD is one. 30 And you
shall love the LORD your
God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all
your mind, and with all
your strength.' This is the
first commandment. 31 And
the second, like it, is this:
'Your shall love your
neighbor as yourself.' There
is no other commandment
greater than these."

32 So the scribe said to
Him, "Well said, Teacher.
You have spoken the truth,
for there is one God, and
there is no other but He.

33 And to love Him with all
the heart, with all the
understanding, with all the
soul, and with all the
strength, and to love one's
neighbor as oneself, is more
than all the whole burnt
offerings and sacrifices."

34 Now when Jesus saw
that he answered wisely, He
said to him, "You are not
far from the kingdom of
God." But after that no one
dared question Him.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

According to rabbinic tradition, there are 613 commandments in
the Torah (the Pentateuch) which every pious Jew must keep. When
asked which of these commandments is the most important, Jesus
(quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and Leviticus 19:18) said to "love the
LORD your God" and "love your neighbor" (Mark 12:30-31). All the
commandments are summarized in the duty to love (Matt.22:40).
This priority of love is echoed by John, the apostle of love, in 1 John
4:7-21)