Hey guys, sorry for the gap in content. Good news! I got my new computer charger in the mail last night. That mean's I can get back to work on the blog. Thank you so much for bearing with me as I awaited the charger's arrival. God is good all the time. :)
"Jesus... if you'd just make her like me... I would serve you!" "Lord... if you would just get my mom and dad back together, I would believe." "Father, please, let me get my books published and I will follow you to the ends of the earth." Do these quotes describe your relationship with God? If it does, then you may not be as close to God as you think. Did Jesus ever say, "bargain with me, and I shall make you happy by providing every little comfort, job, girlfriend, book deal, and selfish desire of your heart"? NO! God is there to serve us, right? NO! WE are here to serve Him by serving others in His name! I had the honor of listening to my close friend, Pastor Stephen Holley, speak to the youth of Seabreeze Church last night. "There are two kinds of Jesus we worship in America and I want to debunk them." He said. He went on to explain that, in this country of selfish indulgence, we have created a Jesus to fit our needs, a Jesus who serves us and gives us everything we want with nothing being given in return. We call this the "Genie-in-a-Bottle Jesus". We have also come to expect the physical presence of God. The Pastor used this example, "I had someone come tell me, and I'm not going to use their name, 'Pastor... I was in church last week and my song came on, my song. I thought, Man, this is my moment, and I raised my arms, but... I didn't feel him man, I didn't get the goosebumps... God can't be real."
The Genie-in-a-Bottle Jesus is probably the most dangerous thing anyone can believe on. Let's say you've been through a parents divorce, it's likely as a child that at some point you prayed and said, "God, please..." A tear streams down your face, "Please... if you make my parents love each other and make them stay together, I'll serve you... prove yourself to me, God..." I know that at the age of 8, I did. You know what didn't happen? My parents didn't get back together. In fact, my mother married a man that I was quite certain hated me and my younger brother. What happens when we try to impose our will on God's decisions? Nothing good. It is the biggest cause of doubt in America today, all because of our selfishness. We are raised up in a culture of self-service. "You deserve this, take this, take that, you've earned it, you are entitled to it." What a joke. Jesus said in Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go trough the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." If Jesus said that... where do we get off telling him to give us riches and possessions. Pending our belief on the God who BREATHED THE UNIVERSE INTO EXISTENCE on something as petty as money or a good grade on a test or on a promotion at work is ridiculous. Realize that God DOES love you and Jesus DID die on the cross so that you don't have to burn in Hell, but He doesn't owe us ANYTHING... WE OWE HIM EVERYTHING.
The "Goosebumps Jesus" is a great way to describe a kind of false way of believing in Jesus. It's dangerous for a few reasons, chiefly we become reliant on God moving us emotionally in every worship session, every time we raise our hands. I can attest to the fact that most of the time I feel the presence of God moving in me when I worship. I get a sensation like waives gently washing over my senses, causing a euphoria better than any drug I was ever hooked on. Do I feel that every time? No. Would I like to? Yes. Does it affect how much I believe in God? Absolutely not. I completely agree with Pastor Stephen, as he closed the service he said the most profound and touching thing I have ever heard. "Even if I went the rest of my life without feeling so much as a tap on the shoulder from God... I would still lay down my life for him and serve him with everything that I am." I couldn't agree more.
We need to kill these two figures in our mind and return to the bible. Stop looking at what other men and women say about who God is and look at the Word of God to discover him. It is extremely dangerous to believe in these two Jesus's who are American-created. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 says "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted." Paul is telling us that, even though we call him Jesus and we believe in what he did in the bible, if we are creating extra things to add on to him, such as the examples above, we are listening and excepting a "Jesus whom we have not preached."
Thank you guys for reading. I know some posts like this one may be a bit hard to get through, but trust me. This is biblical information. If you ever have any questions or recommendations for future posts, go ahead and send me an email or contact me on Facebook.
Love and blessings from God the Father on all of you,
Jimmy
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Just a Quick Update
Hey guys, I know there haven't been any posts in a couple of weeks, but I assure you that more content is coming! I've been SUPER busy! I'm officially enrolled in college "half-time" and am starting a new job on the 19th of this month. In the meantime, I've been really focusing on my family and home. I've got some great outlines I've been working on for a couple of interesting future posts and will have a video to accompany my Testimony post, possibly next week. God is really working in my life right now and it can seem cluttered and crowded at times, but I remember to rely on Him and all things are possible.
Until then, God bless all of you!
Jimmy
Until then, God bless all of you!
Jimmy
Saturday, April 26, 2014
A Family in Christ
"Then His mother and brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him and they said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You." Answering them, He said, "Who are My mothers and My brothers?" Looking at those who were sitting around Him, He said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother, and sister, and mother." - Mark 3:31-35
The text above often makes people feel uneasy. My mother is one of these. We were talking over coffee a few mornings ago about God and the bible, as we often do, when she brought up a concern. "Honey," She said, "there's only one story in the bible that bothers me."
"What's that?"
"The one where Jesus is teaching and healing in the tent and His brother and mothers come and He rejects them."
Her concerns really had me thinking, so I prayed on it and read the story several times. Nowhere does it say He completely rejected his family. It does show that He was willing to loose His mother's respect, who had berthed Him and raised Him, in order to accept us into His family in God and in Heaven. We see later on that she was not truly hurt by Jesus's actions. It was because Jesus loved us so much that He wanted us to understand that he who does the will of God holds a special place in His heart. Now, I think the biggest problem with our interpretation of this story (and many others) is that we use visuals from various movies and the filmmaker portrayed Mary as being wounded by Jesus's words. First, in the book of Mark, he says "Your mother and Your brothers are Outside looking for you." If someone had to tell Jesus that they were looking for Him, then she wouldn't have had eye contact and was likely unable to hear Him. Secondly, this is Mary... the woman God chose among ALL women to raise Jesus. She had to be strong, knowing full well who He was.
So it is that I've concluded that the act wasn't for His mother and brothers. It wasn't to disrespect them in favor of the people in that tent. It was for us, so that we know we can gain entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven through Jesus. This story was recorded so that we would know just how much Jesus loves us, that He loves us as much as He loved His mother and brothers.
Thank you all so much for reading. If you have a topic you would like to read a post on or just something to say, please comment below, message me on Facebook, or shoot me an email. I would love to hear from any of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Be blessed, I love you all.
Jimmy
The text above often makes people feel uneasy. My mother is one of these. We were talking over coffee a few mornings ago about God and the bible, as we often do, when she brought up a concern. "Honey," She said, "there's only one story in the bible that bothers me."
"What's that?"
"The one where Jesus is teaching and healing in the tent and His brother and mothers come and He rejects them."
Her concerns really had me thinking, so I prayed on it and read the story several times. Nowhere does it say He completely rejected his family. It does show that He was willing to loose His mother's respect, who had berthed Him and raised Him, in order to accept us into His family in God and in Heaven. We see later on that she was not truly hurt by Jesus's actions. It was because Jesus loved us so much that He wanted us to understand that he who does the will of God holds a special place in His heart. Now, I think the biggest problem with our interpretation of this story (and many others) is that we use visuals from various movies and the filmmaker portrayed Mary as being wounded by Jesus's words. First, in the book of Mark, he says "Your mother and Your brothers are Outside looking for you." If someone had to tell Jesus that they were looking for Him, then she wouldn't have had eye contact and was likely unable to hear Him. Secondly, this is Mary... the woman God chose among ALL women to raise Jesus. She had to be strong, knowing full well who He was.
So it is that I've concluded that the act wasn't for His mother and brothers. It wasn't to disrespect them in favor of the people in that tent. It was for us, so that we know we can gain entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven through Jesus. This story was recorded so that we would know just how much Jesus loves us, that He loves us as much as He loved His mother and brothers.
Thank you all so much for reading. If you have a topic you would like to read a post on or just something to say, please comment below, message me on Facebook, or shoot me an email. I would love to hear from any of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Be blessed, I love you all.
Jimmy
Monday, April 21, 2014
What is Repentance?
"They went out and preached that men should repent." - Mark 6:12
"I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32
"I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." - Luke 13:5
Everywhere in the bible we are told to "repent", but what exactly does that mean? I had this question for a while, but after some prayer and study (and a very encouraging sermon by Pastor Donnie Holley of Seabreeze Church) I feel that I finally understand the true definition of "repentance" and how we can easily apply it to our lives. Let's first look at the dictionary definition according to the Oxford English Dictionary. "Feel or express sincere regret or remorse about ones wrongdoing or sin."
That's pretty close, but it's not close enough. Yes, part of repentance involves feeling regret or remorse about what was done against God. For some of us, an addiction is what separates us from God (Sin is anything we do that separates us from God). Sometimes it is an addiction to sex (outside of marriage), drugs, alcohol, fast food, self-harm (cutting, bulimia, anorexia, ext.), pornography, pride, or wrath. Why are these things sinful? Many are because they are forbidden by His word, but most of them are simply because they separate us from God. How can you think about the love of Jesus when you are so angry you are about to make yourself a new window to the neighbors apartment with your fist? How can we come to know Jesus when we are lusting after every woman with a bit of figure and satisfy our urges to her image, distancing ourselves from our wives? Fast food? How can that be bad? The chemicals and fat in that food is damaging to our bodies, but the true problem is an addiction to it. How can we fast for prayer with the option of a dollar meal around every corner?
The problem is that we can't. Therefor, we repent. I much prefer the Merriam-Webster definition: "To turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life."*
That is repentance and it comes naturally with a close relationship with God. There are many ways to battle sin and addiction, trust me (you will hear my full, unabridged, testimony in the coming weeks). First, pray daily. Now, I don't mean a simple blessing of your meal or saying a little prayer you found in a devotional or on the internet (those are great, but not what will help in this situation). Find a "secluded place" to just talk to God. For me, that is currently a little dock outside of my workplace. My shift ends at 1:15 am and I can spend anywhere from five minutes to a half an hour out there in prayer. It is where I lay all of my problems upon the Lord. I pray for my pastors, my friends on missions, my friends who are struggling with their faith or in their life, my wife, children, parents, in-laws, and customers that I spoke with on the phone that day. Then I lay all of my fears out. "Lord, I know you are sovereign and have faith that you will provide, please take this anxiety and fear from my shoulders and cast it back to Hell, where it belongs." You know what? It works. Every time.
Another, very powerful way to grow closer to God (and begin the natural process of losing your desire to sin) is to read your bible daily. It doesn't matter if it is a single verse or the whole book of Acts. If you are reading to comprehend, you will be absolutely amazed at the changes you will see in just a few days.
Perhaps the biggest help, though, was pointed out by Pastor Donnie Holley. The verse is Romans 6:11. It reads, "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Alive to God in Christ Jesus! We cannot be both sinners and Christians (though we can still be Christians and make mistakes). As Pastor Donnie put it, our sin was nailed to the cross with Jesus and in the eyes of God, we are still perfect. Essentially, sin dies in the presence of Jesus. That is a fact to which I can, and will, testify.
So, in closing, the only way to successfully end an addiction that is hindering your relationship with God and your Christian life, is to "repent" and actively seek His presence. Make Jesus your mentor, your councilor, your therapist,and never forget that no problem is too big for Him to handle. Nothing you have done is too shocking or shameful for Jesus to hear. He will bring your comfort and joy, knowing that your desire is to deepen your relationship with Him. Reading daily scripture is important, it will be the most common way for God to communicate to you. It is amazing how much relevant information has come to me in times of need from the bible. Never forget that it is the Living Word.
Thank you all so much for reading. I hope that this will help some of you because this has been weighing on my heart. In Jesus, I love you all. God bless you.
Jimmy
* "Repent." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repent>.
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,
1995 by The LockmanFoundation. Used by permission.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
When Judgement Becomes Discernment
In my last post, "To Judge or Not to Judge: That is the Question", I talked about how dangerous it is to pass judgement, especially against non-believers. I was speaking with a close friend about this over coffee this morning and he brought to my attention a very interesting verse. It blew my mind, to be honest. We can and need to "judge" our Brothers and Sisters in very specific circumstances. Never forget that anything we do must be done in love for one another, for our brothers and sisters. If we do anything out of jealousy, hate, ignorance, or fear, then we are passing judgement in the wrong way. Let me share the verse and I will speak a bit more about that in a moment.
In 1st Corinthians 5 we read, "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not even exist among the Gentiles, that someone has his fathers wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
"For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
"Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
Wow... it is such a deep bit of scripture and there is a LOT to absorb. Most importantly, though, this speaks to the judgement of our brothers and sisters in Christ after they have refused assistance, prayer, and council. If they have refused help and continue to sin (whether it be adultery, drunkenness, or anything else that is sinful in the eyes of God) then they "must be removed from your midst". There is no way to argue against that, but some of us try to say that if we are loving our brothers and sisters, we would never ask them to leave. It's difficult, to be sure, but very possible. Trust that the Lord will return them to us changed by trials they will go through. I can speak as one who has had experience in this, having gone through alcoholism and drug use after giving my life to Christ. I went through a very rough time, but am a much stronger, more faithful Christian because of those trials. A wet match cannot catch fire (the water being sin, and the fire being a passion for God, full of the Holy Spirit).
So, rather than calling this judgement, I think of it as discernment. Rather than being harmful, damaging, or rude, use discernment to recognize a problem developing. If someone becomes distant or begins to lose enjoyment in the fellowship of the church or in the worship of the Lord, discover the reason why and help them. Sometimes it's drugs, alcohol, depression, or abuse. As a brother and sister of this person in Christ, we are actually showing love by using discernment to help them with their problem.
So, this ends this two part segment on Judgement. Thank you for bearing with me as I brought this message to you, I know that it is a difficult one to hear. It is biblical, though. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please comment below, message me on facebook, or send me an email.
All these things I say are in the spirit of love and unity as the body of Christ. God bless you all!
Jimmy
p.s. Thank you for helping me organize these thoughts in your own little ways, Stephen and Mike.
In 1st Corinthians 5 we read, "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not even exist among the Gentiles, that someone has his fathers wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
"For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
"Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
Wow... it is such a deep bit of scripture and there is a LOT to absorb. Most importantly, though, this speaks to the judgement of our brothers and sisters in Christ after they have refused assistance, prayer, and council. If they have refused help and continue to sin (whether it be adultery, drunkenness, or anything else that is sinful in the eyes of God) then they "must be removed from your midst". There is no way to argue against that, but some of us try to say that if we are loving our brothers and sisters, we would never ask them to leave. It's difficult, to be sure, but very possible. Trust that the Lord will return them to us changed by trials they will go through. I can speak as one who has had experience in this, having gone through alcoholism and drug use after giving my life to Christ. I went through a very rough time, but am a much stronger, more faithful Christian because of those trials. A wet match cannot catch fire (the water being sin, and the fire being a passion for God, full of the Holy Spirit).
So, rather than calling this judgement, I think of it as discernment. Rather than being harmful, damaging, or rude, use discernment to recognize a problem developing. If someone becomes distant or begins to lose enjoyment in the fellowship of the church or in the worship of the Lord, discover the reason why and help them. Sometimes it's drugs, alcohol, depression, or abuse. As a brother and sister of this person in Christ, we are actually showing love by using discernment to help them with their problem.
So, this ends this two part segment on Judgement. Thank you for bearing with me as I brought this message to you, I know that it is a difficult one to hear. It is biblical, though. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please comment below, message me on facebook, or send me an email.
All these things I say are in the spirit of love and unity as the body of Christ. God bless you all!
Jimmy
p.s. Thank you for helping me organize these thoughts in your own little ways, Stephen and Mike.
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,
1995 by The LockmanFoundation. Used by permission.
Monday, April 14, 2014
To Judge or Not to Judge: That is the Question
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged." Matthew 7:1 (NASB)
It seems pretty cut and dry, doesn't it? Do not judge... How often do we find ourselves failing this simple order, passed by Jesus himself? It is the American Way to judge and diminish and belittle and to covet EVERYTHING. To do anything less seems simply...un-American. The truth is, we were ordered away from Judgement very clearly. Still, the biggest offence to non-believers is that Christians are "judgmental". I've seen it said so many times on social media and in person where people will say things like, "Repent or you will burn in hell!" Is that not judgement? "Oh, but really... you need Jesus." As true as that may be, who are we to judge? We see a post on Facebook by someone that is not of the faith and argue, often bringing a light of intolerance, hate, and judgement to the face of Jesus, while at the same time we say that He brought us love, forgiveness, and salvation. No wonder society thinks we're hypocrites.
Now, some popular arguments I've heard are taken from scripture. 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified by in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." This is often shortened to "God hates gays." and is spouted from more than a few Christian mouths I know. God hates this or God hates that... nowhere in the bible does it say that. In the book of Deuteronomy and Psalms, there are a few references to God hating sin, sure, but aren't we all sinners? Is it not why God sent Jesus to take away our sin? Judgement and Hate are one in the hearts of men, which is why Jesus gave us such a simple law in His new covenant. Love God and love your neighbor. If we break these laws, we turn our face from Jesus and therefor turn our backs on God. The "real" references to hate in the bible? 1st John 4:20 says this, "If someone says, "I love God" and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen."
Going back to the word "judgement", it is easily argued that we can judge our brothers and sisters based upon their faith. But you will find in 1st Corinthians 6:5 "I say this to your shame, is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren." Paul then tells us to take up our issues with a church elder, pastor, or teacher so they may pray about it. Still, it's in God's hands at that point. We did first judge, according to the situation, but the intentions were in the right place. Like in Romans 14:1 "Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgement on his opinions."
A simple Google search on "Judgement Bible Verses" will show that there is a very high cost in judging non-believers and your brothers in Christ. When we are told these things that God does not approve of, they are for bettering ourselves and helping to build up the Body of Christ. What God hates, God hates, but Jesus told us to love. Our job is to Love and to spread the word of God, not to judge the world. Judgement is the duty, the honor, the privilege, and the burden that our Lord Jesus Christ reserved for himself.
At any rate, the only way to avoid becoming the dreaded fire and brimstone "Judgmental Christian" that brings unnecessary hate to the name of Jesus, is to love as we were instructed to love. This is the only law we have to keep. Spread the love of Jesus and share the Gospel, share your testimony of how Jesus saved you. If we do these things, we are being true Christians.
In conclusion, ask yourselves this question. Are you a servant of Hell, preaching a gospel of hate, hell-fire, and death? Or are we bond-servants of Jesus Christ, spreading a gospel of Eternal Live, Love, Forgiveness, Sacrifice, and Salvation?
I, for one, am the latter. I feel that the bible and my testimony back the path of love. If I had wondered into a church of hateful, judgmental Christians when I first gave my life to Christ, my life would be very different now. Please, I encourage you to pray on these things and see what the Holy Spirit puts on your heart.
I hope the love, mercy, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ blesses you all. In the spirit of Love and Unity as the Body of Christ,
Jimmy
It seems pretty cut and dry, doesn't it? Do not judge... How often do we find ourselves failing this simple order, passed by Jesus himself? It is the American Way to judge and diminish and belittle and to covet EVERYTHING. To do anything less seems simply...un-American. The truth is, we were ordered away from Judgement very clearly. Still, the biggest offence to non-believers is that Christians are "judgmental". I've seen it said so many times on social media and in person where people will say things like, "Repent or you will burn in hell!" Is that not judgement? "Oh, but really... you need Jesus." As true as that may be, who are we to judge? We see a post on Facebook by someone that is not of the faith and argue, often bringing a light of intolerance, hate, and judgement to the face of Jesus, while at the same time we say that He brought us love, forgiveness, and salvation. No wonder society thinks we're hypocrites.
Now, some popular arguments I've heard are taken from scripture. 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified by in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." This is often shortened to "God hates gays." and is spouted from more than a few Christian mouths I know. God hates this or God hates that... nowhere in the bible does it say that. In the book of Deuteronomy and Psalms, there are a few references to God hating sin, sure, but aren't we all sinners? Is it not why God sent Jesus to take away our sin? Judgement and Hate are one in the hearts of men, which is why Jesus gave us such a simple law in His new covenant. Love God and love your neighbor. If we break these laws, we turn our face from Jesus and therefor turn our backs on God. The "real" references to hate in the bible? 1st John 4:20 says this, "If someone says, "I love God" and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen."
Going back to the word "judgement", it is easily argued that we can judge our brothers and sisters based upon their faith. But you will find in 1st Corinthians 6:5 "I say this to your shame, is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren." Paul then tells us to take up our issues with a church elder, pastor, or teacher so they may pray about it. Still, it's in God's hands at that point. We did first judge, according to the situation, but the intentions were in the right place. Like in Romans 14:1 "Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgement on his opinions."
A simple Google search on "Judgement Bible Verses" will show that there is a very high cost in judging non-believers and your brothers in Christ. When we are told these things that God does not approve of, they are for bettering ourselves and helping to build up the Body of Christ. What God hates, God hates, but Jesus told us to love. Our job is to Love and to spread the word of God, not to judge the world. Judgement is the duty, the honor, the privilege, and the burden that our Lord Jesus Christ reserved for himself.
At any rate, the only way to avoid becoming the dreaded fire and brimstone "Judgmental Christian" that brings unnecessary hate to the name of Jesus, is to love as we were instructed to love. This is the only law we have to keep. Spread the love of Jesus and share the Gospel, share your testimony of how Jesus saved you. If we do these things, we are being true Christians.
In conclusion, ask yourselves this question. Are you a servant of Hell, preaching a gospel of hate, hell-fire, and death? Or are we bond-servants of Jesus Christ, spreading a gospel of Eternal Live, Love, Forgiveness, Sacrifice, and Salvation?
I, for one, am the latter. I feel that the bible and my testimony back the path of love. If I had wondered into a church of hateful, judgmental Christians when I first gave my life to Christ, my life would be very different now. Please, I encourage you to pray on these things and see what the Holy Spirit puts on your heart.
I hope the love, mercy, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ blesses you all. In the spirit of Love and Unity as the Body of Christ,
Jimmy
Friday, April 11, 2014
Love
Today is the 5th anniversary of my marriage to the most beautiful, wonderful, and loving person in the world.. We dated for four years before we tied the knot, so I suppose you could say we have NINE YEARS of experience in Love. If you've been in a long relationship (and are happy) then you know that love takes work sometimes, a lot of the time actually. I think that, more than anything else, this is because we never got a really good example of what love really is. We expect it to be like the romantic comedies and when that "in love" feeling wears off, we're asking for a divorce. According to a chart outlining the divorce rates among 1st, 2nd, and 3rd marriages on dailyinfographic.com, it shows that there is a 50% chance for divorce in "all marriages". Let's take a look at what love is according to the bible.
The most popular verse for young men trying to win the heart of a young lady is easily 1st Corinthians 13:4-7. "Love is patient, love is kind and not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Despite being slightly "overused", this is still one of the most powerful things Paul has ever written in his letters to the churches. It is not only an explanation of how God loves us, it is also a set of instructions on how we are to love others, especially our spouse. I find myself expecting an apology for certain things that my wife may have said or done, but once I've quelled my anger or hurt, I think of this verse and am comforted. I love my wife wholly and completely and do my best to "love my wife as Christ loved the church". Recently, I've discovered that the verses above will always save a relationship. Are you being impatient with your husband's laziness or feel that he is selfish? Are you jealous of your wife's coworkers or friends? I know a couple where arrogance is threatening to tear the entire household apart. Most of us do. If we all can just love as we love ourselves, as we love Jesus, as God loves us... Imagine the amazing world this would be. "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10)
So, in closing I ask that you consider rethinking the cliche and turning it into the astounding revelation that it is. Love is the most powerful force we, as humans, are capable of possessing and using. It is one of the greatest gifts that we were given.
I love you all, my brothers and sisters in Christ. God bless you.
Jimmy
The most popular verse for young men trying to win the heart of a young lady is easily 1st Corinthians 13:4-7. "Love is patient, love is kind and not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Despite being slightly "overused", this is still one of the most powerful things Paul has ever written in his letters to the churches. It is not only an explanation of how God loves us, it is also a set of instructions on how we are to love others, especially our spouse. I find myself expecting an apology for certain things that my wife may have said or done, but once I've quelled my anger or hurt, I think of this verse and am comforted. I love my wife wholly and completely and do my best to "love my wife as Christ loved the church". Recently, I've discovered that the verses above will always save a relationship. Are you being impatient with your husband's laziness or feel that he is selfish? Are you jealous of your wife's coworkers or friends? I know a couple where arrogance is threatening to tear the entire household apart. Most of us do. If we all can just love as we love ourselves, as we love Jesus, as God loves us... Imagine the amazing world this would be. "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10)
So, in closing I ask that you consider rethinking the cliche and turning it into the astounding revelation that it is. Love is the most powerful force we, as humans, are capable of possessing and using. It is one of the greatest gifts that we were given.
I love you all, my brothers and sisters in Christ. God bless you.
Jimmy
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,
1995 by The LockmanFoundation. Used by permission.
Statistics on divorce in America can be found at this link
with a full list of sources:
http://dailyinfographic.com/divorce-in-america-infographic/divorce-in-america-3
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