Role Models, Mentors, Someone to look up to...
These are all needed in the times of growth and change in our life.
And can I say this as well... we should never stop growing and changing.
As part of our lifestyle and goal in life - the number one thing is that we should always have someone to look up to.
Now I am NOT referring to Idols or Film Stars or Pop Music Artists.
Real people need real people to look up to.
The people around you should see the goals and ideals that you have reflected from or based off the person you look up to. However many times in the shallow world we live in - we see more and more young people choosing fame over ideals. Fame will get you in the spotlight - ideals will keep you there. Now I am not suggesting that no-one famous qualifies as a role model. Certainly in the PR limelight Hollywood media we live in - people are adopting kids left and right and sending food over seas that they would never eat themselves - this does not discount them - nor qualify them either in my opinion.
Role models are people like teachers - who know that several kids in the class they teach probably have wished them dead many times over - yet still get up in the morning to try to influence more young minds every year.
The person that became a fireman because they wished one day to be a hero and save lives.
Real World Examples -
There was a couple at the turn of the century (1890's) that moved over seas and lived for some time in Tibet before moving to China. They were just settling in and working to start a school in the area when they noticed a need in the area.
They watched each and every morning as children were left to fend for themselves in the streets - whole groups of siblings were left by their parents and brothers and sisters had to care for the younger ones.
This couple had little themselves and thought it best still to do something rather than nothing. They brought the kids of the street everyday and never refused a single child... they started the first orphanage in the region.
They did their best every day to educate - feed - and encourage these kids - and they had such an impact on them that every boy and girl were changed by their love.
In the early 1900's when Communism was rolling across China everyone was pushing them to leave after hearing that the new regime was killing every foreigner they found.
This couple did not want to leave. Yet the did at the urging of their extended family.
People like that are selfless and seemingly out of place in todays world.
A modern reference to such acts would be the movie "The Children of Huang Shi" - Rent it if you can find it. Awesome movie. This movie is the TRUE story of a reporter that gets caught in the middle of the Japan China War and fall in the middle of an orphanage and become so attached to these kids that he is remembered by them even today for the help and effort he made to get them to safety.
I say all of that to say this... Are you someone that others can look up to?
All of us are flawed and fail and miss it from time to time...
Can your children look up to you as a role model, can your family and friends?
We don't all have to rush off to become the father to the fatherless or mother to the hungry in some far of lands.
But where we are... right now, realise that we can affect and influence and lead others in so many positive ways if we just tried.
Finally, who is your role model?
Is it your father, or your mother? A teacher or a close friend?
Who is your example and your goal - whose shoes do you wish you could fill... is it a person that is helping others or helped many? Perhaps they just helped you to get from one day to the next once upon a time.
And now yes here is the part you knew was coming all along... my role model.
Jesus.
In His humanity - He lead thousands to look beyond the persicution and occupation by the Romans and see beyond themselves and to help others around Him. He encouraged growth and change in people on a personal basis and taught that even though you can never be good enough to fulfill the law of their forefathers - if you loved one another enough and loved God enough - then that makes up the difference when you miss it.
He gave hope to thousands that heard Him speak but only a few hundred followed His request to gather and pray when He left them.
Roman Centurions, Jewish Leaders and the Rich and Famous of His day flocked to Him to know of this new way that was taught. His message was at its simplest - Love God and Love your fellow man. He was the example of the way any man should live - selfless and encouraging of those around you. He was God's sign post for the definition of a Role Model.
In His deity - He took our place and bore our mistakes so we don't have to.
I want to encourage you today... even if just in a small way... consider your role model. If you obtain all of what they obtained would it be enough? If you really did fill their shoes and lived their life would you be happy?
Hell is other people.
Jean-Paul Sartre
(A more liberal quote - linked to him) Is Hell is eternity locked in a room with your friends.
What a shock it is to some people to spend their life working toward a goal - only to find it hollow and empty and not enough.
Destiny is a good thing to accept when it's going your way. When it isn't, don't call it destiny; call it injustice, treachery, or simple bad luck.
Joseph Heller
I would hazzard a guess that few people are entirely satisfied with the way things are in their day to day routine - and the trick they use like most people to stay happy - is to use distractions to keep the thoughts at bay.
Why not try a higher goal and a larger target.
Just a thought.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Keeping your heart right
No this is not a medical post although it should have many health benefits if you follow the suggestions.
I want to talk to you today just a bit about the real YOU. The one that in the midst of the storms of life and circumstances has to make the choices and decide which way to go in different situations. The You that chooses to react in emotions and feelings, or intellect and reason. The Inner person that feels deep down inside that given the chance they would and could make a difference in the world... Thats the You I want to talk to and about today.
Inside every person is a desire to do good and be well liked by others around them... if this is not visibly apparent due to negative behavior or irrational reactions - then finding it difficult to achieve positive feedback - the inner person will react and act out in an effort to gain negative attention and feedback - so long as interaction with others is the key result.
This motivation for good or bad is very visible in criminals who justify their behavior as a way to cope and settle into the world they made themselves by stealing in order to pay for the things in life.... good or bad.
Often this is perceived as a cry for help and a need to fit in or belong somehow in the world today. Yet I speak not of the negative aspects in this post - but the positive ones.
In your average everyday life you interact with a multitude of people and there is an inbuilt need for you to achieve a balance in your world with Work, Stress, Family, Friends, Politics, and so forth.
In those chance meetings with others they often take away from them a first impression.
According to a study by the University of Illinois first impressions happen in about 20 seconds of first meeting someone... the first impression that a majority of people take away from them are based on
55% Appearance and Body Language
38% Tone of Voice
7% What You Say
This is actually a troubling statistic - in looking at the negative side of things serial killers tend to be clean cut, trust-worthy people that do not alarm anyone internally in the first impression.
Only 45% of what people judge you on is really YOU. The rest is just Looking the Part? You can get anywhere in life then 55 percent of the time because you Look the part... and people will like you no matter what.
Well politics aside for a moment, lets talk about the issues on my mind at the moment that I wanted to share with you.
Family
Friends
Work
Social
General
In each of these areas we have a certain level of interaction - or inaction as the case may be.
Work tells us that WORK is most important.
Family tells us that Family is the most important
Friends wrestle for your attention from both
Certain social obligations dictate to us that we have to attend to some things over others.
And General is all those smaller things that seem to crop up and steal our time patience and money.
When you interact with each of these - the impression that people have of you is a lasting one. If you are a Christian and you are having a bad day and yell at the cashier at the bank because of some error on your account... walk away and the first thing the person next to them asks will usually be - isn't that a deacon at that church?
Or others in an effort to make their lifestyle and choices in life acceptable to all around them - cuss at others or even physically abuse those that don't see things their way (Insert any random political activist group name here) (Christians "so called" included.)
How I grow tired of seeing signs and banners spouting hate in the name of God (any religion) when its them judging not God.
In Christianity - I have a nagging doubt in my mind all the time fearing that someone will make a snap judgement on the first impression when they meet me on the street for the first time and miss what I am trying to offer them.
I don't like wearing a suit and tie when talking to people about God - for fear I look like some TV evangelist or a LDS mormon or something. Yet they have no fear of looking like me - and in fact love the clean cut image to help that (first impression) so they seem more trust worthy.
Anyway - I wandered there for a moment - sorry.
In these situations - what they don't tell you in many statistics is that second and third impressions have a better impact than the first one.
Growth and education on a personal level will tell the upset Christian at the bank to go back after a chance to rethink things and apologize to the teller, explain your frustration but make sure that she knows that you were in the wrong.
In your work and your daily life you can make a difference in every situation by being the cool level headed one that takes time to make sure the people around you know you a person they can turn to if they need.
Tell your family you love them in deed and not just words. Spending time and money on them are just some of the obvious ways this can be done.
In every situation - even in your comfort zones of life - keep your eyes open to the way others look at you and perceive you and do your best to change that impression in positive ways. Helping others and caring for them enough to listen (in a pay-it-forward kind of way) (Didn't like the movie by the way) ...
Without a doubt a little effort in this direction goes a long way...
However as with anything in life you will have setbacks and knock downs in this pursuit. Keep your heart right and your motivations pure and open and you will make progress and begin to change yourself - others around you - and will help make the world a better place.
The general attitude of the world however is not like this at all - it may have been once but that has long since changed.
The Golden Rule - as was drilled into us as school kids - Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
This is no longer taught... leaving moral growth for kids up to their parents.
For the most part - the rules found in the 10 commandments would be seen by most people to be very good ways to live by. Yet we still have to pass laws to keep people from getting away with murder, lying, cheating, stealing, hate and so on...
It was the goal by many groups to get that kind of teaching out of schools and court rooms. To me its a bit like the modern currency of any nation being backed up by nothing but a promise - instead of Gold or Silver as it used to be.
So we have laws against certain immoral things - but no teaching to our young about morality. As part of the way I keep my heart right in most situations (its a struggle to be sure)
I believe basic - honest - decency, chivalry, caring for your neighbor and the stranger, helping those in need, politeness and kindness to those you know and those you don't. All of that was taught to me by my father LONG before I became a Christian.
The foundation of any upbringing should be such in my opinion.
If you can manage to take all this to heart and work to be the best person you can be - I feel we can work person by person to change the world from the bitter greedy way it is today... back to a world we all would enjoy... regardless of race, creed, religion and so on.
Keep your heart right - this world wants to make you into it's image. I encourage you to find a better role model and keep working on shaping your life like that.
I want to talk to you today just a bit about the real YOU. The one that in the midst of the storms of life and circumstances has to make the choices and decide which way to go in different situations. The You that chooses to react in emotions and feelings, or intellect and reason. The Inner person that feels deep down inside that given the chance they would and could make a difference in the world... Thats the You I want to talk to and about today.
Inside every person is a desire to do good and be well liked by others around them... if this is not visibly apparent due to negative behavior or irrational reactions - then finding it difficult to achieve positive feedback - the inner person will react and act out in an effort to gain negative attention and feedback - so long as interaction with others is the key result.
This motivation for good or bad is very visible in criminals who justify their behavior as a way to cope and settle into the world they made themselves by stealing in order to pay for the things in life.... good or bad.
Often this is perceived as a cry for help and a need to fit in or belong somehow in the world today. Yet I speak not of the negative aspects in this post - but the positive ones.
In your average everyday life you interact with a multitude of people and there is an inbuilt need for you to achieve a balance in your world with Work, Stress, Family, Friends, Politics, and so forth.
In those chance meetings with others they often take away from them a first impression.
According to a study by the University of Illinois first impressions happen in about 20 seconds of first meeting someone... the first impression that a majority of people take away from them are based on
55% Appearance and Body Language
38% Tone of Voice
7% What You Say
This is actually a troubling statistic - in looking at the negative side of things serial killers tend to be clean cut, trust-worthy people that do not alarm anyone internally in the first impression.
Only 45% of what people judge you on is really YOU. The rest is just Looking the Part? You can get anywhere in life then 55 percent of the time because you Look the part... and people will like you no matter what.
Well politics aside for a moment, lets talk about the issues on my mind at the moment that I wanted to share with you.
Family
Friends
Work
Social
General
In each of these areas we have a certain level of interaction - or inaction as the case may be.
Work tells us that WORK is most important.
Family tells us that Family is the most important
Friends wrestle for your attention from both
Certain social obligations dictate to us that we have to attend to some things over others.
And General is all those smaller things that seem to crop up and steal our time patience and money.
When you interact with each of these - the impression that people have of you is a lasting one. If you are a Christian and you are having a bad day and yell at the cashier at the bank because of some error on your account... walk away and the first thing the person next to them asks will usually be - isn't that a deacon at that church?
Or others in an effort to make their lifestyle and choices in life acceptable to all around them - cuss at others or even physically abuse those that don't see things their way (Insert any random political activist group name here) (Christians "so called" included.)
How I grow tired of seeing signs and banners spouting hate in the name of God (any religion) when its them judging not God.
In Christianity - I have a nagging doubt in my mind all the time fearing that someone will make a snap judgement on the first impression when they meet me on the street for the first time and miss what I am trying to offer them.
I don't like wearing a suit and tie when talking to people about God - for fear I look like some TV evangelist or a LDS mormon or something. Yet they have no fear of looking like me - and in fact love the clean cut image to help that (first impression) so they seem more trust worthy.
Anyway - I wandered there for a moment - sorry.
In these situations - what they don't tell you in many statistics is that second and third impressions have a better impact than the first one.
Growth and education on a personal level will tell the upset Christian at the bank to go back after a chance to rethink things and apologize to the teller, explain your frustration but make sure that she knows that you were in the wrong.
In your work and your daily life you can make a difference in every situation by being the cool level headed one that takes time to make sure the people around you know you a person they can turn to if they need.
Tell your family you love them in deed and not just words. Spending time and money on them are just some of the obvious ways this can be done.
In every situation - even in your comfort zones of life - keep your eyes open to the way others look at you and perceive you and do your best to change that impression in positive ways. Helping others and caring for them enough to listen (in a pay-it-forward kind of way) (Didn't like the movie by the way) ...
Without a doubt a little effort in this direction goes a long way...
However as with anything in life you will have setbacks and knock downs in this pursuit. Keep your heart right and your motivations pure and open and you will make progress and begin to change yourself - others around you - and will help make the world a better place.
The general attitude of the world however is not like this at all - it may have been once but that has long since changed.
The Golden Rule - as was drilled into us as school kids - Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
This is no longer taught... leaving moral growth for kids up to their parents.
For the most part - the rules found in the 10 commandments would be seen by most people to be very good ways to live by. Yet we still have to pass laws to keep people from getting away with murder, lying, cheating, stealing, hate and so on...
It was the goal by many groups to get that kind of teaching out of schools and court rooms. To me its a bit like the modern currency of any nation being backed up by nothing but a promise - instead of Gold or Silver as it used to be.
So we have laws against certain immoral things - but no teaching to our young about morality. As part of the way I keep my heart right in most situations (its a struggle to be sure)
I believe basic - honest - decency, chivalry, caring for your neighbor and the stranger, helping those in need, politeness and kindness to those you know and those you don't. All of that was taught to me by my father LONG before I became a Christian.
The foundation of any upbringing should be such in my opinion.
If you can manage to take all this to heart and work to be the best person you can be - I feel we can work person by person to change the world from the bitter greedy way it is today... back to a world we all would enjoy... regardless of race, creed, religion and so on.
Keep your heart right - this world wants to make you into it's image. I encourage you to find a better role model and keep working on shaping your life like that.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Judging a man
(Continued from Previous Post)
The Flaw made visible...
The flaw in this line of thinking is that it gives justification and excuses and reasons without addressing the issue of the hurts and the stresses or even the positives of the past to shape us into who we are today... we find ourselves comfortable in the present state of self (mostly) that makes you not want to do the most obvious thing in the world when you are in just such a situation. Not for conformity sake but for the sake of growth and change that is needed in such a situation such as life and personality.
Growth, Change, Struggle of Identity and Existence coupled with the fundamental need to be completely happy with yourself and not settle for your present condition or state of affairs.
Does a person ever Arrive? Is there ever a point where they can look at every issue every corner of their life and say with truth and conviction that they are 100 percent happy with where they are and the way things turned out?
To be honest to say yes to the previous question invites argument and to say no invites debate. But why else are you reading this but to hear a line of reasoning and thinking. Blogging your thoughts is a bit like having a one sided debate and knowing your going to win the argument before you even start... at best you could comment on these statements on this site to give a response. But I win again if I just turn comments off. ANYWAY
Growth is the stretching and straining for something better, something more than we are. Setting goals, making plans and having aspirations are all part of the primary reason we keep fighting this fight called life. Yet in many areas of life, in ourselves we give up and stop caring to stretch any more. Due to setbacks, kicks or even pure offensive attacks on our person - we grow stronger because of them or weaker in those areas.
What do you do when you put yourself in a position to be hurt - by loving another person - you make yourself vulnerable to them - opening yourself up for attack, ridicule, abuse, or injury by a simple comment or even physical abuse.
To trust someone is much the same -
To become a friend - or even a casual acquaintance - social hurts and offenses also shape the way you react in future to much the same situations.
It is in these acts against or toward you that you shape who you are in response to overcome - or give in and let these acts change you.
When you get knocked down... do you grow or change or learn more and try harder to be a better person or do you give up?
Giving up is the easy option - it has been in every area of life regardless of the setting.
In Sports its easier not to run.
In Politics its easier not to vote.
In learning to ride a bicycle its easier to walk...
Personally I know people around the world that listen when I talk - understand that logic, knowledge and a bit of wisdom (i pray) is mixed into the batch. And Yes I can be long winded (these posts testify to that).
But I tell you these things to encourage you - as I have had to encourage myself recently in the last few months - its a continual growth thing...
When there is an obstacle in your path you go around it.
When you have a gap you cross it.
When you face a struggle you do not give up - you keep pressing in.
A runner runs a race to the finish... not to stop halfway through a lap because someone in the stands starts yelling at him to stop. If there is a hurdle - jump it. If there is anything in the way - overcome it, move on to the next one.
It puzzles me in life to see lots of people around you cheering you on and then seeing someone you thought was on your side come and try to get you to stop... and be happy about it.
Yet dear reader I am here to encourage you as any sane fellow human should do... to not give up and not surrender the heart and fire that is inside you no matter what the outside world tells you - no matter what the doubts and trials tell you.
Find your inner voice of peace and hope and strength and press in with that and do everything you can to keep that passion for what and who you are lit... cover it and protect it when the fierce wind blows... and add fuel to it every chance that you can.
As a Christian we have a passion that stays even when very strong pressure from the outside world tell us such things as -
Your just like the nuts on the TV trying to steal money or take advantage of people -
Your following a lie
It was all made up
Its not real
God doesnt exist
and so on and so on and so on...
If you can stand - even if you cannot take a step more... just stand... this is what the Bible encourages hurting - struggling - tired of fighting people to do...
Just Stand
If you keep your heart right - God will see
If you work on growing and getting better in the fight - It will get easier
Even if no one else knows the truth in the matter - God knows
I have not met a single person ever that will be open and honest with themselves and willing to talk - that will not by the end of the conversation start to realise and see the truth that God is real and can and will get involved in their life.
The strongest denier of God that I have ever met that discussed these things with me... though mad many many times in the conversation - even agreed with me on so many points that he had to change the subject just to keep from admiting out loud about God being real.
I always always alway strongly point out that I do not talk to people because of the things people usually expect - but because of the very real and true relationship and love that I found in Jesus is available to them and it can and will be more than they can even imagine.
LDS Mormons do missions and go out to spread their messages because they have to - its built into the system of the cult that they have to be "good enough" and earn rights and privilages in the religion to get status with God and so on and so forth.
JW's are much the same but not only do they have to earn status with God by work and effort (that never seems to be enough) they have to sell magazines ?? Or buy all the magazines themselves and give them out... they stop people out of fear that they are not doing enough God will not like them or some silly thing.
Christianity - Actual Christianity - not some random chain of buildings with the same names stuck on the side but no life inside...
I am talking about REAL Christianity... it is not a religion - its not false and made up... its not shiney flashy suits on TV and people getting slapped in the head.. its about the real relationship with Jesus not about religion.
- Religion is one of the most misused words in the world - and yes I misused it here to in ths very post - but anyway...
Lets look at the REAL deffinition of religion. If anyone can define the word properly it should be GOD Himself...
James 1:27 - Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
To be called a religious person is silly without knowing what anyone does with other people. If you help any random stranger pick up something they dropped or struggled with - if you have ever donated to a charity that helps people eat or live better lives... YOU are by God's rule... a religious person - religion is all about MAN helping MAN
God's part in that is the last bit in that verse... keep yourself unspotted from the world... all of the things mentioned before... the hurts, the wrongs, the effects from life... all change - shape and mold you into a different person than you even set out to be... its IMPOSSIBLE to keep yourself unspotted.
This same thing is visible with the Ten Commandments - NOT one man in the world could ever keep them all. Its not possible... but it only was there to play a simple role to point out that these are great ideals and goals but even in the simple sense of Being a Good Person - its not possible in this world.
It is not possible in this world to be a good person and obtain all of what you want in life without help.
If you stop to help someone that dropped something on the ground... you will more than likely get kicked or beat with a purse because they think your going to steal from them.
If you stop and help fix a flat tire either they think your going to mug them or they are about to mug you... is the thoughts that transpire.
If you hand out money to one person in charity - the person next to them will cuss you out for not helping them as well.
If you accept every person in every way regardless of race, creed, or color, they will shake your hand and pat you on the back and your wondering if your doing enough and are genuinely accepted - and they could be wondering if your overcompensating for some hidden hatred that you have inside.
At best as a person - a person without God - you hope to achieve some sort of balance in all the chaos and turmoil in your heart, your mind, your emotions and the world around you. To be well mannered and a good person is great - but its hard to maintain in today's world.
I have met genuine real people that think that is our goal in life - to be a good person and live a good life - and that's enough somehow to appease a god they don't know if there is one to be acceptable in god's sight.
I have asked athiests a retorical question before in this regard - if I went and handed them a gun - loaded and ready to use - and I had a gun and began shooting random people right in front of them and they had the power to stop me if they would do anything at all... they have all said no - there is no point.
Yet if you ask them what the number one complaint about their concept of god is... they say if he is real he does nothing and cares for no one. Yet they hold themselves to the same standard. They do nothing and care for no one...
Real Christianity should not be discounted just because of the flakes and nuts and morons that call themselves christians but don't even know what they are doing... there is a very big difference.
ALL AMERICANS ARE NOT THE SAME
Yet often we get judged the same.
Under Bush we were one of the most hated countries in the world... if you did not vote for him and you went abroad - you would not like for one second the abuse that would come along with being American and getting painted with that wide sweeping brush.
Why would anyone think for a moment that a moron on the street corner with a loud hailer shouting at everyone going by that they are going to hell has ANYTHING to do with the Real God. They might - its possible... but they don't have a clue and have the wrong end of the stick.
It has been a long long long long time since I watched anything on the so called "God channels" for the same reason that you don't. Its silly nonsense and jargon and showmanship with little redeeming value at all!
IF, if there is anything resembling real christian teaching on there then its so far burried in the mush that you would never know it to see it.
But you dear reader have a chance to know the REAL God.
Behind the multitude of people claiming to know Him, yet hating and spouting vile and shouting at others around them... usually far away from that in fact... will be a guy like me... standing talking to people - trying hard to make it clear that they are not with those morons. Don't judge that person the same please...
A Real Christian will tell a stranger things like -
God is NOT out to judge you...
God is NOT concerned with you being GOOD ENOUGH or making you WORK for favor...
God is NOT interested in your money...
God is NOT trying to sell you a magazine...
God is NOT about stained glass and hidden abuses...
God is only interested in ONE thing.
You and what you do with Jesus.
If you can understand that Jesus is the simple method of getting things right with God regardless of your lifestyle, your past, your present, or your plans for the future... Then Nothing matters but accepting Him and taking a stand on that belief.
You judge Jesus and God with the same brush that other people judge you - as christian like people and Real Christians get lumped together - as a person that didn't pay taxes and has a prison record would get lumped in with a convicted rapist.
People like me - go out because we know the Real God is not being represented properly by hardly ANYONE in the media spotlight... We talk to people because we know when they hear how incredibly simple it is and how easy it can be to get everything right in a single moment... few people ever pass up the chance to do it right there and then.
When you come to believe that there is a God and you come to believe that mankind does "miss it" and we need help - then you realise that He made a simple way to "un miss it" Every Religion in the world is Man attempting to get to God.
Actual Christianity is about God reaching man. Its a relationship He wants with us... as friends and family and closer.
He sent His Son as our substitute
and He was Judged in our place.
Man is worried about if there is a God that he will be judged by him for things they did or things they didn't do...
God judged Jesus in our place.
All you have to do is accept the substitution - say that you accept it... and then start the amazing path of learning about God and the new relationship you have available to you.
Judging a man is easy when you realize that they are just a man and make mistakes... we judge others and ourselves all the time - the world judges us... the Good News is - God does not judge us
He only wants us to accept the judgement He put on Jesus on our behalf.
Make sense?
The Flaw made visible...
The flaw in this line of thinking is that it gives justification and excuses and reasons without addressing the issue of the hurts and the stresses or even the positives of the past to shape us into who we are today... we find ourselves comfortable in the present state of self (mostly) that makes you not want to do the most obvious thing in the world when you are in just such a situation. Not for conformity sake but for the sake of growth and change that is needed in such a situation such as life and personality.
Growth, Change, Struggle of Identity and Existence coupled with the fundamental need to be completely happy with yourself and not settle for your present condition or state of affairs.
Does a person ever Arrive? Is there ever a point where they can look at every issue every corner of their life and say with truth and conviction that they are 100 percent happy with where they are and the way things turned out?
To be honest to say yes to the previous question invites argument and to say no invites debate. But why else are you reading this but to hear a line of reasoning and thinking. Blogging your thoughts is a bit like having a one sided debate and knowing your going to win the argument before you even start... at best you could comment on these statements on this site to give a response. But I win again if I just turn comments off. ANYWAY
Growth is the stretching and straining for something better, something more than we are. Setting goals, making plans and having aspirations are all part of the primary reason we keep fighting this fight called life. Yet in many areas of life, in ourselves we give up and stop caring to stretch any more. Due to setbacks, kicks or even pure offensive attacks on our person - we grow stronger because of them or weaker in those areas.
What do you do when you put yourself in a position to be hurt - by loving another person - you make yourself vulnerable to them - opening yourself up for attack, ridicule, abuse, or injury by a simple comment or even physical abuse.
To trust someone is much the same -
To become a friend - or even a casual acquaintance - social hurts and offenses also shape the way you react in future to much the same situations.
It is in these acts against or toward you that you shape who you are in response to overcome - or give in and let these acts change you.
When you get knocked down... do you grow or change or learn more and try harder to be a better person or do you give up?
Giving up is the easy option - it has been in every area of life regardless of the setting.
In Sports its easier not to run.
In Politics its easier not to vote.
In learning to ride a bicycle its easier to walk...
Personally I know people around the world that listen when I talk - understand that logic, knowledge and a bit of wisdom (i pray) is mixed into the batch. And Yes I can be long winded (these posts testify to that).
But I tell you these things to encourage you - as I have had to encourage myself recently in the last few months - its a continual growth thing...
When there is an obstacle in your path you go around it.
When you have a gap you cross it.
When you face a struggle you do not give up - you keep pressing in.
A runner runs a race to the finish... not to stop halfway through a lap because someone in the stands starts yelling at him to stop. If there is a hurdle - jump it. If there is anything in the way - overcome it, move on to the next one.
It puzzles me in life to see lots of people around you cheering you on and then seeing someone you thought was on your side come and try to get you to stop... and be happy about it.
Yet dear reader I am here to encourage you as any sane fellow human should do... to not give up and not surrender the heart and fire that is inside you no matter what the outside world tells you - no matter what the doubts and trials tell you.
Find your inner voice of peace and hope and strength and press in with that and do everything you can to keep that passion for what and who you are lit... cover it and protect it when the fierce wind blows... and add fuel to it every chance that you can.
As a Christian we have a passion that stays even when very strong pressure from the outside world tell us such things as -
Your just like the nuts on the TV trying to steal money or take advantage of people -
Your following a lie
It was all made up
Its not real
God doesnt exist
and so on and so on and so on...
If you can stand - even if you cannot take a step more... just stand... this is what the Bible encourages hurting - struggling - tired of fighting people to do...
Just Stand
If you keep your heart right - God will see
If you work on growing and getting better in the fight - It will get easier
Even if no one else knows the truth in the matter - God knows
I have not met a single person ever that will be open and honest with themselves and willing to talk - that will not by the end of the conversation start to realise and see the truth that God is real and can and will get involved in their life.
The strongest denier of God that I have ever met that discussed these things with me... though mad many many times in the conversation - even agreed with me on so many points that he had to change the subject just to keep from admiting out loud about God being real.
I always always alway strongly point out that I do not talk to people because of the things people usually expect - but because of the very real and true relationship and love that I found in Jesus is available to them and it can and will be more than they can even imagine.
LDS Mormons do missions and go out to spread their messages because they have to - its built into the system of the cult that they have to be "good enough" and earn rights and privilages in the religion to get status with God and so on and so forth.
JW's are much the same but not only do they have to earn status with God by work and effort (that never seems to be enough) they have to sell magazines ?? Or buy all the magazines themselves and give them out... they stop people out of fear that they are not doing enough God will not like them or some silly thing.
Christianity - Actual Christianity - not some random chain of buildings with the same names stuck on the side but no life inside...
I am talking about REAL Christianity... it is not a religion - its not false and made up... its not shiney flashy suits on TV and people getting slapped in the head.. its about the real relationship with Jesus not about religion.
- Religion is one of the most misused words in the world - and yes I misused it here to in ths very post - but anyway...
Lets look at the REAL deffinition of religion. If anyone can define the word properly it should be GOD Himself...
James 1:27 - Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
To be called a religious person is silly without knowing what anyone does with other people. If you help any random stranger pick up something they dropped or struggled with - if you have ever donated to a charity that helps people eat or live better lives... YOU are by God's rule... a religious person - religion is all about MAN helping MAN
God's part in that is the last bit in that verse... keep yourself unspotted from the world... all of the things mentioned before... the hurts, the wrongs, the effects from life... all change - shape and mold you into a different person than you even set out to be... its IMPOSSIBLE to keep yourself unspotted.
This same thing is visible with the Ten Commandments - NOT one man in the world could ever keep them all. Its not possible... but it only was there to play a simple role to point out that these are great ideals and goals but even in the simple sense of Being a Good Person - its not possible in this world.
It is not possible in this world to be a good person and obtain all of what you want in life without help.
If you stop to help someone that dropped something on the ground... you will more than likely get kicked or beat with a purse because they think your going to steal from them.
If you stop and help fix a flat tire either they think your going to mug them or they are about to mug you... is the thoughts that transpire.
If you hand out money to one person in charity - the person next to them will cuss you out for not helping them as well.
If you accept every person in every way regardless of race, creed, or color, they will shake your hand and pat you on the back and your wondering if your doing enough and are genuinely accepted - and they could be wondering if your overcompensating for some hidden hatred that you have inside.
At best as a person - a person without God - you hope to achieve some sort of balance in all the chaos and turmoil in your heart, your mind, your emotions and the world around you. To be well mannered and a good person is great - but its hard to maintain in today's world.
I have met genuine real people that think that is our goal in life - to be a good person and live a good life - and that's enough somehow to appease a god they don't know if there is one to be acceptable in god's sight.
I have asked athiests a retorical question before in this regard - if I went and handed them a gun - loaded and ready to use - and I had a gun and began shooting random people right in front of them and they had the power to stop me if they would do anything at all... they have all said no - there is no point.
Yet if you ask them what the number one complaint about their concept of god is... they say if he is real he does nothing and cares for no one. Yet they hold themselves to the same standard. They do nothing and care for no one...
Real Christianity should not be discounted just because of the flakes and nuts and morons that call themselves christians but don't even know what they are doing... there is a very big difference.
ALL AMERICANS ARE NOT THE SAME
Yet often we get judged the same.
Under Bush we were one of the most hated countries in the world... if you did not vote for him and you went abroad - you would not like for one second the abuse that would come along with being American and getting painted with that wide sweeping brush.
Why would anyone think for a moment that a moron on the street corner with a loud hailer shouting at everyone going by that they are going to hell has ANYTHING to do with the Real God. They might - its possible... but they don't have a clue and have the wrong end of the stick.
It has been a long long long long time since I watched anything on the so called "God channels" for the same reason that you don't. Its silly nonsense and jargon and showmanship with little redeeming value at all!
IF, if there is anything resembling real christian teaching on there then its so far burried in the mush that you would never know it to see it.
But you dear reader have a chance to know the REAL God.
Behind the multitude of people claiming to know Him, yet hating and spouting vile and shouting at others around them... usually far away from that in fact... will be a guy like me... standing talking to people - trying hard to make it clear that they are not with those morons. Don't judge that person the same please...
A Real Christian will tell a stranger things like -
God is NOT out to judge you...
God is NOT concerned with you being GOOD ENOUGH or making you WORK for favor...
God is NOT interested in your money...
God is NOT trying to sell you a magazine...
God is NOT about stained glass and hidden abuses...
God is only interested in ONE thing.
You and what you do with Jesus.
If you can understand that Jesus is the simple method of getting things right with God regardless of your lifestyle, your past, your present, or your plans for the future... Then Nothing matters but accepting Him and taking a stand on that belief.
You judge Jesus and God with the same brush that other people judge you - as christian like people and Real Christians get lumped together - as a person that didn't pay taxes and has a prison record would get lumped in with a convicted rapist.
People like me - go out because we know the Real God is not being represented properly by hardly ANYONE in the media spotlight... We talk to people because we know when they hear how incredibly simple it is and how easy it can be to get everything right in a single moment... few people ever pass up the chance to do it right there and then.
When you come to believe that there is a God and you come to believe that mankind does "miss it" and we need help - then you realise that He made a simple way to "un miss it" Every Religion in the world is Man attempting to get to God.
Actual Christianity is about God reaching man. Its a relationship He wants with us... as friends and family and closer.
He sent His Son as our substitute
and He was Judged in our place.
Man is worried about if there is a God that he will be judged by him for things they did or things they didn't do...
God judged Jesus in our place.
All you have to do is accept the substitution - say that you accept it... and then start the amazing path of learning about God and the new relationship you have available to you.
Judging a man is easy when you realize that they are just a man and make mistakes... we judge others and ourselves all the time - the world judges us... the Good News is - God does not judge us
He only wants us to accept the judgement He put on Jesus on our behalf.
Make sense?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Judging a man...
One of the thoughts that has been on my heart and mind for some time lately is how people see you... how loved ones see you and how you see yourself.
Basic Psychology teaches us about ID and Schemas and complexes and personality and social issues - yet I am going to lump all of that together in this instance.
I think the way science defines it is all well and good for the most part to describe the issues we face with identity and self esteem and other such issues - yet the simple fact remains that a perfectly well adjusted person will attempt to balance all such issues... internal and external as best they can without crashing to far over to one side. Yet the flipside of that is in the course of events of your life you need to assert yourself and your identity and be unique and follow the passions that you choose even if over the course of the journey you find that the road you chose and felt best to follow... is not the popular choice. Others will have issues with your choices and good or bad they are your choices to make.
Conformity Versus Individualism
If in the course of your life you make small efforts to blend in to the crowd around you and do what you think is right - yet later on you find that you only did those things as they were expected of you rather than a real desire or as part of your identity of (the real you) - in that case to recognize the attempts to fit in as being part of the identity struggling to get out - most individuals will find regret remorse and respond to the past in a negative way and wish that things were done differently.
Alternatively the outside efforts of people, peers or pressure to make some events happen in your life or your identity can also affect your growth and development. These outside events can be negative or positive.
Just such instances are unfortunately most visible with negative issues in life that we then work to some degree and level to justify the event or to struggle against it.
I talk of course about childhood and family, world events and even growth and change in the society we live it. We find ourselves constantly in a struggle to some degree to accept or reject issues and events every day and whether or not to take such stresses on ourselves or to ignore them to some degree.
It is in these events and dealing with them that we find our identity - our visible and invisible self being made most apparent to ourselves and others.
When stress is on us and we cannot take the pressure and we explode or want to at some level - or when stress is on and we take it all in stride and deal with it effortlessly is all part of the self dealing with the world around us.
In a scientific sense it would be the same as poking a frog with a stick to see its reaction - external stimulus or just observing the frog in its own environs - the Self that the world sees and the inner identity that not even the world see is all made visible to some degree with events and stresses being the prodding point in our lives.
As children we grow up learning this hard lesson as we go along. The primary example is socially with first family, friends, relatives and the like... and with others like strangers and potential peers or role models. How each of those people interact with us and how we interact with them all play a large shaping role in our lives even to adult hood.
If in adult hood we seem to ourselves as maladjusted or others have that opinion of us it is up to us to justify the past offenses against the present ones and so on to reason and explain that this is in fact why we are the way that we are.
As the world says - I am a product of my environment - or the (It takes a village) mentality.
Unfortunately this is a flawed way of thinking and explaining Self and Identity. Pop psychology aside for a moment - Sorry Yes I did just build up all of the previous just to abandon it for the point of this topic.
The Flaw made visible...
The flaw in this line of thinking is that it gives justification and excuses and reasons without addressing the issue of the hurts and the stresses or even the positives of the past to shape us into who we are today... we find ourselves comfortable in the present state of self (mostly) that makes you not want to do the most obvious thing in the world when you are in just such a situation. Not for conformity sake but for the sake of growth and change that is needed in such a situation such as life and personality.
Growth, Change, Struggle of Identity and Existence coupled with the fundamental need to be completely happy with yourself and not settle for your present condition or state of affairs.
(Continued in next post)
Basic Psychology teaches us about ID and Schemas and complexes and personality and social issues - yet I am going to lump all of that together in this instance.
I think the way science defines it is all well and good for the most part to describe the issues we face with identity and self esteem and other such issues - yet the simple fact remains that a perfectly well adjusted person will attempt to balance all such issues... internal and external as best they can without crashing to far over to one side. Yet the flipside of that is in the course of events of your life you need to assert yourself and your identity and be unique and follow the passions that you choose even if over the course of the journey you find that the road you chose and felt best to follow... is not the popular choice. Others will have issues with your choices and good or bad they are your choices to make.
Conformity Versus Individualism
If in the course of your life you make small efforts to blend in to the crowd around you and do what you think is right - yet later on you find that you only did those things as they were expected of you rather than a real desire or as part of your identity of (the real you) - in that case to recognize the attempts to fit in as being part of the identity struggling to get out - most individuals will find regret remorse and respond to the past in a negative way and wish that things were done differently.
Alternatively the outside efforts of people, peers or pressure to make some events happen in your life or your identity can also affect your growth and development. These outside events can be negative or positive.
Just such instances are unfortunately most visible with negative issues in life that we then work to some degree and level to justify the event or to struggle against it.
I talk of course about childhood and family, world events and even growth and change in the society we live it. We find ourselves constantly in a struggle to some degree to accept or reject issues and events every day and whether or not to take such stresses on ourselves or to ignore them to some degree.
It is in these events and dealing with them that we find our identity - our visible and invisible self being made most apparent to ourselves and others.
When stress is on us and we cannot take the pressure and we explode or want to at some level - or when stress is on and we take it all in stride and deal with it effortlessly is all part of the self dealing with the world around us.
In a scientific sense it would be the same as poking a frog with a stick to see its reaction - external stimulus or just observing the frog in its own environs - the Self that the world sees and the inner identity that not even the world see is all made visible to some degree with events and stresses being the prodding point in our lives.
As children we grow up learning this hard lesson as we go along. The primary example is socially with first family, friends, relatives and the like... and with others like strangers and potential peers or role models. How each of those people interact with us and how we interact with them all play a large shaping role in our lives even to adult hood.
If in adult hood we seem to ourselves as maladjusted or others have that opinion of us it is up to us to justify the past offenses against the present ones and so on to reason and explain that this is in fact why we are the way that we are.
As the world says - I am a product of my environment - or the (It takes a village) mentality.
Unfortunately this is a flawed way of thinking and explaining Self and Identity. Pop psychology aside for a moment - Sorry Yes I did just build up all of the previous just to abandon it for the point of this topic.
The Flaw made visible...
The flaw in this line of thinking is that it gives justification and excuses and reasons without addressing the issue of the hurts and the stresses or even the positives of the past to shape us into who we are today... we find ourselves comfortable in the present state of self (mostly) that makes you not want to do the most obvious thing in the world when you are in just such a situation. Not for conformity sake but for the sake of growth and change that is needed in such a situation such as life and personality.
Growth, Change, Struggle of Identity and Existence coupled with the fundamental need to be completely happy with yourself and not settle for your present condition or state of affairs.
(Continued in next post)
I know I am rambling....
Don't worry I know the posts are kinda rambling and does not quite follow one thought to the other one. I kinda wanted to vent and talk about two different things at the same time but did not feel like making two different posts... or three or four as the case may be.
Anyway - Hope you still enjoy reading my nonsense... I will be deleting these all later when I get my act together on my project and replacing them with properly thought out ramblings.
:)
Anyway - Hope you still enjoy reading my nonsense... I will be deleting these all later when I get my act together on my project and replacing them with properly thought out ramblings.
:)
Friday, October 2, 2009
The real issue
In some situations it becomes apparent that looks, politics, and popularity play a key role in life. Government is one. In many elections since mass media was running election coverage - photos videos and speeches became a big part of what people looked at to make a choice regarding their favorite candidate. Yet most people just chose by looks.
Image is everything.
A small monthly magazine in USA called the Weekly Reader has predicted the correct outcome of every major election in the USA perfectly for over 30? 40? years.
The magazine is for school kids that on average never read, know nothing about politics, and whose primary concern in life at that age is does so and so like me.
School kids from 6 and up could correctly predict political results every time.
They were given two photos of two candidates (three or four in other elections with independents) and simply asked for which person would they vote for.
A small check box later they cast there vote based largely on looks.
They always got it right. http://www.weeklyreader.com/
Anyway - I say all of that to say this...
What if you want a voice? What if you think or feel that you have something to share and you are denied the chance to do so?
Politics and rash decisions like the above happen to us all of the time in our lives. Yet in most cases we are powerless to prevent it or do anything about it.
Without a voice - we are silent
Without an opinion - we are puppets
Without action - we fail before we start
As a person with many opinions (ask anyone around me for 5 min) I feel that I do have something to offer the world. Something to share. A passion to spread.
I am well read - in the secular sense and in the Christian world.
I am very very picky about what I listen to however in regards to both.
I take every chance I can to tell others about the life changing relationship of Jesus and what He did for us.
I have friends and acquaintances from one side of this world to the other that would take me in if I needed help - people that tell me that I have made a difference in their lives.
Yet I do not spend money on appearance or fashion and I am quite happy with the basics of both. The majority of my paycheck is spent on food and rent and loans. If I have anything left over it goes to buy a bit better food or pay off a bit more on another bill.
So I look uninteresting - don't have acid washed jeans or greased and styled hair like any random band on MTV. Mind you I would happily update my "look" given the chance and enough pressure from others. But I fail to see the need as anything but vain and selfish when there is better things in life to be done. So baring a severe blow to the head causing massive brain damage and drop in IQ and about 500 hours of MTV brainwashing... I don't see this happening any time soon for me regardless of money.
Anyway - all that being said... the world do not look at the inner man. They look at the outward man every time.
Do you have a voice in the world? Is it from your character and mind or because you Look the Part?
Do you play the games to make people like you for your looks even though they will just as easily talk about you behind your back the moment your gone?
I don't have time for the silly social hurdles that people and society place in front of us. I hate having to go to people that have heard gossip and ask them why they won't even say hello to you if you pass them in the street.
So I don't bother worrying about it.
I believe in a better way of life - a better moral code that my father put into me.
Chivalry, politeness and civility, good natured and well mannered ways that should make people like you no matter what. Yet I keep running into people that dislike me for that very reason. I keep making an effort and it is wearying to be sure... but it is worth doing.
In my area for the last several years I said hello to strangers every morning, every afternoon and every evening. Regardless of who they were. Do you know that it was a year before anyone said hello back?
Anyway - think I wandered off the point there. Sorry.
Finding my voice again
In this world we judge and vote and so forth - all primarily based on looks and opinion of appearance.
Politics, Friends and even family are all based on looks.
Jesus sent us to the lovely and the unlovely. To care and share and be civil at the least to others and each other.
The Bible says that the world will know we are Christians because of the love we have for one another. Caring for each other and those around us should urge us all to come out of our comfort zones and approach life and the world at large to be more and do more than we are doing now.
I go out every weekend here in Dundalk Ireland (with others) and share the very real love and relationship that I have with Christ. I make a point to get past the walls and the opinions the people have about me and what I am talking about to get to the heart of the matter and the heart of where they are at.
With Gods help many times I have talked to people to the point that they are encouraging me and my friends to stop everyone and do the same. The Truth sets you free.
Shock and awe is the expression we get most... when the nonsense of who we are or what we might be talking about are out of the way... many times people tell us things like - It can't be that simple - there has to be a catch -
When people have gotten passed the looks and the thoughts and past upsets and listen - really listen to the simple message of the Gospel... everyone is shocked.
Its not about a building or an organization - nothing to do with stained glass
Nothing to do with being good enough or working to earn it
Its everything to do with them - just taking the free gift of salvation from Jesus and starting a real true relationship with God.
Most everyone has the knowledge of this in their head - most everyone thinks its true. People fail when they don't know that beyond the appearance of what we are showing them in the Bible - there is an action that they have to do.
The difference between Christianity (Actual Christianity) and religion or religious looking or sounding christianity - is this one simple action.
You have to with your mouth and in your heart - confess that Jesus is Lord and believe it in your heart. Then tell someone else about it and what you did as you continue to grow and learn in it.
The action is the key to the actual.
That is the real issue with the FACE of christianity that everyone judges and the appearance of the look of the popular idea of what Church or religion is.
The popular people in Churches around the world that hold the best rank among all others or any religion for that matter... the difference is that God looks at the heart and the REAL you. He knows what is going on inside.
You can fool everyone else but Him.
What image are you projecting to others and do they even know your a Christian (if you are one) and is it because you told them you are or because you told them then shared with them about Him? As a Christian the next action you do should be telling others about Jesus.
Image is everything.
A small monthly magazine in USA called the Weekly Reader has predicted the correct outcome of every major election in the USA perfectly for over 30? 40? years.
The magazine is for school kids that on average never read, know nothing about politics, and whose primary concern in life at that age is does so and so like me.
School kids from 6 and up could correctly predict political results every time.
They were given two photos of two candidates (three or four in other elections with independents) and simply asked for which person would they vote for.
A small check box later they cast there vote based largely on looks.
They always got it right. http://www.weeklyreader.com/
Anyway - I say all of that to say this...
What if you want a voice? What if you think or feel that you have something to share and you are denied the chance to do so?
Politics and rash decisions like the above happen to us all of the time in our lives. Yet in most cases we are powerless to prevent it or do anything about it.
Without a voice - we are silent
Without an opinion - we are puppets
Without action - we fail before we start
As a person with many opinions (ask anyone around me for 5 min) I feel that I do have something to offer the world. Something to share. A passion to spread.
I am well read - in the secular sense and in the Christian world.
I am very very picky about what I listen to however in regards to both.
I take every chance I can to tell others about the life changing relationship of Jesus and what He did for us.
I have friends and acquaintances from one side of this world to the other that would take me in if I needed help - people that tell me that I have made a difference in their lives.
Yet I do not spend money on appearance or fashion and I am quite happy with the basics of both. The majority of my paycheck is spent on food and rent and loans. If I have anything left over it goes to buy a bit better food or pay off a bit more on another bill.
So I look uninteresting - don't have acid washed jeans or greased and styled hair like any random band on MTV. Mind you I would happily update my "look" given the chance and enough pressure from others. But I fail to see the need as anything but vain and selfish when there is better things in life to be done. So baring a severe blow to the head causing massive brain damage and drop in IQ and about 500 hours of MTV brainwashing... I don't see this happening any time soon for me regardless of money.
Anyway - all that being said... the world do not look at the inner man. They look at the outward man every time.
Do you have a voice in the world? Is it from your character and mind or because you Look the Part?
Do you play the games to make people like you for your looks even though they will just as easily talk about you behind your back the moment your gone?
I don't have time for the silly social hurdles that people and society place in front of us. I hate having to go to people that have heard gossip and ask them why they won't even say hello to you if you pass them in the street.
So I don't bother worrying about it.
I believe in a better way of life - a better moral code that my father put into me.
Chivalry, politeness and civility, good natured and well mannered ways that should make people like you no matter what. Yet I keep running into people that dislike me for that very reason. I keep making an effort and it is wearying to be sure... but it is worth doing.
In my area for the last several years I said hello to strangers every morning, every afternoon and every evening. Regardless of who they were. Do you know that it was a year before anyone said hello back?
Anyway - think I wandered off the point there. Sorry.
Finding my voice again
In this world we judge and vote and so forth - all primarily based on looks and opinion of appearance.
Politics, Friends and even family are all based on looks.
Jesus sent us to the lovely and the unlovely. To care and share and be civil at the least to others and each other.
The Bible says that the world will know we are Christians because of the love we have for one another. Caring for each other and those around us should urge us all to come out of our comfort zones and approach life and the world at large to be more and do more than we are doing now.
I go out every weekend here in Dundalk Ireland (with others) and share the very real love and relationship that I have with Christ. I make a point to get past the walls and the opinions the people have about me and what I am talking about to get to the heart of the matter and the heart of where they are at.
With Gods help many times I have talked to people to the point that they are encouraging me and my friends to stop everyone and do the same. The Truth sets you free.
Shock and awe is the expression we get most... when the nonsense of who we are or what we might be talking about are out of the way... many times people tell us things like - It can't be that simple - there has to be a catch -
When people have gotten passed the looks and the thoughts and past upsets and listen - really listen to the simple message of the Gospel... everyone is shocked.
Its not about a building or an organization - nothing to do with stained glass
Nothing to do with being good enough or working to earn it
Its everything to do with them - just taking the free gift of salvation from Jesus and starting a real true relationship with God.
Most everyone has the knowledge of this in their head - most everyone thinks its true. People fail when they don't know that beyond the appearance of what we are showing them in the Bible - there is an action that they have to do.
The difference between Christianity (Actual Christianity) and religion or religious looking or sounding christianity - is this one simple action.
You have to with your mouth and in your heart - confess that Jesus is Lord and believe it in your heart. Then tell someone else about it and what you did as you continue to grow and learn in it.
The action is the key to the actual.
That is the real issue with the FACE of christianity that everyone judges and the appearance of the look of the popular idea of what Church or religion is.
The popular people in Churches around the world that hold the best rank among all others or any religion for that matter... the difference is that God looks at the heart and the REAL you. He knows what is going on inside.
You can fool everyone else but Him.
What image are you projecting to others and do they even know your a Christian (if you are one) and is it because you told them you are or because you told them then shared with them about Him? As a Christian the next action you do should be telling others about Jesus.
Declaraton of Independence - Church and State - Christians in Politics
Just thinking today about the Declaration of Independance - Ireland is voting (AGAIN) on something they already voted for. This is not the first time they had to vote again on something they seemingly got wrong (according to officals). What good is a vote with someone looking over your shoulder and telling you what box to tick - face to circle or ideology to have? It is worthless in a democracy - or any system that uses a democratic process.
A government asking its people to vote again so it can get its own will is not a government that represents its people at all.
Here is a link to the text of that document - http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm
While I am by no means suggesting a revolt... I am suggesting that people wake up to the world around them and start looking for leaders that are not just a political party and blindly following them... but electing and choosing people that you should be able to trust.
Christians in politics? Am I serious?
There was a line of thinking that the founders of the USA had in mind - Separation of Church and State. This was in essence to mean that the leadership of a country would never FORCE one religion as a State Religion. However today that idea has gotten so wishy washy that if the pope were elected president he would have to nearly denounce he believed in God before people would like him.
A secular humanist politician is put into office - would he denounce his ways of thinking before taking his seat? No. Yet Christians have gotten the silly idea that this is what Separation of Church and State means... so thus prayer is not allowed in schools even silently in some places because its in a "state" or government run place.
If you read the dusty books of history you will see that the founders of New Religions often do so for the sole purpose - to justify their own ways and not have to change something about themselves. This is what the leader of the "religion" the founding fathers were running away from because they saw the hypocrisy in a King electing himself Pope and trying to make everyone under him be happy with it or else... THAT is what they were trying to prevent again. That should be clear to a 4 year old. Yet out of context today - that phrase has become equal with no God in anything to do with Government. Legal issues and lawsuits and attempts at Constitutional amendments to that train of thought aside... it was the intent and the thrust of the phrase when it was penned to paper.
Personal Change, Growth and improvement is the key ideology to Christianity - along with such things as love your neighbor, help your fellows, feed the poor, and share this life changing Relationship you have with Christ - with others.
Are you telling me seriously that the thought of taking care of, caring for and helping others has NO place in politics? Of course you wouldn't, you just want to cut out the source of why and how that care takes place.
Making a Difference -
Christians are by design made to make a difference in the World around them. Asking a Christian to not get involved with others is ignorant at best.
One job I worked at for several years asked me to be WORK JOE when I walked into the door in the mornings and to leave CHRISTIAN JOE at the door.
THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!
We are not made to be dual minded drones that can switch off being Christian when we want. It should come out at every opportunity.
When we do not Salt a situation - we lose the savor that makes Salt what it is.
Good for nothing.
If there is no Christians in Politics or leadership - then there is no Salt or Light in the situations that are driving our country, or your country.
I urge you dear reader to think over the world around you and consider your role in it. If you have a chance to help your fellow man would you not do that?
Yet some people I talk to have told me that they would do just that. Nothing.
I think Christians tend to be so much like sheep they tend for forget they have a brain and can think for themselves.
Wake up!
SALT AND LIGHT -
A government asking its people to vote again so it can get its own will is not a government that represents its people at all.
Here is a link to the text of that document - http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm
While I am by no means suggesting a revolt... I am suggesting that people wake up to the world around them and start looking for leaders that are not just a political party and blindly following them... but electing and choosing people that you should be able to trust.
Christians in politics? Am I serious?
There was a line of thinking that the founders of the USA had in mind - Separation of Church and State. This was in essence to mean that the leadership of a country would never FORCE one religion as a State Religion. However today that idea has gotten so wishy washy that if the pope were elected president he would have to nearly denounce he believed in God before people would like him.
A secular humanist politician is put into office - would he denounce his ways of thinking before taking his seat? No. Yet Christians have gotten the silly idea that this is what Separation of Church and State means... so thus prayer is not allowed in schools even silently in some places because its in a "state" or government run place.
If you read the dusty books of history you will see that the founders of New Religions often do so for the sole purpose - to justify their own ways and not have to change something about themselves. This is what the leader of the "religion" the founding fathers were running away from because they saw the hypocrisy in a King electing himself Pope and trying to make everyone under him be happy with it or else... THAT is what they were trying to prevent again. That should be clear to a 4 year old. Yet out of context today - that phrase has become equal with no God in anything to do with Government. Legal issues and lawsuits and attempts at Constitutional amendments to that train of thought aside... it was the intent and the thrust of the phrase when it was penned to paper.
Personal Change, Growth and improvement is the key ideology to Christianity - along with such things as love your neighbor, help your fellows, feed the poor, and share this life changing Relationship you have with Christ - with others.
Are you telling me seriously that the thought of taking care of, caring for and helping others has NO place in politics? Of course you wouldn't, you just want to cut out the source of why and how that care takes place.
Making a Difference -
Christians are by design made to make a difference in the World around them. Asking a Christian to not get involved with others is ignorant at best.
One job I worked at for several years asked me to be WORK JOE when I walked into the door in the mornings and to leave CHRISTIAN JOE at the door.
THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!
We are not made to be dual minded drones that can switch off being Christian when we want. It should come out at every opportunity.
When we do not Salt a situation - we lose the savor that makes Salt what it is.
Good for nothing.
If there is no Christians in Politics or leadership - then there is no Salt or Light in the situations that are driving our country, or your country.
I urge you dear reader to think over the world around you and consider your role in it. If you have a chance to help your fellow man would you not do that?
Yet some people I talk to have told me that they would do just that. Nothing.
I think Christians tend to be so much like sheep they tend for forget they have a brain and can think for themselves.
Wake up!
SALT AND LIGHT -
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