The Encourager Newsletter - Vol.4 Issue 2 - February 12, 2010 - A Lot of Love Goin' On - Matters of the Heart

A Lot of Love Goin’ On

Everybody's talkin’ about love. Anybody know what love is? Is love a warm fuzzy feeling? Long ago somebody said that love is when we get shot with an arrow from Cupid’s magical bow. Young people (and some older) ask me: “How do you know when you’re in love?” Short of a lightning strike, what is it? What is love?

The Greeks discussed love 2,500 years ago in the Koine Greek (ancient form of Greek spoken by the common people) and some of their love words found their way into the New Testament and modern America. There’s phileo, to be friendly, the base word for Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love. That’s a very important kind of love. It makes one civil and cooperative and makes civilization work and projects to get done.

Then there’s eros, a love dominated by sexual passion. This was God’s idea and it belongs in marriage between a man and woman who have vowed to be loyal to each other until death. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)

Eros love is portrayed by Hollywood as acceptable, impromptu entertainment. But this is the scarlet sin that messes up the minds and lives of so many people; the sin that produces poverty, disease, death, and empty, unhappy people especially the resulting children. Millions of unwanted babies are then murdered or displaced and deprived. It was not God’s will that eros love should result in untold suffering and deprivation.

A third Greek word is agape which is the unselfish love coming from the Spirit of God. … the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5) Most people know nothing about agape love and how many who know about it actually allow God to love through them? This is the kind of love that makes a little cottage with cotton curtains to be a piece of heaven.

Remember this verse? Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. (Proverbs 15:17) God knows lot about what will make a happy home. The dogs and the neighbors will notice it. The children are the first to notice it.

A young man was accused of treason and was to be executed the next day upon the ringing of the bell in the church tower. The accused was led by the soldiers to the place of execution and waited for the bell to ring. The bell ringer went to his post to ring the huge bell. They waited…and waited….and waited. What they did not know was that the church custodian in charge of ringing the bell was deaf from many years of service.

The young bride had followed the bell ringer up the ladder. Quickly she reached up and then leaped as high as she could to grab hold of the clapper, pulling herself up inside the bell. As the bell ringer pulled hard on the big rope, the bell swung up to beat against the clapper. Instead, the bell housing struck against her body. But she padded the clapper and prevented the bell housing from striking it. Back and forth the bell turned and beat against the body of this valiant, determined woman.

At last the bell ringer stopped, tied the rope to its anchor and went down the ladder. The soldiers and their commander were waiting and watched the bell ringer come out of the building. A detail of the soldiers hastened into the church, up the ladder into the tower. There on the floor lay the motionless, bloody body of the bride-to-be. She appeared to be dead.

Then she moved slightly. The soldiers carried her to their commander. Her dress was red with blood and she was barely breathing. The Captain was summoned and looking upon the scene was so moved by the love of this brave, young woman that he gave the order to cut the prisoner down and to let him go. The bride-to-be would live but would be long in recovering and the several broken bones might not grow back straight. This is love. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) Ω

Matters of the Heart—Barbara Carr

Valentine’s Day! A day to remind those we love how much we really love them. We send cards, flowers, candy, have a special dinner or do all three. We all enjoy this attention and show of affection. These things are jut to remind our loved ones that we do love them. A good Bible chapter for us to read on real love is Corinthians 13. This is known affectionately the world-over as the great love chapter, where love is defined and encouraged.

The universal symbol for Valentine’s Day is a heart—chocolate hearts, message hearts, heart shaped cakes, etc. The prominent color is red—red hearts, red paper, red roses and on we go. Now, we can send all our friends messages on the internet. We use the word “heart” in our everyday sentences. For example: “that touched my heart.” “My heart goes out to her,” and “those words were from the heart.”

Years ago during a discussion with a good friend of mine, the phrases “feelings of the heart” and “heart felt” were used. She immediately explained to me that the heart was only a muscle that pumped blood through our circulatory system; that the heart had no capacity to feel. I knew what the heart’s job entailed, but I also knew that I had feelings that seemed to come from the heart area.

In 1981 my son, Doug died at age 24. From the day he was born, he was the center of my life. Maybe I loved him too much. The week following his burial, my heart hurt so badly. It felt like it would burst from my chest; like I was having a heart attack. My brain was not hurting. It contained all the events leading to death, but it was not hurting. I knew then without a doubt that the heart does have feelings.

In scripture we find the word “bowels” being used to show compassion. When I read this word in the Bible, I always think of the heart. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. (Philemon 1:20) The word “heart” is used 765 times in the Bible. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: ”(1Peter 1:22)

A couple of weeks ago, our son-in-law, Jim Cofield wrote an excellent article about the heart on his blog. With his permission, I would like to share a lengthy part of that with you. See: www.cpministries.wordpress.com

“Modern neuroscience makes some startling claims about the human heart. The organ beating in our chests is the major center of our intelligence. Since I’ve ’been in my head’ most of my life I find this fascinating … and unnerving. I’ve never been good with feelings!”

Apparently molecular biologists have discovered that the heart is the body’s most important endocrine gland. It produces and releases a major hormone that profoundly impacts every operation in the ‘emotional’ brain. Scientists say that 60 to 65% of the cells of the heart are actually neural cells, not muscle cells. They are identical to the neural cells in the brain.

What all this adds up to is this … there is literally a ‘brain’ in our hearts. It is linked to every major organ in the body and to the entire muscle spindle system that uniquely enables humans to express their emotions. About half the heart’s neural cells are involved in translating information sent to it from all over the body so that it can keep the body working as one harmonious whole. The other half make up an unmediated neural connection with the emotional brain in our head.

The heart of the matter? Our hearts organize and control the entire human system. This is why the heart is the first organ developed in the womb. It has to be there to oversee the baby’s development. And it never stops overseeing things. Literally!

One of the implications of this which scientists are noting is the priority and power of emotions. Somehow the heart’s involvement in emotional development is foundational to everything else about us (i.e. cognition, volition, memory, desire, etc.). ”It all begins with feeling unconditionally wanted, accepted, and loved.”

It’s no surprise that John 3:16 touches us as it does. And the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). And why Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart (Matthew 22:37).

Guess it would do me good to spend my last years getting down to the heart of the matter … not simply feeding my brain but nurturing my heart.” John 3:16, Luke 15, Matthew 22:37,” (End of quote.)

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14)

I was right long ago in believing that the heart is the center of our emotions. Praise the Lord! We do feel things from the heart. I hope this makes our Valentine’s Day brighter and that we will yield our hearts to the Lord to love others through us. Ω