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Desire to be a vessel of honor unto the Lord Jesus Christ?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
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Taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
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Depending upon the Holy Spirit for all you do?
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
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How are famous preachers sometimes effected by sin?
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
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Radical Love
- Thread starter Susannah
- Start date
Not_Now.Soon
Member
Love God with all your heart, your mind, and your strength....
Then later Jesus says, if you love me obey my commands. What does it mean to be obedient to God? It probabley means to love with your heart plan and act with your mind and your strength to follow through on those comands. Obedience is an act of love. Then we move on to the second important law.
Love your neighbor...
So many of the laws are with how we deal with eachother. Not with how we deal with God. In fact of the 10 comandments the first three deal with us and God, while the other seven deal with how we deal with eachother.
Loving one another is not just an act of love for another person, it's also an extension of obeying and loving God. (That doesn't mean condoning sin or encouraging it but that is a different issue, and complicates the matter a bit).
However I have another thought on loving another. Right now we have the issue on immigration that has become a world wide issue. What do we do with refugees, with those who've fled war torn homes, or places that are entrenched in poverty. The issue of love in this issue does not neglect the issue of using all our mind to love, and to plan out how much we can do without stretching ourselves too thin. Like a loving person who takes in stray animals but doesn't have the means to feed them all has an issue of being negligent.
So what is more loving, a debate on immigration policies and who to take in and how many to take in. Or to think of a country as a neighbor, and as a country love your neighboring countries. How to lift them up so that their people are in a better position to not want to leave and flee. I think we should do both, but that is a huge risk to be taken advantage of.
I don't know I've just been thinking about this recently about loving your neighbor on an international sense. Love a foreign country like you love your own home. Want the best for them like you want your home to be safe and have security, jobs, and justice.
Sorry for the tangent.
Then later Jesus says, if you love me obey my commands. What does it mean to be obedient to God? It probabley means to love with your heart plan and act with your mind and your strength to follow through on those comands. Obedience is an act of love. Then we move on to the second important law.
Love your neighbor...
So many of the laws are with how we deal with eachother. Not with how we deal with God. In fact of the 10 comandments the first three deal with us and God, while the other seven deal with how we deal with eachother.
Loving one another is not just an act of love for another person, it's also an extension of obeying and loving God. (That doesn't mean condoning sin or encouraging it but that is a different issue, and complicates the matter a bit).
However I have another thought on loving another. Right now we have the issue on immigration that has become a world wide issue. What do we do with refugees, with those who've fled war torn homes, or places that are entrenched in poverty. The issue of love in this issue does not neglect the issue of using all our mind to love, and to plan out how much we can do without stretching ourselves too thin. Like a loving person who takes in stray animals but doesn't have the means to feed them all has an issue of being negligent.
So what is more loving, a debate on immigration policies and who to take in and how many to take in. Or to think of a country as a neighbor, and as a country love your neighboring countries. How to lift them up so that their people are in a better position to not want to leave and flee. I think we should do both, but that is a huge risk to be taken advantage of.
I don't know I've just been thinking about this recently about loving your neighbor on an international sense. Love a foreign country like you love your own home. Want the best for them like you want your home to be safe and have security, jobs, and justice.
Sorry for the tangent.
I really like your ideas about immigration. I struggle with this issue. I am fourth generation Californian. This area has all Spanish names and used to belong to Mexico. When the Mexican Americans started settling here I was happy for them. They were taking their country back. A couple of years ago it got to crowded and the new arrivals were not learning English and were taking over all the service positions where they had to communicate with customers. I will be honest. It is frustrating. So I wish they would let everyone come in that needs to escape persecution but I would encourage them to settle in parts of the country where there is a lot of room. This seems, however, to go against their culture of living like a extended family in one particular area. So I pray about it and try not to be judgmental, but it is really hard when it comes to this. I have feelings sometimes that are not very Christian. Not to be too hard on myself, I am slowly learning Spanish. Vaya con Dios.
Not_Now.Soon
Member
Some people come here because they want a better future. I can't fault them for that, but there is a point where taking in too many people in need is like taking in too many animals and not being able to feed them or care for them.
Then there is the issue of safety. Many European nations that have taken in Arab refugees have an increase of crime, and the issues they fled from they bring with them. Namely the terrorism.
These things have to be considered and thought out. But there is an old Testiment law of being fair to the foreigners living in the land. I don't think restricting and closing the borders is the answer. So my next thought is that one likes to move away from their home. If we wanted to say we loved Mexicians, wouldn't we want to do something about their home, like say help them on the war on drugs in their own country (where the drug cartels and violent drug lords are in much more control). If we could do that for one nation instead of the power plays that nations play against each other, then maybe we could move on and help with the next. Until both north and south American Countries were stable on their own without outside assistance.
The problem with this approach is that it would likely leave us in a weaker position and be less able to take care of our own nation and it's interests. That and the advice Jesus warned us about. Don't throw pearls before swine. A wicked ruler might see the help and lol to take it and then attack us (*cough* Palistian state anyone? *cough cough*)
This is an idea that need more then an emotional plea attached to it, but instead forthought and planning. (I'm a bit tired of politics moving on emotional pleas to get diverse votes but nothing gets solved or resolved. It's a conman's shell game of which promise and cause is in front of you and which ones are being ignored). Sorry, just my own thoughts and political frustrations moving in.
Then there is the issue of safety. Many European nations that have taken in Arab refugees have an increase of crime, and the issues they fled from they bring with them. Namely the terrorism.
These things have to be considered and thought out. But there is an old Testiment law of being fair to the foreigners living in the land. I don't think restricting and closing the borders is the answer. So my next thought is that one likes to move away from their home. If we wanted to say we loved Mexicians, wouldn't we want to do something about their home, like say help them on the war on drugs in their own country (where the drug cartels and violent drug lords are in much more control). If we could do that for one nation instead of the power plays that nations play against each other, then maybe we could move on and help with the next. Until both north and south American Countries were stable on their own without outside assistance.
The problem with this approach is that it would likely leave us in a weaker position and be less able to take care of our own nation and it's interests. That and the advice Jesus warned us about. Don't throw pearls before swine. A wicked ruler might see the help and lol to take it and then attack us (*cough* Palistian state anyone? *cough cough*)
This is an idea that need more then an emotional plea attached to it, but instead forthought and planning. (I'm a bit tired of politics moving on emotional pleas to get diverse votes but nothing gets solved or resolved. It's a conman's shell game of which promise and cause is in front of you and which ones are being ignored). Sorry, just my own thoughts and political frustrations moving in.
I think you might want to edit your post. It is Mexican Americans. And using an analogy like that, comparing them to swine an animals, is a little harsh in my opinion and can easily be misinterpreted. It's not that I disagree with you, it is just that semantics make a big difference sometimes.
Not_Now.Soon
Member
I'm sorry for not making it clear. Let me try to explain what I meant.
When I said Mexicians, I mean Mexicians. We should also love Mexicians Americians, as we love any one of our own people, same with German Americans (Americans with a German decent, or recently immigrated and became citizens), or Chinese Americans, Russian Americans, or any other Americian in the US that is part of our country. No what I mean is to love our neighbor. Love Mexico enough to try and help the people and the nation itself so that it's own people aren't fleeing their home. As a country we should be a good neighbor. Mexicians and Canadians are our direct neighbors.
As for the throwing pearls before swine. That's as far as I can tell a warning of being careful around wicked people. The PLO and Hamas governments that rule Palistine in an attempt of a two state mix in Israel is my example of swine as leaders of those governments. For a while one or both of those governing bodies were using the international funds meant for help their people and their poverty as a means to stock up their own riches, as well as fund the population to become terrorists.
When NATO funds are being used to reward gurralia warfair, suicide attacks, and terror against Israel, then they count as wicked and evil leaders. Those leaders are swine. And a portion of the US's money was being funded to help the people in Palistine with the intent to help the people was being used to fund terrorism.
One issue in trying to do right is to not make things worse by giving more resources to evil and wicked men. Thus how I'm applying the verse "don't throw your pearls before swine." It's a lesson I've heard recently on that county's dealings, and a lesson I hope to remember so we don't make the same mistake to another country with an evil leader.
When I said Mexicians, I mean Mexicians. We should also love Mexicians Americians, as we love any one of our own people, same with German Americans (Americans with a German decent, or recently immigrated and became citizens), or Chinese Americans, Russian Americans, or any other Americian in the US that is part of our country. No what I mean is to love our neighbor. Love Mexico enough to try and help the people and the nation itself so that it's own people aren't fleeing their home. As a country we should be a good neighbor. Mexicians and Canadians are our direct neighbors.
As for the throwing pearls before swine. That's as far as I can tell a warning of being careful around wicked people. The PLO and Hamas governments that rule Palistine in an attempt of a two state mix in Israel is my example of swine as leaders of those governments. For a while one or both of those governing bodies were using the international funds meant for help their people and their poverty as a means to stock up their own riches, as well as fund the population to become terrorists.
When NATO funds are being used to reward gurralia warfair, suicide attacks, and terror against Israel, then they count as wicked and evil leaders. Those leaders are swine. And a portion of the US's money was being funded to help the people in Palistine with the intent to help the people was being used to fund terrorism.
One issue in trying to do right is to not make things worse by giving more resources to evil and wicked men. Thus how I'm applying the verse "don't throw your pearls before swine." It's a lesson I've heard recently on that county's dealings, and a lesson I hope to remember so we don't make the same mistake to another country with an evil leader.
I might suffer from Islamaphobia. I dont want Australia to become Muslim state under Sharon Law.
As long as they stay a minority. Hard right wing conservatives tend to exaggerate perhaps.
actually my one and only friend here is Muslim.
As long as they stay a minority. Hard right wing conservatives tend to exaggerate perhaps.
actually my one and only friend here is Muslim.