I am very disturbed over the arguments I am seeing on Facebook over the Syrian Refugees. I am certain that many of the refugees are people who are truly terrified and fleeing to save their lives and the lives of their family. I am also certain that some are good people who really need help. My question to the United States and to Christians who are talking about loving the refugees and welcoming them is this: How do we know which ones are radical extremist and which ones are decent people fleeing for their lives.
God calls us to love our enemies. But he does not call us to love Satan. The Muslim Extremest are the face of Satan. They are out to kill Christians. That's their calling in life. So why would we allow them into our country? Do we think, as they cross the borders and are searched and questioned, they are going to say, "Yes, I am a Muslim Extremist. But I want to come with my family and live in the US." Are we really that foolish? Have we forgotten 9-11 already? It only took 19 of them to kill thousands of Americans.
Will I be Okay, and filled with love when when they attack Chattanooga again? Or any other city in our country. There is no fear in love. But true love protects those who follow Christ by protecting them from Satan, our enemy! The fear I see is the fear that Christians have of speaking up, saying the truth in love to those who want these refugees in our country. We will be loving like Christ if we close our borders and protect our own, and other nations who are our close allies. That's love. Sometimes we must go to war. And war does not mean we allow evil into our nation. It means we fight against evil.
Let's stop being afraid. Stop being politically correct, and speak up and say NO we don't want more refugees in our country. Our nation no longer lives like a Christ filled nation, but there are still many godly people in our country. Our war is against Satan. We do not welcome him. We fight against him through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are taught to be wise. Let's be wise, Christians.
I'm done.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Saturday, November 14, 2015
There's No Fear In Love
I must admit I am trying to figure things out as I write this entry. It's been a very odd and wonderful week full of lots of love with family and friends, and the strange happenings with a friend that I have never met face to face. I know God is teaching me something. I am hoping that as I write it will all fall into place.
Three times this week I have come across this Scripture:
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; instead perfect love drives out fear.
As we celebrated my mom's 80th birthday this past week with my entire family I looked around the room and realized that my family is a family full of love. None of us are perfect and yet we share a love as close to perfect as a family can share. We are always there for each other, we really don't argue at all, we are open and honest with one another. I trust each one of them with my life and they trust me the same way. There is no fear in loving one another with the Price family. We walk through valleys together, and we celebrate victories together. No fear. Only love.
On the other hand, as this verse kept popping up this week, I ended a 3 month relationship with a very good man. In fact he was a pastor. Though we had never met face to face, we had talked on the phone, emailed, and sent text for 3 months. During these 3 months we had gotten to know one another very well. We were going to meet for dinner in 2 weeks. But the closer our dinner got, the more I heard fear in his voice. You see, he had dated a woman for 6 years before he met me. This woman crushed his heart. So as we began to both anticipate our dinner that we were going to have, he became afraid. He had not fully healed from his previous relationship. He was afraid to let go of the past. He was afraid to move forward into a new relationship. I suppose he was afraid I may reject him. And who knows? Once we met in person I may not have been attracted to him.
I was not afraid at all to meet him. Over the past 2 1/2 years I have learned what true love looks like. I have learned to live my life unafraid of love. I have learned that taking a chance on love far outweighs the risk of a broken heart. Confident in my God, and the perfect love He has for me, has caused me to not fear falling in love with a man. God is my first Love. Period. Whom shall I fear? So if things do not work out with a man, I will be fine. I have a perfect love, a love that always carries me through any and everything in life. I have a love that rejoices over me, and mourns with me. My first love will never leave me. Because of Him, I can love other people freely, whether it is a male friend, or a girlfriend or a family member or a stranger. There is no fear in love because God loves me perfectly, and wants me to love others the same way.
Because of all He has taught me in the last 2 1/2 years, through relationships, through friendships, through family, and through His love, the more confident I am to love others, regardless of the nature of the relationship I am free to love fearlessly.
When I said goodbye to my friend that I was about to meet for the first time I realized a couple of things. First, though he is a minister, he doesn't know the perfect love that God can give. As I have watched him over the past 3 months, and we have talked day to day I came to know that he didn't know God the way I know Him. Yes, I'm sure he's a Christian, but he has never been thrown into a place where God's love was all he had, therefore he doesn't know how to love fearlessly, to take a chance, to trust, and not be afraid.
I also learned that fearless love comes from God. When He teaches you how to love then there is no reason to not take a chance on someone you care a lot about. For my friend it was easier to say goodbye. For me, I would far rather try to work through his fears and see what was on the other side. I also learned that when you're seeking God in all relationships, the heartbreak becomes less painful. I didn't shed a tear. I have moved forward knowing that this man was not someone God wants in my life. I have moved forward easily because I have a Love that knows no fear. Because of Him, I can trust completely that He has gone before me and created my life's journey. For now my friend is not part of what God has for my life. I am perfectly fine with trusting God and moving on with my family and friends, the ones that will never leave my side and will love me with no fear.
God has taught me to love those who hate me. He has taught me to love those who love me dearly. He has filled my life with so many wonderful people who love me. Either way, whether it's someone who hates or someone who loves, as it says in 1st John, there is no fear in love. So I can take a leap, and love freely.
God's way is always best. He can always be trusted. Oh how He loves....And teaches us not to fear...
Three times this week I have come across this Scripture:
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; instead perfect love drives out fear.
As we celebrated my mom's 80th birthday this past week with my entire family I looked around the room and realized that my family is a family full of love. None of us are perfect and yet we share a love as close to perfect as a family can share. We are always there for each other, we really don't argue at all, we are open and honest with one another. I trust each one of them with my life and they trust me the same way. There is no fear in loving one another with the Price family. We walk through valleys together, and we celebrate victories together. No fear. Only love.
On the other hand, as this verse kept popping up this week, I ended a 3 month relationship with a very good man. In fact he was a pastor. Though we had never met face to face, we had talked on the phone, emailed, and sent text for 3 months. During these 3 months we had gotten to know one another very well. We were going to meet for dinner in 2 weeks. But the closer our dinner got, the more I heard fear in his voice. You see, he had dated a woman for 6 years before he met me. This woman crushed his heart. So as we began to both anticipate our dinner that we were going to have, he became afraid. He had not fully healed from his previous relationship. He was afraid to let go of the past. He was afraid to move forward into a new relationship. I suppose he was afraid I may reject him. And who knows? Once we met in person I may not have been attracted to him.
I was not afraid at all to meet him. Over the past 2 1/2 years I have learned what true love looks like. I have learned to live my life unafraid of love. I have learned that taking a chance on love far outweighs the risk of a broken heart. Confident in my God, and the perfect love He has for me, has caused me to not fear falling in love with a man. God is my first Love. Period. Whom shall I fear? So if things do not work out with a man, I will be fine. I have a perfect love, a love that always carries me through any and everything in life. I have a love that rejoices over me, and mourns with me. My first love will never leave me. Because of Him, I can love other people freely, whether it is a male friend, or a girlfriend or a family member or a stranger. There is no fear in love because God loves me perfectly, and wants me to love others the same way.
Because of all He has taught me in the last 2 1/2 years, through relationships, through friendships, through family, and through His love, the more confident I am to love others, regardless of the nature of the relationship I am free to love fearlessly.
When I said goodbye to my friend that I was about to meet for the first time I realized a couple of things. First, though he is a minister, he doesn't know the perfect love that God can give. As I have watched him over the past 3 months, and we have talked day to day I came to know that he didn't know God the way I know Him. Yes, I'm sure he's a Christian, but he has never been thrown into a place where God's love was all he had, therefore he doesn't know how to love fearlessly, to take a chance, to trust, and not be afraid.
I also learned that fearless love comes from God. When He teaches you how to love then there is no reason to not take a chance on someone you care a lot about. For my friend it was easier to say goodbye. For me, I would far rather try to work through his fears and see what was on the other side. I also learned that when you're seeking God in all relationships, the heartbreak becomes less painful. I didn't shed a tear. I have moved forward knowing that this man was not someone God wants in my life. I have moved forward easily because I have a Love that knows no fear. Because of Him, I can trust completely that He has gone before me and created my life's journey. For now my friend is not part of what God has for my life. I am perfectly fine with trusting God and moving on with my family and friends, the ones that will never leave my side and will love me with no fear.
God has taught me to love those who hate me. He has taught me to love those who love me dearly. He has filled my life with so many wonderful people who love me. Either way, whether it's someone who hates or someone who loves, as it says in 1st John, there is no fear in love. So I can take a leap, and love freely.
God's way is always best. He can always be trusted. Oh how He loves....And teaches us not to fear...
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