Summary: <br> Today I am going to do another take on my bonus podcast from last Christmas Titled – 3 Men Wise. I am borrowing from the 3 wise men of the Christmas story to talk about the 3 “Men” in my life who have added to my understanding of love.<br> The first man who taught me about love was my father.<br> I learned from him the bond between father and child and that Life – Love is apposed.<br> There are other options to God’s plan for our life. There are forces of destruction, internal and external that seek to separate us from God’s love. The primary tool of destruction being the double barrel weapon of doubt and deception. In the first 2 chapters of Genesis, God CREATED! He created the heavens and the earth. The stars, the light, the seas and mountains and beasts and trees. He created us and the perfect Garden for us to live in. ALL of this Creation, HE did! A great masterpiece of work.<br> And with one question from the serpent in Gen 3:1, the first barrel of destruction was fired – DOUBT? “Did God really say…?”<br> All of that creating from God and with 4 little words…destruction is so easy while life is hard.<br> And once the opening of doubt is formed from the first barrel of destruction – BOOM, the second barrel.<br> Deception. Eve said I was DECEIVED! In other words, I was tricked into believing a lie.<br> I was very close with my father. I knew he loved me although I don’t think he ever told me. We had a special relationship formed through a split home at a very early age. I visited my dad on weekends and holidays. I was his only child and he wanted to be with me more than anything. But Life – Love is apposed.<br> If uncorrected, the double barrel weapon of doubt & deception can lead to ultimate destruction.<br> My father died a homeless man on the streets of Las Vegas, taking his own life because he believed a lie about himself.<br> That it was too late for him, too much damage done, no way to repair what he had broken.<br> What I learned about love from my father – was that love is a choice, and it has REAL consequences. The offer is made to accept and live in God’s love, but we must choose it. Deut 30:19 says; “God sets before us Life and Death”. It’s up to us what we choose.<br> Will we believe God’s truth or the enemy’s deception?<br> God has done His part. He has SENT His love to us this Christmas. What will we do with it?<br> Choose life, choose love. I wish my father would have and I miss him very much.<br> Logan:<br> The second man who taught me about love is my son. My boy, my soldier who is just a few days from returning home from South Korea. I learned from my children the bond between a father and child.<br> I believe the closes we will come to understand God’s love for us, is our love for our children. As a VERY imperfect man, I would go through hell and back to rescue my children. HOW – MUCH – MORE – our Perfect Father? I am currently going through this with one of my children. If she only knew how much I really loved her… she would not be on the path she is on.<br> If we only knew how much God loves us… we would not go astray.<br> What I learned about love from my son – is that love is a strength, not a weakness. A necessary component of love must be tough love. That as a father, I must be strong enough to let him fail. To let him fall and skin his knee and pick him back up to try again. That it’s not my job to protect him from life, but to prepare him for it. If I am concerned for his character over his comfort – what about our Father for us? It helps me to see why He lets life touch me. It’s because He does love me, not that he doesn’t. My love for my children (just as our Father’s love for us) should be a source of strength for their life.
