Love the unlovable

1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NLT)

     See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

Matthew 5:38-39 (NLT)

     “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.

Levictus 19:18 (NLT)
     “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Mark 12:31 (NLT)
     The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.

These four verses have been so close the the front of my mind today. I have said many times at work that I know that I should love the people I work with through my job, but if only they wouldn't make it so hard. Simply said I have had a tough day at work, it started with my being late and just went down hill from there.

I don't want to dwell on the facts of today and there isn't much I can say due to the nature of the work that I do but the thoughts it has raised in my mind I feel are worth talking about. It has come to my attention over the last two days that in the job I do, working with the homeless and addicts, I am often at a fair amount of personal risk. At any moment these people could fly off the handle and cause considerable harm to myself or my colleagues. Time and again I am let down by their actions and behaviour and will be many more times in the future. Yet day after day I go into work with the desire and enthusiasm to make a difference and to help. 

The thing that keeps me going, the reason I can go in day after day, especially after a couple of terrible days is that I know this is what God wants us all to do. He wants us to love the unloved, to help them and through showing them this love they will see that the Holy Spirit is in us and that God too loves them, and in a way much better than the way we love them.

But that is the problem, a lot of these people really are unlovable at times, they do and say things that cause you pain in one way or another and at times do everything they can to drive everyone away. Some people actually do not want to be loved, do not want help and certainly do not want to change, at least on the surface. Deep down I believe we all have a desire to find God and to be loved, it is something I believe is inbuilt into humans.

Even so, when Christ came to earth He loved without measure or boundaries, He helped indiscriminately and despite the fact He was let down in the most painful and terrible way He continued to love us all. I know that we are not Christ, that we will never be like Christ, but to try is surely pleasing in His eye. I pray daily for the strength to continue to work with these people who seem humanly unlovable, who try their best to push everyone away. 

As a friend reminded me the other day, not everyone who is unloved who is lost or in need of the Lord is homeless, I just have a passion for them as it is what God is calling me to do right now. But we are all surrounded by people who need us to bring the light of Jesus into their lives, there are people in all walks of life who need to see us living our Christian lives and have this light in their lives. The unloved and lost are all around us, they are crying out for something, they just don't see that it is Christ.

See that as a Christian you love your neighbour, that you try to do good to all who cross your path. We need to realise that revenge, even in out own minds is not acceptable behaviour. 

Love your neighbour.

Do good to each other.

Do not seek revenge.

Turn the other Cheek.

Follow the teachings from God and follow the examples of Christ, for these teachings and examples are perfection. If we do these things and pray for the strength to follow them daily them the life we are living will be good and pleasing to God. To live a life pleasing to God, what greater thing could you do?

Filled with awe

Habakkuk 3:2 (NLT)
     I have heard all about you, Lord.
          I am filled with awe by your amazing works.
     In this time of our deep need,
          help us again as you did in years gone by.
     And in your anger,
          remember your mercy.

I have heard about God and stand in absolute awe of Him. The works I have seen Him do in my own life defy all that I know, it goes so far beyond my understanding that I have begun to realise that in truth I know nothing. When I have been in greatest need, when I have had nothing and no one He has been there for me, He has provided. I know I have far to go and much to learn, I know there is much I need to do if I am to go and follow where He is leading me, now I am in need again I must once again rely on His giving. Many things I do, many times now and in the future I am the cause of God's anger, yet I am confident that in and through His son Jesus His mercy and grace will be sufficient to redeem me once again. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

     Trust in the LORD with all your heart
          and lean not on your own understanding;
          in all your ways submit to him,
          and he will make your paths straight.

Always feet first

Psalm 27:14 (NLT)
     Wait patiently for the Lord. 
     Be brave and courageous. 
     Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

I am not one known for making plans, neither am I well known for thinking things through before I do them. Always in my life I jump in with both feet with little or no thought or planning. In the past I always relied on my ability to think around any problem or at least postpone the negative effects untill I could be bothered to deal with them or they became someone else's problem.

Recently though I have been making some big decisions about my life which some friends and family members have been questioning. Not that they doubt any of my plans, but that they know me as some one who is likely to do something very crazy at the least bit of notice.

The thing is thought that without knowing it I have actually been practicing this verse in my life to some degree. The two feet first approach is still there, when it is time then I jump with all I have, but I have been learning to wait for God's commands before I make that jump.

Learning to live in God's time and to Hi plans has been hard for someone who has always done things their own way in their own time. But as I learn to trust in God's plans more and more and trust Him to make things right when I follow them I have had so much fun. I wont say that life has been easy, but neither has it yet been that hard, but following God's plans has brought a joy to my life that I never knew before, a peace within that bubbles up from inside.

Waiting on the Lord is not easy, His time and plans do not always seem to be reasonable to us. But then that is why it takes bravery and courage to be a follower of the Lord. There will never be anything we can not do with Him at our sides but it does sometimes require a leap of faith, it requires us to be like Peter and take that chance with God.

Matthew 14:25-33
     At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror. 
But Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid." 
Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water." 
He said, "Come ahead."
Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!" 
Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint-heart, what got into you?" 
The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, "This is it! You are God's Son for sure!" 

Like I said, it won't always be easy, and we are likely to fail if our faith falters. But we should know that no matter what, God is always there for us, He will always rescue us from the storms that life may throw our way if we but call on His name.

Be patient and wait,

Be brave and courageous,

But always be ready to act in faith when He calls.

Terah and Abram

I have started to read the Bible from cover to cover in order to learn as much as I can about it. I said I was not going to update on it often but would highlight anything I found interesting or that stood out to me. Well the other day I was reading my way through Genesis, which by the way I am still reading, when I found this passage.

Genesis 11:31-32 (NLT)
     One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.

This passage had me thinking? Why did Terah head out to Canaan, I have looked in a few places for information about Terah and this journey and have found little that has any evidence to support it. The best reference I have found is in the Bible;

Joshua 24:2
     Joshua said to the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods.

So I have looked at this and the writings of other people and can find no reason to explain why Terah left for Canaan. Some people suggest he followed Abram but then chose to stay in Haran. For me this makes no sense, mainly because it states in Genesis 11:31 that Terah took his son Abram. So what is going on here? Who took who to Canaan and why?

Like I say there is much to be found about Terah and Abram but not of it seems to make much sense or be supported by anything solid. Because of that I must be honest and say I have no idea about why Terah began heading for Canaan and then stopped once in Haran.

However there is one way of looking at it, God wanted Abram in Canaan. God had a mission for Abram to do and there was nothing that could stop that from happening once Abram became God's man. So if this is the case then we can see it as God guiding Abram's life through all things big and small until he was able to make a choice himself. We see that in all things we do God is working in the background, setting the scene until the time is right. You can guarantee that if God asks us to do something, He is working to bring the things he promises to pass, even if he has not told us of that promise yet. God has a plan, and it is eternal. And we fit into that plan if we accept God in to our lives.

Never be lazy

Romans 12:11-13 (NLT)
Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Its not easy is it? How do we wake up each morning prepared to work hard for the Lord, and not just work but work enthusiastically. Confidence, hope and patience are not easy to practice, and for many people they are rare commodities. Are we ready to help God's people when they need it, are we able to provide the hospitality they need? It does seem sometimes that God asks a lot of us, that He may even be asking too much of us. We have to remember what He has already done for us though, what He continues to do. That whenever He asks something of us He is not like a CEO of God Inc. He is here with us, helping us, working in the mud with us. We need to be praying always, non stop in and about all things. Praying is not just pleading with God for help or to do things for us. It is about rejoicing in all that we do, celebrating the work He has asked us to do however hard it is. It is looking at the world and seeing the wonder He has created, listening for His voice in all the moments of the day. Prayer does not just happen at the beginning or end of the day, in Church or on your knees. Prayer is your whole life live properly as God would want it. Like I said at the beginning, its not easy is it? But don't forget, you are never on your own, you do not have to battle on alone. The God who created the universe, the God of the ages, of Abraham and Jacob, Father of Jesus is the same God who walks with you every day, remember that and do not worry.

My new comitment

Last week I mentioned that I was going to embark upon a personal mission to read the whole Bible cover to cover. Well last night I began that mission and commenced reading Genesis.

My aim is to set aside a small amount of time each day that will be dedicated to reading the Bible. It will not be a mammoth session of deep thought or meditation, it will simply be time to read the Bible. My intention is to read all the way through it, Genesis to Revelation. This is not going to be a study and I am not intending to look at every verse in depth. I am simply going to read the Bible. Saying that though when I come across interesting verses or something speaks to me I will follow it up, but the time I am setting aside is not for that.

What I want is to increase my familiarity with the Bible and use that familiarity to grow with God. I know that just reading the Bible is not enough however this is going to be only a starting point. Once this mission is completed I will hopefully have a much broader knowledge of what the Bible contains between the covers and can then progress on to a more in depth reading of the Bible.

It will please at least one person who reads this blog that I will not be using my normal go to Bible for my mission and there are two reasons for this. The first is that I use the Message translation a lot, it goes everywhere with me in my bag, I use it for this blog and is the main Bible translation I use on my PC too. Because of this I want something fresh to me. This is a purely personal choice and I feel after some thought and meditation on the matter that using another translation is the right move. The second reason is that I know there are going to be things that I want to check out straight away or want a little explanation for as I am reading. So for these reasons I will be using my Life Application Study Bible(NLT).

I don't intend to keep a running commentary on how this mission is going as a regular blog post. But I have no doubt that I will post regularly on things that crop up in my reading and through that you will be kept up to date on how it is going. I do ask that anyone willing will pray that this endeavour succeeds and that I do not give up on it. I am hoping that I will be able to work it into my life and that it will become part of my daily routine as this blog has become. My plan is that as I continue to grow spiritually I will be able to keep adding into my life and routine the things I should be doing as a Christian gradually so that they become integral to my life. I know from experience if I try to do everything at once I will drop some thing and then everything will fall down at once. Hopefully if I introduce things slowly I will continue to take steps in the right direction but without overloading myself and laying the path to disaster. 

So the long journey begins in Genesis. I have the first 7 days down, now just the rest of the Bible to go. Don't wish me luck, but do please pray for me.

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."
                      (Carolyn Joyce Carty)

I know this is a very commonly known poem, it is used frequently amongst Christians. It is a fantastic image for life, whether we are Christian or not God walks beside us daily ready for any time we may need him. Even if we can't or won't see Him, He is there. Carrying us when we are unable to walk any further or ready to collapse beneath the weight of the world.

Psalm 23:4 (KJV)  

    Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

This verse says almost exactly the same as the poem Footprints but from a different angle. If we know we have God then not even the worst things in life should worry us. Yet being human we will struggle to allow God to be there for us, we will struggle against Him as he carries us.

I want at this point to apologise for posting another dark and depressing post. I have much to be thankful and happy for right now, but I am feeling very isolated and cut off at the moment. Due to circumstances I am not able to attend the Church I wish to be at regularly and I am not able to spend time with the friends that I want to see very often. These two things have been fantastic anchors for me this past year, providing me with support as and when I have needed it. If it was not for this support I can honestly say I would not be here writing this post. I have no idea what route my life would have taken but it would not have been the positive path that it has been. 

It is our lot in life as humans to face dark periods, it is the nature of the enemy to try and drag us down when we feel our highest. But remember we have the best defence in the world, Prayer. It is our link to God, it is our weapon and it is our defence. As I mentioned in the post on Genesis 22 God has his plans, it has always been planned out. And it is the best plan there is, there could be non better. We may not understand it, we may not understand why we have to suffer or struggle as we do but be sure God will use it all to his advantage. 

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
     And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Whatever the reasons for things being the way they are, you can be guarantee that God will be working through it to produce something good. In my post on painting with dark colours I talk about how God can bring happiness, joy and goodness from bad situations. We just need to learn to fully rely on God in all things and for all things.

To finish I would like to backtrack into this post a little bit. Earlier I mentioned the fact that I am currently a long way from my friends and Church who have done so much for me over the last year. There are two friends who I feel I should thank especially. Despite the fact that I am not always the easiest person to deal with or be around, the fact that I am far from perfect, they seem to always have time to help, listen and talk when I need it. So for that reason I am saying a public thanks to them, I won't name them as they will know who they are and I know they don't do it for the thanks or to "play" the part. At the same time I would like to thank anyone who reads this, I use this as an outlet to pour out the rubbish in my mind yet it appears some people do read it and possibly even like it, although I am not sure on the second point. Please feel free to leave comments or message me on jerrathorn@gmail.com.