Daily Smile
posted by Daniel Hewton at 12:38 a.m.
0 comments
Monday, May 07, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Good Friday 2007
It occurred to me today when I was considering Good Friday, and how I am thankful for what Christ did for me on this day; what is it that Christ really did for me on this day? What is it that His sacrifice did or made possible for me? What was I saved from that makes me thankful/grateful?
For myself I began to look at a life that still, for all my years as a christian, I am far from perfection. I still make mistakes that leave my head shaking (and possibly/probably others). I still struggle with forgiving those who hurt me. I still struggle with accepting full responsibility for the impact my actions have on others. I still struggle with loving unconditionally. So doesn't this mean Christ's death was in vain?
NO!
Christ's sacrifice was never ABOUT ME, it was FOR ME and ABOUT HIM. Jesus death was to remove the yolk of guilt/debt/sins from the past and future. His intense love for you and I moved God the Father to make a way supernaturally to permanently bridge the gap between our human frailty and His Godly perfection. It was to free us to live life and to live it to the fullest.
Just imagine, you owe hundreds of thousands of dollars to the bank for your home. The bank manager calls to let you know he would like to speak with you. He has decided to pay your mortgage for you. You now owe nothing towards the ownership of the house. It is yours, not the banks. Can we agree, you would likely be bursting with joy/love/all things good, for your bank manager. Hey you might even have him over for dinner.
Christ is the bank manager, your life is your home. He has paid for it out of his own pocket (sacrifice). He has not asked you to do anything for it, it is a free gift. You could of course refuse the gift because you get this morbid delight from making mortgage payments. Frankly we would all probably consider it madness to turn down the bank managers offer. Agreed?
But here is the thing, the big misunderstanding created by religion; what was originally gratitude for this incredible gift mutated into man made controls over other men, and even controls over ourselves.
It JUST SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE that the gift is free. You must have to do something for it. So men made religion with rules because they didn't believe in the gospel. Gospel translated means "Good News". The good news is that the gift is free. Men with agenda's did not want us to be free. They wanted to create dependence on THEMSELVES, not God. Thus maintaining control. Christ came to free us with a relationship, not a religion. Christ came so we could have direct access to Him without the requirement of someone else to do it for us.
Please read any amount of the New Testament to see what Jesus himself felt about religion and religious people. In the book of James he talks about what the "true/pure" religion is in God's eyes. So if you understand that it is a free gift, and that God desires no "controls" over you, that you are free to choose what you will do with your life; knowing that your house is paid for, wouldn't you WANT to honour your bank manager? Tell everyone of how your bank manager let you off the hook for your mortgage? Invite him over for dinner?
If you are a parent; when your child chooses to obey your wishes, does that not touch you more than when they obey having been forced to?
This message is not to vilify religions with deep traditions. I myself come from a home with deep christian traditions that I will never forget. However, somewhere along the line many people allowed it to become about the traditions rather than what it was originally about. The Gospel. The good news that the gift is free. If you belong to a church with traditions, do not see this e-mail as challenging your traditions, but take it as a challenge to know yourself and know why you believe what you believe. No religion is going to get your into heaven. However a relationship with a living God will that comes from accepting the gift.
When you go to church this Sunday (if you do) consider where the traditions came from, and why they do what they do. When I remember that, it becomes a deep act of worship, and not an act of going through the motions.
I am grateful this Good Friday, because Christ's sacrifice was not about me, it was FOR ME. Because I now know it is not about what I have done or not done, I choose to accept the free gift and live my life for Jesus. Sharing the story of the bank manager who let me off the hook for eternity.
Will you consider accepting the gift today if you have not already? If you have, will you consider sharing the good news of your debt free life?
Loving you always,
Daniel
For myself I began to look at a life that still, for all my years as a christian, I am far from perfection. I still make mistakes that leave my head shaking (and possibly/probably others). I still struggle with forgiving those who hurt me. I still struggle with accepting full responsibility for the impact my actions have on others. I still struggle with loving unconditionally. So doesn't this mean Christ's death was in vain?
NO!
Christ's sacrifice was never ABOUT ME, it was FOR ME and ABOUT HIM. Jesus death was to remove the yolk of guilt/debt/sins from the past and future. His intense love for you and I moved God the Father to make a way supernaturally to permanently bridge the gap between our human frailty and His Godly perfection. It was to free us to live life and to live it to the fullest.
Just imagine, you owe hundreds of thousands of dollars to the bank for your home. The bank manager calls to let you know he would like to speak with you. He has decided to pay your mortgage for you. You now owe nothing towards the ownership of the house. It is yours, not the banks. Can we agree, you would likely be bursting with joy/love/all things good, for your bank manager. Hey you might even have him over for dinner.
Christ is the bank manager, your life is your home. He has paid for it out of his own pocket (sacrifice). He has not asked you to do anything for it, it is a free gift. You could of course refuse the gift because you get this morbid delight from making mortgage payments. Frankly we would all probably consider it madness to turn down the bank managers offer. Agreed?
But here is the thing, the big misunderstanding created by religion; what was originally gratitude for this incredible gift mutated into man made controls over other men, and even controls over ourselves.
It JUST SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE that the gift is free. You must have to do something for it. So men made religion with rules because they didn't believe in the gospel. Gospel translated means "Good News". The good news is that the gift is free. Men with agenda's did not want us to be free. They wanted to create dependence on THEMSELVES, not God. Thus maintaining control. Christ came to free us with a relationship, not a religion. Christ came so we could have direct access to Him without the requirement of someone else to do it for us.
Please read any amount of the New Testament to see what Jesus himself felt about religion and religious people. In the book of James he talks about what the "true/pure" religion is in God's eyes. So if you understand that it is a free gift, and that God desires no "controls" over you, that you are free to choose what you will do with your life; knowing that your house is paid for, wouldn't you WANT to honour your bank manager? Tell everyone of how your bank manager let you off the hook for your mortgage? Invite him over for dinner?
If you are a parent; when your child chooses to obey your wishes, does that not touch you more than when they obey having been forced to?
This message is not to vilify religions with deep traditions. I myself come from a home with deep christian traditions that I will never forget. However, somewhere along the line many people allowed it to become about the traditions rather than what it was originally about. The Gospel. The good news that the gift is free. If you belong to a church with traditions, do not see this e-mail as challenging your traditions, but take it as a challenge to know yourself and know why you believe what you believe. No religion is going to get your into heaven. However a relationship with a living God will that comes from accepting the gift.
When you go to church this Sunday (if you do) consider where the traditions came from, and why they do what they do. When I remember that, it becomes a deep act of worship, and not an act of going through the motions.
I am grateful this Good Friday, because Christ's sacrifice was not about me, it was FOR ME. Because I now know it is not about what I have done or not done, I choose to accept the free gift and live my life for Jesus. Sharing the story of the bank manager who let me off the hook for eternity.
Will you consider accepting the gift today if you have not already? If you have, will you consider sharing the good news of your debt free life?
Loving you always,
Daniel
posted by Daniel Hewton at 3:26 a.m.
0 comments
Friday, June 16, 2006
Forgiveness
Consider if you will:
Unforgiveness can only exist if you are getting some kind of a payoff/benefit from it. The payoff isn't always obvious, but the cost of the unforgiveness makes worth it, whatever amount of energy spent on identifying the payoff.
Keeping the payoff is always easier as you have lived with it (typically) for some time. Letting it go requires great humility and a willingness to look for it. God will help you, but, YOU must be willing to consider YOU are the one 100% responsible for the unforgivenss. You are the ONLY reason there is unforgiveness. No one can make you forgive or not forgive. It is all yours.
You are ALWAYS committed to something in everything you do, so, when you have unforgiveness, ask yourself "I am more committed to forgiveness, or am I more committed to the payoff I get from the being the wronged one?" So from this you can see the importance of spending the time to identify what the payoff has been.
Unforgivenss and forgiveness are exclusively your responsibility. So when you have either it is always 100% because that is what you are committed to.
Jesus had every opportunity to explore how he was being and had been, wronged. But His commitment to obedience and forgiveness, was greater than His commitment to his wounds taken. He did not have a change of heart in the middle of the torture.
Whenever it seems "so hard", "too hard", that is a much easier route to take then to let go of the payoff. But consider always what the cost is when your commitment to the payoff is greater than your commitment to forgiveness.
Amen.
Love Always,
Dan
Unforgiveness can only exist if you are getting some kind of a payoff/benefit from it. The payoff isn't always obvious, but the cost of the unforgiveness makes worth it, whatever amount of energy spent on identifying the payoff.
Keeping the payoff is always easier as you have lived with it (typically) for some time. Letting it go requires great humility and a willingness to look for it. God will help you, but, YOU must be willing to consider YOU are the one 100% responsible for the unforgivenss. You are the ONLY reason there is unforgiveness. No one can make you forgive or not forgive. It is all yours.
You are ALWAYS committed to something in everything you do, so, when you have unforgiveness, ask yourself "I am more committed to forgiveness, or am I more committed to the payoff I get from the being the wronged one?" So from this you can see the importance of spending the time to identify what the payoff has been.
Unforgivenss and forgiveness are exclusively your responsibility. So when you have either it is always 100% because that is what you are committed to.
Jesus had every opportunity to explore how he was being and had been, wronged. But His commitment to obedience and forgiveness, was greater than His commitment to his wounds taken. He did not have a change of heart in the middle of the torture.
Whenever it seems "so hard", "too hard", that is a much easier route to take then to let go of the payoff. But consider always what the cost is when your commitment to the payoff is greater than your commitment to forgiveness.
Amen.
Love Always,
Dan
posted by Daniel Hewton at 11:10 a.m.
0 comments
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Thoughts on "The Creature from the Cash Lagoon"
The message from April 9th ("The Creature from the Cash Lagoon") brought to the forefront for me, the thoughts/perceptions people have of money.
Speaking to people about finances or money can be very difficult as our attitudes about money can reveal allot about ourselves. So therefore, talking to someone about money is a VERY dangerous prospect. Our self esteem (or lack thereof) risks being fully exposed. To my experience people are galacticly unaware how much effort they daily put into "looking good", or how they appear to others. To discuss money freely requires a level of vulnerability not often seen.
In this post today, I hope to identify the true villain in the age old battle between man and money. To do this best, I want to clarify something that has been believed for a very long time, that is not accurate. "Money is the root of all evil!" Ever heard this phrase/quote? People have been quoting the Bible as saying MONEY is the root of EVIL for who knows how long? What the Bible ACTUALLY says is:
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
It is the LOVE OF MONEY, not money itself.
I believe this succesffuly shows just how irresponsible we can be as people. We always want someone or someTHING other than ourself to be responsible for evil or things that go wrong.
We want to blame the advertisers for being so good at playing into our self esteem, our sexuality. We want to blame our parents for not showing us better. We want to believe/pretend that we are powerless to the brilliance of the marketing/media machines of this day. Why? because it is much easier to to do this than it is to take full responsibility for ourselves.
The Bible says:
James 4:7
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
This requires something of us. We must first embrace humility before God, which equips us to be vulnerable to each other. We must then CHOOSE to resist. If we don't, who is responsible for that choice? God says the devil WILL FLEE if we resist. It is a certainty.
When we let our fears of sharing our financial "brilliance" with others take control, we are handing our checkbooks over to the devil. We are disempowering ourselves. If you are not good with money, all it "means" is that you are not good with money! Thats it! But many of us, (myself included until some time ago), make it mean FAR MORE!!! PLEASE DON'T. It is what it is. If you don't know how to fix a car, you don't make it mean that your character as a human is somehow flawed. You take it to a garage.
But back to our responsibility, please do not blame money. Money is not evil. Why would Jesus use a parable involving investing money, to illustrate a point if HE felt money was evil. It is in the fertile soil of our attitudes, our relationship with money, where the seed of evil dost germinate.
Ed Young today said "money is leading you around", but what he was referring to, was how your heart is chasing after money, not the Lord. Look again at what the verse in Timothy says about where it leads you to. (see above)
It is easy to blame money, but understand your creditors judge you based on your choices. Your financial state is merely a reflection of your choices. The first step to changing your financial situation is to look at what your relationship is with money. What do you honestly think about money? Do you believe it is evil? If you do, you are going to have difficulty with it, and you will likely fall prey to judging people who have loads of it, and you will likely fall prey to being led by it.
However, if you look at it as a tool whereby people can be blessed through its use, and that you are a steward of it, you will begin to see transformation in far more than just your bank account.
When push comes to shove, it is paper, metal, and plastic. But lets face it, we make it mean FAR more than that.
Let us transform this world by being good stewards of what we have. Remember this: you got what you got, you don't got what you don't got. AMEN
His kingdom can't come until our thingdom goes.
So who is the villain? The love of money, and our reluctance to be fully responsible for ourselves.
So who is the hero? Christ every time. (what did you expect me to say?) ;-) He tells us to carry each others burdens, to share with one another and care for each other. But if our committment is greater to "looking good" and how people percieve us, how can we genuinely care about each other when we don't even know who the real us is?
Come let us reason together.
Love Always,
The WebGodFather
Speaking to people about finances or money can be very difficult as our attitudes about money can reveal allot about ourselves. So therefore, talking to someone about money is a VERY dangerous prospect. Our self esteem (or lack thereof) risks being fully exposed. To my experience people are galacticly unaware how much effort they daily put into "looking good", or how they appear to others. To discuss money freely requires a level of vulnerability not often seen.
In this post today, I hope to identify the true villain in the age old battle between man and money. To do this best, I want to clarify something that has been believed for a very long time, that is not accurate. "Money is the root of all evil!" Ever heard this phrase/quote? People have been quoting the Bible as saying MONEY is the root of EVIL for who knows how long? What the Bible ACTUALLY says is:
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
It is the LOVE OF MONEY, not money itself.
I believe this succesffuly shows just how irresponsible we can be as people. We always want someone or someTHING other than ourself to be responsible for evil or things that go wrong.
We want to blame the advertisers for being so good at playing into our self esteem, our sexuality. We want to blame our parents for not showing us better. We want to believe/pretend that we are powerless to the brilliance of the marketing/media machines of this day. Why? because it is much easier to to do this than it is to take full responsibility for ourselves.
The Bible says:
James 4:7
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
This requires something of us. We must first embrace humility before God, which equips us to be vulnerable to each other. We must then CHOOSE to resist. If we don't, who is responsible for that choice? God says the devil WILL FLEE if we resist. It is a certainty.
When we let our fears of sharing our financial "brilliance"
But back to our responsibility, please do not blame money. Money is not evil. Why would Jesus use a parable involving investing money, to illustrate a point if HE felt money was evil. It is in the fertile soil of our attitudes, our relationship with money, where the seed of evil dost germinate.
Ed Young today said "money is leading you around", but what he was referring to, was how your heart is chasing after money, not the Lord. Look again at what the verse in Timothy says about where it leads you to. (see above)
It is easy to blame money, but understand your creditors judge you based on your choices. Your financial state is merely a reflection of your choices. The first step to changing your financial situation is to look at what your relationship is with money. What do you honestly think about money? Do you believe it is evil? If you do, you are going to have difficulty with it, and you will likely fall prey to judging people who have loads of it, and you will likely fall prey to being led by it.
However, if you look at it as a tool whereby people can be blessed through its use, and that you are a steward of it, you will begin to see transformation in far more than just your bank account.
When push comes to shove, it is paper, metal, and plastic. But lets face it, we make it mean FAR more than that.
Let us transform this world by being good stewards of what we have. Remember this: you got what you got, you don't got what you don't got. AMEN
His kingdom can't come until our thingdom goes.
So who is the villain? The love of money, and our reluctance to be fully responsible for ourselves.
So who is the hero? Christ every time. (what did you expect me to say?) ;-)
Come let us reason together.
Love Always,
The WebGodFather
posted by Daniel Hewton at 4:23 p.m.
1 comments
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Empty and Meaningless?
If life is empty and meaningless, and I am an organic machine created by God, and I am also free to create the life I want; then I put it to you that the bible is my way of knowing what my creator desires for me.
God does not impose himself in ANY way. He does say that I was created to bring glory to Him . Consider when I make a kick butt roast leg of lamb (and I do <grin>), it brings me (the creator/maker) glory. "Wow Dan, that was delicious, you can really cook."
God has had this "meaning" for me since before creation. But just being born and simply existing doesn't create meaning. Meaning exists for me, only when I create it for myself, OR, when I accept the meaning God has created for me. He reveals this to me in the bible.
(My way, His way)
How cool is it, that an infinite God made us? Made us a blank slate that we are free to create whatever we want on it, unhindered by His control or imposition. Further; knowing full well we would mess up in our lives, makes a way so that NO ONE ( including Himself) could ever "make us wrong".
How sad is it that man, fearing this extraordinary freedom, takes a gift from God and wields it like a weapon. Morality. Man has abused morality forever and now going full circle, vilifies morality. Morality was a gift from God to show us when we when we were going astray. He did not create it because he wants to condemn us, He created it because He loves us. It is to remind us to go back to the beginning, to our loving Father (Him) and start again, anew.
To that end, He takes on the form of man, comes to our level, bringing a simple message. Within that message is love, acceptance, and hope. " Love Me (God), love each other. Oh, and if you f ollow Me, I'll show you the way."
To see how much people of that day loved and appreciated that simple message of hope, watch "The Passion of the Christ".
How sad is it that man turns a gift into a weapon. Then blames God?!?! As we as a society push 'right and wrong' out of our lives, we also push our Father out as well. This same Father that knows every 'right and wrong' thing you will EVER do, and still makes the choice to give HIMSELF up. This so in the end, all He will see is His dearly loved children, not their deeds good or bad.
God did the ultimate "clean up" which leads to, the ultimate "workability" in life. Many of us have created this "story" of how God hates us, wants to control us, condemn us, wants us to have dull lives etc. Even though He came to free us up to live life full out.
Why do we continue to feed these "stories"? We blame crusades, wars, evil, on God. His response to being blamed is to come to our level and make a way for us to be free. Truly free!
Why would an infinite creator being poorly represented, and BLAMED for OUR irresponsibility, give up HIMSELF and take the abuse He did? Because He is our loving Father and had it planned right from the beginning!
If you are a parent, when you tell your child to NOT put their hand on the stove, but they still do and get burned, do you condemn them? Why did you impose your "morality" on them? "thou shalt not put thy hand on the stove". Morality is a functional/workable gift from God.
When YOU put your hand on the stove and get burned, He wants to rush to you and tend to you. Afterward He will re-iterate, "thou shalt not put thy hand on the stove", then send you on your way again whole and complete. I imagine God never endingly saying "try again Danny, I know you can do it."
Please consider, if you reject morality and God, thinking them to be irrelevant, please consider you may be living in the confines of a "story". A "story" birthed by some event/s in the past. You saw something you believed to be evidence against God and morality. You then proceeded to make your thoughts "absolute truth" for yourself.
God loves and accepts you where you are RIGHT NOW! He knows every 'right and wrong' thing you will ever do, and yet to show you how serious He is about loving and accepting you, He gave Himself.
There are no "things" you must do for this acceptance. In fact He came to earth as a man to make sure YOUR "salvation" would NEVER have anything to do with what YOU do, but rather what HE did. Thus freeing you to create a life for yourself free from guilt and condemnation. Free from the weaponized morality of MEN!
Please consider your loving Father has always known you better than YOU ever will . That is WHY He came and gave Himself. There is nothing you have done, or thought, that He isn't aware of. It is for those things you punish yourself and condemn yourself for that He came. He wants you to be FREE. TRULY FREE. Eternally Free.
He is offering you a free gift RIGHT NOW in this e-mail. It is your choice whether to receive a gift or not. It is your choice to act, or not.
Parents, what happens when you force your love on your children? They push away. God will not force Himself on you, but it will take something of you.
It will take you considering that you may be living in the confines of a "story", and that "story" is taking you off the court of, 'having a living relationship with a living God, RIGHT NOW'. Please let us reason together.
I love you with the love He first gave me!
The WebGodFather
ps: The verses I have linked to above and listed below, are just SCRATCHING THE SURFACE. I couldn't possibly include all the verses that refer to what I share with you in this post. The bibles message is simple! I LOVE YOU! I give you this "post" as a place to begin.
It would be my greatest pleasure and honour to discuss with you this post, even if you are not in agreement.
VERSES to examine:
Evidence to support man's "stories" of God may not actually be REAL:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203:27&version=51
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%201:30-31;&version=51 ;
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%204:1-8;&version=51;
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:3;&version=49 ;
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%206:23&version=51
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20103:12&version=51
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043:25&version=51
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%202:8-10;&version=51;
God does not impose himself in ANY way. He does say that I was created to bring glory to Him . Consider when I make a kick butt roast leg of lamb (and I do <grin>), it brings me (the creator/maker) glory. "Wow Dan, that was delicious, you can really cook."
God has had this "meaning" for me since before creation. But just being born and simply existing doesn't create meaning. Meaning exists for me, only when I create it for myself, OR, when I accept the meaning God has created for me. He reveals this to me in the bible.
(My way, His way)
How cool is it, that an infinite God made us? Made us a blank slate that we are free to create whatever we want on it, unhindered by His control or imposition. Further; knowing full well we would mess up in our lives, makes a way so that NO ONE ( including Himself) could ever "make us wrong".
How sad is it that man, fearing this extraordinary freedom, takes a gift from God and wields it like a weapon. Morality. Man has abused morality forever and now going full circle, vilifies morality. Morality was a gift from God to show us when we when we were going astray. He did not create it because he wants to condemn us, He created it because He loves us. It is to remind us to go back to the beginning, to our loving Father (Him) and start again, anew.
To that end, He takes on the form of man, comes to our level, bringing a simple message. Within that message is love, acceptance, and hope. " Love Me (God), love each other. Oh, and if you f ollow Me, I'll show you the way."
To see how much people of that day loved and appreciated that simple message of hope, watch "The Passion of the Christ".
How sad is it that man turns a gift into a weapon. Then blames God?!?! As we as a society push 'right and wrong' out of our lives, we also push our Father out as well. This same Father that knows every 'right and wrong' thing you will EVER do, and still makes the choice to give HIMSELF up. This so in the end, all He will see is His dearly loved children, not their deeds good or bad.
God did the ultimate "clean up" which leads to, the ultimate "workability" in life. Many of us have created this "story" of how God hates us, wants to control us, condemn us, wants us to have dull lives etc. Even though He came to free us up to live life full out.
Why do we continue to feed these "stories"? We blame crusades, wars, evil, on God. His response to being blamed is to come to our level and make a way for us to be free. Truly free!
Why would an infinite creator being poorly represented, and BLAMED for OUR irresponsibility, give up HIMSELF and take the abuse He did? Because He is our loving Father and had it planned right from the beginning!
If you are a parent, when you tell your child to NOT put their hand on the stove, but they still do and get burned, do you condemn them? Why did you impose your "morality" on them? "thou shalt not put thy hand on the stove". Morality is a functional/workable gift from God.
When YOU put your hand on the stove and get burned, He wants to rush to you and tend to you. Afterward He will re-iterate, "thou shalt not put thy hand on the stove", then send you on your way again whole and complete. I imagine God never endingly saying "try again Danny, I know you can do it."
Please consider, if you reject morality and God, thinking them to be irrelevant, please consider you may be living in the confines of a "story". A "story" birthed by some event/s in the past. You saw something you believed to be evidence against God and morality. You then proceeded to make your thoughts "absolute truth" for yourself.
God loves and accepts you where you are RIGHT NOW! He knows every 'right and wrong' thing you will ever do, and yet to show you how serious He is about loving and accepting you, He gave Himself.
There are no "things" you must do for this acceptance. In fact He came to earth as a man to make sure YOUR "salvation" would NEVER have anything to do with what YOU do, but rather what HE did. Thus freeing you to create a life for yourself free from guilt and condemnation. Free from the weaponized morality of MEN!
Please consider your loving Father has always known you better than YOU ever will . That is WHY He came and gave Himself. There is nothing you have done, or thought, that He isn't aware of. It is for those things you punish yourself and condemn yourself for that He came. He wants you to be FREE. TRULY FREE. Eternally Free.
He is offering you a free gift RIGHT NOW in this e-mail. It is your choice whether to receive a gift or not. It is your choice to act, or not.
Parents, what happens when you force your love on your children? They push away. God will not force Himself on you, but it will take something of you.
It will take you considering that you may be living in the confines of a "story", and that "story" is taking you off the court of, 'having a living relationship with a living God, RIGHT NOW'. Please let us reason together.
I love you with the love He first gave me!
The WebGodFather
ps: The verses I have linked to above and listed below, are just SCRATCHING THE SURFACE. I couldn't possibly include all the verses that refer to what I share with you in this post. The bibles message is simple! I LOVE YOU! I give you this "post" as a place to begin.
It would be my greatest pleasure and honour to discuss with you this post, even if you are not in agreement.
VERSES to examine:
Evidence to support man's "stories" of God may not actually be REAL:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203:27&version=51
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%201:30-31;&version=51 ;
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%204:1-8;&version=51;
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:3;&version=49 ;
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%206:23&version=51
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20103:12&version=51
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043:25&version=51
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%202:8-10;&version=51;
posted by Daniel Hewton at 3:43 p.m.
1 comments
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Love Affair
In today's message at Take3, Ed Young posed something in a way that I have never heard before. I had heard my whole life of the church being the bride, and even had moments where I made the personal link to myself. (In other words, I am actually part of the bride of Christ).
But what I saw newly today, was that I have been an adulterous lover. I have not been faithful. I have lusted after, given of myself to others. One year I realized that that lover was "The Leafs in the Playoffs". I had spent EVERY second evening for 4 hours at a time, for 2 months with this harlot <GRIN>. And the commitment to her was great.
Now I am not saying that watching hockey is bad or adulterous (from the context of today's message), I am simply saying that I realized that I had ALLOWED hockey playoffs to become my harlot.
I still watch hockey, I still love hockey, but I am clear now where hockey's place is in my heart. The parallel to a marriage isn't that smooth, but the parallel that matters is, where do I invest my love and my time. I suppose the real test would be, Game 7, Stanley Cup Finals, Leafs and Montreal, and someone called me saying they needed help. Now if it was clear that the person needed help, then it would be easy. But what if it was something that the person on the phone felt was important, but I (influenced by the game) decided it could wait? In that moment is where the adultery occurs and I do well to take notice and give my head a shake. Jesus does not (I believe) want me to stop watching hockey. Hockey is not evil. (well we can talk about that) But when Jesus calls, and I hesitate to take action, it is in that moment that the adultery dost germinate. It is in that moment where I see where my heart is invested.
I could make excuses, blaming sophisticated marketing. Lifelong cultural influence. In fact I could blame all kinds of things. But in that critical moment it boils down to me making a choice, and I am the only one who can do that for myself.
So what do I take away from the message this morning? Where am I investing my love and my time! Am I a committed bride? What does it mean when I realize I am not committed? How amazing is it that He loves me when I flip flop! How thankful I am that he bought me when He knew how unfaithful I would be. He is my saviour and my love.
Dan
But what I saw newly today, was that I have been an adulterous lover. I have not been faithful. I have lusted after, given of myself to others. One year I realized that that lover was "The Leafs in the Playoffs". I had spent EVERY second evening for 4 hours at a time, for 2 months with this harlot <GRIN>. And the commitment to her was great.
Now I am not saying that watching hockey is bad or adulterous (from the context of today's message), I am simply saying that I realized that I had ALLOWED hockey playoffs to become my harlot.
I still watch hockey, I still love hockey, but I am clear now where hockey's place is in my heart. The parallel to a marriage isn't that smooth, but the parallel that matters is, where do I invest my love and my time. I suppose the real test would be, Game 7, Stanley Cup Finals, Leafs and Montreal, and someone called me saying they needed help. Now if it was clear that the person needed help, then it would be easy. But what if it was something that the person on the phone felt was important, but I (influenced by the game) decided it could wait? In that moment is where the adultery occurs and I do well to take notice and give my head a shake. Jesus does not (I believe) want me to stop watching hockey. Hockey is not evil. (well we can talk about that) But when Jesus calls, and I hesitate to take action, it is in that moment that the adultery dost germinate. It is in that moment where I see where my heart is invested.
I could make excuses, blaming sophisticated marketing. Lifelong cultural influence. In fact I could blame all kinds of things. But in that critical moment it boils down to me making a choice, and I am the only one who can do that for myself.
So what do I take away from the message this morning? Where am I investing my love and my time! Am I a committed bride? What does it mean when I realize I am not committed? How amazing is it that He loves me when I flip flop! How thankful I am that he bought me when He knew how unfaithful I would be. He is my saviour and my love.
Dan
posted by Daniel Hewton at 8:45 p.m.
0 comments
Friday, February 17, 2006
Opening Welcome
Greetings to you who have found this site.
I will in the upcoming days, attempt to make the case that Jesus is in fact, NOT a religion. Nor did he think to highly of religion either. (or least "religious people")
The very concept of being a religious person contradicts the reason Jesus came and gave himself so freely for us.
Please feel free to disagree, agree. The purpose of this site is not to condemn people, it is to celebrate the truth of who the Christ was. In doing that, a person might consider, that someone having a different view than yourself, is an opportunity to see God in all His glory. He gave us free will. For that I am so glad.
I look forward to this conversation that we will have. I only ask that you respect one rule, a conversation is two way; so to smother another persons view or belief is to do what people have accused Christians of doing for centuries.
It will be clear what I believe, but I pray that it will be equally clear that I have respect for all, even when I completely disagree with them. Disagreeing is an act of free will and completely acceptable, invalidating someone or their view is not. There is a difference.
Come let us reason together.
Love from;
Dan
I will in the upcoming days, attempt to make the case that Jesus is in fact, NOT a religion. Nor did he think to highly of religion either. (or least "religious people")
The very concept of being a religious person contradicts the reason Jesus came and gave himself so freely for us.
Please feel free to disagree, agree. The purpose of this site is not to condemn people, it is to celebrate the truth of who the Christ was. In doing that, a person might consider, that someone having a different view than yourself, is an opportunity to see God in all His glory. He gave us free will. For that I am so glad.
I look forward to this conversation that we will have. I only ask that you respect one rule, a conversation is two way; so to smother another persons view or belief is to do what people have accused Christians of doing for centuries.
It will be clear what I believe, but I pray that it will be equally clear that I have respect for all, even when I completely disagree with them. Disagreeing is an act of free will and completely acceptable, invalidating someone or their view is not. There is a difference.
Come let us reason together.
Love from;
Dan
posted by Daniel Hewton at 11:19 a.m.
1 comments
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