We all have expectations of how others should act. Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Jesus Christ were friends. When Mary and Martha called on Jesus to heal Lazarus, their brother who was dying, they expected Jesus to come soon and heal Lazarus. When Jesus didn't come right away, they didn't understand.
In the movie The Flowers of War a Chinese father assists the invading Japanese soldiers as a way to get his daughter to safety. The daughter doesn't understand her dad's involvement with the Japanese, and she thinks his involvement is evidence that he is a bad person.
Doing the unexpected does not necessarily mean doing something unkind. Jesus Christ delayed His visit to Mary, Martha and Lazarus because He wanted to show that what He had been saying (Jesus Christ is God; God can raise the dead; and God can give eternal life) was possible and true. Jesus' delay allowed Jesus to raise a dead and decaying person (Lazarus) from the dead to new life, showing God is truthful and powerful.
When it seems that the Japanese are going to rape and murder the daughter in The Flowers of War, the daughter is discouraged about being rescued and decides to lead herself and other girls to commit suicide.
The devil specializes in creating circumstances to discourage people. A Japanese proverb says, "An evil act runs a thousand miles." Chinese authorities are trying to discourage people from protesting China's one-child policy. Zhang Yimou, the director of The Flowers of War, is being threatened by Chinese authorities with a fine of nearly $27 million for allegedly fathering seven children. After Chen Guangcheng filed a 2005 lawsuit against local officials practicing forced abortions and forced sterilizations as part of China's one-child policy, he went to jail and house arrest. He only got out of house arrest by escape and by negotiation between the U.S. and China. Many boys and girls haven't gotten out and have been killed by forced abortions, and many parents have been involuntarily sterilized.
The advocates of discouragement are not destined to ultimately win. Christian Minister and Human Rights Activist Desmond Tutu says in part of "An Easter Message:"
"Nothing could have been deader than Jesus on the cross that first Good Friday. And the hopes of his disciples had appeared to die with his crucifixion. Nothing could have been deeper than the despair of his followers when they saw their Master hanging on the Cross like a common criminal. The darkness that covered the earth for three hours during that Friday symbolized the blackness of their despair.
And then Easter happened. Jesus rose from the dead. The incredible, the unexpected happened. Life triumphed over death, light over darkness, love over hatred, good over evil. That is what Easter means--hope prevails over despair. Jesus reigns as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Oppression and injustice and suffering can't be the end of the human story. Freedom and justice, peace and reconciliation, are his will for all of us, black and white, in this land and throughout the world. Easter says to us that despite everything to the contrary, his will for us will prevail, love will prevail over hate, justice over injustice and oppression, peace over exploitation and bitterness."
Awesome leaders are born in adverse times. Not long after Jesus Christ was born, Herod ordered that the male babies of Bethlehem, Israel, be killed. Christian Minister and Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in 1929 during the American Great Depression.
Even though more than 330 million boys and girls have lost their lives to abortion in China since the implementation of China's one-child policy, and more than 55 million American babies have been killed by abortion since Roe v. Wade, God is up to something good. Unexpected heroes in The Flowers of War rescue the suicidal daughter and girls. Fred Hammond started out as a baby on whom an abortion was attempted; today he is an adult Gospel singer. Don't let the devil suck you into discouragement. Continuously stand up for life, love and freedom. Un dicho (a proverb) dice, "El que persevera triunfa." (Whoever perseveres, triumphs.") An Ethiopian proverb says, "Anticipate the good so that you may enjoy it." God lives inside of creyentes (believers) giving us the power to live 1 Corinthians 13:7 Amplified Bible which says, "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]."
What are some stories of enduring love and the unexpected? Write to:
Michele F. Jackson
P. O. Box 2106
Woodbridge, Virginia 22195
Follow Michele F. Jackson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/michelelove30.
Showing posts with label Jesus Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus Christ. Show all posts
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Money and Marriage
"When Joe, 64, a computer professional in Massachusetts, married for the first time, he was 31 and very in love.
"She was attracted to me because I had structure; I was attracted to her because she was a lot of fun," said Joe.
He had noticed some financial red flags while they were dating: She always carried a credit card balance and liked buying expensive gifts for people. Still, he said, he wasn't fazed: "I never thought about it, because it wasn't my problem."
After they married, though, his new wife's spending habits became Joe's problem.
"She could drain a checking account in no time," he recalled. Joe describes himself as an avid saver, and his and his wife's financial differences became the cause of bad fights. "I couldn't stand being broke all the time and really struggling to pay the bills, and she didn't like the restriction of me saying we can't afford this," he said. 'We kind of drove each other into corners. She became more irresponsible and I became more rigid." Joe and his wife divorced after three years, largely because of financial differences," writes Stacey Vanek Smith in the March 26, 2013 The New York Times article "Money Talk Before Marriage A Tip You Can't Disparage."
Judas Iscariot divorced Jesus Christ in about three years also, and money seems to have played a major role. Judas, one of Jesus' original 12 apostles, didn't approve of Jesus' money management methods. In the Bible book of Matthew chapter 26 after a woman pours an alabaster flask of very expensive perfume on Jesus' head, Judas divorces Jesus.
"An archaic and infrequently used name for the Wednesday before Easter is "Spy Wednesday", named for Judas' becoming a spy for the Sanhedrin," writes Joe Carter, editor for The Gospel Coalition, in his March 25, 2013, article "9 Things You Should Know About Holy Week." For 30 pieces of silver Judas tells the Sanhedrin where to capture Jesus. Once Jesus is captured, later in the week on Friday Jesus is crucified. On Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, having paid the sin debt for each person who will receive Him into their life for eternity.
The Chinese invented paper money which they originally called "flying money" because it was so light and easily flew out of people's hand. The generosity of Jesus frustrated and disappointed Judas. Money seemed to fly out of Jesus' hand. Judas wanted enough on hand for his desires, including theft.
An African proverb says, "Work is good, provided you do not forget to live." Jesus sees money as a tool to live well and to do good. Jesus says in Luke 16:9 Amplified Bible, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into the everlasting habitations (dwellings)."
The more money possessed, the more responsibility to do good. The Complete Jewish Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, "As for those who do have riches in this present world, charge them not to be proud and not to let their hopes rest on the uncertainties of riches but to rest their hopes on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. In this way they will treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may lay hold of the real life."
Conflict over differences in the management of money and sex are among the top reasons husbands and wives do not have un matrimonio de pasión y sorpresa and some end up seeking un divorcio. Instead of allowing differences to divide, why not ask God to help you find a way to diversity in unity? God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Father are different and unified. Jesus Christ prayed for believers in John 17:21 English Standard Version Bible, "That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
What are some ways Jesus Christ has brought diversity in unity to your marriage or your singleness?
"She was attracted to me because I had structure; I was attracted to her because she was a lot of fun," said Joe.
He had noticed some financial red flags while they were dating: She always carried a credit card balance and liked buying expensive gifts for people. Still, he said, he wasn't fazed: "I never thought about it, because it wasn't my problem."
After they married, though, his new wife's spending habits became Joe's problem.
"She could drain a checking account in no time," he recalled. Joe describes himself as an avid saver, and his and his wife's financial differences became the cause of bad fights. "I couldn't stand being broke all the time and really struggling to pay the bills, and she didn't like the restriction of me saying we can't afford this," he said. 'We kind of drove each other into corners. She became more irresponsible and I became more rigid." Joe and his wife divorced after three years, largely because of financial differences," writes Stacey Vanek Smith in the March 26, 2013 The New York Times article "Money Talk Before Marriage A Tip You Can't Disparage."
Judas Iscariot divorced Jesus Christ in about three years also, and money seems to have played a major role. Judas, one of Jesus' original 12 apostles, didn't approve of Jesus' money management methods. In the Bible book of Matthew chapter 26 after a woman pours an alabaster flask of very expensive perfume on Jesus' head, Judas divorces Jesus.
"An archaic and infrequently used name for the Wednesday before Easter is "Spy Wednesday", named for Judas' becoming a spy for the Sanhedrin," writes Joe Carter, editor for The Gospel Coalition, in his March 25, 2013, article "9 Things You Should Know About Holy Week." For 30 pieces of silver Judas tells the Sanhedrin where to capture Jesus. Once Jesus is captured, later in the week on Friday Jesus is crucified. On Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, having paid the sin debt for each person who will receive Him into their life for eternity.
The Chinese invented paper money which they originally called "flying money" because it was so light and easily flew out of people's hand. The generosity of Jesus frustrated and disappointed Judas. Money seemed to fly out of Jesus' hand. Judas wanted enough on hand for his desires, including theft.
An African proverb says, "Work is good, provided you do not forget to live." Jesus sees money as a tool to live well and to do good. Jesus says in Luke 16:9 Amplified Bible, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into the everlasting habitations (dwellings)."
The more money possessed, the more responsibility to do good. The Complete Jewish Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, "As for those who do have riches in this present world, charge them not to be proud and not to let their hopes rest on the uncertainties of riches but to rest their hopes on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. In this way they will treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may lay hold of the real life."
Conflict over differences in the management of money and sex are among the top reasons husbands and wives do not have un matrimonio de pasión y sorpresa and some end up seeking un divorcio. Instead of allowing differences to divide, why not ask God to help you find a way to diversity in unity? God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Father are different and unified. Jesus Christ prayed for believers in John 17:21 English Standard Version Bible, "That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
What are some ways Jesus Christ has brought diversity in unity to your marriage or your singleness?
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Dreamboats Can Come from Places We Consider Down-And-Dirty
". . . Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip replied, Come and see!" -- John 1:46 Amplified Bible
When Nathanael asked Philip this question, Nazareth had such a bad reputation that it seemed no good person could come from there. Likewise some said don't go to Moab, because good people and good things did not come out of Moab. These places had a reputation for being down-and-dirty, yet some dreamboats -- Jesus Christ and Ruth -- came out of Nazareth and Moab.
Neither Jesus Christ nor Ruth were defined by their environments. Jesus and Ruth had their priorities in proper order. God was number one in both Jesus' life and Ruth's life.
Ruth's relationship with God and herself was secure enough that she was not defined by her biological family. When they were false worshipers, she had been given the grace of God to become and remain a true worshiper. Ruth left her family in Moab and journeyed to Israel to form a new family.
Ruth knew how to have good relationships with God, self and others. Ruth had an awesome relationship with herself. When Ruth made up her mind, others couldn't change it. Naomi tried to get Ruth to stay in the wrong place, but Ruth knew to move on from Moab to Israel.
Ruth loved herself without narcissism. She cultivated an awesome relationship with Naomi. Her good choices in relationships created opportunities for even more awesome relationships like her relationship with Boaz. The women of Ruth's community had such a high opinion of Ruth that they said Ruth was better to Naomi than seven sons.
Receiving a good name from ones community is a good thing. Proverbs 22:1 English Standard Version Bible counsels, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold."
A good name is not just for Jesus Christ and Ruth. Multiple people can have one. "If you don’t see the value of community it’s difficult for you to win," said Sonia Sotomayor during a colloquium with journalist Maria Hinojosa at the El Barrio Museum in Harlem, where she spoke about her autobiography My Beloved World. Sotomayor, 58, made history in 2009 when she was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama to be the first Latino justice on the high court. She is of a Puerto Rican descent and grew up in modest means in Bronx, New York.
When someone like Jesus Christ or Ruth appears in our life, live out the attitude, "Come and see!" A gift will be waiting for us to open up and enjoy. The apostles enjoyed the Messiah. Naomi enjoyed being a grandmother to Ruth's son, Obed. Boaz enjoyed being a husband to Ruth. The women of Ruth's community enjoyed having her as a member.
Jesus Christ and Ruth stood out. They were different and divine. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. His people are joint-heirs with Jesus.
Perhaps you have met someone from a place like Nazareth or Moab? May you be wise enough not to dismiss or discriminate against him or her because he or she may be from a place with a reputation for being down-and-dirty.
Actually, all believers come from a down-and-dirty place of spiritual death; then one day God resurrected His people into an eternal relationship with Him. God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Ghost (1 X 1 X 1 = 1) keeps on working with us to bring out more of the God inside.
Father God in the Precious Name of My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Ghost, help us to recognize discrimination in ourselves. Empower us to love those who are different from us. Dreamboats can come out of down-and-dirty places.
When Nathanael asked Philip this question, Nazareth had such a bad reputation that it seemed no good person could come from there. Likewise some said don't go to Moab, because good people and good things did not come out of Moab. These places had a reputation for being down-and-dirty, yet some dreamboats -- Jesus Christ and Ruth -- came out of Nazareth and Moab.
Neither Jesus Christ nor Ruth were defined by their environments. Jesus and Ruth had their priorities in proper order. God was number one in both Jesus' life and Ruth's life.
Ruth's relationship with God and herself was secure enough that she was not defined by her biological family. When they were false worshipers, she had been given the grace of God to become and remain a true worshiper. Ruth left her family in Moab and journeyed to Israel to form a new family.
Ruth knew how to have good relationships with God, self and others. Ruth had an awesome relationship with herself. When Ruth made up her mind, others couldn't change it. Naomi tried to get Ruth to stay in the wrong place, but Ruth knew to move on from Moab to Israel.
Ruth loved herself without narcissism. She cultivated an awesome relationship with Naomi. Her good choices in relationships created opportunities for even more awesome relationships like her relationship with Boaz. The women of Ruth's community had such a high opinion of Ruth that they said Ruth was better to Naomi than seven sons.
Receiving a good name from ones community is a good thing. Proverbs 22:1 English Standard Version Bible counsels, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold."
A good name is not just for Jesus Christ and Ruth. Multiple people can have one. "If you don’t see the value of community it’s difficult for you to win," said Sonia Sotomayor during a colloquium with journalist Maria Hinojosa at the El Barrio Museum in Harlem, where she spoke about her autobiography My Beloved World. Sotomayor, 58, made history in 2009 when she was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama to be the first Latino justice on the high court. She is of a Puerto Rican descent and grew up in modest means in Bronx, New York.
When someone like Jesus Christ or Ruth appears in our life, live out the attitude, "Come and see!" A gift will be waiting for us to open up and enjoy. The apostles enjoyed the Messiah. Naomi enjoyed being a grandmother to Ruth's son, Obed. Boaz enjoyed being a husband to Ruth. The women of Ruth's community enjoyed having her as a member.
Jesus Christ and Ruth stood out. They were different and divine. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. His people are joint-heirs with Jesus.
Perhaps you have met someone from a place like Nazareth or Moab? May you be wise enough not to dismiss or discriminate against him or her because he or she may be from a place with a reputation for being down-and-dirty.
Actually, all believers come from a down-and-dirty place of spiritual death; then one day God resurrected His people into an eternal relationship with Him. God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Ghost (1 X 1 X 1 = 1) keeps on working with us to bring out more of the God inside.
Father God in the Precious Name of My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Ghost, help us to recognize discrimination in ourselves. Empower us to love those who are different from us. Dreamboats can come out of down-and-dirty places.
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