A Sinner

I Believe
Archives No Rapture Respecting Religion An Open Letter to the ACLU Forgive and Forget A Sinner One Nation Under God Mathew 25 Do's and Don't's Brother against brother My grace is sufficient A Thousand Shall Fall An open Letter to Gong Shengliang Carrying the Cross Proverbs 3 The False Prophet So Many Wrong People theWay What is Faith? An open letter to Zhang Yi-nan An open letter to Ms. Li Ying An open letter to the Pope. An open letter to Sung Seo Pao. Should we really celebrate christmass?.	Our first and most important commandment from God has always been to love Him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind. It is our responsibility to maintain this commandment, as God knows our hearts and true intentions. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Mathew 22:37-39) Jesus was very clear. If we love Him we keep His commandments. So loving God is our first priority, and loving our neighbor as we love our self are commandments for us to live by. If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15) Jesus taught much to us, but most importantly He spoke of loving Him, following Him and believing upon Him. Because if we do this we will honor His commandments. To know Him is to know God who sent Jesus, for the love of God is in the heart of those who truly follow Jesus. God is honored and glorified by the belief in His Son, Jesus. To follow Jesus is to love God first, and then keep the commandments of Jesus, carry our own cross, and deny our self, perhaps the most difficult obstacle in following Jesus, thinking of others first! Yet this is truly serving Jesus and at the same time denying ourselves in order that we carry our cross. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mathew 16:24) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27) If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. (John 12:26) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18) So what do all of these words truly mean, if we are to understand how we are to follow Jesus. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of several key words are listed below: Faith 1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : LOYALTY b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions 2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust . Do we completely trust God, or do we worry after years of unemployment, rough times in a marriage, or neighbors who mean us harm. War in the middle east, and the great apostasy that is upon us today, all sources of concern. Yet we trust in God and we know that all this was already told to us. Believe 1 a : to have a firm religious faith b : to accept as true, genuine, or real Love 4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others b : a person's adoration of God Love -- It is the second commandment and Jesus explains that is is so very similar to our first commandment, loving God. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) God knows us and our hearts and we are wise to remember that we must worship God in spirit. That is to do as He wills, and not try to achieve a technical relationship with God where everything is literal. The Bible says that we are not to kill, yet the spirit of God does not mean that we stand by as we watch a loved one when attacked or killed. Follow 2 a : to engage in as a calling or way of life : PURSUE How many of us truly follow Jesus based simply on knowing that we are to love others as we love our self? When God calls us we are to follow Jesus. At the wedding we must all be prepared. The truth is that most of us are so caught up with the world around us and all the distractions that require our attention, that following Jesus simply becomes a compartmentalized routine -- "I'll go to church this Sunday". Most Americans are working 9-10 hour days and sleeping another 6 each day. With commute time and prep time for work we have little time left to truly serve God. Of course we have the opportunity each day to serve God in our work place, and many in fact do. When we have a few extra minutes to unwind and reflect, do we think of God or our next vacation day? Do we check our email or watch our favorite show on TV, always thinking, "I need to read the Bible more" Seek 2 a : to go in search of : look for b : to try to discover Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (Mathew 7:7) We need to constantly be seeking Jesus, and the kingdom of God, for it starts within us. Jesus told His disciples that all men would know they are followers of Jesus if they show love one for another. Paul commended the Bereans for always searching scripture for the truth. God has promised us, if we truly seek Him, worship Him --- we will find Him. God bless and may the love of Jesus Christ be with you all.

I Believe

Archives

No Rapture

Respecting Religion

An Open Letter to the ACLU

Brother against brother

My grace is sufficient

A Thousand Shall Fall

An open Letter to Gong Shengliang

An open letter to Zhang Yi-nan

An open letter to Ms. Li Ying

An open letter to the Pope.

An open letter to Sung Seo Pao.

Should we really celebrate christmass?.

Our first and most important commandment from God has always been to love Him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind. It is our responsibility to maintain this commandment, as God knows our hearts and true intentions.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
(Mathew 22:37-39)

Jesus was very clear. If we love Him we keep His commandments. So loving God is our first priority, and loving our neighbor as we love our self are commandments for us to live by.

If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

Jesus taught much to us, but most importantly He spoke of loving Him, following Him and believing upon Him. Because if we do this we will honor His commandments. To know Him is to know God who sent Jesus, for the love of God is in the heart of those who truly follow Jesus. God is honored and glorified by the belief in His Son, Jesus. To follow Jesus is to love God first, and then keep the commandments of Jesus, carry our own cross, and deny our self, perhaps the most difficult obstacle in following Jesus, thinking of others first! Yet this is truly serving Jesus and at the same time denying ourselves in order that we carry our cross.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
(Mathew 16:24)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. (John 12:26)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
(John 3:16-18)

So what do all of these words truly mean, if we are to understand how we are to follow Jesus. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of several key words are listed below:

Faith
1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : LOYALTY b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust .

Do we completely trust God, or do we worry after years of unemployment, rough times in a marriage, or neighbors who mean us harm. War in the middle east, and the great apostasy that is upon us today, all sources of concern. Yet we trust in God and we know that all this was already told to us.

Believe
1 a : to have a firm religious faith b : to accept as true, genuine, or real

Love
4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others b : a person's adoration of God

Love -- It is the second commandment and Jesus explains that is is so very similar to our first commandment, loving God.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

God knows us and our hearts and we are wise to remember that we must worship God in spirit. That is to do as He wills, and not try to achieve a technical relationship with God where everything is literal. The Bible says that we are not to kill, yet the spirit of God does not mean that we stand by as we watch a loved one when attacked or killed.

Follow
2 a : to engage in as a calling or way of life : PURSUE

How many of us truly follow Jesus based simply on knowing that we are to love others as we love our self? When God calls us we are to follow Jesus. At the wedding we must all be prepared. The truth is that most of us are so caught up with the world around us and all the distractions that require our attention, that following Jesus simply becomes a compartmentalized routine -- "I'll go to church this Sunday". Most Americans are working 9-10 hour days and sleeping another 6 each day. With commute time and prep time for work we have little time left to truly serve God. Of course we have the opportunity each day to serve God in our work place, and many in fact do. When we have a few extra minutes to unwind and reflect, do we think of God or our next vacation day? Do we check our email or watch our favorite show on TV, always thinking, "I need to read the Bible more"

Seek
2 a : to go in search of : look for b : to try to discover

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (Mathew 7:7)

We need to constantly be seeking Jesus, and the kingdom of God, for it starts within us. Jesus told His disciples that all men would know they are followers of Jesus if they show love one for another. Paul commended the Bereans for always searching scripture for the truth. God has promised us, if we truly seek Him, worship Him --- we will find Him.

God bless and may the love of Jesus Christ be with you all.