Kunoichi (post: 1261536) wrote:Someone said to me recently:
"God loves us regardless. It isn't that we deserve it, that we do anything worthy of it..or even that we are lovely. He loves us just because he made us."
This statement rocked me to the core
Evran (post: 1261614) wrote:Reading that reminded me of my brother, who was struggling with a heavy drug addiction for a good four or five years (he has changed his life around since then ). Not once did I find myself hating him for that, I loved him all the same, even when what he was doing was hurting himself, and everyone around him. That was his choice, to do that at that point in his life.
Had he even gone so far down that path that he had died, I would not have hated him, I still would have loved him all the same.
If a wretch like me can unconditionally love someone that is choosing a life of self destruction, then how much more must the Lord love us? I think people underestimate that fact. Even at our absolute worst, the Lord still loves us more deeply than we can understand.
That realization rocked me to the core as well.
rocklobster (post: 1262335) wrote:John the Baptist has been called Christ's Herald. What I've always liked most about him is his humility. He even thought he was unworthy to tie Jesus's sandals, even though they're both second cousins.
We are also called to be like John the Baptist. I don't mean we have to dress up in camel shirts and eat locusts (eww!:grin:). I mean we, too, are Christ's heralds. There are two ways we can accomplish this task. One way is what I am doing here. True, a good portion of this site's users are Christian. But what about the unsaved readers of this site? They need Christ's message, too.
The second way is by our actions. There is a saying: "I may be the only Christ someone sees." (sometimes "Christ" is replaced with "Bible". Either way works.) This is a mantra all Christians should adopt. Gandhi once said "[Christianity is] a great idea. They ought to try it." (ouch) He was only half right. Christianity has been tried, and we have countless saints to prove it. As St. James put it:
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (James 1:22)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to remember that, like John the Baptist, we are also your heralds.
shiroineko (post: 1272258) wrote:rocklobster...your post about the parable of the sower brought to mind where Jesus explains having faith as a mustard seed (I've been going crazy for half an hour trying to find this verse - anyone know where it is?). I don't think I ever quite understood that verse and what it really means to have faith like a mustard seed. If anyone would like to share their thoughts on this, that would be wonderful
Philippians 2:9-10 wrote:Therefore God also highly exalted (Jesus) and gave Him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, in Heaven and on earth, and under the earth
Luke 16:31 wrote:If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets neither will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead"
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