Jesus told us to love one another. He even gave some direction: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Jesus came to this earth because he was mad at us. Imagine that. Yes, and He loved us too. But consider that the problem was that we rebelled against God and then really did understand him despite his best efforts. Jesus Died for His Enemies Jesus was mad at …
Fear is an enemy for all of us whether we know it or not. We all are like Gandolf in this great painting. God’s goal in Christ is to free us from fear, but it is hard for us to get there. First, let’s look at God and see what he says in two passages in 1 John. “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an …
Jesus instituted Communion on the night before he died. He is talking about the main thing as His death is the fulcrum point of all history. Let us here list what he said beginning with Mark, 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they …
Really? Desire More is the path to life? Doesn’t desire cause our problems? So, I grew up in a family where my parents saw emotion and desire as the enemy. This led me to have a favorite color of gray and really a gray life. I first discovered that God wanted me to feel when I was 25. However, that does not mean I could clear away all the wrong attitudes and habits I had. I married a woman who …
I have a daughter who is a student at Swarthmore College which the Quakers founded. Quakers founded many excellent US schools by the way. Finally, the Quakers gave up these colleges, but culturally they are all still influenced by this origin. They pay attention to mind the light. For example, they regularly send us parents an email/letter. They call it: Minding the Light. Now Swarthmore is not Christian and uses this to encourage positive thinking and good thoughts. However, where …
