I recently took up the continuance of reading a book that I started a while ago. It’s titled Searching For God Knows What by Donald Miller. The section that I opened up to held very good points (as does the whole book), but this particular section spoke to me. He writes:
“---------
Reading through the Gospels was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. I know how strange it sounds to say it, but Jesus saved my faith. Several years ago I was getting to the point that the enormous entangling religion of Christianity, with its many divisions, its multiple theologies, its fondness for war rhetoric, and its quirky, lumbering personality, was such a nuisance I hardly wanted anything to do with it.
But then I saw this very beautiful film about Martin Luther, a German monk who started the Reformation, and before he started the Reformation, when he had yet to read a copy of the Bible, he used to pace around in his room and beg God to forgive him. He would beat himself up and argue with Satan and basically act pretty screwed up, but then later, when he was able to read a copy of the Bible himself, he realized that all his redemption came through Christ, that what he really needed to do was place all his love and faith in Christ and Christ would take care of everything because Christ loved Him.
This meant a great deal to me because there are, honestly, about a million ways Christians worship and about that many ways different groups say a person becomes a Christian. Trusting Christ, really placing my faith in Him the way Martin Luther did, seemed quite meaningful and simple. It also seemed relational, not formulaic, and as I have said, my gut tells me the key to life is relational, not propositional.
----------
The first thing that hit me when I started reading through the Gospels was the thought that Jesus had come to earth in the first place. Like the alien, He had it good where He was but He sacrificed it all and became a man. I suspect our mental pictures of God in heaven, of what Jesus looked like and His general composition, are not very accurate. My guess is He was quite amazing in His previous state, that He was quite happy, always surrounded by beings who loved Him, always feeling the fulfillment that an intimacy with His Father would give Him, always having God’s glory shining through Him, sitting on a throne in a place of honor. The mystery of what Christ was before He was human is one of the greatest mysteries of all time, and one that will not be solved until we have new bodies, new eyes, new hearts, new minds, and strong souls with which to engage any place near Him. To exchange heaven for a place, and to exchange eternity for time, was an act of humility I don’t think any of us can understand.
I was reading Brian Greene’s book The Elegant Universe, in which the Columbia professor talks about potentials of the super-string theory. It is a very fancy book, but I was struck at one point when Greene indicated the possibility that multiple dimensions may be laid out against each other as slices of a loaf of bread or tissues in a great brain. And while distantly scientific (strings are too small to actually see and prove scientifically and have been seen only through mathematical formula), the theory had me pondering about the greatness, or should I say the otherness, of God. I began to wonder how odd it would be if we existed in the mind of God, as Brian Greene, perhaps unknowingly, suggests. I am not saying I believe this is true, but something as radical as this, as foreign to our minds, certainly may be. And out of this other place, this other existence, Christ stepped to inhabit ours.
If you believe Jesus was God, and He came to earth to walk among us, the first thing you start considering is that He might actually care. Why else would something so great become something so small? He didn’t close Himself off in a neighborhood with the Trinity; He actually left His neighborhood and moved into ours, like a very wealthy and powerful man moving to the slums of Chicago or Houston or Calcutta, living on the streets as a peasant.
I started thinking about the idea my friend at the Bible College suggested about how, if God is a perfect and loving Being, the most selfless thing He could do would be to create other beings to enjoy Him. And then I started thinking that if those creatures fell away from Him, the most selfless thing a perfect and loving Being could do would be to go and get them, to try to save them from the death that would take place in His absence.
That said, if Christ was who He said He was, and He represents an existence, a community, and an economy that are better than ours, and it is important that I ‘believe in Him,’ what is He like?
As I read the Gospels and other books about Jesus, I started a little list of personality traits and beliefs I thought were interesting.
HE BELIEVED ALL PEOPLE WERE EQUAL
In reading the Gospels of the Bible, I discovered that the personality of Christ was such that people who were pagans, cultists, money-mongers, broken, and diseased felt comfortable in His presence. All this goes back to the idea of the lifeboat and how Jesus, outside that system, wouldn’t believe one person was any better than another. Apparently this counterintuitive belief system was obvious in the character of Christ. In the Gospels, Jesus is always surrounded by the poor, by the marginalized. And, adversely, He is often opposed by the powerful. Not all the powerful, but those who oppose Him are almost always the people who are ahead in the lifeboat. In this way, Jesus disrupted the system by which people were gaining their false redemption.
Phillip Yancey, a writer I admire a great deal, taught a class at his church in Chicago about Jesus. He reflects on what he discovered about Jesus in his book The Jesus I Never Knew:
‘The more unsavory the characters, the more at east they seemed to feel around Jesus. People like these found Jesus appealing: a Samaritan social outcast, a military officer of the tyrant Herod, a quisling tax collector, a recent hostess to seven demons.
In contrast, Jesus got a chilly response from more respectable types. Pious Pharisees thought him uncouth and worldly, a rich young ruler walked away shaking his head, and even the open-minded Nicodemus sought a meeting under the cover of darkness.
I [Yancy] remarked to the class how strange this pattern seemed, since the Christian church now attracts respectable types who closely resemble the people most suspicious of Jesus on earth. What has happened to reverse the pattern of Jesus’ day? Why don’t sinners like being around us?’
This makes a great deal of sense if you think about it, because Jesus was offering redemption through a relationship with Himself, and for those who were already being redeemed by a jury of their peers, people like politicians or wealthy people or powerful religious leaders, the redemption Jesus offered must have felt like a step down; but for those who had nothing, for those who were being threatened in the lifeboat, Jesus offered everything. In fact, at one point Christ says that it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. He says that a man like this will have trouble seeing the beauty of Christ on his own, and that he will need God’s help. (See Luke 18L25-27.)”
I was sitting in church the other day thinking about this passage; more specifically, about the words Miller quoted by Yancy. What most struck me were Yancy’s questions…”What has happened to reverse the pattern of Jesus’ day? Why don’t sinners like being around us?” These questions are great ones to ponder, reflect upon in our own lives, and commence deep thinking. I can’t say I know the answer, but I want to try and find out. Even more importantly, I want to reverse it.
If anything, our churches should be more, radical, so to speak, to attract the everyday people; the lost ones, the hurt ones, the abused ones, the searching ones…everyone who needs to know how much God loves them. I want to see if we can strive towards bringing in those who really and truly need God. Those who already acknowledge Him and are aware of His existence, know what is right and what they need to do. The choice is theirs.
We need to bring in those who don’t know our real God, don’t know His love for them, how much He gave up…just for them. As Christians, we should be encouraging and loving the ones that everyone else condemns. Bringing in to church the ones who need to hear about God…not the ones who already know about Him. Bring in the unlovable…not the respected. Bring in the poor…not the rich. Bring in the broken…not the healed. Bring in the hated…not the loved.
Our goal should be to be examples of Christ and love everyone, despite of our own feelings. If Christ would love them, we need to love them. And since Christ loves everyone, we need to love everyone.
This is just something to keep in mind as you live your daily lives. Try to come out of your shell and reach out to those whom you would not normally reach out to.
29 January 2010
28 January 2010
The King
The weariness he felt crushed him like never before. It took all of the strength within him to rise for this one last and final meeting with the King. The King who had been his friend and comrade throughout the years. As with any friendship of course, there had been a time when they did not know each other. That is to say, when he did not know the King, but the King had known him. One day though, it all changed. He had come to a turning point in his life, and he had the choice to go two ways. Follow the pretender who only spent time with him when he had money and friends in high places; or to follow the King who had seen him at his worst and still loved him. He had chosen the King.
They had had their shares of struggles. There had been times when he had denied his friendship with the King, or had even turned away from Him. But when he had gotten hurt or was broken down, the King was right there in front of him, willing to pick him up and care for him until his strength returned.
The King had gone through everything with him. Through all the horrors and pains of life. When his first wife-to-be had run away with another man a few days before their wedding. When his oldest son had almost died in a freak accident (the end result being that his son turned his life around). When his mother was on her deathbed and told the family of her unknown past. When his wife had died due to an unknown disease early on. Everything.
The Kind had gone through everything with him. Through all the joys and excitements of life. When he finally met the women of his dreams and they wed each other. The times when he drove his wife to the hospital to give birth to their children. When his daughter went on her first date. When his son got his license. When his dad had finally acknowledged the existence of the King. When his son married his long-time sweetheart. When his daughter’s child had been stillborn, but miraculously came to life. Everything.
He told the King everything. He went to Him with his frustrations of the workplace. He vented out his anger to the King, at a quiet place in the woods by his house. He thanked the King for the blessing of his family and all the good things that were in his life. He trusted the King with his life. When hard times came along, he knew that is was all a part of the King’s greater plan for his life. When he had to make hard decisions at points in his life, He always sought out the King for advice, and waited until He told him what the right thing to do was.
The final meeting with his King had come. What a joyous meeting it would be. He loved the King with all his heart and he knew the King loved him more than he could ever imagine. This meeting would signify the end of his life on earth, and then the King would finally take him home to be with Him. He didn’t want anyone to be sad, for he had been waiting for that moment his entire time of knowing the King. A light shone up above him. At that moment, he knew the time had come. The King smiled a loving, caring smile upon meeting his eyes. “It’s time” he whispered. The man nodded. He closed his eyes for a second, and upon opening them again…he was home.
They had had their shares of struggles. There had been times when he had denied his friendship with the King, or had even turned away from Him. But when he had gotten hurt or was broken down, the King was right there in front of him, willing to pick him up and care for him until his strength returned.
The King had gone through everything with him. Through all the horrors and pains of life. When his first wife-to-be had run away with another man a few days before their wedding. When his oldest son had almost died in a freak accident (the end result being that his son turned his life around). When his mother was on her deathbed and told the family of her unknown past. When his wife had died due to an unknown disease early on. Everything.
The Kind had gone through everything with him. Through all the joys and excitements of life. When he finally met the women of his dreams and they wed each other. The times when he drove his wife to the hospital to give birth to their children. When his daughter went on her first date. When his son got his license. When his dad had finally acknowledged the existence of the King. When his son married his long-time sweetheart. When his daughter’s child had been stillborn, but miraculously came to life. Everything.
He told the King everything. He went to Him with his frustrations of the workplace. He vented out his anger to the King, at a quiet place in the woods by his house. He thanked the King for the blessing of his family and all the good things that were in his life. He trusted the King with his life. When hard times came along, he knew that is was all a part of the King’s greater plan for his life. When he had to make hard decisions at points in his life, He always sought out the King for advice, and waited until He told him what the right thing to do was.
The final meeting with his King had come. What a joyous meeting it would be. He loved the King with all his heart and he knew the King loved him more than he could ever imagine. This meeting would signify the end of his life on earth, and then the King would finally take him home to be with Him. He didn’t want anyone to be sad, for he had been waiting for that moment his entire time of knowing the King. A light shone up above him. At that moment, he knew the time had come. The King smiled a loving, caring smile upon meeting his eyes. “It’s time” he whispered. The man nodded. He closed his eyes for a second, and upon opening them again…he was home.
Jewish Customs
As Christians we all have our “religious” symbols as does any other religion (though ought not to be a religion, but rather a relationship). There's the cross, halos, of Christ in various settings - one being amongst a flock of sheep with a lamb on His shoulders. In the Hebrew culture, they have many interesting customs. As my sister just spent five weeks in Israel, I was able to learn some of them. One such custom has to do with the Shepherd and His sheep.
As we all know, springtime is the time when life comes. This is obviously true with a flock of sheep. Lambs are born in the springtime. Sometimes there is a little lamb who will run away from the flock. Because the Shepherd cares for all of his flock, he will retrieve the little lamb and bring it back to its family. But because this little lamb is a wanderer, it will continue to wander off from the flock into the dangers of the wilderness. It may get away with this several times. Each time, thanks to the watchful eye of the Shepherd, the lamb is returned to the safety of the flock. However, if this continues to happen, the Shepherd will take disciplinary action solely for the sake of the lamb's well-being.
To make it remember that wandering away is the wrong thing to do, the Shepherd will break one of its legs. He will then bandage it up to let it heal properly. However, because it cannot walk from the broken leg, the Shepherd will keep it on His shoulders over the period of time it takes for the leg to heal. As this process is happening, He will hand feed it and care for it very tenderly. As is often the case when one individual tenderly nurtures another for any length of time, a special kind of bonding will occur. When the lamb's leg is finally healed its lesson is learned, and as a result, it will never stray away from the flock again. And ultimately, because of its bond to its Master, it will always trail very closely behind Him, following Him wherever He goes.
There is an object lesson to be learned here. My sister did a very good job of it when talking in our church this last Sunday about her trip. The same is with us and our Savior. His love is such a strong one; indeed the strongest kind of love, that He will go to great lengths just to earn our love. There are those who profess to have the faith of Christianity, but their words and actions say otherwise. Our heavenly Father wants our love, and our all.
It seems as if, should we profess our faith in Him, that we would give Him our all, putting Him first in every area of our lives; alas, this is not so with the majority of believers. Since He is One of a jealous nature, He will do what is necessary to keep those who wander, from wandering. If we let Him, He will break us down until we have nothing left to rely on but Him. Such is His jealousy, His love, His earnest desire to grow closer to us, and we to Him.
I pray for you all to not be broken before you are drawn to Him, because such a path is not an easy one. Rather, go to Him with all your earnest desires, fears, hopes, supplications, sins, and put Him first in your life; for when you do so, everything else in your life will fall into place (Romans 8:28).
My love to you all.
- Aimee
As we all know, springtime is the time when life comes. This is obviously true with a flock of sheep. Lambs are born in the springtime. Sometimes there is a little lamb who will run away from the flock. Because the Shepherd cares for all of his flock, he will retrieve the little lamb and bring it back to its family. But because this little lamb is a wanderer, it will continue to wander off from the flock into the dangers of the wilderness. It may get away with this several times. Each time, thanks to the watchful eye of the Shepherd, the lamb is returned to the safety of the flock. However, if this continues to happen, the Shepherd will take disciplinary action solely for the sake of the lamb's well-being.
To make it remember that wandering away is the wrong thing to do, the Shepherd will break one of its legs. He will then bandage it up to let it heal properly. However, because it cannot walk from the broken leg, the Shepherd will keep it on His shoulders over the period of time it takes for the leg to heal. As this process is happening, He will hand feed it and care for it very tenderly. As is often the case when one individual tenderly nurtures another for any length of time, a special kind of bonding will occur. When the lamb's leg is finally healed its lesson is learned, and as a result, it will never stray away from the flock again. And ultimately, because of its bond to its Master, it will always trail very closely behind Him, following Him wherever He goes.
There is an object lesson to be learned here. My sister did a very good job of it when talking in our church this last Sunday about her trip. The same is with us and our Savior. His love is such a strong one; indeed the strongest kind of love, that He will go to great lengths just to earn our love. There are those who profess to have the faith of Christianity, but their words and actions say otherwise. Our heavenly Father wants our love, and our all.
It seems as if, should we profess our faith in Him, that we would give Him our all, putting Him first in every area of our lives; alas, this is not so with the majority of believers. Since He is One of a jealous nature, He will do what is necessary to keep those who wander, from wandering. If we let Him, He will break us down until we have nothing left to rely on but Him. Such is His jealousy, His love, His earnest desire to grow closer to us, and we to Him.
I pray for you all to not be broken before you are drawn to Him, because such a path is not an easy one. Rather, go to Him with all your earnest desires, fears, hopes, supplications, sins, and put Him first in your life; for when you do so, everything else in your life will fall into place (Romans 8:28).
My love to you all.
- Aimee
27 January 2010
Lamb of God
“Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. - Revelations 1:4-6
John greeted the Church as many of the disciples did back in biblical times. He wished them grace and peace, all in the name of Jesus Christ. He also makes an interesting point. Because Jesus loved us (and still does of course), He sacrificed Himself for us. In that process, our sins were washed with His blood, which was clean.
Now, before I go any further, I want to take a look into why Jesus was called the Lamb of God (John 1:29 – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
Often times when Christians hear the term “Lamb of God” we think of a cuddly baby lamb – a nice image, no? But in actuality, when John called Jesus the Lamb of God in front of the crowd, the image was not a pleasant one. Let’s look into how lambs were regarded during the Biblical times.
These days lambs are either pets or are used for food. But their purpose served differently back in the biblical times, both Old and New Testament. This next bit of info I got from a devotional called “Praying the Names of Jesus” (I recommend it by the way). I’ll just paraphrase what the author wrote about.
In the Old and New Testament, the sacrificial system provided a way for God’s people to approach Him. As an animal was offered, its blood was shed and its flesh was then burned at the altar. If an animal was completely consumed by the fire, the sacrifice was called a “holocaust.” If only a part of the animal was burned, it was considered as a “peace offering.” The peace offering was intended to restore communion with God.
The people who offered sacrifices understood that the animal being sacrificed was a symbolic representation of themselves and their desire to offer their own lives to God. The sacrificial system was actually a way that the Hebrew Scriptures represents God’s way of instructing us about what it means to approach a holy God.
The lamb was actually the principal animal of sacrifice. Two were offered each day – one in the morning and one in the evening. On the Sabbath, the offering was doubled. Lambs (or other animals) were also sacrificed on the first day of the new month. They were also sacrificed on such feasts as Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonements, and Tabernacles. They were also sacrificed in cleansing ceremonies after a woman gave birth and after the healing of a leper.
To the Jews, the lamb represented two things. Innocence and gentleness. The sacrifice of a lamb was meant to represent the purity of intention of the person or people who offered it. Therefore, they had to be without physical blemishes.
The phrase “Lamb of God” is only found in John’s Gospel, though Jesus is often referred to as “the Lamb” in the book of Revelation. It is there where he is portrayed as the Lamb who, though slain, yet lives and reigns victorious.
Let’s take a look at John. He was the son of a priest. That means that he knew and was familiar with the sacrificial system. He knew the horrors of the sacrifices – the blood, the bleating, the odor of burning animal flesh mixed with incense. So why then, with the images that “the lamb” conjured up in the people’s minds, did John use the phrase “Lamb of God?”
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the ultimate sacrifice. He was innocent and without sin. He was everybody’s lamb. He died for us so that our sins would be permanently taken care of, and because He loves us.
Back to the verses in Revelations. Jesus, who was pure and loved us more than we could ever imagine, died for us. He washed our sins with His blood. After His sacrifice, we were then made kings and priests in the kingdom of God. We are all stewards, and have responsibility to be witnesses for Him through both our words and actions. This brings me to my next verse.
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a love of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” - Titus 1:7-9
We are called kings, bishops, and priests. We have a responsibility to be a light amongst those in the dark. It is true that because we are humans, we cannot be perfect. Nevertheless, we must strive for perfection. We must strive to be like Jesus. I love this set of verses, because it tells us what we should be doing.
I tend to not talk as much as other people, but rather observe my surroundings – both places and people. I’ve noticed that there are many people who seem to think that they are Christians. However, so often their words and actions show otherwise. I think that we, as Christians, are somewhat lost with what we should say, in how we should act, things that we tend to do on a daily basis, and decisions that we make.
As my dad once said, “How much are [you] willing to give up in order to have a better relationship with God?” He makes a very good point. Christians have allowed themselves to lower their standards for their life styles.
So often we allow profanities to escape from our lips. So often we will watch movies with profane words, sex scenes, or violence in them. So often we will listen to music by secular bands that may be good or not, depending on the lyrics. So often we will find ourselves in compromising situations due to the people that we hang out with.
R. A. Torrey once said that “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully committed to Him.”
I can’t say that I know how you should act. All I know is how the Bible tells us how to act. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe most Christians are fine with where they are at in their relationship with God. Maybe they don’t want to grow closer to Him. Maybe they don’t care how powerful their words and actions can be to both Christians and non-Christians.
All I know is that I want an amazing relationship with God. I am willing to give up things if that means growing closer to Him. As I have realized before though, I know that I would not be so willing to do something dangerous or heroic if He asked me to. I only hope that I will one day be in the place where I would be willing to give up my life for a complete stranger if it means that my sacrifice would show them God’s love.
John greeted the Church as many of the disciples did back in biblical times. He wished them grace and peace, all in the name of Jesus Christ. He also makes an interesting point. Because Jesus loved us (and still does of course), He sacrificed Himself for us. In that process, our sins were washed with His blood, which was clean.
Now, before I go any further, I want to take a look into why Jesus was called the Lamb of God (John 1:29 – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
Often times when Christians hear the term “Lamb of God” we think of a cuddly baby lamb – a nice image, no? But in actuality, when John called Jesus the Lamb of God in front of the crowd, the image was not a pleasant one. Let’s look into how lambs were regarded during the Biblical times.
These days lambs are either pets or are used for food. But their purpose served differently back in the biblical times, both Old and New Testament. This next bit of info I got from a devotional called “Praying the Names of Jesus” (I recommend it by the way). I’ll just paraphrase what the author wrote about.
In the Old and New Testament, the sacrificial system provided a way for God’s people to approach Him. As an animal was offered, its blood was shed and its flesh was then burned at the altar. If an animal was completely consumed by the fire, the sacrifice was called a “holocaust.” If only a part of the animal was burned, it was considered as a “peace offering.” The peace offering was intended to restore communion with God.
The people who offered sacrifices understood that the animal being sacrificed was a symbolic representation of themselves and their desire to offer their own lives to God. The sacrificial system was actually a way that the Hebrew Scriptures represents God’s way of instructing us about what it means to approach a holy God.
The lamb was actually the principal animal of sacrifice. Two were offered each day – one in the morning and one in the evening. On the Sabbath, the offering was doubled. Lambs (or other animals) were also sacrificed on the first day of the new month. They were also sacrificed on such feasts as Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonements, and Tabernacles. They were also sacrificed in cleansing ceremonies after a woman gave birth and after the healing of a leper.
To the Jews, the lamb represented two things. Innocence and gentleness. The sacrifice of a lamb was meant to represent the purity of intention of the person or people who offered it. Therefore, they had to be without physical blemishes.
The phrase “Lamb of God” is only found in John’s Gospel, though Jesus is often referred to as “the Lamb” in the book of Revelation. It is there where he is portrayed as the Lamb who, though slain, yet lives and reigns victorious.
Let’s take a look at John. He was the son of a priest. That means that he knew and was familiar with the sacrificial system. He knew the horrors of the sacrifices – the blood, the bleating, the odor of burning animal flesh mixed with incense. So why then, with the images that “the lamb” conjured up in the people’s minds, did John use the phrase “Lamb of God?”
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the ultimate sacrifice. He was innocent and without sin. He was everybody’s lamb. He died for us so that our sins would be permanently taken care of, and because He loves us.
Back to the verses in Revelations. Jesus, who was pure and loved us more than we could ever imagine, died for us. He washed our sins with His blood. After His sacrifice, we were then made kings and priests in the kingdom of God. We are all stewards, and have responsibility to be witnesses for Him through both our words and actions. This brings me to my next verse.
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a love of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” - Titus 1:7-9
We are called kings, bishops, and priests. We have a responsibility to be a light amongst those in the dark. It is true that because we are humans, we cannot be perfect. Nevertheless, we must strive for perfection. We must strive to be like Jesus. I love this set of verses, because it tells us what we should be doing.
I tend to not talk as much as other people, but rather observe my surroundings – both places and people. I’ve noticed that there are many people who seem to think that they are Christians. However, so often their words and actions show otherwise. I think that we, as Christians, are somewhat lost with what we should say, in how we should act, things that we tend to do on a daily basis, and decisions that we make.
As my dad once said, “How much are [you] willing to give up in order to have a better relationship with God?” He makes a very good point. Christians have allowed themselves to lower their standards for their life styles.
So often we allow profanities to escape from our lips. So often we will watch movies with profane words, sex scenes, or violence in them. So often we will listen to music by secular bands that may be good or not, depending on the lyrics. So often we will find ourselves in compromising situations due to the people that we hang out with.
R. A. Torrey once said that “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully committed to Him.”
I can’t say that I know how you should act. All I know is how the Bible tells us how to act. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe most Christians are fine with where they are at in their relationship with God. Maybe they don’t want to grow closer to Him. Maybe they don’t care how powerful their words and actions can be to both Christians and non-Christians.
All I know is that I want an amazing relationship with God. I am willing to give up things if that means growing closer to Him. As I have realized before though, I know that I would not be so willing to do something dangerous or heroic if He asked me to. I only hope that I will one day be in the place where I would be willing to give up my life for a complete stranger if it means that my sacrifice would show them God’s love.
Love Study
I really feel like writing something right now. Maybe it's just to pass the time, but I believe that another part is because, as a writer, I'm itching to write something. Anything. A piece that will inspire, create hope, give courage...things that will encourage people. Currently, however, I am totally blank to writing some thing that will do such acts.
Maybe I could write about my surroundings. I've always loved observing people. For when it comes to observing them, you can really get a sense of what they're like - especially since they don't know that you are watching. For when a person knows you're watching them, they tend to act differently, trying to impress or whatever, simply because another being is watching. I know this to be true because of my own observations, and I have done so myself in the past. However, I am learning that it does not matter what man thinks, but what ultimately matters is what God thinks.
This has been hard for me to learn at times. As humans, we are so eager to please others...especially the ones we like or care about. But one day we will have to come to the point and accept the fact that we are going to be asked to do things by God that may offend our friends or acquaintances...thus destroying the relationship. Not by our choice, but by the reaction of the other party involved. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, we will grieve for that lost relationship. But we should be satisfied with the fact that we did what our Father asked us, and that which we did was part of His plan for us, and some good will come out of it.
One thing that I have had to ask God to help me with is to love others. More specifically, the unlovable, and those I find I don't really want to love (in the flesh that is). But God has been showing me that it does NOT matter how I feel, but He will give me strength if I simply ask for it. Besides, as professed followers of Christ, we should follow His commandments, and He very clearly orders us to love others. No excuses.
Look at what our Father tells us in His word:
"'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.'" - Leviticus 19:18
"'But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.'" - Matthew 5:44
"'Honor you father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
- Matthew 19:19
"'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.'"
- Mark 12:30, 31
"'But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.'" - Luke 6:27
"'But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.'" - Luke 6:35
"'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.'"
- John 13:34, 35
"'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.'" - John 15:12
"'These things I command you, that you love one another.'" - John 15:17
"But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." - Ephesians 4:15, 16
"And walk in love, as Christ also has love us and given Himself for us..." - Ephesians 5:2
"Let brotherly love continue." - Hebrews 13:1
"And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God, must love his brother also." - 1 John 4:21
The point where I am at in my life right now, this is hard for me to do. Specifically with my sister and a guy friend that I had to recently take care of. Also with people involved in the youth group I was attending. I find that when I have to focus on my own life (when it comes to dealing with guys or anything that isn't spiritual) I lose my focus on God. This is why I am always constantly (first and foremost) focusing on God, and then on my fellow brothers and sisters - to encourage them in their relationship with God. I will focus on my life in order to take care of things that I know I need work on (i.e. patience, frustration, etc.). But if I take one moment to focus on something that isn't spiritual, then I lose my focus on God. And this is what happened to me recently.
I realized last night when I was reading in Romans that I just need to give everything up to God, and get back to the point where I was before I had to deal with people. And I definitely need His help...but I know I can do it. In my past I have denied Christ a lot...then always came back to Him. But I refuse to do that anymore. I am at the point in my life where my love for Him is real and I don't ever want to go back to the low points that I have been at before. I know that if it weren't for God, I wouldn't be here alive today, as a few months ago I was very, very close to slitting my own throat. And I give the credit to my relationship with God, that if I wouldn't have had Him, I wouldn't be here.
And so here I am. A Christian who, like all others, has my own faults. But the difference is, is that I'm going to - with God's help - strive for perfection. I refuse to go back to where I was in the past. I refuse to follow the crowd. I refuse to care more about others' opinions than God's opinion; for what He thinks is what will ultimately matter. I refuse to let my fellow brothers and sisters continue doing things that are wrong according to God's word. I will tell them, out of love, that they need to change; and I will be there as support for them. I will always strive to be an example of Christ. I will hold others accountable if they are willing to do the same for me. I will love others, not because I feel like it (for that will not always be the case), but because it's what our Father commands us to do.
I hope this has been encouraging for some of you. Stay strong.
Maybe I could write about my surroundings. I've always loved observing people. For when it comes to observing them, you can really get a sense of what they're like - especially since they don't know that you are watching. For when a person knows you're watching them, they tend to act differently, trying to impress or whatever, simply because another being is watching. I know this to be true because of my own observations, and I have done so myself in the past. However, I am learning that it does not matter what man thinks, but what ultimately matters is what God thinks.
This has been hard for me to learn at times. As humans, we are so eager to please others...especially the ones we like or care about. But one day we will have to come to the point and accept the fact that we are going to be asked to do things by God that may offend our friends or acquaintances...thus destroying the relationship. Not by our choice, but by the reaction of the other party involved. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, we will grieve for that lost relationship. But we should be satisfied with the fact that we did what our Father asked us, and that which we did was part of His plan for us, and some good will come out of it.
One thing that I have had to ask God to help me with is to love others. More specifically, the unlovable, and those I find I don't really want to love (in the flesh that is). But God has been showing me that it does NOT matter how I feel, but He will give me strength if I simply ask for it. Besides, as professed followers of Christ, we should follow His commandments, and He very clearly orders us to love others. No excuses.
Look at what our Father tells us in His word:
"'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.'" - Leviticus 19:18
"'But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.'" - Matthew 5:44
"'Honor you father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
- Matthew 19:19
"'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.'"
- Mark 12:30, 31
"'But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.'" - Luke 6:27
"'But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.'" - Luke 6:35
"'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.'"
- John 13:34, 35
"'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.'" - John 15:12
"'These things I command you, that you love one another.'" - John 15:17
"But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." - Ephesians 4:15, 16
"And walk in love, as Christ also has love us and given Himself for us..." - Ephesians 5:2
"Let brotherly love continue." - Hebrews 13:1
"And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God, must love his brother also." - 1 John 4:21
The point where I am at in my life right now, this is hard for me to do. Specifically with my sister and a guy friend that I had to recently take care of. Also with people involved in the youth group I was attending. I find that when I have to focus on my own life (when it comes to dealing with guys or anything that isn't spiritual) I lose my focus on God. This is why I am always constantly (first and foremost) focusing on God, and then on my fellow brothers and sisters - to encourage them in their relationship with God. I will focus on my life in order to take care of things that I know I need work on (i.e. patience, frustration, etc.). But if I take one moment to focus on something that isn't spiritual, then I lose my focus on God. And this is what happened to me recently.
I realized last night when I was reading in Romans that I just need to give everything up to God, and get back to the point where I was before I had to deal with people. And I definitely need His help...but I know I can do it. In my past I have denied Christ a lot...then always came back to Him. But I refuse to do that anymore. I am at the point in my life where my love for Him is real and I don't ever want to go back to the low points that I have been at before. I know that if it weren't for God, I wouldn't be here alive today, as a few months ago I was very, very close to slitting my own throat. And I give the credit to my relationship with God, that if I wouldn't have had Him, I wouldn't be here.
And so here I am. A Christian who, like all others, has my own faults. But the difference is, is that I'm going to - with God's help - strive for perfection. I refuse to go back to where I was in the past. I refuse to follow the crowd. I refuse to care more about others' opinions than God's opinion; for what He thinks is what will ultimately matter. I refuse to let my fellow brothers and sisters continue doing things that are wrong according to God's word. I will tell them, out of love, that they need to change; and I will be there as support for them. I will always strive to be an example of Christ. I will hold others accountable if they are willing to do the same for me. I will love others, not because I feel like it (for that will not always be the case), but because it's what our Father commands us to do.
I hope this has been encouraging for some of you. Stay strong.
The Shepherd
Something itched in his throat. As he opened his mouth, a blood curling scream came hurling out. “WHY?!” His cry echoed in the mountains. All that he had ever known, all that he had ever seen, all that he had ever loved had been stripped away from him; he was left with nothing, accompanied by no one, and the god that he had once served had left him.
He walked along the trodden mountainous pathway, avoiding falling off the edge from the anorexic narrowness of the trail. With everything he had gone though, he did not care if he fell or not. How could everything be stripped away from him like this? He had done his duty to his family, to his country, to his leader, to his god. And now all things of the past – memories, people, belongings – everything was blown away with just a slight breeze. Gone.
His thoughts betrayed him. He thought of the first moment he laid eyes on his future wife, the day his children were born, the time when he was honoured before the whole clan for his many heroic acts. Life, now barren like the earth that he walked on, did not seem worth living anymore. There was no one to go to, no one to give him hope. Not even Makiel was there for him.
Makiel. The one and only god he had served since he was a child, a mere boy. Makiel, for all of his efforts, endless pleadings, continuous sacrifices, had never spoken to him, never exclaimed his love for him, never even gave him anything. His wife, his child, his honours – all were the works of fate. Makiel was supposed to be loving, caring, a shepherd to those who served him. Instead, he remained silent, a mute to those who so longingly cared for his attentions.
It was silent. Dead like a tree in the winter. The path was a lonely one, even more so with only his thoughts accompanying him. He shuffled along, dragging his feet, with no destination in mind. The scenery of the foot path was as interesting as anything else, so as he walked, he continued to look down.
A voice startled him out of his mindlessness. He looked around. A Shepherd was standing in a valley along the trail. His mouth didn’t move. It was almost as if the man had spoken to him…in his head. Impossible. Only a god could do that, and no god would belittle himself to take the lowly form of a human. He shook his head and continued walking.
Look around. This is my creation. I created it for you. I love you. I created you. I will never leave you. The words startled him. How could a mere man create him? Much less everything around him. He tried speaking back. You? He scoffed. Why should I believe you? If you’re so wonderful, and so loving, and had the ability to create things, then WHY did you take away everything I’ve ever known? He screamed it.
Then he dared to look the man in the eyes. Those eyes. They were the most intense green. It didn’t make sense. No one had green eyes. He dared to look into them longer, deeper. They showed love. They showed pain. They showed hurt. They showed the longing for a relationship unknown to mankind. How could he read this man so easily? Who are you? He wondered.
I Am. The voice came to him. I am everything. I am the sun shining down on you. I am the soft grass beneath your feet. I am the love you felt for your children on the day they were born. I am the pain you felt when you lost everything. I am. He was amazed. But that question was still nagging him. Why then, did you take everything away? He asked with his teeth clenched.
I care for you. I care for all of my creation. When you served the god Makiel with your whole being and received nothing in return, my heart broke for you. Not because of his silence, but because you were serving a god that is dead. A god that has no power, no emotions, nothing. In order to bring you to me, I needed to strip away everything you’ve ever known. So that in your pain, your anger, your hurt, your anguish, you might come to me. I created you and I love you. Serve me, and I will remain with you until the end. Love me and I will love you until the end. Speak to me, become closer to me, and we will have a relationship that no one has ever seen.
The voice ceased in speech. He mulled over what he had just heard. Was it possible? Could such things really be possible? He paused. He had nothing more to lose, save his own life. It wouldn’t hurt to take this man up on his offer. I accept. I will love you. I will serve you. I will commune with you.
It came to him all of a sudden. A wave of love so strong, that he almost fell to the ground. He began weeping. Strong pain washed over him. He bent over from the strength of it. A wave of hurt came. He wept uncontrollably. Great joy came next. He stood and stretched his hands, laughing loudly. Then the love came again, in a much stronger dose. He was overwhelmed. He looked for the Shepherd to thank him. He was gone. It couldn’t have been…Yeshua? The God his neighbors had claimed for years was the one and only real God? Who herded his flock as a Shepherd would his sheep. He sharply took in his breath. Yeshua.
He began walking along the pathway again. He would do so until he received instruction. Everything seemed so much brighter. The sun actually felt warm, the grass looked vibrantly green, the noises from the animals so much more distinct. Love others as I have loved you. He looked around. Still no one. I will. He continued walking along the trail. As he came around the bend, he saw a small, abandoned child curled up, lying on the side of the road. He bent down, took him in his arms, held him tight, and whispered, “I love you.”
He walked along the trodden mountainous pathway, avoiding falling off the edge from the anorexic narrowness of the trail. With everything he had gone though, he did not care if he fell or not. How could everything be stripped away from him like this? He had done his duty to his family, to his country, to his leader, to his god. And now all things of the past – memories, people, belongings – everything was blown away with just a slight breeze. Gone.
His thoughts betrayed him. He thought of the first moment he laid eyes on his future wife, the day his children were born, the time when he was honoured before the whole clan for his many heroic acts. Life, now barren like the earth that he walked on, did not seem worth living anymore. There was no one to go to, no one to give him hope. Not even Makiel was there for him.
Makiel. The one and only god he had served since he was a child, a mere boy. Makiel, for all of his efforts, endless pleadings, continuous sacrifices, had never spoken to him, never exclaimed his love for him, never even gave him anything. His wife, his child, his honours – all were the works of fate. Makiel was supposed to be loving, caring, a shepherd to those who served him. Instead, he remained silent, a mute to those who so longingly cared for his attentions.
It was silent. Dead like a tree in the winter. The path was a lonely one, even more so with only his thoughts accompanying him. He shuffled along, dragging his feet, with no destination in mind. The scenery of the foot path was as interesting as anything else, so as he walked, he continued to look down.
A voice startled him out of his mindlessness. He looked around. A Shepherd was standing in a valley along the trail. His mouth didn’t move. It was almost as if the man had spoken to him…in his head. Impossible. Only a god could do that, and no god would belittle himself to take the lowly form of a human. He shook his head and continued walking.
Look around. This is my creation. I created it for you. I love you. I created you. I will never leave you. The words startled him. How could a mere man create him? Much less everything around him. He tried speaking back. You? He scoffed. Why should I believe you? If you’re so wonderful, and so loving, and had the ability to create things, then WHY did you take away everything I’ve ever known? He screamed it.
Then he dared to look the man in the eyes. Those eyes. They were the most intense green. It didn’t make sense. No one had green eyes. He dared to look into them longer, deeper. They showed love. They showed pain. They showed hurt. They showed the longing for a relationship unknown to mankind. How could he read this man so easily? Who are you? He wondered.
I Am. The voice came to him. I am everything. I am the sun shining down on you. I am the soft grass beneath your feet. I am the love you felt for your children on the day they were born. I am the pain you felt when you lost everything. I am. He was amazed. But that question was still nagging him. Why then, did you take everything away? He asked with his teeth clenched.
I care for you. I care for all of my creation. When you served the god Makiel with your whole being and received nothing in return, my heart broke for you. Not because of his silence, but because you were serving a god that is dead. A god that has no power, no emotions, nothing. In order to bring you to me, I needed to strip away everything you’ve ever known. So that in your pain, your anger, your hurt, your anguish, you might come to me. I created you and I love you. Serve me, and I will remain with you until the end. Love me and I will love you until the end. Speak to me, become closer to me, and we will have a relationship that no one has ever seen.
The voice ceased in speech. He mulled over what he had just heard. Was it possible? Could such things really be possible? He paused. He had nothing more to lose, save his own life. It wouldn’t hurt to take this man up on his offer. I accept. I will love you. I will serve you. I will commune with you.
It came to him all of a sudden. A wave of love so strong, that he almost fell to the ground. He began weeping. Strong pain washed over him. He bent over from the strength of it. A wave of hurt came. He wept uncontrollably. Great joy came next. He stood and stretched his hands, laughing loudly. Then the love came again, in a much stronger dose. He was overwhelmed. He looked for the Shepherd to thank him. He was gone. It couldn’t have been…Yeshua? The God his neighbors had claimed for years was the one and only real God? Who herded his flock as a Shepherd would his sheep. He sharply took in his breath. Yeshua.
He began walking along the pathway again. He would do so until he received instruction. Everything seemed so much brighter. The sun actually felt warm, the grass looked vibrantly green, the noises from the animals so much more distinct. Love others as I have loved you. He looked around. Still no one. I will. He continued walking along the trail. As he came around the bend, he saw a small, abandoned child curled up, lying on the side of the road. He bent down, took him in his arms, held him tight, and whispered, “I love you.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
