How do I know that there is a God that loves me?
Because He has surrounded me with people that love me. I'm so blessed to have the friends that I do.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Forgiveness
A while ago I made a post about a Pink Floyd song. Towards the end I talk about forgiveness. A lot of that was taken from the book, The Bondage Breaker. Recently, I have been reading the book again. In the section that I'm reading, it talks about forgiveness. I found what the author said to be very true and very informative. I figure, I might as well share it on my blog.
"Most of the ground that Satan gains in the lives of Christians is due to unforgiveness. We are warned to forgive others so that Satan cannot take advantage of us (2 Corinthians 2:10, 11). God requires us to forgive others from our hearts or He will turn us over to the tormentors (Matthew 18:34, 35). Why is forgiveness so critical to our freedom? Because of the cross. God didn't give us what we deserve; He gave us what we needed according to His mercy. We are to be merciful just as our heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). We are to forgive as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:31, 32).
Forgiveness is not forgetting. People who try to forget find that they cannot. God says He will "remember no more" our sins (Hebrews 10:17), but god, being omniscient, cannot forget. "Remember no more" means that God will never use the past against us (Psalm 103:12). Forgetting may be a result of forgiveness, but it is never the means of forgiveness. When we bring up the past against others, we haven't forgiven them.
Forgiveness is a choice, a crisis of the will. Since God requires us to forgive, it is something we can do. (He would never require us to do something we cannot do.) But forgiveness is difficult for us because it pulls against our concept of justice. We want revenge for offenses suffered. But we are told never to take our own revenge (Romans 12:19). "Why should I let them off the hook?" You let them off your hook, but they are never off God's hook. He will deal with them fairly - something we cannot do.
If you don't let offenders off your hook, you are hooked to them and the past, and that just means continued pain for you. Stop the pain; let it go. You don't forgive someone merely for their sake; you do it for your sake so you can be free. Your need to forgive isn't an issue between you and the offender; it's between you and God.
Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person's sin. Forgiveness is costly; we pay the price of the evil we forgive. Yet, you're going to live with those consequences whether you want to or not; you only choice is whether you will do so in the bitterness of unforgiveness or the freedom of forgiveness. That's how Jesus forgave you-He took the consequences of your sin upon Himself. All true true forgiveness is substitutional, because no one really forgives without bearing the penalty of the other person's sin.
Why then do we forgive? Because Christ forgave us. God the Father 'made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him' (2 Corinthians 5:21). Where is the justice? The cross makes forgiveness legally and morally right: 'For the death that he died, He died to sin, once for all' (Romans 6:10).
How do you forgive from the heart? First, you acknowledge the hurt and the hate. If your forgiveness doesn't visit the emotional core of your past, it will be incomplete. This is the great evangelical cover-up. Christians feel the pain of interpersonal offenses, but we won't acknowledge it. Let God bring the pain to the surface so He can deal with it. This is where the healing takes place. Ask God to bring to your mind those you need to forgive as you read the following prayer aloud:
Whew, that's long. Hope that this provided a sufficient preview of the book. I highly recommend that you look into it, just make sure that you have the time. It is in no way a light read.
-Josh
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Most of the ground that Satan gains in the lives of Christians is due to unforgiveness. We are warned to forgive others so that Satan cannot take advantage of us (2 Corinthians 2:10, 11). God requires us to forgive others from our hearts or He will turn us over to the tormentors (Matthew 18:34, 35). Why is forgiveness so critical to our freedom? Because of the cross. God didn't give us what we deserve; He gave us what we needed according to His mercy. We are to be merciful just as our heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). We are to forgive as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:31, 32).
Forgiveness is not forgetting. People who try to forget find that they cannot. God says He will "remember no more" our sins (Hebrews 10:17), but god, being omniscient, cannot forget. "Remember no more" means that God will never use the past against us (Psalm 103:12). Forgetting may be a result of forgiveness, but it is never the means of forgiveness. When we bring up the past against others, we haven't forgiven them.
Forgiveness is a choice, a crisis of the will. Since God requires us to forgive, it is something we can do. (He would never require us to do something we cannot do.) But forgiveness is difficult for us because it pulls against our concept of justice. We want revenge for offenses suffered. But we are told never to take our own revenge (Romans 12:19). "Why should I let them off the hook?" You let them off your hook, but they are never off God's hook. He will deal with them fairly - something we cannot do.
If you don't let offenders off your hook, you are hooked to them and the past, and that just means continued pain for you. Stop the pain; let it go. You don't forgive someone merely for their sake; you do it for your sake so you can be free. Your need to forgive isn't an issue between you and the offender; it's between you and God.
Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person's sin. Forgiveness is costly; we pay the price of the evil we forgive. Yet, you're going to live with those consequences whether you want to or not; you only choice is whether you will do so in the bitterness of unforgiveness or the freedom of forgiveness. That's how Jesus forgave you-He took the consequences of your sin upon Himself. All true true forgiveness is substitutional, because no one really forgives without bearing the penalty of the other person's sin.
Why then do we forgive? Because Christ forgave us. God the Father 'made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him' (2 Corinthians 5:21). Where is the justice? The cross makes forgiveness legally and morally right: 'For the death that he died, He died to sin, once for all' (Romans 6:10).
How do you forgive from the heart? First, you acknowledge the hurt and the hate. If your forgiveness doesn't visit the emotional core of your past, it will be incomplete. This is the great evangelical cover-up. Christians feel the pain of interpersonal offenses, but we won't acknowledge it. Let God bring the pain to the surface so He can deal with it. This is where the healing takes place. Ask God to bring to your mind those you need to forgive as you read the following prayer aloud:
'Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for the riches of Your kindness, forbearance, and patience, knowing that Your kindness has led me to repentance (Romans 2:4). I confess that I have not extended that same patience and kindness toward others who have offended me, but instead I have harbored bitterness and resentment. I pray that during this time of self-examination You would bring to mind only those people that I have not forgiven in order that I may do so (Matthew 18:35). I also pray that if I have offended others You would bring to mind only those people from whom I need to seek forgiveness and the extent to which I need to seek it (Matthew 5:23,24). I ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.'
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Whew, that's long. Hope that this provided a sufficient preview of the book. I highly recommend that you look into it, just make sure that you have the time. It is in no way a light read.
-Josh
Thursday, February 14, 2013
First Corinthians 13 and it's Relevance on February 14
So many of my friends have been posting about Valentines Day or Singles Awareness day on Facebook. So, I thought that I'd point out some not very well known things about Valentines Day.
First, the origin of Saint Valentines Day has a slightly different meaning and back story than that of today, but hey, so do the rest of the holidays.
"When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death."1
Fine, let's talk about love.
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have 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 do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."2
There, that's what I call love. Love, can be felt, but it's also a choice. Despite the hurt that some people cause us, we can choose to love them. It's not all about the feelings, it's also about the thoughts. For instance, it's no great accomplishment if you love someone who is kind to you. But loving those who persecute you, that is love.
Anyways, hopefully this has let you get some insight into Josh. I will be celebrating today, but keeping Paul's words in mind is very important, midst all of the silliness of today.
-Josh
1: http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day
2: 1st Corinthians 13, The Bible
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Josh's Dating Advice
Well, it's February. And you look like you could all use some advice...
Well, here it is.
Don't trust Carbon Dating. It has many flaws in it, simply because we don't know how much Carbon was in the item to begin with. You can read more here.
Well, here it is.
Don't trust Carbon Dating. It has many flaws in it, simply because we don't know how much Carbon was in the item to begin with. You can read more here.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Steam Powered Giraffe
The band can be classified as a Steampunk, funk/soft rock band. While the CDs are fun, the band really shines when Pantomiming as their three robot characters. The three robots crack jokes on stage, and might do some improvisational dialogue every once in a while.
Steam Powered Giraffe still hasn't become popular yet, so if being a hipster is important to you, then go ahead and feel free to like them.
They have done a few videos, and they can be viewed on Youtube. I have two of the videos below for your viewing pleasure.
I'll be going up to Everett to see them in April. That is going to be fun in and of itself, because I'll be going with some of my good friends. (You know who you are. ;) )
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Thinking about Pink Floyd's the Wall
Now please note, I encourage reading lyrics and as such, I have found that I don't support much of Pink Floyd. However, I think that people wouldn't be drawn to the band if they didn't have some truth in the songs. So, without further ado, let's dive into some Pink Floyd!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Part 2 is the most well known part of Another Brick in the Wall, and as thus when you think of Another Brick in the Wall, you might just think of that song. But actually, Pink Floyd has 3 parts of Another Brick in the Wall. (Please note, I will not be covering the awful movie that Pink Floyd made in conjunction with the album, just the songs.)
Overview:
Pink Floyd is putting forward the idea that "The Wall" is something that we build up around ourselves using the negative experiences of our past to close off our life from others. This is because we as humans learn well from experience, and if the experience is negative, we don't want to do it again.
Take for instance, you touch a hot oven with your hand. You get burned. Are you going to go back the next day and try to touch it again? No! Because that's stupid.
"The Wall" is the same principle. However, unlike the stove, there are some things about building a wall that do not work out for our best. When you build a wall around you, it blocks everything. It does not just keep you safe, it numbs.
Building "The Wall":
The Wall has two builders. The person who throws the bricks, and the person that builds the wall. Whenever you say something mean, you throw a brick at someone. These bricks symbolize insults, accidental or on purpose. But just because you throw a brick at someone doesn't mean that they have to use it to build "The Wall". Yes, it will still hurt them, it is a brick after all. But they still have 3 options:
a) Use it to add to their wall
b) Throw that brick at someone else
c) Toss it aside
Obviously, the best option is to cast it aside, but it is also the hardest. It is much easier to do A or B, depending on whether it was a deep hurt, or a light insult. In Part 1 of Another Brick in the Wall, the person in the song is abandoned by his father. The child uses those bricks to start building up his wall.
Being a Human:
Now, everyone reading this messes up in life, because it's human nature. We cannot do everything right, and we are bound to hurt people throughout the course of our lives, directly or indirectly. So, something that you have to acknowledge is that you will throw bricks at people at some point in your life or another. And probably more often than that. In Part 2, a teacher starts to make fun of the character. Then, the other kids join in with him in laughing. Throwing bricks may not have been the intention of the kids, but their laughs pierced him just as much as the teacher's insults. Why did the kids laugh? Because they are human.
So, what can you do? If it's just nature, why worry about it?
Because it's hurtful, that's why. And you can try your best to do the right thing, but unless you have the Holy Spirit guiding you, you don't stand a chance. Which is why I encourage you reading this to ask the Holy Spirit to show you a way in which you could help someone.
Tearing down The Wall
Now, despite what I've said, you don't have to live with your Wall. You can ask for healing from God, and he will do it. I'm not saying that it's instantaneous, but it will happen. What you can do right now, is go talk to people that you trust and tell them about how you feel. Sometimes saying it aloud will help. Once you realize where the problem lies, you have to forgive those who hurt you. Even if they never asked, you have to release them from your judgment, to let God take care of them. Next, you might have to forgive yourself for some things. If you have held stuff against yourself, you have to let those go.
In Part 3, the person is now old and bitter. It truly shows what dealing with that is like without God in our lives, and it's very sad. But we as Christians have a savior who cares. Talk with the Lord, and he will help you through it. You don't have to do it alone, and God is always there to help you along the way.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Well, that went quite a bit more deep than I intended. I hope that those of you who read this were able to get as much out of it as I did writing it. I have posted a YouTube link to the songs below, combined into one video. This video includes the song "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" which I do not cover in this article. It is mostly an extension of Part 1 and a Prologue to Part 2.
Here are the lyrics for those interested in reading them.
Part 1 Lyrics
Part 2 Lyrics
Part 3 Lyrics
Pink Floyd is putting forward the idea that "The Wall" is something that we build up around ourselves using the negative experiences of our past to close off our life from others. This is because we as humans learn well from experience, and if the experience is negative, we don't want to do it again.
Take for instance, you touch a hot oven with your hand. You get burned. Are you going to go back the next day and try to touch it again? No! Because that's stupid.
"The Wall" is the same principle. However, unlike the stove, there are some things about building a wall that do not work out for our best. When you build a wall around you, it blocks everything. It does not just keep you safe, it numbs.
Building "The Wall":
The Wall has two builders. The person who throws the bricks, and the person that builds the wall. Whenever you say something mean, you throw a brick at someone. These bricks symbolize insults, accidental or on purpose. But just because you throw a brick at someone doesn't mean that they have to use it to build "The Wall". Yes, it will still hurt them, it is a brick after all. But they still have 3 options:
a) Use it to add to their wall
b) Throw that brick at someone else
c) Toss it aside
Obviously, the best option is to cast it aside, but it is also the hardest. It is much easier to do A or B, depending on whether it was a deep hurt, or a light insult. In Part 1 of Another Brick in the Wall, the person in the song is abandoned by his father. The child uses those bricks to start building up his wall.
Being a Human:
Now, everyone reading this messes up in life, because it's human nature. We cannot do everything right, and we are bound to hurt people throughout the course of our lives, directly or indirectly. So, something that you have to acknowledge is that you will throw bricks at people at some point in your life or another. And probably more often than that. In Part 2, a teacher starts to make fun of the character. Then, the other kids join in with him in laughing. Throwing bricks may not have been the intention of the kids, but their laughs pierced him just as much as the teacher's insults. Why did the kids laugh? Because they are human.
So, what can you do? If it's just nature, why worry about it?
Because it's hurtful, that's why. And you can try your best to do the right thing, but unless you have the Holy Spirit guiding you, you don't stand a chance. Which is why I encourage you reading this to ask the Holy Spirit to show you a way in which you could help someone.
Tearing down The Wall
Now, despite what I've said, you don't have to live with your Wall. You can ask for healing from God, and he will do it. I'm not saying that it's instantaneous, but it will happen. What you can do right now, is go talk to people that you trust and tell them about how you feel. Sometimes saying it aloud will help. Once you realize where the problem lies, you have to forgive those who hurt you. Even if they never asked, you have to release them from your judgment, to let God take care of them. Next, you might have to forgive yourself for some things. If you have held stuff against yourself, you have to let those go.
In Part 3, the person is now old and bitter. It truly shows what dealing with that is like without God in our lives, and it's very sad. But we as Christians have a savior who cares. Talk with the Lord, and he will help you through it. You don't have to do it alone, and God is always there to help you along the way.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here are the lyrics for those interested in reading them.
Part 1 Lyrics
Part 2 Lyrics
Part 3 Lyrics
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)