Tag Archives: brotherly love

~~Prayer Warriors Needed~~

I know we have a very strong prayer community within this “blogging” space– so my dear brothers and sisters within the True Body of Christ, I’m reaching out today on behalf of two very special people in my life.   Tomorrow morning (Tuesday 7:30 CDT) my second youngest daughter Mandilyn (27) is having a very serious surgery, while 100 miles away, at the same exact time my youngest granddaughter Joeie (2) is having hand surgery.

I’ve requested prayer for Mandilyn before that the trial birth control would shrink the mass on her right ovary.  (for a little history Mandi had a mass removed from the left ovary July 2011)  The previous mass was created by a ruptured egg , however this one is completely different.  And… it hasn’t shrunk at all, it is the size of a golf ball.  Her doctor has no real idea what the mass is but it’s not the same as before and we know that the doctor may have to remove the entire ovary.  Mandi understands state and has accepted that God is in control of the situation (she knows Him as Savior— but is not walking with Him). 

Little Joeie has a strange condition for an infant.  Both of her thumbs has extra tendons; causing the thumbs to always be bent.  It looks like arthritis would.  A hand specialist is going to snip the extra tendons to release the thumbs.  Her mother, my youngest daughter Missy knows the Lord and trusts all will work well.

I am asking 1) prayer for Mandi that the doctor may have true wisdom; for Mandi to be impressed by God’s love for her through this; and finally that it is not ovarian cancer!

For little Joeie 1) that there won’t be any difficulties with the surgery and that recovery be minimal, as you can imagine a 2-year-old with bandaged hands; also prayer for my daughter Missy and daddy Justin. 

*** As I been doing my study through the Gospel of John I am finding the most beautiful, blessed truths about the love of the Father in heaven and how He loved us so much to send His ONLY begotten to live as we, die a horrible death without any sin of His own (of course Jesus was God in the flash) for the sole purpose of reconciling man to the Himself– The LORD God Almighty.  This past week I’ve been reading and studying the words Jesus spoke to His disciples just previous to His death.  I found none of these recorded in the other 3 gospels.  There is so much there— I’m craving the Word!  This I’d like to share, as it concerns me asking you for prayer support.***

John 16: 20-24  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament , but the world shall rejoice : and ye shall be sorrowful , but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come : but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice , and your joy no man taketh from you.  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you , Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask , and ye shall receive , that your joy may be full .

Oh how I love you my Savior Jesus and my Forever Father in heaven.  Bless all those who will believe your words… and crave them!  Thank you all for considering, as the Holy Spirit leads to pray.  ♥ Streim

Like-Minded Comforters

comfort

2 Corinthians 1: 3-6  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.  Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.”

Romans 15: 1-6  “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.  For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’  For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.  Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,  that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Be blessed ♥ Streim

What’s Love Got To Do With It? Part 5.2

John 21: 15-17:   “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah,  do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”  He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah,  do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”  He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah,  do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Three challenging messages about “love” and our relationship to God come from these few verses. 
1.  Jesus reference to Peter as ‘Simon, son of Jonah/Jonas/John’.
2.   The word love requires explanation in the case of its use here by our Lord in His talk with Simon, the son of Jonas, which took place after Christ’s resurrection.
3.  What our Lord Jesus Christ told Peter to do for the kingdom of heaven.
 
1.  It’s very interesting that our Lord Jesus when He began talking with Peter called him Simon, son of Jonas  which was Peter’s name before the Lord changed it to Peter–the rock.  We read of that event in Matthew 16:18 and also in John 1:42.  It is obvious that our Lord was using Peter’s birth name for a definite purpose.  Some Bible scholars say ‘… to reinstate Peter as a disciple’.  I’m not sure that’s the complete message here.  I believe Peter remembered daily his denial of  those 3 times after the Roman soldiers took Jesus into custody.  The reason I believe that is because in Jesus’ first question He says “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love Me more than these?”  That reminded Peter of his confession of love, faith and obedience to our Savior in Matthew 26:33 “Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”   That was a profound statement to make to Jesus; Peter was saying “…no matter what the other disciples do, I will never deny you…” but Peter denied he even knew Jesus; three times!  (Matthew 26: 69-74)
 
2.  Interestingly, the word Jesus uses for love in His first inquiry of Peter is the Greek word ‘agape’, which means selfless love; self-sacrificing love for the welfare of another above oneself .  The love that our Savior Jesus Christ showed to the world when He obeyed the Father and gave His life for all of mankind on the cross of Calvary.
Peter’s response “Yes Lord, You know that I love you”, the word for love Peter used was phileos, Greek for a close, friendly, brotherly type love.  A more affectionate response, which is what Peter needed at this point because he felt distanced by the Lord and desired forgiveness and that ‘close relationship’ he and Jesus shared before the crucifixion .  Jesus responds with “Feed My lambs”.
Jesus asks Peter again “Do You love me?” , the agape love again.  Peter responds as before with “Yes Lord You know I love You” using phileos again.  Jesus says “Tend My sheep”.  A third and final time Jesus asks Peter “Do You love Me?”  Peter saddened deeply because His Lord asked him again, but elated because this time Jesus uses the Greek phileos!  That’s what Peter was waiting to hear, and he responded with
“Lord you know all things, you know I love you”.  The Lord Jesus knew Peter’s heart and He knew how much Peter loved his Savior, his friend, his brother.  Then Jesus responded “Feed my sheep”.
 
3.  In all of Jesus’ responses to Peter He tells/commands Peter to do 3 similar yet alike acts.  First “Feed my lambs”.   Acts 20:28 the apostle Paul tells the chosen leaders (disciples ) “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God  which He purchased with His own blood.”
In Jesus second response he says “Tend my sheep”.  In 1 Peter 2:25 a more spiritually mature Peter writes “For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”  He was following Jesus command… Peter was tending the Lord’s sheep!
In Jesus third response to Peter He said “Feed my sheep”.  Peter did exactly as His Lord Jesus commanded and spent His life being a leader and a Shepherd for the “sheep”.  Teaching them in the ways of the Lord.  Thus, feeding them.
 

                       What’s love got to do with it?  EVERYTHING!  We can’t share the love of Jesus if we don’t love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, body and soul– if we don’t have a close, loving relationship with Him and ‘love your neighbor as yourself’.  The Word tells us “God is love” “… love is the greatest of all commandments.”  Praying for myself and all the Body of Christ that our love shines brightly and shared with the world!  ♥ Streim