“Because of the hardness of their hearts, people think about God that He is the same as them, or even completely lose faith in God. Oh, if it were possible, I would show them the Lord and say, “Look what the Lord is like. At the face of His love, the soul of man melts away.” But this love cannot be seen with a simple mind; she is known by the Holy Spirit...

If you do not have love, then at least do not revile or curse them; and this will be better; and if someone curses and scolds, he clearly lives in him evil spirit, and if he does not repent, then after death he will go to where the evil spirits reside ».

Venerable Silouan of Athos

Love of God - Love for God and for neighbor -Love for enemies

God's Love

Venerable Silouan of Athos(1866-1938) : The love of the Lord is so ardent that if the soul tastes it, then it no longer desires anything else; and if it loses it or if grace diminishes, then what prayers does the soul then pour out before God, wanting to again find His grace. So Venerable Seraphim stood for three years day and night on the stone, for his soul knew the Lord, and delighted in His grace, and loved Him to the end.

The soul that has come to know the Lord is drawn to Him with love, and the heat of love for God does not allow it to forget Him, neither day nor night, nor for one second. And if we love the Lord so little, and our soul strives so ardently for Him, then who can describe the fullness of love? Mother of God to His Son and God?

“Tell us, Most Pure One, how You loved Your Son and Your Lord, and what were Your prayers when Your Son ascended to heaven?”

We cannot comprehend this...

Why does the Lord love us so much?

We are all sinners, and the whole world lies in evil, as John the Theologian says (1 John 5:19). Why does He love us?

The Lord Himself is - one Love…

Oh, if the whole world knew the Lord, and how He loves us, and how sweet this love is, and how everyone heavenly powers feed on it, and how everything is moved by the Holy Spirit, and how the Lord is magnified for His sufferings, and how all the saints glorify Him.

And there will be no end to this glory...

O Lord, You love Your creation; and who can understand Your love or enjoy it, if You Yourself do not teach by Your Holy Spirit?

I pray to You, Lord, send the grace of the Holy Spirit to Your people, so that they may know Your love. Warm it up sad hearts of people; let them glorify You in joy, forgetting the sorrows of the earth.

UteO good Lord, I tearfully ask You to comfort the sorrowful souls of Your people. Let the nations hear Your sweet voice: “Your sins are forgiven.” She, Lord, has the power to work miracles , and there is no greater miracle than to love a sinner in his fall. It is easy to love a saint: he is worthy. Yes, Lord, hear the prayer of the earth. All nations mourn; everyone is sad in sin; everyone has lost Your grace and lives in darkness.

Oh, peoples, let us cry out to God all over the earth, and our prayer will be heard, for the Lord rejoices at the repentance of people; and all the heavenly powers are waiting for us, so that we too may enjoy the sweetness of God’s love and see the beauty of His face.

The Lord loves us as His children, and His love is greater than the love of a mother, because even a mother can forget her child, but the Lord never doesn't forget us. And if the Lord Himself had not given the Holy Spirit to the Orthodox people and our great shepherds, then we could not have known how much He loves us.

… Oh, the incomprehensible mercy of God: The Lord created man from dust and breathed into him the breath of life, and the soul of man became dear to God.

The Lord loved His creation so much that He gave the Holy Spirit to man, and man knew his Creator and loved his Lord...

Fear and trembling hold my soul when I want to write about God’s love.

My soul is poor, and I have no strength to describe the love of the Lord.

And the soul is afraid, and together it is drawn to write at least a few words about the love of Christ.

My spirit is exhausted to write this, but love compels me.

O man, a weak creature.

When grace is in us, the spirit burns and strives for the Lord day and night, for grace binds the soul to love God, and it has loved Him, and does not want to tear itself away from Him, for it cannot be satisfied with the sweetness of the Holy Spirit.

And there is no end to God's love...

A sinful soul that does not know the Lord is afraid of death, thinking that the Lord will not forgive her for her sins. But this is because the soul does not know the Lord and how much He loves us. And if people knew, then not a single person would despair, because the Lord not only forgives, but also greatly rejoices at the sinner’s conversion. Although death has come, you firmly believe that as soon as you ask, you will receive forgiveness.

Lordnot like us. He is very gentle, and merciful, and good, and when the soul recognizes Him, it is endlessly surprised and says: “Oh, what a Lord we have!”

The Holy Spirit made our Church know how great God's mercy is.

The Lord loves us, and meekly, without reproach, accepts us, how the father of the gospel did not reproach prodigal son, but ordered to give him new clothes, and a precious ring on his hand, and boots on his feet, and ordered the fat calf to be slaughtered and to have fun, and did not accuse him of anything...

In heaven everyone has the same love, but on earth some love the Lord a lot, others a little, and others do not love Him at all...

Oh, in what glory is the Lord, and with what songs is He magnified in heaven, and how sweet are these songs that flow from the love of God.

Who is worthy to listen to these songs, which are sung by the Holy Spirit and in which the Lord is glorified for His sufferings, and what joy will there be from hearing this song?

On earth, as soon as the soul touches the love of God, and from the sweetness of the Holy Spirit it is delighted with the beloved God and Heavenly Father.

Beloved brothers, let us humble ourselves to be worthy of love God, so that the Lord adorns us with His meekness and His humility, so that we become worthy heavenly abodes which the Lord has prepared for us.

The Lord loves all people, but he who seeks Him loves him more. « Those who love Me - I love,- says the Lord , - and those who seek Me will find grace"(Proverbs 8:17). And it’s good to live with her, the soul is happy, and the soul says: “MY Lord, I am YOUR servant.”

There is great joy in these words. If the Lord our, then and everything is ours. That's how rich we are.

Our Lord is great and incomprehensible, but for our sake He diminished Himself so that we would know Him and love Him, so that out of the love of God we would forget the earth, so that we would live in heaven and see the glory of the Lord.

The Lord gives such great grace to His chosen ones that they embrace the whole earth, the whole world with love, and their soul burns with the desire that all people will be saved and see the glory of the Lord.

The Lord's love is such that He wants all people to be saved, and to be with Him forever in heaven, and to see His glory. We do not know this glory in full, but we understand it in part through the Holy Spirit. But he who has not known the Holy Spirit cannot understand this glory, but only believes in the promise of the Lord and keeps His commandments. But they too are blessed, as the Lord said to the Apostle Thomas (John 20:29); and they will be equal to those who still saw the glory of God here...

Forty years have passed since the grace of the Holy Spirit taught me to love man and all creation, and revealed to me the cunning of the enemy, who deceives his evil in the world.

Believe me, brothers. I write before the face of God, whom my soul came to know through the Holy Spirit according to His great mercy. And if the soul does not taste the Holy Spirit, then it cannot know the Lord or His love.

The Lord is good and merciful, but we could not say anything about His love except Scripture, if the Holy Spirit had not taught us. But you, brother, do not be embarrassed if you do not feel the love of God in yourself, but think about the Lord, that He is merciful, and refrain from sins, and the grace of God will teach you.

Love does not depend on time, and always has power. Some people think that the Lord suffered out of His love for man, but since they themselves do not find this love in their souls, it seems to them that this happened once upon a time. But when the soul knows the love of God by the Holy Spirit, then it clearly feels that the Lord is our Father, the dearest, the closest, the dearest, the best, and there is no greater happiness than to love God with all the mind and heart, with all the soul, as the Lord commanded , and your neighbor as yourself. And when this love is in the soul, then everything pleases the soul, and when it is lost, then the person does not find peace, and is embarrassed, and accuses others of offending him, and does not understand that he himself is to blame - he has lost love to God and condemned or hated his brother...

...To know God, you don’t need wealth, you just need to love your neighbor and have a humble spirit, self-control and obedience, and for these good deeds the Lord allows Himself to be known. What in the world could be more valuable than this knowledge? To know God, to know how He loves us, how He educates us spiritually?

Where can you find a father who would die on the cross for the crimes of his children? Usually the father feels sorry for his son, who must be punished for his crimes; but even though he feels sorry for his son, he will still say to him: “You did wrong, and you were rightly punished for your bad deeds.”

The Lord will never tell us this. He will tell us, as he did to the Apostle Peter: “Do you love me?”; So in Paradise He will say to all the people: "Do you love me? And everyone will answer: “Yes, Lord, we love You. You saved us with Your suffering on the cross, and now you have given us the Kingdom of Heaven”...

The Lord loves us so much that we cannot comprehend it. We see the cross, we know that He was crucified for us and died in suffering, but still the soul itself cannot understand this love, and it is known only by the Holy Spirit...

GoGod loves a repentant sinner much and mercifully presses him to His bosom: “ Where have you been, My child? I've been waiting for you for a long time" The Lord calls everyone to Himself with the voice of the gospel, and His voice is heard throughout the entire universe: “ Come to Me, all you who labor, and I will give you rest. Come and drink the living water. Come know that I love you. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't call. I can't stand for even one of my sheep to die. And for one the Shepherd goes to the mountains to look for».

“Come to Me, My sheep. I created you and I love you. My love for you brought Me to earth, and I endured everything for the sake of your salvation, and I want you to know My love and say, like the apostles on Tabor: “Lord, it is good for us with You.”

Glory to the Lord God that He gave us His only begotten Son for our salvation.

Glory to the Only Begotten Son that He deigned to be born of the Most Pure Virgin, and suffered for our salvation, and gave us His Most Pure Body and Blood for eternal life, and sent us the Holy Spirit to earth.

The Holy Spirit reveals to us the secrets of God. The Holy Spirit teaches the soul to love people unspeakably. The Holy Spirit so adorns the soul and body that a person becomes like the Lord in the flesh, and will live forever with the Lord in heaven and see His glory. IN eternal life all people will be like the Lord. And no one could know this secret if the Holy Spirit had not revealed it. The Lord is joyful and radiant, and people will shine like Him, as the Lord Himself said that the righteous will shine like the sun; and the Apostle John the Theologian says that we will be like Him...

The Lord wants only love from us, and rejoices at our conversion. Such is God’s mercy towards man: a man gave up sinning and humbled himself before God, and the Lord mercifully forgives him everything, and gives him the grace of the Holy Spirit and the power to overcome sin.

It’s a wonderful thing: a man disdains his brother, the same person, when he is poor or unclean, but the Lord, like a loving mother to her child, forgives us everything and does not disdain any sinner, and even gives him the gift of the Holy Spirit.

If people knew the Lord’s love for us, they would completely surrender to His holy will, and then the deceased would live in God, like royal children. The king takes care of everything: the kingdom, and the family, and the son, and the children, and the son lives quietly in the palace; Everyone serves him, and he enjoys everything without worries. Thus, one who surrenders to the will of God lives in peace, satisfied with his fate, even if he is sick, or poor, or persecuted. He is at peace because the grace of the Holy Spirit is with him, and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit comforts him, and he grieves only because he has offended his beloved Lord so much.

Oh, how one must live on earth so that the soul can always hear that it is with God. The Lord said : “I will not leave you orphans” and gave us the Holy Spirit, and the soul should feel that the Spirit of God lives in it; even if the grace was small, the soul still feels the love of the Lord, feels that the Lord is ours, and we are His. And whoever is not like that in his soul has lost grace.

The soul feels that the Lord loves it, despite many sins. As the Lord said to Zacchaeus in those days: “ Zacchaeus, today in your house it befits Me to be.”(Luke 19:5); and this is only because he wanted to see Christ; This is how it happens now with a sinner when his soul turns to God. Nowadays the people have deviated from the good path, and people have become unmerciful, everyone has become hardened, and there is no longer love, and therefore they do not feel God’s love. Because of the hardness of their hearts, people think about God that He is the same as them, and even completely lose faith in God.

Oh, if it were possible, I would show them the Lord and say: “Look what the Lord is like. At the face of His love, the soul of man melts away.”. But this love cannot be seen with a simple mind; she is known by the Holy Spirit...

Love for God and neighbor

GoGod wants us to love each other; This is freedom - in love for God and neighbor. This is freedom and equality. But in earthly ranks there cannot be equality, but this is not important for the soul. Not everyone can be a king or a prince; not everyone can be a patriarch or abbot, or a boss; But in any rank you can love God and please Him, and only this is important. And whoever loves God more on earth will have greater glory in the Kingdom. He who loves more, strives more for God, and will be closer to Him. Each one will be glorified according to the measure of his love. And I learned that love varies in strength.

Whoever fears God, so as not to offend Him in some way, is first love. He who has a mind pure of thoughts is a second love, greater than the first. He who tangibly has grace in his soul is the third love, even greater.

The fourth, perfect love for God is when someone has the grace of the Holy Spirit in both soul and body. His body is consecrated, and his relics will be there. This is what happens with great holy martyrs, with prophets, with saints. Whoever is to this extent is inviolable for carnal love. He can freely sleep with the girl without feeling any desire for her. The love of God is stronger than the love of a maiden, to which the whole world is drawn, except those who have the grace of God in fullness, for the sweetness of the Holy Spirit regenerates the whole person and teaches him to love God in fullness. With the fullness of God's love, the soul does not touch the world; although a person lives on earth among others, but from the love of God he forgets everything in the world. And our grief is that, due to the pride of our minds, we do not stand in this grace, and it leaves the soul, and the soul searches for her, crying and sobbing...

What shall I render to my Lord?

I'm vile, Lord knows it but I love to humble my soul and love my neighbor, even though he has offended me in some way. I always pray to the Lord that He, the Merciful, will give me to love my enemies, and by the mercy of God I will experience what the love of God is and to love my neighbor, and I ask the Lord for love day and night, and the Lord gives me tears to cry for the whole world. But if I judge someone or look unkindly, then the tears disappear, and then the soul becomes sad; but I again begin to ask the Lord for forgiveness, and the Merciful Lord forgives me, a sinner.

I write, brothers, before the face of my God: humble your hearts - and you will see the mercy of the Lord while still on earth, and you will know the Creator of Heaven, and your soul will not know satiety in love.

If you want to know the Lord, then humble yourself completely, be obedient and self-controlled in everything, love the truth, and the Lord certainly He will let you know Himself through the Holy Spirit; and then you will know by experience, What there is love for God and What there is love for a person. And the more perfect the love, the more perfect the knowledge. There is small love, there is medium love, there is great love.

He who fears sin loves God; he who has tenderness loves more; he who has light and joy in his soul loves even more; but whoever has grace in both soul and body has perfect love. The Holy Spirit gave such grace to the martyrs, and it helped them to courageously endure all suffering.

Can anyone tell about heaven, what it will be like there? The word about heaven can only be spoken by one who in the Holy Spirit has come to know the Lord and His love for us...

He who has known the sweetness of God's love, when the soul is warmed by grace and loves God and his brother, knows in part that "The Kingdom of God is within us"(Luke 17, 21)…

Blessed is the soul that loves humility and tears, and hates evil thoughts.

Blessed is the soul that loves its brother, for our brother is our life.

Blessed is the soul that loves a brother: the Spirit of the Lord tangibly lives in it, and gives it peace and joy, and it weeps for the whole world...

Grace comes from love for a brother, and it is preserved by love for a brother; but if we do not love our brother, then the grace of God will not come into the soul.

Great Anthony said: “I no longer fear God, but love Him.” He said so because in his soul there was great grace of the Holy Spirit, which testifies to this love, and then the soul cannot say otherwise. But whoever does not have great grace is taught by the holy fathers to repent; and repentance is not far from love, which comes with simplicity and humility of spirit...

IN God helps in good, and in bad - enemies, but this also depends on our will; you need to force yourself to do good, but in moderation, and know your limits. You need to study your soul, what is good for it; It is useful for one to pray more, for another to read or write. And reading is useful, but it is better to pray without distraction, and crying is even more expensive; to whom the Lord gives what. Of course, when you get out of bed from sleep, you should thank God, then repent and pray to your heart’s content, and then read so that your mind can rest, then pray and work again. Grace comes from all that is good. But most of all from love for my brother.

To come into the love of God, one must observe everything that the Lord commanded in the Gospel. You need to have a merciful heart, and not only love a person, but also have pity on every creature - everything that is created by God.

The leaf on the tree is green; and you tore it off needlessly. Although this is not a sin, for some reason it is a pity for the leaf; I feel sorry for all creation for the heart that has learned to love. And man is a great creature. And if you see that he is lost and perishing, then pray for him and cry, if you can, and if not, then at least sigh for him before God. And the soul that does this is loved by the Lord, for it becomes like Him.

Love for enemies

Many holy martyrs in their suffering came to know the Lord and His help. Many monks carry out great feats and hard work for the sake of the Lord, and they know the Lord and fight to overcome passions within themselves, and pray for the whole universe, and the grace of God teaches them to love their enemies, because whoever does not love his enemies cannot know the Lord Who died on the cross for our enemies, and gave us an image in Himself, and gave us the commandment to love our enemies.

The Lord is love, and he commanded us to love each other and love our enemies, and the Holy Spirit teaches us this love.

A soul that has not known the Holy Spirit does not understand how one can love one’s enemies and does not accept it; But The Lord feels sorry for everyone, and whoever wants to be with the Lord must love his enemies.

He who knows the Lord by the Holy Spirit becomes like the Lord, as John the Theologian said: “ And we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is"and we will see His glory.

You say that many people suffer from all sorts of troubles and evil people, but I ask you, humble yourself under the strong hand of God, and then grace will teach you, and you yourself will want to suffer for the sake of the love of the Lord. This is what the Holy Spirit, whom we have come to know in the Church, will teach you.

A who scolds bad people but does not pray for them, he will never know the grace of God.

GGod taught me to love my enemies. Without the grace of God we cannot love our enemies, but the Holy Spirit teaches love, and then we will feel sorry even for the demons because they have fallen away from goodness, have lost humility and love for God.

I beg you, try it. Whoever insults you, or dishonors you, or takes away what is yours, or persecutes the Church, then pray to the Lord, saying : “Lord, we are all Your creation; have pity on your servants and turn them to repentance.", - and then you will tangibly carry grace in your soul. First, force your heart to love your enemies, and the Lord, seeing your good desire, will help you in everything, and experience itself will show you. But whoever thinks evil about his enemies does not have the love of God, and he does not know God.

If you pray for your enemies, peace will come to you; and when you love your enemies, then know that the grace of God lives in you, great, not yet perfect, but sufficient for salvation. And if you revile your enemies, this means that an evil spirit lives in you and brings your heart evil thoughts, for, as the Lord said, evil or good thoughts come from the heart.

A good person thinks: everyone who strays from the truth perishes, and therefore one feels sorry for him. And if someone has not been taught love by the Holy Spirit, he, of course, will not pray for his enemies. He who is taught love from the Holy Spirit grieves all his life for people who are not saved, and sheds many tears for the people, and the grace of God gives him the strength to love his enemies.

If you do not have love, then at least do not revile or curse them; and this will be better; and if someone curses and scolds, an evil spirit clearly lives in him, and if he does not repent, then after death he will go to where the evil spirits reside. May the Lord deliver every soul from such trouble.

By bear with me. It is so simple. I feel sorry for those people who do not know God or go against God; my heart aches for them, and tears flow from my eyes. We clearly see both heaven and torment: we knew it through the Holy Spirit. So the Lord said: “The Kingdom of God is within you”(Luke 17:21). So from here eternal life begins; and eternal torment begins from here...

You say: " The enemy is persecuting the Holy Church. How will I love him?“And I’ll tell you this: “Your poor soul has not known God; I didn’t know how much He loves us and longingly waits for all people to repent and be saved. The Lord is love, and gave the Holy Spirit to earth, who teaches the soul to love enemies and pray for them, so that they too may be saved. This is love. And if you judge them by their deeds, then they deserve punishment.”

Glory to the Lord that He loves us so much, and forgives us our sins, and through the Holy Spirit reveals His secrets to us.

The Lord gave us a commandment: "Love your enemies"(Matt. 5:44). But how can you love them when they do evil? Or how to love those who persecute the Holy Church?

When the Lord went to Jerusalem, and the Samaritans did not accept Him, John the Theologian and James were ready to bring down fire from heaven and destroy them for this; but the Lord mercifully told them: “ I didn't come to destroy, but to save"(Luke 9:54-56). So we too must have one thought: that everyone be saved. The soul pities the enemies and prays for them, that they have strayed from the truth and are going to hell. This is love for enemies. When Judas decided to betray the Lord, the Lord mercifully admonished him; So we must act mercifully with those who are mistaken, and then we will be saved by the mercy of God.

Based on the book: Hieromonk Sophrony (Sakharov) "Venerable Silouan of Athos.

It was manifested a very long time ago, but what is the situation now? The Bible teaches God is love, what does this mean and what does it mean for us Book - Think and Grow Rich!

God first loved us

In the spring about 2000 years ago, an innocent man stood trial for crimes he did not commit. As a result, he was sentenced to
painful death. This is not the first and, unfortunately, not the last cruel and unjust execution in history.

At the end of the time line, the entire history of mankind is represented by a mark as thick as a human hair. However, even if these calculations are correct,
This whole time line would still not be enough to depict the life span of the Son of Jehovah God! What was he doing with all this?
time?

The Son of God was happy to serve as his Father’s “skillful helper” (Proverbs 8:30, CoP). The Bible says, “Without him [the Son] nothing was made” (John 1:3). Jehovah and his Son worked together to create everything that exists. What an exciting and happy time this was!

Perhaps everyone will agree that the love between parents and children is incredibly strong. is the “perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:14).

How strong then must be the bonds of love, which lasts an unimaginable number of years? There is no doubt that Jehovah God and his Son are united in the strongest ties.

Despite this, the Father sent the Son to earth so that he could be born as a man. This meant that Jehovah God had to
to renounce intimate fellowship with his beloved Son. From heaven He watched carefully as Jesus grew into a perfect man.

At the age of 30, Jesus was baptized. One can imagine how Jehovah felt at that moment. The Father personally testified from heaven: “This is my Son,
beloved, I approve of him” (Matthew 3:17). Seeing how Jesus faithfully fulfilled everything that was predicted about him, how he accomplished everything that was entrusted to him, the Father rejoiced with joy! (John 5:36; 17:4).

But what did Jehovah God feel on Nisan 14, 33 AD? e.?

How did he feel when Jesus was betrayed and arrested by an armed mob?

And when Jesus was abandoned by all his friends and he faced an illegal trial?

When they mocked him, spat in his face and punched him?

When was he punished with a whip that left deep wounds on his back?

When his hands and feet were nailed to a wooden post and held up for the people who insulted him to see?

How did the Father feel when his beloved Son called to him in his dying throes?

What did Jehovah God experience when Jesus gave up the ghost and ceased to exist for the first time since creation? (Matthew 26:14-16, 46, 47, 56, 59, 67; 27:38-44, 46; John 19:1).

Words are powerless here. Jehovah's feelings are so great that words cannot express the unbearable pain that the death of his Son brought him.

But what can be described is why Jehovah God allowed this to happen. So what prompted the Father to condemn himself to such torment?

Yes, the motivating force was love. Jehovah sent his own to earth to suffer and die for us. This was the precious gift of Jehovah God, the greatest manifestation of his love for each of us.

What is God's love?

What does the word “love” mean? Love is what a person needs most. From birth to death, people tirelessly strive for love;
in her gentle rays they bloom, without her they wither and even die. But determining the meaning of this word is surprisingly difficult.

Of course, people talk a lot about love. She is written about in books, sung in songs, and poems are dedicated to her. But this does not make the word “love” any more understandable. Rather, on the contrary, it is used so often that it is increasingly losing its true meaning.

This wonderful quality is also expressed in people. How did this become possible? During the creation period, apparently speaking to his Son, Jehovah said: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

Of all earthly creations, only humans can consciously show love, thereby imitating their heavenly Father. Let us remember that the main
the qualities of Jehovah God are represented by different creatures.

But to personify his main quality, love, Jehovah chose precisely the crown of earthly creation - man (Ezekiel 1:10).

Manifesting selfless love based on principles, we will reflect the essential quality of Jehovah God. The Apostle John wrote: “But we love,
because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). But how did Jehovah love us first?

Jehovah God makes the first move

Love is not new. What, for example, motivated Jehovah God? It was not loneliness, since he did not need communication. Jehovah is an integral personality, he is perfect in himself and does not depend on any external factors.

But it was love, this active quality, that prompted him to share the joy of life with intelligent creatures who could appreciate his gift. “The beginning of God’s creation” was his only begotten Son (Revelation 3:14).

Then by means of this Skillful Helper he created all things that exist, the first of which were the angels (Job 38:4, 7; Colossians 1:16).

Endowed with freedom, reason and feelings, these powerful spiritual creatures could develop a feeling of tender affection for each other, and that
more importantly, to Jehovah God (2 Corinthians 3:17). They showed love because they had been loved before.

This is true of humanity as well. From the very beginning, Adam and Eve were, figuratively speaking, basking in the love of God. Wherever their gaze fell, everything in their heavenly home, in Eden, testified to the love of the heavenly Father. The Bible says: “[“garden”, GAM] in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man whom he had created” (Genesis 2:8).

Have you ever walked in a truly magnificent garden or park?

What surprised you the most? Light penetrating through the branchy crowns of trees?

Stunning variety of colors in flower beds?

The merging sounds of a babbling stream, marvelous birdsong and the buzzing of insects?

The air is filled with a delicious aroma flowering trees, the fragrance of fruits and flowers?

But no matter how beautiful any garden or park is, it cannot compare with Eden. Why?

Jehovah God himself planted the Garden of Eden! It must have been a garden of indescribable beauty. Each tree in it had its own charm and beauty.
fruits

The garden was superbly watered, it was vast and full of an incredible variety of living creatures. Adam and Eve had everything they needed to lead happy, fulfilling lives, worthwhile, rewarding work, and perfect companionship.

Jehovah God loved them first, and nothing prevented them from reciprocating his love. But they didn't. Instead of showing love and
obedience to their heavenly Father, they were led by selfishness and (Genesis, chapter 2).

What pain Jehovah God must have felt! Has this rebellion hardened his heart? No! “For His mercy [or “loyal love”, NM, footnote] is eternal”
(Psalm 135:1, TAM).

Moved by love, he immediately set out to redeem all the faithful descendants of Adam and Eve. As we have seen, this required Jehovah God to offer his beloved Son as an atoning sacrifice at great cost.​—1 John 4:10.

Yes, from the very beginning Jehovah took the first step in showing love to each of us. The most in various ways“He first loved us.” Love promotes harmony and joy, so it is not surprising that Jehovah is called “the happy God.”​—1 Timothy 1:11.

Who will separate us from the love of God?

How important is it for you to know that you are loved? A person always needs love: from infancy to old age. Have you ever watched a baby being held tenderly by its mother? No matter what happens around, as long as the baby sees his mother’s tender eyes, he feels calm and serene in her loving arms.

Do you remember what it was like for you during your sometimes turbulent teenage years? (1 Thessalonians 2:7). At this age, sometimes we ourselves don’t know what we want, and we don’t even understand what we feel. But how important it is for us to know that dad and mom love us!

Didn’t it make you feel better when you thought that you could go to your parents with all your problems and questions? Yes, throughout our lives, what we need most is to be loved. The love of others reassures us that we are valuable to them.

Enduring parental love important for a person to develop harmoniously and become balanced. But it is even more important for our spiritual and emotional well-being to know that we are loved by our heavenly Father, Jehovah.

Perhaps some were never truly loved by their parents. If these words apply to you, do not despair. Even if you haven't experienced it yourself
parental love or this love was too little, it will be replaced by the undying love of God.

Through the prophet Isaiah, Jehovah God said that a mother can “forget” about her infant but he will never forget his people (Isaiah 49:15).

David also said with confidence: “My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will receive me” (Psalm 26:10). What encouraging words! No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, if you have developed a personal relationship with him, then you should always remember that he loves you much more than any person can love!

If we feel that we are separated from God's love, we need to ask ourselves: “Am I treating God's love as something ordinary? Am I not gradually turning away from the living and loving God, weakening in faith? Am I not directing my thoughts “to the carnal” and not “to the spiritual”?
(Romans 8:5-8; Hebrews 3:12).

If we are drifting away from Jehovah God, we can take steps to correct this and bring our relationship with him close and warm again.

James calls us: "" (James 4:8).

Let us also listen to the words of Jude: “Beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith and praying in the holy spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love” (Jude 20, 21).

God of love and peace

The Apostle Paul says that the Creator is “a God of love and peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11). Why? Jesus Christ previously said, “God loves the world so much that
gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who died would not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

From deep love God gave his beloved Son to people as a ransom, thanks to which those who believe in him can receive those caused by sin.

The Apostle Paul also said, “And the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Doesn't this make us love God and reach out to him?

God shows his love not only for humanity as a whole, but also for everyone who is devoted to him. To the ancient Israelites, who often fell away from God, Moses said: “Why do you treat Jehovah this way, you foolish and foolish people? Isn’t he your Father who created you, who created you and constantly supported you?” (Deuteronomy 32:6).

Do you understand the meaning of these words? Despite the rebellion of his people, Jehovah, like a loving father, still looked after their welfare and provided them with what they needed materially, morally, and spiritually.

Everyone has ups and downs in life. Sometimes we feel depressed and even crushed. Who could support in such moments?
us and look at our problems correctly? Ours can do this.

How does Jehovah God assure us of his love?

However, this raises important question: Does God love each of us individually? Some would agree that God loves humanity as a whole, as stated in John 3:16. But they may think, “God will never love me personally.”

Tries to convince us that Jehovah God does not love or value us. On the other hand, no matter how insignificant and unworthy we may think ourselves to be, Jehovah assures us that he values ​​each of his faithful servants.

Consider, for example, the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:29-31. Showing how valuable his disciples were, Jesus said, “Are they not selling two sparrows for one coin? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge of your Father. And even the hairs on your head are all counted. And therefore do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.” Let's consider what these words meant to those who listened to Jesus in the first century.

In Jesus' day, the sparrow was the cheapest bird to eat. For one small coin you could buy two sparrows. But, as Jesus later noted in Luke 12:6, 7, if a buyer could spend two coins, he received not four sparrows, but five. The fifth bird was given for free, as if it was worth nothing. Although these sparrows may have had no value in the eyes of people, how did the Creator view them?

Jesus said, “Not one of them [not even those given freely] is forgotten by God.” Do you understand what Jesus wanted to show by this example? If even a simple sparrow was valuable in the eyes of Jehovah God, then how precious must a person be to him! As Jesus explained, Jehovah knows everything about us down to the smallest detail—even the hairs on our heads are numbered!

To some, these words of Jesus may seem like an exaggeration. But let's think about . How well Jehovah God must know us in order to recreate us exactly! He values ​​us so much that he remembers all the features of our personality, including our complex genetic code, as well as all the memories and impressions that we have accumulated over the years of our lives.

Cherish God's Love Forever

How important is God's love to you? Do you feel the same way as David, who wrote: “For Your lovingkindness is better than life. My lips will praise You. So I will bless You in my life; in Your name I will lift up my hands.” (Psalm 63:4, 5)

Can there be anything better to live in this world than the love and friendship of God? What, for example, is better: a profitable position or peace in the heart and
the happiness that comes from a close relationship with God? (Luke 12:15).

Some Christians were faced with a choice: renounce Jehovah God or die. This was a choice Jehovah's Witnesses often had to make in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

Our brothers, with rare exceptions, chose to abide in the love of God,
even if it meant dying. Those who faithfully abide in God's love can be confident that what the world cannot give (Mark 8:34-36). However, this is not just about eternal life.

Although eternal life is impossible without Jehovah God, try to imagine what eternal life would be like without the Creator. Empty, without real meaning. In these last days Jehovah, the fulfillment of which brings satisfaction.

Therefore, we can be confident that the eternal life that Jehovah will give us will contain many wonderful things worth learning and doing.​—Ecclesiastes 3:11.

No matter how much we learn in the coming millennia, we will never fully understand “” (Romans 11:33).

Watch a useful video

Let's read a passage from Holy Scripture:
1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch of Me that does not bear fruit He cuts off; and every one that bears fruit he cleanses, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You have already been cleansed through the word that I preached to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it is in the vine, so neither can you unless you are in Me.
5 I am the vine, and you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 Whoever does not abide in Me will be cast out like a branch and wither; and such [branches] are collected and thrown into the fire, and they burn.
7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this will My Father be glorified, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples.
9 As the Father has loved Me, and I have loved you; abide in My love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:11,12)

The words of the Lord that we have just read speak about Christ’s relationship with his disciples: about abiding in Him, about love for the Heavenly Father. He speaks of His love for us and our love for each other. " Abide in Me and I will abide in you. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. As the Father has loved Me, I have loved you; abide in My love. Love one another as I have loved you.”
The Lord in the last days of His earthly life spoke more and more about love: “I love you, love Me and love each other!”
Soon the risen Christ ascended to the Heavenly Father, and believers began to hope with hope for His return and enthronement on the throne, in a kingdom that will have no end. Such was their confidence, built on the faith of the Apostles. The Apostle Paul spoke about it this way: “...for there is still a little, just a little! and the Coming One will certainly come; He will not be late” (Heb. 10:37).This conviction and love for Christ led Paul to serve God zealously. He traveled to many lands, countries, peoples in order to sow the Word of God and strengthen young believers as quickly as possible.
The churches, in turn, also brought the Good News to people. The Apostle supported them in every possible way, often writing instructions to them in letters: he encouraged some, rebuked others, praised others.
One of the letters was written to the church in Asia, in the city of Ephesus. It is believed that the Apostle Paul wrote this letter in Rome in 62 or 63 AD.
A little historical background:
Ephesus was the capital - the most big city Roman province of Asia Minor with a population of about 250,000 people. It was a financial center and main port Mediterranean Sea. And - main center idolatry in Asia Minor. The central place of worship in this city was the huge temple of Artemis (Diana). It represented a place where religious and sexual impurity came together. It is not surprising that Ephesus was famous for its immorality.
But at the same time, Ephesus was the center of the awakening of Christianity in Asia. Her church was a lamp that brought light to many people. Paul first visited Ephesus at the end of his second missionary journey in 52 AD while returning to Jerusalem from Corinth. He preached in the synagogue for several months and then moved on. Priscilla and Aquila remained there to instruct Apollos and the disciples of John the Baptist. We read about this in the Acts of the Apostles in chapter 18.
On his third missionary journey, Paul returned to Ephesus to strengthen the young church. The people's response to the gospel was so strong that the market for selling idols was greatly reduced. Once ardent worshipers of Artemis became ardent worshipers of Christ. This awakening resulted in them burning all their magic books with a total value of 50,000 silver coins. (Acts 19)
Paul also prophesied to the elders of the church, warning them that false teachers would arise and harm believers. (Acts 20:17-38)
After Paul left Ephesus, Timothy became the apostolic leader of the Ephesian church. Around 65 AD. The church was headed by the Apostle John and was the main leader there until his imprisonment on the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book “Revelation.”

This is how wonderful the church of Ephesus appears in the Holy Scriptures! But a little more than 30 years will pass, and problems will appear in it. The problems are such that Jesus Christ will command the Apostle John to convey the following words to the believers of this church: “I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and that you cannot bear with those who are depraved, and I have tested those who call themselves apostles, but they are not, and I have found that they are liars; You have endured much and have patience, and for My name you have labored and have not fainted. But I have this against you, that you left your first love. Therefore, remember where you were before you fell, and repent, and do the first works; but if not so, I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp from its place, unless you repent. However, what is good about you is that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Rev.2:2,6)

“...what I have against you is that you left your first love.” Why does the Lord say this?
Maybe the church didn’t work enough for God? No!
The Lord says: “I know your deeds, and your labor, and your patience...”Jesus knew that this was a hard-working church. “Patience” means “persistence, endurance, endurance.” The Church has been stable and faithful despite government pressure for decades. She was also zealous in spreading the Good News.
Maybe this church was listening to false apostles? No!
“You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars.”The church "tested" visiting ministers and required them to follow biblical standards.
Maybe believers accepted worldly teachings? No!
“You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
A little historical note:
The Nicolaitans presented God's grace as if it allowed people to continue sinning without repentance, and exalted spiritual leaders over parishioners.
So, according to Christ, the Ephesian church of that time was an example for other believers, but still, Jesus says: “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev. 2:4).

What does it mean?
The fact is that the ministers of this church have put the work and growth of their evangelistic ministry above the love of Jesus. And the words “I will remove your lamp from its place”does not mean that it will go out, but that it will be moved. In other words “I will take the church from here to another place, and it will never be here again if you do not love Me.”
Loving God with all your heart is the first commandment and God's highest priority. God views the fulfillment of this commandment as the highest level of relationship that every believer should develop.
We don't know what happened to the church in Ephesus, but after about 400 years, the city of Ephesus itself was gone. Today it is antique city ruins and ruins in Turkey.
Sometimes I think that in my convictions I am like a worker of God. I want to believe that I sometimes work for the glory of Jesus Christ, suffer for His sake, endure reproach and humiliation, live a righteous life, and that my name is written in the book of life in heaven. But when I read in the book of Revelation the words of the Lord, “I have something against you,” my heart is greatly moved! Then I ask myself: “Do I love my Lord? Jesus, do you have something against me? Have I lost my first love for You?
You see, Christ’s warning no longer sounds to the Ephesians, it sounds to us, to every person who knows the love and forgiveness of God!
Christ says: “It is not enough to be a caring, sympathetic, diligent servant, mourning the sins of the people and preaching the truth. It is not enough to maintain moral standards, to endure suffering for My sake, to read the Bible, to sing in the church choir, to go to evangelistic meetings. It's not enough to go to church on the weekends and take the sacrament! It is not enough for Me to be baptized and even to be martyred for the faith.”
I often ask people, what is your relationship with Jesus? The answer is silence. People don't understand what they are being asked about. And this is alarming.
It’s sad that there are people in churches who try to engage in church ministries without a close relationship with Christ. I have seen people serve others, participate in various ministries, try to evangelize, but quickly fade away without the power of God. If our religious life becomes our top priority, then we easily burn out and become bitter.

What is happening to us? The reason for our condition is loss of first love.
To prevent this from happening to us, we need to understand what Christ wants from us.
“Remember therefore where you were before you fell, and repent, and do the first works; but if not so, I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev.2:5)
So, three steps to restore your relationship with God: remember, repent and do the same things.
1 step. Remember...
What should the Christians of Ephesus remember? Of course, what kind of relationship did they have with Jesus before? They should have remembered what the Apostle Paul told them in his letter:
16. I pray that from the riches of His glory He will bestow upon you inner strength through His Spirit,
17. so that the Messiah may live in your hearts based on your trust [in God]. I also pray that you will be rooted and established in His love,
18. that together with all God's people you may be empowered to comprehend the breadth, length, height and depth of the love of the Messiah. Eph.3:16-18
So, our love for God is built on trust! Without trust there is no love!
And here is the process: We trust ourselves to Christ, He cleanses us from sin and gives us His love. Love, in turn, frees us from all fear and makes us free in God! Only by being in constant trust in Christ does the Lord continue to reveal His amazing world, bestowing wisdom, protection, meaning, strength, blessings!
“I am the vine, and you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Differently: “Without trusting Me, you will not be able to do anything, you will simply stop working for Me and stop because My power will not be in you.”

Step 2. Repent...
Repenting means changing your outlook on life and doing what the Lord suggests: starting to trust Him, even in the smallest matters.

Step 3. Do the same things as before, i.e. teach the church to trust God.
Many of us do not know how to Everyday life trust God. All our paths, deeds, studies are built on our strength, knowledge or experience. We remember the Lord only when we come to church, and sometimes we even pray only here.

So, trust Jesus Christ, begin your relationship by repenting before Him.
Trust Him with your entire life. Read the Holy Scriptures with Him, ask Him questions, and He will answer you. Ask Him to bless your paths, bring your experiences and problems to Him, He will accept you, listen and help you! Follow His calls, because His ways are good for us, because God prepares the best for us!
“You can work without Me,- says the Lord, - but the end of your work is disappointment, for without Me you can do nothing!”
What should our relationship with God be like? And these: “...I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
Only by trusting in the Lord are we filled with God’s meaning, knowledge, and strength to serve and love others. Only by trusting in Christ can we have complete joy, peace and tranquility in our hearts, and our faith will help us overcome all the difficulties of life. Only with Him can we be that fruitful vine branch that bears much fruit for God!
Tell Christ: Jesus be constant companion of my life!
May the Lord bless us in this!
Amen!

Sermon
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind...."
(Matthew 22:37)

Today's sermon will be a continuation of the one I spoke last time. I hope someone remembers what I was talking about?
Our main passage was the verses: “But I have this against you, that you left your first love. So, remember from where you fell, and repent, and do the first works; but if not so, I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev.2:4,5)
The meaning of this passage? Jesus warns the church against the mechanical fulfillment of God's commission, in which Christians have completely forgotten about love for the Lord Christ.
We talked about how our love for God begins to be built on trust, because Without trust there can be no love!
What does it mean to love God? Okay, I started to trust God, and what, I developed a great love for Him? Let's figure it out.


Let's consider a simple example: how relationships are formed between young people seeking to start a family. Why such an example? Because the relationship between Christ and the Church in the Bible is compared to the relationship between the bride and groom.
When a guy and a girl meet, they:
1. get to know each other, find out each other’s names;
2. get to know each other better: in actions, manners, relationships;
3. get acquainted with parents, rules and customs in families;
4. begin to become friends: be together, go somewhere and do something together;
5. gradually they begin to trust each other with secrets;
6. and finally, a moment arises when they understand that they want to be bound to each other by marriage forever.

I remember when, at one fine moment in our four-year friendship with Olya, she told me: “how I look forward to the moment when I will be with you every minute, every second of my life!” And my heart trembled with happiness, but at that time I was still just ripe for marriage.

The institution of marriage was designed by the Creator. He laid down the stages of forming a future family, through which people prepare themselves for marriage. What are these stages? These are knowledge, trust, friendship and love.

Of course, there are families in which some stages of the premarital period were missed, but I won’t talk about that now.

Sometimes people ask questions like this: What does it mean to love God? And do I love Him? How does this love manifest itself in me and how is it expressed? Some people answer these questions like this:
* love God- Means keep His commandments: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” John 14:15.
*Love God- Means keep His Word: “Whoever loves Me will keep My word” John 14:23.
*Love God- Means create God's will on the ground: “...to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to cleave to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Joshua 22:5).
*Love God- Means love brothers and sisters: “Whoever says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20)
* In my last sermon it was said that love God- Means trust him.
* Caring for the Church- it is too love for God.
15. When Christ and his disciples were having dinner, Jesus said to Simon Peter: Simon the Jonah! Do you love Me more than they? [Peter] says to Him: Yes, Lord! You know I love you. [Jesus] saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
16. Another time he says to him: Simon the Jonah! do you love me? [Peter] says to Him: Yes, Lord! You know I love you. [Jesus] saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17. He says to him for the third time: Simon the Jonah! do you love me? Peter was saddened that he asked him for the third time: Do you love Me? and said to Him: Lord! You know everything; You know I love you. Jesus says to him: Feed My sheep. (John 21:15-17)

There are many versions, each with their own understanding. But What does it mean to truly love God?
To understand this, I want to turn to the Gospel of Matthew.
35 ...One lawyer, tempting Him, asked:
36 Teacher! What is the greatest commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said to him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind:
38 This is the first and greatest commandment;
(Matt. 22:35-38)
Looking at the commandment spoken by Jesus Christ, I divided the love of God into three stages: love of the heart, love of the soul and love of the mind. Interestingly, it is the commandment from the book of Deuteronomy that Jesus quotes as the first commandment, and not the commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is the commandment: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength.” (Deut.6:4,5)

1.
The commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai are divided into two parts: four of them relate to God and six to man. Today we are interested in the first four (Ex. 20:2-11):
1) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
Let you have no other gods before Me.
2) Do not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth; You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3) Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who takes His name in vain.
4) Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; six days thou shalt work and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: on it thou shalt not do any work, neither thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy livestock, nor thy stranger. who is in your dwellings; For in six days the Lord created heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them, and rested on the seventh day; Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.
Are these commandments important to the people of Israel?
Yes, they have not lost their relevance now, and not only for Israel, but also for you and me. They are very important and are a beacon in the night or as the psalmist said: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).
Are these commandments and their fulfillment love for God? And again, for understanding, I will turn to the stages of preparation for marriage.
When young people get to know each other, they not only get to know each other. They get acquainted with everything that they lived with before they met: characters, values, rules of life, they get acquainted with the parents who raised their children and established these rules within their families.
By accepting each other, young people show their readiness to build relationships further. But this is not love yet. If a girl or guy doesn’t like something, their relationship collapses.

I personally heard a story from one person who wanted to start a family with one girl. But there lived a huge Great Dane in her one-room apartment. When she went to bed, this huge Great Dane went into bed with her. The guy asked her: “When we get married, will you be able to wean the dog from sleeping on the bed?” To which she replied: “No, he will sleep with us.” The guy said that he could not accept such rules, and, ultimately, they broke up. It's sad, but human relationships are far from perfect.

Look, How does the relationship between God and man develop?:
Man learns the name of God: “I am the Lord your God!” (Exodus 20:2)
Next, God introduces him to His commandments. He talks about rules of conduct, respect for Himself, acceptance and fulfillment of His laws (Ex. 20: 3-11).
So, by accepting God's rules, we show that we are ready to go further with Him. After all, knowing God is not limited to keeping the commandments. This is only the beginning stage of a relationship with Him. And at this stage, there may be indecision, fear, and misunderstanding.
Here, any person understands God with reason, only in rules. This is the first stage of establishing a relationship with the Creator: “Love God with all your mind.”
But often in life people refuse to accept Heavenly Father's rules and conditions, and then the relationship ends.
I knew one person who was baptized. He soon learned that there was God’s commandment “thou shalt not commit adultery.” And then he refused to even listen about God. Sin turned out to be better for him.

2.
Tell me, do you value true friendship between people? It's great to have a true friend who is always there, can always listen, support and help. A true friend is always ready to share our joys and sorrows with us. And it is before marriage that young people must create such relationships. They should become each other's best friends.
Reading the Scripture further, you can understand that a person’s relationship with God at some point turns into a real strong friendship.
14 Oh that My people would listen to Me, and that Israel would walk in My ways!
15 I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their oppressors:
16 Those who hated the Lord would subjugate them, and their prosperity would continue forever;
17 I would feed them with the fatness of wheat and satisfy them with honey from the rock. (Ps. 80:14-17)

So God says: “If you walk in My commandments and do them, then...”, - and then He lists all the blessings that the Great God can give. It is here, in the process of receiving benefits, peace, health, longevity, harvest... there is an understanding that God is the same best friend Who gives everything. Wherever we go, whatever we do with Him, everything works out for the best.
Friendship and affection are properties of the soul; they are the second stage in the development of relations with the Almighty: “Love God with all your soul.”

3.
So, our young people have become real friends: they like to be together, do common things, they rejoice and grieve together. Timid steps of friendship gradually grew into confident ones, trust, and the realization arose that their relationship was permanent: fear disappeared, confidence appeared, the joy of meetings and, finally, love.
So is our relationship with God. Seeing His faithfulness and devotion to us, we begin to understand that He is the one who is constant, who does not change with the wind of moods and does not betray His Words, and we begin to feel Him in our hearts great love. We trust Him more, and we realize that our relationship has grown into something more than friendship, namely, into love. At such a moment, when love for God comes, you want to be connected with Him forever. This means that we have loved the Creator with all our hearts: “Love God with all your heart.”

So, Do we love God?
If we have a desire to be with Him always, then we know that this is the desire of our heart, and we have gone through all three stages of building a relationship with God, which has grown into love. Loving God Means, desire to be with Him always!

If you want to be happy, think where, in what place of your relationship with God are you personally?
Perhaps you are still at the stage: I am learning the rules in the house of God.
Perhaps you are at the stage where friendship is formed, which is built on our requests and answers from God. Joy from received answers to prayers, help and support. Where God shows us His attitude towards us.
Or perhaps you are in a place where friendship has grown from close affection to love.

So Jesus said: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; This is the first and greatest commandment.”

Our relationship with God is the relationship of the groom and the bride, where the groom is Jesus Christ and the bride is the church. Having gone through all the stages of relationship development, we will say: “Lord, I love You!” Only in the totality of three: love of the heart, soul and mind is the fullness of love for God. And the love of the heart is the pinnacle of relationships. May the Lord bless us to have a complete relationship with Him! Amen.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17

AS YOU ARE
... Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus... Phil. 2:5

It is dangerous to enclose a great truth in one or two phrases, but let's try. Let’s say that in a couple of sentences we can express God’s love and His desires for each of us. Then these sentences will take the following form:

God loves you just the way you are, but He doesn't want to leave you that way. He wants you to become just like Jesus.

God loves you just the way you are. If you think that His love for you would be stronger if your faith were stronger, then you are mistaken. If you think that His love for you would be deeper if your knowledge were deeper, then again you are mistaken. Don't confuse God's love with human love. Human love often increases in proportion to human accomplishments and diminishes in proportion to human mistakes. Not so with God's love. God loves you just the way you are.
Max Lucado

“As the Father has loved Me, I have loved you; abide in My love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
I have spoken these things to you, so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” John 15:9-11

“Jesus said to him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind: this is the first and greatest commandment; the second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself; On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22: 37-40

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, let you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

“Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no offense in him.” 1.John 2:10

“For the whole law is summed up in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Gal.5:14

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. » John 15:13

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, then I am a sounding gossamer or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing.
3 And if I give away all my goods and give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, it is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, it is not proud, 5 it does not behave unruly, it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it thinks no evil,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth;
7 He bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails, although prophecies cease, and tongues are silent, and knowledge is abolished.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will cease.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; and when he became a husband, he left behind his children.
12 Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, even as I am known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but love is the greatest of them all.

The meaning of Christian love

The elder led the disciples out into the cold and silently stood in front of them.
Five minutes passed, ten... The elder continued to remain silent.
The disciples shivered, shifted from foot to foot, and looked at the elder. He remained silent.
They turned blue from the cold, shivered, and finally, when their patience reached its limit, the elder spoke.
He said: “You are cold. This is because you stand apart. Get closer to give each other your warmth. This is the essence of Christian love.”

The symbol of love is not a heart. Symbol true love is the CROSS!

Love! What are you doing there on the Cross?!
-I want you to always live clean!

It hurts, because you are pierced with nails!
-Because of My pain, you are saved from pain!

How can you tolerate this, answer me, I pray!
-Because I love! Because I love!

When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God loves man, and does not indifferently wish him happiness. We wanted God to love us, and so He loves us. This is the kind of Lord we have - not a benevolent old man who allows us to have fun, and not a cold ambitious man, like a conscientious judge, not a hospitable owner, but a scorching fire, whose love is persistent, like the love for creation, compassionate, like the love for a dog, wise and worthy, like love for a son, jealous, strong and demanding, like love for a woman.
Clive Lewis, "Suffering"

Do you KNOW that God is an eternal, self-existent Person? To say that He loves now means to say that He has always loved, since for God there is no past and there cannot be a future. He wraps everything that we call past, present and future into one eternal NOW. And if you say that He loves you now, then you are saying that He loved you yesterday. He has loved you from eternity and will love you forever, for “now” for God is past, present and future.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

GOD did not love us because he foresaw our faith, for faith is the gift of God. Does my earthly father love me because he fed and clothed me? No, he clothed and fed me because he loved me, his love preceded the gift. It was not the gifts that caused his love for me, because he loved me before he gave them. And if a person says: “God loves me because I can do this or that for Him,” he is talking nonsense.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Love is patient
she's not proud
love believes everything
does not take revenge and is not angry

Love won't leave
love won't change
won't judge you for pain
and will believe again

Love extols
love inspires
from the bitterness of life
covers

Love won't hurt
she inspires
both body and soul
love heals

love won't destroy
she creates
and only love
forgives all mistakes

And this world was created
love of course
and only love on earth
will be forever.

Svetlana Kraskova

“Do not owe anyone anything except mutual love; For he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet someone else’s, and all the others are contained in this word: love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does not harm one's neighbor; So love is the fulfillment of the law.” Rom.13:8-10

To love is to find your own happiness in the happiness of another.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Love can endure and Love can forgive, but Love never
reconcile with an object unworthy of love... God, Who is Love, will never
Therefore, he will not be reconciled with your sin, for sin itself is not capable of
change, but He can reconcile with your personality because it can be
revive.
Traern

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but do not have love, then I am a ringing gossamer or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing... Love is patient and kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, it is not proud , does not act outrageously, does not seek his own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in untruth, but rejoices with the truth; covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Apostle Paul.

* Love is a search, incredibly beautiful and at the same time terrible, because love makes us vulnerable when we open up to another. When we meet another person, we discover what is hidden in us and is not noticeable at first sight. What happens when I call someone a friend? I share with him an invisible part of myself - my feelings, hopes, suffering, which, perhaps, at first glance are not so obvious. Making friends means sharing what is hidden deep within us. But as soon as I open up and offer to share what is in me, I become vulnerable, because love includes vulnerability, the ability to reveal to another person the child hidden within me. And we are all afraid of this, we are afraid of inclusion in love. That is why we run from our weakness and seek refuge in success, prestige and many other proofs of our strength. And the world that surrounds us is a world in which people are afraid to love.
Jean Vanier

There is no person more lonely than the one who has outlived his beloved. (E. Hemingway)

* Many have said a lot about love, but you will find it among some of Christ’s disciples if you look for it; for they alone had true love the teacher of love, about whom it is said: if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries, and all understanding, but do not have love, it does me no good (1 Cor. 13, 2. 3). He who has acquired love has acquired God Himself; for God is love (1 John 4:16). Maxim the Confessor.

* The most important medicine is tender love and care. Mother Teresa.

* Love is the beginning and end of our existence. Without love there is no life. That's why love is something that one bows down to a wise man. Confucius.

* The measure of love is love without measure. Francis of Sales.

* On the highest level love is the song of a heart that is open to other people, that has emerged from the prison of selfishness, isolation, isolation, and loneliness. Alexander Men.

* Love is an active action, not a passive acceptance. This is “standing in...”, not “falling somewhere.” In its most general form, the active nature of love can be described by the statement that love means primarily to give, and not to receive. Erich Fromm.

“Love cannot rule over people, but it can change them.” Goethe.

* Love cannot be achieved by force, love cannot be begged and begged. She comes from heaven, unbidden and unexpected. Pearl Buck.

* When people do not agree on the main thing, they diverge over trifles. Don - Aminado.

* Love should be measured not as young people measure it, that is, by the strength of passion, but by its fidelity and strength. Marcus Tulius Cicero.

* Love heals people: both those who give love and those who accept this gift. Karl August Menninger.

* Love is a real Orpheus, who raised humanity from an animal state. E. Renan.

* If you seek to solve a problem, do it with love. You will understand that the cause of your problem is a lack of love, for this is the cause of all problems. Ken Carey.

* Love gives strength, revives, revives. A person who works without love, just for the sake of earning money, will never get good results. You can work for many hours with love for your work and not feel tired. And you can become exhausted after a few minutes of work if you do it with a cold heart, without love. Whatever you do, do it with love or don’t do it at all. People ask themselves how to become tireless. The secret is simple: love what you do and those for whom you do it. Mother Teresa.

* Love stronger than death and fear of death. Only by her, only by love does life hold and move. Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev.

* The more love, wisdom, beauty, kindness you discover in yourself, the more you will notice them in the world around you. Mother Teresa.

* Love, although in order it is the last of the virtues, but in dignity it is the first of all and leaves behind everything that was born before it. St. Mark the Ascetic.

* The great thing is that there is a mystery here (about love), that the passing face of the earth and the eternal Truth come into contact here together. F. M. Dostoevsky.

* First of all, it is necessary to show the world the main treasure of Christianity - love. It is she who is the key that opens the hearts of people to accept Christ. Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II.

* No word is sufficient to adequately depict love, since it is not of earthly, but of heavenly origin... even the language of Angels is not able to perfectly explore it, since it continuously emanates from the great mind of God. St. John Chrysostom.

* Love is not a mirror pond into which you can stare forever. It has ebbs and flows. And the wreckage of shipwrecks, and sunken cities, and octopuses, and storms, and boxes of gold, and pearls... But those pearls lie very deep... Erich Maria Remarque.

* This is what is surprising about love: evil can be mixed with other virtues - for example, a non-covetous person often thereby becomes arrogant; the eloquent person falls into the disease of ambition, the humble person often thereby exalts himself in his conscience, and love is free from any such infection, no one will ever be proud of his beloved. St. John Chrysostom.

* Love changes the very essence of things and inseparably brings with it all benefits. St. John Chrysostom.

* Love is greater than prayer, because prayer is a private virtue, and love is a comprehensive virtue. St. John Climacus.

* Love in its quality is likeness to God, as much as people can achieve. St. John Climacus.

* Love is so superior to all virtues that without it, not one of them, nor all of them together, will bring any benefit to the one who acquires them. St. Simeon the New Theologian.

* O God-creating love, which is God, a gift mysteriously given to the worthy; she is something amazing and a thing not easily acquired. St. Simeon the New Theologian.

* Love is not a name, but a Divine essence, communicable and incomprehensible and completely Divine. St. Simeon the New Theologian.

* The Lord grants the inheritance of the Kingdom to those who have imprinted other virtues with love; either they flocked to it with their impeccable life, or through repentance they found refuge in it. St. Gregory Palamas.

* We are not so much looking for (love), as God is looking for us to become able to accept it and accept it. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.

* Do not seek or expect love from people, seek omnipotently and demand from yourself love and sympathy for people. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.

* Who will be able to speak about the sweetness of God’s love? in a dignified manner? The Apostle Paul, who tasted it and was satisfied with it, himself cries out and says: “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor the lower Power, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,” nor all together they cannot “separate from the love of God” a soul that has tasted its sweetness (Rom. 8:38-39). St. Ephraim the Syrian.

* If you think that you love God, but in your heart there is an unpleasant disposition towards at least one person, then you are in woeful self-delusion. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.

* Do not demand love from your neighbor, for the one who demands (it) is embarrassed if he does not meet it; but it’s better that you yourself show love for your neighbor, and you will calm down, and in this way you will lead your neighbor to love. Avva Dorotheus.

* The perfection of love lies in union with God; success in love is associated with inexplicable spiritual consolation, pleasure and enlightenment. But at the beginning of the feat, the student of love must endure a fierce struggle with himself, with his deeply damaged nature: the evil innate in nature through the Fall has become a law for him, warring and rebelling against the Law of God, against the law of holy love. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.

* Perfection consists in preferring your neighbor to yourself. Abba Jacob.

* Where there is no peace, there is no God. Abba Isaiah.

* Love is the basis of life. No one could survive without love. And it doesn’t matter who you are. Myrtle Armstrong.

* As we are towards our neighbors, so God will be towards us. St. John Chrysostom.

* If mercy is destroyed on earth, then everything will perish and be destroyed. St. John Chrysostom.

* When a person feels God’s love, then he begins to love his neighbor, and once he begins, he does not stop. ... While carnal love evaporates at the slightest provocation, spiritual love remains. In a God-loving soul that is under God’s action, the union of love is not interrupted, even when someone upsets it. This is because a God-loving soul, warmed by love for God, although it has suffered some kind of sorrow from its neighbor, quickly returns to its former good mood and willingly restores in itself the feeling of love for its neighbor. In it, the bitterness of discord is completely absorbed by God's sweetness. Blessed Diadochos.

* The life of the heart is love, and its death is anger and enmity. The Lord keeps us on earth for this reason, so that love will completely penetrate our hearts: this is the purpose of our existence. John of Kronstadt.

* Do not exchange love for your neighbor for love for some thing, because by loving your neighbor, you acquire in yourself the One who is most precious in the world. Leave little to gain great; despise what is superfluous and worthless in order to acquire what is of great value. Rev. Isaac the Syrian.

* The Lord loves us as His children, and His love stronger than love mother, because a mother can forget her child, but the Lord never forgets us. Elder Silouan.

* Whoever wants to talk about the love of God is attempting to talk about God Himself; spreading the word about God is sinful and dangerous for the inattentive.
The word about love is known to the Angels; but also as they become enlightened.
Love is God (John 4:8); and whoever wants to define in words what God is, he, blinded by his mind, attempts to measure the sand in the abyss of the sea.
Love in its quality is likeness to God, as much as people can achieve; in its action, it is the rapture of the soul; and by nature it is a source of faith, an abyss of long-suffering, a sea of ​​humility. John Climacus.

Love is not a special encounter with another, but a position. The problem of “being unloved” quite often turns into a problem of one’s own dislike.
Irwin Yalom

God is love!

Hieroschemamonk Meletius

We see this incomprehensible love in the incarnation of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the acceptance of spitting, strangulation, all kinds of insults and, finally, crucifixion. The love of God is incomprehensible and infinitely great. The entire angelic world was thrown into confusion, seeing the incarnation and crucifixion of the Creator of the world out of love for the fallen human race.

The Apostle John affirms by the Holy Spirit that God is love , and not only has love, although infinitely great.

Love same in covers everything , according to the ap. Pavel. It also covers our sins, shortcomings, infirmities, impatience, grumbling, and so on.

As soon as a believer in Christ realizes his weaknesses and sins and asks for forgiveness, God’s love cleanses and heals all sinful wounds. The sins of the whole world drown in the sea of ​​God's love, like a stone thrown into water.

There should be no place for despondency, hopelessness, despair! The Lord united human nature with the Divine essence, washed away the sins of all believing humanity with His blood, adopted fallen people as sons, ascended them to heaven, making them partakers of Divine life and joy, joy forever.

These earthly sorrows, illnesses, and the hardships of old age will delight us in future life. If the Lord suffered for us, then how can we not be at least to a small extent participants in the suffering of Christ?! Our soul, the image of God living in us, desires to be a partaker of the sufferings of Christ, only our cowardice and weakness are afraid of them, although the strength, perhaps, would be enough for patience.

And so, the Lord, out of love for us, sends involuntary sorrows and illnesses according to the strength of each, but also gives them patience in order to make us participants in His suffering. Whoever here did not suffer for Christ’s sake will be pricked by his conscience in the next century, because he could have shown his love for Christ by enduring sorrows, but he did not do this, trying to evade and avoid all sorrows.

Our conscience will prick us for not reciprocating God’s love.

Let us thank the Lord with all our hearts for everything that He pleases to send us. The Lord does not send us sorrows and illnesses out of anger, not for punishment, but out of love for us, although not all people and do not always understand this. But it is said: thank you for everything . We must surrender with all our soul to the good will of God, which saves us, loves us, and wants to lead us through the small sorrows of earthly life to eternal bliss, to the glory of the children of God.

Be with us all. Amen.

Forgive me, dear father, for daring to write something. May the Lord arouse in your heart gratitude to Him, the greatest reverence and complete devotion to His holy will with the readiness to endure everything out of love for Him.

Bow to Mother Anna and everyone around you.

Ekaterina

and her husband Sergei Manilov

How do you feel? How do you carry your cross? Aren't you complaining? May the Lord help you to endure without grumbling, with gratitude, whatever He sends for the sake of your salvation, for without His holy will no one and nothing can harm us. The Lord proved to us His love for man by allowing himself to be crucified on the Cross. God is Love, and Love cannot allow harm to its beloved. That is why everything that happens to a person, sad or joyful, is tolerated for our good, although we do not always understand this, or better yet, we never see or understand it. Only the All-Seer, the Lord, knows what we need to acquire eternal blissful life.

So, let's submit to the strong loving hand God and we, on our part, will use every effort to fulfill His commandments and constantly repent of our involuntary violations, and thereby prove our love for the Lord. According to the word of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who fulfills his commandments loves him, and he who does not fulfill him does not love him.

May the Lord enlighten you, may He give you patience, zeal for salvation and prayer from a contrite and humble heart.

Be kind and gentle with the people with whom you have to deal, and with your superiors, not out of people-pleasing, but out of love for them, commanded by Christ.

Peace and blessings to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

nun Sergius

Dear Granny!

I'm very sorry that you are sick. I hope that you have already visited the doctor [Father] Stefan and told him all your ailments and received relief. No matter how great the illnesses of individuals and of all humanity may be, they are finite, but God’s mercy and love have no end. The slightest appeal to the Lord, the decision to go to Him, already causes joy in Heaven and all kinds of help and... forgiveness of all crimes. The crucified thief had only the opportunity to express his heartfelt cry with his tongue: “ What is worthy according to our deeds is acceptable “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom.” And what did he hear? Is it some kind of reproach, or a reminder of crimes committed? Hands and feet are nailed down, nothing good can be done anymore, and Love takes a single heartfelt sigh and opens the gates of Eden. It is not said that God has love, but God is love . Just as the greatness of God is incomprehensible, so His humiliation, His Love, which led to the Cross, is incomprehensible. Any other means of saving humanity would not be so convincing to the heart of fallen man as the incarnation and crucifixion. Glory to You God! Glory to You God! Glory to You God!

Do not succumb to the enemy’s suggestions and thoughts that there is no forgiveness for us, that we are too unfit, etc. We are worthless, but we don’t rely on our own worthiness, but rely on God’s mercy. The Lord came to save the lost, to call sinners to repentance. It was not the healthy, but the sick who called the Doctor from heaven.

Nadya and her mother

13/XI48. Kaluga

One ascetic of the 20th century, about 22 years old, writes to me: “It’s very difficult for me: in addition to absent-mindedness, I am overcome by bad thoughts, and I don’t want to do anything, in my soul there is an insensitivity to everything spiritual. I started to remember past life, dancing, theater, stage...” Then, fortunately, she writes: “I’m very afraid, I don’t want to go back.”

What would you answer her to this? I would tell her this: the Lord knew before the creation of the world and man that the man He created would fall away from Him and go the way knowledge of good and evil , that without the special help of God he would completely perish, but nevertheless he created him and decided to save him in a way incomprehensible even to the Angels, showing truly Divine love and wisdom that surpasses all understanding. Lord oh He gave His Son Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Think deeply about this.

This is the sacrifice God made, this is the power of God’s Love for the fallen man who offended Him! To become human, to endure all sorts of insults, to be crucified among the robbers, like the last of men! For what? For the sake of saving everyone, for the sake of saving you, do you hear? For your sake I hung on the Cross. What more could you ask for from the Lord?

He opened the doors of paradise, brought man closer to Him to the point that He mixes His flesh and blood with man, He is at every second with everyone who believes in Him and wants to go to Him, He is long-suffering about our sins, betrayals of Him, tolerates our uncleanness, waiting for our repentance and turning to Him. On the part of the Lord, everything was done for the sake of our salvation, all measures of love, condescension, long-suffering were surpassed... And us? We also need faith, active faith, that is, faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ and His providence for us, proven by works. If a person wants to be with the Lord here and forever and proves this desire by doing the commandments and repenting for omissions, then no one and nothing can prevent him: neither demons, nor people, nor his passions and shortcomings, for the Lord is greater than man himself. wants him to be saved. And who can go against God, who is stronger than Him? Nobody and nothing. Therefore, let everyone who wants salvation not lose heart and do not be afraid that he will not be saved. Let him only firmly desire to be with the Lord and constantly cry out to Him and reveal to Him his infirmities, his passions, his desires, baring his whole soul before Him and asking him to heal and cleanse him of everything that is improper. And the Lord will do everything...

Do not judge anyone, for we all “walk dangerously” and are supported by the power of God. Pay attention to yourself, watch the head of the serpent, that is, drive out and destroy every bad thought, desire, attraction that arises by immediately calling on the Lord for help. Everything is subject to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not yourself open the entrance to the serpent into your soul, but drive him away in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and repentance.

There are spiritual laws spiritual growth, which are established by the perfect Wisdom of God, taking into account human psychology. It is precisely because of the peculiarity of man that he must undergo prolonged temptation from his passions, people, various circumstances, from demons, in order to recognize his fall, his shortcomings, powerlessness, to see through experience the help and mercy of God, to learn humility and patience with the shortcomings of other people, to acquire from experience, trust in God, learn to surrender entirely to the will of God, to renounce oneself, that is, one’s will, in order to become a pure diamond, reflecting the Sun of the Lord’s Truth without distortion. And for this we need to work hard, grieve, bear the cross, force ourselves to do the commandments, especially prayer - in a word, to follow the narrow path, which is the only way to prove that we want to be with God. But receiving spiritual joy and reaching for it is not proof of love for God. If we suffer with Him, then we will be glorified with Him. Therefore, do not be discouraged, ascetics of the 20th century, but imperceptibly, among everyday life, among the vanity of this world, leave the world with your mind, heart, and most importantly - your will, outwardly being almost like everyone else, but inside - “different”, guided by to the inner man only to God and your confessor.

May God help you. Don't look back like Lot's wife, lest you turn into an insensitive pillar of salt.

Your friend N.

Take care of your eyes and all your senses.

Hello everyone, everyone.

Nadya and her mother

Nadezhda Mikhailovna Evdokimov

Because I don’t have enough time, I can’t write to you more; I’ll only touch on the main thing.

Don't be afraid of anything. Instill in yourself the thought that in the whole world not the slightest movement occurs without the knowledge and permission of God. Moreover, nothing happens to a person, especially to a believer and one who honors Him - neither good nor evil - without God. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that even the hairs on a person’s head are numbered by God, Man is the image of God, for man the Lord came to earth, for his sake he suffered on the Cross, sent down the Holy Spirit, founded the Holy Church, making it His Body - can should the Lord leave man without His Providence for him? No and no!

God is love ; It is not said that God has love, but; is love , Divine Love, surpassing all human understanding. If human love sacrifices his life for the sake of his beloved, then like the omnipotent Lord, Who does not find it difficult to create entire worlds with one Word. Who is Love, how will He, who so loved the sinful fallen man, leave him without His Providence, without help in need, in sorrow, in danger?! This can never happen!

The human psyche is such that in order to be saved it is necessary for him to endure sorrows, which is why the Lord allows them, despite His love for man. But he doesn’t allow it beyond his strength. Then: joy and love for God are hidden in sorrows, if we accept and endure sorrows without grumbling, with gratitude. Without sorrows, a person will not humble himself, will not repent deeply, will not acquire love for God.

And then I will say: if you are afraid of sorrows and want to avoid them, then the Lord Jesus Christ showed a way to avoid them: watch over your soul and do not allow sin to manifest itself either in your thoughts, or in your heart, or in your body, and pray unceasingly. Can you achieve this? Then you will not have any sorrows, or rather, they will drown in spiritual joy. Until you achieve this, be patient and work hard. If we lived on earth for thousands of years, and were crucified every day, then this would not be enough payment for the indescribable bliss that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. Only the love of God allows a person so few sorrows and for such a short period of time. If you believe in the Gospel, then you must believe the words of the Lord, who indicated that although His disciples will have sorrows in earthly life, they will be replaced here by joy, which no one will take away from them. And the Lord is always with us: Behold, I am with you until the end of the age, amen . Who stronger than God? So, do not allow fear, cowardice, or lack of faith into yourself, inspired by the devil, but resist them in the name of Jesus. ABOUT having cheated me) and in the name of the Lord I resisted them.

Don’t lecture anyone, and if you see someone in need of spiritual help and feel that you could help at least a little, then talk about spiritual things as if you had read or heard this and that from knowledgeable people, and not as if from your own experience or knowledge. It will be easier for you, and you will block the demon’s access to you through vanity. Do you understand this idea?

May the Lord make you wise in everything. Ask Him for firm faith and patience.

Alexandra Belokopytova

I wish you and your sisters peace, salvation and health. I always remember you all with love. I wish you all kindnesses from the Lord. If I'm in Smolensk, I'll definitely come see you. Be healthy and peaceful. Bear each other's weaknesses. Force yourself to act with everyone out of love, and not out of calculation, and the Lord will love you and comfort you, and arrange everything for good. Do not give in to the enemy, do not lose the great treasures prepared for us over trifles.

May the Lord bless and enlighten you for all good things and protect you from all evil. I ask your saints. prayers for me.