Posts Tagged Love
Good Works?
Posted by Jonathan Kinney in God, Life on June 17, 2011
I was just reading the bible this morning, and after completing John, Jesus’ words echoed in my head, as He said in several different ways
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
It should be very simple to ascertain that when Jesus repeats Himself several times in several different ways, especially in the critical time just before He was betrayed and gave Himself over to be executed, that it is very important. It is also important to note that moments earlier He said:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34, 35).
I believe that this “new commandment” He gave is to add back the lost frame of love that all the commandments were intended to have from the beginning, and all of these commandments He is referring to should be framed in this same love for one another.
On to my main point. I decided to head back to Matthew, and read all of Jesus words, searching out what His commandments were, so that I can keep His commandments in the most real and practical way that I understand and have the ability to do. So I read through “The Beatitudes”, which I have come to understand are more of a section of speaking where Jesus gives the true orientation of God, His kingdom, and His people. It is not a list of things to do, or I would quickly go find someone to morn, try and find a way to become poor in spirit, or find a situation where I could become persecuted for righteousness, and insulted because of Jesus, and that just does not make sense. Orientation of the hearers is very important, and so Jesus blesses them with the revelation of the true reality, quite opposing to what they have been shown by the world they lived in at that moment.
The first section that looks to be an actual command is Matthew 5:16, where He says:
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven”
So how do I put this into practice? What good have I done? What good works? I have been studying for some time and have learned that God is at work all around us, all of the time. I am blessed to have been able to see God powerfully at work around me each time He has shown me, and He has sown me several times. But that is His work, not mine, I did not do it, but I was graced to see it. I do my best to join Him where ever I see Him at work, but so often those are not public activities, but more of private situations and conversations with random people. I do help out with the church website for Edmonds Adventist Church (edmondsadventist.org), and I also put the Weekly Sermon Podcast and other special series up online. I also do this blog, and I do have some mention of God in it, and what ever else comes to mind that I am working through with Him or in life. I think that is as close to this first commandment that I can get right now. I am not doing it for myself, at least I do not think that I am. I really do hope that if someone were to read the things I write, that it will do them some good, maybe bring them to think, and it would be totally cool if people would look to God and thank him for something that they got in any relation to something I did.
On to the point where I turn what I have done to God, for His glory. I enjoy being able to make available the sermons and special series from Edmonds Adventist Church. It is a blessing to me to be able to put these things up online knowing that God can use it for His will, if He chooses to do so. It is exciting, and priceless to hear that God has used some of the things I put online, to change or better someone’s life, where they were able to move forward with God in some way, or forward in life in a good way. This is one of those “treasures” that no one can steal, it will never rust, and moths will not destroy it. It is one of those “treasures in heaven”. It is a blessing to me, and I pray it is a blessing to others. It is exciting to join God where He is at work, and I do know that He is at work in the Edmonds Adventist Church, that is why I am there.
Keep your eyes open for where God is at work, and then join Him where you find Him working. It is not easy, it takes a lot of work, time, and willingness to change, but most good things are not easy, and take a lot of time and effort. The cool thing is, nothing can ever take it away from you, it will never get old, these joys will not need an upgrade in the future in order for them to be of any use, they will never burn up in a fire, and you can never loose them. It still seems very odd for me to look at things this way, but I would just suggest you try it.
Jonathan’s Thoughts on Ephesians
Posted by Jonathan Kinney in God, Life, Love, MySpace Blog, Relationships on January 23, 2008
Current mood:refreshed
I am slowly working my way from the beginning of the bible to the end of the bible, and I just finished Ephesians today. Here are some thoughts that came to mind when reading Ephesians 5 this morning:
Come to understand these ideas of your own heart guided by the Holy Spirit to see that they are good, and so that you do them out of love for God, not simply out of obedience of the rules for the rule’s sake. Rules and guides passed on from one person to another are but empty without the understanding that the Holy Spirit gives, and just as children grow to become adults, and realize the wisdom behind the rules they were taught, we too must grow in Christ, and gain the understanding, to build our foundation on Him, with his guidance. Each one of us, if seeking God with all our heart, mind, body, soul, and strength, will find God, and his good will, and we will be guided to do what is good and right in His eyes. We need but ask, and we shall receive.
I must say I liked Ephesians, it was well written. There is a lot to be said for being given time alone to think and spend time with God, even if it is in prison.
Life is Simply Complex
Posted by Jonathan Kinney in God, Life, Love, MySpace Blog, Relationships on January 13, 2008
Current mood:anxious
First I would like to say, love is so much more than just a choice, so so much more! It is a feeling, it is an action, it is loyalty, it is based in truth, it is working through problems with a life long determination, never giving up. Love is so many things, and for me it is a way of life. Though I am not perfect, and in some ways, I am a hypocrite because I am not perfect. But I do love, and I will spend my entire life growing in love, working toward showing agape love. I pray that God strip me of my selfishness, my arrogance, my comparisons, and my feelings of superiority, because those have no place in a life of love. I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. I do however plan to always learn and grow, so that I might gain footing every day. As the world and its values push back, with God, I have faith that I can grow.
Now that I got that out of the way, which was something that has been bothering me ever since I posted my first blog touching on what love is, I feel much better. As I move forward in my relationship with Kathy, I am learning many new things, seeing myself in many new lights, and seeing how truly human I am. I am weak at times, I am an empty shell of a man at other times. As I move forward in love, my flaws seem to have bright spotlight on them, and now I can see so many things that I need to work through in order to grow. Day after day, I am reminded of how Kathy will love me no matter what I approach her with. I am filled with confidence in who God made her to be, and how through God, nothing is impossible to resolve. It is not always easy, but what truly good things in life are easy.
I feel like I have finally woken up after 7 years of… I don’t know what, and for the last year or 2 I have been back and growing. Not to say my 7 years in Walla Walla were a waste, they were not, I have made many friends, and seen how the world values things. I have lived on my own, and I have lived with people. I have been through so many different situations, I have seen the worst in people, and then I have been able to understand it. I have been given the gift of forgiveness and have been able to let go of so many hurts in my past, not forgetting them, but they no longer have power over me and my actions and feelings today. Enough of this tangent, I am here now, so now what?
Now what? It is a little late for me to be asking myself that now isn’t it… I am moving forward. But still I feel the need to ask myself that question on a day to day basis. In this life there are so many things to do, so many choices, which one do I make, and what steps do I want to take to get there. What do I want? I want a life of love, life foundation in God, and to make people laugh. I also want to develop the talents God has gifted me with, like art, and to explore my love for music by actually learning a musical skill. I want to build strong friendships with the people around me, and to treat everyone with a love that resembles the love God has for us.
My to do list is growing, and time is passing by, but not without me jumping on and doing as much as I can in the time I am given, and with the ability I have been gifted with. Maybe I should start by doing the paperwork on my desk, and clearing all of that off.
Jonathan’s Time off and Christmas Ramblings
Posted by Jonathan Kinney in God, Life, Love, MySpace Blog, Relationships on December 17, 2007
Current mood:happy
Today I am sitting here, on the first day of the week I am taking off work, and I am thinking. I am thinking about all kinds of things, so many things. One of them is the upcoming trip I am taking with Kathy over to meet her parents in Idaho. I wonder what her parents will think of me. Well, what ever the case, I will love them, thats just who I am. I am looking forward to spending this time with Kathy and her family, seeing the dynamics of her with her family. This is going to be fun. I should probably start to pack and get ready for the trip.
Oh yeah, I suppose this is blog worthy, I am no longer single. Kathy has been my best friend this year for some time, and I excited to have been given the chance to get to know her. She is a wonderful woman, and I am blessed to be able to spend time with her. While I was new and still getting to know people in the church (Edmonds Adventist Church), I was starting to work in the back on the computer during the services, and Kathy was there helping me every step of the way. She has a strong and growing relationship with God, which is so wonderful to see and be a part of. I have been looking for someone who puts God as number one in their lives because I believe that with God being the center of your life, everything else just seems to fall into place. Being that no one is perfect, I believe it is so very important that we have God in our lives, and seek to continue to grow and mature with Him, and He will continually work with us to overcome our shortcomings and help us learn the hard lessons in life that we need to learn. I can not put into words how much God has made a difference in my life, so now I recognize how cool it is to see that in the life of someone else.
Another thing that has been on my mind this morning is my computer. It is more and more sounding like a Hoover vacuum cleaner. There are some fans that are showing their age by making all kinds of strange whining noises. I opened the computer this morning to check things out and I pulled the graphics card out and the CPU fan, hoping I could find some replacements at a local computer store, but no luck. While I was in there, I noticed something that no one really wants to see, I have 2 capacitors that have pushed fluid out the top. I have seen this on servers before, and they still worked for years after that, but it is disconcerting to see that on my prized motherboard. So now I am faced with a possible forced upgrade soon. I have mixed feelings about that. I mean, “YAY” for a faster newer computer, but darn the fact that it costs money. God will provide what ever I need, he always has, and always will.
I have started actually trying to give gifts this Christmas. I would love to get gifts for everyone I knew, but I am doing what I can, and keeping my eyes and ears open for some real needs, and giving where I can. Even if it is just for a few select people, where I have seen a need, that is cool. But one thing that I have found out is that, wrapping presents is hell! By the time I get done with a box, I stand back and see just a mass of paper and tape. It took me something like an hour for just 2 boxes. I am forced to grapple with the idea that I just blow at wrapping gifts. Yet somehow it was fun… strange.
There are so many other things for me mull over today, so I can figure out what I can fit in. Like changing the oil in the Jeep, installing the subwoofer in the Jeep, working on the Christmas letter, working on the cruse control buttons, finish up with church computer and lights notes, play with Ableton Live, setup a business website on grendeltech.com, work on resume, finish some books, and a letter to my grandmother. Now I can add another task of keeping my eyes out for a good new computer to replace my old Hoover. Oh, and I need to send a note to my bible study group to let them know I will be gone this weekend, that’s fairly important. I know there are plenty of other things that I need to do, but one thing at a time, no worries here. It is so nice to know and be able to rest in the fact that God has all of the truly important issues worked out already, and he is working in my life so that it may be used for good.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas time! Travel safe, and have fun! You are all in my prayers. God bless.
Jonathan’s Guided Direction
Posted by Jonathan Kinney in God, Life, Love, MySpace Blog, Relationships on November 16, 2007
Current mood:contemplative
Is love a choice? If its not, should it be?.. Shouldn’t it be? If love is something that you just “fall into”, like a hole, something hidden that if you run across it, you will fall into it, then what does that mean? Doesn’t that mean that you are letting your subconscious make your choices for you, some values or beliefs that have been ingrained in you as you were growing up. And what does that mean for your relationships? Say you keep on finding yourself attracted to people who abuse you, or use you, or any number of other things that are not good or right for your life. Doesn’t that mean you damn well better take a hold of yourself, and figure that stuff out before you wake up one day, look back on your life and see failed relationship after relationship in your past, and realize that they were all the same person. Maybe it is time to sit down and evaluate my inner beliefs, or what ever is inside directing me to the people I “fall for”, and make sure that everything is sound, make sure that my beliefs are based upon truth, and not some BS that I picked up somewhere when I was growing up. If love is something that you just stumble and fall into, wouldn’t that mean you could just as simply fall out of love? How scary is that for someone who is looking at marriage?
We are humans, we make choices. We are not, or should not be, just debris being tossed about in a sea of other people or circumstances in this world. We need to take the time to figure things out, so that we learn and grow, especially our core beliefs. I don’t plan on being just a ball getting tossed about by what ever waves come my way, what would that make me? Screw that, I am going to strive to grow, to find the direction I want to go, and with God’s help, I am going to plow through the waves of this life, like a ship with its sails set high. With God as my guide and teacher, I will not be lost in the sea of this world or its values.
These days, I choose to love, but it is never a bad idea to take a moment and examine yourself from time to time, just to make sure you have not unknowingly fallen into some rut. Living a life with your eyes wide open takes constant effort.
Who am I to Judge
Posted by Jonathan Kinney in God, Life, MySpace Blog, Values on July 18, 2007
Current mood:annoyed
My thoughts during a situation this evening, I had to get them out of my head, they were distracting me:
Look at me, who am I! Truly, who am I! I am but a humbled mess of a man, crumpled in a pile, held oh so lovingly in God’s hands. Look at me again and ask yourself, who am I? How can I judge you? Do you fear the dirt you walk on, that it might judge you? Do not answer me with fear and anger, for my questions are out of pure innocent curiosity. I do not point my finger in judgment of you or anyone. I love you, why do you lash out at me? I love you all the same…