I've been sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn green. The longest red light in my short history. Waiting, waiting, waiting for my work papers from China to come. I'm so sick of people asking me "why I am still here?" and "when I am planning on leaving?"
Anyway, my thoughts have wandered far afield during the past two weeks as I have been home. Today I read a portion of Isaiah and concluded first that the love of God is very different and far more complex than I had initially supposed. Isaiah 24:1-3 Says, "Draw near, O nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples! Let the earth and all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it. For the Lord's indignation is against all the nations, And His wrath against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter. So their slain will be thrown out, And their corpses will give off their stench, and the mountains will be drenched with their blood." After reading passages like that which are numerous throughout the Bible I've been reconsidering what it means when John says, "Whoever does not love, does not know God for God is love." 1 John 4:8. Christians like to think that "God is love and therefore all his actions must be loving." I don't disagree with this thought but I find myself thinking.
The last portion of this post, was an exercise in getting to know myself better. Below are ten books that have stayed in my memory long after memories of once important friendships and previously necessary exam information have faded into nothingness.
1. Lilith by George McDonald because it taught me that the realm of truth extends beyond the stone and mortar truths of physical data and logical reasoning.
2. Institutes of The Christian Religion by John Calvin because they taught me that God is Sovereign and that life is best when lived in His service.
3. The Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy because it taught me that, "...there is only one time that is important -- Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power. We can do nothing about yesterday and what happens tomorrow depends on what you do now. The most necessary man is he with whom you are, for no man knows whether he will ever have dealings with any one else: and the most important affair is, to do him good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life!'"
4. Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan because it taught me that the journey to godliness is fraught with peril but the rewards are well worth the struggle.
5. Notes From The Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky because it taught me how valuable truth is and how dangerous it is to just believe what other people are believing without thinking about it for myself.
6. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins because it taught me that just because something is popular doesn't mean it's worth reading.
7. The Normal Christian Life by Watchmen Nee because it taught me how petty and spiritually small I am.
8. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius because it taught me that a healthy body is produced from a healthy mentality.
9. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a'Kempis because it explains what being a disciple of Jesus is all about.
10. The Lord of The Rings because it awakens my imagination to think beyond it's usual capacity and discover enriching truths that provide a harvest long after the book has gone back on the shelf.
Anyway, my thoughts have wandered far afield during the past two weeks as I have been home. Today I read a portion of Isaiah and concluded first that the love of God is very different and far more complex than I had initially supposed. Isaiah 24:1-3 Says, "Draw near, O nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples! Let the earth and all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it. For the Lord's indignation is against all the nations, And His wrath against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter. So their slain will be thrown out, And their corpses will give off their stench, and the mountains will be drenched with their blood." After reading passages like that which are numerous throughout the Bible I've been reconsidering what it means when John says, "Whoever does not love, does not know God for God is love." 1 John 4:8. Christians like to think that "God is love and therefore all his actions must be loving." I don't disagree with this thought but I find myself thinking.
The last portion of this post, was an exercise in getting to know myself better. Below are ten books that have stayed in my memory long after memories of once important friendships and previously necessary exam information have faded into nothingness.
1. Lilith by George McDonald because it taught me that the realm of truth extends beyond the stone and mortar truths of physical data and logical reasoning.
2. Institutes of The Christian Religion by John Calvin because they taught me that God is Sovereign and that life is best when lived in His service.
3. The Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy because it taught me that, "...there is only one time that is important -- Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power. We can do nothing about yesterday and what happens tomorrow depends on what you do now. The most necessary man is he with whom you are, for no man knows whether he will ever have dealings with any one else: and the most important affair is, to do him good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life!'"
4. Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan because it taught me that the journey to godliness is fraught with peril but the rewards are well worth the struggle.
5. Notes From The Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky because it taught me how valuable truth is and how dangerous it is to just believe what other people are believing without thinking about it for myself.
6. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins because it taught me that just because something is popular doesn't mean it's worth reading.
7. The Normal Christian Life by Watchmen Nee because it taught me how petty and spiritually small I am.
8. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius because it taught me that a healthy body is produced from a healthy mentality.
9. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a'Kempis because it explains what being a disciple of Jesus is all about.
10. The Lord of The Rings because it awakens my imagination to think beyond it's usual capacity and discover enriching truths that provide a harvest long after the book has gone back on the shelf.
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