Post by Blu on Jul 28, 2007 17:10:04 GMT -5
I have been thinking a lot about Jesus and Judas. Judas might have been one of the few people who understood the power that Jesus had. It is not obvious at the betrayal that he loved Jesus or that he might have thought he was doing the right thing by putting Jesus in a position of forcing Him to proclaim His divinity and rule the world. I think a lot of us would have preferred that. But if we look at it closely we realize Jesus made the right choice. Not only because it was God's will, but because power forced on anyone is not right. When Judas realized the consequences of his actions he hung himself.
Put yourself in the position of Judas. You have a friend that you admire more than anything in the world. You know what this person is capable of. However this friend does not agree with you over something. When you try to force the issue the friendship collapses. It might be as simple as something as a belief in reincarnation verses one life. Seems very important doesn't it? At least at the time it might. So the friends disagree, feelings get hurt, misunderstanding or understanding takes place and people go their separate ways, never to be friends again.
Power is a funny thing. Jesus understood this implicitly. You may have all the power in the world, you may be absolutely right. But if you force the issue you gain nothing. Paul says it best, with out love you are a clanging symbol. You are a loud noise maker. Jesus asked one thing of his disciples, that they love one another. End of story. You may hold the world in the palm of your hand, but if you do not love then it's all worthless.
People have come to me and asked me to use what little power I might have to do something to force an issue. My decision was to allow others to walk their own path and come to their own conclusions in their own way and in their own time with out my interference. I am relying on the power that Jesus invoked at His death and resurrection. The power of God within people to change their own lives. The power of the Holy Spirit. Judas did not understand this long term plan of Gods and people today, even believers do not always understand it.
You can not force love. Force is the way the world works things out. It has it's time and place and it's consequences. There is a better way, not easy, but better. I believe in the good in each of us and I believe in the Power of God to make changes in those of us who are hot or cold.
The lukewarm are going to get spit out.
Every day we are faced with small examples of using power correctly or incorrectly. One of the first lessons in the Search for God studies is the lesson of Cooperation. A simple but effective application of this study is to drive the speed limit. LOL, not as easy as it sounds. There are times you are on the road, you are late, there is no traffic and maybe your mind is somewhere else and you go over the speed limit. No one sees you are on the road alone, what does it matter? No one is hurt right? Now this is the eye of the needle Jesus was talking about. The eye of the needle requires that you go the speed limit even when no one is around to see or care. If you can not be trusted to be obedient in this small thing how can you be trusted with the big stuff?
God states emphatically "If you will be my people, I will be your God." First we must be obedient to God, then He can rule us. Then His divine laws will apply in our lives. It requires submission of our wills to the Divine. God does not force the issue, He gives us a choice. That is love.
The next time you get angry because things don't go the way you expected, wanted, believed deeply that they should, look for the place you went over the speed limit. God's laws are not revocable.
Put yourself in the position of Judas. You have a friend that you admire more than anything in the world. You know what this person is capable of. However this friend does not agree with you over something. When you try to force the issue the friendship collapses. It might be as simple as something as a belief in reincarnation verses one life. Seems very important doesn't it? At least at the time it might. So the friends disagree, feelings get hurt, misunderstanding or understanding takes place and people go their separate ways, never to be friends again.
Power is a funny thing. Jesus understood this implicitly. You may have all the power in the world, you may be absolutely right. But if you force the issue you gain nothing. Paul says it best, with out love you are a clanging symbol. You are a loud noise maker. Jesus asked one thing of his disciples, that they love one another. End of story. You may hold the world in the palm of your hand, but if you do not love then it's all worthless.
People have come to me and asked me to use what little power I might have to do something to force an issue. My decision was to allow others to walk their own path and come to their own conclusions in their own way and in their own time with out my interference. I am relying on the power that Jesus invoked at His death and resurrection. The power of God within people to change their own lives. The power of the Holy Spirit. Judas did not understand this long term plan of Gods and people today, even believers do not always understand it.
You can not force love. Force is the way the world works things out. It has it's time and place and it's consequences. There is a better way, not easy, but better. I believe in the good in each of us and I believe in the Power of God to make changes in those of us who are hot or cold.
The lukewarm are going to get spit out.
Every day we are faced with small examples of using power correctly or incorrectly. One of the first lessons in the Search for God studies is the lesson of Cooperation. A simple but effective application of this study is to drive the speed limit. LOL, not as easy as it sounds. There are times you are on the road, you are late, there is no traffic and maybe your mind is somewhere else and you go over the speed limit. No one sees you are on the road alone, what does it matter? No one is hurt right? Now this is the eye of the needle Jesus was talking about. The eye of the needle requires that you go the speed limit even when no one is around to see or care. If you can not be trusted to be obedient in this small thing how can you be trusted with the big stuff?
God states emphatically "If you will be my people, I will be your God." First we must be obedient to God, then He can rule us. Then His divine laws will apply in our lives. It requires submission of our wills to the Divine. God does not force the issue, He gives us a choice. That is love.
The next time you get angry because things don't go the way you expected, wanted, believed deeply that they should, look for the place you went over the speed limit. God's laws are not revocable.