Do I hate my brother or sister?

Hello everyone, may the grace of our Lord be with you all.

Last week we discussed things about “hiding ourselves” - in which we briefly discussed how we pretend we are someone we are not, in hopes that someone would love us. This in itself brings up an interesting question, which we will discuss.

What is love?

I John 4:15-21 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. [16] And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. [17] Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. [19] We love him, because he first loved us. [20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? [21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

We can see quite clearly that God is love. Yes this is nothing new to many of us. Now, let's think about this logically for a moment. In John 14:6 – Jesus said: I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me. Now, if Jesus is these things, what if we live our lives apart from Jesus? Well one would have to say, if you don't follow Jesus you have the end, falsehood and death.

Now – in this same manner we can look at our passage and decipher a few things. God is love. Now, if we're not God would that mean we are not capable to love? Well this passage explains things quite well.

Verse 15: Whosoever shall confess Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God.

It would seem obvious that if one is a believer of the Christ Jesus that God is within that person and therefore that person is capable of love.

The one thing I can say I love about the word of God – just about every possibility or “escape” clause is covered so that there can be no mis-interpretation.

Look at verse 20: If a man says I love God, and hates his brother(or sister) he is a liar.

Think about this for a moment. Think....

If God is love, and God loves us all, and if I say I love God yet hate someone, something isn't adding up quite right. This is exactly one of those points where God doesn't allow us to remain in a “imperfected love”.

This my friends and I will agree, is probably one of the hardest things of the Gospel. I know many people and have heard many people say “I love God” and in addition to that don't like discussing things because “my relationship with God is personal” and moreso than that they don't take on a hatred towards a person because of a bad situation. They take on this situation as if it was there own and start hating and hating.

I'll share an example.

One of my aunt's is going through a divorce. Her husband left her for another woman – yes he was having an affair. He's left her alone to take care of herself and their two children. Now, due to the fact of hours working and stuff it was hard and expensive to try and find a babysitter and stuff, so two of her sisters volunteered to help out whenever possible. I think this is a great example of showing love.

BUT – and yes there's a but. One of the sisters, will do this – believe she's doing the right thing, but she hates my aunt's soon to be ex-husband with a passion. If she had her way, she'd bring him to court and throw the book at him. My question quickly becomes, where's the love in that?

Yes – that is a difficult situation. I'm not asking this sister to be best friends with the soon to be ex-husband, but aren't we called to love our neighbours as ourselves? Now – if she has such a hatred for this man(who is her neighbour) – is she not a liar? Especially when you get into a religious topic with the person and they will agree with you that “I believe in loving your neighbours as yourself, blah blah blah”. Interesting – how people believe it, yet they don't live it.

God is love. A love that was greatly revealed through Christ. A love and passion that was so great that Jesus went and died on the cross for everyone.

If God, dwells within us, and this same love is revealed through us. Should we not have a love and passion for everyone in our lives? Should we not have a zeal for everyone that we come across in our lives?

As I close out today's message, I'd like you to ponder on this thought.

What does loving everyone in the world look like to you, and if this something lacking in your life, how can you make this become a reality?

God bless you all,

Hiding yourself...

About a week or so ago – I was talking to a friend of mine and I was stomped for what to write as a message in my blog on this day. My friend said I should do a blog about their hair and their new hair-do.

Now – this message isn't guided towards my friend, but after pondering on that, a revelation just flashed before me.

I was thinking to myself of the biblical passage that says:

Matthew 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Then for whatever reason, I asked the question “Why do people dye their hair?” Now this of course depends on the age. If you were to ask a woman in her mid thirties/early fourties – it would probably be because they want to hide their Grey hair. If you were to ask a younger person – male or female, you'd probably get a response such as : other people do it so I want to be like everyone else, or you'd get a response similar to “it looks cool”.

So – again the question is – why do people dye their hair? Generally it's to hide something, but more specifically they want to hide who they are.

A young person wants to look cool – because they don't think they're cool as they are. An elderly person wants to look younger – therefore they dye their hair.

The thought is – just who do you think you're hiding this from? Remember – that God knows the number of hairs on your head, and I'm sure He knows what your real hair colour is and how many hairs are grey, black, brown, red, blonde, etc.

Now, a further question would become, why do you want to hide who you are? Do you not like who you are?

Look back at that passage from Matthew 10.

Matthew 10:26-31 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. [27] What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. [28] And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. [30] But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

We live in a world where we are worried of what others think because of our appearance and other things. So we move forward and do things that will allow others to love us. Yet Jesus taught: Fear not, for you are of more value. That is how much you are loved.

Generally – we want to hide something about ourselves because we are afraid of what others think. We're worried that if we don't look a certain way, or act a certain way that people won't love us.

Now – in the same way of dying our hair because we are afraid of what others think, or whether others will love us, this is just another viewpoint of what's going on in the spiritual world. You're hiding something about yourself in the physical world, so what other things are you hiding in the Spiritual world?

Now – I don't know all the things that you're hiding, but I know one thing that is obvious if you're going out and dying your hair. You lack trust in God.

Here I am – a 30 year old man and I'll be honest, I'm starting to see a few greys in my hair. I don't worry about it, because God created me. I know that regardless of the number of grey hairs I may have, that God still loves me.

And if the creator of the entire Universe loves me regardless of my appearance, does God not love you the same way?

We can try and hide things our entire lives from people, but the thing is, God still knows what it is we're trying to hide. Why do we try and deceive others, when there is a God who knows all? Why do we worry about what others think, when there is a God who values you more than what others think?

Why do we worry about others loving us, when there is a God who loves us?

May God bless you,

Why is God doing this to me?

Why is this happening to me?

Has this question ever crossed your mind?

Why is this happening to me? - or perhaps – why is God doing this to me?

Here we have 2 popular questions that have come into play in the world we live in and there are times where we find ourselves asking these questions. Furthermore – essentially these 2 questions are pretty much one and the same, and sometimes we have to be careful when we ask such questions.

First off – when do we generally ask ourselves these questions? Usually when things go bad, right?

Think of that car accident you had, think of the time you lost your job, think of the time your ex broke up with you – we've all gone through a very bad event, and generally speaking we stop and ask “why is this happening to me?”

The question now is - why do we ask this question?

Generally we ask this question because it seems as though we're doing everything right, everything we're supposed to be doing, and BOOM – out of nowhere something bad happens.

Or – why are we asking “why is God doing this to me?” Probably for similar reasons – we'll try and reason stating things like: I've gone to church, I prayed my prayers today and last night, I even gave money to the poor earlier today.

It seems as though we're trying to live a Godly life as if we're God – yet we're not God and we're definitely not gods.

Now – as I said, both of these questions are ultimately the same question.

Let's go off the car accident example. In most cases – people freak out and start questioning God – how He allowed such a bad thing to happen to us, especially because we're going through a tough financial period and the last thing we needed was for our car to be totaled and we need to go buy a new car.

Now – have you ever stopped to think about the other side of the spectrum?

You were just in a car accident, yet you did not lose your life, now did you remember to thank God for that while you were asking aloud why He would allow you to get in a car accident?

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Perhaps God allowed you to be in a car accident – but by the grace of God you were saved.

Again – be careful when you ask things like “why did this happen to me?” or “Why is God doing this to me?”

Do you not remember what happened to Zechariah?

Luke Chapter 1:11-20 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. [12] And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. [13] But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. [14] And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. [15] For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. [16] And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. [17] And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. [18] And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. [19] And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. [20] And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Zechariah doubted that God knew better for him – in plain and simple terms Zechariah doubted God. Zechariah doubted that God knew what was best for him. Now how often do you do the same thing?

Once upon a time – God showed the Israelites his power – because of Pharaoh disobeying God's wishes that Moses brought forward. God even revealed his grace in those days – by allowing Pharaoh a chance to let the Israelites leave, but Pharaoh wouldn't have it.

As bad as things may seem – God is a graceful God. Always remember that his ways are not our ways, and we may not always understand.

One thing I continue learning from God – day by day, is to trust him. I've learned to not always be asking “why is God doing this to me?” In fact, I've learned to rather ask what “what does God want me to learn from this?”

Before I close out this message – I'd like everyone to try and remember that next time something bad happens in your life – to take hold of it and ask God to show you his ways.