Love

Let’s Argue… Or Not

 

ArgueWithThemEnough

In case you don’t know, this doesn’t work. Arguing won’t change someone’s mind. And you probably don’t want to find that out the hard way. Arguments, especially about religion, tend to only create conflict and hard feelings. And face it. If everyone is like me, no amount of arguing will change their minds. And if you prove that you’re right? People will avoid admitting that they’re wrong if they can.

If someone is wrong about something biblical, and it’s something dangerous, you should confront them about it gently and avoid an argument if you can. Remember to do this out of love, not so-called “superiority”.

And, just for laughs…

 

MentallyDisturbed

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YOLO

Please don’t judge this post by the title. 😛

YOLO.

You Only Live Once.

Why has this become such a negative thing? True, people use it as an excuse to do a lot of things. “Hey, you only live once, you know?” It gives them an excuse to do crazy things, like skydiving or bungee jumping or going on cruises or literally shopping until they drop. It supposedly gives them an excuse to do bad or sinful things, like steal or murder or deceive or drink.

But as Christians, we can change that into motivation.

After all, if you’re only going to live once (which everyone does… *gasp*) then why not mention your faith to the clerk at the grocery store? Why not leave an encouraging note on the table in the restaurant with your tip? Why not tell someone that Jesus loves them? Why not pray in public for those around you?

Why not share your faith?

You only live once, people.

Live loud for Jesus.

YoloYoda

Eww… Bugs!

Have you ever thought about how much bugs can teach us?

If you’ve ever watched a colony of ants or a group of roly-polys, maybe you’ve thought about how that’s a lot like us. All of those little bugs crawling around, and there you are, standing over them, with the power of life and death over each of them. Sure, you can’t hear them if they’re praying to you, but it’s an awful lot like us and God.

I’m not saying that God’s just up in the sky watching us as we run around. He hears us, our prayers, and he wants to be a part of our lives. It’s like if you take a leaf and move some of the ants to a different spot. He’s not necessarily going to move you with a giant leaf, but he helps us and provides a strength we could never have on our own.

He has love to share with you, if you’re willing to accept it.

Having a Reputation of Love

Taken from a post on Bible Gateway. Read the rest here.

Many people have reputations that can be summed in just a word or two. Thomas Edison: inventor. Jeff Foxworthy: hilarious. If someone summarized you in just a few words, how would they describe you? I was a Christian for years before I realized Jesus had specified exactly what my reputation should be.

“Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others.” (John 13:34b-35, The Voice)

Jesus said that as a person who follows Him, I should be known for loving other people the way He loved me. Every person I know thinks of himself as a loving person. I’ll bet you think of yourself that way, too. After all, you’re kind to strangers, don’t kick puppies, and sometimes even yield to other drivers. The problem with your self-assessment, though, is that you don’t get to decide what your reputation is. By definition, your reputation is determined by others. In fact, even your enemies play a part in deciding your reputation. That’s a scary thought.

So are people talking about how loving you are? I’m not asking whether you sometimes go on mission trips or donate to good causes. Mission trips are great, but when you have a better reputation with people two thousand miles away than the guy living right down the street, then that is a problem. If our love isn’t showing up outwardly in tangible ways in everyday life, then it’s not the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated for us. Loving like Jesus will impact your schedule, your budget, and your circle of friends. Before long, it will even impact your reputation.

For God is not …

For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.
Hebrews 6:10

We’re a Time Bomb

I’ve never been good at spotting possible spoilers, so if you haven’t watched The Avengers, I would suggest that you don’t watch the video. Just to be on the safe side. 😉

When Dr. Banner (The Hulk) says that they’re a time bomb, it’s kind of like partnerships between believers and unbelievers. Everything may be fine, but, at some point, there’s going to be a clash. Or a KABOOM. One of those two. Either you’re going to be forced to sacrifice your beliefs and convictions, or your partnership is going to be ruined because of a disagreement about faith. Or both.

The partnership above doesn’t just refer to marriage or dating. Friendships, work relationships, and almost any other partnership with unbelievers also count. I’m not saying you should lock yourself in a room with Christians. Nope. You still need to reach out and love unbelievers. We need to show God’s love to them, just like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18:

 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.
And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

Learn more about pairing up with unbelievers with this great devotional from Josh McDowell.

Hi, guys! Please let me know if you liked this very first Superhero Sunday post! And, as a small disclaimer, I’ve only watched The Avengers and Captain America: The First Avenger, so I’m relatively new to the superhero world. I’ll mostly be using things from those two movies (or others if I watch them :D).

One-of-a-kind Son of God

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

-John 3:16-18 The Message

Who Loved Me

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

-Galatians 2:20

I love how this berse states that the Son of God, God’s Son, loves us! Isn’t that amazing? God’s Son not only loves us, but he sacrified His life for us. We have been crucified with Him, and now it’s not us living in our bodies, but Him living within us and guiding us. How will you live differently now that you have God living in you?

God’s Perfect Love

We never outgrow the need for forgiveness.

iChristian

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It would seem, after having been a Christian for almost 80 years, that I would no longer do ugly things that need forgiving.  Yet I am constantly doing things to others that cause me to have to go back and ask their forgiveness.  Sometimes these are things I actually do- other times they are simply attitudes I let creep in which break the circle of God’s perfect love.

Corrie ten Boom

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