Back to Egypt

Pictured: A Serious Temptation

Thousands of years ago, the people of God were held in bondage as slaves in Egypt. They cried out to the Lord for salvation, and in His timing, God sent his servants in power to liberate Israel. The Lord brought His people out of captivity and led them on a journey, promising to lead them to a bountiful new land.

But the people did not trust God. All along the journey they found one thing or another to complain about or be afraid of. They did not trust God to help them, and statements like the following can be found all over the Exodus and following books:

"They said to Moses, 'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!'" - Exodus 14:11-12

We so often chastise these people for their unbelief, but are we truly better than they? I try to follow the Lord's commands, and when I prosper and am happy everything is fine. But when things are bleak, or I am tempted, or I am pressed by the Accuser, I feel abandoned by God. Once I caught myself thinking this:

"Is this the reward of those who follow the Lord? Aren't I supposed to have peace, joy, and so on? Has the Lord forgotten me? At least with sin I got what I wanted when I wanted it. Would it not be better to be a slave to sin again?"

It shocked me such a thought could pass through my mind, but I wonder if we don't say this more often with our actions. Do any of us really walk through this life with full assurance that God is in control? When we sin, we are choosing evil over God. We are, in effect, returning to Egypt. God has delivered us from all sin and death, and yet we constantly turn from Him, longing for the life we had back in captivity.

Why do we do this? It is because we who have lived in the world know no other life. He unlocked our chains, but we put the chains back on, because they are what we know, what we feel comfortable with. I think Red put it best in Shawshank Redemption:

"These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized."

If you haven't seen the movie, Red eventually is released on parole, but finds he himself is institutionalized, unable to live outside of captivity. The only thing that keeps him from committing suicide as his former inmate did was a promise he had made to a friend. That promise was to find his friend who had earlier escaped prison himself. He goes seeking his friend and finds a new life and a new purpose.

Friends we must do the same. If we sit around and believe this world is all there is, we too will despair of life. Even Paul admits that "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."- Cor 15:19 But it is not only for this life we have hope, for Christ has made a promise to us, that if we follow Him in this life, we will be with Him in the next also.

Follow Me

I traveled down a lonely road, And no one seemed to care, The burden on my weary back, Had bowed me to despair, I oft complain to Jesus, How folks were treating me, And then I heard Him say so tenderly, "My feet were also weary, Upon the Calvary road; The cross became so heavy, I fell beneath the load, Be faithful weary pilgrim the morning I can see, Just lift your cross and follow close to me.

"I work so hard for Jesus," I often boast and say, "I've sacrificed a lot of things, To walk the narrow way, I gave up fame and fortune; I'm worth a lot to the Thee," And then I hear Him gently say to me, "I left the throne of glory, And counted it but loss, My hands were nailed in anger, Upon on a cruel cross, But now we'll make the journey, With your hand safe in mine, So lift your cross and follow close to me.

Oh, Jesus if I die upon, A foreign field some day, 'Twould be no more than love demands, No less could I repay, "No greater love hath mortal man, Than for a friend to die," These are the words He gently spoke to me, If just a cup of water, I place within your hand, Then just a cup of water, Is all that I demand, But if by death to living, They can thy glory see, I'll take my cross and follow close to thee.

- Ira F. Stanphill

Zen Christianity

Recently I have been studying the practices of Eastern monks. Zen masters say that "life is suffering" and that "suffering comes from attachment". They teach that our attachment to this material world, even our own life, causes all our worry, fear, and frustration. They do not teach that is wrong or harmful to have things, as long as what you own does not own you. That is, as long as you do not fear to lose what you have. So anything you cannot live without, you must. I heard one say "Even if you have let everything go, you still have one thing left you are attached to, and that is your own life. If you do not let go of your own life, you will never be free of suffering." The monks teach that once you have emptied your life of self, once you become nothing, you will achieve nirvana.

The monks have it half right. Once we are empty however, you are not complete. You must be filled with Christ in order to complete the process. These Zen masters seek this "completeness" all their life, but are constantly frustrated in finding it. This is because they only make it halfway there. The Apostle Paul might say they "have a form of godliness but deny its power." 2 Tim 3:5. Hopefully they will one day understand this.

Nevertheless, we can take their teachings and apply them to our own walk. So often we preach that "I must decrease and Christ must increase", but many preachers are at a loss as exactly how to achieve this decrease of self. I encourage them to study the Zen masters, because they have a pretty good idea on how to become truly selfless.

Matt. 16:25, Rom. 6:1-11, Gal. 2:20, Gal. 5:24, 1 Peter 2:24, Col. 3:3-7, Rom. 8:12-13, John 12:24, Rom. 12:1-2, Gal. 6:14, 2 Cor. 5:17.

Do any of us really understand these passages? They are telling us that as born-again followers of Christ, we are to have no self-worth or identity outside of Christ. In essence, we have exchanged our life for His life. The person we once knew is dead, and not only the sin, but the entire person is gone. In place of that dead man is a new creation in Christ. This new creature that we have become is different in its function than the previous. The new creature lives not for itself, nor concerns itself with its own preservation or happiness. Its sole purpose is to glorify God the Father and Jesus Christ with its life. It is to serve others in humility before men and God, not thinking of itself.

This extends even to self-preservation. Many Christians still fear their own death. There is no greater love than a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) To live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philip. 1:21)

We must understand that as Christians we have made the decision to die to self. If we have made that decision, what will for ourselves should we have? The answer is none. The only will we have is what God wills for us, and that is obedience to His Word. What does the Word command? Love God above all, and love everyone like you love yourself. Since we have no identity outside Christ, then "love others as you love yourself" means to love people just like Christ loved them. Christ loved humanity so much he gave His life for them even as they hated Him, so that is the example and the measure of what God expects from us.

Why do we find it so difficult to live as Christ lived? Why is it so hard to give all, to serve others, to love without expectation or condition? It is because we have not died to ourselves. We have not emptied out our worldly desires. We are still attached to something in this world, whether it be a possession, a person, or even our own mortal lives. Once we can successfully come to the realization that we are nothing and Christ is everything we can start living the abundant life He promised us.

As a note of caution, many Christians have come to consider "worldly desire" and "sin" as one and the same. This is not true. Worldly desire does not just include sin, but any desire for the things of this world, including what many would call the "American dream". Wake up, the dream is a lie. Owning a two-story house with a white picket fence is not what Christians should aspire to.

It would be great if we could look to great Christians today for help with this matter. Sadly we have few, if any, good role models among the faith today. Even the "best" of Christians, especially in the United States, are very much still attached to the things of this world. So I have chosen to study the monks of the Far East and their concepts of self-denial and emptiness. Perhaps one day I might be able to teach them how to fill the spiritual void once they've emptied it.

So many people believe this death of self and total submission to Christ is horrifying. They believe such a life would be torture, and I was once among these people. As I have grown and I have started the process of emptying myself however, I find more and more that to kill selfish desire is to find freedom and joy in Christ, which is the lesson He has been trying to teach us all along.

No Place Like Home

"I wanna go home!" I can remember as a kid, these words always meant the start of a difficult conversation to my parents. It's not like I never wanted to go anywhere, but when I had enough of where we went I was ready to go back home. Home was familiar, it was cozy, it was safe, it was where my toys and games were. It was where I wanted to be.

My parents always tried to make me understand. "We can't go home yet. We have things to do here. When we are finished doing what we need to do we will go home. I promise." Sometimes they said "You never know, if you would stop complaining and look around you might actually find something you enjoy here." Sometimes, if I did as I was told I would find something I liked, and my parents never broke their promise; when they finished what they needed to do, they always took me home again.

Sometimes life on this ball of dirt can get quite distressing, especially to believers because we know of a much better place that is our real home. We who are called by Christ are strangers in a foreign land, and we all want to go home. Home is where our Father is, where our Savior is, where our treasures are, and where we will be safe.

Sometimes I cry out to the Lord "I want to go home!". I can almost hear Him say "Child you cannot come home yet. We still have work to do. When the work is finished I promise I will take you home. You never know, if you would stop complaining and look around you might find something to enjoy while you are here."

John 9:4, John 14:1-4

Brainwashed

I was reading my text on American Politics this evening and came across something interesting.

"Because American attitudes are sometimes unstable or uninformed, some critics of our society have argued that we are all brainwashed - duped by T.V. or demagogic leaders into thinking one way or another. Naturally these critics never say they are brainwashed, only the rest of us."

This got me to thinking about the Lost. Since my return to college, I have been assailed by many, many students who are atheists, claiming I have been brainwashed into believing a lie, a myth, a fable. They tell me I need to wake up to the real world, and start making sense of things.

I want to ask these people; "So how do you know you have not been brainwashed? How do you know that secular propagandists have not filled your head with fairy tales of a Big Bang, of billions of years, of dinosaurs transforming into birds, of a world where there is no Judgement and man is god?" Of course these people are convinced that they are not brainwashed. They'd know it, wouldn't they?

2 Corinthians 4:4 "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Psalm 82:5 "They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken."

1 John 2:11 "But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."

Church Autonomy

I believe in Church Autonomy, that is, that each individual congregation of believers should be governed by itself. The head of this government should be a group of biblical elders (or overseers) as described by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament (Titus 1:6-9).

The problem with many denominational congregations is that they are not autonomous. They are often united and governed by an organization or convention of leaders that rule from afar, detached from the local congregation. While it is true that these organizations for the most part allow individual congregations to regulate themselves, they reserve the power to step in whenever they wish to alter or change any congregation that considers itself under their authority. Barring this, the organization still exerts an enormous amount of influence and control through its cult of personality.

This is not a good thing. Each congregation of believers ought to govern itself by the leadership of its own elders. Only those that live in the area and personally know the needs, strengths and weaknesses of the people are qualified to lead any given congregation.

Many believe that belonging to an organization is necessary to accomplish the goal of spreading the gospel, because no single congregation has the means to carry out the task alone. While I agree no single congregation has the means alone, I do not agree that forming some kind of confederation is the only solution. Many autonomous congregations are able, despite their independence, to combine their resources and work together to send missionaries and aid to those in need without forming a binding confederation.

Independent Christian churches, for example, are totally autonomous. Many of them even include the word "independent" in their congregation's name. Within these churches, there is no earthly authority greater than the individual congregation's elders. The decisions of one of these congregations do not affect the other congregations. While every congregation has an elder or group of elders (or pastors, for those of you so inclined to that name) that leads, the remainder of the governance varies. Some elect elders with absolute power for life, which I have issues with (is this not the same problem on a micro level?) Others elect elders with constitutional powers (via by-laws) for indefinite periods with congregational consent. That is, their powers are limited and the congregation can remove them from office if they abuse their power. This involves the messy business of democracy and church politics but many (especially in the US) believe it's the only way to prevent corruption. There are no easy answers to these questions of governance.

Whether you pick column A or column B or invent a new column C as an independent church, the issues you face must be better than the alternative. A congregation of believers whose overseers are hundreds of miles away can barely even make a complaint known to them, much less have it addressed. In the end the believers are beholden to the whims of the organization, and if that organization becomes corrupt, which is inevitable in human society, the believers are hopelessly bound to the organization unless they decide to become independent. The problem with this is that these believers have also become dependent on the organization, and feel they cannot survive on their own.

We are seeing this more and more today as denominational organizations make friends with the World and compromise the truths of God's Word in order to gain favor, political influence, or just to be liked. Many of the individual congregations within those organizations are so dependent on the system they feel they cannot break away. Over time, the new generations growing up in that congregation will conform to the system governing it - even if their parents didn't believe the system was right.

Most Protestants understand how the Roman Catholic Church fell into the state it is in today, but fail to realize that their own congregations are headed down the same path. By allowing a few detached people to rule over many churches, you give them power with little responsibility or accountability. Over time, their lust for power will corrupt the system, and eventually each and every one of these organizations, or denominations, will become more or less exactly like the Roman Catholic Church. If you do not believe me, simply study the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

No believer is more important or better than another. All are equal in Christ. It is true that God appoints some to be leaders, some to be servants, but we are all equal in the eyes of God. Each of us can read and study our Bible, and if we see our leaders are not leading according to Scripture, it is our duty as Christians to address this and seek to turn our elders back to the truth. If they will not suffer the truth, we should leverage whatever influence we have (hopefully legitimate influence through congregational democracy) to remove them. If we find ourselves trapped in a congregation where the leadership cannot be removed and has become unrepentant and corrupt, then we must make the prayerful decision to seek out another congregation that follows the Word.

Anyway

This week I have only a poem for you. It has been a great inspiration to me, and I hope it is for you.

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, they may cheat you; Be forthright anyway. What you spent years building, they may destroy overnight; Build anyway. The good you do today, they often will forget tomorrow Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it will never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

Kent Keith

Investments

When I was a child, I remember when any significant amount of money came my way, my father would always tell me to do the same thing, save it. Save the money in the bank until I was older, when I would need the money for really important things like a car, college tuition, and the like. Of course, I rarely listened. College tuition? That was many years away! Why would anyone pay to go to school in the first place? I hated school! I wanted to spend the money on toys and games, things I could enjoy now. My father, like so many before him, tried to explain it to me. He tried to explain that one day, I would outgrow all the toys and childish things I held so dearly, that I would discard them and enjoy them no more. It was much wiser to invest the money for my future, for my education, something that could benefit me the rest of my life. But I did not listen, and just as he predicted, I grew up, and the toys became meaningless (1 Cor 13:11). As an adult, I sometimes wonder if I had invested some of that money, how much I'd have now and how useful it would be.

Our Father in heaven is trying to tell us the same thing. Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Too often we want to be rewarded now. We want a better job, more money, a better car, a bigger house, and so on and so on. We ask God for these things, and He must be shaking His head at us each time. From His eternal point of view, we are all fools. Why do you want that house? It will only decay with time. Why do you want a new car? It will only break down eventually. Why do you want a new job? It will become just as tedious as the last. Many of us might reply, "Of course, everything good comes to an end!" And in this world, we would be right, but it is not true of the Spirit world. The rewards God would give us would never perish, never be stolen, never lose value. They would be priceless and matchless forever in His kingdom. So why wish for things here that will only perish with time when you can have rewards in heaven that will not even be comparable to things on earth? In the end analysis, we will soon, very soon die, and we cannot take any of it with us.

Rejoice when you are not rewarded here, for each deed that goes unrewarded here is a deed that will be rewarded in the afterlife. God has promised us. Hebrews 11:6, 1 Samuel 26:23, and more.

The truth is we lack a spiritual mindset, something we should pray for every day. We see only this world, and while we profess to know of a hereafter, we rarely act as if it exists. We rarely lean on the promises of God, and instead put our love and hope in the things of this world, which we know is perishing. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Indeed Lord, indeed.

Heed this my brothers and sisters; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."

Counting the Cost

When a nation goes to war, its people understand sacrifices will be required of them in order to win the war. Rights will be suspended, privileges revoked. People might have to eat rice instead of meat, use old appliances instead of buying new ones. People will be called to fight, to lose who they love, some will be called to die for the cause.

Never forget that we are all at war. Sometimes, we must lay aside our plans and dreams for the cause of this war. Each and every sacrifice, no matter how large or small, might make the difference in saving a soul or losing one to the enemy.

It's no secret among my friends that I want to get married. I am not deceived, this might have to be sacrificed for the war. God might call me to a battle that provides no time for a family. I must be prepared to give up my dreams.

In World War 2 many men had to lay aside everything to go fight the war. Men had just married, just got engaged, or had their first child, but they could not stay behind to nurture any of those things, because they knew if they did not fight, then all would be lost. If they did not fight, there would be no wife, girlfriend, or newborn to come home to. Some, sadly, lost what they left behind. Girlfriends did not wait on them, wives left them, children grew up without a dad for years. Others were grievously wounded, and some men never came home again. Still, most today would say with pride they'd have done it all over again if meant winning the war. That's why they are the greatest generation.

But as amazing as all that may be, our war is more important, for we fight the demons of hell for men's souls. Make no mistake, the stakes are nothing less than that. <!-- D(["mb","u003cbr>"For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities. Against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12nu003cbr>I have memorized that scripture, and burned it deep into my memory, because I cannot fool myself into believing each day I step out my door, that I am stepping out into a peaceful neighborhood in a peaceful country. No, I am stepping out into a war-zone, a battlefield. All around me are men captured by demons, held to do the evil one's bidding. I have only one weapon, and that is the Gospel of Christ. It is the only weapon that works against these demons, and the only medicine to treat the wounded.nu003cbr>u003cbr>We must make the sacrifices and fight the good fight, so that, in the end, we can look back on our lives, at everything we wanted but had to put aside and say that yes, we would do it all over again, even if it meant winning only one soul for Christ. Let us remember that the struggles, sacrifices, and suffering of this world are God's wartime policy. God does not want us to suffer anymore than a government wants its people to suffer. But the suffering means winning the war, winning souls, and those are more important than anything else. And like any wartime policy, its only temporary. When the war is over, God will take away all the suffering, and there will be eternal peace and bliss.nu003cbr>u003cbr>As the song says;u003cbr>This victory is worth any cost. So make the most of life that's borrowed, love like there's no tomorrow.u003cbr>",1] ); "For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities. Against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 [endif]-->

I have memorized that scripture, and burned it deep into my memory. I will not be deceived that when I go outside, I step out into anything less than a battlefield. All around me are the dead and dying, the wounded and captured. I have only one weapon, and that is the Gospel of Christ. It is the only weapon that works against the evil of this age, and the only medicine to treat the wounded.

Fight the good fight. Make the sacrifices, just as Christ did. In the end, you can look back on your life and say that you gave all, just like Christ did, to save one more soul. Remember, the suffering of this world is only due to the war our people, God’s people, are presently in. God does not want us to suffer here anymore than a government wants its people to suffer during a war, but the suffering means winning the war, winning souls, and those are more important than anything else. Like any war, it will not last forever, and when the war is over, God will take away all the suffering, and we will see it was all worth it.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost." -Arthur Ashe

"The world has no room for cowards. We must all be ready somehow to toil, to suffer, to die. And yours is not the less noble because no drum beats before you when you go out into your daily battlefields, and no crowds shout about your coming when you return from your daily victory or defeat." -Robert Louis Stevenson

"The cowards think of what they can lose, the heroes of what they can win." -J. M. Charlier

"When in doubt, win the war." - WW2 Motto

The Test

There was a time when most of my beliefs were based on little more than what I had learned in church or from my parents. Then the day came when everything I believed was challenged and I had to put my beliefs to the test of the Scriptures. Some false beliefs perished in the test, and those that survived were proven by it. I can stand confidently now on what I believe, knowing it has passed the test. This has given me peace I could have scarcely imagined before on many issues of theology and Christianity that still plague others, because they will not stop listening to men and start studying the Word. My goal here is not to persuade you to agree with me, but you show you a new angle on issues you had previously decided on. My goal is to get you to examine things from a new perspective, to question things you had previously accepted without question. In essence, I want you to put your beliefs to the test, just as I have, and continue to do. (Oh yes, my quest for Truth is far from over.) I implore each of you to study the Scriptures I will show you, to see if they read what I say they do. I implore you to reach out and read more than only what I will show you, to see if the rest of the Word supports what I say. Then if you believe in your spirit that your beliefs survive the test to your satisfaction, then I am not trying to change them. I only ask you consider what I say, study, and then decide for yourself.

Love is Key

The key to being everything God want us to be is love. It is not religious rituals, it's not going to church every Sunday, or eating the Lord's supper, or prayer, or reading the Bible. All of those things are good things, but without love, they are nothing. Nothing.

1 Corinthians 13; If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

To the Greeks, in whose language the New Testament is written, there are three different kinds of love. Eros, sexual love, Philia, brotherly or friendship love, and Agape, the sacrificial or Godly love.

Since Agape is God's love I submit there is really no other kind of love. Sex is sex and friendship is friendship, but only the sacrificial godly love is real love. People often worry about this commandment or that edict or do's and don'ts. There are only two real commandments. You shall love God with all your mind, body and spirit, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The Bible tells us if you truly keep these, you have kept the WHOLE law. The logic is simple, if you love God, you will do His Will. If you love your neighbor, you will do him no harm and will seek to help him.

Sadly, I believe it is a lack of love that hurts the Church today. The lost see Christians as warmongers, as bigots, as self-righteous hypocrites. Sad as I am to say it, they are right about the majority. This was never God's will. God wants us to love everyone. If we embraced love we could change the world. So what is love? Thankfully, God tells us in Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

1. Love is patient You are willing to wait, not just on people but on God as well. You do not let the rush of this world get to you. If you don't get what you want today, you wait until tomorrow. Impatience leads to frustration which leads to anger which leads to all manner of sin.

2. Love is kind Be kind to people. Greet others with a cheerful greeting. Everything you do should be in an effort to make everyone else's day better.

3. Love does not envy Do not covet what others have. Be content with what God has given you. This not only includes material possessions, but spouses, homes, careers, friends, and so on.

4. Love does not boast Do not seek glory. Give all glory to God, who is deserving. If you are successful, give the glory to which it belongs, God. Do not keep glory for yourself and puff yourself up thinking you are somebody, because you can do nothing without God.

5. Love is not proud Pride comes before a fall. Pride can keep you from asking for help when you need it, or confessing sins you ought, from asking forgiveness, not only from God but from those you've wronged. Arrogance is not a virtue, it is despised. You are not always right, we are often in fact, wrong.

6. Love is not rude Be kind, do not make fun of people, do not point out faults in others. Be considerate of other people's time, it is just as valuable as your own. Listen when someone needs an ear to hear him.

7. Love is not self-seeking Christ should be a good enough example of this, but you are not to put yourself first. A good word I once heard was the "I'm third" policy. That is, God's first, everyone else comes second, and I come third. Put others needs before your own. Take care of those who need help, and always be self-sacrificing. In essence, do not be selfish, but selfless.

8. Love is not easily angered Do not be quick to turn to anger. Always try to work things out diplomatically. Blessed are the peacekeepers, large and small. Most disagreements can be solved with calm, rationale conversation.

9. Love keeps no record of wrongs FORGIVE. I cannot stress this one enough. Forgive people, even when they don't ask you. Do not hold grudges. Do not bring up past sins or wrongs against someone as leverage. Grudges only serve to hurt you.

10. Love does not delight in evil The Bible generally uses the word "evil" to describe unfortunate events, or tragedies. Do not rejoice when bad things occur. When people die, mourn, when tragedy strikes, do not rejoice. This includes people you might not even know, or like. For example, when bombs fall on an enemy nation, it may be necessary to secure our own lives, but do not rejoice in death. Have pity on our enemies, and disdain the loss of life.

11. Love rejoices with the truth The real truth is Jesus Christ, He said so Himself. The Gospel is the greatest truth, so we should rejoice with it the most. But even small truths are worth celebrating. Rejoice and delight when light exposes lies and secrets.

12. Love always protects Defend the weak, protect those who cannot protect themselves. Not only against the dangers of this world but help to safeguard the souls of weaker Christians.

13. Love always trusts Another hard one. Trust people. It goes against everything the World tells us, but so does nearly everything God wants us to do. See the best in people, not the worst. Believe people when they repent. If you can never put your trust in anyone, you will live a sad life. And of course, trust the Lord. Trust His Word and His promises.

14. Love always hopes Be optimistic. Again I say, look for the best in people. Assume people you meet are good until they prove you wrong. I've heard pessimists the world over say they are just "realistic" but this is a farce to cover their bitter nature. I've found its very hard, near impossible, for cranky pessimistic people to love others. You've got to have hope.

15. Love always perseveres Stay the course. Keep in there. Don't give up. Holding on for one more day may mean the difference between life and death, between a long marriage and a bitter divorce. Keep loving people, even when they don't love you. Hope (remember!) they will come around.

16. Love never fails This does not mean you will never fail, but that love never does. Love never ceases to affect people in a positive way. When in doubt, just love someone. Love everyone, even your enemies, for this is the will of God. Love Him and others, because He first loved us. He, even while we were still sinners, sent His only Son to die for our sins, so that we might have reconciliation with Him. God loves us more than we can ever fathom. He loves us more than we could ever love anyone. Therefore love, and in doing so you will be all that He wants you to be.

Useful Scriptures

1 Corinthians 13:1-8 Luke 6:27-36 1 John 3:11-20 1 John 4:7-21 John 3:16-21 John 14:6 Galatians 5:14

A Beginning

Greetings everyone and welcome to my blog. As long as I have been on the internet, I am surprised with myself that this is my first blog. One would think for the many years I've been around here that I'd have put up a blog, but I always felt my opinions and thoughts were not for this place, yet I've found enough nuts around here that are allowed to post their thoughts that I felt I deserved a turn. The topics of this blog could contain anything, but are likely to be focused on things Christians or aspiring Christians might want to know, or should know. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ or the Bible, the amount of interesting information you find here will be limited. My views are my own, I will always be willing to learn and admit I was wrong when I learn better. Many of my associates and peers may disagree with my views. You may disagree with my views. That is fine with me. My purpose here is not to persuade you to think like me, far from it. I post things that make me think, and that's what I hope you do when you read my blog, you will think, question, and study. And lastly, never take anything I say at face value, especially things concerning the Scriptures. Look it up and study it for yourself, please. Always decide things for yourself.