February 2007
The Monthly View focus
for 2007 not only considers things that
will interest you, but shares a view of
live from an experience of God's love. My
prayer is that God will give you a desire
to visit this site often for an experience
of His love. This desire fulfills the vision
and purpose of abounding love ministry.
That is, to always have others feel loved
and to help them understand that God loves
them.
Happy Valentines Day
Saint Valentine was a Roman priest and
physician who clung to his love for Jesus
Christ in spite of persecution by Emperor
Claudius Gothicus. It cost him his reputation.
It cost him his career. It cost him his
livelihood. Ultimately, when he refused
to recant, it cost him his live. He was
an example of God's divine, unconditional
love. He was willing to deny himself and
take up his cross and follow Jesus.1
Valentine's Day has grown to symbolize
a worldly view of love---kisses, heart candy,
romantic music, cards with poems and pledges
of devotion. This love is defined by the
Greek word eros for erotic love, which is
evident in our culture. Opposing this, the
culture of the Kingdom of God is defined
by the Greek word agape from the Greek New
Testament Bible for God's divine love
How are we to view Valentine's Day as a
Christian? We are to remember that God so
loved the world that he gave is only begotten
Son that whosoever believes in Jesus should
not perish but have everlasting life. 2
What are we to believe about Jesus? That
Jesus took our sin upon Himself at the cross.
3 He cleansed us from
all unrighteousness, and made us right with
God. 4 Then, we are
able to love one another this Valentine's
Day from a healed and pure heart.
Experiencing God's Love
It is possible to experience God's love
throughout the day, year around. The Disciples
experienced Jesus washing their feet. 5
The Apostle John alluded to himself as "the
disciple whom Jesus loved" five times
in his Gospel. 6 He
experienced God's love, which resulted in
His love for God and obedience. 7
Likewise, we are to abide, continue and
settle down in God's love, that our joy
might be full. 8
The Christian life is all about experiencing
God's love, but many find it difficult to
realize that God loves them as much as he
loved his Son, Jesus. 9
For this reason, we must ask God through
prayer to help us grasp His love. I suggest
you pray the following prayer from God's
Word, while at the same time slowly meditate
what you are praying. It is God's will for
you to know His love.
"Father, I pray that from Your glorious,
unlimited resources, You will give me mighty
inner strength through the Holy Spirit.
And I pray that Christ will be more and
more at home in my heart as I trust Him.
May my roots go down deep into the soil
of Your marvelous love. And may I have the
power to understand, as all your people
should, how wide, how long, how high, and
how deep Your love really is. May I experience
the love of Christ, though it is so great
I will never fully understand it. Then I
will be filled with the fullness of life
and power that comes from You. Amen."
10
What About Diet?
My desire is to be considerate of those
who might not visit this site to experience
God's love, but desires to hear something
about me or my former days with the Manson
family. There is much on this site concerning
those matters, but I'm led to share a little
about my diet.
In the December View, I shared our holiday
menu, but in our cells, we are able to cook
canteen and quarterly package item in our
hot pots. Most of the items are instant,
made with hot water. Many times I place
a bowl in hot water for warming food. For
instance, I'll dice up an apple and place
in the bowl with a pouch of tuna, and then
I mix in crushed red pepper, powdered garlic
and olive oil. I set this inside a tortillas
or with crackers. I sometimes add cheese
and garlic sauce.
I've been a vegetarian since the '60s.
I drink milk and eat eggs, cheese and fish
for protein. I limit foods with flour, sugar
and salts. I get fiber from oatmeal, cracked
wheat cereal and fruits, mostly apples,
bananas and pears at this time. We aren't
allowed oranges and grapefruits because
prisoners make wine from them. I eat brown
rice mixed with dried vegetable flakes and
spicy pinto beans on the side. I sprinkle
a few crushed Nacho chips on top with a
dash of garlic sauce. It's a tasty dish
usually served in a tortilla.
Deceptive Self-Love
The deceptive doctrine of self-love is
still being taught today as truth, after
creeping into the Body of Christ in the
1970s. Jesus narrowed the Ten Commandments
down to two great commandments: Love God
and love thy neighbor. Those who teach self-love
add a third commandment to the second: "Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
11 They say we have
to love ourselves in order to love our neighbor,
but in reality, we naturally love ourselves
and are at least somewhat self-centered.
In the Monthly View for April 2005, I taught
on the four kinds of love, but self-love
is not one of them. It has been around since
the Fall of man in the Garden. We've never
had a problem loving ourselves. Some are
taught in recovery that we hated ourselves
in captivity to our past addictions, and
we need to love ourselves in order to recover.
To the contrary, we loved ourselves trying
to satisfy our fleshy nature with every
vice imaginable: "...the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride
of life." 12
Self-love is called narcissism in the field
of Psychiatry. It has to do with an excessive
love and admiration for oneself. Narcissus
was a mythological youth who pined away
in love for his own image in a pool of water
and was transformed into the flower that
bears his name. As Christians, we are to
"deny [say 'no' to] yourself, and take
up the cross daily and follow Jesus."
13 I profess: "I
am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.”
14 He [Jesus] must
in increase, and I must decrease. 15
A Prayer For You...
Father, I ask that You give me a complete
understanding of what You want to do in
my life. I ask You to make me wise with
spiritual wisdom. Then the way I live will
always honor and please You, and I will
continually do good, kind things for others.
All the while, I will learn to know You
better and better. I pray that I will be
strengthened with Your glorious power so
that I will have all the patience and endurance
I need. May I be filled with joy, always
thanking You, who has enabled me to share
the inheritance that belongs to all Your
holy people. You brought me into the light.
You rescued me from the one who rules in
the kingdom of darkness, and You brought
me into the Kingdom of Your dear Son. You
purchased my freedom with Your blood and
You forgave my sin. Thank You In the Name
of Jesus Christ. Amen 16
1. Luke 9:23
2. John 3:16
3. Cor. 5:21
4. 1 John 1:9
5. John 13:1-17
6. John 13: 23 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20
7. John 14: 21,23
8. John 15: 9-11
9. John 17: 20-26
10. Eph 3: 16-19
11. Matt. 22:36-40
12. 1 John 2: 15-17
13. Like 9:23
14. Gal 2:20
15. John 3:30
16. Col 1:9-14
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