Dear God,
I want to meet these people. I am seriously looking forward to heaven. Like a lot. I'll be content with little tastes now and again here, but heaven is going to be amazing.
Lord, help me become a strong Christian. Do what it takes. I know I will be a weak, complaining, terrible Christian, but you will help me. Help me trust you! I can't do it myself.
Love,
Me
II Corinthians 6-8
This whole idea of a strong Christian is so up-side-down. They are enduring some of the worst things a human can endure physically, and yet they are growing more and more like Christ. I complain about the littlest things, and it's so not like anything they have to deal with. It just shows how young of a Christian I am.
Do not be yoked with unbelievers. I believe that means don't even date one. The whole purpose of dating is to be yoked, someday. Every time I think of this passage, I think of Erwin, "I've got the yoke, baby!"
Godly sorrow is a good thing. :-) And I put a smiley face on the end of that sentence. *shakes head* Godly sorrow produces godly results: repentance, earnestness, zeal, determination to do the right thing, etc. Worldly sorrow produces worldly results: depression, anger, fear, suicidal thoughts, apathy, weariness, etc.
It's so weird to think of the Corinthians receiving Titus with fear and trembling. What exactly did he mean by that??
How am I being generous, when I'm a poor college student trying desperately not to get into debt?
One thing I like about God is that it is all according to how much one is able and willing to give, not "You must give such and such amount."
.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thoughts on jars of clay and new creations; II Cor 3-5
Dear God,
I'm too tired to read now. Yes, it's my fault. I'm sorry :-( I'm going to do it anyways, and I'm going to ask you to help me actually focus and be able to let some words stick in between my two ears. Hehe.
Thank you for reconciliation. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you for loving us so much and allowing us to show your glory through these jars of clay. Thank you for these words of life. I pray that they would sink deep into my being and I would live them out.
Love Ya!
Me
II Cor 3-5
We are the letters of recommendation for God. Are we recommending him in such a way that others would want to know him?
We bare God's glory to the world. There is no veil for us.
We do not go about in deceitful ways, but in truth present the gospel in a clear and plain way.
But we are not glorious. We are not always clear. We are jars of clay that God uses to show that He is the one with all the glory. Am I trying to be a jar of glory when the glory comes from God, or am I shouting that I am a jar of clay, and the glory cannot come from myself?
(I'm trading my sorrows.... Yes lord yes lord yes yes lord si senor si si senor!)
That's hardcore right there. Outwardly wasting away and yet inwardly renewed day by day?? And he's not complaining about trials or how God is giving him character. It's just how it is, and it gives glory to God, and I'm encouraged, and heaven is awesome and Imma gonna focus on that than this temporary stuff. Not really that important, anyways...
Hardcore.
Oh ok, they groan and are burdened and long for the day of rest. That makes me feel better.
I feel very rich right now.
But in the meantime, we have the Holy Spirit. Exactly the thing we need to get through this life.
MAKE IT YOUR GOAL TO PLEASE HIM!!!!!!!!
This really is life. These words are life-giving words. He died ONCE FOR ALL. Do you hear that, L? What do you have to say to that? Oh, yeah, bible's not relevant to us today. Right. He died for ALL so that ALL would live for Him, not for themselves.
Who am I living for?
We regard no one in a worldly point of view. We regard them with the lens of Heaven. That is something to remember. This person may seem cool, but she's not really. She is dead apart from Christ. That person seems a little off-beat and dorky, but he is actually one of the coolest, strongest, hardcore-ist Christians. He is fully alive in Christ and living an abundant life.
I"M A NEW CREATION!!!
And that right there is the gospel. Reconciliation.
I'm too tired to read now. Yes, it's my fault. I'm sorry :-( I'm going to do it anyways, and I'm going to ask you to help me actually focus and be able to let some words stick in between my two ears. Hehe.
Thank you for reconciliation. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you for loving us so much and allowing us to show your glory through these jars of clay. Thank you for these words of life. I pray that they would sink deep into my being and I would live them out.
Love Ya!
Me
II Cor 3-5
We are the letters of recommendation for God. Are we recommending him in such a way that others would want to know him?
We bare God's glory to the world. There is no veil for us.
We do not go about in deceitful ways, but in truth present the gospel in a clear and plain way.
But we are not glorious. We are not always clear. We are jars of clay that God uses to show that He is the one with all the glory. Am I trying to be a jar of glory when the glory comes from God, or am I shouting that I am a jar of clay, and the glory cannot come from myself?
(I'm trading my sorrows.... Yes lord yes lord yes yes lord si senor si si senor!)
That's hardcore right there. Outwardly wasting away and yet inwardly renewed day by day?? And he's not complaining about trials or how God is giving him character. It's just how it is, and it gives glory to God, and I'm encouraged, and heaven is awesome and Imma gonna focus on that than this temporary stuff. Not really that important, anyways...
Hardcore.
Oh ok, they groan and are burdened and long for the day of rest. That makes me feel better.
I feel very rich right now.
But in the meantime, we have the Holy Spirit. Exactly the thing we need to get through this life.
MAKE IT YOUR GOAL TO PLEASE HIM!!!!!!!!
This really is life. These words are life-giving words. He died ONCE FOR ALL. Do you hear that, L? What do you have to say to that? Oh, yeah, bible's not relevant to us today. Right. He died for ALL so that ALL would live for Him, not for themselves.
Who am I living for?
We regard no one in a worldly point of view. We regard them with the lens of Heaven. That is something to remember. This person may seem cool, but she's not really. She is dead apart from Christ. That person seems a little off-beat and dorky, but he is actually one of the coolest, strongest, hardcore-ist Christians. He is fully alive in Christ and living an abundant life.
I"M A NEW CREATION!!!
And that right there is the gospel. Reconciliation.
Thoughts on Paul's perspective, smells of life, love and God: I Cor 16-II Cor 2
Dear God,
Oh dearz. Lord, help me learn to love even better. Help me see the opportunities and the doorways in the walls. Help me trust you when times are hard. Help me be smelly -- of life and love and You.
Love,
Me
I Cor 16
I love Paul. He's so much like Tom. Or should I say, Tom's a lot like Paul. He gets excited when people oppose him and he sees it as a huge doorway. I'd see it as a huge wall. That's great.
Verse 14 is so easy to memorize. It's the location that's hard haha. Do everything in love. Four words. Four words that, if obeyed and done, are very powerful. I Corinthians 16:14 Little harder to memorize, lol.
Well, Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus, I recognize you. Sorta. No idea what you look like, but I give you props. :-P
Honestly, I am really looking forward to meeting Priscilla and Aquila! I hear they are hard core.
II Corinthians 1-2
If suffering is abundant, so is God's comfort.
Following Christ means that you might feel like you have the sentence of death written on your heart. But better to have temporary death written on your heart than eternal death.
Typical Paul. Make a traveling decision a sermon. No, actually, I'm sure it applied. He said he made those plans with careful prayer and thought, but he decided later against it. Or God did.
Jesus is our Yes.
Satan tries to make us not forgive each other, or love one another or anything. We need to be not unaware of his schemes.
DON"T BE A STINKY CHRISTIAN!! Or in this case, you might have to be stinky to some (aka Satan hee hee hee). Be a strong-smelling Christian -- Smelling of life and love and God.
Oh dearz. Lord, help me learn to love even better. Help me see the opportunities and the doorways in the walls. Help me trust you when times are hard. Help me be smelly -- of life and love and You.
Love,
Me
I Cor 16
I love Paul. He's so much like Tom. Or should I say, Tom's a lot like Paul. He gets excited when people oppose him and he sees it as a huge doorway. I'd see it as a huge wall. That's great.
Verse 14 is so easy to memorize. It's the location that's hard haha. Do everything in love. Four words. Four words that, if obeyed and done, are very powerful. I Corinthians 16:14 Little harder to memorize, lol.
Well, Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus, I recognize you. Sorta. No idea what you look like, but I give you props. :-P
Honestly, I am really looking forward to meeting Priscilla and Aquila! I hear they are hard core.
II Corinthians 1-2
If suffering is abundant, so is God's comfort.
Following Christ means that you might feel like you have the sentence of death written on your heart. But better to have temporary death written on your heart than eternal death.
Typical Paul. Make a traveling decision a sermon. No, actually, I'm sure it applied. He said he made those plans with careful prayer and thought, but he decided later against it. Or God did.
Jesus is our Yes.
Satan tries to make us not forgive each other, or love one another or anything. We need to be not unaware of his schemes.
DON"T BE A STINKY CHRISTIAN!! Or in this case, you might have to be stinky to some (aka Satan hee hee hee). Be a strong-smelling Christian -- Smelling of life and love and God.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thoughts on love, grace, and heaven! I Cor 13-15
Dear God,
I Corinthians 13
Love. Yes. This is ridiculous what he says here. I think it's more worth noting than the very famous, "Love is patient love is kind" part. He says that if you are the greatest super-Christian there is, but you don't have love, it's all worthless! I suppose conversely, if you have love, but you're not a super-christian, it's still all ok. If you have no love, you sound nothing but noise, you are nothing, you gain nothing. You give everything you have, but you don't love the people you give it to, you gain nothing. Either in spiritual blessings on earth or in heavenly blessings. That's crazy.
The biggest one for me is, "Love is not self-seeking." That's the biggest one for me to follow. I cannot kick me out of my life, so it's hard to not be self-seeking.
Love will never disappear. We will look face to face. Ahhhhh, aweee... awe.
Prophecy is better than tongues. You have to understand each other in order to be edified. That's why I want to know as many languages as possible.
In church, chaos should not reign. :-) If someone has something they want to share, they should share it, but it should be done in an orderly way. In our church, if someone wants to share, it's usually ask Mr. M to do it next week. I don't think we've ever just had someone stand up and say, "Can I say something here?"
15: 3-7 <-- best argument for the truth of the resurrection of God. Earliest stuff, only a couple decades after Christ died.
Grace is amazing. Seriously amazing. We don't have to do anything. Thanks stuff Christians like .net!
So yes, there is such a thing as resurrection from the dead. If you don't believe that, you don't believe Christ.
Whoa, Paul fought wild beasts in Ephesus. Pretty crazy!
Because we have hope of heaven and imperishable bodies one day, stand firm. Yes yes!
And with that glorious ending, I go to get ready for work.
Love,
Me
I Corinthians 13
Love. Yes. This is ridiculous what he says here. I think it's more worth noting than the very famous, "Love is patient love is kind" part. He says that if you are the greatest super-Christian there is, but you don't have love, it's all worthless! I suppose conversely, if you have love, but you're not a super-christian, it's still all ok. If you have no love, you sound nothing but noise, you are nothing, you gain nothing. You give everything you have, but you don't love the people you give it to, you gain nothing. Either in spiritual blessings on earth or in heavenly blessings. That's crazy.
The biggest one for me is, "Love is not self-seeking." That's the biggest one for me to follow. I cannot kick me out of my life, so it's hard to not be self-seeking.
Love will never disappear. We will look face to face. Ahhhhh, aweee... awe.
Prophecy is better than tongues. You have to understand each other in order to be edified. That's why I want to know as many languages as possible.
In church, chaos should not reign. :-) If someone has something they want to share, they should share it, but it should be done in an orderly way. In our church, if someone wants to share, it's usually ask Mr. M to do it next week. I don't think we've ever just had someone stand up and say, "Can I say something here?"
15: 3-7 <-- best argument for the truth of the resurrection of God. Earliest stuff, only a couple decades after Christ died.
Grace is amazing. Seriously amazing. We don't have to do anything. Thanks stuff Christians like .net!
So yes, there is such a thing as resurrection from the dead. If you don't believe that, you don't believe Christ.
Whoa, Paul fought wild beasts in Ephesus. Pretty crazy!
Because we have hope of heaven and imperishable bodies one day, stand firm. Yes yes!
And with that glorious ending, I go to get ready for work.
Love,
Me
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thoughts on the line, the prize, and the focus on God: I Corinthians 6-9
Dear God,
Because your love is better than life I will praise and honor you. And I will do so by reading your living Word.
Lots of good stuff in here. Become all things to all men. Don't do anything that might make your brother stumble. This world is temporary. Run to get the prize. Focus your attention on God for now. If God brings the man of your dreams into your sight, go for it. Otherwise, keep focusing solely on God.
Love,
Me
I Corinthians 6-9
6
So basically, he's saying that Christians should not have to bring other Christians to court, to the government. They should be able to come before the church to have their disputes resolved.
Honor God with your body. If you commit adultery or whatever, you are basically making Christ do it. How sick is that thought? But how sicker to think that he was punished for doing it anyways? Wow.
7
So. It is better not to be married unless you can't help yourself. Then you should. See, I think I can help myself. But basically my thing here is that if I can serve God better while single, I will. And if someone comes along who will help me and him serve God better, then I will marry him. It's as simple as that. What's not so simple is knowing if the man is going to help me serve God better. :-) But I have an amazing Adviser to help me. And I also don't have to think about it at the moment, thank goodness.
Basically here Paul is saying that this world is temporary and fleeting. We must live as though the things of the world did not engross us. They should not.
Right now all that needs to concern me is how to please God. The rest will follow if I begin there.
8
Food sacrificed to idols. They could eat it, and it would make them no better or worse. But they should be careful not to make other believers stumble. And here's the application: Do not do anything that will cause other brothers to stumble, even if you feel like it's okay for you.
9
Paul's now talking about how he could demand some material living from his spiritual harvest with the Corinthians, but he's not going to because he wants to preach the gospel voluntarily--he is compelled to do it in Christ, but he doesn't want to preach because he gets paid. Interesting.
Paul became all things to all men to win some to Christ. How can I better do that? It's kinda what Tom was saying. He has a friend who gets as close to the line as possible to pull people over to his side. Tom stays as far away from the line as he can so that he can win people by his differences. Which one do I want? One is like Paul, one is like Tom? I dunno haha.
And running to get the prize. What am I doing to give myself strict training? Well, I don't wake up at the crack of dawn, though maybe I should. My quiet times aren't very long, I don't have a solid prayer time--it's kinda scattered throughout the day. I should do something about that. :-)
.
Because your love is better than life I will praise and honor you. And I will do so by reading your living Word.
Lots of good stuff in here. Become all things to all men. Don't do anything that might make your brother stumble. This world is temporary. Run to get the prize. Focus your attention on God for now. If God brings the man of your dreams into your sight, go for it. Otherwise, keep focusing solely on God.
Love,
Me
I Corinthians 6-9
6
So basically, he's saying that Christians should not have to bring other Christians to court, to the government. They should be able to come before the church to have their disputes resolved.
Honor God with your body. If you commit adultery or whatever, you are basically making Christ do it. How sick is that thought? But how sicker to think that he was punished for doing it anyways? Wow.
7
So. It is better not to be married unless you can't help yourself. Then you should. See, I think I can help myself. But basically my thing here is that if I can serve God better while single, I will. And if someone comes along who will help me and him serve God better, then I will marry him. It's as simple as that. What's not so simple is knowing if the man is going to help me serve God better. :-) But I have an amazing Adviser to help me. And I also don't have to think about it at the moment, thank goodness.
Basically here Paul is saying that this world is temporary and fleeting. We must live as though the things of the world did not engross us. They should not.
Right now all that needs to concern me is how to please God. The rest will follow if I begin there.
8
Food sacrificed to idols. They could eat it, and it would make them no better or worse. But they should be careful not to make other believers stumble. And here's the application: Do not do anything that will cause other brothers to stumble, even if you feel like it's okay for you.
9
Paul's now talking about how he could demand some material living from his spiritual harvest with the Corinthians, but he's not going to because he wants to preach the gospel voluntarily--he is compelled to do it in Christ, but he doesn't want to preach because he gets paid. Interesting.
Paul became all things to all men to win some to Christ. How can I better do that? It's kinda what Tom was saying. He has a friend who gets as close to the line as possible to pull people over to his side. Tom stays as far away from the line as he can so that he can win people by his differences. Which one do I want? One is like Paul, one is like Tom? I dunno haha.
And running to get the prize. What am I doing to give myself strict training? Well, I don't wake up at the crack of dawn, though maybe I should. My quiet times aren't very long, I don't have a solid prayer time--it's kinda scattered throughout the day. I should do something about that. :-)
.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Thoughts on living the balanced life: I Corinthians
Dear God,
I thought I would try doing my quiet times on this again, just to see if I actually focus more... Wow, using electronics to focus? That'll never work... well, it didn't, I had to go check all the blog posts I had missed... hmm... Well, sorry about that God. Apparently my actions say that I would rather see what's up with my homies that I've already talked to today more than talk to the living GOD! Terrible. Sorry about that :-( But here we are.
What are you building with? What are you doing to affect your eternity? How are you treating God's temple? Who are you following and imitating? How are you loving the sinner and hating the sin?
God, I cannot do any of this without you. Thank you for your amazing power and support.
Love,
Me
I Corinthians 3
I can't break this down as much because I'm reading I cor-jude in approximately one month. I should figure out the schematics of that. Not now.
I Corinthians 3
You are not ready for solid food because you are still worldly. Since you're fighting, that makes you worldly. True that.
We are building on top of Jesus' foundation. Each man's work will be shown for what it is. Will my materials be hay or stone or jewels?
Also, I think v 13-15 kinda show that you can't just become a Christian for "fire insurance" and then keep doing whatever you want. You might get to heaven, but you'll only just. You'll lose rewards in heaven as a result. Hmm...
Do I really understand the importance of this life? What I do now will affect me for all of eternity. ETERNITY! I mean, it'll be amazing, heaven, but what I do now will decide what rewards I will have and even who will be there with me! I need to remember that!!!!!
I am sacred, for I am God's temple. Do I recognize that? How am I treating God's house? Well, if I'm not careful, it might get a bit fatter in college.... yowza.
I Corinthians 4
Most of this, he is trying to get across the fact that it's not followers of Paul or Apollos or Peter (Or Rick Warren or Joyce Meyers or whoever) but followers of JESUS.
Wow. v. 4 that would be good for C. "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." Wow. I mean, I guess with this verse, I now agree with C that God gave us the knowledge of right from wrong, but that does not mean that our conscience is infallible!
Wow. He's saying that the apostles have a hard time of it. That last statement was also a huge understatement. But it's interesting that he says that the apostles are poor and dishonored and weak, but the audience here, the worldly, argumentative church is rich, honored and strong. wow. That's ridiculous.
Imitate Paul, who is imitating Christ.
I Corinthians 5
There are things happening in the church that are shocking and ridiculously immoral. Paul says it is important to keep that kind of thing out of the church. I mean, love the guy, yes. Hate what he's doing and the fact that he doesn't think it's wrong and he's going to keep doing it. He can and will rub off on others. It's a hard balance between accepting the tax collectors and expelling the immoral brothers. I guess the main point is one is a non-christian that you are trying to draw towards Christ and the other is a "Christian" who is drawing brothers away from Christ. You gotta know what you're dealing with.
Ok, I think that's enough for tonight. I'd like to be asleep when July 26th enters my town.
.
I thought I would try doing my quiet times on this again, just to see if I actually focus more... Wow, using electronics to focus? That'll never work... well, it didn't, I had to go check all the blog posts I had missed... hmm... Well, sorry about that God. Apparently my actions say that I would rather see what's up with my homies that I've already talked to today more than talk to the living GOD! Terrible. Sorry about that :-( But here we are.
What are you building with? What are you doing to affect your eternity? How are you treating God's temple? Who are you following and imitating? How are you loving the sinner and hating the sin?
God, I cannot do any of this without you. Thank you for your amazing power and support.
Love,
Me
I Corinthians 3
I can't break this down as much because I'm reading I cor-jude in approximately one month. I should figure out the schematics of that. Not now.
I Corinthians 3
You are not ready for solid food because you are still worldly. Since you're fighting, that makes you worldly. True that.
We are building on top of Jesus' foundation. Each man's work will be shown for what it is. Will my materials be hay or stone or jewels?
Also, I think v 13-15 kinda show that you can't just become a Christian for "fire insurance" and then keep doing whatever you want. You might get to heaven, but you'll only just. You'll lose rewards in heaven as a result. Hmm...
Do I really understand the importance of this life? What I do now will affect me for all of eternity. ETERNITY! I mean, it'll be amazing, heaven, but what I do now will decide what rewards I will have and even who will be there with me! I need to remember that!!!!!
I am sacred, for I am God's temple. Do I recognize that? How am I treating God's house? Well, if I'm not careful, it might get a bit fatter in college.... yowza.
I Corinthians 4
Most of this, he is trying to get across the fact that it's not followers of Paul or Apollos or Peter (Or Rick Warren or Joyce Meyers or whoever) but followers of JESUS.
Wow. v. 4 that would be good for C. "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." Wow. I mean, I guess with this verse, I now agree with C that God gave us the knowledge of right from wrong, but that does not mean that our conscience is infallible!
Wow. He's saying that the apostles have a hard time of it. That last statement was also a huge understatement. But it's interesting that he says that the apostles are poor and dishonored and weak, but the audience here, the worldly, argumentative church is rich, honored and strong. wow. That's ridiculous.
Imitate Paul, who is imitating Christ.
I Corinthians 5
There are things happening in the church that are shocking and ridiculously immoral. Paul says it is important to keep that kind of thing out of the church. I mean, love the guy, yes. Hate what he's doing and the fact that he doesn't think it's wrong and he's going to keep doing it. He can and will rub off on others. It's a hard balance between accepting the tax collectors and expelling the immoral brothers. I guess the main point is one is a non-christian that you are trying to draw towards Christ and the other is a "Christian" who is drawing brothers away from Christ. You gotta know what you're dealing with.
Ok, I think that's enough for tonight. I'd like to be asleep when July 26th enters my town.
.
This amazing, unforgettable crazy work day!
It's a slow day. After 9, when I really wish we could close, this guy comes in. He looks like Sean's dad on Psych, which makes me think, "Hey, that must be my astronomy teacher this fall, because that's what K said he looked like." And then I'm looking, and I think, "Man, this guy is a clone!" And I can't decide if that's the teacher or the actor... I mean, I can't remember what K said about what level of identical-ness the teacher was... and then I see that his shirt says soapbox derby. "It's got to be the actor, because he's directing a movie about the soapbox derby." And then my heart rate went up... L. KNEW it was Corbin Bernsen and was like, "I'm gonna let him be... I don't want to bother him, he's with family and stuff" and I'm like, "Oookkk..... sigh." If I had been semi-alone near the front doors when he went by to leave, I like to think I would have asked for his autograph, but I was with some of the coworkers when he left. So I didn't.
That wasn't the exciting part.
I'm closed. It takes like ten minutes. I help C., because he's really behind. We talk, I help out. I start sweeping. He says he went to a rap concert last night with his friends, and he's never going again. He didn't really like rap to begin with, and now he knows he hates it. No talent, repetitive, whatever...
C: "So what music do you listen to?"
Me: "Oh... Broadway.... Disney... Mostly Christians stuff actually."
"Oh that's cool... I grew up on Christian stuff. I grew up in the Catholic church... Except not really lately... Now I don't really know what I believe..."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, like, I believe in God, definitely, because we have a conscience, knowing right from wrong, and I believe God gave us that. I think that as long as you do good things and treat others right, then you're good to go."
"Ok... Let me ask you this... jog your brain a little."
"Yeah, sure."
"If you were to die tomorrow, how sure are you that you would get into heaven?"
"Well, I dunno, pretty sure I guess. I mean, I'm a good person, I treat others as I want them to treat me... But I don't think anyone can really know for sure..."
"Would it shock you if I said that I'm 100% positive I'm going to Heaven?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, you're the nicest person I've ever met, and I mean that."
"Aww, thanks."
"You can really tell someone's personality when you work with them, so yeah, you're really nice."
(By the way, sometimes you can't tell someone's personality when you work with them. You see the "work" version of the person. But moving on.)
":-) Here, let me ask you something else."
"Shoot."
"Where is the line then? Where does God say, 'Okay, you're not good enough, but you are.'?"
"Well, I think our conscience is the line, ya know? If you follow your conscience then you'll get into heaven."
"So everything's kinda relative? Different people's consciences are different to a degree."
"Yeah, I suppose..."
(I could have gotten into how one man thinks it's okay to steal for his family while another man thinks that's wrong, or the pro-life, pro-choice issue... but I didn't really think of it, and he moved on:)
"Yeah, the Catholic church says that all types of sins can be forgiven, but I think there are some that can't, they're just too bad. Have you ever watched 'green something something killer'?"
"No."
(Basically a serial killer rapes and kills like, 70 people.)
"I think that ****** is going to Hell."
"Ok, I'm going to say something a little (shocking? controversial? I can't remember what I said) but..."
"Go ahead, it's fine."
"I think if that guy repented of his sins, believed that Jesus died for his sins and rose again to pay for them, that that guy would go to heaven."
(some polite response that I can't remember) "Yeah, I dunno, I just think that's too much."
(I'm not sure what goes here, but I think he said something about how it would be terrible for God to send people to hell because they believed the wrong religion, like, Jesus vs Muhammad and Buddha and stuff...)
I started listing how Jesus was a perfect man, Muhammad wasn't. Jesus said that all I have to do is believe that he died and rose again for my sins while Muhammad says that I have to do all this stuff, and maybe I'll get there...
C: "Can I ask you a (wasn't personal, a... something?) question?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"If you didn't grow up in a Christian family, but grew up, like in a Muslim family or something, would you come up with the same conclusions then?"
"Well..." (gather thoughts... I think God saved me here because L. interrupted, and I wasn't sure what to say...)
L: "What if you get up to heaven, and God says, screw you, I sent Jesus to die for the people in his time, he doesn't apply to you, haha, you're going to hell?"
"(I kinda repeat what he says...) So you're saying that Jesus dying wasn't-"
"Wasn't good enough, yeah."
(I'm kinda like... ok, this is somewhat new... and Dad said before to make the point that they think that Jesus' death wasn't good enough, but he never told me what to say if they were like, yeah, exactly. He said later that usually that's enough to quiet people a little.)
L: "Like, Jesus died thousands of years ago, and since then the sins have gotten much worse, have piled higher than his sacrifice could reach" (basically is what he was saying, not in so many words).
"Well, the Bible says that if you believe in your heart that Jesus rose from the dead and confess with your mouth he is lord, you will be saved." (Ok, I was on the spot, it wasn't actually that awesome).
"Yeah, those people for that time. Jesus died once for those people, that's it."
"The Bible says that Jesus died once for all and all can be saved through Him."
"Yeah, I don't really believe the Bible, it was written too long ago, doesn't apply" (Basically it was good for them, not me.)
C: "Yeah, I don't really (I can't remember if he said "believe the Bible," or what, but it was something about not taking the Bible seriously, literally, something like that... kinda like some of those stories are just stories or myths. But I didn't really get the chance to call him on that.)
L: "I mean, I'm not trying to dis your opinion in any way."
"No no, I get that, you're just stating your opinion."
"Exactly."
"That's fine, I love hearing it."
(I think a space of forgetfulness... L. leaves)
C: "You were raised same as me, and-"
"Actually, I'm not Catholic, I'm Christian -- non-denominational."
"Oh, how's that different?"
"Well... gimme a sec... (Darn it, I've asked Dad about this, but I don't really remember everything...) We don't pray to Mary... Catholics think that you can basically do anything as long as you confess later-" (I was a little too overstating there, not all Catholics believe that. I would say the majority don't.)
"Yeah, that's wrong"
"Yes, it is, I agree with you there... And they say that the sacraments help you get to heaven and stuff, but we believe that Jesus dying is enough." (I didn't mention baptism... hmmm...)
L comes back with a thought:
L: "How would you explain Noah's Ark then?" (starts going on about Noah, and i'm like, ??)
"Wait, what's the question?"
"What if Noah was strike one -- Noah builds a boat, sails off, God destroys all of mankind... strike one. Then God sent his son to die for the people of that time, strike two. What if now we're on strike three, and we're out, and we're going to hell?"
"Well... (Something here...)"
(He says something about his idea of god being like, not forgiving or whatever, something to that effect, like he's just playing with us and having fun.)
"If that's how God is, then I would not want to believe that god. I would tell him he should have made me born at a different time."
"Yeah, like, I hate you for not editing the Bible in the past thousand years." (or something.)
"Yeah, I would not like that god. I understand that.... So where did you get this opinion from?"
"Oh, I just thought it up myself, just now walking by."
(Everyone's talking at once a bit right here, but I hear C say:
C: "I got my ideas from -----" (Basically his happy place. Wonderful...)
....S. walks by...
"what about you S.? What do you believe?"
" I dunno, mumble mumble, haven't really thought about it a whole lot" walks on....
(can't remember what's next... got back onto the good people going to hell)
"What about all those people in Africa, who haven't even heard of Jesus?"
"Well, A) we're supposed to tell them. B) There are some amazing... equivalents? No, that's not the word I want... but we'll go with it... equivalents of Jesus in the different African cultures. Like, there's one where, if there are two tribes warring, but they want to make peace, they kinda swap kids... there's this whole ceremony where the kids are 'reborn' into the new tribe. And when the missionaries came, they could use that to relate what Jesus did to their culture."
"But what if the Christians don't come?"
"God says we should. He said we should go and tell everybody."
"But what if we don't, and they don't hear about Jesus? Are they going to hell?"
"Well... yeah, pretty much." (Though I think I may be wrong... and I was wrong for not being all like, it's up to God, not us to say who gets into heaven and who doesn't. I might have been wrong here, I dunno...)
"See now that I just can't believe. So some good people who have never heard of Jesus will go to hell, but some murderers can go to heaven? How is that fair?"
"Life's not fair."
L: "Exactly. You just said it. Life isn't fair. So what if God says screw you, life isn't fair, you're not getting into heaven because you guys sinned too much?"
(I go ok, maybe I shouldn't have said life's not fair. maybe I sould have said, God's forgiveness/grace isn't fair. There's a difference. Plus, those "good people" do NOT deserve it any more than murderers. I never got that point across, that good people are still sinners and they still deserve hell too.)
Basically that was it. There was a little chat about how awesome that conversation was, but then we were pretty much closed, so I had to clock out and leave. So yeah, crazy night.
.
That wasn't the exciting part.
I'm closed. It takes like ten minutes. I help C., because he's really behind. We talk, I help out. I start sweeping. He says he went to a rap concert last night with his friends, and he's never going again. He didn't really like rap to begin with, and now he knows he hates it. No talent, repetitive, whatever...
C: "So what music do you listen to?"
Me: "Oh... Broadway.... Disney... Mostly Christians stuff actually."
"Oh that's cool... I grew up on Christian stuff. I grew up in the Catholic church... Except not really lately... Now I don't really know what I believe..."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, like, I believe in God, definitely, because we have a conscience, knowing right from wrong, and I believe God gave us that. I think that as long as you do good things and treat others right, then you're good to go."
"Ok... Let me ask you this... jog your brain a little."
"Yeah, sure."
"If you were to die tomorrow, how sure are you that you would get into heaven?"
"Well, I dunno, pretty sure I guess. I mean, I'm a good person, I treat others as I want them to treat me... But I don't think anyone can really know for sure..."
"Would it shock you if I said that I'm 100% positive I'm going to Heaven?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, you're the nicest person I've ever met, and I mean that."
"Aww, thanks."
"You can really tell someone's personality when you work with them, so yeah, you're really nice."
(By the way, sometimes you can't tell someone's personality when you work with them. You see the "work" version of the person. But moving on.)
":-) Here, let me ask you something else."
"Shoot."
"Where is the line then? Where does God say, 'Okay, you're not good enough, but you are.'?"
"Well, I think our conscience is the line, ya know? If you follow your conscience then you'll get into heaven."
"So everything's kinda relative? Different people's consciences are different to a degree."
"Yeah, I suppose..."
(I could have gotten into how one man thinks it's okay to steal for his family while another man thinks that's wrong, or the pro-life, pro-choice issue... but I didn't really think of it, and he moved on:)
"Yeah, the Catholic church says that all types of sins can be forgiven, but I think there are some that can't, they're just too bad. Have you ever watched 'green something something killer'?"
"No."
(Basically a serial killer rapes and kills like, 70 people.)
"I think that ****** is going to Hell."
"Ok, I'm going to say something a little (shocking? controversial? I can't remember what I said) but..."
"Go ahead, it's fine."
"I think if that guy repented of his sins, believed that Jesus died for his sins and rose again to pay for them, that that guy would go to heaven."
(some polite response that I can't remember) "Yeah, I dunno, I just think that's too much."
(I'm not sure what goes here, but I think he said something about how it would be terrible for God to send people to hell because they believed the wrong religion, like, Jesus vs Muhammad and Buddha and stuff...)
I started listing how Jesus was a perfect man, Muhammad wasn't. Jesus said that all I have to do is believe that he died and rose again for my sins while Muhammad says that I have to do all this stuff, and maybe I'll get there...
C: "Can I ask you a (wasn't personal, a... something?) question?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"If you didn't grow up in a Christian family, but grew up, like in a Muslim family or something, would you come up with the same conclusions then?"
"Well..." (gather thoughts... I think God saved me here because L. interrupted, and I wasn't sure what to say...)
L: "What if you get up to heaven, and God says, screw you, I sent Jesus to die for the people in his time, he doesn't apply to you, haha, you're going to hell?"
"(I kinda repeat what he says...) So you're saying that Jesus dying wasn't-"
"Wasn't good enough, yeah."
(I'm kinda like... ok, this is somewhat new... and Dad said before to make the point that they think that Jesus' death wasn't good enough, but he never told me what to say if they were like, yeah, exactly. He said later that usually that's enough to quiet people a little.)
L: "Like, Jesus died thousands of years ago, and since then the sins have gotten much worse, have piled higher than his sacrifice could reach" (basically is what he was saying, not in so many words).
"Well, the Bible says that if you believe in your heart that Jesus rose from the dead and confess with your mouth he is lord, you will be saved." (Ok, I was on the spot, it wasn't actually that awesome).
"Yeah, those people for that time. Jesus died once for those people, that's it."
"The Bible says that Jesus died once for all and all can be saved through Him."
"Yeah, I don't really believe the Bible, it was written too long ago, doesn't apply" (Basically it was good for them, not me.)
C: "Yeah, I don't really (I can't remember if he said "believe the Bible," or what, but it was something about not taking the Bible seriously, literally, something like that... kinda like some of those stories are just stories or myths. But I didn't really get the chance to call him on that.)
L: "I mean, I'm not trying to dis your opinion in any way."
"No no, I get that, you're just stating your opinion."
"Exactly."
"That's fine, I love hearing it."
(I think a space of forgetfulness... L. leaves)
C: "You were raised same as me, and-"
"Actually, I'm not Catholic, I'm Christian -- non-denominational."
"Oh, how's that different?"
"Well... gimme a sec... (Darn it, I've asked Dad about this, but I don't really remember everything...) We don't pray to Mary... Catholics think that you can basically do anything as long as you confess later-" (I was a little too overstating there, not all Catholics believe that. I would say the majority don't.)
"Yeah, that's wrong"
"Yes, it is, I agree with you there... And they say that the sacraments help you get to heaven and stuff, but we believe that Jesus dying is enough." (I didn't mention baptism... hmmm...)
L comes back with a thought:
L: "How would you explain Noah's Ark then?" (starts going on about Noah, and i'm like, ??)
"Wait, what's the question?"
"What if Noah was strike one -- Noah builds a boat, sails off, God destroys all of mankind... strike one. Then God sent his son to die for the people of that time, strike two. What if now we're on strike three, and we're out, and we're going to hell?"
"Well... (Something here...)"
(He says something about his idea of god being like, not forgiving or whatever, something to that effect, like he's just playing with us and having fun.)
"If that's how God is, then I would not want to believe that god. I would tell him he should have made me born at a different time."
"Yeah, like, I hate you for not editing the Bible in the past thousand years." (or something.)
"Yeah, I would not like that god. I understand that.... So where did you get this opinion from?"
"Oh, I just thought it up myself, just now walking by."
(Everyone's talking at once a bit right here, but I hear C say:
C: "I got my ideas from -----" (Basically his happy place. Wonderful...)
....S. walks by...
"what about you S.? What do you believe?"
" I dunno, mumble mumble, haven't really thought about it a whole lot" walks on....
(can't remember what's next... got back onto the good people going to hell)
"What about all those people in Africa, who haven't even heard of Jesus?"
"Well, A) we're supposed to tell them. B) There are some amazing... equivalents? No, that's not the word I want... but we'll go with it... equivalents of Jesus in the different African cultures. Like, there's one where, if there are two tribes warring, but they want to make peace, they kinda swap kids... there's this whole ceremony where the kids are 'reborn' into the new tribe. And when the missionaries came, they could use that to relate what Jesus did to their culture."
"But what if the Christians don't come?"
"God says we should. He said we should go and tell everybody."
"But what if we don't, and they don't hear about Jesus? Are they going to hell?"
"Well... yeah, pretty much." (Though I think I may be wrong... and I was wrong for not being all like, it's up to God, not us to say who gets into heaven and who doesn't. I might have been wrong here, I dunno...)
"See now that I just can't believe. So some good people who have never heard of Jesus will go to hell, but some murderers can go to heaven? How is that fair?"
"Life's not fair."
L: "Exactly. You just said it. Life isn't fair. So what if God says screw you, life isn't fair, you're not getting into heaven because you guys sinned too much?"
(I go ok, maybe I shouldn't have said life's not fair. maybe I sould have said, God's forgiveness/grace isn't fair. There's a difference. Plus, those "good people" do NOT deserve it any more than murderers. I never got that point across, that good people are still sinners and they still deserve hell too.)
Basically that was it. There was a little chat about how awesome that conversation was, but then we were pretty much closed, so I had to clock out and leave. So yeah, crazy night.
.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thoughts on the significance of insignificance: Ephesians 6 Nipto
Dear God,
Work for God. Be insignificant. You are not really insignificant because you are actually waging a very real war against the powers of darkness, so you need to take every opportunity. Wow, I need Your help for all of this. I can't do anything on my own. I need you to put the right words in my mouth. Help me to listen for audible and inaudible voices who are speaking to me.
Love you!
Me
Ephesians 6
Slaves/workers, obey your masters/bosses just as you would obey Christ. That would have been really hard for some of those slaves back then. I mean, many of their masters were tyrants, basically.
Serve wholeheartedly as working for the Lord, not men. No matter what you are doing, even if it seems insignificant, do it for God! :-D
We are in a war! Not against humans, or ourselves, but against the powers of darkness. How easy it is to forget that! That's what darkness does--it obscures your thoughts.
The full armor of God. To stand. after you have done everything, to stand. That sounds so glorious. Usually it's not. But it sounds so awesome.
Truth. Righteousness. Readiness of the gospel of peace. Faith. Salvation. Prayer.
I need this prayer too: Pray that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.
Tychicus is awesome. Could you give him a shout-out? Thanks.
Work for God. Be insignificant. You are not really insignificant because you are actually waging a very real war against the powers of darkness, so you need to take every opportunity. Wow, I need Your help for all of this. I can't do anything on my own. I need you to put the right words in my mouth. Help me to listen for audible and inaudible voices who are speaking to me.
Love you!
Me
Ephesians 6
Slaves/workers, obey your masters/bosses just as you would obey Christ. That would have been really hard for some of those slaves back then. I mean, many of their masters were tyrants, basically.
Serve wholeheartedly as working for the Lord, not men. No matter what you are doing, even if it seems insignificant, do it for God! :-D
We are in a war! Not against humans, or ourselves, but against the powers of darkness. How easy it is to forget that! That's what darkness does--it obscures your thoughts.
The full armor of God. To stand. after you have done everything, to stand. That sounds so glorious. Usually it's not. But it sounds so awesome.
Truth. Righteousness. Readiness of the gospel of peace. Faith. Salvation. Prayer.
I need this prayer too: Pray that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.
Tychicus is awesome. Could you give him a shout-out? Thanks.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Thoughts on being imitators of God and living in the light: Ephesians 5 Nipto
Dear God,
Thanks for everything, again. Wow, that just covered a lot. I mean, everything is a lot haha. included is the conversation i just had with daddy. He's awesome!
Help me be an imitator of You, Help me see that I am loved deeply--I need to live a life of love. Help me live a pure life that is lived in the light. Empty words can seem filling at first, but in reality, they are subtraction stew. Help me realize which words are true and full and which are empty, no matter how appealing they seem. Help me make the most of every opportunity. Sometimes I feel like I have to let some opportunities slide, because it would be too much all at once, but every opportunity is there for a reason, and I need to take them! Help me be drunk on the holy spirit in a very holy and youly way. Help me learn how to submit to others.
God, I feel like this relationship is very one-sided, but I suppose that can't be helped. I need a lot of help with everything, and you have to do all the helping. But I guess that's what makes you happy is helping me out. You don't get tired of it. Thanks so much for your patience.
Love,
Me.
Ephesians 5
Be imitators of God. Wow. That's a tall order, if I do say so myself! :-D
But he doesn't leave you hanging. He says: Be imitators of God--because you are dearly loved kids of His... and live a life of love, because Christ died for you, because he loved you.
Among yourselves, be pure.
No immoral, impure or greedy person (a person who has interests other than God--an idolater) has a place in Heaven. Wow. That's offensive to a lot of people, I can tell you.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient (and should I say, oblivious? some of those empty words are in "this I believe," and many of those words are something to the effect of "live a full life, living in the moment, appreciating art, creativity, potential in man, and love, compassion, living for something bigger than yourself... that is what I believe in. The pursuit of happiness, the search for truth, the search for God, even if you can't really know for sure about anything." Those are empty words if God is not in them. Help me remember that.
Live as children of light. Lots of living here :-D Light too. If you live in the light, the tiniest specks or off-white becomes evident. It's so easy to dabble in "little" sins. Help me reject it, and see it as You see it.
"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Powerful words.
I love how it says, "Don't get drunk, be filled with the Holy Spirit" which sometimes make you act the same way, but in an awesomer way hehehe. Thank you Nickole.
Submit to one another. Wives to husbands, husbands to Christ. That whole section about wives' and husbands' roles is so beautiful.
(Chapter 6) Children, obey your parents. Fathers (and this is one of our personal favorites muhaha) do not exasperate your children. Haha :-D
Our parents have done an incredible job. God, you better do one swell job rewarding them when they get to heaven for all the great things they have done. Mom should get some kind of reward for every meal she cooked. Dad should get one for every day he worked, and sacrificed doing things for his family rather than for himself. Lord, thank you for these two amazing persons in my life. I am truly blessed.
Thanks for everything, again. Wow, that just covered a lot. I mean, everything is a lot haha. included is the conversation i just had with daddy. He's awesome!
Help me be an imitator of You, Help me see that I am loved deeply--I need to live a life of love. Help me live a pure life that is lived in the light. Empty words can seem filling at first, but in reality, they are subtraction stew. Help me realize which words are true and full and which are empty, no matter how appealing they seem. Help me make the most of every opportunity. Sometimes I feel like I have to let some opportunities slide, because it would be too much all at once, but every opportunity is there for a reason, and I need to take them! Help me be drunk on the holy spirit in a very holy and youly way. Help me learn how to submit to others.
God, I feel like this relationship is very one-sided, but I suppose that can't be helped. I need a lot of help with everything, and you have to do all the helping. But I guess that's what makes you happy is helping me out. You don't get tired of it. Thanks so much for your patience.
Love,
Me.
Ephesians 5
Be imitators of God. Wow. That's a tall order, if I do say so myself! :-D
But he doesn't leave you hanging. He says: Be imitators of God--because you are dearly loved kids of His... and live a life of love, because Christ died for you, because he loved you.
Among yourselves, be pure.
No immoral, impure or greedy person (a person who has interests other than God--an idolater) has a place in Heaven. Wow. That's offensive to a lot of people, I can tell you.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient (and should I say, oblivious? some of those empty words are in "this I believe," and many of those words are something to the effect of "live a full life, living in the moment, appreciating art, creativity, potential in man, and love, compassion, living for something bigger than yourself... that is what I believe in. The pursuit of happiness, the search for truth, the search for God, even if you can't really know for sure about anything." Those are empty words if God is not in them. Help me remember that.
Live as children of light. Lots of living here :-D Light too. If you live in the light, the tiniest specks or off-white becomes evident. It's so easy to dabble in "little" sins. Help me reject it, and see it as You see it.
"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Powerful words.
I love how it says, "Don't get drunk, be filled with the Holy Spirit" which sometimes make you act the same way, but in an awesomer way hehehe. Thank you Nickole.
Submit to one another. Wives to husbands, husbands to Christ. That whole section about wives' and husbands' roles is so beautiful.
(Chapter 6) Children, obey your parents. Fathers (and this is one of our personal favorites muhaha) do not exasperate your children. Haha :-D
Our parents have done an incredible job. God, you better do one swell job rewarding them when they get to heaven for all the great things they have done. Mom should get some kind of reward for every meal she cooked. Dad should get one for every day he worked, and sacrificed doing things for his family rather than for himself. Lord, thank you for these two amazing persons in my life. I am truly blessed.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Thoughts on living a life worthy of my calling: Nipto Ephesians 4
Dear God,
Even though you know it, let the records show for my future self who will obviously have time for little else but to read old blog posts that I have been spending time with God since my last post, just not here.
Lord, you a-STOUND me! The impossible was done. Thanks so much!
Help me Lord. By myself, I will never be able to live a life worthy of my calling. You call me to something greater than myself, and I cannot do it without something more than myself: You.
Love you!
ME
Ephesians 4
There. First Verse. All I need. "As a prisoner for the lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." If I can do that, I'm good to go. How? He goes on.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Realize there is one God, one faith, that unites us. We all have received grace. Christ descended into the very depths with us, and will take us to the heights as well.
We all are united under one God, but with many different roles.
Speak the truth in love.
Don't live like the world. You've put on all truth and love in Christ SO: Speak truth. In your anger, don't sin. Stop sinning. Work. Edify, stupid! Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, and malice.
Be ye kind, one to another. Tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake has forgiven you, Ephesians, 4:32 Thanks Mr. Kn!
Yup There you have it. That's what we need to do. Thank you for this road map, Lord!
Even though you know it, let the records show for my future self who will obviously have time for little else but to read old blog posts that I have been spending time with God since my last post, just not here.
Lord, you a-STOUND me! The impossible was done. Thanks so much!
Help me Lord. By myself, I will never be able to live a life worthy of my calling. You call me to something greater than myself, and I cannot do it without something more than myself: You.
Love you!
ME
Ephesians 4
There. First Verse. All I need. "As a prisoner for the lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." If I can do that, I'm good to go. How? He goes on.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Realize there is one God, one faith, that unites us. We all have received grace. Christ descended into the very depths with us, and will take us to the heights as well.
We all are united under one God, but with many different roles.
Speak the truth in love.
Don't live like the world. You've put on all truth and love in Christ SO: Speak truth. In your anger, don't sin. Stop sinning. Work. Edify, stupid! Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, and malice.
Be ye kind, one to another. Tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake has forgiven you, Ephesians, 4:32 Thanks Mr. Kn!
Yup There you have it. That's what we need to do. Thank you for this road map, Lord!
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