I think Huckabee does a very good job of helping analyze this question.
Dear God,
Why do you allow such violence in schools?
Sincerely, Concerned Student
Dear Concerned Student,
I'm not allowed in schools.
Love, GOD
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Connecticut Shooting: Where Was God?
A lot of people have been asking me that if God is loving and merciful, then why is there such violence and suffering like the shooting in Newtown Connecticut. The shooting where 7 staff members and 20 young students were killed.
I think Huckabee does a very good job of helping analyze this question.
I think Huckabee does a very good job of helping analyze this question.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Is Jesus A False Idol?
One of the ten commandments is:
"Thou shall have no other God before me."
God commands us to worship Him and Him alone. We aren't supposed to worship what the Bible refers to as false idols. No, I don't just mean little statue 'idols' and I don't mean the contestants on American Idol. Though those do fall into the category of false idols, God refers to other false gods.
This topic goes back to the 'potted plant' reference I used in a previous post. If you have mountains of faith in a potted plant, it will get you nowhere. However, if you have only an ounce of faith in God, you can move mountains! It's not how much faith you have, it's what you have faith in.
Don't put all your faith in trust in that celebrity you think is 'so hot'. Believe me, I know. I used to be obsessed with Ricky Ulman (You know..Ricky?...Phil of the Future?.....Oh come on!). They aren't going to be there for eyou in your time of need. Don't worship the girl in your choir who can sing with the voice of a goddess. She may sound like an angel, but that doesn't mean she is one.
Now, I have heard some people pose the following argument:
"God says to not have any other Gods before him and that we are supposed to only worship Him. If that's the case, then isn't Jesus a false idol? Jesus isn't God, is he? He's His son, right?"
This is an interesting point, I'll give it that, but let me put it into perspective.
Think of water. Basic as it appears, it is actually a very complex system of molecules. Now, I'm not going to try to bore you with science, so I'll make it easy for you. Water has three basic forms: solid, liquid, and gas. Ice, water, or vapor. Well, God is the same way. He has three forms: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Jesus, son who God sent himself as to die for our sins. Holy Spirit, the spirit that lives within us once we accept the Lord.
Truly an interesting argument, but I don't buy it.
So no, I believe Jesus is not a false idol.
"Thou shall have no other God before me."
God commands us to worship Him and Him alone. We aren't supposed to worship what the Bible refers to as false idols. No, I don't just mean little statue 'idols' and I don't mean the contestants on American Idol. Though those do fall into the category of false idols, God refers to other false gods.
This topic goes back to the 'potted plant' reference I used in a previous post. If you have mountains of faith in a potted plant, it will get you nowhere. However, if you have only an ounce of faith in God, you can move mountains! It's not how much faith you have, it's what you have faith in.
Don't put all your faith in trust in that celebrity you think is 'so hot'. Believe me, I know. I used to be obsessed with Ricky Ulman (You know..Ricky?...Phil of the Future?.....Oh come on!). They aren't going to be there for eyou in your time of need. Don't worship the girl in your choir who can sing with the voice of a goddess. She may sound like an angel, but that doesn't mean she is one.
Now, I have heard some people pose the following argument:
"God says to not have any other Gods before him and that we are supposed to only worship Him. If that's the case, then isn't Jesus a false idol? Jesus isn't God, is he? He's His son, right?"
This is an interesting point, I'll give it that, but let me put it into perspective.
Think of water. Basic as it appears, it is actually a very complex system of molecules. Now, I'm not going to try to bore you with science, so I'll make it easy for you. Water has three basic forms: solid, liquid, and gas. Ice, water, or vapor. Well, God is the same way. He has three forms: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Jesus, son who God sent himself as to die for our sins. Holy Spirit, the spirit that lives within us once we accept the Lord.
Truly an interesting argument, but I don't buy it.
So no, I believe Jesus is not a false idol.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Can I Be TOO Bad?
A lot of people have told me that one of the reasons they will not accept Christ is because they fear they are 'too bad' or 'not good enough' for the Christian faith.
This is ENTIRELY a myth!
Once you accept Jesus into your life, you are forgiven for all you have done, are doing, and will do. There is no such thing as being 'too bad' for God. That's why God's grace is so important. It's universal! Take the story of the sinful woman in the house of the Pharisee:
"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, [38] and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner.'
Jesus answered him, 'Simon, I have something to tell you.'
'Tell me, teacher,' he said.
'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?'
Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.'
'You have judged correctly,' Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven -- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.'
Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'
Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'" ~Luke 7:36-50
This woman was known to be a destitute, terribly sinful woman. Yet because of her acceptance and love of Christ she was redeemed and forgiven for her sins. She shows her love by wetting Jesus' feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and pouring perfume on them. Back in those times, washing the feet of house guests was only for the lowest servants in the house. Even Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show his love for them before the last supper! It just goes to show you how powerful the love of God truly is.
So no, there is no such thing as 'too bad' or 'not good enough' for God. God accepts, forgives, and loves everyone. All you have to do is accept those things he has to offer.
This is ENTIRELY a myth!
Once you accept Jesus into your life, you are forgiven for all you have done, are doing, and will do. There is no such thing as being 'too bad' for God. That's why God's grace is so important. It's universal! Take the story of the sinful woman in the house of the Pharisee:
"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, [38] and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner.'
Jesus answered him, 'Simon, I have something to tell you.'
'Tell me, teacher,' he said.
'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?'
Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.'
'You have judged correctly,' Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven -- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.'
Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'
Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'" ~Luke 7:36-50
This woman was known to be a destitute, terribly sinful woman. Yet because of her acceptance and love of Christ she was redeemed and forgiven for her sins. She shows her love by wetting Jesus' feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and pouring perfume on them. Back in those times, washing the feet of house guests was only for the lowest servants in the house. Even Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show his love for them before the last supper! It just goes to show you how powerful the love of God truly is.
So no, there is no such thing as 'too bad' or 'not good enough' for God. God accepts, forgives, and loves everyone. All you have to do is accept those things he has to offer.
Once Saved, Always Saved
Contrary to popular belief, your salvation cannot be taken away from you by doing something bad. Sin may not be a good thing, but it's natural. It's almost impossible to not sin. Imagine someone who could go a full 24 hours without thinking something negative, saying something hateful, or imagining something lustful! Think of all the things that would have to be removed from your mind, your heart, and your life in order to achieve the biblical description of perfection. This is where God's grace and our salvation comes into play.
God knows that we aren't perfect, which is why he forgives us for all of our sins that we have committed, are committing, and will commit. He knows that it is impossible for as to attain perfection. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we accept God's forgiveness. However, a lot of people think that salvation means you must, from then on, be perfect.
NO! NO! NO!
This is not true! Salvation does not equal perfection. Even after you are saved, you will continue to sin. Hopefully you will sin significantly less, but you will still sin. It's practically inevitable. Just because you are saved doesn't mean you have to be perfect.
Once you are saved and have accepted Christ, you are always saved. You're salvation cannot be taken away from you simply because you have sinned. Everyone sins, including those who are already saved. The only way you can lose your salvation is if you forfeit it. Unless you disown God and refuse his forgiveness, you will forever and always be saved.
Once saved; always saved.
God knows that we aren't perfect, which is why he forgives us for all of our sins that we have committed, are committing, and will commit. He knows that it is impossible for as to attain perfection. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we accept God's forgiveness. However, a lot of people think that salvation means you must, from then on, be perfect.
NO! NO! NO!
This is not true! Salvation does not equal perfection. Even after you are saved, you will continue to sin. Hopefully you will sin significantly less, but you will still sin. It's practically inevitable. Just because you are saved doesn't mean you have to be perfect.
Once you are saved and have accepted Christ, you are always saved. You're salvation cannot be taken away from you simply because you have sinned. Everyone sins, including those who are already saved. The only way you can lose your salvation is if you forfeit it. Unless you disown God and refuse his forgiveness, you will forever and always be saved.
Once saved; always saved.
Not What You Know; WHO You Know
It's not the amount of faith you have that makes a difference; it's what you put your faith into.
A lot of people turn their heads from the Christian faith because they have met one too many extremists who try to shove doctrine and scripture down their throats. Extremists who overdo their witnessing and over step the boundries of personal space in order to spread the gospel. I admire their determination, but there is a time to draw the line.
Even the Bible says in scripture not to waste your breath on those who will not listen.:
"Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words." ~Proverbs 23:9
If you know for a fact that the person you are witnessing to or would like to witness to is not/will not listen to anything you have to say or take it to heart, move on. You can always come back to them later on if their heart softens up. However, if they refuse to hear you out, do not let your pleas fall on deaf ears. If you give valuable words of wisdom to someone who won't listen, they will walk right over them as if they have not been heard. Or they may retaliate with doubt and new age skepticism.
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." ~Matthew 7:6
You don't have to put every ounce of faith you have into God; though I highly recommend it. I believe that a small amount of reasonable doubt is healthy to a strong faith. If one cannot confront and examine his/her own doubts, how can they confront the skepticism of others?
Take this piece of advice: it is better to have faith the size of a grain of sand in God than it is to have mountains of faith in a flower pot.
If you have all the faith in the world and put it into a potted plant, where will that get you? Nowhere, becasue the potted plant cannot do anything for you. You can pray to it and praise it all you want, but nothing will come from it. However, if you have just a tiny bit of faith in God, you can move mountains!
The main take away from this post I would say can be summarized to three main points:
1) Don't waste your breath on those who refuse to listen.
2) It's not how much faith you have, it's WHO you have faith in.
3) Please tone it down on extremist-ness, it gives Christianity an overbearing, nazi-like name.
A lot of people turn their heads from the Christian faith because they have met one too many extremists who try to shove doctrine and scripture down their throats. Extremists who overdo their witnessing and over step the boundries of personal space in order to spread the gospel. I admire their determination, but there is a time to draw the line.
Even the Bible says in scripture not to waste your breath on those who will not listen.:
"Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words." ~Proverbs 23:9
If you know for a fact that the person you are witnessing to or would like to witness to is not/will not listen to anything you have to say or take it to heart, move on. You can always come back to them later on if their heart softens up. However, if they refuse to hear you out, do not let your pleas fall on deaf ears. If you give valuable words of wisdom to someone who won't listen, they will walk right over them as if they have not been heard. Or they may retaliate with doubt and new age skepticism.
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." ~Matthew 7:6
You don't have to put every ounce of faith you have into God; though I highly recommend it. I believe that a small amount of reasonable doubt is healthy to a strong faith. If one cannot confront and examine his/her own doubts, how can they confront the skepticism of others?
Take this piece of advice: it is better to have faith the size of a grain of sand in God than it is to have mountains of faith in a flower pot.
If you have all the faith in the world and put it into a potted plant, where will that get you? Nowhere, becasue the potted plant cannot do anything for you. You can pray to it and praise it all you want, but nothing will come from it. However, if you have just a tiny bit of faith in God, you can move mountains!
The main take away from this post I would say can be summarized to three main points:
1) Don't waste your breath on those who refuse to listen.
2) It's not how much faith you have, it's WHO you have faith in.
3) Please tone it down on extremist-ness, it gives Christianity an overbearing, nazi-like name.
Boundries: Helping or Harming?
This post kind of coincides with my previous post: Jumping Through Hoops. It addresses the question that if God wants us to be free through Him, then why does he give us a bunch of rules to follow? Well, I have figured out another, more relevant answer to this question. You've probably heard it more times than you'd care to, but I would like to go in depth about it. The answer is: boundaries are not meant to hurt you, they are to protect and help you.
A father watches as his son plays with a kickball on the front lawn. As a constant reminder to the child, the father progressively says "Don't get too close to the street, son!" The boy laughs and nods. "I know, Daddy!" He continues to play with the ball, throwing it as high as he can and running beneath it to catch it. Suddenly he misses the catch and the ball bounces into the middle of the street. The child runs towards the curb to retrieve the ball, failing to look both ways. His one concern, in his young age, was to get his ball back. The father sees his son embarking on this mini journey and shouts "Son, get out of the street!" He jumps off the front steps and takes off like a bullet as fast as he can to get to his child. The son bends down to pick up the ball and turns around to smile at his father. "Daddy, I got it!" Out of what seemed like nowhere a truck was speeding down the street and hit the child. He was killed instantly.
The father didn't tell his son to stay out of the street to prevent him from having fun; he told him to stay out of the street so that he would not get hurt, or in this unfortunate case, killed.
"Mom, I want to have sex with Justin," a Amy says to her mother.
"Honey, you know that you shouldn't have sex until you are married." You could hear the heartache in her voice. They continued to argue for twenty minutes before the daughter finally agreed that it was best to wait and retired to her room.
That weekend the young girl was at her boyfriend's house for what her mother believed to be a movie date, but the reality was entirely different. Justin's parents were gone for the weekend and they were planning to have sex. They figured that by using a condom it was alright. The last thing they expected, however, was for the condom to break. This went unrealized by both of them until a couple weeks later.
Amy begins experiencing cases of morning sickness and misses her next period. She asks Justin to buy her a pregnancy test so that she can take it at his place without her parents discovering. It came back positive.
Nine months later Amy has a beautiful baby girl; Lydia. Justin denies the baby and argues that it couldn't be his. He spends his nights at football practice instead of helping Amy taking care of his daughter. Amy has dropped out of high school and is having trouble finding a job to support her newest addition to the family. Her mother has picked up a second shift at her company to help accommodate for the baby's needs.
Amy's mother didn't want to stop her daughter from experiencing something beautiful. She wanted her to wait until she was married, which sex is intended for, and until she was ready to take on the responsibilities that come with parenting. She also wanted to protect her from sexually transmitted diseases that could have killed her and her baby.
Boundaries are meant to help us have a more fulfilling life, not a boring one. We don't say no to drugs because we are a wimp, we say no because we don't want to become dependent on something that can destroy our lives. We don't refuse to drink because we are a stick in the mud, we refuse to drink because we are refusing the damages alcohol does to the body and the stupid things it causes us to say and do.
Boundaries have nothing to do with sucking the fun out of life, but rather ensuring you have the best kind of fun you can have without any unnecessary destruction or obstacles, including being a teen parent or a drug addict.
They are to protect you, not hinder you.
A father watches as his son plays with a kickball on the front lawn. As a constant reminder to the child, the father progressively says "Don't get too close to the street, son!" The boy laughs and nods. "I know, Daddy!" He continues to play with the ball, throwing it as high as he can and running beneath it to catch it. Suddenly he misses the catch and the ball bounces into the middle of the street. The child runs towards the curb to retrieve the ball, failing to look both ways. His one concern, in his young age, was to get his ball back. The father sees his son embarking on this mini journey and shouts "Son, get out of the street!" He jumps off the front steps and takes off like a bullet as fast as he can to get to his child. The son bends down to pick up the ball and turns around to smile at his father. "Daddy, I got it!" Out of what seemed like nowhere a truck was speeding down the street and hit the child. He was killed instantly.
The father didn't tell his son to stay out of the street to prevent him from having fun; he told him to stay out of the street so that he would not get hurt, or in this unfortunate case, killed.
"Mom, I want to have sex with Justin," a Amy says to her mother.
"Honey, you know that you shouldn't have sex until you are married." You could hear the heartache in her voice. They continued to argue for twenty minutes before the daughter finally agreed that it was best to wait and retired to her room.
That weekend the young girl was at her boyfriend's house for what her mother believed to be a movie date, but the reality was entirely different. Justin's parents were gone for the weekend and they were planning to have sex. They figured that by using a condom it was alright. The last thing they expected, however, was for the condom to break. This went unrealized by both of them until a couple weeks later.
Amy begins experiencing cases of morning sickness and misses her next period. She asks Justin to buy her a pregnancy test so that she can take it at his place without her parents discovering. It came back positive.
Nine months later Amy has a beautiful baby girl; Lydia. Justin denies the baby and argues that it couldn't be his. He spends his nights at football practice instead of helping Amy taking care of his daughter. Amy has dropped out of high school and is having trouble finding a job to support her newest addition to the family. Her mother has picked up a second shift at her company to help accommodate for the baby's needs.
Amy's mother didn't want to stop her daughter from experiencing something beautiful. She wanted her to wait until she was married, which sex is intended for, and until she was ready to take on the responsibilities that come with parenting. She also wanted to protect her from sexually transmitted diseases that could have killed her and her baby.
Boundaries are meant to help us have a more fulfilling life, not a boring one. We don't say no to drugs because we are a wimp, we say no because we don't want to become dependent on something that can destroy our lives. We don't refuse to drink because we are a stick in the mud, we refuse to drink because we are refusing the damages alcohol does to the body and the stupid things it causes us to say and do.
Boundaries have nothing to do with sucking the fun out of life, but rather ensuring you have the best kind of fun you can have without any unnecessary destruction or obstacles, including being a teen parent or a drug addict.
They are to protect you, not hinder you.
God Flooded the ENTIRE World?
I have been reading a lot lately on the debates as to whether or not God really flooded the entire world in Genesis 6-9. This is referring to the story of Noah and the Ark.
When this question was posed in the block Debunking Christianity, it was curious enough to read the comments. Many people agreed that it was not physically possible for God to flood the whole world. One comment, posted by one by the name of Kevin, stated:
"The language in Genesis does not demand a global flood, only a universal one. In other words, it seems the flood was a huge local event confined to the Mesopatamia.
The language also can be viewed from the standpoint of the observer, i.e. “under all the heavens”, the “entire earth” etc. means horizon to horizon.
“Mountains” can be interpreted “hills” and the water/rain is depicted as running over them as a deluge and falling on them – not that the highest mountains such as Everest were under water.
It was confined to the Mesopatamia because mankind had not moved beyond it. The flood can go back to over 50-60 thousand years ago. (One cannot date the flood according to geneaologies because there are gaps). Therefore, it was universal in its effect.
The animals on the ark were regional and of particular relationship to man in the area. There were no polar bears or penquins onboard, etc."
This has some truth to it. Very few humans, if any, had made it out of the Mesopatamia. Most were living a hunter gatherer lifestyle, and therefore had to leave the confinement of the Mesopatamia at some point in search of a variety of food, plants, and things to make tools and weapons from. So mankind was not entirely confined to the Mesopatamia.
As for the argument that the water would have to be a certain depth in order to cover Mount Everest, I do not think this is as much of an issue as some make it out to be.
Mount Everest may not have reached it's full height, let alone even been more than a hill at this point in time. Mountains are caused by the earth's tectonic plates colliding with one another and rising up together by the force of impact they have on each other. Since these times, tectonic plates have shifted and moved multitudes of times. Therefore, there is no logical proof that Mount Everest was at it's peak height at the time of the flood.
In my opinion, I do believe the whole world was flooded. God said he was going to flood the WORLD, so I believe he flooded the WORLD. Some say that many other civilizations, such as Egypt, have no record of such a flood. The answer to that is relatively simple. Ancient civilizations such as Egypt don't have any record of this phenomenon because these civilizations were not yet created and did not exist! Egyptian civilizations and culture was not formed at this point in time.
I believe God flooded the entire world, as he said he would. This is my opinion.
When this question was posed in the block Debunking Christianity, it was curious enough to read the comments. Many people agreed that it was not physically possible for God to flood the whole world. One comment, posted by one by the name of Kevin, stated:
"The language in Genesis does not demand a global flood, only a universal one. In other words, it seems the flood was a huge local event confined to the Mesopatamia.
The language also can be viewed from the standpoint of the observer, i.e. “under all the heavens”, the “entire earth” etc. means horizon to horizon.
“Mountains” can be interpreted “hills” and the water/rain is depicted as running over them as a deluge and falling on them – not that the highest mountains such as Everest were under water.
It was confined to the Mesopatamia because mankind had not moved beyond it. The flood can go back to over 50-60 thousand years ago. (One cannot date the flood according to geneaologies because there are gaps). Therefore, it was universal in its effect.
The animals on the ark were regional and of particular relationship to man in the area. There were no polar bears or penquins onboard, etc."
This has some truth to it. Very few humans, if any, had made it out of the Mesopatamia. Most were living a hunter gatherer lifestyle, and therefore had to leave the confinement of the Mesopatamia at some point in search of a variety of food, plants, and things to make tools and weapons from. So mankind was not entirely confined to the Mesopatamia.
As for the argument that the water would have to be a certain depth in order to cover Mount Everest, I do not think this is as much of an issue as some make it out to be.
Mount Everest may not have reached it's full height, let alone even been more than a hill at this point in time. Mountains are caused by the earth's tectonic plates colliding with one another and rising up together by the force of impact they have on each other. Since these times, tectonic plates have shifted and moved multitudes of times. Therefore, there is no logical proof that Mount Everest was at it's peak height at the time of the flood.
In my opinion, I do believe the whole world was flooded. God said he was going to flood the WORLD, so I believe he flooded the WORLD. Some say that many other civilizations, such as Egypt, have no record of such a flood. The answer to that is relatively simple. Ancient civilizations such as Egypt don't have any record of this phenomenon because these civilizations were not yet created and did not exist! Egyptian civilizations and culture was not formed at this point in time.
I believe God flooded the entire world, as he said he would. This is my opinion.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Jumping Through Hoops
I hear people say this to me almost all the time.
"If Christianity is about relinquishing the 'chains of life' over to God, then why does He continue to put more chains on his followers?"
What they are referring to when they ask this question is the supposed sets of rules and regulations that many people commonly associate with being a follower of Christ. Take for example, the ten commandments. Very easily referred to as a list of rules we have to follow.
People don't like the idea of having to keep to a set of rules and practices to earn the love and/or approval of a higher power. The thing is, however, that this is not the case with the Christian God. You already have God's love! He loves you unconditionally whether you follow him or not because He created you! He's not forcing you to keep to any rules, regulations, or practices, but asks that you try to obey these out of respect and love for your creator.
When you are in a committed relationship, you don't remain faithful to them because society and/or your moral values demand you to. Granted that those things do have a say or slight play in your opinion of the matter, they are not the real reason you are loyal to your spouce/significant other. You are faithful to them because you love them! You don't cheat on them because you know that would break their hearts. You don't want anyone else, you just want them! That's why you keep to the rules such as remaining loyal, being honest, and staying true. You don't do it because you have to; you do it because you want to.
That's the way it is with God, believe it or not! You don't keep the rules because you just wanna please the people at your church or youth group. You obey because you love your creator.
If you are too busy trying to keep to these rules without understanding the principle of God's unconditional, never-ending love, then it will feel like you are constantly walking on a ledge. As if one move could send you plummiting. However, if you are focusing more on loving God and bringing glory to him and honoring him, then keeping these so called 'rules' just comes naturally. Trust me, I've been through it.
The more I learned about the unconditional love of Christ, I found myself living out more biblical values and aspects of life as the knowledge and faith grew. I came to discover the wonderful things God was capable of, which made me grow to love Him even more! At that point, keeping the rules became second nature to me. I started praying more and more and it eventually became an every day thing, multiple times a day! I began to read my Bible more and wanted to understand God's word.
Christianity isn't about keeping rules or following practices; it's about love.
Christianity isn't a religion; it's a relationship.
"If Christianity is about relinquishing the 'chains of life' over to God, then why does He continue to put more chains on his followers?"
What they are referring to when they ask this question is the supposed sets of rules and regulations that many people commonly associate with being a follower of Christ. Take for example, the ten commandments. Very easily referred to as a list of rules we have to follow.
People don't like the idea of having to keep to a set of rules and practices to earn the love and/or approval of a higher power. The thing is, however, that this is not the case with the Christian God. You already have God's love! He loves you unconditionally whether you follow him or not because He created you! He's not forcing you to keep to any rules, regulations, or practices, but asks that you try to obey these out of respect and love for your creator.
When you are in a committed relationship, you don't remain faithful to them because society and/or your moral values demand you to. Granted that those things do have a say or slight play in your opinion of the matter, they are not the real reason you are loyal to your spouce/significant other. You are faithful to them because you love them! You don't cheat on them because you know that would break their hearts. You don't want anyone else, you just want them! That's why you keep to the rules such as remaining loyal, being honest, and staying true. You don't do it because you have to; you do it because you want to.
That's the way it is with God, believe it or not! You don't keep the rules because you just wanna please the people at your church or youth group. You obey because you love your creator.
If you are too busy trying to keep to these rules without understanding the principle of God's unconditional, never-ending love, then it will feel like you are constantly walking on a ledge. As if one move could send you plummiting. However, if you are focusing more on loving God and bringing glory to him and honoring him, then keeping these so called 'rules' just comes naturally. Trust me, I've been through it.
The more I learned about the unconditional love of Christ, I found myself living out more biblical values and aspects of life as the knowledge and faith grew. I came to discover the wonderful things God was capable of, which made me grow to love Him even more! At that point, keeping the rules became second nature to me. I started praying more and more and it eventually became an every day thing, multiple times a day! I began to read my Bible more and wanted to understand God's word.
Christianity isn't about keeping rules or following practices; it's about love.
Christianity isn't a religion; it's a relationship.
Monday, September 10, 2012
A Purpose
The purpose of this blog is to address and confront some common doubts that I hear or recieve from skeptics of the Christian faith. I hope to help those who are lost see God and the faith itself in a different light.
I also want to give some hope to the hopeless. I have been there before and sometimes find myself falling back to it. Hopelessness is a deep, dark place that is immensly difficult to escape on one's own.
People so often have damanged hearts and spirits due to many of Satan's lies, which are so easily believed. He tries to tell us that we are ugly, worthless, that we'll never amount to anything. These lies and many others are so commonly heard because they are everywhere. He uses these to tear us down and keep us from having a close, personal relationship with God. This leaves us feeling alone and helpless.
"When Satan tells us we have a problem, the next thing he tells us is that we are the only one with that problem." ~Mark Hall
In this blog, I plan to address a multitiude of topics that have to do with everyday life. To dig deeper and take a closer look at issues that address us everyday. Some of these may not necessarily apply to you, and that's fine! I still encourage you to keep reading because I hope to touch hearts and clarify doubts of those who read The Reconsideration.
Keep checking for updates to the blog and new gadgets beging added! I don't have a set in stone schedule for posting as of now. If something comes to me, it comes to The Reconsideration.
Thank you for coming and keep reading! God bless you!
I also want to give some hope to the hopeless. I have been there before and sometimes find myself falling back to it. Hopelessness is a deep, dark place that is immensly difficult to escape on one's own.
People so often have damanged hearts and spirits due to many of Satan's lies, which are so easily believed. He tries to tell us that we are ugly, worthless, that we'll never amount to anything. These lies and many others are so commonly heard because they are everywhere. He uses these to tear us down and keep us from having a close, personal relationship with God. This leaves us feeling alone and helpless.
"When Satan tells us we have a problem, the next thing he tells us is that we are the only one with that problem." ~Mark Hall
In this blog, I plan to address a multitiude of topics that have to do with everyday life. To dig deeper and take a closer look at issues that address us everyday. Some of these may not necessarily apply to you, and that's fine! I still encourage you to keep reading because I hope to touch hearts and clarify doubts of those who read The Reconsideration.
Keep checking for updates to the blog and new gadgets beging added! I don't have a set in stone schedule for posting as of now. If something comes to me, it comes to The Reconsideration.
Thank you for coming and keep reading! God bless you!
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