And I know they won't mean it in its deepest meanings, but I sure hope to one day.
I am sorry for the way you've been treated. By the men in your life, or the women, or the children, or the elder. By those who call themselves friends and those who really are family but who you wish they weren't. There's nothing I can say to you to really take back the pain you've been inflicted by. Emotionally, physically, or spiritually. There's not a single ounce of pill in the world that can really rid you of every painstaking moment you've every felt. Not a single pill or drug that will rid that pain for forever. Of course you'll find your pills to relieve you of the real world around you to make you delirious to everything and everyone passing you by in life. There are no words either to heal this pain and to make it stop coming back again and again. I'm sorry for this. That you may search your life away looking for these words or these drugs that will make the pain and sorrow and grief stop. But I am so sorry you'll never find them young generation. No knife or sharp edge will ever release the pain from you forever. You're emotional pain won't ever stop but more or less increase with each cut. The physical pain will just grow and grow and yet behold you die. And you'll find yourself wondering at the end of your life why you couldn't find yourself an answer, why the pills, the words, and the cutting never seemed to help you. And you'll die never understanding why that pain of losing a loved one, or being laughed at and humiliated at school, or the pain of never seeming to matter, or that real gnawing pain, why those pains, and many more, never seemed to dilapidate and end. And you'll ask yourself for what wrong did you deserve such pain. I can tell you that that pain comes from evil. Where there is evil there is pain. And I'm sorry that's not at all uplifting but as long as you live your life wrongly and with evil directing the ways in which you walk and talk and action. You'll always be in pain dear loved one. You'll never know the calm of the storm or the peace of that pain you burdened upon yourself unless you come to know Christ and live with Him. And share in His love He offers to every single one of you. And even then you'll still experience pain, but if you call on Jesus, He will be there and that pain will be tolerable. And once we are with Him you'll understand what having no pain will really mean. If you think at all you are suffering in life and are walking through life with some unbearable pain and burden, find a Bible, and check out this book in there called Job and then read the rest of it.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Love
Part 1.
A fantastic friend of mine asked me to write her a blog about "Love and Why You Shouldn’t Waste Your Life Away Searching For It." I told her I most definantly would then decided against it mainly reasoning that love is the most basic and needed element to sustain life. And if you aren’t loving then you should definantly throw many attempts at finding love. So in one hand I agree you should not throw your life away searching for love but in the other hand I think it is the most crucial element of living.
"Because of free will, even though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having."--C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity
In the first hand, I don’t mean to tell you to stop living life to find love, but in life love will come to you. You will need to do some searching to understand a true pure love between a man and wife, Bridesgroom and bride, etc etc. This will not be easy. If you do not love, truly love, then you are nothing.
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:2
Here are the characteristics of love as recorded in The Histories Recorded by His Beloved. also known as the Bible.
"Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." -1st Corinthians 13:4-8
As human being we are called to react to other human beings with love. The verse above tells you EXACTLY how you should love others. Anger and Hate have to be thrown out the window of your life. Jesus commands you to turn the other cheek. If you get screwed over in the end then you know that person is someone who needs to know Christ’s love more than anything.
There is a love among friends and a love among man and wife. God gave us this love and knowledge of this love so that you could acknowledge how much He loves you. If you could think of a thousand people that love you the most and combine there love for you, all of their love doesn’t even compare to how much Christ loves you.
Christ even goes as far to say "Love Thy Enemy". He didn’t mean climb in bed with them. He meant show them His love. I think even if you were asked to die for your enemy Christ would expect you to do so. When He said "love your enemy" he didn’t mean to just put up with them or just to ignore them. He meant for you to LOVE them. If they need something done then do it for them. If they are struggling in something help them with it. If they require your life for theirs then lay down your life. For that is what Jesus did for us. To save us from our sins.
He wants this close intimate loving relationship with you. He doesn’t just want to be buddy buddy with you. He’s proposing to you. He is the Bridesgroom and you are the bride.
So yes and no I think you should always be in pursuit of love, all through your life. Not some wishy washy love that when youre mad at someone then you dont love them but when they are nice to you you do love them. He wants you loving them constantly. But I believe that He has plans for you. A certain person you are to be with. I don’t think you should worry away your life searching for a soulmate. But never stop looking.
Dive Deep
He has risen.
Part 2.
Someone tried to correct me on my last Love blog about "living in love instead of pursing it" and I do agree with that mostly but not entirely. I could tell you of course you are to live in love. But when you go and look at your life from an outward view you will notice however hard you try you won’t succeed in doing so. We are not perfect and cannot live in a perfect love. That is why I said we must persue it. Always pursuing it. Always loving your neighbor and your enemy and yourself and our God.
Love or Charity whichever you choose to achnowledge this as, it is the same either way.
I may have come across seeming too much and pressing too much to make it seem that love is an emotion or feeling. This is not what I intended or meant. It is not what God intended or meant.
The best way to put it has already been put for you to understand it and is said best by C.S. Lewis.
"It is a state not of the feelings but of the will; that state of the will which we have naturally about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people."
When he says we naturally love ourselves, not like ourselves, is that we honestly want whats best for us naturally. The way we are to love our neighbor or our enemy is not supposed to be that of a feeling or emotion. It is the way we act toward them. The actions we do for or against them defines our love for them. But we must be careful that our love and affection for one person does not hurt another person.
He goes on to talk about that we must not try to become affectionate for any one neighbor or enemy to be able to love them. But quite the opposite. That we should love them and that the affection with come along with the actions towards them. If God wants to bless you with the emotional love feeling then He will, but He wants you to love them through your actions not emotions.
Trying to treat more people with kindness will lead you to loving more people as you go on.
But the more you hate and treat people with distaste the more you will hate and dislike them.
It is the same as your love toward God. Many people will look and be afraid because they don’t see that love in themselves toward God, but the same lawy applies.
Live like you did love God. Imagine how you would act if you did love Him, and live that way. As you live your life with the actions of your love for Him the more your love will grow for Him just like with people.
No matter how much you sin, how much you mess up, Christ love never leaves you. He will always love you. It is your choice wether or not to love Him back. If you read this as someone who isn’t a follower of Christ and you say "He doesn’t love me or He wouldn’t send me away to hell." Then you are wrong. He has given you a choice.
He is our heart.
A fantastic friend of mine asked me to write her a blog about "Love and Why You Shouldn’t Waste Your Life Away Searching For It." I told her I most definantly would then decided against it mainly reasoning that love is the most basic and needed element to sustain life. And if you aren’t loving then you should definantly throw many attempts at finding love. So in one hand I agree you should not throw your life away searching for love but in the other hand I think it is the most crucial element of living.
"Because of free will, even though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having."--C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity
In the first hand, I don’t mean to tell you to stop living life to find love, but in life love will come to you. You will need to do some searching to understand a true pure love between a man and wife, Bridesgroom and bride, etc etc. This will not be easy. If you do not love, truly love, then you are nothing.
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:2
Here are the characteristics of love as recorded in The Histories Recorded by His Beloved. also known as the Bible.
"Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." -1st Corinthians 13:4-8
As human being we are called to react to other human beings with love. The verse above tells you EXACTLY how you should love others. Anger and Hate have to be thrown out the window of your life. Jesus commands you to turn the other cheek. If you get screwed over in the end then you know that person is someone who needs to know Christ’s love more than anything.
There is a love among friends and a love among man and wife. God gave us this love and knowledge of this love so that you could acknowledge how much He loves you. If you could think of a thousand people that love you the most and combine there love for you, all of their love doesn’t even compare to how much Christ loves you.
Christ even goes as far to say "Love Thy Enemy". He didn’t mean climb in bed with them. He meant show them His love. I think even if you were asked to die for your enemy Christ would expect you to do so. When He said "love your enemy" he didn’t mean to just put up with them or just to ignore them. He meant for you to LOVE them. If they need something done then do it for them. If they are struggling in something help them with it. If they require your life for theirs then lay down your life. For that is what Jesus did for us. To save us from our sins.
He wants this close intimate loving relationship with you. He doesn’t just want to be buddy buddy with you. He’s proposing to you. He is the Bridesgroom and you are the bride.
So yes and no I think you should always be in pursuit of love, all through your life. Not some wishy washy love that when youre mad at someone then you dont love them but when they are nice to you you do love them. He wants you loving them constantly. But I believe that He has plans for you. A certain person you are to be with. I don’t think you should worry away your life searching for a soulmate. But never stop looking.
Dive Deep
He has risen.
Part 2.
Someone tried to correct me on my last Love blog about "living in love instead of pursing it" and I do agree with that mostly but not entirely. I could tell you of course you are to live in love. But when you go and look at your life from an outward view you will notice however hard you try you won’t succeed in doing so. We are not perfect and cannot live in a perfect love. That is why I said we must persue it. Always pursuing it. Always loving your neighbor and your enemy and yourself and our God.
Love or Charity whichever you choose to achnowledge this as, it is the same either way.
I may have come across seeming too much and pressing too much to make it seem that love is an emotion or feeling. This is not what I intended or meant. It is not what God intended or meant.
The best way to put it has already been put for you to understand it and is said best by C.S. Lewis.
"It is a state not of the feelings but of the will; that state of the will which we have naturally about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people."
When he says we naturally love ourselves, not like ourselves, is that we honestly want whats best for us naturally. The way we are to love our neighbor or our enemy is not supposed to be that of a feeling or emotion. It is the way we act toward them. The actions we do for or against them defines our love for them. But we must be careful that our love and affection for one person does not hurt another person.
He goes on to talk about that we must not try to become affectionate for any one neighbor or enemy to be able to love them. But quite the opposite. That we should love them and that the affection with come along with the actions towards them. If God wants to bless you with the emotional love feeling then He will, but He wants you to love them through your actions not emotions.
Trying to treat more people with kindness will lead you to loving more people as you go on.
But the more you hate and treat people with distaste the more you will hate and dislike them.
It is the same as your love toward God. Many people will look and be afraid because they don’t see that love in themselves toward God, but the same lawy applies.
Live like you did love God. Imagine how you would act if you did love Him, and live that way. As you live your life with the actions of your love for Him the more your love will grow for Him just like with people.
No matter how much you sin, how much you mess up, Christ love never leaves you. He will always love you. It is your choice wether or not to love Him back. If you read this as someone who isn’t a follower of Christ and you say "He doesn’t love me or He wouldn’t send me away to hell." Then you are wrong. He has given you a choice.
He is our heart.
I am Sorry
I apologize for the people who claim to be Christians and have wronged you. Who have wronged the world over time. I apologize for the Crusades, for Columbus and genocides he committed in the Bahamas in the name of God. I apologize for the people who come to you as a follower of Christ and cast judgment upon you where it is not their place. I apologize for the Christians who look at you and write you off as a lost cause. I apologize for the missionaries who landed in Mexico and came up through the west slaughtering Indians in the name of Christ. I apologize for the government using God as a tool to get people to follow them. I am sorry for all of this. They throw the real God out the window and live their own life possibly ruining yours and changing your view on God. Jesus said to feed the poor and heal the sick. I have never done very much about that. Jesus said to love those who prosecute me. I tend to lash out, especially if I feel threatened, you know, if my ego gets threatened. Jesus did not mix His spirituality with politics. I grew up doing that. It got in the way of the central message of Christ. I know that was wrong, I know that a lot of people wont listen to the words of Christ because people like me, who know Him, carry our own agendas into the conversation rather than just relaying the message Christ wanted to get across. Most importantly I apologize for my own actions as part of the Body of Christ. I know I didn't do those things, and you're right they aren't my fault, but as being part of the Body of Christ, I hold responsibility to apologize on our behalf. They did those things claiming to be part of the Body of Christ. It is my place to apologize for their and my actions that so immensely wronged you. So I apologize for my hate, lust, lying, hypocrisy, and so many others I didn't mention. I love you & so does He.
Lifeboat Ethics
There are already 50 people in the lifeboat. 100 people are dying in the water. You only have room for 10 of those 100 to be let into the lifeboat. "But which 10 do we let in? How do we choose? Do we pick the best 10, "first come, first served"? And what do we exclude to the 90 we exclude?"
I instantly turn around and have to ask the original fifty already in the boat, "Would any of you give up your life for any of these one hundred?" If we are talking in terms of society some of the original fifty would have nothing to live for once back on land. I would also have to ask those in the water the exact same question. I would half heartedly have some hope that few in the water and few in the boat would be a Christ follower willing to give up their life for others, hopefully making my choice easier. To choose only ten from the water is cruel and unusual for the picker, unless you just don't have a soul. In high hopes let's assume fifteen people willingly give up their life, leaving me with still a hard decision of eleven out of eighty five. I merely say eleven because I would be one of the ones willing to die. Not because I have nothing to live for but because it's what I'm commanded to do. I can assume those with an actual relationship with Christ would not only be willing but lining up to do so. So in case the survivors end up stranded on an island, I would choose one to be a Christian doctrinist with some hope of him/her leading people to follow in Christ's footsteps. But I know of the phrase "The blind cannot lead the blind." Two more of the ten left being people knowledgeable in the ways of creating civilizations. Four more would be men of real strength willing to obey others in authority. The other three would be those healthy enough to reproduce. The last one would be someone who can nurture the others, not necessarily a Christian, just someone with maternal instincts. After letting those ten onto the boat I address the ones already on the boat mentioning how I hope they will be content with letting others die. I turn and switch spots with the eleventh person joining the dead in the water.
The truth is: Dying for something or someone is easy, to live for someone or something is quite difficult, challenging.
I instantly turn around and have to ask the original fifty already in the boat, "Would any of you give up your life for any of these one hundred?" If we are talking in terms of society some of the original fifty would have nothing to live for once back on land. I would also have to ask those in the water the exact same question. I would half heartedly have some hope that few in the water and few in the boat would be a Christ follower willing to give up their life for others, hopefully making my choice easier. To choose only ten from the water is cruel and unusual for the picker, unless you just don't have a soul. In high hopes let's assume fifteen people willingly give up their life, leaving me with still a hard decision of eleven out of eighty five. I merely say eleven because I would be one of the ones willing to die. Not because I have nothing to live for but because it's what I'm commanded to do. I can assume those with an actual relationship with Christ would not only be willing but lining up to do so. So in case the survivors end up stranded on an island, I would choose one to be a Christian doctrinist with some hope of him/her leading people to follow in Christ's footsteps. But I know of the phrase "The blind cannot lead the blind." Two more of the ten left being people knowledgeable in the ways of creating civilizations. Four more would be men of real strength willing to obey others in authority. The other three would be those healthy enough to reproduce. The last one would be someone who can nurture the others, not necessarily a Christian, just someone with maternal instincts. After letting those ten onto the boat I address the ones already on the boat mentioning how I hope they will be content with letting others die. I turn and switch spots with the eleventh person joining the dead in the water.
The truth is: Dying for something or someone is easy, to live for someone or something is quite difficult, challenging.
I betrayed You.
Two subjects in this note: the word Christian and betraying God living in American Materialistic life.
The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Now look at the word Christian. A meaning of 'little Christ'. It feels wrong for me to say."Yes, I am a Christian" if someone asks me if I am one. I am a follower of Christ. But knowing the word Christian means 'little Christ' and looking at my life I don't think it would be right for me to self proclaim myself as a Little Christ. In Antioch the followers of Christ were preaching and teaching there for a whole year when the gentiles came to them calling them Christians. They could see the transformation in the disciples lives. They could see Christ in their lives. REALLY see Him in their lives. If someone has to ask me if I'm a Christian then I am clearly not doing my task of showing Christ off in myself. He is supposed to be the spotlight not myself. This life isn't about me it is about Him. Only Him. I feel like I betray God by living here in America with all this materialism and worldliness that I am FORCED to live in. Yet it still feels like betrayal. It is betrayal. I say I follow Christ but I let Americas standards keep me down from living for him. When the Bible says "Whether you eat or drink do all things to the glory of God" and when Christ demands us to "Go out and make disciples of all the nations" I don't think its possible to do either or both in America to its full extent of the way Christ wants us to live it to. It really isn't. I mean you can say it is but then you go watch TV or hang out on the internet doing whatever you do. Sorry but I don't see how that glorifies God at all.
Christ didn't say if you wanted to follow Him you could do it lukewarmly. He said "Take up your cross and follow me" He spoke in parables so that those who truly weren't interested in following Him would not be able to be fake. He said this: luke 14:31-35
31. "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand [men] to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32. "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. 33. "So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. 34. "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35. "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
We try and give Him less than He deserves and less than He demands of us. This isn't right. He says that you have to give up all your possessions and follow Him. He says that, like tasteless salt, lukewarm people are useless. When salt is still salty it helps manure fertilize. But lukewarm and uncommitted faith is useless. It can't even benefit manure.
The term Lukewarm Christian really is an oxymoron. If anyone calls himself a believer and doesn't obey Christ commands the Truth is not in him.
The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Now look at the word Christian. A meaning of 'little Christ'. It feels wrong for me to say."Yes, I am a Christian" if someone asks me if I am one. I am a follower of Christ. But knowing the word Christian means 'little Christ' and looking at my life I don't think it would be right for me to self proclaim myself as a Little Christ. In Antioch the followers of Christ were preaching and teaching there for a whole year when the gentiles came to them calling them Christians. They could see the transformation in the disciples lives. They could see Christ in their lives. REALLY see Him in their lives. If someone has to ask me if I'm a Christian then I am clearly not doing my task of showing Christ off in myself. He is supposed to be the spotlight not myself. This life isn't about me it is about Him. Only Him. I feel like I betray God by living here in America with all this materialism and worldliness that I am FORCED to live in. Yet it still feels like betrayal. It is betrayal. I say I follow Christ but I let Americas standards keep me down from living for him. When the Bible says "Whether you eat or drink do all things to the glory of God" and when Christ demands us to "Go out and make disciples of all the nations" I don't think its possible to do either or both in America to its full extent of the way Christ wants us to live it to. It really isn't. I mean you can say it is but then you go watch TV or hang out on the internet doing whatever you do. Sorry but I don't see how that glorifies God at all.
Christ didn't say if you wanted to follow Him you could do it lukewarmly. He said "Take up your cross and follow me" He spoke in parables so that those who truly weren't interested in following Him would not be able to be fake. He said this: luke 14:31-35
31. "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand [men] to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32. "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. 33. "So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. 34. "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35. "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
We try and give Him less than He deserves and less than He demands of us. This isn't right. He says that you have to give up all your possessions and follow Him. He says that, like tasteless salt, lukewarm people are useless. When salt is still salty it helps manure fertilize. But lukewarm and uncommitted faith is useless. It can't even benefit manure.
The term Lukewarm Christian really is an oxymoron. If anyone calls himself a believer and doesn't obey Christ commands the Truth is not in him.
Wow, David
I woke up this morning and decided to read a Psalm before I left for school. This never happens but for today it did, and I actually got something out of it.
In Psalm 7, David is singing to God, like usual. Something caught me off guard. In this Psalm, David sings, "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High." Psalm 7:8
I don't think he said this out of pride. I believe he led a genuinely righteous lifestyle up to his later days.
I began my train of thought on the drive to school. How many Christians would ask God to judge them on their righteousness? I certainly wouldn't. It is suspected David wrote that Psalm while he was with the prophets after fleeing Saul, but before David started being corrupt.
Would you tell God to judge you by your righteousness? Righteousness is integrity, how well you hold from sin. I, and most people I assume, would be horrified if He judged us based on our 'level' of righteousness. I think it's a good thing God doesn't do that though. He doesn't judge us by our mistakes or works. He sees what's in our hearts, if we have love and faith for him. This by no means means that you are fine to live in sin. "If you do not obey my commands the truth is not in you." We should all strive to be righteous. I am just thankful I am not judged on righteousness. I have a weak integrity. A weak will. Weak love. Weak faith. But it keeps me going and it will become greater.
In Psalm 7, David is singing to God, like usual. Something caught me off guard. In this Psalm, David sings, "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High." Psalm 7:8
I don't think he said this out of pride. I believe he led a genuinely righteous lifestyle up to his later days.
I began my train of thought on the drive to school. How many Christians would ask God to judge them on their righteousness? I certainly wouldn't. It is suspected David wrote that Psalm while he was with the prophets after fleeing Saul, but before David started being corrupt.
Would you tell God to judge you by your righteousness? Righteousness is integrity, how well you hold from sin. I, and most people I assume, would be horrified if He judged us based on our 'level' of righteousness. I think it's a good thing God doesn't do that though. He doesn't judge us by our mistakes or works. He sees what's in our hearts, if we have love and faith for him. This by no means means that you are fine to live in sin. "If you do not obey my commands the truth is not in you." We should all strive to be righteous. I am just thankful I am not judged on righteousness. I have a weak integrity. A weak will. Weak love. Weak faith. But it keeps me going and it will become greater.
So If I...
So if I treat you pleasantly, it's just that you deserve it.
So if I debate with you about something, there's something in you I see worth fighting.
So if I ask you to join me in a journey through life, there's something in you worth finding.
So if I leave you behind, it's for the best.
So if I change your world, I hope it'll last.
Because in the end who you are is just who you choose to be.
And I hope I've made a dent before I leave.
So if I debate with you about something, there's something in you I see worth fighting.
So if I ask you to join me in a journey through life, there's something in you worth finding.
So if I leave you behind, it's for the best.
So if I change your world, I hope it'll last.
Because in the end who you are is just who you choose to be.
And I hope I've made a dent before I leave.
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