Love worth finding
About Me
Name:Touched By God Ministry
Location:Brampton, Ontario, Canada
I am a born again Christian sense 1994 and am fired up for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
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Love worth Finding
July 2004
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Love worth Finding
All the children of the world,
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in his sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world."
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Many who read this post doubtless are familiar with the song, "Jesus Loves the Little Children." Even a good number of folks who weren't brought up in church know it. Perhaps you were brought up in a Christian home, as I was, and like myself, you sang that warm and assuring little chorus in Sunday School nearly every Sunday.
Sad to say, many of us were taught far better songs than the messages we heard thundered from the pulpit all too often. We learned about God's "eternal love" and His "Grace that is greater than all our sin" in the songs we sang. Yet we learned about the---'DARK SIDE'---of our "Father of Tender Mercies" (??) in the SPOKEN messages we heard.
And we learned to listen "reverently" while we were told that children reach the "age of accountability" by age 12 or so, and that all teenagers who died in this world "unconverted" would burn "forever and ever" in a "Christless eternity." (This includes all young people who have never heard the message of Christ (or Moses) throughout the world, from the dawn of human history until Jesus returns.)
We learned that our Good Shepherd is tenderhearted and kind and loving beyond all description. Yet we were also told He subjected the soft skin of all children who had reached the "age of accountability" to fiery agony for all "the ceaseless ages of eternity."
And in my upbringing we kids were taught that we must love Him and trust Him with---ALL---our heart, even though He might "allow" us or our loved ones to wander sinfully astray, die in an accident, and be banished from Him "forever and ever." In kid's camps and youth camps we were urged to "praise Him" and "worship" Him (often until midnight) so He would "bless us."
Then in those same camps (often in the very SAME "service") we were told that "NO sin will enter heaven" and if the Lord comes while you're fouling up---sorry, but you're lost. It's over. Forever! Don't say I didn't warn you! Then at the conclusion of the meetings after all the abuse of this "gospel", somebody on the platform would step to the mike and shout,
"Isn't JEEEzus wonderful? Don't you FEEL His Presence? Come on, everybody, let's shout the victory and tell the Lord how much we love Him!!!"
Then we would be encouraged to sing songs of "praise and worship" celebrating the "matchless grace of Jesus", etc.
But why was it we never sang what was preached, but only sang songs that sounded as if the Lord were far better than He actually WAS? (As the sermons represented Him.)
Haunting question, isn't it?
It's not in my heart to be caustic or to make people angry. But wouldn't it be more---HONEST---if those who believe God is "Eternal Love/Everlasting Vindictiveness would SING---ALL---they adamantly claim to believe?
Wouldn't it be more honest to do this so visitors who drop into the churches would know UPFRONT what is---actually---believed, and not be left with a false or muddled impression? Especially these days in our "grace oriented" churches where they might not find out for months until they stumbled across it in a "new convert's class." That could be devastating when those folks previously had come to Christ because the church had left them under the impression that God loves EVERYONE "unconditionally."
It's time to get real.
Let's not only teach and preach "God is Love/Hate." If we truly appreciate and are willing to DEFEND all we say we believe about Him, let's sing it too. Does not Scripture tell us that "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart?" The Psalmist David could sing of God's judgments, and hope in them, as well. With this in mind, I now submit the following revisions:
JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN
(Arminian version)
"Jesus loves the world's wee children,
Until they reach the age of twelve,
Red and yellow, black and white,
Most all are doomed for darkest night,
For they will die in sin and burn in hell."
JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN
(Calvinist Version)
"Jesus loves some little children,
That he's destined to know Him in this world,
Red and yellow, back and white,
Some few are precious in his sight,
All others He has doomed for endless hell."
If these songs sound offensive to you, good! That means you have a conscience that has not been seared with a hot iron. Doctrines of demons have not yet produced the spiritual schizophrenia---double-mindedness!---that has afflicted much of the church. Many find the idea "offensive" of singing all they believe, yet they STILL choose to propagate what does not impart "spirit and life." Why is this?
They are bound to tradition and fear of man. Chiefest of sinners talking, here! I was bound in the same way for years---until---the Lord got me to the end of myself. You may "say" you "believe" our heavenly Father has planned in advance to lose most people to the devil "forever and ever", but thank God---your HEART---has not yet acquiesced to that hope-destroying dogma. The fact that the very thought of singing about it nauseates you---reveals---this reality.
Thus never-ending hell exposes itself for what it is---propaganda of a double-speak "Christ" (Antichrist). It is NOT a statute of the Lord that either yourself (or the prophet David) can sing about. It is not a judgment that inspires hope or worship. It does not meet the criteria of being our Lord's actual words (as He should be understood) for they do not impart "spirit and life."
Is it possible that God may love you---far more---than you think?
Check it out!
Yours, Celebrating Our Wonderful Father
Who loves his little neighbors
as He loves Himself
Christ's love for us is like a banner over the top of us protecting and covering us from all harm.
For without Christ we are nothing, but with Him we are made righteous unto the Father. Christs love for us is like a banner that covers and protects.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We are the righteousness of God in Christ. In Him we live and move and have our being and share in the love of His kingdom. We are all children of His.
Acts 17:28 says, For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
We are also His. We are Children of God, this gives us the right to call GodFather. This allows us to step into our Glorious Inheritance. Jesus gave His all on a tree, so that we could have power, wisdom, strength, and above all life ever lasting. The Word of God is a living willthe will of God the Father to you and I His heirs. We are heir to the kingdom of God, we are the righteousness of God in Christ.
I am filled with joy as I think of the many blessings that belong to us as believers. When we put God first in our life, He places before us a table that is overflowing with health and plenty. He gives us a new and lasting life, He covers us with a banner of love. He is my Lord, my all in all and His Banner over me is Love.
Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Let Him be your banner every day of your life. Let Him lead you into a life full of joy, health, prosperity, and wisdom. Let your garment of life be a Garment of Praise. Let your voice ring loud in praises unto God the Father. Sing out a new song let the world see that you are a new creation, a new creature in Christ Jesusborn again to win!
Let me share what I call Gods uppers:
I am the righteousness of God in Christ.
I am a new creation in Him.
I am a champion.
I am born again to win. I am not a loser, Im a winner.
Im wise, righteous, sanctified, redeemed, and I walk in life as a king.
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am more than a conqueror.
I am excited about God, and will tell of His greatness and joy always.
I am not ashamed of Christ. He is my very life and breath. I strive daily to be sure that I give thanks, praise, and love to my Lord. It is in His hands that I have placed my self and in Him that I trust fully. I have staked my faith upon the Word of God and am not ashamed to proclaim that which I believe in.
How many times have you found your self feeling shame because of something that you were doing, saying, or maybe even because of something that you believed in? I know that in the past I had found my self in that position many times. Correcting this did not happen over night. It took me sometime to get to the place where I was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Now this does not mean that I didnt love God, it just meant that I was not going to let everyone know that I loved God. I would only let a few people know that God was my LORD. But as I continued to study the Word, I began to realize that God cradled me in His arms like a new born child, loving me, without shame. God is not ashamed of me...nor is He ashamed of you! So do not be ashamed of Him, treat Him, as you wish Him to treat you. Treat Him with love, Christs love!
Through the Lord Jesus Christ we are quickened from the darkness of death and evil and set high on a hill to shine as holy beacons of light. Our heavenly radiance compels the eye of any beholder to take notice.
With kindness on our lips and compassion in our hearts, our words and deeds are now aimed so as to reflect the gentle image of Christ.
ALL TO CHRIST I OWE
AND THIS ONE THING I KNOW
I WILL PRAISE HIM WHEREVER I GO
AND LIVE BEFORE HIM WITH JOY, 'O MY SOUL.
posted by Touched By God Ministry | 5:26 AM | 0 comments