Love. What is it exactly?

I am going to start doing a personal study on this subject. I know in my heart what love is, but it has so many diverse uses and meanings. It just got me to thinking this morning about all of it. Every aspect of love. Any-who, whatever triggered my train of thought, I'll never know. Just woke up, in the night, from one of my many dreams with this thought. I posted a little more HERE, if you'd like to read about it some more. I'll be thinking and praying about what to share here on this blog too.

Happy New Year Blessings to you and yours! May God guide you through this coming year, and may you hold Him close in your heart!

Let God Mold & Guide You. (Not the World).

We are in Hawaii this week and Hubs wanted to visit one of their Nazarene churches while we were here. I am glad we went. The message we heard yesterday was based from Matthew 2:19-23 and the Lesson was -The Wise Guys- "Guidance- Out of Egypt".  Pastor Mark talked a lot about the mysterious workings of God's guidance and how God guided Joseph & Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, & then to Israel. Each of their stops had an important purpose. (Matt. 2:5-6, 15, 23) And that each destination was usually a surprise. (Matt. 2:23, Rom. 12:2) Their entire journey consisted of 600 miles by walking or by riding a donkey. Sometimes Mary was pregnant, & sometimes she was holding a child in her arms. I'm sure the journey was long and hard along each path God directed them. Yet, they were on a guided tour by God. One thought that stuck to me was when Pastor Mark mentioned that, "As our lives seem to flow so perfectly, God often will change things up on us. Showing us a mysterious working of His guidance & will for our lives. How often do we feel we are in a dry, difficult time, wondering what God has for us? Even when you don't know or understand things, He will never let you down! He will always guide you! The one thing we need to remember is to TRUST HIM WITH EVERYTHING. (After all, it is all His anyway.)"

Another thought that I really wanted to share was one of his last statements.

"Don't let the world squeeze your form. Let God mold you." (Romans 12:1-2)

May we always remember these things when thinking about His mysterious Guidance & will for our lives.

1. God's guidance is given one step at a time.
2. The rascals (or things) God uses are often those you'd least suspect.
3. The route to the destination (God has for us) is not always direct.
4. Let God guide & mold you. Not the world.

Do we trust God as much as Joseph & Mary did, even if we don't know exactly what He has in store for us?

Why Must I Be Silent?

Recently, on FB, people have posted a video concerning a young man who is fighting for the rights of homosexuals b/c he was raised by two mothers. He states that his family is no different from mine. (I beg to differ!) Many people are using phrases like: "Why oppose this?" or "Why not just accept this?" And my answer was this: "I oppose it, b/c God opposes it." Why should I sit back and be silent on this subject, while they are free to express their beliefs & opinions? Why are Christians being silent and sitting still? Why aren't we crying out against sin, as the Bible tells us to? Why are we willing to be silent? And why are some willing to just accept things as they are b/c they're (we're) told to? What do we profit when we ignore the Word of God & become so accepting of what the World views as okay? God did not intend for family to formed of two mothers or two fathers. God intended that families be formed of one male & one female. It is natural from men & women to attract. It is what God intended when He created us. However, same-sex attraction is sin. It is an abomination the eyes of God, and therefore should be viewed the same way if indeed we call ourselves Christian. The Bible refers to homosexuality as sodomy. When I spoke up on my beliefs, I was being neither hateful or judgmental (in the negative sense). I only stated what I feel to be true based upon the Holy Word of God. I also stated that I wasn't trying to pick a fight or be argumentative, only that I was tired of people being able to express their opinions, while I am just to sit and remain silent on my beliefs. That really bothers me too. As long as Christians stay silent, the World will get along with us. But when we speak out on sin, we are no longer "loving" and only judgmental. I also stated that it was not the person that I oppose or that God opposes, for God loves each of us the same and offers each of us the same plan for Salvation. But God does hate the sin. There is a difference. While I knew (and know now as I write this) that I would (will) be met with opposition, I must remind myself, "wasn't Christ?" John 15: ^18"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you".(NIV)  Luke 6:22 "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake."

A good thing to remember as Christians is Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." We cannot sit on the fence concerning anything God speaks about. If He is for it, so should we be. If He is against it, so should we be. We must be one way or the other, for we cannot have it both ways.

Here are some scriptures & definitions I have been looking at this morning concerning homosexuality, or as the Bible puts it "sodomy". I also know that God gives each of us a choice. When we continue to ignore His warnings, He will let us have our way and will give us a reprobate mind. Though, please note; God did not create us for this purpose. At the same time He will not force us to believe. Just as I cannot force you to believe, you must have faith & a desire to obey, understand, stand by it, & stand up for His Word.

Romans 1:

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:

25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Reprobate (according to Webster) -\REP-ruh-bayt\

DEFINITION

noun

1:a person foreordained to damnation

2:a depraved person:scoundrel

transitive verb

1:to condemn strongly as unworthy, unacceptable, or evil;reprobating the laxity of the age;

2:to foreordain to damnation

3:to refuse to accept: reject

adjective

1archaic: rejected as worthless or not standing a test: condemned

2a:foreordained to damnation

b:morally corrupt: depraved

3:expressing or involving reprobation

4:of, relating to, or characteristic of a reprobate

Genesis 1:20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

2 Peter 2: 4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them in chains of darkness[b] to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh[c] and despise authority.

Definition ofSODOM

:a place notorious for vice or corruption

Definition of GOMORRAH

:a place notorious for vice and corruption

Definition of VILE

1a:morally despicable or abhorrent vile as intellectual dishonesty;

b:physically repulsive: foul vile slum;

2:of little worth or account: common; also: mean

3:tending to degrade;vile employments;

4:disgustingly or utterly bad: obnoxious, contemptible;vile weather; vile temper;

All of that being said, I say again, "Why must I be silent? Why is it okay for others to fight for their rights, but when I fight for mine, it is not okay? I'm tired of being silent. I'm tired of standing by and seeing my rights and beliefs being stripped away b/c others don't like the Word of God. Let's stand up and fight for Truth saints!"