God is love - a Lenten series 23 Loves gives up it's rights
Philippians 2:1 If you find any comfort from being in the Anointed, if His love brings you some encouragement, if you experience true companionship with the Spirit, if His tenderness and mercy fill your heart; then, brothers and sisters, 2 here is one thing that would complete my joy—come together as one in mind and spirit and purpose, sharing in the same love. 3 Don’t let selfishness and prideful agendas take over. Embrace true humility, and lift your heads to extend love to others. 4 Get beyond yourselves and protecting your own interests; be sincere, and secure your neighbors’ interests first.
5 In other words, adopt the mind-set of Jesus the Anointed. Live with His attitude in your hearts. Remember:
America has a gun idol problem. Although claiming to be christian, and lamenting other religious groups immigrating here, I think the main tenet of american religion is the 2nd amendment of the constitution, and only a limited reading of that. Some people believe, unrestricted access of firearms is their right, and they only have political liberty because of their possession of weapons. This is a greater good than the "collateral damage" caused by those who use their lawfully purchased weapons to kill bystanding citizens. They are 2nd amendment believers before they are Christ's followers. They refuse to let tenderness and mercy fill their hearts. They refuse to share in the same love as those parents and siblings who have lost children and parents to unhinged gunmen. They refuse to subsume their rights to extend their love to others. They will not get beyond themselves and their own interests. They will not secure their neighbors' interest first. They will not adopt the mind-set of Jesus, who they claim to follow, who did not cling to his right to power. They will not humble themselves.
Their Christ looks like this. Not the like the one who faced a merciless death on the cross, who told his friends to put away their weapons. Love looks like this. It stops the cycle of violence by giving up its rights. Love will not perpetuate the violence.
6 Though He was in the form of God,
He chose not to cling to equality with God;
7 But He poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new;
a servant in form
and a man indeed.
The very likeness of humanity,
8 He humbled Himself,
obedient to death—
a merciless death on the cross!
9 So God raised Him up to the highest place
and gave Him the name above all.
10 So when His name is called,
every knee will bow, in heaven, on earth, and below.
11 And every tongue will confess “Jesus, the Anointed One, is Lord,”
to the glory of God our Father!
America has a gun idol problem. Although claiming to be christian, and lamenting other religious groups immigrating here, I think the main tenet of american religion is the 2nd amendment of the constitution, and only a limited reading of that. Some people believe, unrestricted access of firearms is their right, and they only have political liberty because of their possession of weapons. This is a greater good than the "collateral damage" caused by those who use their lawfully purchased weapons to kill bystanding citizens. They are 2nd amendment believers before they are Christ's followers. They refuse to let tenderness and mercy fill their hearts. They refuse to share in the same love as those parents and siblings who have lost children and parents to unhinged gunmen. They refuse to subsume their rights to extend their love to others. They will not get beyond themselves and their own interests. They will not secure their neighbors' interest first. They will not adopt the mind-set of Jesus, who they claim to follow, who did not cling to his right to power. They will not humble themselves.
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Their Christ looks like this. Not the like the one who faced a merciless death on the cross, who told his friends to put away their weapons. Love looks like this. It stops the cycle of violence by giving up its rights. Love will not perpetuate the violence.
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