Please allow me to share with you a thought that I read from Rick Renner's Sparkling Gems from the Greek. I hope it ministers to you as much as it did to me. Let's look at the Four types of love. When the New Testament was being written, there were four primary Greek words to describe the concept of "love": 1) eros, 2) stergo, 3) phileo, and 4) agape. These four words conveyed four very different types of love. I want to talk to you today about these four different types of love; then I'll tell you which of these four is the type of love the Holy Spirit wants to produce in your life. The first word for "love" in the list given above is the Greek word eros, which is the Greek term for sexual love and where we get the word erotic. In Greek culture, this word referred to sensual, carnal impulses to satisfy or gratify the sexual desires of the flesh. It shares a common root with the word erao, which means to ask, to beg, or to demand. This confirms that eros is not a giving type of love; rather, it denotes a sexual demand. It is not a love that seeks to give or to please someone else, but a carnal love that seeks the fulfillment of its own desires. It is very interesting that this word never appears once in the New Testament, not even in the context of sex in marriage. Even in Greek culture, the word eros represented a carnal, raw, base, low level craving, yearning, ache, or appetite for sexual fulfillment. This type of "love" is so flesh-based and so far removed from the level of love that God expects of believers that it is never included in New Testament language. In the New Testament, regardless of whether the context is friendship, brotherhood, or romance, all believers are urged to continually operate from the perspective of agape love, which is a love more focused on giving than it is on receiving. Because the word eros primarily describes a selfsatisfying, self-gratifying, self-seeking, self- pleasing type of sexual appetite found mainly among unbelievers or those who are focused on themselves, it is not the type of love that believers should aspire to in their marital lives. The second word for "love" mentioned in the list above is the Greek word stergo. The word stergo primarily pictures the love that exists between parents and children or the love that exists between members of a family. One scholar has noted that on occasion, the word stergo portrayed the love of a nation for its ruler or even the love of a dog for its master. Consequently, the real idea of the word stergo is that of devotion. Although the word stergo does appear in the New Testament, it is very rarely used. We find it used in a negative sense in Second Timothy 3:3, where the King James Version translates it "without natural affection." This suggests a time that will develop in the last days when strong family ties and devotion to one's family will deteriorate. By using this word in a negative sense, the apostle Paul warns that one of the principal signs of the last times will be the deterioration of the family and of traditional family values. The third word for "love" is the Greek word phileo, which describes affection — such as the affection felt between a boyfriend and girlfriend or the affability shared between two friends. It carries the idea of two or more people who feel compatible, well-matched, well-suited, and complementary to each other. Although this word describes the attributes of friendship, it is not representative of the highest form of love, which is agape. Other words derived from the word phileo are numerous. Here are a few of them: The fourth word for "love" is the word chiefly used in the New Testament to depict the love of God. This is the Greek word agape —: and it is this word that Paul uses in Galatians 5:22 when he writes, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love." This is what I call high-level love, for there is no higher, finer, or more excellent love than agape love. In fact, the word agape is so filled with deep emotion and meaning that it is one of the most difficult words to translate in the New Testament. Trying to explain this word has baffled translators for centuries. Agape occurs when an individual sees, recognizes, understands, or appreciates the value of an object or a person, causing the viewer to behold this object or person in great esteem, awe, admiration, wonder, and sincere appreciation. Such great respect is awakened in the heart of the observer for the object or person he is beholding that he is compelled to love it. In fact, his love for that person or object is so strong that it is irresistible. In the New Testament, perhaps the best example of agape is found in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." In the phrase, "For God so loved the world," the word "love" is the word agape. This means when God looked upon the human race, He stood in awe of mankind, even though man was lost in sin. God admired man; He wondered at man; He held mankind in the highest appreciation. Even though mankind was held captive by Satan at that moment, God looked upon the world and saw His own image in man. The human race was so precious to God and He loved man so deeply that His heart was stirred to reach out and do something to save him. In other words, God's love drove Him to action. You see, agape is a love that loves so profoundly that it knows no limits or boundaries in how far, wide, high, and deep it will go to show that love to its recipient. If necessary, agape love will even sacrifice itself for the sake of that object or person it so deeply cherishes. Agape is the highest form of love — a self-sacrificial type of love that moves the lover to action. In contrast: Agape is a love that has no strings attached. It isn't looking for what it can get, but for what it can give. Its awe of the one who is loved is so deep that it is compelled to shower love upon that object or person regardless of the response. This is the profound love God has for the human race, for He loved man when he was still lost in sin with no ability to love Him back. God simply loved mankind without any thought or expectation of receiving love in return. When you love with such a pure love that you expect nothing back in return, it is impossible for you to feel hurt or let down by the response of the recipients of your love. You don't love them for the purpose of getting something in return; you shower them with love simply because you love them. This kind of love is much higher than eros love that is based on selfishness; stergo love that is restricted by limitations; or phileo love that is rooted in mutual satisfaction. These three types of love are what I call low-level love, but agape is high-level love. It is a love that has no strings attached, a love that loves simply and purely — the God- kind of love. With God's help, let's strive to walk in this kind of love today! Blessings! Pastor Rusty
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Four Types of Love
Monday, July 21, 2008
Refusing to “war after the flesh”
As a child of God, it is important for you to remember that you have been delivered from Satan's power through the victorious, redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Make sure you keep that wonderful truth in mind the next time you have to deal with the devil's attack on your life. And don't try to defeat a spiritual enemy with fleshly weapons and techniques because fleshly weapons are for fighting fleshly adversaries; they were never intended to defeat a spiritual foe. Spiritual adversaries must be fought with spiritual weapons! In addition to the beatings he had endured, Paul was naturally a man of small stature. In fact, the name Paul means "little one." Although he was an intellectual giant who was highly educated, cultured, and even skillful in the political arena before he came to Christ, he did not have a striking physical appearance. Even historians record that he was a small and unimposing man. Notice that Paul never argues with them about the condition of his body. In fact, it seems that he agrees with them, even stating, "I am base among you." But whereas some may have judged him according to the flesh, Paul's confidence was not in the flesh but in the spirit. That is why he told them, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh" (2 Corinthians 10:3). Amazingly, even believers get caught up in judging themselves by their outward appearance. Although it's true that we should do what we can to stay in good shape physically, there are millions of people who are in great physical shape but couldn't win a spiritual battle if their lives depended on it! Paul was aware of the weakness and futility of his flesh. He knew that when it came to dealing with the devil, he had to turn his attention to the realm of the Spirit where supernatural assistance was available and spiritual weapons existed for him to use against the devil. He knew his greatest weapons did not lie in his mind, his talents, or his flesh, but in spiritual weapons that exist in the realm of God's Spirit. Think of it! That evil spirit knew who Jesus was and who Paul was! Even though Paul lived in a small body that had been mercilessly beaten and abused, he was so powerful in the spiritual realm that hell knew his name! Perhaps the limitations of Paul's flesh turned out to be to his advantage! Because he couldn't lean on his flesh, he had to learn how to function in the realm of the Spirit — and that's the reason the evil spirits knew who he was! Pastor Rusty
Paul makes this point in Second Corinthians 10:3 when he says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh." The word "walk" in this verse is taken from the Greek word peripateo. This is a compound of the word peri, which means around, and pateo, which means to walk. When these two words are compounded together, the new word means to walk around or to habitually live and carry on in one general territory. It is the picture of a person who has walked in one general path for so long that he can now almost walk that path blindfolded. He knows that area well because he has habitually lived and functioned there.
By using the word peripateo in Second Corinthians 10:3, Paul is making a very strong statement about his humanity. He's saying, "Nearly everything I do, I do in the flesh. I eat in the flesh; I sleep in the flesh; I think in the flesh; I study in the flesh. My life is primarily lived in this earthly realm." Although he was a spiritual man, he still lived in a body made of flesh.
Paul knew that he was locked into his fleshly body and couldn't get out of it — nor could he trade it for another! I'm sure he would have taken that option if it had been available because he had been brutally beaten and terribly abused during the course of his ministry. His physical body permanently bore the scars, marks, wounds, and disfigurement of those beatings (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-25 and Galatians 6:17). Having a body free of scars and disfiguring wounds would have seemed like a terrific prospect to Paul!
It seems that the appearance of Paul's body was even an issue in the Corinthian church. Those who were against his ministry and wanted to eliminate him used his physical appearance as a reason to discredit him. In response to this, Paul wrote and said: "...In presence [I] am base among you..." (2 Corinthians 10:1). Because his adversaries were judging him according to the flesh, he asked them: "Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?." (2 Corinthians 10:7). Finally, Paul actually quoted what they were saying about him: "For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak." (2 Corinthians 10:10).
I think this message is important because we live in a day when people tend to judge themselves by the appearance of their bodies. If they are skinny, they feel good about themselves. But if they gain just a little weight, they are tempted to think that they are ugly and disgusting. Because of modern movies and advertisements, people are continually inundated with thousands of subliminal messages that say, "If you're not skinny and youthful-looking, you don't rate!"
You see, physical muscles make you look great in the natural, but mere flesh and blood has no effect on the devil or the spiritual realm. Spiritual battles are not to be fought or won with flesh, because the flesh is no match for spiritual foes. This disadvantage of the flesh is the reason God has supplied spiritual weapons for the believer.
In Acts 19, a group of exorcists, whom the Bible identifies as the seven sons of a man named Sceva, attempted to cast an evil spirit out of a demon-possessed man. But when they commanded the evil spirit to come out of that man, the spirit answered them: ".Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" (Acts 19:14,15).
That's exactly what you need to do as well. Yes, you may live in a fleshly body that has all kinds of limitations, but you can go forth with spiritual weapons to do warfare in the Spirit! Regardless of what you look like in the natural realm, you can be a holy terror to the devil in the spiritual realm. So reach out and take the loin belt of truth, the shoes of peace, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. When you're clothed in the whole armor of God, you can win the victory over the kingdom of darkness every time! Blessings!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Pictures from Ecuador
Just a little over 48 hours ago, I arrived home with a team from our church. We had spent the past two weeks in the great country of Ecuador. We had the privilege of working on the one and only Assemblies of God campgrounds in Ecuador. We worked hard, but it was so rewarding. I will tell you more about it in the days to come, but today I would like to share some pictures with you: My fifteen year old son, Jordan, excited about flying from Miami to Ecuador: An Iguana at a park close to our hotel: House/store outside of Ayangue, Ecuador: A view from our Hotel out over the Pacific Ocean: This is my son Jordan laying tile. He and I laid tile together the entire trip. Wonderful memories… A float in a parade at Montanita, Ecuador: My wife and I on a boat preparing for whale watching: A beautiful sunset view from our hotel: Me preaching with an interpreter, who is Missionary Phil Barbers Administrative Assistant, Sandra. A great lady! One of the loving children of Ecuador: I took this picture at just the right moment. A whale leaping out of the water: I will share more tomorrow! Blessings.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Mission's Team Update
For updates on the Ecuador Missions Team please click here.
We will try to post pictures and prayer points daily.
Blessings,
dorinda
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
God rewards DILIGENCE
You have to want success in order to get it. It doesn't float on clouds, and it takes hard work to achieve it. Because most people are willing to do only average work, they reap average results. To achieve super results, one must do super work, be deeply committed to the task, and be willing to do whatever is necessary to realize goals and aspirations. Hebrews 11:6 says that God "is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." According to this verse, even God rewards diligence. In fact, He only rewards those who diligently seek Him, which means people with a lazy, lethargic, do- nothing; "take-it-easy" attitude will never be greatly rewarded by the Lord. This verse says that God rewards the diligent seeker. Rick Renner in "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" says that diligence is required for any success. The phrase "diligently seek" in Hebrews 11:6 is taken from the Greek word ekzeteo, and it carries an entire range of power-packed meanings. It means to zealously seek for something with all of one's heart, strength, and might. It presents the picture of one who seeks something so passionately and determinedly that he literally exhausts all his power in his search. Because the word ekzeteo portrays such an earnest effort, the idea of being hard-working, attentive, busy, constant, and persistent in one's devotion to what he or she is doing is also included. This tells us that Hebrews 11:6 means: You see, you have to be diligent to be rewarded by God, so it should be no surprise that diligence is going to be required in order for you to succeed in every sphere of life. It's just a fact that a lazy, neglectful attitude will never get you where you need to go. If you take your life assignment lightly — if you approach it with a casual, easygoing, take-it-easy, relaxed attitude — you'll never go far in the fulfillment of your call or dream. Live like a slug, and you'll eat dirt the rest of your life! If you're serious about succeeding in life, you'll have to adjust your level of commitment and give your full attention to what God has called you to do. Diligence cannot be a sideline issue. Your assigned task must have your full consideration, your undivided attention, and your mental and spiritual concentration. You must immerse yourself in faith, prayer, and meditation regarding God's call on your life. Distractions are not allowed. It takes hard work to achieve any goal, and complaining about that hard work won't make it any easier. So be constant in your commitment. Refuse to relent! Stay stubborn and unbending even in the face of opposition until your objective is achieved. Your consistency and determination will push the powers of hell aside and obtain the victory you desire! Blessings! Pastor Rusty
This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I hope you are as well. I would like to talk with you for a few moments today about the importance of diligence in a Christians life.
Some people are just lazy, which is why they never see anything accomplished with their lives. They blame their lack of success on this, that, and everything but themselves. But God is no respecter of persons. What He does for one, He will do for all. The key factors that make the difference are a person's level of determination and his or her willingness to do whatever is necessary to achieve a goal.
It may be a hard fact to face, but ultimately we are all responsible for our success or our lack of success. We all possess the same promises, the same faith, the same power, the same Spirit, and the same Jesus who sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). The main thing that determines who succeeds and who doesn't succeed is
attitude.
"God is a rewarder of those who put all their heart, strength, and might into seeking Him. Those who are so committed in their search that they are willing to exhaust all their natural powers in their search for Him — they are the ones who will find what they are seeking!"
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Dead-End Places
This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I hope you are as well.
What a wonderful time that we had in Destin with our family. There were fifteen family members in a home designed for eight people, and we managed fine! Even though it was very crowded, we made some life long memories. The picture that I have added here is my wife and I with all of our children, grandchildren, son-in-law, and mother and father-in-law. (Not pictured is my wife's sister and her family). I am so thankful for opportunities like this week to spend quality time together. If you haven't planned to take a vacation this year and enjoy family time, please reconsider. It is well worth the time and money. It is an investment that will pay many dividends.
I would like to share some thoughts with you today from 2 Corinthians 1:9, as well as some thoughts from Rick Renner.
Although we don’t like to admit it, we all occasionally run into dead-end places in our lives where we don’t know what to say, what to do, where to turn, or even how to pray. Sometimes it seems like we’ve hit a dead-end — in other words, it seems like everything is finished, over, and done with! If you’ve ever been in a place like this, you know what a hard place this can be! Through these kinds of experiences, you and I discover that in our own strength, we are no match for some of life’s problems. That’s why we must learn to depend on the power and wisdom of God!
The apostle Paul tells us that he, too, went through this kind of learning experience when he found himself face-to-face with life-threatening situations in his own ministry. In Second Corinthians 1:9, he says, “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” Paul was definitely at one of those dead-end places that we’re talking about today. In fact, the situation he faced was so acute that he compared it to a sentence of death. That’s dramatic language! Notice the word “sentence” in the verse above. It is taken from the Greek word krino. This word krino normally refers to a jury who just handed down their final sentence in a court of law. You could say that the word krino denotes a verdict or a sentence pronounced as the result of a court trial.
After all the evidence is presented and the judge has examined all the facts, a final verdict is issued by the court. This is exactly the word that Paul uses in this dramatic verse. In using such a word, Paul is telling us that so much evidence and so many problems were stacked up against him and his companions, by all appearances it looked like there was no way for them to escape or even to survive. It looked like they had hit a dead-end; everything for them seemed to be finished, over, and done with!
Have you ever had a time in your life when it looked like it was the end of the road for you and your dreams? Did you think there was no way out? Did it look like there were so many problems stacked against you that you’d never survive what you were facing?
In essence, Second Corinthians 1:9 could be translated: “As far as we were concerned, the final verdict was in, and the verdict demanded our deaths....”But in spite of how it looked, Paul didn’t die, nor did he fail at fulfilling the job God had given him. It may have looked like it was the end of the road, but it was really the beginning of a new supernatural flow of divine power into Paul’s life. That’s why he went on to say that through it all, he learned not to trust in himself, but in God who raises the dead. Paul had been under such intense pressure that he felt death was unavoidable. Then right from the midst of this horrible situation, God’s power was released and Paul was rescued! Paul said it was as if he and his companions had been raised from the dead.
When you don’t know what else to do and when you have no one else to turn to, that’s usually when God’s resurrection power begins to operate in you to the greatest measure! You see, there’s no such thing as no hope. As long as there is a loving Heavenly Father you can call on, there is still hope for you! If you learn to rely on Him, that dead-end place in your life that you’re facing right now can become a new beginning! So call out to your Heavenly Father right now. Expect Him to release His resurrection power on your behalf to turn your dead-end situation around! Blessings!
Pastor Rusty
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Oops and a Calculator
This is the day that the Lord has made; I pray that you are rejoicing and being glad in it!
“Oops” is one of those extraordinary sounds that can stir up joyous laughter and gut-wrenching fear all in the same historic moment. For example: During the cold winter night a light rain covers the ground, which soon freezes. Early the next morning you step out to get your newspaper. You take your two dogs with you. As you step outside, Lucky and Patch eagerly yank on their leashes. As your right tennis shoe comes in contact with the slippery ice on the front step… “Oops!” Do you get the idea?
Would you stay calm and serenely ask: “Doctor, did you just say... Oops?” (Right!) You would more likely say, “Where’s the phone? Get me a lawyer!” Or, how about a good old-fashioned loud scream for… “Help!!??” “Oops,” is that kind of word.
