Is there any way for me to Make my Blog more Peaceful. I don't feel like Debating right now. It's Easter. Christ Loves you and has Died for your Sins. That's What Christians Teach. It is a Very Special and Meaningful Message that can Change the Lives of those who Believe it. Perhaps I will one day be willing to Debate with the Non-Believers who wish to Discredit this message, but that is not the Reason for this Post. It's Easter. It's a Holiday. It's Time for a Truce.
Here is a Passage about Christ's Love that is a Little Different than just the General Easter Message that He died for you...
"O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them
which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye
would not!" (Matthew 23:37, KJV)
Or do you Prefer it in the NIV?
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37, NIV)
I'm even going to allow you to Read the Entire Chapter if you Like and in Three different Translations, so Take your Pick which of the three you wish to read. Matthew 23 NASB, NIV, KJV.
Interestingly, the First Part of this Chapter is about Religious Hypocrisy. It's not Actually just about those who do not Believe, but also about those who are already Religious, but do not really Know God. These are Like Wolves in Sheep's Clothing. They are Religious, but not really Followers of God. This Same Phenomena Exists in the Current Christian Churches and Unfortunately, is the Reason Why some of you Have Chosen not to believe in Christ.
Huh. I was just reading this Passage just now and Thinking about how it is Perfect for at least one of the Things that I have been Wanting to say to those who Follow my Blog. No Wonder God Brought it to my Mind.
You see there are Eight Woes, in which Jesus is coming down very Hard on the Religious Leaders of His Day. One of my Favorite of the Verses is...
"You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:24, NASB)
And there also is a Warning...
"You serpents, you brood of vipers, how [y]will you escape the [z]sentence of [aa]hell?" (Matthew 23:33, NASB)
All This Strong Language spoken to the Religious Leaders of the Day. No Not to the Basic Every Day Sinner, but to the Religious Leaders, yet after this comes the Lament...
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." (Matthew 23:37, NASB)
Don't you see? Jesus Loves all People and wants to save all People, including the Hypocrites that have Hurt some of you and He also Loves You. Please Remember, though, you have not been Hurt by Jesus, but by Hypocrites, much like those that Jesus is Speaking out against in this Passage.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Black and White Thinking, Seeking Unity
I've been trying to Pray and Ask God what I should do with my Blog and for some reason thought for awhile that I was going to be writing more Exclusively about Christian Topics, instead of some of the Things that I used to write about. I think that this train of thought, though, was more based on my own Fears because of some of the Conflict that Occurs when I write about some of the Broader Subjects that I have Chosen in the Past, not at the Exclusion, though, of my Christian thoughts, that always do seem to eventually find some form of Expression on my Blog.
At the Moment, I've been more led to just Review some of my Older Posts, especially those which my Hit Counter says are Visited Often. Surprisingly, One such Post is the One in which I was Attempting to Define what is meant by the Subject of "Black and White Thinking". I wonder if some of my Newer Followers would Find this Post Interesting.
I suppose I should add to my thoughts on the Matter, by highlighting a few things that were said in the Comment section of that Post. Here is a Comment by BB-Idaho from Below that Post. Bold Print Added by me...
"So, let us say it is 40 degrees at the airport. An Eskimo deplanes and observes 'Gee, it's hot'. A Sudanese just in from the Sahara complains 'Gosh, its cold'. The temperature is a simple fact... perception of it may be black or white? And from the perspectives of their two backgrounds-both may be true." BB-Idaho February 2, 2011, at 3:20 PM
In this Comment, BB has Illustrated how the Number 40 is Definitely an Absolute (Black & White), but the Perception of it as Hot or Cold is Relative (Gray).
My Favorite Illustration was Mentioned in the Comment section as well, by me...
"Another Example of this that I like is when Two People from Different Places on the Globe are on the Phone Arguing about whether or not the Sun is Rising or Setting, yet Both of them are Right, because the Sun is, In Fact, Both Setting and Rising at the Some Time, Depending on where you are on the Globe, so that Fact is Relative, yet the Absolute is that the Earth Rotates and Circles the Sun."
So you see, there are Definite Absolutes, yet there are also things that are Relative.
Perhaps some of my New Followers may be Wondering why I am Blogging in this way. Well, as it Turns Out, One of the Main Themes that has always run through my Blog is the Balance between the Extremes and our Tendency to Judge each other if we are not willing to try and Find that Balance and while doing so Reach Out to those who have Slightly different Opinions then ourselves.
Since some of my Newer Followers are Christians, Perhaps I should address the subject of Black and White Thinking in Relation to Christianity. There are some Things that we believe in that are Clearly Black and White, that is Absolute. We Believe that the Bible was Written for everyone and not just for some and that there are definitely some Absolute Truths that are written there. Where the Problem comes in is when People Add to the Bible and Make somethings Absolute that are not Really absolute at all, but instead Relative to a Certain Group.
For Example, there are Churches that Forbid Dancing, yet there are others who Dance unto the Lord. Along this same line, some people enjoy Singing Hymns and others more Contemporary Music. Some People Enjoy Worship Services that are more Spontaneous and others Prefer more Structure. Some are Highly Emotional in their Worship and others are more Reserved. What is Important is that we love and do not Judge each other for what ever it is that we choose, as long as it is Biblical and Glorifying to God.
I guess that it is not True that this Message is not a Christian One, for it has to do with the Unity that is needed within the Over All Church, even between Denominations. What is Truly Absolute, we all need to Embrace, yet we also need to be careful not to expect everyone to be Exactly like ourselves, for I truly believe that there is room for Considerable Diversity within Christianity.
At the Moment, I've been more led to just Review some of my Older Posts, especially those which my Hit Counter says are Visited Often. Surprisingly, One such Post is the One in which I was Attempting to Define what is meant by the Subject of "Black and White Thinking". I wonder if some of my Newer Followers would Find this Post Interesting.
I suppose I should add to my thoughts on the Matter, by highlighting a few things that were said in the Comment section of that Post. Here is a Comment by BB-Idaho from Below that Post. Bold Print Added by me...
"So, let us say it is 40 degrees at the airport. An Eskimo deplanes and observes 'Gee, it's hot'. A Sudanese just in from the Sahara complains 'Gosh, its cold'. The temperature is a simple fact... perception of it may be black or white? And from the perspectives of their two backgrounds-both may be true." BB-Idaho February 2, 2011, at 3:20 PM
In this Comment, BB has Illustrated how the Number 40 is Definitely an Absolute (Black & White), but the Perception of it as Hot or Cold is Relative (Gray).
My Favorite Illustration was Mentioned in the Comment section as well, by me...
"Another Example of this that I like is when Two People from Different Places on the Globe are on the Phone Arguing about whether or not the Sun is Rising or Setting, yet Both of them are Right, because the Sun is, In Fact, Both Setting and Rising at the Some Time, Depending on where you are on the Globe, so that Fact is Relative, yet the Absolute is that the Earth Rotates and Circles the Sun."
So you see, there are Definite Absolutes, yet there are also things that are Relative.
Perhaps some of my New Followers may be Wondering why I am Blogging in this way. Well, as it Turns Out, One of the Main Themes that has always run through my Blog is the Balance between the Extremes and our Tendency to Judge each other if we are not willing to try and Find that Balance and while doing so Reach Out to those who have Slightly different Opinions then ourselves.
Since some of my Newer Followers are Christians, Perhaps I should address the subject of Black and White Thinking in Relation to Christianity. There are some Things that we believe in that are Clearly Black and White, that is Absolute. We Believe that the Bible was Written for everyone and not just for some and that there are definitely some Absolute Truths that are written there. Where the Problem comes in is when People Add to the Bible and Make somethings Absolute that are not Really absolute at all, but instead Relative to a Certain Group.
For Example, there are Churches that Forbid Dancing, yet there are others who Dance unto the Lord. Along this same line, some people enjoy Singing Hymns and others more Contemporary Music. Some People Enjoy Worship Services that are more Spontaneous and others Prefer more Structure. Some are Highly Emotional in their Worship and others are more Reserved. What is Important is that we love and do not Judge each other for what ever it is that we choose, as long as it is Biblical and Glorifying to God.
I guess that it is not True that this Message is not a Christian One, for it has to do with the Unity that is needed within the Over All Church, even between Denominations. What is Truly Absolute, we all need to Embrace, yet we also need to be careful not to expect everyone to be Exactly like ourselves, for I truly believe that there is room for Considerable Diversity within Christianity.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
God Guides through Rational Thought & also People
Hi you guys,
Do you Know that at Times I Write Best in Letter Form? Perhaps I shouldn't be starting a Post out this way, yet this is how so many of my Posts begin. I Start Writing to Individuals and then later Change what I have Written into a Post. My Previous Post was about God's Guidance, yet quite Often God Guides me through my Interaction with others, so in a since, you could say that I am guided, at least in part, by you guys, my Commenters. That is not to say that if you tell me or suggest that I write about a certain thing that I will do so, yet if you say just the Right Thing to me, you will likely Inspire me.
This Post is, at least in Part, a response to the two Last Commenters who Wrote below my Previous Post, as of the Date and Time in which this Post was Posted. Among other Things, Z-man has Expressed that he has become Tired of his own Blog because he is not only Disagreed with, but also Misinterpreted because his Style is to "Think Out Loud". From that, I was inspired to write about how so many People are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable.
I just don't have the Interest in Arguments that Lead no where any more. I just don't and though I really do not want to Abandon the Original Audience that used to Follow my Blog, my Interest in Arguing has Changed and I want to Figure out a Way to Draw an Audience that is Truly interested in what I have to say.
This got me Talking all about the Question of who my Target Audience should be if I choose again to Blog, which I will get into in just a Minute.
Aside from this, Z also brought to my mind a couple of other interesting Questions in relation to what should be our Approach to Blogging. The first of which is "Should we really 'Think Out Loud' on our Blogs, or should we do that with a Pen Pal and then write something on our Blogs that is a little more Polished?" I have Struggled with this Question quite a lot myself and am not sure if I know the Answer.
Another Question that I have been Asking is whether or not I should Still Blog about Politics and as I was responding to Z-man, I got thinking about how so many People, just as I mentioned above, are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable and you see, here is the thing.... There are such a large Number of Obama Supporters on the Web that are not Persuadable that I'm feeling led away from discussing it. To those who do not Agree, it just sounds like Obama Bashing and that's not what I want my Blog to be. Perhaps there will come a time in which the Political Harvest will be more Ripe for Reaping, yet I do not feel that now is that time.
The other person that has recently Commented in the Below Post is Satyavati. From her, I have felt Inspired to Think and Write about another Question relating to "Feeling Led", or more precisely, the Idea of just Waiting for God's Voice or Well, more Actively Pursuing the Answers to the Questions that are in my Mind. This is what Led me to the Title of this Post in that God Guides through "Rational Thought" and not just the Act of Waiting for Him to Answer.
In the End, I know that it will be, at least in part you, the Commenters, who are going to help me to Find the Answers to what it is that I should be Blogging about. I've never felt that God Communicates that Often in a Crystal Clear way within a total Vacuum of our own Thoughts and the Thoughts of others. I've always felt that we find our Answers, at least in Part, through the Information that we Acquire from our interaction with those who we Communicate with and this is why God's Voice is so Rarely ever Immediate.
The Impatient do not make very good Christians because God has a Tendency to Take His Time. When He does Speak, it can be quite clear what He is saying, yet this Clarity is often quite Long in Coming and that is just the Way it is at times.
Here is my Dilemma...
A lot of Christians do not Understand the Intellectual. They are able to Accept Things just based on Faith and will often present as their Argument, nothing more then "Well, because the Bible Says so". This is not enough for some people.
There are actually times in which I feel like a Half Breed, for if I take an Intellectual, Thinking, sort of Approach to my Interactions with Non-Christians, there are Actually quite a lot of Christians who will tell me that I am Wasting my Time, yet if I take the Approach of just Talking about the Scriptures, though this will Draw more Christians to my blog, I also know for a Fact that I will lose a good part of my Non-Christian Audience.
It is really Hard to reach both Audiences at Once and, In fact, very Possibly, it is not even Possible. So the Question that I have to Answer is "Do I want to Lose a good Portion of my Non-Christian Audience, or a Portion of my Christian Audience?" and in Truth, I am leaning towards the Later, instead of the Former.
Yeh, here I go "Thinking Out Loud" again and in all reality, sometimes the more Polished is a long time in Coming, just as also is God's Guidance. I have problems with the Idea that is pushed by some Christians, which is "Don't Think About it, just Pray and Wait for God's Guidance." What I am trying to Illustrate in this Post, however, is how aside from just the Waiting on God for the Answers, there is also a Thought Process that goes on that will lead to our eventual Conclusions and God's Guidance will come in the Midst of that Process.
Do you Know that at Times I Write Best in Letter Form? Perhaps I shouldn't be starting a Post out this way, yet this is how so many of my Posts begin. I Start Writing to Individuals and then later Change what I have Written into a Post. My Previous Post was about God's Guidance, yet quite Often God Guides me through my Interaction with others, so in a since, you could say that I am guided, at least in part, by you guys, my Commenters. That is not to say that if you tell me or suggest that I write about a certain thing that I will do so, yet if you say just the Right Thing to me, you will likely Inspire me.
This Post is, at least in Part, a response to the two Last Commenters who Wrote below my Previous Post, as of the Date and Time in which this Post was Posted. Among other Things, Z-man has Expressed that he has become Tired of his own Blog because he is not only Disagreed with, but also Misinterpreted because his Style is to "Think Out Loud". From that, I was inspired to write about how so many People are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable.
I just don't have the Interest in Arguments that Lead no where any more. I just don't and though I really do not want to Abandon the Original Audience that used to Follow my Blog, my Interest in Arguing has Changed and I want to Figure out a Way to Draw an Audience that is Truly interested in what I have to say.
This got me Talking all about the Question of who my Target Audience should be if I choose again to Blog, which I will get into in just a Minute.
Aside from this, Z also brought to my mind a couple of other interesting Questions in relation to what should be our Approach to Blogging. The first of which is "Should we really 'Think Out Loud' on our Blogs, or should we do that with a Pen Pal and then write something on our Blogs that is a little more Polished?" I have Struggled with this Question quite a lot myself and am not sure if I know the Answer.
Another Question that I have been Asking is whether or not I should Still Blog about Politics and as I was responding to Z-man, I got thinking about how so many People, just as I mentioned above, are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable and you see, here is the thing.... There are such a large Number of Obama Supporters on the Web that are not Persuadable that I'm feeling led away from discussing it. To those who do not Agree, it just sounds like Obama Bashing and that's not what I want my Blog to be. Perhaps there will come a time in which the Political Harvest will be more Ripe for Reaping, yet I do not feel that now is that time.
The other person that has recently Commented in the Below Post is Satyavati. From her, I have felt Inspired to Think and Write about another Question relating to "Feeling Led", or more precisely, the Idea of just Waiting for God's Voice or Well, more Actively Pursuing the Answers to the Questions that are in my Mind. This is what Led me to the Title of this Post in that God Guides through "Rational Thought" and not just the Act of Waiting for Him to Answer.
In the End, I know that it will be, at least in part you, the Commenters, who are going to help me to Find the Answers to what it is that I should be Blogging about. I've never felt that God Communicates that Often in a Crystal Clear way within a total Vacuum of our own Thoughts and the Thoughts of others. I've always felt that we find our Answers, at least in Part, through the Information that we Acquire from our interaction with those who we Communicate with and this is why God's Voice is so Rarely ever Immediate.
The Impatient do not make very good Christians because God has a Tendency to Take His Time. When He does Speak, it can be quite clear what He is saying, yet this Clarity is often quite Long in Coming and that is just the Way it is at times.
Here is my Dilemma...
A lot of Christians do not Understand the Intellectual. They are able to Accept Things just based on Faith and will often present as their Argument, nothing more then "Well, because the Bible Says so". This is not enough for some people.
There are actually times in which I feel like a Half Breed, for if I take an Intellectual, Thinking, sort of Approach to my Interactions with Non-Christians, there are Actually quite a lot of Christians who will tell me that I am Wasting my Time, yet if I take the Approach of just Talking about the Scriptures, though this will Draw more Christians to my blog, I also know for a Fact that I will lose a good part of my Non-Christian Audience.
It is really Hard to reach both Audiences at Once and, In fact, very Possibly, it is not even Possible. So the Question that I have to Answer is "Do I want to Lose a good Portion of my Non-Christian Audience, or a Portion of my Christian Audience?" and in Truth, I am leaning towards the Later, instead of the Former.
Yeh, here I go "Thinking Out Loud" again and in all reality, sometimes the more Polished is a long time in Coming, just as also is God's Guidance. I have problems with the Idea that is pushed by some Christians, which is "Don't Think About it, just Pray and Wait for God's Guidance." What I am trying to Illustrate in this Post, however, is how aside from just the Waiting on God for the Answers, there is also a Thought Process that goes on that will lead to our eventual Conclusions and God's Guidance will come in the Midst of that Process.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)