with Love from the sandy beaches of Newport Beach, CA.........
Josh, you are an amazing mind. Your intellect in incredible. Your wit and deep thoughts are FAR above the norm. You are extremely talented in constructing well, thought-out ideas and explaining them. you are a very gifted lyricist and it has been a great pleasure to be apart of your gifts - poop forecasts and all - and I love you for it.
I think you and Greg Boyd to go need sit down with a pitcher and be really smart together.
Do you know what a fundamentalist is? It is someone you has stopped listening.
You have decided to take your brilliant mind and construct a belief system, that has caused you to unwilling accept ANY other alternative. you have become very, very stubborn in your deep rooted beliefs, and you have stopped listening.
If you were able to hold a mirror up to a lot of the things you preach against, you would actually see yourself. Your great mind has established this very rigid, certain set of beliefs and you have become your own god.
How are you able to make such strong, certain decisions about EVERYTHING and "know" them to be true? who are you to decide the definition of what God is or what gods are??
If you ever really let Christ into your life ('let' as in CHOOSING to accept HIM), you soon realize that your faith is not understood (understood in your mind). It is a 'peace' that passes ALL understanding. It comes from within, from your soul, where Christ's holy spirit literally resides. "God's love has poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:5) "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." (Romans 8:11) And there are countless times throughout the new testament that claim 'those who believe' 'those who choose.' There are also many, many, many commands to not live by sinful nature, live by the world.
God has simply empowered us and it's beautiful.
There is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much we don't understand. but we don't need to. "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5). It starts with surrender - surrender of your mind, of your own understanding, and then you will understand what you DON'T understand - get it??
"If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become 'fools' so that you may become wise." (1 corinthians 3:18)
Here we go: faith is not understood with the mind. it is not a cognitive thought. it is not debated. it is an EXPERIENCE you get to have when you allow Christ to give you LIFE and life to the FULL. it is amazing. AMAZING LOVE.
So, surrender your life - your mind - your everything - and PROTECT it. keep giving it back to Christ.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8-9).
There IS a real evil presence in the world. and I have seen it. if you want REAL eye witness of stuff you thought was only in movies - I can tell you. WHO CARES? the devil is a coward. the name CHRIST causes him to tremble in fear. but, he is a witty little bastard and all he can do is lie. I will tell you this Josh, the guilt you feel from decisions or choices you make does NOT come from our boy upstairs....
fellas, this it is. LOVE. simple. that's it. it is seriously it. love. just love. it is beautiful.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.' ALL (ALL!!!!!!) the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt 22:37-40)
BOOM!
all debate is just babble - a GONG. there is no need. lets stop it. it gets us nowhere. i tried to debate faith once and it ate me. i've learned from it. Christ has shown me SO much.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have LIFE, and life to the FULL." (John 10:10)
everything else is just existing.
May Christ's love shine on all of you Chaunsonas and you may have LIFE!
in the name of the giver of LIFE, my homeboy....
Chaunson #47 - AK
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