My Theological Thoughts

Romans 8:38-39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love.Death can't, and life can't. our fears for today, our worries for tomorrow and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 12:10 Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content, with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Jeremiah 29:13 If you look for Me in earnest, you will find Me when you seek Me.

John 16:33 "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

"I can't help complaining Father. Things just aren't going my way. Sometimes, I think there's too many rules to follow in religion. Too many do's, and don'ts. Sometimes, my bible, feels like one big rule book to me. And no matter what I'm always getting in trouble with You, or I'm always doing\saying something I shouldn't be.
I struggle so hard to follow You! I read my bible. (Not as much as I should, but I do read it...) I pray! (Even though I know I should be more consistent with my prayers...) I go to church. (I know, my mind wanders during the sermon. I can't help that!) I try my hardest. But I always slip. One week, becomes two. And before you know it, my bible has dust on it. But there's so many other things to do! There's work, and chores- and so many other things that need to get done. You don't want to me to neglect all my responsibilities do you, Lord? I have to pay my bills, and sometimes there isn't enough time at the end of the day to sit down and read my bible, or pray. I'm just too exhausted Father. It's a struggle just keeping up with the daily grind.
I can read all of your promises, but sometimes I have a hard time reminding myself of them throughout the day. If something goes wrong at work, or the car won't start, someone's sick, or a friend breaks a date, or I can't meet my bills. I start to feel hopeless! I start to feel helpless Lord! Why! Why me? Why do all these bad things seem to happen to me? It's so hard to comprehend your love for me, when all my friends are gone, and I feel so lonely in a crowd. Where's my joy? Where did it go?
You always feel so far away Lord. I call to you, but you never seem to hear my cry! And night after night, of sleeplessness set's in! I'm weak, I'm tired! I'm hurt! I'm lonely, I'm scared! Can't you see me? Hear me? Where did you go?!
But... it's not You that's moved away. It's me Father! All the time it was me! I complain, and I whine to you all the time, when instead I should be counting my blessings, that I'm worth to You, what I'm worth! I should be on my knees, face down, crying out, "Thank you Lord for every breath I take! Every day that I live! Thank you for showing me mercy, and for forgiving me every time I screw up! Thank you for taking me back in your arms every time, I turn and walk away from you! Thank you for loving me unconditionally, no matter how stubborn, how selfish I am!"
Instead I turned and ran away from You, when all You ever wanted to do was hold me in your open arms, and whisper in my ear, "Child, I love you. And I'm never far from you. I'm always with you, every step you take. I'm there when you stumble, I'm there holding out my hands to help you up. I'm there when you get frustrated. I'm there to show you the way. To guide you and to give you advice. I'm there when you're being stubborn. To sternly give you a push in the right direction, and hold you accountable of your faults. I'm there when you cry. I grieve with you. For you. I'm the arms, that hold you in an embrace. I'm there to carry you when things get to hard. I'm there to pray for you, when you can't find the words to speak. I'm there watching you when you're asleep. To keep you safe. I'm there when you wake. I'm the sunshine that warms you when you step out the door. I'm the rainbow, and the blue sky, that gives you hope. The gentle breeze, that gives you comfort and renewed strength. I'm there in each smile you receive. I'm here to help you through all the things you face, to help you to endure. I never leave you! And I never will!!!"
Then I realize, this is not something that I'm supposed to understand. I may never fully understand the awesome love and power of my God. I have to walk blindly and cling to my faith. Every day, I have to remember He is with me. And that He is never far from me. It doesn't matter if I stumble, I know he will catch my fall. I just have to get back up, and keep moving forward. Taking each day as it may come. With the good and the bad. I need to count my blessings, and sing my praises every day of my life. Because my God died for me. He took all the blame, all the shame away, so that I wouldn't have to carry this burden. He took it all away from me. And He will always love me unconditionally. -S.L.C 10-10-02

Pastor Mike had a bunch of good things to say Sunday morning. He said something about how we don't just go to church to be with our friends, and to laugh and have a good time. Sometimes we lose view of the real reason we go to church. It's to learn about God, and to grow closer to Him. We always need to have the right attitude about church, we shouldn't take it lightly. We go because we love to serve God. We honestly desire a closer relationship with Him, and are striving to be Christlike (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Going to fellowship with other Christians at church, is a wonderful thing, and making friends, with our brothers and sisters in Christ is great! We need each other for support, for encouragement in our daily walk with Christ.
Pastor also said, that we all need one another, and that we were designed by God, so that we were missing a few things! I'd never thought about that before. But it's true, because we need other Christians, to be whole- and to be a part of the body of Christ. Everyone has something to offer, and everyone has a job to do. We need to share our gifts with others!!! (Romans 12:4-8)
I just thought those things were very interesting, because sometimes we tend to lose focus of the real reason we go to church. ( Joshua 22:5, Colossians 2:7, Proverbs 3:5-6) We go for Him, because we honestly love Him, and want to learn, and grow closer to Him. Let's not ever lose sight of that! -SLC

Deuteronomy 6:5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

Romans 5:5 For we know how dearly God loves us, because He Has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

Psalm 23:6 Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 And may the Lord make your love overflow to each other and to everyone else.

I've been studying a book called Discipleship, By J. Heinrich Arnold. And I came across an entry in the book, that made me look deeper into how strong Jesus was, and how He surrendered to God. I found some of this very interesting, and wanted to share it with you:

Surrendering to the will of Jesus means becoming one with him and with one another. Jesus fought so hard to surrender his will to the Father's that he sweated drops of blood. Evil powers surrounded him and tried to cause his downfall, but he remained faithful: his attitude was "Thy will, not my will." This should be our attitude, too, in all questions, even if we are persecuted for our faith. Whatever happens, imprisonment or even death, we should say,"Thy will, not my will"

Now, I know pretty much of what this chapter was talking about, but I thought about it from a different angle, and that was this: Jesus was amazingly strong! I mean- if you had been in His position... dragged, beaten, nailed to a cross... and you had the power to take yourself off of that cross- what would YOU have done? It's unbelievable- He had to be having all these conflicting thoughts... with people taunting Him, saying things like:

Luke 23: 35 The crowd watched, and the leaders laughed and scoffed. "He saved others," They said, "let him save him save himself if he is really God's Chosen One, the Messiah."

And we know that Jesus was afraid...of what had to be done, from:
Luke 22:42 "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."

He had the power to do whatever He wanted- yet He chose to go through with it, for US! My point is: There He is hanging on a cross, in mortal pain- )a pain I can't even begin to imagine.) Think how tempting it must be to want to take yourself off of that? Yet He didn't. He suffered, He went through with it- all for God's glory, because He knew there was something better, in store.
Now I am trying to apply that to us... how we are tempted in our daily lives, how we try and make promises to God, and we don't keep them. In my own situation. when I am struggling on giving something over to God- I struggle with it for a few days. I struggle hard, trying to rely on God's strength- but after a few days I can't do it anymore, and I'll break my promise or whatever it is. I try to give it to God- then I'm so tempted, and so filled with all of these thoughts, that Satan must be putting into my head, that I try to remain strong, and I try to give it to God... but after a while the pressure builds, up and it gets so strong, that I give in.
Jesus was so amazingly STRONG! He must have felt all that pressure, and everything- and yet He never took a way out- He always relied on God. even when the pressure was built up so strong, while He was hanging on that cross. We should all strive to have that same strength. To not give into whatever it is, that is tempting us. There is ALWAYS a way out. (1Corinthians 10:13) We should remember how strong Christ was- and take heart in knowing that God will save us, and that we do have to trust in Him to give us our strength! So- I just really wanted to share that with you, because I never really looked into that so deep before... I was just very amazed..when I thought about it from that angle...

"Retaliation". That's a word we've been hearing frequently. No. I do not think it is right to kill innocent people, and to take revenge. That might be the view of alot of people that are non-Christians, but here are my thoughts on "war" as a Christian. God clearly states "Do not murder" in the 10 commandments, but then why do we find thousands of instances in the old testament, where the Godly are fighting against the Ungodly- and the Godly always win? I think in some instances. War and retaliation are necessary. In 1Peter it says this about respecting the higher authorities:
1 Peter 2:13-17 For the Lord's sake, accept all authority- the king as head of state, and the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish all who do wrong, and to honor those that do right. It is Gods will that your good lives should silence those who make foolish accusations against you. You are not slaves; you are free. But your freedom is not an excuse to do evil. You are free to live as Gods' slaves. Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers & sisters. Fear God. Show respect for the king.
We should trust that the president has our safety and best interests in mind. From my Christian point of view. I do not think God wants us to go to war, I do not think he likes to see his children kill each other. But in some ways- war is a necessary action- to keep peace, and to keep things orderly- to respect and obey the authority.
Psalm 11:5 says: The Lord... hates everyone who loves violence.
Soldiers that are trained to kill- do not kill because they love to kill people, (We're talking normal people here, lol.) They are not trained to take the lives of others simply for their own pleasure and enjoyment. They are trained to take lives, only when it is necessary to take action against someone whom is threatening them, and their country.
I think that in some ways, God expects us to go to war, and to put these people in their place. Because- God will always let the truth win out. He doesn't approve of us killing- but I think there is a great difference in taking the life of someone for sheer enjoyment, because they love to watch people die- and to take authority against people, and do what is necessary to keep as much peace as we can in this world. I think we need to have the right attitude about it. War is not supposed to be "revenge" sometimes it is just necessary.

Besides that, there isn't going to be any peace- because all these things have to come to pass, and Christ has to return, before there will ever be peace.

Thoughts about the heart, feelings, and all that other stuff. By, SLC 07-2003

Sometimes, your heart can completely surprise you. You'll be driving down the road, at some odd hour, listening to music- when it hit's you. Someone who's been right in front of your eyes. Someone who's been one of your friends all these years. You start to wonder, if you've just been in denial, and that you really did have feelings for this person. Even though you've always denied every feeling that way.
Then again, it could be that it's just one of those things, Where you have this dream- and in the dream, you and the person are a couple, and it seems to make sense. And then when you wake up, it still seems to make sense. And you go around, feeling awkward around the person for days, because you can't believe you had a "dream crush"!
Maybe... it's one of those things. Where you come to a point in your life- where the obvious facts are all unrealistic, and the unrealistic starts to seem obvious.
Or it's one of those moments, where you dig out all the old pictures, and emails, and memories, and you start reminiscing- about what a good friend they've been. You can't deny that you care about your friends, right?
Or perhaps it's one of those dead on moments, you have when your all alone, and you look at all the facts. And you wonder... maybe I am just in denial. Maybe, if I just stopped pretending, and actually opened up my heart to care about someone again- maybe they would see that it does make sense. Maybe deep down, they care about me too. Then again, you probably just had too much coffee, and you think everything makes sense at quarter to three in morning.
Because the point blank rules are. Don't ever let your feelings get in the way of friendship. They take over your senses, and you end up causing terrible side effects because of them. And in the midst of it all, your heart get�s broken. It takes a long time for a deep wound to heal. I mean, after awhile, it just get�s easier not to feel, and to close yourself off to the world. Sometimes it's alot easier to be numb, than to respond to someone that cares.

Or Maybe, I'm just too afraid to love.... again.

Pastor had me reading an awesome book- that I recommend you read someday. It's called: Christ Esteem by, Don Matzat.

Ch. 12 Pg, 156: If it wasn't for the adverse situations of life, the attitudes of other people, the plans that go awry, and the circumstances which are beyond our control, then turning away from ourselves and living and walking in Christ Jesus would not be difficult. Anyone can rejoice in a joyful situation. Anyone can be happy when everything is going according to plan. Anyone can love, lovable people. Anyone can be at peace in serenity. But... living and walking in the spirit by abiding in Christ Jesus is the most productive in the midst of adversity. The fruit of the spirit us not a gift. It is worked in us as we abide in Christ when everything is going seemingly wrong.

(Phillipians 4:11-13)

Oh boy.... That's something I need to hear! And need to learn! When things aren't going my way- all I do is complain! lol. I need to learn to depend on God more. Alot of the time, I think I'm in control of my own life, and when God brings something "out-of-my-control" into my life. I know he's saying, "Hello down there. 'Who's' in control?" In hard times, I need to remember that He's working everything out for the good of me. And I need to rejoice in the fact that he loves me enough (in spite of my pride... lol.) to bring me back to my senses sometimes with situations- I'd rather avoid. But in the end, it only brings me closer to Him. It would be simple if life was easy. We'd never have any problem obeying, or trusting God with our lives. But I don't think we would learn
anything. We'd just walk around like little mindless robots. Through adversity, I learn more about God. (and myself- as a sinner saved by grace!) I come to understand Him better. I become a stronger person. And I love Him more every day! :-)

I need to understand, that I will NEVER be close enough to God. I will NEVER be worthy of Him. I will NEVER be the 'perfect' Christian. I will ALWAYS fall short of Him. I will ALWAYS let Him down. But, none of that matters, because I AM SAVED. Not by rules, or the ten commandments. But by a God that loved me enough, to die for me. Despite, of the things I do that disgust Him. HE knows, that I am trying, and striving to live for Him. Despite, I fall so short from Him.
I think Pastor Mike said this on Sunday actually. That- when we finally realize, that we are NOTHING. That our lives are like filthy rags, to God. When we finally understand, and realize, that nothing good can come from us. That never leaves us, and it gives us a deeper picture of God, and a deeper understanding of why He died for us. It's pretty amazing, and humbling. Without Christ we are nothing. We need Christ to be complete inside.

*~ThEoLoGiCaL tHoUgHtS~*

So what's love? Do you know when you've found it? Does it slap you in the face? Does it sneak up on you? Is it right in front of your face? Or does it start out as a friendship, and grow into something more?

I think love can surprise you. I think you know when you've found it. I think love takes time. Let me post some of my own theological thoughts on love:

My own theological thoughts about love: Love is not those chills, when you see someone. It's not red roses, and candlelight.... It's respecting & trusting someone. It's being comfortable with someone. It's being there for someone through good & bad times- even when they don't live up to your standards. It's a commitment. Anyway, lol. That was my theory on love. But lol...I think that what makes love even more special- is besides all of those things- yeah, being attracted to that person- makes love even more special. Also, from another angle on this whole theory, I think that that other person should be able to compliment you in your weaknesses, what you lack, where you lack- they are able to fill that void, and vice versa. And I also think that what weaknesses you do have, will be strengthened by being together.

That's what I wrote a few years ago. And my thoughts above are based on what love really stands for, and what it means. But I have some new thoughts to add to this whole love thing. There's another side to it.

I think being in love can give you chills. I think being in love can make you blush, I think being in love, can give you butterflies in your stomach. I think being in love, means you can't stop smiling when you think about the person. I think being in love means, wanting to get to know someone more and more. Wanting to know all about them, and to tell them everything about you. Being in love is hearing those 3 little words (I love you) back, when you say them. Love is being honest with someone. Love is trusting someone enough to open up to them. Letting them into your heart, and into your life. That's what being in love is.

Love can make you happy. Love can make you sad. Love can make you feel both emotions at once. Love is knowing someone cares about you, knowing someone is thinking about you. Love is knowing someone will stand up for you. Love is faithful. Love is unconditional. Love is unfailing. Love is amazing...

This is what love is:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude. It is not self seeking, it is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but always rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes always perseveres.

If you haven't read: Discipleship : Living for Christ in the Daily Grind . By, J. Heinrich Arnold. Please do! This is a wonderful book & I just found out it's available for download on this Christian Website: http://www.plough.com/ebooks/Discipleship.html