Hey guys! SO I'm trying some new looks for my blog, and I want to know what you think. Should I
go back to the original, or keep this one? Comment on this post and let me know. Thanks a million!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
What is love? Part One
What is love exactly?
Many people, including myself, either are, have been, or will be confused on this subject.
I never used to think about love a lot. Not because I didn't want to think about it (I wasn't the kind of kid that though that girls had cooties) but because I didn't think that it was relevant. Growing up to where I am now, a young teen, I thought, yes, my mother and father love me, and that is a natural part of life. Older folks got married, heaven knew why, and I knew someday I would too. But I didn't think much about it. What did it have to do with me? With my Christian walk?
Have you ever heard of the saying that "Love was what held Jesus on the cross"?
I realize now exactly what that means.
So we've all heard faith hope love, and the greatest of these is love (Hebrews). But WHY is love the greatest?
Well, let's begin at the beginning, shall we?
So at the beginning, before time and space and everything, there was this huge cloud of darkness that just kinda hung over the earth, which was at that time water. (Genesis 1:2) God came from heaven and said? (Sunday school students should now reply to their computer monitors or tablet screens "LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!") Then the world was light. And so on. And after seven days, God was like, "Okay, hard weeks work. Time for a nice, long nap." And so he did just that. He rested with a pina colada in hand watching the sun set over the world He had created. He said, "You know what? It IS good!" Another way to say that would be; "I love this job!"
And we all know what eventually happens.
But what happened before that?
God loves His angels. But he had a plan. So there is this guy Lucifer, right? And he is big man on campus. Michael, Gabriel, all the heavenly host got nothing on this guy, okay. He is numero uno.
But wait. He is actually numero dos. And he wants the top spot.
That's right. This Lucifer character has a truly diabolical plan. He gets one third of the angels on his side, and waits.
Then God says, "Hey Lou! I got this idea. So what I planned is I'm gonna make these things called humans to rule over this planet called earth in this universe I'm gonna make, and they are gonna be with me forever and be a little higher than the angels."
And Lucifer is like; "Higher than the angels? Did you just say HIGHER!?!"
So He goes along with this little plan according to sources such as Job, but then he decides that he is gonna blow this pop stand. So he rallies his armies, and fights God.
Fights. God.
Okay, can I just say, talk about a BONE HEADED IDEA!?!
So obviously he loses the war. And God makes a mockery of him and casts him down to the earth he made. Talk about ironic.
Then, in the form of a serpent, he messes everything up again. And then we get sin. Hooray.
But God loves us. And two thirds of the angels had enough sense to stay with Him, and now Michael sits in Lucifer's spot. And he is one good angel. According to Job, he wouldn't even accuse Lucifer (Now called Satan "The deceiver") Of wrong-doing in front of Father God! Talk about blameless! And Gabe helps too. Hes the mailman (Luke 1.) So God sits down and says that "Okay, I love these humans, so I have a plan." So He tries sacrifice and the old testament law.
It doesn't go well.
All bets are off on the Law, so He says, "I am now gonna put my final plan into action, the plan I have had all along. Jesus, come look at this. You cool with this?" And Jesus, one with the Father says, "Sure. I know its gonna be hard. But I'll do it. That way, we can adopt these people into our forever family, and sacrifice wont be necessary!"
To imagine what it was like for Christ, use this analogy my pastor uses on occasion. With a few of my own special twists.
So you are you, and you play with Legos. And so let's say for the given purpose that Legos are alive, that they are humans. And you are you. A supreme being to them. Capable of wiping them out with your shoe. You can kill a Lego with your pinkie. But you love your little Lego people.
But then they turn around and say; "Go away. We don't need you."
So you send them little Lego prophet after little Lego prophet. And they kill them all right in front of you. And so finally you say: "Okay. I am going to become Lego. And I am going to go be a limited little Lego gut with a plastic head and non-bendable elbows, so that I can bring these people into my forever home. That's how much I love my creation."
And then, they kill you. And in your last moments, you say:
"Father, forgive them. They know not what they do."
And do you, when you resurrect, stomp all over them? You could, after all. They KILLED YOU.
But you extend them grace. And an invitation.
That's how much, in a nutshell, God loves us. US. His little Lego people.
When people ask me what God is. This is what I tell them.
"God is Love."
It's really as simple as that. Love is God. Love is from God. God is Love.
Many people, including myself, either are, have been, or will be confused on this subject.
I never used to think about love a lot. Not because I didn't want to think about it (I wasn't the kind of kid that though that girls had cooties) but because I didn't think that it was relevant. Growing up to where I am now, a young teen, I thought, yes, my mother and father love me, and that is a natural part of life. Older folks got married, heaven knew why, and I knew someday I would too. But I didn't think much about it. What did it have to do with me? With my Christian walk?
Have you ever heard of the saying that "Love was what held Jesus on the cross"?
I realize now exactly what that means.
So we've all heard faith hope love, and the greatest of these is love (Hebrews). But WHY is love the greatest?
Well, let's begin at the beginning, shall we?
So at the beginning, before time and space and everything, there was this huge cloud of darkness that just kinda hung over the earth, which was at that time water. (Genesis 1:2) God came from heaven and said? (Sunday school students should now reply to their computer monitors or tablet screens "LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!") Then the world was light. And so on. And after seven days, God was like, "Okay, hard weeks work. Time for a nice, long nap." And so he did just that. He rested with a pina colada in hand watching the sun set over the world He had created. He said, "You know what? It IS good!" Another way to say that would be; "I love this job!"
And we all know what eventually happens.
But what happened before that?
God loves His angels. But he had a plan. So there is this guy Lucifer, right? And he is big man on campus. Michael, Gabriel, all the heavenly host got nothing on this guy, okay. He is numero uno.
But wait. He is actually numero dos. And he wants the top spot.
That's right. This Lucifer character has a truly diabolical plan. He gets one third of the angels on his side, and waits.
Then God says, "Hey Lou! I got this idea. So what I planned is I'm gonna make these things called humans to rule over this planet called earth in this universe I'm gonna make, and they are gonna be with me forever and be a little higher than the angels."
And Lucifer is like; "Higher than the angels? Did you just say HIGHER!?!"
So He goes along with this little plan according to sources such as Job, but then he decides that he is gonna blow this pop stand. So he rallies his armies, and fights God.
Fights. God.
Okay, can I just say, talk about a BONE HEADED IDEA!?!
So obviously he loses the war. And God makes a mockery of him and casts him down to the earth he made. Talk about ironic.
Then, in the form of a serpent, he messes everything up again. And then we get sin. Hooray.
But God loves us. And two thirds of the angels had enough sense to stay with Him, and now Michael sits in Lucifer's spot. And he is one good angel. According to Job, he wouldn't even accuse Lucifer (Now called Satan "The deceiver") Of wrong-doing in front of Father God! Talk about blameless! And Gabe helps too. Hes the mailman (Luke 1.) So God sits down and says that "Okay, I love these humans, so I have a plan." So He tries sacrifice and the old testament law.
It doesn't go well.
All bets are off on the Law, so He says, "I am now gonna put my final plan into action, the plan I have had all along. Jesus, come look at this. You cool with this?" And Jesus, one with the Father says, "Sure. I know its gonna be hard. But I'll do it. That way, we can adopt these people into our forever family, and sacrifice wont be necessary!"
To imagine what it was like for Christ, use this analogy my pastor uses on occasion. With a few of my own special twists.
So you are you, and you play with Legos. And so let's say for the given purpose that Legos are alive, that they are humans. And you are you. A supreme being to them. Capable of wiping them out with your shoe. You can kill a Lego with your pinkie. But you love your little Lego people.
But then they turn around and say; "Go away. We don't need you."
So you send them little Lego prophet after little Lego prophet. And they kill them all right in front of you. And so finally you say: "Okay. I am going to become Lego. And I am going to go be a limited little Lego gut with a plastic head and non-bendable elbows, so that I can bring these people into my forever home. That's how much I love my creation."
And then, they kill you. And in your last moments, you say:
"Father, forgive them. They know not what they do."
And do you, when you resurrect, stomp all over them? You could, after all. They KILLED YOU.
But you extend them grace. And an invitation.
That's how much, in a nutshell, God loves us. US. His little Lego people.
When people ask me what God is. This is what I tell them.
"God is Love."
It's really as simple as that. Love is God. Love is from God. God is Love.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Your Permanent Home
My church recently bought its own property after renting space from other churches for almost 8 years.
We found a permanent home at last!
The property is about 8 acres of land, including a school, sanctuary, playground, wallball and basketball courts, tetherball, soccer field, housing and giant refrigerators we have no idea what to do with (not to mention the cafeteria, offices, and hallway space and a sound room the size of a small apartment). Nothing short of a miracle, for a small sabbatarian church of roughly 85 people. Despite several bumps in the road and a 2M price tag, we are finished with escrow and plan to move in to the building for our first service there on November 1st. Very exciting.
But that's not what I want to talk about.
I play a lot of online games such as Minecraft, and one day when on the said Minecraft the subject of religion came up with some online friends. Now if you know me, and even if you don't, you might have guessed by my previous posts that I KNOW what I believe and I KNOW why I believe it. I know why it's true. But many others, well, don't. I talked over the web with a Mormon, a Presbyterian, a Catholic, an agnostic, three Muslims and someone who believed in reincarnation.
And other than a few, most of them were very confused about what they believed.
Religion for some never crosses the mind, while for others it's something to actively avoid. Many people don't want to talk about it. Even strong Christians sometimes have nothing to go on other than "Jesus loves you" while that may be a great starting point, there are other things that need to be discussed. But what shocks me is that people don't know where they are going.
Even Christians of the highest degree sometimes have no concept of life after death. It's just not important to them. But it is, contrary to the popular belief, ESSENTIAL to our walk as Christians. Why am I a Christian? Because I love Jesus, yes, but also because I want to go to heaven. I want to live eternally with God. Without that hope of eternity, what is religion? Why serve God all your life when you could have been partying and doing really messed up things without eternal consequences? Heaven (And the opposite) Are abSOULutely CRUCIAL to our faith. Without it, we have nothing.
Now, I am not going to launch into a sermon with scripture references and quotes and hypotheses, again, this blog is designed to make you think. What do you think? About life after death? Take some time and think about it. Pray about it. Study the scriptures like I did. (It's extremely beneficial.) Find out what is true! Use supplemental material. Talk to your pastor or parent or even a friend. (Make sure it's a friend who knows what he or she is talking about! =-) ) Use your head and your heart. Search out the truth. You can even email me or comment on what you found personally. Get a discussion going! Find out where your permanent home will be in eternity.....!
We found a permanent home at last!
The property is about 8 acres of land, including a school, sanctuary, playground, wallball and basketball courts, tetherball, soccer field, housing and giant refrigerators we have no idea what to do with (not to mention the cafeteria, offices, and hallway space and a sound room the size of a small apartment). Nothing short of a miracle, for a small sabbatarian church of roughly 85 people. Despite several bumps in the road and a 2M price tag, we are finished with escrow and plan to move in to the building for our first service there on November 1st. Very exciting.
But that's not what I want to talk about.
I play a lot of online games such as Minecraft, and one day when on the said Minecraft the subject of religion came up with some online friends. Now if you know me, and even if you don't, you might have guessed by my previous posts that I KNOW what I believe and I KNOW why I believe it. I know why it's true. But many others, well, don't. I talked over the web with a Mormon, a Presbyterian, a Catholic, an agnostic, three Muslims and someone who believed in reincarnation.
And other than a few, most of them were very confused about what they believed.
Religion for some never crosses the mind, while for others it's something to actively avoid. Many people don't want to talk about it. Even strong Christians sometimes have nothing to go on other than "Jesus loves you" while that may be a great starting point, there are other things that need to be discussed. But what shocks me is that people don't know where they are going.
Even Christians of the highest degree sometimes have no concept of life after death. It's just not important to them. But it is, contrary to the popular belief, ESSENTIAL to our walk as Christians. Why am I a Christian? Because I love Jesus, yes, but also because I want to go to heaven. I want to live eternally with God. Without that hope of eternity, what is religion? Why serve God all your life when you could have been partying and doing really messed up things without eternal consequences? Heaven (And the opposite) Are abSOULutely CRUCIAL to our faith. Without it, we have nothing.
Now, I am not going to launch into a sermon with scripture references and quotes and hypotheses, again, this blog is designed to make you think. What do you think? About life after death? Take some time and think about it. Pray about it. Study the scriptures like I did. (It's extremely beneficial.) Find out what is true! Use supplemental material. Talk to your pastor or parent or even a friend. (Make sure it's a friend who knows what he or she is talking about! =-) ) Use your head and your heart. Search out the truth. You can even email me or comment on what you found personally. Get a discussion going! Find out where your permanent home will be in eternity.....!
Monday, August 26, 2013
On the subject of Polls...
Out of courtesy, I am compelled to tell you to please vote on our monthly poll. This month's poll about going to church might be awkward, but it's designed to make you think. Please note that God still loves you whether or not you go to church, though I think He does prefer it. Remember, the poll answers are completely anonymous, so you're privacy is safe. Even I don't know who votes on these polls. You're secrets, if any, are safe. So please, take a minute to vote for your answer. The number of answers also tell me in part how popular this blog is, so please take a minute to vote. Thanks so much for you're time, and I hope this blog brings you joy and enlightenment!
A Close Call
Wow! That was close!
We had almost hit the lady walking behind us as we pulled out of the parking lot of Walmart. She
looked like she was in her 70's, signature white, curly, bobbed hair and a cranky expression. She had
walked out right in front of our car as we backed out of the space, if she hadn't been faster we would
have hit her accidentally as she was in our blind spot when she strode up. Walking in front of a 2 ton
steel object moving at a high velocity is never a great idea, but in California where I live it happens
all the time. I turned to my mom and asked her; "What makes people think they can do that? I mean I get the older teens that think they're pretty darn well invincible so they will walk in front of a collapsing building with a smug expression on their faces (Not many teens would do that, speaking as a teen myself, but some would) But I thought older folks from that Greatest Generation, as we call it in America, who had been raised in different times and standards, surely they would be smarter than that?"
My mom pointed out with her unconventional wisdom what many people fail to see.
People are just very self absorbed, she told me. Why? Well, because we practically live in a surreal world now. Video games make us the most epic, amazing God-like super hero with the most amazing tools and gripping action sequences.
Tell me, who has played Halo and done a firefight on legendary with 200x velocity over-shields and rocket launchers, or build an enormous skyscraper on Minecraft, or beat that last level of Batman or Call of Duty or Mario Kart or Kirby and not felt like they were invisible, all powerful, super amazing champions? But one problem. You turn it off...and you are just you. But some people don't like just you. So it carries. They want to act or be like somebody they think is special. Why do girls like bands like One Direction? Why do guys watch Lord of the Rings with such passion? Why do people kiss the ground that stars walk on, worshiping actors, teams, and personals of the silver screen with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns?
Well, mom didn't tell me why, but God did.
In a quiet corner of my room, I asked God, "Why do people idolize these guys so much? Why is the world so intent on elevating these mayors and gamers and autotuned popstars and then watching them fall, one by one, until they all get replaced by new, fresh ones?" And God said; (And I'm paraphrasing right now), "Well, you see, son, being adopted I know it may be hard for you to understand, but when I made you and your kin I put in them a special desire for me. So when human beings pull away from me, they end up with the need to fill that hole. So they fill it with junk, junk that is not of me. Or they fill it with things that are of me but are so distorted, or they are so focused on those things, such as praying or going to church every Sunday, that they lose focus of what's important, like family, friends, faith. ME. They all ultimately lose focus on ME."
And that made a lot of sense.
Now, we all lose focus on him sometimes, and we all need to pull back and say, "Whoa, hold on! This isn't right, is it?!?" Once in a while, (For me, once in an hour or so), But as long as we get back to that starting point, it's okay. We're forgiven. Does that mean we can just blow God off for a couple months and then run back expecting to be forgiven after we've made mistake after mistake and had our fun? OF COURSE NOT!!! Don't get me wrong, God will still fogive you, you just may not ever forgive yourself. Or worse, the people youv'e hurt won't forgive you. And that's not good at all.
In closing, just don't lose focus. Keep your eyes set on things above, not on earthly things! He will make you soar on wings like eagles. Just trust in Him, and don't turn into that lady we almost flattened in the parking lot. Most of all, be aware! Just because we are not of the world doesn't mean we don't need to be aware of what is going on around us. WE ARE in the world after all.
Just not of the world.
We had almost hit the lady walking behind us as we pulled out of the parking lot of Walmart. She
looked like she was in her 70's, signature white, curly, bobbed hair and a cranky expression. She had
walked out right in front of our car as we backed out of the space, if she hadn't been faster we would
have hit her accidentally as she was in our blind spot when she strode up. Walking in front of a 2 ton
steel object moving at a high velocity is never a great idea, but in California where I live it happens
all the time. I turned to my mom and asked her; "What makes people think they can do that? I mean I get the older teens that think they're pretty darn well invincible so they will walk in front of a collapsing building with a smug expression on their faces (Not many teens would do that, speaking as a teen myself, but some would) But I thought older folks from that Greatest Generation, as we call it in America, who had been raised in different times and standards, surely they would be smarter than that?"
My mom pointed out with her unconventional wisdom what many people fail to see.
People are just very self absorbed, she told me. Why? Well, because we practically live in a surreal world now. Video games make us the most epic, amazing God-like super hero with the most amazing tools and gripping action sequences.
Tell me, who has played Halo and done a firefight on legendary with 200x velocity over-shields and rocket launchers, or build an enormous skyscraper on Minecraft, or beat that last level of Batman or Call of Duty or Mario Kart or Kirby and not felt like they were invisible, all powerful, super amazing champions? But one problem. You turn it off...and you are just you. But some people don't like just you. So it carries. They want to act or be like somebody they think is special. Why do girls like bands like One Direction? Why do guys watch Lord of the Rings with such passion? Why do people kiss the ground that stars walk on, worshiping actors, teams, and personals of the silver screen with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns?
Well, mom didn't tell me why, but God did.
In a quiet corner of my room, I asked God, "Why do people idolize these guys so much? Why is the world so intent on elevating these mayors and gamers and autotuned popstars and then watching them fall, one by one, until they all get replaced by new, fresh ones?" And God said; (And I'm paraphrasing right now), "Well, you see, son, being adopted I know it may be hard for you to understand, but when I made you and your kin I put in them a special desire for me. So when human beings pull away from me, they end up with the need to fill that hole. So they fill it with junk, junk that is not of me. Or they fill it with things that are of me but are so distorted, or they are so focused on those things, such as praying or going to church every Sunday, that they lose focus of what's important, like family, friends, faith. ME. They all ultimately lose focus on ME."
And that made a lot of sense.
Now, we all lose focus on him sometimes, and we all need to pull back and say, "Whoa, hold on! This isn't right, is it?!?" Once in a while, (For me, once in an hour or so), But as long as we get back to that starting point, it's okay. We're forgiven. Does that mean we can just blow God off for a couple months and then run back expecting to be forgiven after we've made mistake after mistake and had our fun? OF COURSE NOT!!! Don't get me wrong, God will still fogive you, you just may not ever forgive yourself. Or worse, the people youv'e hurt won't forgive you. And that's not good at all.
In closing, just don't lose focus. Keep your eyes set on things above, not on earthly things! He will make you soar on wings like eagles. Just trust in Him, and don't turn into that lady we almost flattened in the parking lot. Most of all, be aware! Just because we are not of the world doesn't mean we don't need to be aware of what is going on around us. WE ARE in the world after all.
Just not of the world.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
A trip to the Groomer's
THIS past week, my dog, Snuggles, got a haircut. It's summertime here in the U.S. and the weather on the west coast, where I live, is HOT. Humid too. And my dog looked like this:
Not good for a dog in the summer. Plus, he had knots and burrs and stuff in his fur. Very active usually equates to very messy in the world of dogs, and what do you know, our dog is VERY hyperactive. So we took him to the groomers to give him a shave.
Isn't he cute? Anyway, now he is bathed, clean, and very happy.
So, you ask, why would I care about your dog? I mean he's cute and all, but what does THAT have to do with my christian walk?
Boy, are you in for an interesting set of analogies!
So let's say for a second that you, the Christian, is Snuggles, and Snuggles is you. So what happens?
You've grown, so has your coat. It seems like every time you get your paws wet, step in something you shouldn't your coat gets more and more matted! That's no fun. What's more, heat is here, and all this clumped-together baggage is making you very uncomfortable. You feel like a giant fluffy greaseball. Not fun. Time to go to the groomer (i.e. God). God takes you in, and you, being Snuggles, is kinda scared. What is He gonna find in there?
So after a thorough brushing, God gets into the nitty-gritty of your sins. As He digs deeper and deeper, you find that you feel lighter and lighter, freer and freer, and the baggage is gone! You feel alive, wonderful. And when you go home, you feel like a whole new dog (i.e. a whole new you.) You know that the fur will grow back, but for now, God has redeemed you and you are His once again.
What's this? A cut on your ear? Did God, the groomer, misfire? Well, yes and no. Sometimes it just takes a little clip, some pain and blood and tears, to get down to whats underneath and make you new again.
So I guess what I am trying to say is, you know, God loves you, and you love Him, but sometimes we do make mistakes, and sometimes I think we all need to visit the groomer more often. But even though it can be embarrassing or scary, God will make you all new again-every time.
Not good for a dog in the summer. Plus, he had knots and burrs and stuff in his fur. Very active usually equates to very messy in the world of dogs, and what do you know, our dog is VERY hyperactive. So we took him to the groomers to give him a shave.
So, you ask, why would I care about your dog? I mean he's cute and all, but what does THAT have to do with my christian walk?
Boy, are you in for an interesting set of analogies!
So let's say for a second that you, the Christian, is Snuggles, and Snuggles is you. So what happens?
You've grown, so has your coat. It seems like every time you get your paws wet, step in something you shouldn't your coat gets more and more matted! That's no fun. What's more, heat is here, and all this clumped-together baggage is making you very uncomfortable. You feel like a giant fluffy greaseball. Not fun. Time to go to the groomer (i.e. God). God takes you in, and you, being Snuggles, is kinda scared. What is He gonna find in there?
So after a thorough brushing, God gets into the nitty-gritty of your sins. As He digs deeper and deeper, you find that you feel lighter and lighter, freer and freer, and the baggage is gone! You feel alive, wonderful. And when you go home, you feel like a whole new dog (i.e. a whole new you.) You know that the fur will grow back, but for now, God has redeemed you and you are His once again.
What's this? A cut on your ear? Did God, the groomer, misfire? Well, yes and no. Sometimes it just takes a little clip, some pain and blood and tears, to get down to whats underneath and make you new again.
So I guess what I am trying to say is, you know, God loves you, and you love Him, but sometimes we do make mistakes, and sometimes I think we all need to visit the groomer more often. But even though it can be embarrassing or scary, God will make you all new again-every time.
Monday, July 15, 2013
A quick update/thank you
I just wanted to thank, really quickly, everyone who has read this blog so far. After flipping the switch on the site about a week ago, I've already had several hits from the United States, as well as other countries such as France, South Korea, Russia, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Germany. I'm praying that God will use this blog in amazing ways to spread his gospel to every corner of the earth.
I would also like to point out a few quick things I've added to the blog recently in order to make it an even better and more encouraging place. One is the monthly poll, which appears in the right hand column. Please take some time to let me know what you would decide! I'll be posting the results at the end of the poll, which I believe is set to end at the end of this month. Also, I've installed Google translate, located at the bottom of the homepage, which allows one to translate my blog into different languages. Also there is a Google+ button on the bottom and left columns, so make sure to give it a click and show your support. Thanks again for visiting godschosengeneration.blogspot.com, and I pray that my little blog will have a positive influence on your life today!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)