There is a serious issue in the Protestant Christian culture of today. We have an incomplete understanding of who God is on the most basic level. This is not our fault of course; it is a result of a serious condition, one that affects many Christians in many churches all over the world. This condition is called “Sheep Hugger Syndrome” or SHS.
What does SHS look like?
This condition refers to the belief that many Christians have that compels them to take the idea of divinity out of their view of who God is. Usually the end result is the view that Jesus is no more then a cuddly man who hugs sheep and plays with children. Jesus ends up being the creature that lived, died, and rose again all so that we can feel the warm fuzzies. He is only our friend, not our God.
The Three Stages of SHS
Stage One Symptoms:
You selectively choose the attributes of God that suit the relationship you wish to have with him. You read in the Bible that God is the divine king and creator of all things, a being whose wrath wipes out those who chose to sin against him, someone who loves his people, a friend to those who call on him. During the first stage of SHS a person selectively chooses to see God as someone who loves and befriends oneself. However the idea of a powerful, wrathful, supreme being or “god” is ignored.
Stage Two Symptoms:
At this point the understanding of God as the divine being is almost completely discarded. Jesus is only an invisible friend, someone who knows us well and accepts us. Someone we ask for help in times of need. Someone who we call to, but don’t really expect a response from. He is simply a close emotional character, much like the invisible friend that some of us had when we were young.
Stage Three Symptoms:
At this point the condition becomes contagious. As a result of the condition we witness on behalf of a god that isn’t divine, one who means no more to his people then an emotional connection that resembles friendship. This god is proclaimed as an ideal buddy, existing only in the imagination; not real or actual. Thus, the people who are witnessed to and won become worshipers of a false idol.
This stage varies in length and always results in death, unless the patient accepts the cure. If you are exhibiting some of these symptoms, it is strongly recommended that you get to the nearest book store or church and ask for the countertop cure to this syndrome. It is called the Bible. All you have to do is read it and understand that if you are only seeing God as a loving friend, a personal relationship that helps you get through life, then you have an incomplete understanding of who the Bible says God is.
Protestants may be right about the distant, impersonal and legalistic tendencies of the Catholic Church. However Protestant’s are guilty of doing something equally wrong. We have taken lightly the fact that God is our king, ruler, creator and source. Sometimes we don’t even give him the same respect that we give our friends here on earth.
What do you think?
Please comment or mail between.the.trees@hotmail.com .
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
North Americans Suck at Worship
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
____________________________________________________
North Americans suck at worshiping God…
…I am not going to address anything regarding worship outside North America because we are North Americans and for the most part should be most concerned about our own short comings. We are Christians, are we not?
We believe in the one true God who created us and everything else in the entire universe. We believe in a God who is the source and very definition of love, whose love is overflowing for his creation…for his chosen people. We believe in a God that despite our disrespect and out right disobedience still calls us his own and desires our hearts. He is a God that moves mountains, one who is omnipresent, and one who is everlasting. He is the beginning and end of everything and anything.
Do we believe these things and more about our God?
The Bible uses the example of a tree and its fruit to tell us that if our hearts are driven by God’s love and if our minds are focused on God’s word and if our souls welcome the Holy Spirit, it will show in the things we do. Take Matthew 7:15-23 -
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree can not bear bad fruit, and a bad tree can not bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone that says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!”
What we believe and what we are practicing on the inside will “bear fruit” on the outside. This is a true statement. How does this apply to our worship in North America?
When you are “worshiping” God whether at church or at home…what kind of fruit are you bearing?
Is our apparent excitement and overwhelming joy in the Lord showing?
I think it is, because we do not give God the glory and worship that he atleast expects from us, and it shows. It shows at church when we are standing with our arms at our side and our for the most part effortless singing. It shows when we go to church expecting to get something from the service. If we leave a service feeling like we have not ourselves been served then we toss it aside as an alright, or boring, or lame, almost wasted experience.
“I didn’t really get into worship because the songs weren’t that good.”
“I didn’t like the way they did communion.”
“I almost fell asleep because the message was so dry.”
Any of those sound familiar?
I’m sure that if you really think about it you could come up with a few more classic “I didn’t enjoy the service” comments.
Revelation 5:11-14 (New International Version)
11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" 13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
In these verses do you hear any of the angels complaining that they didn’t like how they were in a circle instead of a square around the throne?
Or the elders feeling like worship didn’t do anything for them because they would rather sit and worship then fall down to the ground?
NO! In the above verses, worship was about God…giving God glory…extolling his name. Worship in North America has become mostly about fulfilling our own selfish needs. Sure we can expect to feel blessed or filled up as a result of worshiping God, because he promises us amazing things when we are obedient and faithful. However our worship has become focused on us receiving these gifts, not the act of worshiping God. I would go as far as to say that our worship is unbiblical. Church is here to make Christians feel good. If we don’t leave with the warm fuzzes then the service didn’t fulfill its purpose.
So what does this selfish act of worship look like?
Well mostly it lacks passion. Yes, passion! If we believe the amazing things that the Bible tells about who God is then why are we not overflowing with excitement and praise when we are worshiping Him?
Is God not exiting enough for you?
Is he not enough truth for you?
Is his plan for your life not good enough?
Is the fact that he calls us to whole heartedly worship him not taken seriously?
By now you may be thinking that the above statements are way off. They are unfair and untrue. After all, you do really believe in God. Just because we don’t appear to be passionate and excited about God while we praise him doesn’t mean that you aren’t, right?
What kind of fruit are you bearing?
If you are overflowing with the joy of Christ, if he is the beginning and end in your life, then why are you not spilling all over the place?
The truth is that actions speak louder then words. For the most part our actions convey our feelings and intent. If we are not acting it, then more then likely you do not truly believe it.I have heard, and even made many excuses before about my ill worship. I believe that we use our culture as an excuse to be emotionally lame in our worship.
“I don’t have the personality to sing loud and yell, or directly talk about my faith to most people…I am shy and this is how God has made me.”
“I am actually very passionate in my faith, I just don’t show it because that is not the tradition I was brought up in.”
“Worshiping passionately makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable.”
We use our culture and our tradition as an excuse to suck it up while worshiping God. Also, where in the Bible does it say that worship is supposed to feel comfortable?
Since when has being a Christian meant living a comfortable lifestyle?
2 Samuel 24:24 (New International Version)
24 But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels [a] of silver for them.
David’s response here is timeless.
He sees that true worship can not cost nothing. God has made all people different, so we can expect that different people are created to worship in certain ways that others are not. However are we actually worshiping passionately in alternative ways, or are we just taking that excuse and running with it?
Some may say that, ‘Just because passion is displayed in a more obvious or different way during worship in other cultures, doesn’t mean that we are not passionate in our worship.’ Well this may be true. However I don’t even think that even within our own cultural definition of passion we even meet that standard in worship. Many become more exited and emotional about a new car, or during a concert of their favorite band, or after their team has won in the finals.
Enough talk about what how we have been worshiping inadequately. Let’s address what true worship looks like.
Do we know what true worship is?
Do we know how to be true worshippers?
Incase we need a reminder, we can always look to the Psalms in the Bible. The whole book of Psalms contains example after example of the passion, truth, and emotion that God deserves.
The Psalms capture the innermost thoughts and prayers of the people who wrote them. For ever emotion or mood you can find a psalm to match. The psalms wrestle with the deepest sorrow and ask God the hardest questions about suffering and injustice. They do not communicate flowery compliments towards God; they cry out to him, or shout for joy before him.
God is not distant or impersonal. In almost every psalm you find the presence of God, not as a philosophical principle, but as an active, strong, and loving ruler…a God who makes a difference in life. True, passionate, praise worthy worship does not have to always be fairy tales and farts…children and candy. It can also be a cry for God to respond!
The point that I am trying to make about our worship is that we lack passion, one of the most important elements of worship. I encourage anyone to discover what true worship is by reading the psalms. I leave Psalm 68 with you as an example of what true passionate worship looks like.
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.
1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. 2 As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. 3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. 4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds [a]— his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him. 5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 6 God sets the lonely in families, [b] he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. 7 When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah 8 the earth shook,
the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 9 You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. 10 Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. 11 The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it: 12 "Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. 13 Even while you sleep among the campfires, [c]
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold." 14 When the Almighty [d] scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. 15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. 16 Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign,
where the LORD himself will dwell forever? 17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. 18 When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men,
even from [e] the rebellious— that you, [f] O LORD God, might dwell there. 19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah 20 Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. 21 Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. 22 The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, 23 that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." 24 Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. 25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. 26 Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. 27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. 28 Summon your power, O God [g] ; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. 29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. 30 Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. 31 Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush [h] will submit herself to God. 32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord, Selah 33 to him who rides the ancient skies above,
who thunders with mighty voice. 34 Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel,
whose power is in the skies. 35 You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!
And hey, if you are quite comfortable with your wishy washy, lukewarm worshiping practices…maybe consider the bellow verse.
Deuteronomy 6:12-15 (New International Version)
12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.
For those who are honestly, passionately, and whole heartedly pursuing worshiping God I leave you with this:
John 4:23-24 (New International Version)
23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
If you disagree with or just have a comment about anything that was said in this article, please leave a comment or email between.the.trees@hotmail.com and have an article of your own posted.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
RE: Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians
The main problem with the graphs presented on marriage is that they are extremely compartmentalized. I don’t think that is the kind of lives that God wants us to lead. God doesn’t just want 2/3 of my time to be spent with Him while I’m single and then the other 1/3 to be spent with my other relationships. He wants me to live my life and He desperately wants to be involved in every aspect of it- including the relationships I have. And when I go on to get married, it’s not about carving out more time for a significant other, and less time for God. It’s about inviting God to join in the union, and to be involved in that aspect of my life. I don’t want God to just have one piece of the pie. He doesn’t just get the slot allotted “time spent with God”- He gets the “time spent with friends”, and the “time spent with significant other” and the “time working” and the “time going to school” and so on. He gets all of it.
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Mark 12: 29-31). Our relationship with God is central and primary. From that relationship all other relationships are formed and established.
In the Old Testament, God’s people viewed all of life as worship- from eating, to working to the emotions they felt. Nothing was separate from each other or compartmentalized. I think that the chart needs to be reworked with Jesus at the center, and having all other relationships stemming from it. Otherwise your marriage will fail, and you will be a “moderately serious Christian”.
Posted by: Steve Veasey
Original Article: "Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Mark 12: 29-31). Our relationship with God is central and primary. From that relationship all other relationships are formed and established.
In the Old Testament, God’s people viewed all of life as worship- from eating, to working to the emotions they felt. Nothing was separate from each other or compartmentalized. I think that the chart needs to be reworked with Jesus at the center, and having all other relationships stemming from it. Otherwise your marriage will fail, and you will be a “moderately serious Christian”.
Posted by: Steve Veasey
Original Article: "Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians"
Monday, March 12, 2007
RE: Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians
I agree with what Jordan said to some extend, but do you think this is accurately representative of all of our society?Some people may be encouraged to spend more time with God by their spouse, or may even spend time with God AND their spouse.
I think it is quite likely that being married could possibly even stregthen your relationship with God. However, if marriage is brought upon for the wrong reasons, like a pregnancy, or because your 'bored' of single life, rather than because you love the person and want to spend time and grow with them, you may not be as devoted to that person as if you HAD married for love and affection, and there wouldnt be that 'one-ness'.
As Jenny said (although this stat may be inaccurate) "99 percent of couples that pray together will never divorce." Even if it is not an exact stat, i think that praying together, and committing your marriage to God can increase your own personal relationship with God extaordinarily. When you work through hardships together, and pray together, and grow deeper together (as I think that a marriage should do) I believe that you and your spouse will grow deeper with God as well.
If someone is single, and is 'upset with God' he/she may feel like giving up, however, with the encouragement and support of a spouse (like I said, a marriage for the right reasons, as opposed to obligation or boredom of singularity, which would lead to 'one-ness') would definately be a crutch for your relationsship with God, which you would miss out on if you are single.
My personal conclusion: being single could mean being closer to God, for sure, but i think that growing together with God AND a spouse would be more effective, seeing as you have someone to lean on, rather than having the possibility of being discouraged and 'giving up' while working though difficulties on your own.
Written By: Dustin Willms
Original Article: "Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians"
I think it is quite likely that being married could possibly even stregthen your relationship with God. However, if marriage is brought upon for the wrong reasons, like a pregnancy, or because your 'bored' of single life, rather than because you love the person and want to spend time and grow with them, you may not be as devoted to that person as if you HAD married for love and affection, and there wouldnt be that 'one-ness'.
As Jenny said (although this stat may be inaccurate) "99 percent of couples that pray together will never divorce." Even if it is not an exact stat, i think that praying together, and committing your marriage to God can increase your own personal relationship with God extaordinarily. When you work through hardships together, and pray together, and grow deeper together (as I think that a marriage should do) I believe that you and your spouse will grow deeper with God as well.
If someone is single, and is 'upset with God' he/she may feel like giving up, however, with the encouragement and support of a spouse (like I said, a marriage for the right reasons, as opposed to obligation or boredom of singularity, which would lead to 'one-ness') would definately be a crutch for your relationsship with God, which you would miss out on if you are single.
My personal conclusion: being single could mean being closer to God, for sure, but i think that growing together with God AND a spouse would be more effective, seeing as you have someone to lean on, rather than having the possibility of being discouraged and 'giving up' while working though difficulties on your own.
Written By: Dustin Willms
Original Article: "Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians"
Sunday, March 11, 2007
RE: Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians
This is what I think:
I'm going to start off by saying marriage is not designed just for people who can't control their sexual desires. God didn't create people then say "ohh whoops, they're horny and want to have sex with eachother... didn't see that one coming! I better invent marriage so it's at least moral." God knew very well what he was doing when he made men and women. Don't you think if God knew that men and women would form their own little exclusive relationships and exclude God from them (marriage- apparently), he would have just stopped at Adam? Left him to hang out with all the zebras and sheep and elephants?
Even when things were still perfect and blissful in the Garden of Eden, God knew this wouldn't do. So he created women. Then he looked at all he created and said it was good. God invented marriage so that man would have a companion, and also said "be fruitful and increase in number" (have lots of babies... which... also... means have lots of sex :S). And why does the time a man devotes to his wife necessarily have to be separated from the time he spends with God? Yes, he needs his own quiet time and devotions, but he can also do that with his wife. I heard a stat. that 99 percent of couples that pray together will never divorce. There is no coincidence there; and that is clearly marriage blessed by God. Also, a man loves God by loving his wife, and a woman loves God by loving her husband. I think that marriage is something God created to show his love to us in a whole new way. I guess I can't offer much wisdom here because I'm not married, but God wants to bless people; he wants to show his love to people in a very real way through the spouse he gives to them.
"But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband." - Paul puts a negative spin on this, but there are other parts of the Bible where it tells women just how they are supposed to treat their husbands. Why would their be instruction on this if it was a bad thing? God wouldn't tell people the right way to conduct their marriage if he didn't agree with marriage.
Ok, so I'm pretty sure that you weren't trying to convey that marriage is a bad thing (am I right?) and I may have made it seem that way, but at the same time, you can't assume that people who choose to stay single -or who are called to stay single, because God doesn't plan for everyone to marry (though a heck of a lot of people get married)- are more spiritual than married people. (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!)
I personally hope that God blesses me with a husband one day, and I would like to think that there aren't going to be any smug single people out there thinking that I am a mediocre Christian because I got married. But if they do, then they do. I can't assume what other peoples' relationships with God are like, and I certainly cannot base it on their marital status.
Written by: Jenny Toews
Original Article: "Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians"
I'm going to start off by saying marriage is not designed just for people who can't control their sexual desires. God didn't create people then say "ohh whoops, they're horny and want to have sex with eachother... didn't see that one coming! I better invent marriage so it's at least moral." God knew very well what he was doing when he made men and women. Don't you think if God knew that men and women would form their own little exclusive relationships and exclude God from them (marriage- apparently), he would have just stopped at Adam? Left him to hang out with all the zebras and sheep and elephants?
Even when things were still perfect and blissful in the Garden of Eden, God knew this wouldn't do. So he created women. Then he looked at all he created and said it was good. God invented marriage so that man would have a companion, and also said "be fruitful and increase in number" (have lots of babies... which... also... means have lots of sex :S). And why does the time a man devotes to his wife necessarily have to be separated from the time he spends with God? Yes, he needs his own quiet time and devotions, but he can also do that with his wife. I heard a stat. that 99 percent of couples that pray together will never divorce. There is no coincidence there; and that is clearly marriage blessed by God. Also, a man loves God by loving his wife, and a woman loves God by loving her husband. I think that marriage is something God created to show his love to us in a whole new way. I guess I can't offer much wisdom here because I'm not married, but God wants to bless people; he wants to show his love to people in a very real way through the spouse he gives to them.
"But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband." - Paul puts a negative spin on this, but there are other parts of the Bible where it tells women just how they are supposed to treat their husbands. Why would their be instruction on this if it was a bad thing? God wouldn't tell people the right way to conduct their marriage if he didn't agree with marriage.
Ok, so I'm pretty sure that you weren't trying to convey that marriage is a bad thing (am I right?) and I may have made it seem that way, but at the same time, you can't assume that people who choose to stay single -or who are called to stay single, because God doesn't plan for everyone to marry (though a heck of a lot of people get married)- are more spiritual than married people. (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!)
I personally hope that God blesses me with a husband one day, and I would like to think that there aren't going to be any smug single people out there thinking that I am a mediocre Christian because I got married. But if they do, then they do. I can't assume what other peoples' relationships with God are like, and I certainly cannot base it on their marital status.
Written by: Jenny Toews
Original Article: "Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians"
Friday, March 09, 2007
Marriage is for Moderately Serious Christians
I once thought that marriage was very biblical. I guess it is to a certain degree, however if you are really serious about God, then the single life is for you. Those who marry are distracted from their relationship with God. It's simple math really...take a look at the below graphs:
(Graphs not based on actual statistics, for visual reference only.)
We only have so much time and energy to devote to relating with others. So those married have more time and energy taken up by their wife/husband which leaves less time and energy for God. Whereas those who remain single have more "potential" time and energy to spend on a relationship with God. However, it is up to the single person to take that potential and work on his relationship with God.
Guys, I hate to spoil your plans to find that special girl that you have been waiting for. Not to mention the honeymoon. Girls, you may be thinking something similar, but I am sorry...if you want to be the most serious about your relationship with God, then forget marriage.
Still don't believe me??? Do you think that I am way off? Fair enough, but I didn't pull this out of my...well you know. A guy by the name of Paul agrees with me.
1 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)
"It is good for a man not to marry."
and for those who noticed the alternative translation...
"It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."
(but, lets be serious guys...like we would be able to avoid sex for most of our lives while living (married) with a woman we find attractive)
Paul goes on to say...
1 Corinthians 7:8-9 (NIV)
"Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves they should marry, for it is better to marry then to burn with passion."
So guys, if you can't stay unmarried your whole lives, then it is a matter of lacking the self control to love and focus on God fully. It seems to me that marriage is only second best. A man gets married only if he can not control his urges. Marriage is for those who do not want to make God the prime focus in their lives.
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 (NIV)
"32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord."
If there are any guys or gals reading this that are already married...no worries, Paul has something to say to you too:
1 Corinthians 7:29 (NIV)
"What I mean brothers, is that time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as they had none"
Paul does say that getting married is not a sin, however it does distract us from Jesus. So if you are a very serious Christian, strongly consider to do the right thing and stay single and devoted to Jesus Christ.
-If you disagree with anything that was said in this article, add a comment or send an email voicing your opinion to between.the.trees@hotmail.com . You message will be posted shortly after.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
"Christianity Defined" (According to Non-Believers)
Christians, have no doubt about the existence of our Lord and God. Now we can assume then that non-believers have doubt about our Creator's existence.
Personally, I try to live my life according to what God/Christ has commanded me. Of course I still sin, but the difference is that I know what I do is wrong, whereas non-Christians don't realize they are doing wrong.
Now when I encounter times of hardship, I turn to God for support and hope. I have experienced non-believers doing this as well (I'm not sure if I could refer to them as "non-believers" then?). To me, it is almost certain that everybody believes that there is some supreme being, they only choose to "believe" in him during hard times. I could classify this as hypocritical, but by the same token, I am being hypocritical when I sin as well.
Anyways, here is my point: I think that most non-Christians are actually closer than we think to understanding the Truth of Life.
Here are some quotes from Non-Christians about our religion, God, and Jesus:
Isaac Asimov, Author/Biochemist:
"If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul."
Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Philosopher:
"Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, Conquer him with love." "There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.”
Voltaire, French Philosopher/Atheist:
"If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him."
George Santayana, Atheist/US Philosopher:
"The Bible is a wonderful source of inspiration for those who don’t understand it."
Blaise Pascal, French Philosopher/Mathematician/Converted Christian after near-death experience and heavenly vision:
"There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
“Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.”
Napoleon I, Emperor Of France/Atheist or Deist:
"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”
Bob Dylan, American Songwriter:
"I don't go to church or to a synagogue. I don't kneel beside my bed at night. I don't think I will. I have yet to face the terror I read about in all the great literature. But, since politics, economics and war have failed to make us feel any better—as individuals or as a nation—and we look back at long years of disrepair, then maybe the time for religion has come again, and rather too suddenly—'like a thief in the night.'"
Thomas Paine, American revolutionary&political writer:
“Is it a fact that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world, and how is it proved? If a God, he could not die, and as a man he could not redeem.”
Mahatma Gandhi, Hindu Follower:
"I consider Western Christianity in its practical working a negation of Christ’s Christianity."
"A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act."
H G Wells, British Writer/Historian:
"I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history."
Unknown:
"Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity."
"Buddha never claimed to be God. Moses never claimed to be Jehovah. Mohammed never claimed to be Allah. Yet Jesus Christ claimed to be the true and living God. Buddha simply said, "I am a teacher in search of the truth." Jesus said, "I am the Truth." Confucius said, "I never claimed to be holy." Jesus said, "Who convicts me of sin?" Mohammed said, "Unless God throws his cloak of mercy over me, I have no hope." Jesus said, "Unless you believe in me, you will die in your sins."
Albert Einstein, Physicist/Time Magazine's "Greatest Person Of 20th Century":
"As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene....No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life."
Pinchas Lapide, German Jewish Orthodox Scholoar:
"I accept the resurrection of Easter Sunday not as an invention of the community of disciples, but as a historical event. If the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on that Easter Sunday were a public event which had been made known...not only to the 530 Jewish witnesses but to the entire population, all Jews would have become followers of Jesus."
Mike Tyson, American Boxer:
“I'm a Muslim, but do you think Jesus would love me? I think Jesus would have a drink with me and discuss why are you acting like that? Now, he would be cool. He would talk to me. No Christian ever did that and said in the name of Jesus even. They'd throw me in jail and write bad articles about me and then go to church on Sunday and say Jesus is a wonderful man and he's coming back to save us. But they don't understand that when he comes back, that these crazy greedy capitalistic men are gonna kill him again.”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, French Philosopher:
“Socrates died like a philosopher; Jesus Christ died like a god.”
Larry King, US Telivision Personality:
"I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history."
Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, on himself:
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of Life."
Written by: Tyler Bancoft
Personally, I try to live my life according to what God/Christ has commanded me. Of course I still sin, but the difference is that I know what I do is wrong, whereas non-Christians don't realize they are doing wrong.
Now when I encounter times of hardship, I turn to God for support and hope. I have experienced non-believers doing this as well (I'm not sure if I could refer to them as "non-believers" then?). To me, it is almost certain that everybody believes that there is some supreme being, they only choose to "believe" in him during hard times. I could classify this as hypocritical, but by the same token, I am being hypocritical when I sin as well.
Anyways, here is my point: I think that most non-Christians are actually closer than we think to understanding the Truth of Life.
Here are some quotes from Non-Christians about our religion, God, and Jesus:
Isaac Asimov, Author/Biochemist:
"If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul."
Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Philosopher:
"Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, Conquer him with love." "There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.”
Voltaire, French Philosopher/Atheist:
"If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him."
George Santayana, Atheist/US Philosopher:
"The Bible is a wonderful source of inspiration for those who don’t understand it."
Blaise Pascal, French Philosopher/Mathematician/Converted Christian after near-death experience and heavenly vision:
"There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
“Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.”
Napoleon I, Emperor Of France/Atheist or Deist:
"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”
Bob Dylan, American Songwriter:
"I don't go to church or to a synagogue. I don't kneel beside my bed at night. I don't think I will. I have yet to face the terror I read about in all the great literature. But, since politics, economics and war have failed to make us feel any better—as individuals or as a nation—and we look back at long years of disrepair, then maybe the time for religion has come again, and rather too suddenly—'like a thief in the night.'"
Thomas Paine, American revolutionary&political writer:
“Is it a fact that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world, and how is it proved? If a God, he could not die, and as a man he could not redeem.”
Mahatma Gandhi, Hindu Follower:
"I consider Western Christianity in its practical working a negation of Christ’s Christianity."
"A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act."
H G Wells, British Writer/Historian:
"I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history."
Unknown:
"Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity."
"Buddha never claimed to be God. Moses never claimed to be Jehovah. Mohammed never claimed to be Allah. Yet Jesus Christ claimed to be the true and living God. Buddha simply said, "I am a teacher in search of the truth." Jesus said, "I am the Truth." Confucius said, "I never claimed to be holy." Jesus said, "Who convicts me of sin?" Mohammed said, "Unless God throws his cloak of mercy over me, I have no hope." Jesus said, "Unless you believe in me, you will die in your sins."
Albert Einstein, Physicist/Time Magazine's "Greatest Person Of 20th Century":
"As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene....No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life."
Pinchas Lapide, German Jewish Orthodox Scholoar:
"I accept the resurrection of Easter Sunday not as an invention of the community of disciples, but as a historical event. If the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on that Easter Sunday were a public event which had been made known...not only to the 530 Jewish witnesses but to the entire population, all Jews would have become followers of Jesus."
Mike Tyson, American Boxer:
“I'm a Muslim, but do you think Jesus would love me? I think Jesus would have a drink with me and discuss why are you acting like that? Now, he would be cool. He would talk to me. No Christian ever did that and said in the name of Jesus even. They'd throw me in jail and write bad articles about me and then go to church on Sunday and say Jesus is a wonderful man and he's coming back to save us. But they don't understand that when he comes back, that these crazy greedy capitalistic men are gonna kill him again.”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, French Philosopher:
“Socrates died like a philosopher; Jesus Christ died like a god.”
Larry King, US Telivision Personality:
"I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history."
Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, on himself:
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of Life."
Written by: Tyler Bancoft
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Whats Love Got To Do With It?
Here are some random quotes regarding love:
"Love is a feeling directed at someone which acknowledges their goodness."- Dr. John Gray"
"The willful intent to serve the well being of another." - Unknown
"To describe love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor. So with love."- Paramahansa Yogananda"
Love is the ability and willingness to allow those you care for to be what they choose for themselves, without any insistence that they satisfy you."- Leo Buscaglia
"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't Love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still Love you, they Love you even more."- Matthew - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."- Mary Ann - age 4"
Logic says everything in this world has a cause and an effect. True Love is the only feeling which is its own cause and its own effect. It is something illogical and yet above all logic. I Love her because I Love her, and I Love her so I Love her."- Prateek Kumar Singh
"I was nauseous and tingly all over. . . I was either in Love or I had smallpox."- Woody Allen
"Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love."- St. Bernard 1090-1153, French Theologian and Reformer
"Can't Buy Me Love!"- The Beatles
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."- 1 Corinthians 13:5-7
Here are some verses in the Bible that describe love:
1. Love is a commandment. (John 13:34)
2. Love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. (Rom 5:5)
3. Love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom 13:10)
4. Love is the catalyst that gives meaning to speaking in tongues, to prophesying, to understanding, to faith, to charitable works, and to self-sacrifice. (1 Cor 13:1-3)
5. Love is kind. (1 Cor 13:4)
6. Love is greater than faith. (1 Cor 13:13)
7. Love is greater than hope. (1 Cor 13:13)
8. Love is the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22)
9. Love is the bond of perfectness. (Col 3:14)
10. Love is of God. (1 John 4:7)
11. Love is living according to God's commandments. (2 John 6)
Here are nine things that love does:
1. Love suffers long. (1 Cor 13:4)
2. Love rejoices in truth. (1 Cor 13:6)
3. Love bears all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
4. Love believes all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
5. Love hopes all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
6. Love endures all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
7. Love abides now. (1 Cor 13:13)
8. Love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pet 4:8)
9. Perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)
My Two Cents (as of present):
If God is Love, then when we search for what love is, we should be searching for who God is.
So then, what is the nature of love? We know that God is love and that he is the ultimate source of all love. So what about God's character can shine some light on how love works?
One Way Love
I have always wondered if true love could ever be "true" if only one person in a relationship actually loved the other. Then upon studying my favorite piece of scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:5-7, I realized that a one sided love is possible because love "is not self-seeking". Love doesn’t expect anything in return, and therefore true love can be a one sided street.
So where does that leave us? Are we to love everyone, even if they don’t love us back? Loving takes a lot of energy, especially in a one sided relationship where love is not being returned. These one sided love relationships are draining because we do not get something back to help keep our "stock" up. Sometimes we eventually get to the point where we have no love left to give.I
know that this whole loving on a one way street thing is hard and draining, but just like a miner after he sells all of his gold in town goes back out to the mine, we too must return to loves source. GOD IS LOVE. God promises that if we go to him he will provide. He will pour into us enough love so that we can continue on in loving others.
Love: The Two Way Street Type
Ok, so we've kind of talked a bit about "one sided" love. But the more trivial part for us here and now is relational love. We know that the best relationship between a father and son, or a mother and daughter, or a man and a woman in marriage etc. is a mutual love. Two way love is freakin sweet and it shows. Two people can get through anything when they have two way true love (twtl) going on. In fact, if there were more married couples in the world today who had "twtl", then I bet you that the divorce rates would be significantly lower then they are now.
And that is what we are all looking for isn't it… our own TWTL. But how do we find it? Or, how do we even know if we have found it? It’s a trivial process that I'll try and figure out another day when I am not sick and laying in bed. But it is a process that we all go through. Well ok, I lied just earlier when I said I wasn’t going to try and figure this out…cause now I have my own interest. It will be quick, and probably not revolutionary, but I will say it anyway. And I'll do it the best way I know how… using an analogy…
The Love Artist
When an artist paints on a canvas he does so using certain brush strokes, colours, paint types, and brushes. Each painting could be created uniquely, one could be of a flower using water colours and a large brush, and the next of a city street corner using oil based paint and a smaller more detailed brush. These two paintings may look very different from each other, but there will be certain simularities. There will be simulartities because despite the different styles of the paintings, they were created by the same artist. If one was well aquainted with the artist and his or her style, one would most likely be able to pick out which paintings were painted by this particular artist.
Why are there so many similar things in our world? Most animals breath oxygen, have two eyes, some sort of nose or nasal cavity. Plants seem to need sugar and sunlight to survive no matter what species they are. Everything biological needs water to survive, no matter what it is. I could go on with all the things that science has discovered about this world that show us how everything is so closely related. I believe that everything is so similar because it was all created by the same artist. God's handprints are all over the place and we can see his same "artistic" style through out all creation, man, beast, or vegetation. Anyways, my point is that the art of a artist reveals some qualities about him/her that are constant.Take music for another example. Listen to every single U2 album that has ever been released. There are a lot of simularities between their albums. And that is the same with Coldpay, Creed, Metallica, Rush, Queen, or any other band. They may be different songs on different albums, but for the most part a U2 song is a U2 song, and a Metallica song is a Metallica song…you know what I mean. Each artist has their own style that transcends all of their music. And people that like U2 or that like Rush, like them because of that style. And when they go out to look for music they take the style (or styles) that they like and listen to music until they find something that fits that style and then they buy it.
Ok, let me kind of tie this all together here. What I have been trying to say (more or less) is that any artist has a style that goes beyond any one work and that people who know this style will recognize it. God is no different, he too has a style. And if the term "God is Love" isn't atleast a partial definition of His style then I don’t know what would be. My last point was that people who appreciate a certain style will recognize it and if they see a pattern of it (like in the music of a certain band) they will subscribe to that band.
In conclusion I would like to say this about love. God is love. Therefore if you honestly and wholeheartedly love God and pursue His will for your life, then others (like that special someone that you may be looking for ;) who are wanting the same thing, such as true love, will recognize "God's style" in your life. Because God is your artist, and if you let his style shine through then others who are after Gods style will be attracted to you.
So instead of always being focused on finding your true love…(sometimes so focused that you go crazy)… focus on who you are in Christ…because eventually, if it is meant to be, your true love will recognize Christ living in you and then the rest will be history.
PS - May God bless you in your journey to find true love…cause you'll need it ;)- Jordan
One day I would really like to write a book or two, or do a PhD. on love. Because if God is love, then I believe that the more we learn about love, the more we discover about our creator and vise versa. It is a huge concept and one that most people largely misunderstand. I would love to let God reveal to me His love and what it means to Him!
"The willful intent to serve the well being of another." - Unknown
"To describe love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor. So with love."- Paramahansa Yogananda"
Love is the ability and willingness to allow those you care for to be what they choose for themselves, without any insistence that they satisfy you."- Leo Buscaglia
"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't Love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still Love you, they Love you even more."- Matthew - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."- Mary Ann - age 4"
Logic says everything in this world has a cause and an effect. True Love is the only feeling which is its own cause and its own effect. It is something illogical and yet above all logic. I Love her because I Love her, and I Love her so I Love her."- Prateek Kumar Singh
"I was nauseous and tingly all over. . . I was either in Love or I had smallpox."- Woody Allen
"Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love."- St. Bernard 1090-1153, French Theologian and Reformer
"Can't Buy Me Love!"- The Beatles
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."- 1 Corinthians 13:5-7
Here are some verses in the Bible that describe love:
1. Love is a commandment. (John 13:34)
2. Love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. (Rom 5:5)
3. Love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom 13:10)
4. Love is the catalyst that gives meaning to speaking in tongues, to prophesying, to understanding, to faith, to charitable works, and to self-sacrifice. (1 Cor 13:1-3)
5. Love is kind. (1 Cor 13:4)
6. Love is greater than faith. (1 Cor 13:13)
7. Love is greater than hope. (1 Cor 13:13)
8. Love is the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22)
9. Love is the bond of perfectness. (Col 3:14)
10. Love is of God. (1 John 4:7)
11. Love is living according to God's commandments. (2 John 6)
Here are nine things that love does:
1. Love suffers long. (1 Cor 13:4)
2. Love rejoices in truth. (1 Cor 13:6)
3. Love bears all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
4. Love believes all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
5. Love hopes all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
6. Love endures all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
7. Love abides now. (1 Cor 13:13)
8. Love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pet 4:8)
9. Perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)
My Two Cents (as of present):
If God is Love, then when we search for what love is, we should be searching for who God is.
So then, what is the nature of love? We know that God is love and that he is the ultimate source of all love. So what about God's character can shine some light on how love works?
One Way Love
I have always wondered if true love could ever be "true" if only one person in a relationship actually loved the other. Then upon studying my favorite piece of scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:5-7, I realized that a one sided love is possible because love "is not self-seeking". Love doesn’t expect anything in return, and therefore true love can be a one sided street.
So where does that leave us? Are we to love everyone, even if they don’t love us back? Loving takes a lot of energy, especially in a one sided relationship where love is not being returned. These one sided love relationships are draining because we do not get something back to help keep our "stock" up. Sometimes we eventually get to the point where we have no love left to give.I
know that this whole loving on a one way street thing is hard and draining, but just like a miner after he sells all of his gold in town goes back out to the mine, we too must return to loves source. GOD IS LOVE. God promises that if we go to him he will provide. He will pour into us enough love so that we can continue on in loving others.
Love: The Two Way Street Type
Ok, so we've kind of talked a bit about "one sided" love. But the more trivial part for us here and now is relational love. We know that the best relationship between a father and son, or a mother and daughter, or a man and a woman in marriage etc. is a mutual love. Two way love is freakin sweet and it shows. Two people can get through anything when they have two way true love (twtl) going on. In fact, if there were more married couples in the world today who had "twtl", then I bet you that the divorce rates would be significantly lower then they are now.
And that is what we are all looking for isn't it… our own TWTL. But how do we find it? Or, how do we even know if we have found it? It’s a trivial process that I'll try and figure out another day when I am not sick and laying in bed. But it is a process that we all go through. Well ok, I lied just earlier when I said I wasn’t going to try and figure this out…cause now I have my own interest. It will be quick, and probably not revolutionary, but I will say it anyway. And I'll do it the best way I know how… using an analogy…
The Love Artist
When an artist paints on a canvas he does so using certain brush strokes, colours, paint types, and brushes. Each painting could be created uniquely, one could be of a flower using water colours and a large brush, and the next of a city street corner using oil based paint and a smaller more detailed brush. These two paintings may look very different from each other, but there will be certain simularities. There will be simulartities because despite the different styles of the paintings, they were created by the same artist. If one was well aquainted with the artist and his or her style, one would most likely be able to pick out which paintings were painted by this particular artist.
Why are there so many similar things in our world? Most animals breath oxygen, have two eyes, some sort of nose or nasal cavity. Plants seem to need sugar and sunlight to survive no matter what species they are. Everything biological needs water to survive, no matter what it is. I could go on with all the things that science has discovered about this world that show us how everything is so closely related. I believe that everything is so similar because it was all created by the same artist. God's handprints are all over the place and we can see his same "artistic" style through out all creation, man, beast, or vegetation. Anyways, my point is that the art of a artist reveals some qualities about him/her that are constant.Take music for another example. Listen to every single U2 album that has ever been released. There are a lot of simularities between their albums. And that is the same with Coldpay, Creed, Metallica, Rush, Queen, or any other band. They may be different songs on different albums, but for the most part a U2 song is a U2 song, and a Metallica song is a Metallica song…you know what I mean. Each artist has their own style that transcends all of their music. And people that like U2 or that like Rush, like them because of that style. And when they go out to look for music they take the style (or styles) that they like and listen to music until they find something that fits that style and then they buy it.
Ok, let me kind of tie this all together here. What I have been trying to say (more or less) is that any artist has a style that goes beyond any one work and that people who know this style will recognize it. God is no different, he too has a style. And if the term "God is Love" isn't atleast a partial definition of His style then I don’t know what would be. My last point was that people who appreciate a certain style will recognize it and if they see a pattern of it (like in the music of a certain band) they will subscribe to that band.
In conclusion I would like to say this about love. God is love. Therefore if you honestly and wholeheartedly love God and pursue His will for your life, then others (like that special someone that you may be looking for ;) who are wanting the same thing, such as true love, will recognize "God's style" in your life. Because God is your artist, and if you let his style shine through then others who are after Gods style will be attracted to you.
So instead of always being focused on finding your true love…(sometimes so focused that you go crazy)… focus on who you are in Christ…because eventually, if it is meant to be, your true love will recognize Christ living in you and then the rest will be history.
PS - May God bless you in your journey to find true love…cause you'll need it ;)- Jordan
One day I would really like to write a book or two, or do a PhD. on love. Because if God is love, then I believe that the more we learn about love, the more we discover about our creator and vise versa. It is a huge concept and one that most people largely misunderstand. I would love to let God reveal to me His love and what it means to Him!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
InsideOut Discussion Questions
Hey
These are a few extra questions from the Round Table Discussion Night at InsideOut. Feel free to comment and/or post a response regarding any of these questions to between.the.trees@hotmail.com .
According to the Bible, does a person need to be "legally" married in order to be seen as married in God's eyes?
Is it wrong in God's eyes to associate with homosexuals, transgenders etc?
Is it alright to kill someone in self defence if they come after you with the intent to kill you or yours?
Does God change his mind?
Why didn't God make slavery a sin along with the 10 commandments?
How does salvation work?
Also, check out some of these links that have resources regarding some of what we talked about Monday night.
http://debate.org.uk/topics/history/bib-qur/bibmanu.htm
http://www.godandscience.org/
http://www.gotquestions.org/
These are a few extra questions from the Round Table Discussion Night at InsideOut. Feel free to comment and/or post a response regarding any of these questions to between.the.trees@hotmail.com .
According to the Bible, does a person need to be "legally" married in order to be seen as married in God's eyes?
Is it wrong in God's eyes to associate with homosexuals, transgenders etc?
Is it alright to kill someone in self defence if they come after you with the intent to kill you or yours?
Does God change his mind?
Why didn't God make slavery a sin along with the 10 commandments?
How does salvation work?
Also, check out some of these links that have resources regarding some of what we talked about Monday night.
http://debate.org.uk/topics/history/bib-qur/bibmanu.htm
http://www.godandscience.org/
http://www.gotquestions.org/
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Apologetics
How do we approach others with the Gospel? This question has been debated about for years and is one that people think a lot about or don't think about at all.
I've sat in on a few debates about apologetics and I hear two very clear and very extreme opinions. I've heard fellow Christians say that: "We should not be afraid to voice the truth about God! We should not shy away from the Gospel! We should never worry about offending someone when we speak the truth!" I also hear fellow Christians say that: "We shouldn't force ourselves on others. If people ask about Jesus Christ, then we should tell them, but we have no right to get into peoples faces with our beliefs."
Should we be confident, forceful, and sometimes even offensive to others when communicating the Gospel? Or, should we be passive and only talk about our beliefs when someone else asks us about them? I don't believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive".
Those who believe in the "offensive' approach usually quote scripture that talks about Jesus turning over the market place tables in the temple courts. (Matthew 21:12-13) "12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,'[e] but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'[f]"" Or they refer to verses such as Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33, or Luke 3:7. These verses are examples of when Jesus accused people of being "brood of vipers". These are examples in scripture of when Jesus was forceful, offensive, and direct in his ministry. So, some say that because Jesus is like that, we should do the same because we are called to be Christ-like.
Those who believe in the "defensive" approach usually quote scripture that talks about loving your neighbour. "The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 13:9) "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10). Or they refer to verses such as Leviticus 19:18, Zechariah 8:17, Matthew 5:43, 19:19, 22:39, Mark 12:31, 12:32-34, Luke 10:27, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8, James 2:8. They say that because we are to 'love our neighbour" we have to avoid being forceful or offending others.
Now again, I do not believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive" when proclaiming truth. I believe that in realizing one of Christ's greatest gifts we find the answer to the question of apologetics. The gift that I am referring to is understanding. Jesus Christ as the son of God had an ultimate understanding of truth in creation as well as the truth of God's character. Every single person he met and interacted with he knew. He knew who they were and where they were coming from. He understood them, how they thought, how they related to others, what they believed, and what they were gifted in and not gifted in.
Because he knew these things, because he had a clear understanding of the person and the situation, he could approach relationship and communicate to any person in the most effective way. He understood them and because of his understanding he knew how to communicate the Gospel in a way that was specific and most efficient. So when Jesus preached about hell and made accusations, and when he pointed his finger and got angry with someone, or when he showed someone mercy and grace, and when he invited sinners into his house he did so with full knowledge and understanding of that person. So when, where, how, and to whom Jesus preached the good news to, he did so with full consideration of the person or audience.
Now I realize that Jesus was and is the son of God, so his understanding of others was and is far greater then ours is. However, I think that because we are called to be Christ-like, we should strive for a greater and deeper understanding of others that we are sharing the gospel message to. We should consider others in regards to who they are, where they came from, what their world view is, etc. before we through the Gospel message in their face.
Now I know that in passing we meet people that we should share the gospel with and that it is not always possible to know and understand someone in passing. We should then treat those situations with great care. I believe that our knowledge and understanding about someone has a direct connection to how accountable we are in explaining the gospel. We must strive to understand others around us, and then reveal more and more about the truth that we have come to know through Christ to them. This is how God relates to us. God knows where we are and where we have been, and he treats us accordingly. He also reveals more about himself to us when we grow deeper in our relationship with him.
My prayer for you is that you would strive to understand and love the people around you. Treat each person specifically, because everyone is created unique and special by God. Truth is universal, so don't be afraid to communicate it in different ways to different people.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." - Galileo
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself." - Galileo
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." – Galileo
Posted By Jordan Todd
I've sat in on a few debates about apologetics and I hear two very clear and very extreme opinions. I've heard fellow Christians say that: "We should not be afraid to voice the truth about God! We should not shy away from the Gospel! We should never worry about offending someone when we speak the truth!" I also hear fellow Christians say that: "We shouldn't force ourselves on others. If people ask about Jesus Christ, then we should tell them, but we have no right to get into peoples faces with our beliefs."
Should we be confident, forceful, and sometimes even offensive to others when communicating the Gospel? Or, should we be passive and only talk about our beliefs when someone else asks us about them? I don't believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive".
Those who believe in the "offensive' approach usually quote scripture that talks about Jesus turning over the market place tables in the temple courts. (Matthew 21:12-13) "12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,'[e] but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'[f]"" Or they refer to verses such as Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33, or Luke 3:7. These verses are examples of when Jesus accused people of being "brood of vipers". These are examples in scripture of when Jesus was forceful, offensive, and direct in his ministry. So, some say that because Jesus is like that, we should do the same because we are called to be Christ-like.
Those who believe in the "defensive" approach usually quote scripture that talks about loving your neighbour. "The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 13:9) "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10). Or they refer to verses such as Leviticus 19:18, Zechariah 8:17, Matthew 5:43, 19:19, 22:39, Mark 12:31, 12:32-34, Luke 10:27, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8, James 2:8. They say that because we are to 'love our neighbour" we have to avoid being forceful or offending others.
Now again, I do not believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive" when proclaiming truth. I believe that in realizing one of Christ's greatest gifts we find the answer to the question of apologetics. The gift that I am referring to is understanding. Jesus Christ as the son of God had an ultimate understanding of truth in creation as well as the truth of God's character. Every single person he met and interacted with he knew. He knew who they were and where they were coming from. He understood them, how they thought, how they related to others, what they believed, and what they were gifted in and not gifted in.
Because he knew these things, because he had a clear understanding of the person and the situation, he could approach relationship and communicate to any person in the most effective way. He understood them and because of his understanding he knew how to communicate the Gospel in a way that was specific and most efficient. So when Jesus preached about hell and made accusations, and when he pointed his finger and got angry with someone, or when he showed someone mercy and grace, and when he invited sinners into his house he did so with full knowledge and understanding of that person. So when, where, how, and to whom Jesus preached the good news to, he did so with full consideration of the person or audience.
Now I realize that Jesus was and is the son of God, so his understanding of others was and is far greater then ours is. However, I think that because we are called to be Christ-like, we should strive for a greater and deeper understanding of others that we are sharing the gospel message to. We should consider others in regards to who they are, where they came from, what their world view is, etc. before we through the Gospel message in their face.
Now I know that in passing we meet people that we should share the gospel with and that it is not always possible to know and understand someone in passing. We should then treat those situations with great care. I believe that our knowledge and understanding about someone has a direct connection to how accountable we are in explaining the gospel. We must strive to understand others around us, and then reveal more and more about the truth that we have come to know through Christ to them. This is how God relates to us. God knows where we are and where we have been, and he treats us accordingly. He also reveals more about himself to us when we grow deeper in our relationship with him.
My prayer for you is that you would strive to understand and love the people around you. Treat each person specifically, because everyone is created unique and special by God. Truth is universal, so don't be afraid to communicate it in different ways to different people.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." - Galileo
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself." - Galileo
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." – Galileo
Posted By Jordan Todd
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