If there's one thing I love about you, it's your many-ness. You have so many sides to you. There's the wrath against the evil people, saying they have no excuse for not following you. Yet you love us so much you gave us free will. You love us so much you personally went to Hades to get the keys, to lock us out! And that's a triumph. Yes, it's good to reflect on Christ's suffering and his blood, but it's also good to think about the now, the triumph, the try and the umph is over. Now God has redeemed our souls! Blessed be the name of the Lord, a-MEN!
Love,
Romans 1:18-31
I'm not going to do this like the past Romans blogs. It's just a little too long.
So God's wrath is against the evil of the world, especially since they know who he is. God's invisible qualities (eternal power, divine nature) is obvious. Those are some bold statements. We kinda make excuses for people who are evil because they don't know God, you can't really know him if you don't look for him. But Paul's like, no. God's power is obvious because he made the world. If you live in the world, you know God's power--you just might ignore it. I don't know if Paul here is talking about men or only demons/devil. Well, it says men are without an excuse. so men too.
And the our justice radar kicks in and we wonder where the loving God went. Shouldn't he give us lots of chances, make it obvious? God's like, the evil men in the world had their chance to turn to me and they blew it. They even look wise when they're foolish and decided to go with temporary things. Part of this is a warning for me to know that people aren't always the same on the outside as the inside. I need to recognize that more, especially with this college deal coming up. But also this is a warning to not become like these people. keep a hold on God.
So God let these people have free reign, and they exchange truth for a lie. How sad is that?! this life of truth is awesome!
So basically the more they reject God, the more he lets them, which leads they to things that are really bad. Free will can be ugly.
I notice too, they reject his knowledge so God gives them a depraved mind... they go together.
So basically Paul lists all the evils of this world all together. Sorta. Obviously not all of them. But a lot. I looked up a few because I really wanted to be sure I knew what strife, insolent, and slander meant. I mostly knew, but it was a nice refresher course of what not to do.
So basically the moral of the story here is God let us. If we want to reject him, he'll let us. And we can't say we didn't know about him, just did what was "normal," God doesn't take it. He says man is without excuse.
Revelation 1
So John sees this amazing Jesus character--and John has seen Jesus, both as a man and as a risen man (and I think at the transformation? I'm not sure). But this Jesus is so different! When he saw him, he fell at his feet as though dead. That's pretty crazy! Then Jesus places his right hand (that's the one with the stars in it) on him, and tells him not to be afraid.
I AM the First and the Last. Jesus was there at the beginning of the creation of the world, and as we shall see, he will be there at the end. I AM the Living One; My friend Jesus is the living one! Yesss.... I was dead (which was sad), and behold I AM alive for ever and ever (which is AWESOME)! But even more than that, it's such a powerful statement. Jesus is alive forever and ever. Does that not make you feel more alive just thinking it?! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Can you imagine Jesus wrestling with satan, and taking the keys of death and Hades??!! It's ridiculous! He did all that so that all these people that he loves very much can be with HIM! Yessss.
That's exciting. It's a triumph now. We don't have to be eternally sad of the cross and the suffering. Jesus has redeemed our lives, and if you can't dance about that, child of God, I don't know if you can dance at all.