For Goodness Sake!!!

For Goodness Sake


We are steadily getting honest with ourselves, I know it is difficult, but I have faith that we all will make it through ….Christ. =D

As a review:

True love is Agape Love which is totally different from worldly love which demands its own way. Agape love is from God achieving what is best for the beloved knowing that pain is inevitable for both parties at times. (read love angle in the archives if you are unfamiliar with our topic)

What do we do when the beloved is in pain and their emotions desire to coerce us into giving them what they want instead of what they need?

How do we reconcile the hostility being propelled toward us and still be a giver of peace and love?

We translated that into the visual of the coliseum and spoke about only being able to extend love and peace – we must not become a warrior in that coliseum.

What we know about out human nature is that we are pain  "avoiders”. We discussed how this sets up habits and how if not rectified these habits build up generations with the same patterns of dealing with life in some very broken ways. These habits create upheaval, division and strife which are bondage and a curse to obtaining the fullness of life desired for us.

So let’s ponder a question we planted in the Deeply Series and see what has sprouted, okay?

The old adage “I am who I am - don’t try to change me”- Do we consider it selfish to love someone but then desire for them to be different? Our generations have been assaulted with the allusion of not accepting people like they are and “always” wanting to change them. Is this manipulative, selfish etc.?

The world has tried desperately to force us to perceive that each person must not be held accountable for living as they individually deem right verses righteousness.

So I ask….”Doesn’t God love us unconditionally…..Doesn’t He accept us just as we are?”
“Are all the scriptures lies where He requests that we put away our old life, old ways to be transformed by the renewing of our minds?”

Knowing that God is love, truth and the way we are to live in actions toward others, let’s see what He has to say on the subject and finally END this debate:

The truth is God states that if He did not love us He would not discipline us. Read Deuteronomy Chapter 11 later for full text; we are focusing on verses 1, 2, 11-21, 25-28:

Love the LORD your God, and do what he wants you to do. Always obey his laws, rules, and commands. Remember today the discipline you learned from the LORD your God. ({I’m not talking} to your children. They didn’t see or experience any of this.) You saw and experienced his great power—his mighty hand and powerful arm.

11-21 The land you’re about to enter is a land with hills and valleys, watered by rain from the sky. 12 It is a land the LORD your God cares about. He watches over it all year long. If you faithfully obey the commands that I’m giving you today, love the LORD your God, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will send rain on your land at the right time, both in the fall and in the spring. Then you will gather your own grain, new wine, and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your animals, and you will be able to eat all you want. Be careful, or you’ll be tempted to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. The LORD will become angry with you. He’ll shut the sky so that there’ll be no rain. Then the ground won’t grow any crops, and you’ll quickly disappear from this good land the LORD is giving you. Take these words of mine to heart and keep them in mind. {Write them down,} tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. 20 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. Then you and your children will live for a long time in this land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors—as long as there’s a sky above the earth.



25-28 No one will be able to stop you. As the LORD your God promised, he will make people terrified of you wherever you go in this land. Today I’m giving you the choice of a blessing or a curse. You’ll be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I’m giving you today. You’ll be cursed if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God, if you turn from the way I’m commanding you to live today, and if you worship other gods you never knew.

Let’s really understand this discipline God speaks of: It is translated from a Hebrew word Muwcar meaning chastisement, punishment, correction, discipline, instruction and self control. Essentially it is a bond, a checking; restraint – all which result in education.

This discipline is written about in Proverbs many times.  Proverbs is the scripture we base our wisdom and discernment for maturation into the transformation of living holy, lovely and pure lives. The discipline it speaks of is usually oral and not corporal – yet think about our reactions when we do not get what we desire: we act like a child throwing a tantrum. We bully others with our words and actions then minimize our behavior by say its not a big deal because we did not inflict physical pain upon anyone.

Really? God has something to say about emotional abuse and it is not that it is okay. He states that it is real…it inflicts real physical pain to the point that you are actually murdering the individual. That individuals blood is upon your hands now….What will you do? Will you choose life, or will you choose death? The choice is yours to make – do they live or die based on your intent? Will you choose a blessing or a curse? The ultimate curse falls on YOUR head…..so “STOP IT!” For Goodness Sake….stop it. Choose differently, I beg of you.

Proverbs 22:14,15 states this: The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; He who is cursed of the Lord will fall into it. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it from him.

The root word that Muwcar comes from is Yacar, which I will sum up in this definition: It is the intent of the discipline being to correct. It is the process of becoming educated when the proper amount of training and correction are imposed.

That my friend is love….

Paul summed it up in Colossians 2; I will summarize but go back and check me on it. ( all as I have advised you to do with all men. =D)

Paul is encouraging them as he expressed his fighting the good fight for their unity. He speaks of his assurance that God has built them up together in Christ, resulting in true knowledge and wisdom, so that no one may delude them with persuasive arguments. He implores them to not allow themselves to be taken captive through empty philosophy and deception according to traditions of men and elementary principles of this world rather than the deity of Christ. He reminds them that all such things have been nailed to the cross and Christ alone was the rule and authority over them, so they were not to let any man judge them “in regard to food, drink, festivals, new moons, Sabbath, because these are minor things or shadows of the important stuff.

He states that the good fight is all about is this: Putting aside malice, anger, wrath, slander and ANY ABUSIVE Speech. Not lying to each other because we are being renewed to a true knowledge and image of Christ where there is no distinction among others: Only Christ who is all and in all.

So, we must forgive as He forgave then go beyond the self part passing through to Love,which is the perfect bond holding us together: to let peace of Christ rule and have authority.

When we hold our words and give / allow His words priority and space,  there will be wisdom, teaching, admonishing, psalms, hymns and thankfulness in our hearts. If He is all and in all, what are you forcing him to say or do to someone today?

Winding this up now, the answer to the question is this:

You cannot love someone and then not care about their state and safety or growth. That would be the definition of Unloving. Love may however forgive all things – but it cannot cease to desire the removal of pain causing obtrusions in their environment.

Love is more sensitive than anger, bitterness etc, so obviously it gets wounded more easily. You cannot love and be disinterested or indifferent to the welfare of your beloved. Your desire is for them to be able to live in fullness, healthier, with loyal companions and prosperity that would not be obtainable in their lesser form.

This is why we must Love – when one suffers Christ suffers the ability to be perfectly unified and identifiable with all He deserves to have made manifest.

Do you love Him enough to truly love those in your body – family – marriage???

I pray that you be purposeful through Christ, not self, so that He may educate you on how to be interdependent in Love, Truth and Light for His glory and Namesake.

With Love,
Candace

Birthright discussions from Friday group

We know that in the Middle East a birthright is primogeniture or right of the first-born.  What primogeniture means is: A system of inheritance in which land passes exclusively to the eldest son.

We discussed how Rebekkah asked the Lord why there was such a struggle with the babies in her belly.  We read in Genesis where the Lord answered her question:
 

"Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other;  and the older shall serve the younger."

We then discussed how families fight over inheritances if the deceased has not specified the details.  We all know that bitterness even pops up when this is done.

We also discussed that while Love and Peace "should" be given by others it is their free will to give it or not.  We spoke about proper boundaries being althought we do our part and offer Love and Peace if it is 1)not accepted 2) not freely given our rights may not cross into the "colliseum" where the great cloud of witnesses are to battle out till death the winner of the spoils. 

We looked at the interplay between Esau and Jacob, the parental riff of favorites and how that builds the character of individuals.  We discussed how God had told Rebekkah the end before it even started.  We asked questions to journal about:  Was God simply being omnipresent and stating the facts or was this His best plan and good will for the siblings? 

We had discussion about Esau not respecting his birthright and giving it away from lentil soup.  So in essence maybe it is inaccurate to blame Jacob for taking what was given - Esau was perfectly capable of doing some prep work on his kill for the day.  Maybe he was just being lazy - Maybe he just didn't think it was his job and expected Jacob to do it for him - Maybe he didn't think it would eventuate even if he said it, after all he WAS daddy's favorite AND the oldest.

We discussed that if Jacob really believed it was his why did he feel he couldn't just walk into his dads tent and say - "Hey pops, seems you forgot Esau gave the birthright which is a blessing to me - and we know we can't be double minded!) 

We also read Romans 10:1-

Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have (A)a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about (B)God's righteousness and (C)seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For (D)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to (E)everyone who believes. For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law (F)shall live by that righteousness. But (G)the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "(H)DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE (I)ABYSS?' (that is, to (J)bring Christ up from the dead)." But what does it say? "(K)THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that (L)if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and (M)believe in your heart that (N)God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

For the Scripture says, "(O)WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

We discussed if all of them had of lived in peace and trust of God's word, given Love and Peace to each other as they journey through out their days in faith that His will is good, perfect AND pleasing.  All this would have allowed Issace to die in peace - but can you imagine THIS being your last will and testiment to your family legacy?  I don't know about you but I would be ready to check out of this family and move forward, what about you?

I pray that we all not depend on our understanding and scheming to manipulate how to "come into" our inheritance - but that we lean on God's understanding and trust that He is continually working out our journey - moment by moment.  For this is the New Day that the Lord had given and we will rejoice in its new mercies and grace day by day.   

We can extend love and peace however, if we start manipulating actions in order to coerce them into receiving them we will be walking into the colliseum with all those witnesses watching up as we beat them up with all our goodness in our attemts.  Isn't that Ludacris?????

Kisses,
Candace