"“God is love,” the Apostle John exclaimed with ardor in his first letter (v. 8). John, the youngest of the disciples of the Lord and known as the “Apostle of love,” was the last to die. As he got older, his teaching became more and more simple, speaking only of the love of God. According to one tradition, one of his disciples asked him, “Why do not you speak to us of something else?” He responded, “because there is nothing else more important to speak about.”

Even though Christianity is complex, containing mysteries and truths which are difficult for the human mind to penetrate, it is also very simple: in the end what we find is the love of God, and all truth leads us there. The love of God is the ultimate cause of all that exists, the ultimate cause of all that happens, and the ultimate cause of our existence. Everything that God has done, He has done out of love; He created us out of love… He sustains us in existence out of love… He seeks us when we walk away from Him out of love… He develops an entire plan of salvation out of love… He became Incarnate out of love… He forgives us and saves us out of love. He suffered His passion and death out of love, and He continues to be Love that searches for us to restore our hearts, to pour forth His grace and mercy, and to elevate us to the dignity of children of God. He seeks our hearts because He loves us. “I sought him whom my heart loves… I will rise then and go about the city… I will seek Him whom my heart loves” (Songs of Songs 3:1-2).

His Holiness “In Jesus Christ God not only speaks to man but also seeks him out. The Incarnation of the Son of God attests that God goes in search of man… It is a search which begins in the heart of God and culminates in the Incarnation of the Word. If God goes in search of man, created in his own image and likeness, he does so because he loves him eternally in the Word, and wishes to raise him in Christ to the dignity of an adoptive son… God seeks man out, moved by his fatherly heart… Why does God seek man out? Because man has turned away from him… Man allowed himself to be led astray by the enemy of God… Going in search of man through his Son, God wishes to persuade man to abandon the paths of evil which lead him farther and farther afield. ‘Making him abandon’ those paths… means overcoming the evil which is everywhere found in human history. Overcoming evil: this is the meaning of the Redemption”

God created Adam and Eve for love. They broke this relationship of love with God when they allowed themselves to be seduced by the invitation of the devil: “Do you want to rebel against your status as children? Do you want to break the bonds of love with God because of distrust?” But from the moment of man’s fall, God sought to re-establish His relationship with them; He desired to attract them once again to His Fatherly Heart; He promised them a savior. In this same manner God’s search for our own hearts begins; in this same manner the covenants and restorations of God’s relationship with humanity begin; in this same manner the great adventure of love begins that eventually culminates with the visible manifestation of love on the Cross.

Let us examine some of the major covenants of love that God established with His people in order to bring their hearts back to Him.

· God seeks humanity in the person of Noah. It is a humanity that has become corrupted and deserving of the punishment by flood. One of the faithful families that responded to the call of God is protected from the disaster. It is through this family that future generations will be able to continue. God makes a promise to never annihilate all of humanity with a flood again. His Merciful Heart chooses instead to protect.

. God seeks humanity through Abraham. He makes a personal alliance with him that will pass on to all his descendants. God wants to reunite a humanity that has become dispersed by the confusion caused at Babel. He wants to form a people, a family that will be faithful and live in holiness, a family who will listen to His revelation. He promises Abraham a fecundity without measure, and He promises to give his descendents the land of Canaan as a possession. God’s Loving Heart chooses to bless.

. God seeks humanity by means of Moses; He frees the people from slavery. The Lord manifests His love by doing many miracles, but the people are not grateful. Nevertheless, God desires to make them into a people who will say “yes” to his mandates, a people that will know Him, love Him, and serve the true God. He desires to give them the Law, the concrete manner by which to live this relationship of love. He wants to instill the Law in them so that it will penetrate the entire moral and spiritual life of the people. His Heart chooses to reveal the sure path to come to Him.

We could probably go through our entire lives meditating upon all of the loving manifestations of God throughout salvation history. However, despite so much love of God towards men, many times the people of Israel were that unfaithful spouse about whom the prophet Hosea spoke – they turned their hearts away from God and allowed their love to grow cold by loving and serving other gods. But God did not resign Himself to this – which is why we see constant calls, through the mouths of the prophets, to return to Him with their entire heart.

God who is the Father does not resign Himself to losing humanity to the snares of the devil. He does not resign Himself to this because He loves us, because we are His sons, made in His image and likeness. He suffers profoundly from our rebellion and indifference. He suffers because He loves us… but His love is infinite, perfect and merciful, and for this reason, He seeks to attract us to His love.

“When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the farther they went from me…Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love…Yet…they did not know that I was their healer…they refused to repent…Yet, how could I give you up, O Ephraim, or deliver you up, O Israel? I will not execute the fierceness of my anger…for I am God” (Hosea 11:1-9).

How much love! Salvation history is all about discovering God’s love for man. He loved them by forgiving them, by speaking to them through the prophets, by making covenants, by correcting, by liberating, by protecting, by revealing His will, by manifesting His providence and His miracles. He did it in so many ways, but His greatest manifestation was the Incarnation, when the Second Person of the Trinity became man."

*** Many confuse the verses that say we are called to suffer with Christ to indicate disease/misfortune but that is not what these verses mean. That is why it is so important to be holy spirit led when interpreting the scripture because it’s deeply allegorical and not always interpreted correctly. Many are driven away from the Lord due to the misinterpretation of scripture, and it breaks His heart because He loves all of us so much. He suffered His death/crucifixion to save us, and the Lord does NOT desire for us to suffer from disease or misfortune that is why He walked the earth healing our disease.

There is a difference between the suffering we are called to experience with Christ and the suffering we experience when in bondage to Satan. Because when we suffer with Him or 'carry the cross' we do so willingly. And there is a reward in that which is far greater than the suffering we may experience. We receive the crown of life when it’s all over, and all those we helped save will stand in front of us on that day and thank us for what we did. But honestly, I don’t see it as suffering to sacrifice for others because I’m not happy unless I’m helping others.

The type of suffering Jesus experienced (and we are called to experience with Him as His followers) was far different from disease/misfortune. It was a heart break, a persecution, a denial and rejection so devastating that it shakes you to the core. He gave His life for us yet many despised Him and rejected Him. And they still do so today-- when they reject His followers. Ill post something I wrote that just happens to pertain to this:

God's people weren't called to suffer alone... we were called to suffer 'with' Him-- yet suffering results in wisdom, strength, joy, and self-fulfillment because it was all for love. We are denied when He is denied. We are persecuted when He is persecuted. Our heart breaks when His heart breaks. And we love when He loves. Because He first loved us.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16)

....

I don’t know if you've ever been in love before-- real love. But if you ever have think of a time when that person walked away from you. When all you wanted to do was be there for them, and you'd give up anything for them-- even your own life. But they still left you and walked away anyway. That is how Christ feels when we deny Him and His sacrifice.

God is pure good-- He alone heals us of all our disease. He alone gives life and ALL good things yet so many do not even acknowledge Him yet He still stays right by their side.. protecting them... and guiding them... and that is the definition of love.

https://youtu.be/zEL4Oqfcgn8

You may notice in that video that everyone appears to be high on something lol. But it's not drugs. They are spiritual hippies. I always go to Winter Jam.. which is sort of like that but there are a lot more people. And the spirit is so strong there that it results in this amazing euphoria. It's unexplainable.

His spirit is stronger than a drug. Especially His love.

The love that we give and receive is only a small portion of the pure unconditional love He has for us and for some reason I find that so hard to grasp. But it is the same love. It is His love. We are one with Him and it is His love.

And somehow we need to grasp that. Because the source should be identified. He doesn't deserve to get absolutely no recognition for that which He is therefore does not nor cannot exist without Him. And one cannot reach completion without that acknowledgement. One must know the identity of that which is or that which is, is no longer.

Meaning we can never experience love to the level of completion without acknowledging the source.

We are already one with Him and we already know Him and His love... as it does not exist apart from Him. We just have to acknowledge that.

That last paragraph was just clarification. I was just repeating what I just said previously in different words because I was speaking rather abstractly.

Or rather I should have said.. those last few sentences I wrote were just clarification. I was translating the statement: one must know the identity of that which is or that which is, is no longer.

Means we know Him and His love or we could not be in thus.

https://youtu.be/cqa8O1ktxk8

https://youtu.be/bvsAV-MgGao?list=PLpSSJt--D0bbIJXrXZHvKf7uaswtWvB28

https://youtu.be/jas8siNG3Bo?list=PLpSSJt--D0bbIJXrXZHvKf7uaswtWvB28