Posted on 10/22/2005 12:23:06 PM PDT by achristianman
THE GIFT THAT COULD GIVE WORLD PEACE
Awhile back I started thinking about Jesus.
It started partly because I’d met someone who seemed to know what Jesus is all about. And also- about that time I was visiting my sister and Jesus always seems to be present around her. Then too, Jesus’ birthday was coming and it all led me to look further into His story and of course that took me to the Bible.
When I was a kid I was pretty religious. Went to Church every Sunday, attended Sunday school and sang in the choir. I remember those times as good fun and happy days with lots of social functions, most of them built around the Church and Church activities.
But I never really got into the Bible very much except for memorizing all those Books and learning about Adam and Eve and sin and the Ten Commandments. I don’t think I ever really learned what a “Christian” was, although I did have a liking for Jesus.
During my high school and university years I pretty well put the Church and religion and the Bible on the back burner. Then I was too busy earning a living to give any of it much thought.
Over the course of my career I met so many religious charlatans like Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert and saw so much fighting and bloodshed in the name of religion, I pretty well rejected it out of hand. But I never forgot my admiration for Jesus and his radical nature. And in my recent second look at the Bible, I was even more impressed.
Jesus’ rebellion against authority and the “rules” of his elders appeals to me a lot. I like the way he tipped over the tables of the money changers who were desecrating the temple and how he comforted the prostitute when the others all wanted to stone her to death. I like the way he defended the poor and the sick, the hungry and the helpless. I liked the way he forgave the men who found joy in killing Him.
Most of all though, I liked what I finally concluded was Jesus’ main message. Spread the love around. (Just like John Lennon, I thought). Over and over he calls on all people to love one another. “Love thy neighbour as thyself”, He said. “Love your enemy” he also said. For Jesus, that was the second most important Commandment, after loving God.
He makes it very clear that all of us are supposed to love the poor, the sick, the naked, and the hungry. He teaches that the last shall be first. That a rich man trying to get into Heaven is like a camel trying to get through the eye of the needle. His whole teaching is based on the over-riding principle of love.
Universal Love.
This Christmas let’s give gifts. But let’s also give some Love.
You cannot, with love, make a liar love you. They will take your love and kill you with it. ~and think nothing of it~.
I highly recommend you read something. It's a long read, but it needs to be. ~and it'll be the second-most valuable hour you've ever spent.
jesus could have called down angels from heaven at any given time-he choose not to so he could die to show the world GOD sacrificed his only begotten to atone for our sins-do not think every one who becomes a christian is supposed to become someone else's floormat
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Praise GOD that...
...LOVE is the only reality and that...
...GOD is LOVE.
It has been my direct experience that the one thing the LOVE Itself needs more of in this world is...
...more LOVE.
This only comes when...
...people are FREE.
Making those who are now fighting for the FREEDOM of others around the world,
...and their loved ones who are waiting here for them to come home or not,
...the instruments of GOD's LOVE on the planet Earth.
HOLY-HOLY-HOLY, All.
Signed:.."ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer
Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085111/post
Yeah, the ultimate act of LOVE...
We, the United States, love the people of the Middle East. We are sacrificing our young men and women, and putting them in harm's way, and giving our own blood and treasure to LIBERATE the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. We are giving all out of LOVE to destroy and fight the evil men (the Taliban, Saddam's regime) to liberate and save the people in those countries, and giving a taste of freedom and democracy to people who have never had it.
An ULTIMATE act of LOVE.
>>>>You cannot, with love, make a liar love you. They will take your love and kill you with it. ~and think nothing of it~.
Very well said!
and to beat your plowshare into a sword...
>>>It takes courage to disarm, Dan
What to do if you happen upon a peace rally?
1. Approach a person talking about "peace" saying that there should be, "no retaliation."
2. Engage him in brief conversation, ask if military force is appropriate.
3. When he says "No," ask, "Why not?"
4. Wait until he says something to the effect of, "Because that would just cause more innocent deaths, which would be awful and we should not cause more death or violence. " Or " America has brought this on itself, given its imperialist actions and has angered the people of......(what ever country?)
5. When he's in mid sentence, punch him in the face as hard as you can.
6. When he gets back up to punch you, point out that it would be a mistake and contrary to his values to strike you, because that would, "be awful and he should not cause more violence." In addition, tell him that his "actions angered you and that he brought it on himself."
7. Wait until he agrees that he has pledged not to commit additional violence and the reason you punched him was mostly his fault.
8. Punch him in the face again, harder this time.
Repeat steps 5 through 8 until he understands that sometimes it is necessary to punch back!
Amen
I'll drink to that.
I thought that the text says "a rich billionaire trying to get into the White House...."
Have a good weekend!
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Now, how precious is this..?
You have a great weekend too, JLO.
AR
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Jesus repeatedly taught men to judge rightly, insisting they "judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24) and He praised a man who "rightly judged" (Luke 7:43). Paul shamed the Corinthian Christians because there was no one among them willing to "judge the smallest matters" (1 Cor. 6:2). As the Apostle wrote, "He who is spiritual judges all things" for "we have the mind of Christ" (1Cor. 2:15-16).
The notion that judgment is wrong is a ludicrous one. Should child-molesters escape condemnation? Should rapists be free from criticism? Should society refrain from judging those arrested for murder? Should we call evil good? Or would that be a judgment too?
A lie paralyzed the Church. To abhor evil, someone must first judge evil. God instructs men against "hypocrisy" commanding them to "abhor what is evil" (Rom. 12:9). Thus, unable to judge, and unaccustomed to abhorrence, Christians en masse become hypocrites when they obey the Hypocrites Golden Rule. For "judge not" (Mat. 7:1-5) is simply a hypocrites application of do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Mat. 7:12). "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged" (Mat. 7:2). Judge others as you would have them do unto you inverted is Judge not if you do not want to be judged. Therefore the hypocrite does not judge. As Jesus said, "Judge not… you hypocrite" (Mat. 7:1, 5 KJV; Ezek. 16:52).
Christ kept this theme throughout His ministry. "Hypocrites," Jesus said, "why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?" (Luke 12:56-57). Still, His own followers have mostly ignored the Lord’s harsh rebuke: "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye" (Mat. 7:5). "Judge Not" is the Hypocritical Oath.
"Judge Not" is hypocrite haven. He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones. Such Christians, though, should relocate. Move into "the temple of the great God, which is being built with heavy stones" (Ezra 5:8).
Christians live in the "building" for which Christ is "the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20). And if that Stone falls on someone it "will grind him to powder" (Mat. 21:44; Luke 20:18; cf. Ex. 32:20). It is better to be judged by a Christian than crushed by Christ.
Scripture deals with topics which range from simple to advanced truth. There is the milk which is for babes in Christ, but the meat is for men of God. The question of whether or not Christians should judge is milk. It is preschool. The newest believer discipled with any of a hundred passages would immediately understand that he must judge. Judging others is fundamental. It is not a difficult concept and should in no way be controversial.
"Everyone who partakes only in milk is unskilled in the Word of righteousness, for he is a babe" (Heb. 5:13)
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You are ultimately correct.
Please see my ALOHA RONNIE Freeper Home Page:
Hit the 'posted by ALOHA RONNIE'
here.
It's OK to see the 'Links' there as well.
AR
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Really good collage, Zacs Mom! As always, your skills amaze me. Others around here, too! Best I know how to do, is copy and post what you folks do. I always try to give correct credit to the artist.
ZOT!!!
Ain't you sweet, ALOHA RONNIE, ...Here's a smiley one, back to you...
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