Love - The Hub of Life

What is love?

Such a question has absorbed, bamboozled, and even frenzied people. It is a loaded question, of course. Entire libraries could be filled with relevant and incisive answers to such enquiries of curiosity, without fully explaining it.

But love is the hub of life, for God is love (1 John 4:16). As all things revolve around God, all things have their meaning in love. Even evil exists because of it - in such a case, evil is reviled by love and has vowed to fight against it to destroy it. But love can never be destroyed. The fight of evil versus good is because of love - the very presence of God that infuriates evil. The fight of good versus evil, similarly, is because of love. Love compels action because of justice, righteousness and fairness (see early Proverbs [1:3; 2:9]).

Love is behind creation; the Creative act. God 'created' because of love...

But this conversation is perhaps already too esoteric. Already we have travelled into the theological nebulae. This cannot be the intention: to annoy the reader.

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Love is broader than romance; than being nice to one another; than meaning well. It is a very practical thing based on truth:

"My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love." ~1 John 3:18 (Msg)

Practicing real love is about relating with people, and our world, in truth. When we love in real ways, by practicing truth, we care as God cares, and we exemplify the Spirit who lives within us. To practice real love is to aspire, every breathing moment, to live for truth.

REAL LOVE MERGES WITH TRUTH

If love is the hub of life, and that is our premise, it exists eternally by prevailing against any challenge to it. Such a thing can only occur if it is identified in truth.

God is innately relational and the Lord of Truth - God is truth. Love is formed in a complex mix within, and superintending over, these concepts - it subsists by truth, relationally. It is difficult to talk in these matters because they are impossible to pin down in concrete ways.

All we can do, if we wish to keep it simple, is note that love is relational and it is identified by truth. Love is not a lie. It has no falsity about it. It cannot be soft and mushy alone if it cannot be tough as well. It must encompass all that is truth.

These are challenging ideas.

But if we organise love into the realm of truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, we understand it as a concept that holds up under any enormity of pressure. If we organise love as a thing to be relied upon, we understand it well. If we organise love as that which is holy, righteous, just, and fair, we see it spread its empowering wings. We note the width and breadth of its wingspan. We can admire the wonder of it.

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Love is a much broader concept than any of us can fully understand. But as we attempt to understand it our worldview expands and our understanding blossoms.

Love cannot be 'lovely' if it cannot be tough as well. It must encompass all that is truth if it is to be real. And there is nothing more real than love, for God is love.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Shuffled Priorities   Shutting the Door on Shame   3 Steps to Find Rest When You're Weary   Love Is an Act of the Will, Not a Burst of Emotions   

Jesus Christ in Islam and Christianity

Fourteen centuries ago a man named Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that Mother Mary was a pious virgin, when she gave birth to Jesus. He said that Jesus had been born miraculously without any male intervention. And he shut the mouthes of many of those, who used to abuse Mother Mary. It is because of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that around one and a half billion Muslims around the world respect, love and revere Jesus Christ. In fact Islam makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus. A Muslim can not be a Muslim unless he believes in Jesus Christ

The miraculous birth of Jesus is a compulsory article of the Muslim faith and every Muslim has to believe in it, in order to be a Muslim. Muslims believe in his miracles. Qur'an mentions the miracle of Jesus as a young kid, when he gave life to birds that he had made out of clay, with God's permission. But if one checks the New Testament he would not find this miracle mentioned there. A few days ago while doing a research concerning the Bible, I came across some scriptures that the early Christians included in the Bible and called them the word of God, but the church did not include these scriptures in the New Testament. One of these scriptures is the Gospel of Infancy, which is about the childhood of Jesus Christ. This Gospel of Infancy and the Holy Qur'an contain this miracle, but the Bible does not.

Muslims also believe that he gave life to the dead with God's permission and healed those born blind and lepers. We believe in his second coming. It is astonishing that the Qur'an tries to defend Jesus against objectionable things mentioned about him in the Bible. For instance, The Bible says that Jesus Christ never called Mother Mary as "Mother or Mom", but rather called her "you woman!" This is highly objectionable because this is the same language that he uses for a prostitute in the Bible, "you woman!" Astonishingly the Qur'an in turn defends Jesus and says that he was obedient and respectful to his mother and would never say anything as such to his mother.

So astonishing as it maybe, Islam is the only Non Christian faith, which holds Jesus Christ in such high prestige and reverence and makes it an article of faith for its followers to believe in Jesus Christ. The major difference of opinion among Christians and Muslims is that some Christians believe that Jesus Christ claimed divinity and was God. While Muslims believe that he was a mighty messenger of God and never claimed to be God.

So Muslims believe that so many good things about Jesus only because Muhammad (peace be upon him) said so, not that Bible thumpers convinced them. Now the Bible thumpers are making serious efforts to convince Muslims that Jesus is God. They use a wide range of tactics for this purpose from common arguments that Jesus did not have a father so he should be God or that Jesus gave life to the dead that is why he is God. But these arguments have so far failed in front of Muslims, as even Adam did not have parents and even Moses gave life to his dead staff and made it a serpent. The Bible thumpers even get handy with the Qur'an. They quote verses from the Qur'an and tell Muslims that Jesus is "Kalimatullah, the word of Allah" and "Ruhullah, the Spirit of Allah". But the Muslims come forward with the argument that even John, the Baptist is referred to as "Kalimatullah, word of God" in the Qur'an. The Qur'an also says that Allah breathed into Adam of his spirit and also breathed of it into the whole mankind.

Efforts are also being made on the Muslim side as well to convince Christians that Jesus was not God, but is a messenger of God. Muslims use common arguments such as how can Jesus be God and also die for your sins, when God is Eternal? But Christians make some efforts to prove that death is of two types, spiritual death and physical death. While other Christians try to prove how Jesus has a dual nature. Muslims even get handy with the Bible. For instance, this post " Is Jesus God? " claims that Jesus Christ did not claim divinity anywhere in the Bible. It also makes an effort to answer the several Biblical verses quoted by Christians to prove the divinity of Jesus Christ.

So the major difference of opinion between Muslims and Christians is the divinity of Jesus Christ and both are trying to convince the other to accept their point of view. It is a healthy discussion and is surely going to continue for a long time.

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Religion: The Creator of Atheists

A recent study showed that over 22.5 million atheists in America were raised in the Catholic faith. In addition to this, online social networking sites and discussion forums are showing that more and more Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist followers are losing their belief in God, and going in the way of agnostics and atheists. When confronted about these numbers, priests, pastors, and ministers of some of the world's most popular Christian denominations are clueless as to why. Many clergy members feel that more and more people are becoming atheist because of the failures of the Church in upholding moral accountability among its leaders. Some also believe that people are walking away from the faith to pursue the wealth and prosperity of the world. But what exactly are the real reasons for people leaving the church? In order to find these answers one must look at the very nature of religion itself.

From growing up in a Southern Baptist upbringing, I am quite familiar with the dogma and hypocrisy of religion in America. For years I battled with trying to reconcile the words that were spoken from the pulpit, with the actual actions of the vast majority of the congregation. There were about 25 fornicators for every 1 sermon preached about fornication. The numbers were similar for every other sin that you can think of. The sad reality is that the church was mostly hype and very little reality. Aside from the hypocrisy, many churches also begin to lose membership when they are not able to present the bible in a realistic and understandable way. It almost seems that many pastors are too busy trying to convince the world that every person on earth originated from two people; instead of exemplifying the virtues that were taught by Yehoshua himself. They refuse to acknowledge that the religion of Christianity is rooted in paganism, due to the fact that it was groomed and marketed by Constantine, a known Pagan. They refuse to acknowledge that most of what is taught in the Christian church today is not the same thing that was taught in the first century. They refuse to acknowledge that religion is not what Yehoshua intended, but that's what we are left with. What we consider to be religion is nothing more than a collage of superstitions and pagan practices. When are we going to wake up and realize it for ourselves?

Many atheists have come to realize that religion is nothing more than a hoax and a sham that is being perpetuated by those in charge for financial gain. Christianity is nothing more than a new version of Greek mythology. Until the church wakes up and realizes this, more and more people are going to call our bluff, and walk away. We have to figure out where we went wrong. We need to go back to that point and correct our mistakes.

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Overcome The One Thing That Holds You Back

Even if you believe now you are journeying through the valley of death, remember your final destination is the safety of a warm embrace and a loving home. To get to that destination do not squander your life, nor spend it frivolously; invest what you have in the lives of others. Only one obstacle holds you back. Overcome that one obstacle.

To invest life, you must share unencumbered by guilt. What you experience, what you feel, fuels you. Choose good feelings.

For peace to reign, forgive - all and always.

By joining with others in relationship, in love, you become whole.

Today is not life in the fast lane; it is life in the oncoming lane. Ego puts you in the oncoming lane and accelerates life so that you find it difficult to hear the still, small voice guiding you home. To recognize truth, overcome the obstacles in your mind: "I have been wronged," and "I am unworthy." Both these misperceptions (arrogance and fear) require true forgiveness. The journey from sleep to awakening is made in small steps.

Overcome the hubris of ego by learning to forgive. Refuse to judge, condemn, criticize or complain. Accept responsibility for all you experience. Let go of perceived hurts and perceived injustices. There is no one to blame and nothing to fear. Forgiving is giving peace, allowing a smile and inviting laughter despite the circumstances.

You are not separate from your creator. You are not alone. You are one - whole, complete, powerful, and loving. You forgive yourself in the same measure as you forgive others.

The promise of life is this: your journey is meant to be one of abundance, excitement, joy, and opportunity. You have a unique purpose, a unique mission, and unique gifts. To fulfill your grand purpose, to contribute, to grow, to learn, to live, to love, to feel alive - overcome ego - that aspect of your being that insists you are alone, separate from others and separate from what is. To succeed, master ego.

Overcoming ego and instead trusting in the truth and beauty of the experience is the difference between life or death, happiness or despair. By facing fear and letting go of the need to judge, you learn to forgive. By forgiving you find your place and your purpose in this world. Open yourself to the journey - to the magnificent opportunity.

Recognize the promise of this life, and in so doing overcome ego to fulfill your potential.

The truth is, you only have one obstacle to overcome. The obstacle is inside you. Everything you see around you - the challenges, the trials, the confrontations - pale in comparison. The only obstacle holding you back is ego. Choose to overcome the one thing that holds you back. The choice is always yours. Make the right choice!

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If We Would Do Good Towards Others The Lord Will Do The Same For Us

Jesus went about doing good because He knew that by doing good towards others, God would do the same for Him. Ephesians 6:8 reads knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

I read Ephesians chapter six recently and verse eight stood out to me and every since then the Lord has been giving me opportunities to do good things for other people. Now I am not saying that I was not doing it but I know for sure that since I read verse eight, I have been aware of opportunities to do good things for other people.

When we do good things for other people it is a planted seed that God will take notice of and He will do good things for us. A seed is not just money given to the church. A seed can be planted in many different forms. If we have a garden mostly likely we would plant various types of seeds such as tomatoes, greens, okra, beans, onions, peppers and many others, so a spiritual seed can be planted in many different forms. We can plant seeds of kindness, encouragement, help, love, joy, laughter, peace and many others. All of these seeds that we plant into someone else's life; God will notice and He will reward us by giving back to us what we have planted.

We might not always feel like doing something good for someone when we are asked but it is always beneficial to us if we would lay aside our feeling and do it. Matthew 28:31 but what do you think? A man had two sons and he came to the first and said son, go, work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise and he answered and said, I go, sir but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to Him, the first. Whenever we would do the will of our heavenly Father whether we feel like it or not, there is a blessing in it for us. He blesses us because of our obedience to Him and not by the way that we might feel.

If you think that good things are not happening to you, try doing something good for someone else then watch and see if things do not change for you. It will change because the word said that whatever good anyone does; he will receive the same from the Lord.

If we would only realize that we have the power inside of us to change our circumstance then we would be a lot better off. It will only take finding out what God said then doing it because He backs His word to perform it. The Holy Spirit is inside of us and He has great power. He is with us to lead us in the path of righteousness so that we can live a full life that gives glory to the Father.

Doing good towards others are only one way to receive the blessing of the Lord; there are many other ways and we should obey it because it would benefit us if we did obey it and God is no respecter of person.

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Nurturing the Spiritual Gift of Faith

When God decrees something the planets align, so to speak.

It is very difficult to achieve anything worthwhile in this life without faith. And faith requires the truth and a vision - the discernment of the present state and the desire for a future state:

"There shall be no interpreter to a sinful nation: but he that observes the law is blessed." ~Proverbs 29:18 (Septuagint)

What this proverb, above, tells us is, without a vision of truth the people perish; without hope of a new land there is no need of faith to get there. Without vision we stagnate, nationally and personally.

Faith and vision, therefore, are interdependent concepts. A vision cannot be achieved without faith to get there. Likewise, without faith we cannot discern a vision and we struggle for hope.

If we have no hope, we, from the spiritual perspective, perish.

We can do a quick self-audit on whether we are living hopefully or not by asking ourselves: do we have a vision?

In other words, has our vehicle of faith got wheels beneath it? Has the vehicle the ability to roll? Does it have an engine, and, as importantly, will the engine and drive-train propel the vehicle - our faith - onward toward our vision?

A MOST IMPORTANT PRAYER - FOR [A] VISION

Whether we desire a vision, or simply vision, is only personally relevant. We decide having first sought God's input on the subject.

But it is a most important prayer - an ongoing type of prayer as we journey with God. If we have no vision we perhaps have no hope, and our faith freewheels in neutral.

The spiritual gift of faith, then, is quite contingent on having vision, or a vision, for what is essentially our call from God: the direction, purpose, and meaning of our lives.

If we ask God in our prayer time to give us a vision for what he wants us to do, he will most certainly give us the faith to realise our vision.

THE INERTIA OF FAITH

For faith to be faith it needs inertia; momentum is what defines the true basis of faith.

Faith, therefore, is inextricably linked to works - per James 2:14-26. When the vision inspires our faith it literally pushes us into action. We cannot stop it. And we wouldn't want to stop it, for this is the purpose of our very lives.

When faith has inertia it has become faith. Before faith has inertia it is simply a vision; the projection of our potential for helping others against the theatre screen of life. So when we get moving on our vision we are expressing faith; and, as the Scripture says, we are pleasing God (Hebrews 11:6).

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Faith requires us to act. But we cannot act unless we have a vision for what God wants us to do. Vision is hope which propels faith. When we have a vision, we have hope, and our faith becomes action. Then God is pleased. God wants us to have a vision of how we will help others.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Shuffled Priorities   Shutting the Door on Shame   3 Steps to Find Rest When You're Weary   Abraham's Thoughts While Preparing to Sacrifice Isaac   Love Is an Act of the Will, Not a Burst of Emotions   There Is A Civil War Coming In The Church!