Some of us are fortunate to have families that agree with our ideologies, and some don't. On the other hand some of us have to deal with family that is diametrically opposed to our own ideas.
But no matter what, family is family. We love them, we hate them we fight them but we also relate to them... and we are related to them!
Relatives are mirrored images of ourselves. In some ways some are broken some are whole and you know what.. we love them all.
When you look in a mirror you see yourself... but reversed. in fact most of us, if we see a flipped reflection of ourselves don't recognize our own face.
That is what the point is... we can't recognize ourselves. We don't know who we are, we don't know where we are... we simply have to watch and learn.
My peace I give to you
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
This Blog might make you hate me...
I was reading an interesting article today, it was actually a transcript of a sermon preached by an evangelical, conservative pastor who graduated from Liberty University, one of the most conservative Christian Colleges around.
He had listened to the Speech given by presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and in listening he heard him say a lot of things that sounded a lot like John the Baptist.
In fact he started saying things that sounded a lot like Jesus too.
Now you probably know I am a pretty conservative guy at least in theology and traditionally in politics. But I'm coming to see that political conservatism doesn't equal Christian Conservatism, and for the most part political conservatives aren't very nice people. Now don't get all in an uproar. Fiscal conservatives want to be reasonable with money... they want to know how things are going to be payed for BEFORE we spend the money... and that makes a lot of sense. But then I realized, Jesus never considered the cost, he just did, and the cost was taken care of.
I suppose when you know that you are going to be paying the ultimate price the minor costs don't really matter. So that means we as Christians don't have... hmmm wait a second.. arn't we supposed to lay down our lives for a brother? Didn't jesus say that in that day he will say I was hungry and you fed me I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was cold and you clothed me homeless and you sheltered me... and the ones he says that to will say Lord? When? I don't remember seeing you. Sure I made sure that everyone could get to a doctor, yeah I did my best to make sure that no children went hungry, I tried to provide housing for everyone.. I welcomed immigrants, I didn't care if they were legal or illegal or had the same creed as me... but Lord, I don't remember seeing you. I was looking, but I never saw you. Then Jesus will say when you did it to the least of one of these, you did it to me!
The others will say, Lord we gave money to the missionaries, we took up donations for the poor, we built huge churches filled with thousands of people who we tried to fit to the mold to be just like me, uhm I mean you, and I did it all for you. Then Jesus will say get out of here I never knew you.
Do I have to be politically correct? no,but I should be polite. Do I have to let people walk all over me? no, but I should turn the other cheek.. You realize that when businesses or people who are proclaimed people of faith are attacked by the world... if they had been doing all those things Jesus did, then there would be FAR more people coming to their aid and defense than those going against them. who would it be? the Conservative candidate? no it will be the people who they helped who they fed and sheltered and provided for
they will say, no this person is more like God than anyone I have seen...
One more thing, and my time will be WAY over... 'The Communist Manifesto' by Karl Marx has a very unusual parallel, one that most people will really flip a lid over when I say it. The design document for communism, could have been copied chapter and verse from the second chapter of Acts.. with one MAJOR exception communism denies God while the second chapter of Acts is all about being Christ like.
Where does that leave us? hmmm well I'm not as conservative as I thought I was at least not socially, if I want to be a Christian and be Christ like, then I really can't be. That doesn't mean I agree with the left, it means I want to walk according to the word of God and not in the way of sinners. I want to listen with the ears of Christ, and not with my own fingers plugging my own ears. I want to look with eyes of compassion, like Jesus did when he looked at Jerusalem and wept. When I reach out my hand I want do it like Jesus did when he healed the blind, lifted the worshipful, blessed the loaves. When I walk I want it to be in the footsteps of Jesus.
What does all that mean? Come with me, lets find out.
My peace I give to you.
He had listened to the Speech given by presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and in listening he heard him say a lot of things that sounded a lot like John the Baptist.
In fact he started saying things that sounded a lot like Jesus too.
Now you probably know I am a pretty conservative guy at least in theology and traditionally in politics. But I'm coming to see that political conservatism doesn't equal Christian Conservatism, and for the most part political conservatives aren't very nice people. Now don't get all in an uproar. Fiscal conservatives want to be reasonable with money... they want to know how things are going to be payed for BEFORE we spend the money... and that makes a lot of sense. But then I realized, Jesus never considered the cost, he just did, and the cost was taken care of.
I suppose when you know that you are going to be paying the ultimate price the minor costs don't really matter. So that means we as Christians don't have... hmmm wait a second.. arn't we supposed to lay down our lives for a brother? Didn't jesus say that in that day he will say I was hungry and you fed me I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was cold and you clothed me homeless and you sheltered me... and the ones he says that to will say Lord? When? I don't remember seeing you. Sure I made sure that everyone could get to a doctor, yeah I did my best to make sure that no children went hungry, I tried to provide housing for everyone.. I welcomed immigrants, I didn't care if they were legal or illegal or had the same creed as me... but Lord, I don't remember seeing you. I was looking, but I never saw you. Then Jesus will say when you did it to the least of one of these, you did it to me!
The others will say, Lord we gave money to the missionaries, we took up donations for the poor, we built huge churches filled with thousands of people who we tried to fit to the mold to be just like me, uhm I mean you, and I did it all for you. Then Jesus will say get out of here I never knew you.
Do I have to be politically correct? no,but I should be polite. Do I have to let people walk all over me? no, but I should turn the other cheek.. You realize that when businesses or people who are proclaimed people of faith are attacked by the world... if they had been doing all those things Jesus did, then there would be FAR more people coming to their aid and defense than those going against them. who would it be? the Conservative candidate? no it will be the people who they helped who they fed and sheltered and provided for
they will say, no this person is more like God than anyone I have seen...
One more thing, and my time will be WAY over... 'The Communist Manifesto' by Karl Marx has a very unusual parallel, one that most people will really flip a lid over when I say it. The design document for communism, could have been copied chapter and verse from the second chapter of Acts.. with one MAJOR exception communism denies God while the second chapter of Acts is all about being Christ like.
Where does that leave us? hmmm well I'm not as conservative as I thought I was at least not socially, if I want to be a Christian and be Christ like, then I really can't be. That doesn't mean I agree with the left, it means I want to walk according to the word of God and not in the way of sinners. I want to listen with the ears of Christ, and not with my own fingers plugging my own ears. I want to look with eyes of compassion, like Jesus did when he looked at Jerusalem and wept. When I reach out my hand I want do it like Jesus did when he healed the blind, lifted the worshipful, blessed the loaves. When I walk I want it to be in the footsteps of Jesus.
What does all that mean? Come with me, lets find out.
My peace I give to you.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
God is Love
Reading in the book The Furious Longing on God by Brennan Manning I cam upon many bits of truth and chunks of truth and whole veins of Truth which can be mined!
One thing said over and over is that God loves everyone good, bad, pure, and evil because God IS love.The God that Jesus introduced to us is Love John 4:16 God is Love.
If the God that we are to serve and pour out our every devotion to is Love then how can we do anything but love others?
We can feel sickened by their actions, we can be aghast at their actions, but we MUST love them if we are truly the sons and daughters of God.
Yes the liberals who disagree with our thinking, we must LOVE them! The radicals who try to target Christian businesses in attempts to get them to refuse their business. We must LOVE them.
The members of ISIS that commit atrocities, God loves them! We can do nothing less!
Its not easy,its not something that we can explain. We must simply love.
One story that was written said this, The ones who spent their entire lives trying to serve God were waiting outside the gates of heaven, when they heard a rumor that God was going to forgive the worst sinners in the world and let them into Heaven, maybe even before them. They began to be angry, to fuss and fight and then, in their anger they cursed God. that was their judgement, they Cursed God and condemned themselves to eternity without God, They condemned themselves even to hell.
If we fail to Love, then we are condemning ourselves to Hell.
We as the children of the Living God, MUST Love!
my peace I give unto you.
One thing said over and over is that God loves everyone good, bad, pure, and evil because God IS love.The God that Jesus introduced to us is Love John 4:16 God is Love.
If the God that we are to serve and pour out our every devotion to is Love then how can we do anything but love others?
We can feel sickened by their actions, we can be aghast at their actions, but we MUST love them if we are truly the sons and daughters of God.
Yes the liberals who disagree with our thinking, we must LOVE them! The radicals who try to target Christian businesses in attempts to get them to refuse their business. We must LOVE them.
The members of ISIS that commit atrocities, God loves them! We can do nothing less!
Its not easy,its not something that we can explain. We must simply love.
One story that was written said this, The ones who spent their entire lives trying to serve God were waiting outside the gates of heaven, when they heard a rumor that God was going to forgive the worst sinners in the world and let them into Heaven, maybe even before them. They began to be angry, to fuss and fight and then, in their anger they cursed God. that was their judgement, they Cursed God and condemned themselves to eternity without God, They condemned themselves even to hell.
If we fail to Love, then we are condemning ourselves to Hell.
We as the children of the Living God, MUST Love!
my peace I give unto you.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
5 minutes is too long
ugh
Lately five minutes is too long to take to write a blog. I think I may have to rename my blog the one minute blog.. but then I would be taking more than a minute to get to it.... We have cars in the shop.. plural. 3 people working only one working car.. that means a lot of taxi driving!
Anyhow, I discovered something, well I already knew it. I was just reminded of it the other day.
An instrument can be in complete tune with itself, and still be WAY off key!
Whats that mean? Well if I tune my guitar I get the E string to sound right fret the next string and tune to match the e etc etc etc I can get the guitar in perfect tune with itself. But if I don't have a good point of reference for my e string.. then the whole guitar is off key.
Orchestras do the same thing, as individuals practice they tune their instruments to make certain they are in tune with themselves, but they have to tune up TOGETHER in order for the whole orchestra to be IN TUNE.
We, as Christians, as people in general need to remember this. It's easy to feel like we are perfectly in tune with God, and we may be, or we may be off a little here or there... Until we are in a place where we can tune off of our neighbors, we may never know.
So watch your tuning. Keep things in perspective and be ready to adjust your tune to match the greater tuning.
My time is up,
My peace I give to you.
Jonathan Wagner
Lately five minutes is too long to take to write a blog. I think I may have to rename my blog the one minute blog.. but then I would be taking more than a minute to get to it.... We have cars in the shop.. plural. 3 people working only one working car.. that means a lot of taxi driving!
Anyhow, I discovered something, well I already knew it. I was just reminded of it the other day.
An instrument can be in complete tune with itself, and still be WAY off key!
Whats that mean? Well if I tune my guitar I get the E string to sound right fret the next string and tune to match the e etc etc etc I can get the guitar in perfect tune with itself. But if I don't have a good point of reference for my e string.. then the whole guitar is off key.
Orchestras do the same thing, as individuals practice they tune their instruments to make certain they are in tune with themselves, but they have to tune up TOGETHER in order for the whole orchestra to be IN TUNE.
We, as Christians, as people in general need to remember this. It's easy to feel like we are perfectly in tune with God, and we may be, or we may be off a little here or there... Until we are in a place where we can tune off of our neighbors, we may never know.
So watch your tuning. Keep things in perspective and be ready to adjust your tune to match the greater tuning.
My time is up,
My peace I give to you.
Jonathan Wagner
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Aggrivated
For some reason today I have been aggrivated ALL day.. ever since I woke up.. early. I have been irritated...
don't ask me why. I don't know.. it's best when I'm in this mood... to just stay out of my way. I try not to say too much else I wil bite someones head off.
Ugly, but true.
I'm not even going to blog for 5 minutes... in case I say something I shouldn't.
His peace I give to you,, cause mine is lacking at the moment...
Jonathan
don't ask me why. I don't know.. it's best when I'm in this mood... to just stay out of my way. I try not to say too much else I wil bite someones head off.
Ugly, but true.
I'm not even going to blog for 5 minutes... in case I say something I shouldn't.
His peace I give to you,, cause mine is lacking at the moment...
Jonathan
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Who I Am vs What I SAY I AM
When we are out in the world and someone says, "Who are you?" How do we answer? Do we say, I am a child of God! That's true, if we are a child of God. I could say I'm Jonathan Wagner. That's true. I could say I am a father, pastor, programmer, teacher, student. Again, true.
Hmmmm, how do we answer? When the temple guards came ot the garden to arrest Jesus and take him to trial before the Sanheedren they asked him who he was. His answer? "I am, that I AM" When he said it they all fell to the ground. Lets look at that...
I am simple introduction.. the same as any of my answers above "THAT I am" I think he emphasized the THAT. He was referring to the old testament where God said I AM.
See the word became flesh and dwelt among us. But it was still the same word. He was and is THAT I AM.
We have to remember that if we have the Holy Ghost in our hearts, then we have THAT I AM inside of us. guiding us, directing us, helping us!
My time is up.
My peace I give to you
Jonathan
Hmmmm, how do we answer? When the temple guards came ot the garden to arrest Jesus and take him to trial before the Sanheedren they asked him who he was. His answer? "I am, that I AM" When he said it they all fell to the ground. Lets look at that...
I am simple introduction.. the same as any of my answers above "THAT I am" I think he emphasized the THAT. He was referring to the old testament where God said I AM.
See the word became flesh and dwelt among us. But it was still the same word. He was and is THAT I AM.
We have to remember that if we have the Holy Ghost in our hearts, then we have THAT I AM inside of us. guiding us, directing us, helping us!
My time is up.
My peace I give to you
Jonathan
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Wait... Wait... Hurry Up... Wait some more...
Have you ever noticed that sometimes it seems like all we do in life is wait? well remember the old quote, "good things come to those who wait." It's true often, but I'll tell you what.. sometimes waiting on something is the worst. It's actually not the waiting it's the surge of expectation when you get almost to the end of the waiting. When someone says, it's almost ready, and whatever it is takes another hour, another day another month, another year, another lifetime.
If we aren't careful we will put our trust not in God but in how we understand things SHOULD be. How we thinks things OUGHT to be, the Way that someone told us things ARE. Instead of listening to that small voice and just resting.
How much better off would we be when waiting if we would simply lay down and sleep or better yet, look for opportunities to reach out to others? How much better would the world be if people could learn to wait with grace, To wait with compassion, to wait with care... I think the world would be a far better place.
I saw an image the other day it said the world is full of kind people if you can't find one, then be one.
And that's true the world is full of people waiting for just the RIGHT moment become a person who lives in every moment.
We can live our lives moment to moment and really enjoy things or we can be so intensely focused on that one thing we are waiting for and miss all the little things.
My time is up,
My peace I give to you,
Jonathan
If we aren't careful we will put our trust not in God but in how we understand things SHOULD be. How we thinks things OUGHT to be, the Way that someone told us things ARE. Instead of listening to that small voice and just resting.
How much better off would we be when waiting if we would simply lay down and sleep or better yet, look for opportunities to reach out to others? How much better would the world be if people could learn to wait with grace, To wait with compassion, to wait with care... I think the world would be a far better place.
I saw an image the other day it said the world is full of kind people if you can't find one, then be one.
And that's true the world is full of people waiting for just the RIGHT moment become a person who lives in every moment.
We can live our lives moment to moment and really enjoy things or we can be so intensely focused on that one thing we are waiting for and miss all the little things.
My time is up,
My peace I give to you,
Jonathan
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