Male & Female Function of God

Continuing from the last post{click here} we are discussing the male and female aspects of God. Not that God is part male and part female; God is a spirit. But God can and does function as both male and female. The male function tending to be through God the Father and Jesus His son; the female function being through the the Holy Spirit. We don't need the bible to make God neuter in order to see this. Any thought that the Bible needs to refer to God as an "it" instead of a "he" is silly and at the very least impersonal. God is a personal God and he personally functions as both male and female. I want to draw out these functions to give women especially a sense of who they are and who they can be in God.

On that same note we don't need the Bible to be neuter when referring to mankind either. The Bible is the word of God to his people, not just men and not just women. So if you come across verses that seem to be just talking to "men" don't think that you can glean from it as a woman. Same goes for the opposite. God tells us that male and female are mankind. So read His word as such.

"He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them Adam {mankind}." Genesis 5:2

Women were equally created in the image and likeness of God but have seemed to be but a shadow among their male counterparts through history. {We have discussed much of this in the last several posts}. So for a quick review lets look how it all started.

God is NOT a Man, God is a Spirit

So we have been talking about the goddess trough history and how the enemy has used to the goddess as a power and a comfort for women. We have discussed how through the ages that hasn't been hard to do since women have been faced by a largely misogynistic world or at the very least one that has been in large part run by men. Therefore women who have been hurt in this area have shied away from any association with a patriarchal God. And really who can blame them? But what needs to be clarified is that any hurt or fear that has come in the name of a patriarchal God is Not God, because God is not in the business of fear and hurting people.

So where does a woman find her place within a patriarchal faith? I have touched a bit on what God intended when he created the two sexes and how the enemy screwed that all up. How the enemy used what happened in Eden as a catalyst for his role as goddess and gender confusion through the ages. So now that we know that it is the enemy behind the goddess how can women find what they were searching for from the goddess in God? That is what I am in the process of trying to figure out. So I will share what I have come up with so far. Starting things off with one of the ten commandments from God.

Slay the Woman Loose the Dragon

Out of the wonderment and the power that was the very early church came a very angry dragon. The time of equal right and unity between men and women within the new faith was unfortunately short lived. The dragon had lost his hold over the woman and the huge polytheistic pantheons had begun to crumble. So the devil had to come up with a new way to revive the goddess and the catalyst came from within the church.

Remember how I discussed earlier that the woman seem to have a better perception of the spirit realm? I believe that is a gift that God gave woman that was intended to be coupled with mens strength of sober evaluation. So that together the perception of the woman and the evaluation of the man could produce proper judgement in situations. In Eden Eve could perceive the serpent but Adam was silent in his evaluation of the situation. Therefore proper judgment was not made. Maligned judgement of the situation lead to deception for both Adam and Eve.

Now we saw that the devil chose the woman not only because she was the one that bore the seed of man but also because of her spiritual perception. In this way the devil could use her for his spiritual deception via her sexuality and power of persuasion based in her spiritual sensitivity. This is how the role of the goddess flourished from the time of the Sumerian Inanna all the way through to the Greek goddesses like Artemis/Diana. What added fuel to the flame is that spiritual power was the only power that women were "allowed" to have in a man driven world. Then we saw how Jesus changed all that. The very early church was a spiritual power to be reckoned with because of the unity between men and women.

Greek Myth of Pandora

Before we move on I wanted to be sure to share one last Greek myth with you. You will see as we move into the time of the early church how this attitude towards woman was adopted by many a "church father". It was this attitude that fueled the fire while women were burned at the stake! If only these "fathers" had remembered the words of Paul to the Ephesians instead of seemingly ascribing to the paganist thought they were suppose to be rooting out! Again, you can not slay the dragon by killing the woman.

"For our struggle is NOT against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 5:12

The Greek Myth of the Mortal Pandora

"The gods keep hidden from men the means of life . . . Zeus in the anger of his heart hid it, because Prometheus the crafty deceived him; therefore he planned sorrow and mischief against men. He hid fire; but that the noble son of Iapetus stole again for men from Zeus the counsellor in a hollow fennel-stalk, so that Zeus who delights in thunder did not see it. But afterwards Zeus who gathers the clouds said to him in anger : `Son of Iapetos, surpassing all in cunning, you are glad that you have outwitted me and stolen fire--a great plague to you yourself and to men that shall be. But I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction.'

Slay the Dragon Not the Woman

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

I was going to try to avoid the verses in the new testament that have caused so much division in the church between men and woman. These verses have been re-hashed so many times you almost don't want to hear of them again! But because of what we have been discussing I find it necessary to visit a few of them. Many women have been deeply hurt by the way these verses have been taught. Which is a big indicator to me that they are not being taught correctly because God is not in the business of hurting people. I am hoping that you maybe see them in a different light putting them in context as to what type of women Paul was speaking to.

The words of Paul to women seem very harsh at times. But we have to remember that many of the people he was writing had never heard the gospel. The most common explanation is that the majority of the female coverts of the new testament church were prostitutes. It is true that prostitution was rampant throughout the Roman empire; both street and temple. They were always scantily clad, loaded with make-up, jewelry and spoke brazenly. Like most sexuality during that time there was an attitude of "anything goes". Sexuality was not an intimate male/female thing it was a ritualistic/hedonistic thing{as we have discussed in the other posts}. Infidelity, adultery, drugs and alcohol fueled the fire!

Power of the Goddess

So we have been discussing the word of the goddess through the old and new testament. I find it so interesting that in the way of "fertility goddesses" we went from Inanna and Ishtar whose temple practices involved copious amounts of sexual activity, a generous blurring of the lines between genders, and the consecration of any virginity or loss there of to the goddess herself.

As we moved into the new testament we have the goddess Cybele who still requires copious amounts of sexual activity for her worship but it is done in such a way that there in no fertility. Meaning that the sexual activity was between same sexes making it impossible to produce a child. Then we found Artemis to really be the antithesis of fertility in that she required anyone who worshipped her to never marry. This wasn't for virtuous reasons, this was because of the refusal to be attached to any man. Not only that but if one did marry and have a child it was quite possible you would suffer her wrath. Remember any woman who died in childbirth was attributed to Artemis. Their tunics would be taken to her as sacrifice. {according to the picture above maybe it was their bodies too!?!}We also discovered the eerie connection between a known abortion causing herb of the ancient world wormwood and the goddess. The herbs Latin name was Artemisia Vulgaris.

Blueprint of a Goddess...Artemis

So now we have come to the best known new testament goddess, that is Artemis. Artemis is a many faceted goddess whom I have not totally figured out. Some say she was a fertility goddess other say she was goddess of the hunt. Most seem to say that she was the goddess of both. So in that respect she will fit in quite nicely with the other goddess we have been discussing. Her most famous temple was in Ephesus on the west coast of Asia Minor but she also had temples in Sparta and Brauron.

In the Roman world she was assimilated with the goddess Diana. However when you look at the sculptures of Diana and Artemis side by side you see two very different looking goddesses. Where Diana looks very refined; Artemis has a more bohemian feel. {see pics} One theory is that the Artemis of Ephesus was an incarnation of the goddess Cybele because of the close geographically proximity and the similar look. For the sake of this post we will discuss the general consensus that Artemis and Diana are one in the same.

Artemis was known as a virgin goddess much like the others we have discussed. However with Artemis the term 'virgin' didn't mean 'single and having sex' as it did with the others. From what I can tell she was truly chaste. In fact I haven't found any evidence of ritual sex associated with Artemis or her temple. Which was a big surprise to me too! It is for this reason that Artemis became the patron goddess of young unmarried woman.

Blueprint of a Goddess...Cybele

So we have discussed some of the goddesses during the old testament times; mainly Inanna and Ishtar. Now we will jump ahead to the new testament times.

I have chosen to discuss the goddess Cybele because of her androgynous beginnings and her very interesting temple rites. When we think of the Greco-Roman world during the times of the new testament the more commonly known gods and goddesses come to mind...Aprodite/Venus, Dionysus/Bacchus, Eros/Cupid etc. While these gods and goddesses were no strangers to orgastic temple rites with sexuality of all kinds it is the myths of Cybele that have intrigued me.

Cybele was known as 'The Great Mother' or 'Great Virgin', guardian of the dead, goddess of fertility and wild life. Her myths actually date back to about 1500BC in Asia Minor{modern day Turkey}; specifically the region of Phrygia{yellow region on map}. In the older original myths Cybele is called Agadistis who possessed both male and female attributes. It was said that this gave rise to such wild and uncontrolled nature that the other gods began to fear her/him. So the gods gave Agadistis a potion to put her/him to sleep. While asleep Dionysus{god of intoxication} put a rope around her/his phallus so that when she/he awoke to get up her/his phallus was riped off. This blood dripped into the ground and a almond tree sprouted.

Blueprint of a Goddess...Pictures & References.

It really is amazing to see these fertility goddesses side by side. They all have the same symbolism; just from different times and different places. Most all have a serpent of some kind. We all know what that represents.  Here is an interesting take from a secular point of view---

"The serpent first appears as a serpent mother goddess in the Neolitic era, and is also drawn coiling around the womb and the phallus as principle of regeneration.  In the Sumerian cities of Ur and Uruk, in the lowest level of excavation, were found two very old images of the Mother Goddess and her child, both having the heads of snakes.  As the male aspect of the goddess was differentiated, the serpent became the fertilizing phallus, image of the god who was her son and consort, born from her, married with her and dying back into her for rebirth in unending cycle.   As we have seen, in images of the goddess in every culture the serpent is never far away, standing behind her, eating from her hand, entwined in her tree...Genesis is no expection to this, unless it be that, formally, there is no goddess, only a woman..."
The Myth of the Goddess, Anne Baring and Jules Cashford

Might I add that Genesis is no different!  The serpent hoped to make Eve the first goddess, but instead found a woman of God!  Also notice many of them also have wings, which makes it clear to me that they were a favorite manifestation of the Devil. Almost all of them have a lion in one way or another. It is my understanding that in mythology a lion represents the sun and earthly dominion. Therefore is usually in reference to the principle male deity. Remember, the fertility goddess is a moon goddess. So I am assuming that the symbolism is to show her power over the earth and the male deity.  In alchemy the lion is the symbol of sexual passion where as the serpent/dragon represents the circular nature of things or constant re-invention.  In alchemy this symbol is called 'ouroboros'.

In this post I will also include some of the biblical references where they apply.

Inanna/Ishtar{Sumerian/Babylonian}

'Queen of Heaven' Jer. 7:18, Jer. 44:17-19,25

'Morning Star' Isaiah 14:12

'Lilitu'{screech owl} Isaiah 34:14

Blueprint of a Goddess...Ishtar

In the last post we discussed the Sumerian fertility goddess Inanna. In this post we will see the next incarnation that was the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. Ishtar and Inanna are nearly the same goddess. Both are moon goddesses, both are related to Venus. Both call themselves the Morning and Evening Star. Ishtar is often depicted with lions, serpents or dragons. Both descend to the underworld. The parallels go on and on. Ishtar was just the latest incarnation of the goddess.

Now the in the last post we read of Inanna descended to the underworld, passing through the gates, then presenting herself naked before her sister, the queen of the underworld. Then she is killed by her sister and left hanging on a post. In the meantime her faithful friend goes to her father Enki{god of wisdom} to tell him she has not returned. So Enki creates two beings {neither male or female} to take her the water and food of life. Inanna comes back to life but the queen of the underworld tells her someone must die in her place. So Inanna goes to look for someone. When she comes upon her husband, Dumuzi{the shepherd god} she discovers that her was not mourning her death. In her anger she chooses her husband to take her place in the underworld. Therefore Tammuz is sacrificed for the sake of fertility.

Blueprint of a Goddess...Inanna

Continuing from our last post. We are discussing the very first fertility goddess; Inanna. She was the sex, fertility and goddess of war to the Sumerians in Mesopotamia. We discussed in the last post the Sumerian creation myth that there were six people created in the beginning. Four of whom were androgynous and the other two a barren female and a castrated male eunuch. So we can see the death wish that the devil had for both Adam and Eve. He was furious that Adam and Eve had the capability to produce life.

We also discussed the myth of Inanna and the Huluppu Tree. This was a tree that the god of wisdom had planted and that Inanna took and planted in her own sacred garden. She makes a throne in her tree, to rule. She makes a bed in her tree to reproduce. Later the serpent, the Anzu bird and the Lilitu all make a nest in her tree. We see later that these three beings were all aspects of Inanna's personality.

So this gives great insight as to the enemies side of the story. As I have discussed in other posts, I do not believe that God put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil {or function and dysfunction, in the Hebrew} in the garden. It was God's Tree of Life that was in the midst of the garden, the other tree was a tree that the devil had made his nest in. To make his throne and his bed as the myth points out. The Devil wanted to be ruler of the earth and he also wanted rule over the seed of the woman. So he tempts the bearer of the seed; Eve. More on this in a bit. First lets discuss 'Inanna and the Mes'.

According to the Sumerian myth, once Inanna made her throne out of the Huluppu Tree she decided she would need more power than what Enki{the god of wisdom} had given her. Enki was the keeper of the Mes or Me. The Me was the wisdom of civilization. It was the code of how the spirit world and the physical world interacted. So one day Inanna goes to Enki and asks for a larger allocation of the Me; since it was handed out among all the other gods each with their own sphere of influence. Enki denies his daughter Inanna her request and Inanna is not happy. So she gets him drunk. Then in his drunkenness he hands over ALL the Me to Inanna. Inanna flees quickly in her boat up the Euphrates.

When Enki comes to and realizes that he has been tricked, he is furious. So he sends out demonic creatures of all kinds to retrieve the Me. But Inanna's trusty female companion Ninshubur fights off all the demons. So what do you think was the prize of all the Me to Inanna? Choice!

"Of all the Me Inanna received, the one she valued most, as did Enki, was the power of making decisions. Knowing the other gifts would be worthless without this power -- which involves will, initiative, and independence." from Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth by Eloise Hart

So a background picture should be forming in your mind as to what was behind the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Isn't interesting to see how the Devil made myths to show himself the good guy in all this? Or actually good gal! LOL. Seriously though. The devil knew he could tempt Eve because he knew she had the freedom of choice. That is why he set up shop in the garden. He wanted Adam and Eve to worship him in place of God. He wanted Adam and Eve to think that he was the one that would make them 'fruitful and multiply'. He wanted Adam and Eve to think he was the one with all the wisdom. But as we know it was a lie. Adam and Eve gained no good knowledge from the tree, they only gained the death of the devil. There is another eerie parallel and that is Inanna's decent to the underworld.

It is still unclear to me as to why Inanna decides to go to the underworld. However her sister Eriskegal is the goddess of the underworld and the dead. As Inanna descends she passes through seven different gates guarded by demons. At each gate she is required to remove a piece of clothing or earthly attribute including her priestly office, her sexual power and her royal power. By the time she gets to the underworld she is naked before her sister the goddess of the dead.

"Naked and bowed low, Inanna entered the throne room.
Ereshkigal rose from her throne.
Inanna started toward the throne.
The Annuna, the judges of the underworld, surrounded her.
They passed judgment against her.
Then Ereshkigal fastened on Inanna the eye of death.
She spoke against her the word of wrath.
She uttered against her the cry of guilt.
She struck her.
Inanna was turned into a corpse,
A piece of rotting meat,
And was hung from a hook on the wall...."www.inanna.virtualave.net/tammuz.html

So here we really have the culmination of what took place in the garden. The Devil as Inanna has built his throne in the garden. He thinks he has outwitted God by using his choice to make his throne in the garden. The devil thinks that he can 'get' Adam and Eve by offering 'his' wisdom. But what he really wants is the seed of man, that is born of the woman. So the temptation of Eve was that she would 'be like God' or in this case be a goddess. This temptation goes against what God had already put in place by His truth.

Man and woman were created male and female, separate but equal. They were to take dominion over the earth together. They were to be fruitful and multiply together. They were to be in intimate relationship with God and in an intimate marital relationship together. But the Devil doesn't like that idea. So he seeks to destroy. But the trick offered to Eve was that she didn't need Adam as an intimate husband to co-rule with. The way of the goddess is to rule over man and use him only as a fertilizer. So Eve fell for it and Adam stood there like a future male fertility prostitute; succumbed to the way of the goddess and ate the lie as well. Then the lie was revealed.

They stood there naked and laid bare just like Inanna before the queen of the underworld. And part of the death was to their sexuality. Remember the Sumerian creation story? A barren woman and a male eunuch. That was how Adam and Eve stood. The Devil had made that which was male and female, married, intimate and able to produce life---androgynous, unequal, ritual and dead. Women are reminded of the death every month! That is what menstruation is; death of a potential life. This was part of the consequence for Eve's choice. Pain in conception and childbirth because of the 'death' caused by the Devil. This wasn't Gods plan. Sin is the punishment. Sin is causing the will of the Devil to take place. Moreover what the Devil accomplished is the unequal state between a man and a woman. Again not God, remember he has given them equal dominion, they were to be co-rulers. So God's response to this now unequal relationship is...Eve desire your husband{not the schemes of the enemy} and Adam take care of your wife! In other words look out for one another and be aware of the destructive plans of the enemy.

So in a way we can look at what happened in the garden as a victory. Or at the very least God working a seemingly hopeless situation for good. Adam and Eve repented. Adam and Eve were covered by God in skins of atonement. The next we hear of the couple it is that Adam knew his wife in the intimate, marital, sexual union. Eve conceives life by her husband and gives birth to life in her son Cain. Eve exclaims "With the help of the Lord I have brought forth the life of a man." {Gen 4:1} Proclaiming the life of God's truth and at the same time discounting the lie that the enemy had told.

So the Devil creates his own story. He dreams up the goddess Inanna as the one he wished Eve had become so that he would have held the power to use her to his evil purpose. In a weird way it almost seems that the Devil himself takes on the personae of the goddess. It's like the fireman who is an arsonist by night. He lights the fires of destruction in the shadows then by day shows up as the hero who saves everyone. That is the narcissistic character of the enemy. You will see as we follow the other fertility goddesses through ancient times that the are the ones who claim fertility but always have a dark side of war and death. It was the devil that gave birth to misogyny, but he covered his evil intentions in a the form of a goddess so that he might cause the most damage against her.

Next we will look at the transformation of the Sumerian Inanna into the Babylonian Ishtar. We will also be discussing where the female aspect fits into a patriarchal God.

Blueprint of a Goddess

So as discussed in the last post we are going to take a dive into the world of ancient mythology. This is in no way to glorify the devil or discount the Bible. This is to instead expose the schemes of the enemy and see things from "his" perspective. You will see very quickly how the devil created his own history in which he is the giver of life, sex and fertility. So for this post I will presents some of the myths of Inanna--Sumerian goddess of sex, fertility and war. She is considered the first fertility goddess. Then in the next post we will compare it with our story of Adam and Eve and how the devil assaulted sexuality.

I have never been more grateful for God as the true God and his Word. He is straightforward, simple and to the point. The polytheistic pantheons of the ancient world attest to the panic of the devil, that somehow "quantity" would make up for the "quality" that is "I AM". The myths are very complex and confusing. I have only been studying them for a few weeks, so it is hard to keep them straight. But it is obvious that the enemy used these gods and goddesses to destroy the truth and principles God had created. All the while he takes on the role that he was the one screwed over by God. Moreover that Adam and Eve had been screwed over by God as well.

Sacred Sex & Ritual Marriage

So I have been spending a lot of time looking at mythology and ancient religions. Most of this was research for my "Bible Sex, Drugs & Rock n Roll" post that I am adding to as I find new information. What I began to notice is how big a role the ancient fertility cults played in the world at that time. Also how under the guise of "sexual freedom" the devil was destroying sexuality and intimacy. Seeing that we have been discussing sexuality I thought it would be interesting to see how the devil has blurred the lines of sexuality from the very beginning. I believe it is part of the reason that he was in the garden.

Yesterday I read an interesting description of alchemy. Alchemy was known throughout the ancient world. But it really had a large following through the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Alchemy on one hand was the study of chemistry and paved the road for our modern day chemists. That side of it I think is wonderful...I have nothing against science! :D But the dark side of alchemy was the quest for a sacred elixir. A potion that would cure all diseases and give eternal youth. So in that sense it was more along the lines of the occult. Here is the definition I read.

Relationships: The One

Relationship Series...Click here to read the overview.

Fulfilling***Married***Passion***Ardent***Secret***Intimacy***Private***Unity

So we have made it to the very top of the list for loving relationships. This is when you and your beloved become one. Now I have already talked about "Why Marriage ?" in other posts so in this post I want to focus on the sexual side of marriage. It seems like the Bible is fairly silent as to what is to take place within the marriage. It tells us what NOT to do, but not real what we should do. In the new testament it basically just says to love and submit. Therefore I believe that even in Christian married circles the act of sex still seems a little un-spiritual. Even though...GOD INVENTED SEX FOR PLEASURE AS WELL AS PROCREATION!

So let go back to the Song of Solomon. Some say that this book is to be an allegory of God and the church in hopes to "spiritualize" the book. Look guys...this is a book about the courting, marriage and expression of two human people in love. This is a book that show the celebration of the two sexes becoming one in spirit and body. Intimate, sensual, passionate, steamy yet totally holy and ordained by God!

Relationships: Beloved {Part Two}

Relationships Series...click here to read the overview.

***Special***Exclusive***Intimate***Captivated***Sensual***Desire***Intrigue***Charmed

"He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love." Song of Solomon 2:4

So in the last post we talked a little about the difference between "L-longing O-obsession" and LOVE. You need all four letters for LOVE. L-longing O-obsession V-validated E-equally. To be "in love" the feelings need to be reciprocated from the other person. So what I want to discuss in the post is a couple that are committed to one another but not married. They are in a committed relationship with one another only.

The Song of Solomon is a beautiful poem of the deep intimacy and love that God desires for us to have with one another. The first three and a half chapters of the book are the courtship between the two lovers. It is the conversations of the two pledging their love to one another and also pledging their intimacy to one another. So what does it mean to be intimate with someone prior to marriage? These days when people hear the word "intimacy" they automatically think of sex. While sex is the most intimate act that God created for two humans to experience; it should be the celebration of an intimacy already in place.

Relationships: Beloved {Part One}

Relationship Series....click here for an overview.

Beloved***Delight***Desire***Captivated***Exclusive***Sensual***Promised***Charmed

"I charge you...do not stir up or awaken my love until she pleases." Song of Solomon 8:4

So we have worked our way up the relationship chart to come to "Beloved". This is someone that you have been affected by and you have deep affection for. Hopefully the affection is for both for the physical and the spiritual in that person. Also that the affection for the spiritual is rooted in God's truth and principles.

So how do you know if you are "in love"? Well I'd say one of the most important things is that the other person feels the same way as you do. You can't be in love with someone that has not reciprocated the same feelings. Now I am not saying that you don't feel genuine love for that person. But you are only half of the equation. Think of it like this.     L-longing O-obsession V-validated E-equally

If the other person does not feel the same way about you, you only have the first part of the word...L-longing O-obsession. Also known as infatuation or a crush. Now I do not believe that it is wrong to have a crush on someone, to a certain extent. If you start lusting over that person that is a different story. But I think people can have intense feelings for someone and not be lusting. Remember God created us to have relationships. He created us to be attracted to one another. The biggest problem with a crush is that it is easy to get hurt. You have to remember to love yourself too.

Relationships: Kindred Spirit

Relationship Series...click here for an overview.

Delight***Cherish***Devotion***Integrity***Dear***Admiration***Praiseworthy***Esteem

So we have been discussing relationships. In the last couple of posts we have been discussing friends in general. This post is dedicated to some one that we would call a best friend. Someone that you have a deeper affection for more than your other friends. This could be someone of the same sex or someone of the opposite sex, but is necessarily a boyfriend or girlfriend. We will get to them in the next post.

I can think of no better example of what a kindred spirit should be than David and Jonathan in the Bible. These were two men that had a deep affection for one another. They were committed to each other and committed to God. They are a perfect example of the deeply satisfying relationships that we can have without any hint of romance being involved. Today in our society David and Jonathan's relationship could easily be misconstrued as a homoerotic relationship or a "bromance" at the very least. Which again is very sad. Society has sexualized everything to the point that it seems almost impossible to think of being friends with someone with no sexualization involved! The devil is stealing what would otherwise be a deeply satisfying, affectionate, non-sexual relationship. It doesn't have to be this way folks. Let's look at what the bible says.

Relationships: Friend {Part Two}

Relationship Series...click here to read the overview.

Fellowship***Edify***Confidant***Companion***Esteem***Trustworthy***Positive***Righteous

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have a sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." 1 Peter 1:22



So we are continuing from the last post discussing the specific relationship of "friends". Friends are people that you have personally been affected by and now have affection for. What is different in this relationship compared to the "neighbor" relationship is that the feelings of affection are reciprocated. Two people are actively involved.

In this post I want to discuss the idea of fellowship with our friends. It seems that these days we have lost the true, deep fellowship that we are to have with our friends. Anytime I see the word fellowship, I think of "Lord of the Rings" or the "Knights of the Round Table". People that had such strong affection for one another that they were willing give their lives for one another. They stood together through lifes perils and challenged one another to be better humans{or elves, hobbits and dwarfs...lol}.

So the question here is why are we friends with the people we are friends with? Is it because they agree with everything we say? Is it because they have the same character weaknesses as us? Is it because they have the same addictions as us? Is it because they are weaker than us and we can control them? Is it because they are the "beautiful" people or the cool crowd? If the answer is "yes" to any of those questions, that is not the foundation for a loving relationship. You are neither loving yourself or the other person. Our friendships and affections should always bring glory to God.

Relationships: Friend {Part One}

Relationship Series...click here for the overview.

Fondness***Honor***Respect***Admiration***Empathy***Regard***Esteem***Warmness

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

We have covered what it is to love you enemy and to love your neighbor. Now we come to the largest group of people. Your friends. Who are your friends? Friends are people that you have personally been affected by and now have affection for. Now we saw in the last post that God can give affection for a certain group of neighbors. What is different with a friend is that the affection is reciprocated to the point that a friendship is formed. You continue to interact with this person. It isn't just a one time thing.

So with friends we already have the feeling to love. It is not something that we have to will in obedience to God's command like with the enemy and neighbor. Now for the sake of this post I want you to just think of friends in general. I am not talking about your best friend or boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse. We will get to them in the next posts. What we are discussing here are the friends that you have affection or a fondness of, not someone you are "in love" with.

The Lost Art of Relationships

The world seems to be in a whole lot of confusion and deception when it comes to the subject of relationships. There are tons of people out there that have been deeply hurt in this area. There are a whole lot of people out there who are desperate for love and acceptance. Sexuality in our society have been grossly mistreated. There are so many wrong things being done in the name of love that many people don't have any concept of what love is really suppose to be.

Love is not subjective to be defined by each person individually. All love is not God. God is love and therefore love should be defined by his truth and principles. Love outside the truth and principles of God is not what love is suppose to be. Now I am not saying that someone outside God's truth doesn't feel love. Love is most certainly a feeling and a emotion that is inherent to all mankind. But love is also a command from God. So that tells me that there are rules and boundaries that go with that command to define what it is suppose to look like. It also means that we are able to control it.