Would you like to see Jesus? Consider this when you say to someone "I love you".

The best useable definition of love I have ever heard and a great summary of 1 Corinthians 13 in the Bible is, the act of "looking out for someone" without violating their free will.  Although strong warm fuzzy feelings may accompany such actions of love, they are not necessarily required.

Jesus said the way to love God, or, the way to look out for God is to do what he asks (John 14:15). It is always mind boggling to me that we can look out for God, but according to Jesus it's the 1st most important thing he asks us to do. (Matthew 22:36-37)

The 2nd most important thing he asks us to do is to love our neighbor, or one another (Matthew 22:38-40). To be consistent with the definition, to look out for another without violating each other's free will.

He even asks us to love our enemy (Matthew 5:44). This does not mean to have warm fuzzy feelings for them or to ignore their evil. To ignore their evil would be not looking out for them and more importantly not looking out for their victims or potential victims, the innocent.

Real love, try it!  You'll see things or even better yet someone you didn't expect. (John 14:21)

Speaking for God, let words be few

To define God would be absurd, however for the sake of conversation, let us say that God wields the power as described in the Bible, and that He is divine, not just superior.  Given our human limitations, wouldn't this make Him unfathomable to us unless He chose otherwise?

The Bible says the Divine One, God, created everything that was created[i].  This includes time, the laws of physics, and the nothing He may have created first to place it all in.  Job said this creation[ii], is only a whisper of His power and that He measures the cosmos by the width of His hand[iii].  This means compared to Him, the cosmos is very small.  Consider within the span of His hand just one spec called the "large quasar group".  It is believed to be so large; it would take 4 billion years traveling at 186,000 miles per second to go from one end to the other.   That is only one spec in the sky.  In another spec of the sky one explosion releases as much energy in a few seconds as the Sun will in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime.   This happens countless times a day.

If you choose to accept this God, it follows that the only thing we can know about Him is what He chooses to reveal.  Then, you must also accept He is the only God because He says He knows no other[iv].  We must also accept that as high as the heavens are above the earth, or more precisely, infinite, so are His ways above ours.  We can’t fathom one explosion of such size and power let alone a “personality” that could create or manage billions of them.  We are dealing with things where we not only lack information, but may lack the capacity to understand even what was created, let alone the creator.  It appears His admonition to let our words be few[v] about Him or even our existence, is good common sense.  

However, that said, this same God says He gave us a gift of acceptance, such as the grace a loving father[vi] gives his beloved child[vii].  We become related to the king, a child who can approach; when even the most powerful wouldn't dare.  Such He says is His gift.  Given this, perhaps we can know something of Him because He has chosen to reveal it.

Final thought: If you choose not to accept this God, empirically you must still allow for the probability of His existence.  Just because we cannot fathom “someone” like this does not mean He does not exist.  Our imagination is not necessarily the limits of reality.  Considering the strange universe we find ourselves in, how much of a stretch is it really. As for the probability of His existence, I am not a statistics expert, but I can tell you it is not zero.  Arrogance is not wise.

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[i][i] Living New Testament John 1:3. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

[ii] Living New Testament. Job 26:14 These are just the beginning of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?"

[iii] International Standard Version, Isaiah 40:12"Who has measured the waters of the sea in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens by the width of his hand?

[iv] New International Version, Isaiah 48:8, You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

[v] New International Version, Ecclesiastes 5:2, Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

[vi] New Living Translation, Ephesians 3:12, Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.

[vii] New Living Translation, 1 John 3:2, Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

The Lion the Tin Man and the Scarecrow

Once upon time, there was a journey of four friends and a little dog named Toto.  In this fairytale journey, one of the friends was far from home, wishing with all her heart to return.  The second was made of straw with no brain; the third made of tin, with no heart and the fourth a lion without courage.  The journey was a quest in search of what they thought they did not have.  At the end of their quest it turns out home was just a click away.  The tin man had big heart, the scarecrow brains, and the lion had courage all along.

                In our Christian journey, God’s word says

Fear, Its a Good Thing

Have you ever slept on your arm cutting off your circulation? Usually, your body adjusts your sleep without waking you.  If you don’t respond, it will wake you up painfully.  There are cruel diseases that attack the nerves system. This makes the nerves unable to do their job. As a result people cannot feel pain normally. This can make a person unaware of simple cuts or sleeping on their arm.  These extended cutting off of circulation can damage the arm beyond repair. 

When seen in this light, pain is a good thing. It wakes you up when there is a problem.  Fear, in its proper place is also good thing.

Justice and Grace.

            Charlie was driving a canyon road drinking coffee his wife so lovingly prepared for him that morning.  It slipped from his hand and the steaming hot coffee covered his legs. In that instant, distracted by the burning, the car drifted into oncoming traffic. What Charlie did not know was that Betty, wife and mother of 3, was taking her kids to school that day.  Turning the car hard left to avoid the distracted oncoming driver, she lost control. She went off the road landing upside down in a blind ravine 100 feet below.

Charlie meant no harm that day. In fact, it all happened so fast he was completely unaware that Betty’s car even left the road.  On that day, he took the life of Betty and two of her three children.   

Christian Self Esteem

Wikipedia defines Self-esteem as “…a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of her or his own worth”[1] Do you have a high or low self esteem?  Our culture has blamed “low” self esteem for bad behavior, underachieving in school, work and even families. The twist of low self esteem is that it is really not low at all.  On the contrary, it is an attitude that thinks we deserve better than we are getting.  From our point of view this then justifies whatever actions we take to make things fair.   

This error has its roots in a good idea, all be it a good thing taken too far.  Self esteem has been confused with the value of the human, which is truly beyond price.  There is respect and dignity due a human just for being human.  However, everything a human does are not equal and do not and should earn esteem and respect.  

The Apostle Peter says through Jesus’ right to give life, we take on His “esteem and valor”[2] by grace, as a gift not something we earn.  This good esteem becomes valid not because we are good.  It is valid by His right to pardon our bad behavior.  With his right to pardon He broke down the wall[3] between us and God.  This allows us to interact with Jesus and thus acquiring what CS Lewis calls, “a good infection”[4].  That good infection infects us with Jesus himself.  The symptoms of this infection sets us free so we can be like Him and do the things that deserve “esteem”.

How is your “infection”, or should I say, self esteem?  Paul suggests that it is best not to preoccupy ourselves or judge such things.  All this being said, the best way is to ignore self esteem altogether[5].  The best way is to take Jesus’ simple words and choose to look after God’s[6] best interest or to love[7] Him.  We do this by choosing to keep[8] His word. The good we do then becomes a natural byproduct of the good infection that comes by interacting with Jesus. Interacting with Jesus[9] is our privilege and exceeding great reward[10].

Question: Should your ability to keep God’s word then be the proper measure of your esteem?  Absolutely NOT! Stay tuned!

 

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-esteem

[2] 2 Peter 1:2-7” Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness”  

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.

http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/

Exposition: This is taken from the interlinear Greek and New Testament Greek Lexicon, by review each key word and applying contemporary words and sentence structure so the sentence makes sense today.

2 Peter 1:2 – 7 Grace and peace to you be multiplied in recognition of the God and Jesus the Master of us, as to us all the divine ability of him toward life and respect (devoutness), having been given gratuitously to us through the recognition of the one calling us to own esteem and valor through which the valuable and great promises effect us, have been given gratuitously that through these you become divine communioners by nature fleeing from the system of desiring the forbidden. Give diligence beside this to supply to your faith the valor, in yet the valor add knowledge, in yet the knowledge add (in-holding) self control, in yet the (in-holding) self control, under-remaining, in yet and in the under-remaining respect and yet in the respect brotherly-affection, in yet the brother-affection the agape. 

[3] Ephesians 2:14”For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;  15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;  16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:  17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.  18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord”

 King James Version (KJV) Public Domain.  http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/King-James-Version-KJV-Bible/

[4] C.S., Mere Lewis Christianity (1952; Harper Collins: 2001) 176-177.

[5] 1 Corinthians 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

King James Version (KJV) Public Domain. http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/King-James-Version-KJV-Bible/

[6] John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14&version=NIV

[7] John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.”. King James Version (KJV) Public Domain http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A12-17&version=KJV

[8] John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14&version=NIV

[9]  1 John 1:3 ³That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

King James Version (KJV) Public Domainhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%201:3&version=KJV

[10] Genesis 15:1 ¹After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

King James Version (KJV) Public Domain. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2015:1&version=KJV

 

 

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