Accidentally Ironic.

 

http://atitudeadventista.blogspot.com/2012/01/voce-daria-vida-de-seu-filho-por.html

I once read a book written by an atheist. I think I got the book free when I belonged to Bookbub, but I'm not sure. I can't remember the author or the title of the book. Even so, I think I deserve a break on this because I'm 72, but that's up to you. 

What I do remember was the shock I felt when I realized it was a book about prominent atheists throughout history. I'm a Christian, and somehow the title made me think it was a Christian book. I decided to read it anyway. What struck me was how many of the people he described had killed themselves. Meanwhile, he would write about how great it was to be an atheist. I had to laugh at the irony of that, but also felt very sorry for the ones who died that way.

I think of atheists sometimes and wonder how they can go through life believing there will be nothing for them after death. Just an eternal unconsciousness; never to see the ones you love again. My first husband's mother once asked me why on earth I would want to be a Christian. I answered, "Eternal life?" She did not think that was an important enough reason to lose her son. He wanted to leave me if I insisted on being a Christian. It wasn't really his fault. I gave myself to God after we were married for a year, and I changed. I wasn't the same party girl I was when we met and fell in love.

I believe the reasons for being an atheist is the unsound teachings of the churches. I know quite a bit about the teachings of different Christian churches, and I disagree with pretty well all of them. Not their entire dogma, but some of it. 

For instance, I don't believe God will throw unbelievers into a hell where they will be in pain forever. This is a horrible teaching that has probably kept millions of people from becoming Christians. I don't believe God waits around for us to screw up so he can punish us. I used to believe that because I come from a fundamentalist religion. So yes, I kept expecting lightening to strike me down every day.

I don't believe consensual sexual sins are worse than any other sins. Actually, I would bet they are not very important sins at all. Jesus barely mentioned them What he spoke about was the high and mighty people who took advantage of the poor, the widows and the orphans. He told people who thought they were better than others that they were not. He spoke a lot about money and how we must share it. He said loving money was a terrible sin that caused many people to be lost. 

He warned people about looking down on others for any reason. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.  Matthew 21:31,32 It was because of Jesus telling the elite religious people what they were doing wrong that they killed him. 

There is a verse in the Bible I think of when I think of atheists. "Taste, and see that the Lord is good." I wish those who don't believe in God would just give him a chance. Just pray and read the Bible, especially the New Testament. I'm not sure if that verse means, "Try God on, like you would a coat at a store." But I believe if you are sincere about wanting to know if God exists, ask him to let you know. He will. 

 

Fear.

Fear. An overwhelming emotion I’ve had all my life. At the age of 72, fear still invades my mind, even though I rarely leave my apartment in an attempt to not risk being afraid and acting strange in public. But of course, in your apartment you can fear all the things that haven’t happened yet, but surely will. You can fear you aren’t being a good enough wife, mother and grandmother. You can fear you aren’t a good enough Christian, that there is always more you could do for God and for people. You can look back on your life and fear it was mostly a waste.

I know where this fear comes from. When I was two years old, my father beat me black and blue because I would cry at night and not go to sleep. (He told me this himself). He sexually abused me until I was 10. My sister told me she wished she could kill me. She said she’d love to put a pillow over my face and smother me. This is how I learned to fear my family.

When I was very young, my sister told me the Japanese neighbors, who lived across the street, poisoned children with soup. She warned me never to go near their house. So, I learned to fear neighbors. In first grade, I had a teacher who would whip the boys with tree branches. We could hear their screams from the room beside us. So, I learned to fear school. When we visited my grandparents in Los Angeles, my sister told me not to walk down alleys because men would put a bucket over my head and drive nails through it. So, I learned to be afraid in large cities.

I feared God. I was raised in a fundamentalist church and there was a lot of talk about sin. It was pounded into us that any sin at all was horrible. I wanted to be a Christian, but I knew I could never, ever be that good. When I did come to Jesus at 19, whenever I sinned I expected God to kill me. I’m still a Christian and I know better now.

I was crippled by fear. I remember when I was 6 I had to walk a far bit to school. I would drag the toes of my shoes along sidewalk, wearing them out, because I didn’t want to go. I also dragged my shoes on the way home. There was a railroad track between the school and home. I loved watching the trains as they sped by. I loved looking at them when they were just sitting there. My desire was to jump on one that would take me far away. But to where? I didn’t know.

High school was a particular kind of fear. When I started grade 10, I didn’t know anyone at the school. I hid in a stall in the bathroom at lunchtime for three months. I finally met a nice girl and we were friends for a time. I made other friends, but the friendships never lasted more than six months. Even now, I don’t know why.

Dating was a nightmare. I was so afraid on dates I couldn’t speak. I had some really cool guys ask me out, but I was horribly boring. In order to enjoy my company, the guy would have had to be a non-stop talker. (My first husband. Lol)

I found out boys always wanted to touch you. I didn’t find it hard to say no. The first time a boy tried to take my bra off I said, “What are you doing?” I really didn’t know. I figured it out. My father hated me dating and called me a slut. I was a virgin. I dated a boy once and he told everyone I was easy and he screwed me. A lie. After that, I didn’t care too much about staying a virgin. I lost that status after I was date-raped. Not that I knew what it was. I had passed out from drinking and woke up by being thrown on the bed, my clothes taken off and then him inside me. To be honest, he was very good looking and I liked being wanted by him. There was blood on the bed, and he asked in horror, “Are you a virgin?” I told him I was. I think he was ashamed of what he did, but I don’t really know. Any time I saw him at school, he looked away.

Grade 11 I decided to run away from home and go to San Francisco because that’s where the hippie movement was located. My father caught me stealing money from his wallet in the middle of the night. I told my parents how unhappy I was. They decided to send me to Canada to stay with relatives. I was happy to get away and that is where I married my first husband. (The one who never stops talking. He is still like that, and it’s strange that even now when I see him, I feel a warmth for him. I’m afraid no one else likes him because they say he is narcissistic.)

Okay, I have explained why I have this fear inside me. I have been to therapy a few times and it helped me very much. I went to anxiety groups. I began to understand why I do what I do, but none of that took my fear away. I tried to get a university degree, and I did make it through 2 years with high grades, but my mental illness got in the way and I quit.

Most jobs I tried were over in one day because of my fear. My second husband is very understanding. Living on one wage most of our marriage has been close to impossible, but he never complains. I still apologize to him because I’ve felt guilty about how hard life has been for us. I did do some babysitting and I worked as a janitor for a year. This was to buy school clothes for our two daughters.

I don’t know why I’m writing this. I guess I wanted to let people know why some people are afraid, why some people can’t work, even though they are intelligent and look normal. I wanted to let people know this kind of fear is a mental illness. I want Christians to know that even though a fearful person prays about it, sometimes the fear never leaves.

C.S. Lewis told a friend who had a mental illness to realize it is like losing a leg. God isn’t going to grow the leg back, but he will help you live without it. I can attest to that. God has given me the greatest comfort, joy and love than any person has given me. He is amazing. My biggest problem is sometimes forgetting to talk with him about my feelings and worries. I do it, but I want to do it every time I’m upset about anything and many times I forget.

Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, about what you will eat, drink or wear. Each day has problems of its own.” He promised we don’t need to fear because he is with us. Paul wrote, “Have no anxiety about anything, but with petitions and prayers, with thanksgiving, make your requests to God and the peace that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” I repeat these verses to myself and they always help.

I didn’t know that when you become a Christian, you would still have problems in your life that don’t go away quickly. In fact, you may have to pray about that problem until Jesus comes back or you die. I wish I had known that in the beginning of my walk with God, but I didn’t, so I keep marching on knowing God loves me just as I am.

 

Getting Well from a Lack of Nutrition and King Solomon.

 I've been quite sick since Christmas and found out I was not eating enough protein. So now with salt, carbs and protein I am finally well. It took time for my body to adjust to eating different foods, but with the help of my daughter, I am on a healthy diet. I've never been interested in food or nutrition, and I used to believe what I read in magazines that Americans get enough vitamins from their food and not to worry about taking vitamins. Also, sometimes I'm not too bright.

Meanwhile, I've been studying the Bible and talking with God. I started a Bible study on the book of Ecclesiastes on a podcast by Nicole Unice. You can find her here: How To Study The Bible - Nicole Unice. I'm enjoying it very much. I went ahead and read the whole book. I had read it before, but didn't think much about it. Didn't really like it.

But I've learned some valuable lessons from Ecclesiastes. I was surprised to read Solomon say that in wisdom there is much sorrow. He was the wisest man who ever lived, according to the Bible. Nicole explained that the more you know what is going on in the world the sadder you are. I understand that. It is how we all feel after reading or watching the news. The horrible things people do to each other is beyond understanding. So, Solomon concluded there was no happiness in wisdom.

He told us he decided to try to find happiness in money and having a good time. He was a very wealthy king and had everything he could desire. He didn't find happiness in this either. He writes, "A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only of having a good time." Thinking about death, can move us to thinking about what happens after death.

And this is what Ecclesiastes is all about, one man trying to make sense of the world, but all he found was vanity and chasing after wind. Because we all eventually die, Solomon found everything meaningless. That is until the last paragraph where he writes, "Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad."

There are two sides to God. There is his judgement and his love and mercy. God warns us many times in the Bible that we will all be judged on what we have done. If we have harmed people, we will be condemned. But if we tell God we are sorry for what we have done, he runs to meet us, to forgive us and hold us close. Jesus said, "This is eternal life, that we might know you, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah whom you have sent." As we know God, we will always be asking for forgiveness because we all sin. But he always forgives and understands. When God comes into your heart and life, you actually want to do good. This is called our "second birth." We are now adopted by God into the family in heaven. Once that has happened, God says to us, "I will never leave you, and I will never, never forsake you."

We All Need A Little Hope.

 

As I opened my app to “Abide”, a daily Bible study and also an aid to sleeping, the verse for the day was this:

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2

I thought, “If ever there was a land of deep darkness it is here and it is now.” I know in the past there have been many dark times, but to my generation (Baby Boomers), this is the darkest time we have seen with our own eyes.

This verse was written around 740 BC and it was a prophecy about Jesus’ birth. It goes on to say,

      “For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given,

and the government will be upon His shoulders.

And He will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

 

The time of Jesus’ birth was indeed a dark era. Ancient Rome ruled the world and they were ruthless in their conquest. They did some good things, like bring water to cities by aqueducts, build roads and promote sanitation. They also banned human sacrifice, which they found abhorrent. But as we know, their rule was corrupt, cruel and without mercy. People needed hope and many found it in the Son of God.

 

The Christian religion began with a handful of Jesus’ followers, but as people heard the amazing story of how God’s son became a human being in order to save us, thousands and then millions believed. This message gave them hope that though our life here might be fraught with trouble, this wasn’t the only life, there was a life ahead with the God of the universe waiting to be with us.

 

As I said before, this is the darkest time I have lived in (I’m 72). With Russia invading Ukraine, the world is on the brink of a world war. The United States is being torn apart by the people on the left and right. Politics is a shitshow. The hatred between the two opposing camps could cause a split between the states or a civil war. Instead of coming together over the plague of Covid, we became farther apart. Politicians and regular citizens are getting death threats over disagreements about our culture and political stance. Lies are spread throughout media platforms. Trust in authorities has eroded because of the terrible things done in the past by some of them.

 

I hear on podcasts and read in newspapers how people are trying to cling to hope for the future, but it is hard for them. In my opinion, Global Warming will kill this planet. I think we have gone over the line of no return. Many people are deciding not to have children because of the disasters they see coming. Everyone needs hope.

 

 Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why the unease within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,

my Savior and my God.

                      Psalm 43:5

 

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13:13

 

Paul explains hope very well in Romans 8:18-25:  “…with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

 

There is a beautiful song, written and sung by Danny Gorkey called, “Hope in Front of Me.” Here are a few lines:

 

“I've been running through rain
That I thought would never end.
Trying to make it on faith
In a struggle against the wind.
I've seen the dark and the broken places,

But I know in my soul
No matter how bad it gets
I'll be alright.

 

There's hope in front of me
There's a light, I still see it
There's a hand still holding me
Even when I don't believe it.

 

I might be down, but I'm not dead
There's better days still up ahead
Even after all I've seen
There's hope in front of me, yeah

 

 

 

The Broken Parts of Our Lives.

 

Painting by Belle Unruh

The Broken Parts of Our Lives.

When I look back on the events in my life that broke my heart, I can see how grief has changed me. The pain in other people’s lives made me want to listen to and help them. My own pain taught me lessons, like how a parent feels when a child rebels and enters into a self-destructive life, and how one feels when someone they love has died. I understand the pain of divorce and mental illness. My heart goes out to those who are suffering and has led me to donate to charities.

Having gone through poverty and a few months of homelessness, I look with pity on people who wander the streets and go through garbage cans. I have a deep desire to give to the poor. Without my own suffering, I probably would have gone on as I did when I was young, happy and carefree, not giving a thought to those who are hurting.

I have seen images of broken pottery being compared to our lives and the caption is usually something like this: “God shines best through our broken spaces.” I decided to paint this image. When I sent a photo of my painting to a friend, he wrote a letter back and told me his story of a broken urn. I want to share this with everyone.

“Around 20 years ago, my wife’s brother was helping us carry items into the house from the cargo bay of our SUV. We had been shopping at a Target Store and had purchased a very large painted ceramic urn that we wanted to use as a decorative indoor accent. We had a hand truck (dolly), but her brother, being a macho man, insisted that he could bear hug the urn and carry it in by himself. We reluctantly agreed to let him do it.  He was 10 feet from where we wanted the urn positioned when he lost his grip and it fell to the floor and shattered.  At first, we thought the urn was a total loss, but it was so expensive that my wife wanted to see if she could salvage it.   Fortunately, most of the pieces were large, enabling her to "work the jigsaw puzzle" and glue them back together. When she finished, we were amazed at the result.

The urn wound up having more character and looking more interesting and beautiful than it was before it was broken. It was "perfectly imperfect." The glue bulged from the cracks a little and turned a tan color, making it appear that the urn was draped in rope.  We have had the urn proudly displayed in our family room ever since with an artificial palm tree inside it. It is a conversation starter. Visitors notice it immediately and remark how lovely it is. They don't believe it when we tell them how it "came together" by accident.”

I believe God allows pain in our lives to make us into better people. Unfortunately, we don’t learn much from a wonderful day at Disneyland. I know death, pain and suffering are a result of sin and come from Satan and everyone shares in that pain. We were given no choice to be born into a fallen world, but God gives us each a chance to follow him. If we do, instead of anger and bitterness at our lot, learning of God’s love for us and the world will melt our hearts and we can learn good from evil.  God’s rescue plan is vast, he has many ways of reaching out to us, and not all of them involve pain. In fact, it was the birth of my first daughter that made me turn my face towards God. I wanted to be a good mother and knew I couldn’t do it without him.

There is a wonderful chapter in the Book of Psalms. It shows in detail how God draws people to himself. I hope you will take the time to read it. Each example of people in terrible trouble ends in praise to God. I’ve shortened the chapter:

Psalm 107

Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.

Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.

Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
they saw the deeds of the LORD,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.

Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

Do You Find Being Christian A Burden?

 

Photo by: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Kafziel

I used to find being a Christian was a heavy burden. When I was first a Christian, I was afraid of God and his anger. I was raised in a strict, fundamental church. I thought I should strive to be perfect. Of course, I couldn’t become perfect so I was in despair.

I learned from a traveling preacher that this isn’t what God wants from us. No one is perfect but him. I learned that if we could become perfect, Jesus needn’t have died for us. He covers us with his perfection. This was a great relief to me, but sometimes when I sin I can still feel pretty discouraged. There are so many ways to goof up and choose wrong things.

I often remember Jesus said, “My burden is light.” And when asked what the most important commandment was he answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 In Micah 6:8 it says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8  This is not a burden, it is a privilege.

 I’ve been listening to songs sung by Danny Gorky. He has such a strong, beautiful voice and the songs he sings are uplifting. One of them speaks to this subject. It is called, Love God Love People. I thought I’d print the lyrics here because I think they are true. I’ve shortened the length a bit.

Love God, Love People:

I've been running in circles
Jumping the hurdles
Getting caught in that rush of doing so much
I'm feeling kinda worn out.

 All this checking the boxes

Trying to be flawless
Has me spinning my head, catching my breath
Too afraid to slow down

 I tell myself to keep this up                                                                                           That God wants more than just my love                                                                         But I've been complicating things                                                                                     It's just like me to overthink

 Gotta keep it real simple, keep it real simple                                                                      Bring everything right back to ground zero                                                                'Cause it all comes down to this                                                                                       Love God and love people.

We're living in a world that keeps breakin'
But if we want to find a way to change it
It all comes down to this
Love God and love people

 Oh, this is freedom

The keys to the Kingdom
Knowing life will be found when love can be loud
'Cause love is what it's all about

 I tell myself to keep this up

That all God wants is just my love
No more complicating things
No more need to overthink

 Gotta keep it real simple, keep it real simple

Bring everything right back to ground zero
'Cause it all comes down to this
Love God and love people

We're living in a world that keeps breakin'
But if we want to find a way to change it
It all comes down to this
Love God and love people

 Love is patient, love is kind

Rescues hearts and changes lives
Love is all we need to make things right

Gotta keep it real simple, oh
It's really so simple,

Gotta keep it real simple, keep it real simple
Bring everything right back to ground zero
'Cause it all comes down to this
Love God and love people

 

We're living in a world that keeps breakin'

But if we want to find a way to change it

It all comes down to this

Love God and love people

 Songwriters: Ben Glover, Danny Gokey, Jeff Sojka, Colby Wedgeworth, Riley Clemmons. For non-commercial use only.

 

 

 

The Death Penalty for Abortion.

 

Anyone can copy and use all of my posts.

I love to listen to podcasts. As I was looking around for an interesting subject, I came across, The Daily, which is with the New York Times. The subject was, “The Effort to Punish Women for Having Abortions.”

This was a subject I deeply cared about because I have been watching the news on what is happening in the U.S. since Roe vs Wade was struck down. What I have seen has horrified me; trying to force a 10-year-old to carry a child to birth, arresting and deciding to prosecute a mother who bought abortion pills for her teenage daughter, women who are miscarrying being turned away from hospitals because the doctors don’t want to be charged for helping a woman abort a baby.

The next big news was hearing the Christian Right want to take away our right to have contraceptives! This was hard for me to believe, but yes, it is true. It’s part of their plan for women! How is that possible? Are we going to have no right to try to have our babies when we want to? Do these crazy Christians think contraception is a sin? Do they want women to have 10 children in a row? Honestly, I have no idea.

I must tell you I am a Christian. I love Jesus, but I am not crazy, neither do I want my Christian beliefs forced on you or anyone else. Jesus did not force anyone to join his movement, he merely said, “Follow me.” He has given the whole world the choice to be a Christian or not.

But what I heard on this podcast was truly horrific. There are people on the far-Right who want to give women the death penalty for having an abortion. The pastor in this podcast said the women had committed murder and therefore must die. He then quoted the Old Testament of the Bible to defend his reasoning. He said, “An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.”

Okay, that law was meant for the Jews around 3,000 years ago. God had asked them to be his people, his nation on earth. They agreed to that and so God gave them lots of laws besides the 10 Commandments. These were civil laws, like if someone stole an ox or accidentally killed someone. Every nation needs these kinds of laws. Were those laws for everyone in the world? No. Israel was a Theocracy, God was their ruler. And actually, if you didn’t like all the laws etc. you could just move away to some other country. You weren’t forced to stay.

When Jesus came, he told the people there were new laws now. He did not change the 10 Commandments, but he did abolish all the other laws God established with the Jewish nation. He said, “You have heard it said, ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you (insults you) on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, (Roman soldiers did that so someone would help carry his bags) go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from one who wants to borrow from you.”

Jesus continued, “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the evil. If you love those who love you, what reward with you get? Do not sinners do that? If you greet only your friends, what are you doing more than others? Do not pagans do that? But strive to be perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect.”  Matthew 5:38-48

Jesus was starting a new religion, one based on unconditional love. Yes, God loved people in the Old Testament, but times were very different then and God’s laws were actually more merciful than the laws of other nations. I believe God chose his own nation so the memory of God would not be lost down the ages.

Most of the world back then was pagan. They worshipped Baal and Molech who demanded child sacrifice. Sex was part of their religions, which is probably why it was so popular. Most of those nations were not peaceful, they wanted to conquer other nations. There were so many gods in those days, and God needed some people who would write down God’s words and deeds for generations to come.

Okay, so if someone brought to Jesus a woman who had an abortion, what do you think he would have done? It’s very easy – nothing. He would have let her go her way. That’s exactly what he did for a woman who had committed adultery.

The religious leaders (sound familiar) brought a woman caught in adultery. They told Jesus she should be stoned to death as the law of Moses said. Then they asked, “What would you do?” They were testing him.

Jesus did something strange. He bent down and began writing in the dust on the ground. Then he said, “Let him who has never sinned be the first to cast a stone at her.” Then he continued writing on the ground. When the crowd of men heard this, they left one by one. (Some scholars believe he was writing the sins of the men who were accusing her.)

After they left, Jesus stood and asked the woman, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you, now go and sin no more.”

Jesus said at the beginning of his ministry, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that everyone who believes in him shall not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only son.  John 3:16-18

Jesus did not come with judgement at that time. Judgement Day is still in the future where everyone will have to give an account to God for what he has done in this life. Until that day, we should never judge people for religious reasons.

The banning of abortion is the Church joining the State to force their religious beliefs on the whole country, if they can. Religion and State should never unite because to do so always ends in persecution, imprisonment and death. I urge everyone to read the history of religious persecution. It has happened in the past and is happening now, here and in other countries.

I also urge every woman to vote for the Democrats from now on, unless you want to have your rights taken away from you.

The Effort to Punish Women for Having Abortions - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Host: Sabrina Tavernise     Reporter: Elizabeth Dias

 

 

 

Abortion and Jesus.

 

Persecution of the Paulicians.

I don’t think I have ever written about politics in my blog. I don’t believe religion and politics should ever unite. I am a Christian, but I don’t believe my moral decisions should be imposed on other people. I don’t believe there should be another Theocracy like the Jews had and some other countries have. Uniting church and State invariably brings about persecution, imprisonment and death. This has happened throughout history.

Do I think God wants abortion? I doubt he does. Should we make it illegal? I don’t think so. I think it has already been made plain what is going to happen if we do. So my beliefs are different than many other Christians.

Everyone knows the story of the 10-year-old girl who was raped and then pregnant. That state wanted to force her to have the child. A 10-year-old! My cousin had a baby at 14 and her insides were so ruined she could never have another child. Even leaving out the child, most pro-lifers want women to have the baby even if the mother would die! Even if the baby is so deformed it can’t live!

I think the worst thing about pro-lifers is their attitude towards the pregnant woman. They seem gleeful when they talk about sending her to jail. Doctors are scared spitless about being charged of aiding an abortion and won’t help women who are having a miscarriage. Women are already suffering terrible pain and great fear they won’t be believed if they say they didn’t try to lose the baby. Meanwhile the Christians are rejoicing.

I heard a man on a podcast say that he was glad about the new law but that the church better stop sending money to missionaries and instead take care of the babies and mothers. I thought, “Does he really think churches will do that?” How much money does it take to raise a child? What if the mom can’t find a job or even if she does are they going to help her pay for rent, utilities, clothes and food? How much will that be a month? Rent is so high right now it’s creating thousands of homeless people.

What would Jesus do? What would he do if he found out a woman had an abortion? I’ll tell you what he would do, forgive her and help her. Would he put her in prison? Who could honestly say Jesus would do that? Never, he would never do that. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Perhaps if Christians, all these years that abortion was legal, had helped women who were pregnant.  Perhaps if they had offered to take them in, supply their needs and just simply loved these women. Could they have saved babies from death? Yes. But they didn’t do it.

Global Warming and God.

 

Because many people can see global warming is killing the planet, I feel compelled to tell people about the words of God who has warned us of this for thousands of years. He spoke through different men who wrote down what he said.

Jesus warns us of what will happen at the end of time, he said, “For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.”

“At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. See, I have told you in advance.”

“So, if they tell you, ‘There He (Jesus or the Messiah) is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days:

‘The sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door. Matthew chapter 24.

Isaiah writes, “The earth mourns and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the highest people of the earth languish.

The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore, a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
and few men are left.”   Isaiah 24:4-6

Jesus said, “On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”   Luke 21:25-28

Peter wrote, “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.”

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness 12as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”   2 Peter 3:4-6

God says, “I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”   Acts 2:19-21  I would say the sun turned to darkness is because of the smoke of fires and the moon looks like blood when there are massive fires.

Isaiah writes, “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.”   Isaiah 34:4

 

All through the Bible, God warns us against sinning and asks us to repent and come to him. All through each person’s life, God speaks to them in their conscience. He works year after year on stubborn hearts, not wanting to give up. But he also gave us free choice. We can go to him for help and salvation or we can say, “No thanks. I want to live my life my way.”

The Lord says, “For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live!   Ezekiel 18:32

“As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”   Ezekiel 33:11

I gave my life to God when I was nineteen. It was the best thing I’ve ever done. Life has been painful for me, but when I think of how my life would have been without Jesus, I know I would have died by suicide or worse. If you give your life to him, you will never regret it. You will join his family and be a son or daughter of God and live forever where all your deepest desires will come true.