Love Does No Harm

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

                                                                       (1 Cor 13:1-7 KJV)

The New International Version and the New King James Version of the Bible both translate charity as love.  Love is charitable because it puts the other's needs before our own desires. It will reconcile us when things might otherwise divide us. Real love does no harm to others as it considers not just what the consequences for oneself might be; but, what the consequences of our words or actions might be upon others. Love and charity care about others. 

When Jesus hung on that cross for us he did it out of love for us. He knowingly and willingly suffered and died so that we might live in the presence of God for all of eternity. He bore our sins on that cross for us and the consequence of that loving act for us is that we are forgiven our sins and reconciled to God our Father. We, who have sinned against God and one another so many times that we cannot count them are forgiven by faith alone in Jesus' life giving sacrifice.

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19) We love others because he loves us all so much!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Church and State

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

                                                                                     (Matt 7:15-21 KJV)

I have been spending a lot of time outside during the "stay home, stay safe" guidelines. My husband, who had open heart surgery last month, is still spending a lot of time inside in his chair watching television. I try to spend time watching with him so that we can be together. We are almost to the sixth wife of "The Tudors." I have had to leave the room often! I leave the room for beheadings, dis-embowlments, adultery and other activity that clearly is going to be too sexual in nature. A central theme of this historical fiction is religious persecution from all all sides. It is about the church and state in such a close relationship that evil has become most rampant in the church and in the state. I have missed a whole lot of this series due to having to leave the room; but, I have not missed much because as someone who enjoys history I know what's coming next and I can leave the room before the really disgusting stuff happens.

This past week, my husband also watched a documentary on the government forced assimilation of Native children into boarding schools. Children in North America were forcibly taken out of their homes and away from their parents to live in these orphanage type homes; most of which were run by churches. Many of these children were horribly abused while in the care of the government and the church. My husband was stunned at the extent of the abuse that had gone on. I am not sure why he was as we have friends who were subjected to these abuses at the hands of the government and the church. But, then again, it is shocking to be reminded of the atrocities that have been committed that were (are) supposedly for the good of people.

The list of atrocities that have occurred over the many generation when the church and state have acted together is too long to list. I do not write this blog today to condemn the church on earth as a whole or the government overall or even Christians who hold government posts. I write it to remind us that there will be false prophets who are like ravening wolves within the church and the governments. Those false prophets will work to divide the church and the state as they seek to satisfy their own political  and secular and even personal religious agendas. 

May God help us to discern what is good and right; what is His will. May God give us the courage and strength to do His will in spite of the direction our secular leaders might steer us in. May God help us to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus the Christ that we might not do harm to those who do not think or worship or live as we do.

God's Peace - Pr. J.