The Unseen
There's so much more to life than what our five senses tell us! There's an unseen world that exists with this physical one, and God created them both. We have been placed here not to just survive, but to live life to the fullest!
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Love Who?
(Revised 2022)
One of my adult daughters made a comment that put in perspective the world as it is today.
She said it's sad that the world looks at you as being unkind if you don't agree with all its values. This daughter of mine is the kind who sticks up for underdog. But she also loves the God of the Bible and takes to heart the somewhat worn-out cliche "love the sinner, hate the sin."
Let's face it, we're all sinners (1. born with original sin traits of Adam and Eve; 2. break God's laws - which is everyone), but some of us are saved from our sins by God's grace. Not every sinner is my enemy or your enemy, in our way of thinking. But sinners are God's enemies (Romans 5:10). When you join up with God, by association, sinners could be your enemies too.
It took me a while to figure out the whole love your enemy thing. What about loving those who are purposefully against the God you love and serve? Against His ways, His laws?
I know some people are tired of the cliche "love the sinner, hate the sin." It is kind of worn out. But think about it! What else have we got?
So when Jesus tells us to love our enemy (Mat. 5:44), we have to figure what the heavens it's saying, because we mean to do it. Some religious leaders were His enemies, and He called them names - to their faces. They led people falsely. But He allowed those same people to set up charges against Him so He could die on a cross. For them. For all of us.
The Samaritans - whom the Jewish people disdained, the thieving tax-collector, the adulteress caught in the act were bound by the enemy of our souls - Satan. Jesus' desire was to free them.
We're to be compassionate in our response to those who are bound by sin, firm with those who uphold the deceptions of our real enemy, enlightening to those who want to see, shunning to those who try to lead us astray...
We won't be popular. But we have to love. The ones we don't like - who oppose us, who frustrate us. Love them in our thoughts, by our actions. It's called agape love: different from erotic, brotherly, or family love. It's without conditions. The feelings often follow.
Love because He says to, He loves us, and love conquers what hate builds up. Be gentle, be kind, be firm, do good. Love.
Loving this way may not totally make sense now, but it eventually will. Eternity shines a different kind of light on things. It's a short time here. Where we're going, there will be nothing but LOVE.
Be filled with hope,
Jennies
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The Fence
(Revised 2022)
Hot or Cold, not Lukewarm, Jesus said. In other words, don't be sitting on the fence. In all seriousness, I feel and see a knocking off the fence is happening or imminent. (Rev. 3:15,16)
Unless you're a baby, pretty much no liquid tastes good lukewarm. How many of us are lukewarm as followers of Christ?
C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters says it well: "Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts . . ."
Moses, chosen by God to lead the ancient Israelites out of slavery, stood for the Lord and others stood with him. The earth opened up and swallowed those who stood against them - on the other side of the fence (Num. 16). Joshua, Moses' assistant, said, "But as for me and my household we will serve the Lord." (Josh. 24:15)
Let's get off the fence, walking that unseen path, landing on the Lord's side. Standing firm in our loyalty to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Be filled with hope,
Jennies
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The Unseen
(Revised 2022)
After losing my blogs during the upgrade of my old website, I stopped writing for a while. Now I have a new website host, and I also feel compelled to write because there's a lot going on, and God has put much on my heart. So I started with this....
I'm convinced there's an unseen path set for all of us. All humanity. Set by God, of course. I'm not the only one aware of it, but some of us may choose not to be aware.
The visible and tangible grab our attention: what we see, hear, taste, touch, smell. Yet, there's a whole existence outside of the physical, the visible, the tangible.
God, in a sense, is tangible in His creation. Even Scripture endorses this (Roman 1:19,20). But we don't see Him as He truly is. And, apparently, we would die if we did. There is a spiritual world that affects ours, tremendously. God protects and allows according to His will, His purposes. Not for folly or evil, for He is good. He works to give every opportunity for us to find our fullness in Him. After all, we're only here for a very short time compared to where we spend everlasting.
The main thing is, if we dwell in God, in Christ, the invisible shouldn't scare us. Elisha's servant's eyes were opened and he saw many, many more angels surrounding them than the number of their enemies (2Kings 6:16,17).
There is an invisible world. Part of that world God is preparing for those who surrender to Him. And one day it'll be made visible beyond what we can think or imagine. I hope to be included. How about you?
Be filled with hope,
Jennies
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