Do you love Jesus?

[Robert_Heibel]

Jesus said (John 14:21) “anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by My Father, and **I shall love **** him and show myself to him.” **

(John 14:24) “Those who do not love me do not keep my words.”

(Luke 6:46) “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’, and not do what I say?”

(Matthew 7:21) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”

In order to love Jesus we need to live His Word. I wonder how many Christians live the following Words?

(Matthew 5:43-44) “You have learnt how it was said, you must love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

(Romans 12:18-21) “Do all you can to live at peace with everyone. Never try to get revenge; leave that, my friends, to God’s anger. As scripture says: ‘vengeance is Mine I will pay them back, the Lord promises,’ but there is more: if your enemy is hungry, you should give him food, and if he is thirsty, let him drink. Thus you heap red-hot coals on his head. Resist evil and conquer it with good.”

(Luke 12:33) “Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in Heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

(Luke 14:33) “So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.”

(Matthew 6:19) “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal.”

Do you believe the Christian Church (Catholic or non Catholic) teach people to live the Word of God?

 

[Pax]

Yes, that is exactly what the Catholic Church does among many other holy and wonderful things. I would also say that many protestant churches attempt to do the same thing. Evangelical pastor, Rick Warren, in his ministry and book The Purpose Driven Life is a good example.

 

[Della]

Do you believe the Christian Church (Catholic or non Catholic) teach people to live the Word of God?

Edit: Sorry, I misread your question!

All I can say is that the Church can teach until she is blue in the face, but if people do not want to do anything about it, what can she do?

If you are basing your question on the fact that so many seem to be falling away from the faith, I would blame that on an increasingly secular society and the acceptance of lax morals as the norm rather than on the Church and it’s efforts to teach people what’s what.

 

[Steven_Merten]

Della:

If you are basing your question on the fact that so many seem to be falling away from the faith, I would blame that on an increasingly secular society and the acceptance of lax morals as the norm rather than on the Church and it’s efforts to teach people what’s what.

Hello Della,

I disagree. Did the prophets go to Casar’s door step and say I demand that you make the people more moral. No! they stood in the streets and preached to God’s people. This modern day Church leader effort to focus on trying to lead the Church through secular leaders is a misdirected effort.

Hello Robert,

In the 1980s I counted how many times a priest preached God’s commandments and Jesus call for Christians to obey the commandments. After going to Mass every Suday, at the end of ten years I had not counted one instant of hearing God’s commandments preached at Mass. God’s commandments read in the readings yes, God’s commandments preached from the pulpit, no. Though there were many sermons on secular wars, state capital punishment and the need for the World Bank to forgive third world debt, I counted no demands from priests for Catholics to obey God’s commandments if they wish to go to heaven. None from the papacy either.

What is even scarier is that many Church leaders are leading people to believe that Jesus is too “loving” to send anyone to hell for disobeying God’s commandments. I have a web page where I go through the New Testament and quote Jesus when He tells us He will not forgive someone or He will send someone to hell. WARNING! Jesus Does Not Forgive All I have had people e-mail me and aquse me of making Jesus look evil. These people have a missguided image of Jesus which I feel has been established by Church leaders.

I have several times heard priests homilies claim that Moses preached hell and damnation but now Jesus teaches love. The funny thing is Moses never really preached damnation, fires of Gehenna and throwing people into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Jesus is the one who put the image of hell and damnation on the map. Moses is the one who originally gave us the commands to love your neighbor as yourself, love God and take no revenge which Jesus quoted.

You are right. Many modern Catholic clergy have created a false Jesus in their own lovy dovy, unconditional love and unconditional forgiveness false image of Jesus. The Protestants have done even worse.

 

[scylla]

I love Jesus, and am in complete agreement with the Church’s teachings. I am a little discouraged by some of the laity, priest and preaching, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is Christ’s Church and we are called to renew it.

God Bless
Scylla

 

[NotWorthy]

Hello Steve,

In regards to the priest preaching God’s commandments (or how you never hear him), well then come to our church and you’ll hear it nearly every Sunday (and many times at daily mass, too). Our priest always covers what’s in the gospel and applies it to us today. He does NOT cut corners or try to make it look “pretty”. Yes, he teaches about the “Love” of Jesus, but he notes that Jesus exhorts us to help the poor, to love one another (especially our enemies), and to give of yourselves.

As a matter of fact, our priest tends to be typical of our diocese.

NotWorthy

 

[allhers]

scylla:

I love Jesus, and am in complete agreement with the Church’s teachings. I am a little discouraged by some of the laity, priest and preaching, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is Christ’s Church and we are called to renew it.

God Bless
Scylla

plus,before I go to the Sacrament of Confession, I try always to remember to go over the 10 commandments before I make my confession, and I do this inside the Church before the Blessed Sacrament, where I tell HIM how sorry I am for the time’s that I have failed. (far too many to mention). -Jesus does love us all, He just doesn’t want us all to remain the sinners that we are. It’s a daily task to try to remain free from all sin.
Love God, love one another. Put God first and it’s easier to love one another.

 

[rwoehmke]

Steven Merten:

Hello Della,
In the 1980s I counted how many times a priest preached God’s commandments and Jesus call for Christians to obey the commandments. After going to Mass every Suday, at the end of ten years I had not counted one instant of hearing God’s commandments preached at Mass. God’s commandments read in the readings yes, God’s commandments preached from the pulpit, no. Though there were many sermons on secular wars, state capital punishment and the need for the World Bank to forgive third world debt, I counted no demands from priests for Catholics to obey God’s commandments if they wish to go to heaven. None from the papacy either.

Did not Jesus say that all of the law is summed up in these two commands. LOVE the Lord your God with your whole soul, mind and heart and Love your neighbor as yourself. I think part of the problem is that we no longer really understand what it means to love. The word has been rendered almost meaningless by a soceity who undestand it as soft cuddly warm, even sexy, thoughts. As for the world bank, secular wars, and capital punishment, if one does not see the connection of these problems with the ten commandments and the sermon on the mount, then you do not understand the commandments.
It was interesting to note you are from Ellensberg WA, my grandmothers family hailed from Ellensberg, NY up near the Canadian/US border.

 

[Seeks_God]

Would ‘yup’ suffice as an answer? I really love having scriptures quoted to me and then asked if I believe in scripture as the Word of God. I really am hard pressed to find a Catholic Doctrine that contradicted scripture, but then again I believe that the foundation of the Church is based upon scripture…go figure…

 

[Pug]

Robert Heibel:

I wonder how many Christians live the following Words?

I don’t know. How could I? I’m sure some folks who attend Christian churches forget to pray for their enemies now and again. How often? I couldn’t say.

Do you believe the Christian Church (Catholic or non Catholic) teach people to live the Word of God?

Most generic Christian preachers that I have heard do encourage people to follow the words in the bible. My priest also encourages us to read scripture and to follow the 10 commandments, Jesus’s words, etc. It’s not like he is up there saying we ought not pray for our enemies!

Preachers have the feet that carry the good news, but God is the real sower/builder in my books.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

We bless God and curse our brothers with the same tongue.

We may try to love Jesus, and even love Him the best way we know how. If we think we love Jesus but hold contempt in our hearts for even the least of His brothers, then we actually condemn Him as well.

Therefore I’d advise being very caution when using the “love the sinner hate the sin” line that you have not condemned in your heart, which is the spiritual equivalent and often temporal prelude to murder, either virtual or actual.

If I am right about this, then an absolute view of Jesus’ teachings would be if you willingly harbor anger in your heart toward other sinners – regardless of whether their sin is “worse” or “more public” or “more obstinate” than yours, then you have in effect participated in the killing of the innocent Lamb.

Alan

 

[Steven_Merten]

rwoehmke:

Did not Jesus say that all of the law is summed up in these two commands. LOVE the Lord your God with your whole soul, mind and heart and Love your neighbor as yourself. I think part of the problem is that we no longer really understand what it means to love. The word has been rendered almost meaningless by a soceity who undestand it as soft cuddly warm, even sexy, thoughts. As for the world bank, secular wars, and capital punishment, if one does not see the connection of these problems with the ten commandments and the sermon on the mount, then you do not understand the commandments.
It was interesting to note you are from Ellensberg WA, my grandmothers family hailed from Ellensberg, NY up near the Canadian/US border.

Hello rwohmke,

It was God through Moses who first summed up the ten commandments with His two great commandments. Jesus quoted the Father on this. Many times people confuse this with thinking that Jesus eliminated the ten commandments with two new commandments. So it has to be clarified that Jesus, St. Paul, the Father and Moses are all summing up obedience to the God’s ten commandments as love for God and love for neighbor.

Please visit Jesus, What Must I Do To Share In Everlasting Life?

The Church has never bound war, capital punishment or the World Bank as mortal sin. Disobeying God’s commandments is mortal sin.

NAB LEV 19:1 Various Rules of Conduct.

**The LORD said to Moses, **"Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them:
Be holy, for I, The LORD, your God, am holy. Revere your mother and father, and keep my sabbaths. I, the LORD, am your God.
"Do not turn aside to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I, the LORD, am your God…

…"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you glean the stray ears of grain. Likewise, you shall not pick your vineyard bare, not gather up the grapes that have fallen. These things you shall leave for the poor and the alien. I, the LORD, am your God.
"You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD.
"You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
"You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. You shall not go about spreading slander among your kinsmen; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the LORD.
"You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."

NAB DEU 6:1

"These then are the commandments, the statutes and decrees which the LORD, your God, has ordered that you be taught to observe in the land into which you are crossing for conquest, so that you and your son and your grandson may fear the LORD, your God, and keep, throughout the days of your lives, all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you, and thus have long life. Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them, that you may grow and prosper the more in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers, to give you a land flowing with milk and honey." The great commandment. Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.

NAB ROM 13 Love Fulfills the Law. (St. Paul is speaking.)

Owe no debt to anyone except the debt that binds us to love one another. He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and any other commandment there may be are all summed up in this, saying (namely) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love never wrongs the neighbor, hence love is the fulfillment of the law.

 

[Steven_Merten]

NotWorthy:

Hello Steve,

In regards to the priest preaching God’s commandments (or how you never hear him), well then come to our church and you’ll hear it nearly every Sunday (and many times at daily mass, too). Our priest always covers what’s in the gospel and applies it to us today. He does NOT cut corners or try to make it look “pretty”. Yes, he teaches about the “Love” of Jesus, but he notes that Jesus exhorts us to help the poor, to love one another (especially our enemies), and to give of yourselves.

As a matter of fact, our priest tends to be typical of our diocese.

NotWorthy

Hello NotWorthy,

Sounds great! Consider your diocese lucky. I have to admit that the Archdiocese of Seattle has an overabundance of liberal priests not to mention our infamous bishop Hunthousen a decade ago. Things are now better in the diocese of Yakima.

 

[Robert_Heibel]

AlanFromWichita:

We bless God and curse our brothers with the same tongue.

We may try to love Jesus, and even love Him the best way we know how. If we think we love Jesus but hold contempt in our hearts for even the least of His brothers, then we actually condemn Him as well.

Therefore I’d advise being very caution when using the “love the sinner hate the sin” line that you have not condemned in your heart, which is the spiritual equivalent and often temporal prelude to murder, either virtual or actual.

If I am right about this, then an absolute view of Jesus’ teachings would be if you willingly harbor anger in your heart toward other sinners – regardless of whether their sin is “worse” or “more public” or “more obstinate” than yours, then you have in effect participated in the killing of the innocent Lamb.

Alan

I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here, but to me it sounds like you are trying to kill the messenger. Maybe you should let Paul remind you: (1 Corinthians 5:11) “that you should not associate with a brother Christian – who is leading an immoral life, or is a usurer, or idolatrous, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or is dishonest; you should not even eat a meal with people like that.”