“Valentine’s Day – Part #2”

So, what is ‘Valentine’s Day’ to you? A massacre in Chicago Ill.? A wolf’s grotto called Lupercal? A bird call for mating? A ‘Special Person’s Day’ in Hillsboro NJ? A day to buy your wife or sweetheart some chocolates she really does not need? Or a day to remember the greatest ‘Love Gift’ this old world has ever seen? If Jesus was born on December 25th as tradition, history, astronomy, biology, seem to indicate then He was circumcised on January 1st the eigth day after His birth and His mother went to the Temple and met Simeon and Anna on February 2nd 40 days after his birth for her purification just like Lev. 12:2-4  says she should. Just like Gelasius stated in 494, but no matter what you think of this day, the central thought is “LOVE!” Not just love for your wife or her love for you, but God’s love for us and our love for Him and our fellow man!

LOVE! What is love anyway? In Hebrew there is basically only one word for Love (ahab) and the first occurrence is in Gen. 22:2 where God tells Abraham to take his son Isaac whom he loves and offer him as a sacrifice on Mt. Moriah. The ancient Hebrew letter aleph pictured strength, the strong one, and the bet, pictured the house, when combined you have “AB” or Father, the strong one of the house. When you put the ‘H’ or ‘hey’ in the middle to get ‘ahab or ahav’ for love. In Hebrew you get, “the heart of the father.” You see, what God was after was Abraham’s heart, take the son whom you love, “ahav” and offer him as a sacrifice! This was Abraham’s day, it was Abraham’s heart that God wanted on that altar, not Isaac’s! Oh, Isaac’s day was coming; Oh yeah, but not yet! He wasn’t going to let him offer Isaac, the ram was already there caught in the thicket and so was The Angel of the LORD watching!

In Greek we have five words for love and they can only be correctly fulfilled in marriage, in a family relationship! Note I said, “Correctly Fulfilled!” You have ‘Theolo’ love of things, delight; ‘Phileo’ brotherly love, friends; ‘Agapao’ sacrificial love, love worth dying for; ‘Storgos’ natural affection, family love; ‘Eros’ sensual love, erotic (there is no innocent little cupid, sorry). Love may not make the world go around, but it sure makes the trip worth while. Amen? Let me give you the world’s definition of love,”Love is a felling you feel, when you get a feeling, you never felt before!” That is not love, that is a warm bath tub! Now let me give you the proper definition of love, “Love is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person!” Now go find your spouse or your girlfriend or boyfriend, hold their hand, look them in the eyes and say it out loud.  (GOOD!) Now, do it again without smiling! The world says, “Marry the one you love!” God says, “Love the one you marry!” The Bible tells us in I John 4:8 that, “God is love!” (Theos esti agape) In fact there are over 290 references to God’s love in the New Testament alone. Read I Cor. 13 the love chapter sometime, replacing the word charity or love with the word God, since God is love, it is very revealing and uplifting!

However, I have to tell you this, God’s love demands love! His love is not static nor stagnant! In fact, His love demands our love! That’s right! The love of God cannot be comprehended as a mere noun! God’s Love is a verb and has the dynamic, propelling power of a verb! You see, love must have and demonstrate action or it is not love at all! You say you love me, show me! Prove it to me! Do something to demonstrate it! God demonstrated His love for us on the same mountain Abraham demonstrated his love to God. On the Cross we saw the Heart of the Father, we saw real (ahav). Listen to Rom. 5:8, “But God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:10 goes even further and says, “When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” I saw a lot of action in Vietnam but I never saw one of our men give up his life for a Viet Cong, NEVER! But that’s what this verse says Christ did! Now that’s a ‘Valentine!’ Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” But for his enemies! That’s a little much, don’t you think? God demonstrated His love for us 2,000 years ago on an old rugged cross, outside of Jerusalem! What more could He have done? What more could He have given? He didn’t do it because it was fun! He did it because it had to be done! He went to the tree for you and for me so we could be free, to live for Him! Now that is LOVE! That’s a ‘Valentine’ I can really appreciate! And give my heart too, what about you? If human love does not carry itself beyond itself it’s not love at all, it’s just emotion with a title. True love is marked by extravagance! True love is unconditional, no holds barred, no save clauses, no loop holes! “God is love!” I John 4:8; Dwell on that thought for a minute; reverse the words “Love is God!” The Song of Solomon 8:6 says, “Love is as strong as death!” God decided to show His creation just how much He loved it, so He took three nails, two pieces of wood and a hammer and demonstrated it on a pile of dirt just outside of Jerusalem. When was the last time you demonstrated to Him or to your spouse just how much you love them? Remember, when you cut that covenant, you cut it with God! “I covenant before God and these witnesses” remember those words, “till death do us part” He does!

A pastor was talking with a young boy in his church and trying to share with him just how much God loved him when the boy said, “That may be true pastor, but I need some love with skin on it!” I John 3:18 says, “My little children let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” (action). There are those all around us that need to see some love with skin on it this ‘Valentine’s Day.’ Will you be God’s ‘Valentine’ to someone this year? Love is a verb and has the dynamic, propelling power of a verb. It is not static, or stagnant, or stuck, it is magnetic, captivating and will attract attention and demand action! You say you love me, show me! Anybody can say, “I love you!” But God said, “Let Me show you how much I love you,” and He nailed His only begotten Son to a tree! I don’t know what you think of on ‘Valentine’s Day’ but the greatest act of love this old world has ever seen, took place on Calvary 2,000 years ago outside of Jerusalem. Why not make Jesus your ‘Valentine’ this year, put His name on your sleeve and wear your feelings where everyone can see them, everyone! Don’t be ashamed of Him, He’s not ashamed of you or to call you His brethren! He wants to see some love with skin on it! “Valentine’s Day,’ the day to remember the lover of your soul, “Jesus Christ!” Why? ‘Because He bought your chocolates!’ That’s why!   Till the next time, I’ll see you, “…Between The Lines…”

“Valentine’s Day” February 14, 2014 (Part #2)  1/9/14