Tag: Love

From Feeling Unloved to Experiencing Love

Life is full of lessons: we learn something (good or bad) from each experience. Hindsight often makes the lesson clear. I’ve gone from not feeling loved to experiencing love, but before you “exit” from this story – this is for everyone’s benefit, so keep reading. If it happened for me; it WILL happen for you too, if you seek “Love”.

Before we seek the experience of love, we need to know what love is and what it is not or we will be searching for something “unknown.” And how hard is that!? Finding something we truthfully don’t comprehend or only understand from what’s been defined as “love” by the world surrounding us will leave us in a bad place. I’ve found the world (secular) view to be deceptive, it keeps us “unsatisfied” in experiencing love. I’ll give some contrasting comparisons to prove this (the message the world gives us = lies vs. the truth):

LOVE IS FOUND THROUGH MONEY VS. THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

The lie: The world view tells us if we accumulate money then we will be satisfied, so people seek money to satisfy themselves. But does that eliminate the drama in people’s lives? Not at all. People with money have drama and unsatisfaction just as much as those who don’t. In fact people with money are targets for “parasite people” – ones that will use whatever means they have to “life off” the person with money, definitely not love, but being someone gets used for their money.

The truth: Loving money will cause people to do evil: lying, cheating, manipulating, deceiving, harming others to get money. Love isn’t obtained through money. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) God is love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

NUMB THE PAIN OF FEELING UNLOVED: ALCOHOL/DRUGS WILL MAKE US HAPPY VS. NOT HAVING A SOBER MIND WILL INFLICT MORE PAIN.

The lie: The world view associates “fun, happiness” with drinking but doesn’t mention the side effects of excessive drinking: headaches, vomiting, embarrasing moments, bad moral decisions, addictions, unhealthy unattractive physical condition, physical and mental disabilities as a result of drinking. While drinking may numb the pain temporarily, it causes more pain later and it doesn’t solve the problem, but creates more problems.

The truth: Alcohol in moderation is okay, and no alcohol at all is even better. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”(1 Peter 5:8) and “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” (1 Peter 4:7)

GET RID OF “HIM OR HER” VS. LOVE NEVER LETTING GO.

The lie: The world view tells us to dispose of anything we don’t want: ie. pregnancies, children, people in general, and recently elderly people- we are seeing this in Canada. While there are good reasons to let go of unhealthy, harmful people in our lives, “getting rid of someone” certainly doesn’t apply to children or people because we simply don’t want the responsibility for, or “tire” of them, or because once they “did something for us” but now it’s “don’t feel anything for them” so get rid of him or her and eliminate that responsiblity. This is a lie that will destroy us and our world.

The truth: Love never lets go. We see this in God’s character: He doesn’t let go, He keeps pursuing, He continues to love us despite our ways that don’t please Him. We are valuable to God, so valuable that He sent His Son, Jesus to rescue us, to die for us, to pay for us, to save us from the grip or slavery that evil has on us. Evil will take us to a place of eternal unsatisfaction and torture, but deceives us with mottos such as “Care Diem!” Live for the day- in a reckless way that won’t allow us to receive the good things God has prepared for us. It’s a great deception: short-term thinking, not looking at how the way we live and what we choose having eternal consequences. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) God showed us the greatest love possible.

COSMETIC SURGERY WILL BRING LOVE VS. WE ARE VALUABLE AS WE WERE CREATED.

The lie: changing the outward appearance does not bring love! It won’t make someone love us more. There are many attractive people whose partner cheated on them. The world view today encourages extreme changes (man into woman and vice versa) and it seems these people inwardly just want to be loved by someone. They are hurt, unloved and seeking love they do not know.

The truth: We are valuable as we are, as God made us. God made us in the image of Him! We are so valuable to God that He sent His one and only son to die for us to make it possible for us to be with God in eternity. Our outward appearance will not be perfected (glorified) until the day Jesus returns and we are raised to be with God.  “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep (die), but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15).  Mankind was damaged, corrupted by evil, so we don’t need to place so much emphasis on our outward appearance, we are in temporary bodies that will be changed. What is inside us is more valuable than the outside appearance. Even if someone is considered beautiful or attractive today, with enough time, that physical beauty will change, age, die and decompose. The body we have is temporary but what is inside is valuable and remains forever.

BUYING LOVE VS. ACCEPTING PRESENT LOVE.

The lie: This relates to money, the world view tells us if we have money we can “buy love”- but that’s a fake love if we can “buy it”, so is a “fake love” satisfying in the end? Just like everything: it’s temporary and won’t be satisfying long term. Anyone who chooses this is being “short-sighted” not seeing long term reality.

The truth: God’s love is present- always. He is merciful, forgiving, loving, and patient with us. When we personally experience God’s love, it will change us. This is the only love we need to seek. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

(Matthew 7 – the words of Jesus)

DEMANDING LOVE VS. PATIENCE IN LOVE.

The lie: The world view shows us that we can demand love and therefore receive it. What a joke, although it’s not funny, but ridiculous, but some people believe this; those who are sadly deceived. They will find out this is a lie. We can’t “force” someone to love us, either they will or they won’t. So if we find out they don’t, let them go, they were not meant for us.

The truth: God is patient with us and loves us. He pursues us but also waits for us to get to know Him. We learn how to love from God (alone) through scripture. The characteristics of love are important to recognize especially because God is love, so the following describes the character of God:

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. “(1 Corinthians 13)

FIND A RICH PARTNER VS. GENEROUS GIFTS ARE ALREADY PRESENT.

The lie: The world view slang calls it “a sugar daddy” or “sugar momma” and some single people search for this as their most important criteria due to their love of money. They won’t be satisfied, they still will want something “more.” Mankind is imperfect and will never be the ultimate provider.

The truth: God gives great gifts to those who love and obey Him. He is the supplier, provider of all things, so we won’t find anyone greater. If we love God, He will provide all we need in life. “13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. (Deuteromomy 11)

and

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23)

and

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.(2 Corinthians 9:8)

COMPARISON/ENVY/JEALOUSY VS. CONFIDENCE.

The lie: The world promotes beauty, luxurious material things making us feel if we don’t have them we won’t experience happiness. This subliminal message causes people to compare, envy and be jealous of others.

The truth: When we comprehend our value to God we will have confidence in our value, our worth. Jesus described it this way: 12 “What do you think? If a man (symbolic of God) owns a hundred sheep (symbolic of people), and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.(Matthew 18) We are important and valuable to God. Jesus wouldn’t have died on the cross to redeem us if this wasn’t true.

LOVE CHOICES: THE “TROPHY” PARTNER VS. GOOD MORAL CHARACTER.

The lie: The world emphasises beauty rather than moral character.

The truth: Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthian 15:33) This happened to many people throughout scripture, it led people to their physical and often eternal destruction (Samson, Solomon, Ahab and others).

SEEK REVENGE FOR WRONG DOING VS. LET IT GO.

The lie: The world loves vengence and seeks it, but doesn’t seem to know right from wrong. What some think “is right” is wrong in the opinion of others. If there is only one truth; which is correct? On whose opinion do we rely?

The truth: 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3) and “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

UNFORGIVENESS VS. FORGIVENESS.

The lie: We can’t forgive some people.

The truth: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15) and “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37) God forgives! If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) and Micah the prophet tells us:
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.“(Micah 7:18)

UNSAFE LOVE VS. PROTECTION IN LOVE.

The lie: The world relies on mankind, nations, alliances for protection.

The truth: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” (Psalm 118:8)

LOVE LIES VS. TRUTH/TRUST.

The lie: The world tells us that “my truth” is truth.

The truth: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3) Truth is found in love. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6) “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

DESTROYING VS. BUILDING UP (HOPE).

The lie: There is no hope.

The truth: Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. (Job 8:13)For what hope have the godless when they are cut off, when God takes away their life? (Job 27:8) But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.(Psalm 9:18) For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.(Psalm 37:9) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; (Lamentations 3:25) And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,(Titus 1:2) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

ABANDONMENT VS. STAYING.

The lie: The world tells us if someone or something isn’t serving you, leave it.

The truth: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galations 5:13) “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,”(Ephesians 6:7) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”(Luke 4:8)

LOVE FAILS VS. SUCCESS IN LOVE.

The lie: The world tells us: most marriages end in divorce, and those who stay married are unhappy, so stay single and have sex with whomever you want.

The truth: The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”(Genesis 2:18) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? …(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”(Proverbs 27:17) He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22) Marriage CAN be good, but getting married to the wrong person (an ungodly person) is not God’s intention:” Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthian 15:33) “No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.”(Deuteronomy 23:2)– the forbidden people are the ones who are idolatrous and don’t serve God. “He followed the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.”(2 Kings 8:27) “Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’” (Ezra 9:2) “Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.” (Nehemiah 13:26) “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”(Hebrews 13:4) “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”(Revelation 21:8), “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”(Revelation 22:15) This is where each person’s decision has consequences which can be good or bad.

SELF-LOVE VS. LESS-SELF/ SELFLESS LOVE.

The lie: The self-love the world values: having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness, taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing anything to take care of others, promoting selfishness, conceitedness, egotism, narcissism, et al.

The truth: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”(Deuteronomy 6:5) Our focus should be on God, His will, not ours. Jesus showed us by his example when he knew the upcoming crucifixion he was facing and asked God if there was any other way to do this, but then surrendered saying “not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:41-43) Love is selfless not selfish.

All these lies we hear from world views keep us “unsatisfied,” continually seeking “false love,” or giving up on love completely as a result interactions with ungodly people, and from not knowing the truth, when we define love from a worldly view. God is Love. God loves us. God is all we need and when we feel like we have nothing because of what the world says, this is important to remember. God is a loving Father, a provider, a comforter, a gift giver, compassionate, generous, merciful, forgiving, a protector, a refuge; everything good comes from God. He pursues us, we are valuable to Him, He sent His son Jesus to save us. He knows the number of hairs on our head- intimately knowing us better and more completely than anyone else does or ever did and He loves us continually. God has unimaginable good plans for our future, for those who seek Him, and love Him in return. The evil in the world tries to overcome the goodness of God, but remember the words of Jesus:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

“… Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

Mark 10:18

Knowing God is knowing Love!

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Truth

When we know the Truth and accept it, the truth will set us free.  This is the truth:

  1. We were planned, not an accident, not by chance, but intentionally created by God out of His love. God controls all life.
  2. We have a purpose to fulfill on earth given to us by God.
  3. There is a future kingdom coming.  A new earth. We are on the testing grounds right now.
  4. Our actions will be judged by Jesus, son of God who will be given this authority to judge and rule the earth.
  5. Circumventing Jesus won’t turn out well.
  6. Our actions matter at judgement but won’t get us into eternity. Obedience to God’s commands is the basis for judgement.
  7. Repentance is significantly important – there are actions that will prevent us from being in God’s kingdom if we don’t change our ways.
  8. Jesus bridges the gap, made the way for us.
  9. We need the Holy Spirit indwelling to have immortal eternal life and be a part of God’s new Kingdom which is coming.  The Holy Spirit comes from God through Jesus.
  10. God loves us and wants us with Him in His future Kingdom.
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Letter to “My Younger Self”

This question was asked: “What three words of advice would you give your younger self now?” This question was a discussion point at our church this past weekend, having us sharing our answers with those next to each of us. My friends and I all had different answers and it was interesting to hear others’ responses to this question because some were funny, some were serious, but all were insightful about the headline of a story of each person.

The first three words that popped in mind were: “Trust and Obey.” These words are interesting to me because the subject of the message was “hearing God’s voice” (the recorded message is below) I went Saturday, January 7, 2023, but this is the recorded one from Sunday.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qmEQ3YpE22o%3Fstart%3D10

In hindsight I wonder, was that God’s voice speaking to me and others, telling each one of us something different? If we are connected to God, it could have been. I’m still trying to discern when thoughts pop into my mind: is this just a thought of mine, from God, or from God’s enemy? I’ve found when certain thoughts (thoughts that don’t contradict scripture, and ones that push me towards something “good” but not necessarily what “I feel” like doing)- these may be God’s voice. Just now as I’m writing this a specific scripture came to mind, scripture about when God was going to pass near Elijah and he looked for God, waited for God, but each moment he thought was God, it wasn’t, then God finally came as a “a whisper”- God is gentle and loving! 1 Kings 19:11-12, click here for multiple verses that show that God speaks as a whisper!

This morning, I woke up thinking about this message, the words that came to mind last Saturday came to mind again this morning. I’ve found that often when I “get a message or hear” from God, it is repeated three times: the same message, often through different people or sources, shortly thereafter. As I started to write this, I also recalled this message of “Trust and Obey” had made an impact on me before, I wrote about it as my faith journey started (February 20, 2017), here is a link to that post: Trust and Obey That was six years ago, and re-reading it I can see how much I’ve learned and changed since then, yet I still have the same struggles! I’m reminded (in thoughts) that we are not perfect and won’t be until God perfects us and changes us to the “perfect children” He intended us to be at the future return of Jesus, when He gathers his children and we are changed in an instant. 1 Corinthians 15:52, read 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Until then, we will have our struggles, but throughout the struggles, I know that it is important to continue to turn to God when we don’t do what we know we should do. It’s a continual refocus, don’t let go of the relationship with God. God hears the prayers of those who love him (Proverbs 15:29) and are obedient to his commands (John 14:15). (Look at all these verses in scripture what it tells us about obeying God’s commands.)

There is much more to say beyond “Trust and Obey.” In order to trust someone, we need to know that someone and in this situation, it means knowing God, His character, what has been revealed to us through scripture about Him, what He told others. Scripture gives us ALL the guidance about important matters that we need about life FROM God, our creator! (2 Timothy 3:16) So by trusting in God, trusting in His word, we are “guided” throughout life. God promises blessings to those who trust His words and obey them (taking action, not just knowing what is recommended, but doing it). If I learned this long ago, to trust and obey, I would have avoided some situations in life that were troublesome for me. This doesn’t mean that we will have a life without trouble, trouble still comes for other reasons: when we are being tested which reveals our level of Trust in Him. What better way to know a person’s true intention than by seeing their action when we are truly tested. We can say certain things by knowing “the correct answer” but knowing and doing don’t always align. That’s when we need to ask God for the Holy Spirit (who is given to those who obey – Acts 5:32) to guide and give us self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) – The Advocate (look at each of those verses about the Advocate, I also see something important here: the Advocate is God, is Jesus, is the Holy Spirit!)

Getting back to the advice I would give my younger self:

  1. Seek God First in everything you do.
  2. Know that you are loved, you were created out of love by God – because He wants you in His future Kingdom
  3. Know that you are unique, valuable, created by God and have a specific purpose that only you are made to do
  4. Know that your parents on earth are “bonus” parents because God is your true father and the One who gave/gives you life
  5. Listen for God’s guidance, if you obey His commands, He will give His Spirit to guide you in life and keep you on the “narrow road” that leads to God’s kingdom
  6. Know the true definition of “LOVE”: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. Love never fails….(1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)
  7. Know how to see if someone has God’s spirit, and connect/stay connected with those people in your life, if they show the following in their actions: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control… (Read Galatians 5:13-26) 
  8. Love God, Love Others.
  9. Trust God in all circumstances
  10. Pray daily: Thank God for the good in life, ask for daily guidance and protection
  11. Read scripture daily to continue to learn, hear from God, and stay connected to His Spirit
  12. Keep your focus on obeying God’s commands because God gives His Spirit to those who choose to obey Him, by obedience your life will be blessed by God, this is how you show God that you love Him- by obeying His commands, it also shows respect, honor and gratitude to God for all that He has given and promises His children in the future (immortality in God’s kingdom), we need God’s Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God- Jesus said (as recorded in John, Chapter 3):

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

John 3:5
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Rise Up after the Fall Down

Some will understand this, some won’t. Some will believe this, some won’t. Reading this is absolutely worth your time and understanding, because it is true, beneficial and doesn’t cost any money.

SOLUTIONS

We put so much effort in misguided ways, numbing the pain, bad advice, wasting time and money and often finding disappointment when a lasting solution isn’t achieved. But the lasting solution is here to be found 24/7 (right now). “seek and you will find” (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9, Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29) I won’t make you wait until the end to hear the solution: “surrender your life to Jesus- once you seek and find him.” Before you dismiss this, give it a chance, this is not just “Christian talk”- it is the truth, based on my personal experience and many others. You don’t have anything to lose, but everything to gain.

HUMILITY

If you talk to people who have surrendered to Jesus, some of the strongest believers I’ve met overcame the worst imaginable circumstances. Unfortunately it seems that it often takes “hitting bottom” or some extreme tragedy before we truly seek Jesus. It also takes being in a humble mindset; the proud don’t need anyone. The proud can do it on their own- or so they think. However, pride comes before the fall. (Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 18:12) God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. (James 4:6)

SURRENDER

I didn’t know what “Surrender your life to Jesus” meant when I first heard it, but it’s pretty simple: basically stop trying to handle it solo, seek God, ask for help from God, pray to the One who truly can make change happen in our lives. Ask God to guide your life, pray for guidance on every decision. With God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

ASK FOR HELP

But there is something more to know, God is not like a “genie” or a “vending machine” where we just “ask and receive”- it takes a desire within us to want to change ourselves for the better, to want to be more godly in our actions, more Christlike – more like Jesus. It takes a willing attitude of “not my way, but Your’s” (God’s will). (To know about Jesus, we can study the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and/or John. There is similar content in each, but also different insights since they were written by different people. Matthew and John were each one of Jesus’ original 12 followers, Luke was a medical doctor and interviewed people who experienced Jesus in person and Mark was a friend of Peter who was one of the original 12 followers of Jesus also.)

SIN – REPENTANCE- HOLY SPIRIT

We can’t ignore the topic of “sin” though if we want to rise up (metaphorically and physically). Sin separates us from God. Sin hinders our prayer requests. (John 9:31). I think most of us know what sin is: going against the commands of God (Exodus 20– 10 Commandments), but Jesus tells people that the commands of God are even more extensive (Matthew 5) than what we see at “face value” in the 10 Commandments. But don’t be discouraged by that, God created us, He knows we are weak and stumble from sin, so He gives us a way out when we experience a temptation and He also is merciful and forgiving- if we truly are sorry and ask for forgiveness. He is quick to reconcile with us. And not only that but after we “repent” of our sin (which is ask for forgiveness and intend to change our ways), when we are honest and intend to change for the better, He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us change- this is how the impossible is possible- with God (the Holy Spirit). When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are “born again”– born of the Spirit, a new creation. We can let our past go because that no longer defines us, we have a new life, we become part of Jesus’ family, we become the son or daughter of God, we become a new creation!

BORN AGAIN- FREEDOM

When we are truly “born again,” we have God’s spirit residing within in us. We and others will know we have God’s Spirit because the evidence will show in our character. People will see the “fruit of the spirit” which is: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. No one who is born of God continues sinning. (1 John 3:9)

MADE POSSIBLE BY JESUS

When we have God’s spirit within us, we know we will be in God’s kingdom in the future. This takes away so much uncertainty about our future, knowing this. The only way this became possible, for us to have the opportunity to be in God’s kingdom, is because Jesus broke the curse of death that comes upon us when we sin, he did this when he died on the cross and raised from the dead. All our gratitude and thankfulness is to Jesus, without his resistance to sin, his obedience to the Father, this would not have been possible. Jesus is the way (to God’s kingdom), the truth (belief/faith) and the life (eternal life). No one comes to the Father except through Jesus. Jesus asks the Father for the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) and gives it to those who are sincere in their desires to be close in relationship with God. This is our adoption into God’s family, into His kingdom that will come.

It’s good to realize the freedom found being in Christ – having the Holy Spirit – brings us.

FREEDOM FROM:

  • a Broken Heart : there will be no more tears (Revelation 21:4) God is close to the broken hearted (Psalms 34:18)
  • Loss: those who put their faith in Jesus, who had the Holy Spirit indwelling when they passed away will come to life (Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 15:52)
  • Anxiety- Do not worry, God knows what we need and provides it (Matthew 6:25-34), Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7) (John 14:27) When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy (Psalms 94:19)
  • Anger – anger is the foothold of the devil, when we have the protection of God, the Spirit of God residing we have strength and self-control (Ephesians 4:27) (Galatians 5:22-23)
  • Worthlessness– we were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), for a specific kingdom purpose (Phillippians 2:13) (Ephesians 2:10), we are valuable or Jesus wouldn’t have suffered what he did so that we may be saved and live in eternity with God. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalms 139:13)
  • Temptation -God provides a “way out” for us, a way to avoid the temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)
  • Depression – God refreshes us (Matthew 11:28), gives us peace and guards our minds (Phillipians 4:7)- Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalms 55:22)
  • Lust- So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)
  • Addiction – I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philipeans 4:13), Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7)
  • Guilt – if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God (1 John 3:21) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness
  • Shame- those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. (Psalms 34:5)
  • Condemnation -Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

FREEDOM BY:

  • Acceptance – though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me (Psalms 27:10)
  • Adoption – we become God’s son or daughter (Romans 8:16)
  • Mercy – he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our sins (Psalms 103:10), the Lord accepts our prayers (Psalms 6:9)
  • Forgiveness – For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 6:14)
  • Love – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38) God is defined as love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8) and Jesus also said the greatest commandment in the law to LOVE, love God and love others. (Matthew 22: 34-40). Love is everything.
  • Hope/The Promise of Eternity – “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) while this message was specific to Jeremiah, after reading the bible, we see this message is consistent throughout and specific for all those whom God loves.
  • Truth – Jesus said: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(John 8:32), Jesus also said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). From these statements, it is through Jesus that we are freed! All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)
  • Value – So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
  • Peace – And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:6)- people who have the spirit indwelling feel peace in circumstances those without would not have peace.
  • New Creation – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17) All things will be made new (Isaiah 65:17, Revelation 21, Revelation 22)
  • a Defined Purpose – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

FILLED WITH JOY! God works all things for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28, Romans 15:13) But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2.10) That good news is Jesus, his mission and purpose on earth was to save mankind from the law of sin and death and give life to us so we can live in eternity with God as brothers and sisters. This is truth – Flourish with it!

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Discernment vs. Deception: Good vs. Evil

We are in a deception transition period from what I see happening in the world where good and evil are mixed up, creating confusion about right and wrong. Our warning about this came almost 2,000 years ago, if we don’t express and support the truth, soon the younger generations will have a difficult time identifying good from evil. This is what we were told:

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1:32 (Paul)

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

Romans 1:28 (Paul)

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people….They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

2 Timothy 3:1-9

We are seeing truth distorted on a continuous basis and anyone speaking against the lies is called “the enemy” and is publicly “shamed”. There is a tremendous pressure for all to “comply” with this new “untruth/lie” deceivingly packaged as “compassion and love” – a strong deception, but “marketed” as something opposite, completely confusing many. There are many opinions, but there will only be Truth remaining in the end.

HOW TO AVOID DECEPTION- WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Know the messenger! Don’t trust anyone you don’t know very well. Find out who they truly are. They may be charming, convincing, appealing, etc. BUT:

Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.

Proverbs 26:25

So what are 7 abominations? Possibly the 7 things God hates:

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty (proud) eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood (murder), a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Proverbs 6:16-19

If the following surrounds their life, do NOT trust them:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (intoxication), idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galations 5:19-21

WHO TO TRUST – WHAT TO LOOK FOR

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galations 5:14

God is love. When a person has God’s spirit (Love) residing within them, you will notice the following surrounding their life:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. Love never fails…

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Knowing this information, we can “test” the messenger and know if this is a trustworthy or untrustworthy source of information, despite the delivery of the message.

If we want to be known as “good” we should remember that Jesus said there is no one “good” but God, however, God is kind and compassionate and with our “surrender” to Him, Jesus said if we ask, he will send the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) who, once we are open to receiving the Holy Spirit, will begin to work within us. The Holy Spirit provides wisdom, guidance, protection, understanding of truth, peace, gifts (Romans 12:6-8) (1 Corinthians 12:7-11), power, love, discipline, and God’s eternal seal placed on us for our resurrection, redemption at the time of Jesus’ return.

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[a] his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:11

USE IT OR LOSE IT!

So remember these verses and use them to evaluate people better knowing who is trustworthy, use it to make future critical decisions in life, and most importantly, get to know Jesus through scripture (read the Gospel of John) If you believe what John writes about Jesus, what Jesus said, pray and ask Jesus for the Holy Spirit to come to you; we all need the Holy Spirit for all the reasons mentioned above.

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Why Don’t We Care More About God?

It’s easy to not deeply care about someone we only know by name (a stranger), but not someone we truly know (an important person to us).

Think about this for a minute: think of someone you know: that person you see occasionally (it could be someone from work, or someone living in the neighborhood, this person should be someone you see occasionally but don’t interact with much), you know their name, but you might not know many details about them such as their life story, stories of their struggles, or stories of their favorite memories in life. You know them primarily by name only, the depth of your knowledge about this person is limited. Let’s refer back to this person as “stranger” going forward.

Now think about someone you love (it could be presently or in the past) but pick someone that you believe you truly love, someone whose “well-being” you truly care about, someone you take time to be with regularly, you know their struggles, you know their life story, you know what makes them happy. Let’s refer to this person as “important” going forward.

Take a minute to think about both these people, you “know” both of them, but one you know primarily know by name, the “stranger.” and the other you know many more details about them and they are the “important” person to you. This is how most of us are with God (until we seek Him), we know OF Him, but we don’t truly KNOW Him. If we don’t truly know a person, we can’t genuinely love that person- the same holds true about God. How can we love God or make Him a priority in our life, if we don’t genuinely know Him? We can’t.

The best way for us to get to genuinely know God is by reading scripture (the bible) daily, here’s what I’ve learned about God and us over the past three years of doing this. Let’s start at the beginning: Creation. God’s creativity is so much more impressive than anything mankind can create. Think about our bodies, the intricacy of our unique DNA coding, the systems of the body, how they work together, the ability of our body to “heal”, the intricacy of our eyes, the complexity of vision, all the tiny blood vessels, nerves, and muscles, throughout that provide what’s needed for various components of our bodies to function as designed. Think about our minds, the capacity to think, ponder, analyze, feel, etc. This didn’t just happen by “accident”- there is a complex, well- designed system that even the doctors today don’t have full understanding, often treatments are still trial and error when doctors try to fix something. God made us. He intentionally made everyone of us (we are here because He wanted us here): each of us is unique and has special gifts, created by God. We were created to relate with Him and with others in this world. God wants to be known and sometimes uses supernatural means to be discovered by us. Think, for a minute , about that “important” person brought to your thoughts earlier. You love that person, now imagine this: what if that person didn’t know you? You knew them, you love them, yet they don’t react to you, they ignore you, they don’t respond to you. Wouldn’t that be frustrating? Now think about how God feels when we ignore Him. God has feelings and emotions. We were created in His image and similar to Him, we also have feelings and emotions. How would you feel if the person you love responded to you as a “stranger”?

Creating us is what God did, but there is more about who God is. There is a mystery about God, revealed through scripture. There is one God, but a triune God: God the Father, the Son of God (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. All three were present during the creation. This is a detail that can be supported by the original Hebrew scripture with the word: Elohim This is very interesting because the word is “plural” and the singular form is Eloah and both are used in scripture, but the creation as well as other pats of scripture use the plural version. Explore this if you doubt. Why would God be referred to with a plural reference if He is not triune? Genesis further describes God’s Spirit hovering over the waters during creation and the bible also says “let us make make mankind in our image” (Genesis 1:26) It is not until Jesus arrives that we fully understand this “triune”, when Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist all are present: the spirit descends visibly when Jesus comes up out of the water during baptism and God speaks audibly telling those present that Jesus is His Son (Matthew 3:17). But even further back in scripture, about how Jesus came became man, we learn from God’s messenger angel, who visited Mary (Jesus’ mother). The angel explained that it is God’s spirit who makes this pregnancy occur, not by man, the angel also visited Joseph who was engaged to be married to Mary and was thinking about secretly departing from her due to the pregnancy, but the angel explains what happened to Joseph and Joseph follows through with Mary. (Matthew 1:18) The three (triune God) are present at the very beginning of Jesus’ human life. Something else to think about: throughout scripture, no one technically sees God, Moses gets the closest to seeing Him, but then hides his face. When Moses returns to the people he is described as “radiant” (Exodus 34). Scripture often tells us God is Spirit, so it’s hard to comprehend His presence, is He pure light or does He have bodily form? Scripture mentions the throne of God and Jesus is seated at the right hand, so it does seem like there is a form of some type and if mankind was created in God’s image, then it would also seem likely. If we look back in scripture again, in Genesis (Genesis 3:8), God is walking in the garden (all three are present: Elohim) it is written about God’s voice being heard, and then the singular version Yehova (Jehova) is also used and so is Ruah (which means spirit or wind in the Old Testament, in Hebrew; ruah is used used 378 times) and is interesting to discover. Could it have been Jesus who was walking in the garden? (I don’t know the answer to this question but it crossed my mind after reading this verse.) Jumping forward, in the book of Revelation, Jesus reveals that he is the beginning and the end (Revelation 21:6), he also reveals this in the gospel of John when Jesus tells the Pharisees that he existed before Abraham who was born around 20 BC (John 8:58). It is believed that Jesus was born sometime between 6 BC and 2 BC. In the New Testament, pneuma is the name for Spirit, it refers to either God’s spirit or other spirits and is referred to 385 times in the New Testament. When we explore the original words of scripture like these: Elohim, ruah, pneuma, and the words of Jesus documented in the New Testament Gospels, our eyes begin to open and the Bible gets interesting by exploring and discovering “who” God is through scripture we begin to learn.

But there is more to learn about God than “who” He is. There is the personality and character of God that we discover through the Bible. This is best discovered gradually throughout the entire bible, so this following summary will not be complete, but is an attempt to summarize some of what I’ve learned about God’s character through studying scripture. Since God made us in His image, I think we can comprehend a little bit of His character is because God is the only one who is good; we are not, so we can’t fully relate to a perfect God. (Jesus said this documented in the Gospel of Mark 10:18 – also explore the word Jesus used for God “theos” in Greek found here) So we are imperfect beings trying to understand a perfect Being, therefore we are limited in our comprehension of God and in what has been revealed to us through scripture. Here are some characteristics of God found through scripture:

LOVE: God loves us greater than we currently have the capacity to love. Our love is often conditional. God’s love is unconditional. He loves us even while we are broken, separated from Him by sin. He created us to experience a loving relationship with Him. When any human relationship fails, it is different from our relationship with God who’s love remains, unfailing. We can’t comprehend God in exactly the same way as we experience human relationships: God is perfect, humans are not.

FORGIVENESS: God sets the standard so high on forgiveness. When we comprehend His capacity to forgive we are amazed, especially when we think about betrayal. How hard is it for us when someone betrays us, then comes back? Some of us may be forgiving yet others struggle with it, but not God and He wants us to be like Him in forgiveness to others. He wants us to understand how often He forgive us (which is whenever we truly mean it and ask Him for forgiveness, He forgives). Aren’t we grateful that He is like this? How many times do we mess up and then regret it? What if He wasn’t forgiving? Do you realize what that would mean? We would never have a relationship with Him again. Think about that for a minute: what if you hurt that “important” person you love and you never had the opportunity to be back in a relationship with them because they didn’t forgive you for what you did against them. How much greater would that hurt us when we know what God has planned (Revelation 21 and 22) for those who love Him back and those who have a relationship with Him?

MERCY: God see us as His little children, He lets us make decisions (even ones that aren’t good and ones that go against Him, the Commandments He gave us Exodus 20)- He is not controlling (He let us have free will), but then He will discipline His children, the ones He loves Revelation 3:19 (for our benefit to learn from our mistakes and turn back to Him) He cares for us and wants the best for us. Jeremiah 29:11

JEALOUS: Yes, God gets jealous. There are different types of jealousy: one type is “coveting” something someone else has; wanting something that is not ours, being envious of someone else. This is not the jealousy of God. God made us, God loves us and God is jealous when our love is shown to someone or anything else more than Him. In fact it is in the beginning of the commandment He gave us (Exodus 20). Whatever we love more than God is our idol: it could be money, it could be a false god, it could be ourselves through self-centeredness, fame or pride, it could be things we may obtain, it could be any person we hold on a pedestal, it could be our “important” person. We should know that God is meant to be our priority, He gave us everything we have and He can take away whatever we prioritize over Him to teach us this lesson. It’s much better to make God the priority now so we don’t have to learn the lesson the hard way.

ANGER: Yes, God gets angry. The anger that God shows is against evil. This is righteous anger. He is not “hot-tempered” and scripture tells us to avoid “hot-tempered” people– that is not God’s character. God is slow to anger, scripture tells us that too. God actually hates 7 specific things Proverbs 6:16 (link here): included are pride, lying, harming innocent people and those who contemplate and choose evil.

JUSTICE: God is just, God is perfect, therefore when he subjects anyone to wrath or to death, it is justified. God is patient (2 Peter 3:9), he gives people opportunities and time to repent, but if God sees there is no repentance, at a certain point (only God knows that timing) He takes action and destroys evil. Yes, God destroys evil. Sometimes He does it now, but He will also do it later to the evil that remains during the Judgement of all Evil (sin) separates us from God, so God destroys it according to His timing, but we can trust that He will do this, even when we don’t see it happen immediately when bad things happen in our world. It will come. Scripture tells us, God says “it is mine to avenge” Unless a person repents, they will perish. Scripture tells us this.

POWERFUL: God is powerful and can make supernatural things happen. With God all things are possible. Scripture gives us insight to God’s power through God’s response to Job about who He is: Job Chapter 38, 39, 40, 41 Jesus foretold that he has overcome the evil within the world through his death and resurrection. (John 16:33) We overcome evil when we choose to be “born again“, become the spiritual children of God, when God’s spirit resides within us. (John 5:4).

God will be respected; all people will end up bowing to Him when Jesus returns and Jesus will rule from that point on through eternity. Those who make fun of God or mock Him have a horrific future ahead- the irony of this is that the ones who are doing the mocking right now are the ones who are currently deceived and will be the ones in the future who will be known as fools in the end. But those who turn to God, get to genuinely know Him and remain in relationship with Him through prayer have nothing to fear because God loves and protects His children. He has an incredible amazing future planned; it’s only a matter of time before we experience it. Take this to heart and take action now: make God your “important” person, your priority, don’t leave Him in the “stranger” category, get to know Him and experience His goodness, His blessings in your life. Click here to see who is blessed by God, there are multiple pages so scroll to the end to see the various pages in scripture that mention “blessed”.

When we think about “success/advancing” in the world, so many of us do well getting to know those at the top who can make a difference in our future, but at the same time many of the same don’t know the ultimate God who WILL make a more substantial difference in our future (eternity). This is called blindness until people are made aware and short-sightedness if they don’t take action that matters for eternity, people don’t understand, but desperately need to understand and need to know God. Not for selfish gain in this world, but for our future, for Life. Once we truly comprehend the truth about Life and Death, we can break from what enslaves us by calling out to God, helping others do the same (we’re not to be selfish), then rest in the grace and eternal blessings from God. Remember it all started with God’s LOVE for us. Jesus made the WAY for us (John 14:6). We simply need to seek God, repent and place our faith in Jesus to save us and help others know this Truth.

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