To be relevant?

A reason why I might have joined cult or a gang, I suspect, is if someone or some group had taken an interest in me in a way that nobody has before. It's like somehow being famous or relevant. To be relevant is an addictive and intoxicating feeling in any capacity. I imagine parents get a similar satisfaction from the fact that their children desperately need them to live. You can see it in co-dependent relationships where people are made to feel relevant because their partner desires them. Getting a job because you are relevant for the position.. etc, you get the point.

There's an element of validation-worship going in in this transaction. Does the celebrity worship the fans or do the fans worship the celebrity? I think the answer is that they are co-dependent. Same with parents and kids: kids need parents to live and parents need kids for relevance.

As a Christian I effectively rely on God for my own relevance. This a curious source of relevance because unlike fans or children or a lover etc the source of relevance is known only by faith.

I have faith in the character of God. I didn't invent God nor did I invent forgiveness so I am not the architect of my own relevance. I don't simply believe in myself. I believe: in the one who believes in me; in He who somehow wrote messages and had it passed along for thousands of years to reach me.

It's like the scene in movie Back to the Future when the Doctor leaves a message to be delivered to Marty 150 years in the future; except this message has been travelling 2000 years and to me!

Furthermore God requires me to love my neighbour. There is no part of His message in which I am to kill anybody - ever - under any circumstances. Jesus said love, i.e., empathise with and forgive your enemy. Jesus' message is not convenient for me and it serves my enemy. He led by example and prayed for the wellbeing of His killers, while they were killing Him.

This isn't about appealing to my desire to be relevant, that's just a byproduct of His glory.

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A Jubilant Celebration

I never believed that I would find what I wanted in the Church and so I kept going to other places to find love, happiness and fulfillment etc. To be clear, I still haven't found love, happiness or fulfillment in the Church. I found all that stuff as an outcome of my relationship with God. The reason I go to Church is simply to celebrate our relationship. 
It's like getting married every weekend. It's a jubilant celebration with singing and uplifting encouragement. People don't go to weddings to look for love, they go there to celebrate relationships!
The people closest to the couple come to serve the couple as best man and brides maid etc. These are the church workers. Others come with presents and smiles and well wishes. Some people even gate crash to just be part of the celebration! It's epic!! That's what Church is my friends and it happens every week.
Much like a "normal" relationship, you don't find love on the wedding day, love is found during the week when you and your partner do little affectionate things for one another, the big and small acts of forgiveness and the empathy that know no bounds. That's why I love God, I just go to Church to celebrate what we (and others) have. It's a grand affair and you're all invited!!!!!!

Identity

Bungee jumpers are not afraid. It's incredible. They don't jump of bridges because they are confident they can fly. They do not fear because they believe, wholeheartedly, that the bungee chord is sufficientn. Bungee Jumpers are not dismayed, they are bold and assisted, they are upheld by the power of the chord. Bungee jumpers are NOT afraid to throw their vulnerable bodies off of bridges because they have faith in the chord.

Bungee jumpers are not afraid. AND they love it! They love being in the air, exposed to the full unrelenting power of gravity. Bungee jumpers love what so many other people fear - jumping of bridges. Bungee jumpers are really something different.

Some of us know about the power of the bungee chord but you're unlikely to see us jumping off bridges. Many people know someone that bungees but that's there business. Good for them. The rest of us prefer not to be vulnerable and not to rest our assurances on a bungee chord. Bungee jumpers are not afraid.

Well I am not afraid too. It's not because I am wonderfully brave but because I believe wholeheartedly in the Word of God. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Instead of bridges i jump off of lies (omissions) and hurtle towards the unrelenting truth. I am not a brave and confident man that i can handle the truth but I believe God will uphold me in His righteous hand.

Instead of bridges I jump off of my (way of doing things) identity, (i.e., 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 wickedness, sexually immoral, idolatry, adultery, homosexual acts, theft, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse, swindling) into the identity, known as Child of God. I don't jump off of my identity because I am tired of being responsible. But because I believe His identity is better than mine. 

Why is his identity better than mine? Here's why... Jesus did Gods will. He is a child of God. We call Him the Son of God. He did our fathers will. That included praying for the salvation of the people the executed Him while they were doing it.

I know I am not better that those executioners. I have wished for the death of others for political reasons. When asked if I'd kill Hitler to prevent WW2 I used to say "yes." I would execute people that I find unsavoury the same way that the Jesus was executed for being unsavoury. 

I probably would have killed Jesus if I was the Roman soldier on execution duty that day. I would have taken some memorabilia too. 

I have fantasised to kill people that I find unforgivable. Meanwhile I support doing the unforgivable. I support killing, lying, theft, deception, sexual immorality, swindling... I'm a huge hypocrite. I would judge someone else in my own shoes, harshly for the crimes I myself have committed or supported. 

Nevertheless, because it is Gods will, Jesus forgives those that persecuted Him. People like me! People that I wouldn't forgive. My identity wouldn't forgive someone that beat me to death during te beating. I had a death list for years for children that bullied me in school. I wanted to kill myself from time to time for merely being "inadequate." I wanted to persecute people for their politics!

Jesus showed us how to follow the will of our Father in Heaven. 

Our Father's Will for my life (or a life like mine) is better than own will for my life (or a life like mine). So I follow Gods Will, His identity not mine. I am a Child of God.

I consume His identity by reading His word. By His grace, I do His Will fearlessly. I give him control to decide for me. His Will dictates my moral compass, which impacts my thoughts on:

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT) Right and wrong doing, sex, idols, adultery, homosexuality, thief, greed, drunkenness, abuse, swindling etc.

Bungee jumpers don't judge the rest of us for not following them off the bridges but they do think that the rest of us have no idea what we are missing.

Once I stopped pretending that I am an innocent man.

I recognised the woefully unflattering yet apt description of myself, as a sinner, within the Bible. That got my attention, once I stopped pretending that I am an innocent man. 

I recognised that the Bible was telling me the truth about me. I didn't have to have "faith" in my guilt because I actually remembered doing or wanting to do everything on the sin list - everything.

I recognise that i fit the description of a sinner as described in the Bible. I give credit where it's due. The Bible nailed me down to a tee. None of my friends, family, coworkers ever recognised the wickedness the Bible clearly sees in me. So i knew that the Bible knew more about me than anyone I know.

I had the world, apparently, fooled but not the Word in the Bible.

Once I accepted that the Bible was in fact talking about me, I accepted that the Bible has a greater gravitas than anybody I know.
The Word literally knows me, even the secret side of me - the Bible knows.

When I look at the sins described in the Bible, it is like being interrogated but with the added promise that "it will be okay if you just admit it your crime because the price for your deeds has already been paid. So stop committing crimes and be like the person that paid your debt. Don't worry, it will be okay if you just admit it."

So I believe the promise. I believe that it will be okay. I admitted that i did everything the Bible says i have done, that's called repentance. I asked for forgiveness. I received a wave of all consuming Love that undermined all my fears, anger and hate and left me wanting to love for he first time in my life, i.e., empathise and forgive unconditionally - just like how i had been forgiven.

My friend, I am so grateful for this love that I want to serve the person that forgave me and gave me this consuming love. The Bible tells me who it is, Jesus, and how I can be of use to Him. It's perfect.

For me this is the greatest love story.

Having been on this journey all i can say is, it's been real.

I highly recommend Him to you. His name is Jesus <3

Fear, Great Things and Mistakes

When you're wrong, you're wrong, but just don't be afraid to be wrong. Great things don't come from people who are afraid to make mistakes!

Love your Enemy

Think about the person for whom you you have limited or no empathy. What that person wants more than anything is love, i'm talking, unconditional forgiveness and empathy.

Give it to them!

The love of God for you is undying! Why should your love have limits?

After all, the people who are most despised today are considered to be people with a limited capacity to empathise and forgive, i.e. to love. Right? Get it?

To hate a hater, is hateful. Period. Love for the sake of love. Love for the sake of God, who loved you first. <3 :-) <3

Meeting a Counsellor

Haha! So I seized the opportunity to see a counselor today to talk about life and whatnot. By the time we finished talking she seemed pretty uplifted, she even asked to know which Church I go to!

The love of God strikes again! hehe

Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
Psalm 66:16

That which has not been exposed cannot be refined.

Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Even if, by asking, you expose yourself somehow. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. If you want it, it's worth risking the rejection. Don't be afraid of wicked people that would rub your face in it either. If you're scared of them, you're scared of most people. To avoid being vulnerable, is to avoid being yourself. 
That which has not been exposed cannot be refined.

Grateful and Blessed

I wake up grateful, I live grateful and then I go to sleep grateful. I'm elated so much so that I want to serve at all times. A Love fanatic. I can't change my mind about how great God (who is Love) is and I struggle to change the subject because I am blessed!
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Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me! Psalm 66:20

Some Encouragement - Just Do It!

Don't be afraid to do anything mate. You're a legend. It's ok to be a fish out of water sometimes. You learn a lot of valuable things outside of your comfort zone. Just don't be "put off" from anything. You have no idea what greatness lay ahead of you. Don't cower out of it. Just do it!

Facing Reality

Today, Feb 15 2017, while scribbling in my journal, I noticed a man peeping at the paper laying beside me in the waiting area of the train station. Slightly panicked, I quickly told him not to get "too comfy" with it because it's mine.
He says, "I'm just peering, I actually don't like to read the Evening Standard. Too much bad news. It makes me depressed, I avoid picking it up but when it's within peering distance, I can't resist a look."
I says, "well there's no need to be depressed about the news buddy. When I see something awful I pray about it and for the people involved and get on with life stress free."
He says, "well I don't believe in that. I choose to firmly face reality."
I says, "...but you don't face reality. You avoid reading the paper altogether."

The train arrived as I finished speaking and he got on a different carriage sans a copy of the newspaper.
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I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Yea but the bible says to fear God, thoughts?

Nice question!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 

That's a scary kinda love don't you think? There doesn't appear to be much that God wouldn't do for us. Furthermore God wants us to love each other the way he loves us. 

Are you keen to love your neighbour like that? You don't know who your neighbour may be. It could be someone that is very hard to love. Someone that uses there, GOD GIVEN, free will to do things that you find truly atrocious but God wants you to love them all the same. That's right, God wants you to love your enemy. 

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:43-44

God can give you a seriously big challenge in life or something not so challenging... It's entirely upto Him. Nevertheless, (1 Corinthians 10:13) you have never been tempted to sin in any different way than other people. God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted more than you can take. But when you are tempted, He will make a way for you to keep from falling into sin.

God is scary because he gave mankind freewill and then asked you to love mankind unconditionally. Nevertheless he's not asking you to do anything He hasn't done already.

PS Some people genuinely feel like the word 'fear' in that versus you mentioned "really" means to revere God rather that to fear God but I take it as I see it. It's like "examination fear" to me. You study, prepare and recognise it's value but you still fear the paper because you don't know what it's going to throw at you.

Thank you for that wonderful question.

God Bless You <3

Social Protocols

Do not give up. Do not get tired. Spread that hope! People are dressed extremely well but they suffer in silence. Be bold for them and love fearlessly. Don't allow social protocols to fence you from those that suffer. Show them there is nothing to fear and that there is a way and a hope for all. 
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For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
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Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Love Somebody

So basically...

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

That's a scary kinda love. There doesn't appear to be much that God wouldn't do for us. Furthermore God wants us to love each other the way he loves us.

This is a big ask seeing as you don't know who your neighbour may be. It could be someone that is very hard to love. Someone that uses there, god given, free will to live in a way that you find atrocious but God wants you to love them all the same. It's a big ask.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:43-44

He doesn't simply tell us how to love, he leads by example too... i.e., On the cross in the process of being killed, Jesus says, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34 He hung out with outcasts in Mark 2:15 "Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)

You may encounter or be surrounded by some cruel and unusual people and challenges... Nevertheless, it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 "you have never been tempted to sin in any different way than other people. God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted more than you can take. But when you are tempted, He will make a way for you to keep from falling into sin."

God is audacious because he gave mankind freewill and then asked you to love mankind unconditionally. Nevertheless he's not asking you to do anything He hasn't done already. After all he loves you too.

We are made in his image, so we can do it, no matter how hard it seems after all God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:Genesis 1:26

Don't be a bystander today, go out and love somebody! <3