“He didn’t ask “Where will you spend eternity?”
as religious the-end-is-near picketers did but rather,
“With what, in this modern democracy,
will you meet the demands of your soul?”
Saul Bellow
(the ripening little peaches / Julie Cook / 2017)
God’s love is a demanding love…
this much we know….
And unfortunately we, as in you and me and all of us, are not very good with “demanding.”
We don’t listen nor we do we do what we’ve often been told to do…
this since the dawn of time.
An example you ask…?
Well we just have to look to the Israelites…
Folks just don’t wander around in a desert for 40 years because they’re
doing everything they’d been told to do…
wandering while looking and hoping to find one’s way usually means a wrong
turn was taken somewhere along the way and the recalculating voice has yet to reset….
For it just seems that in our heart of hearts we, me, you…simply aren’t up to the
demands of answering the call of this demanding Love.
We simply don’t, or perhaps it’s more apt to say we can’t, do “demanding” very well.
There’s just something about that rebellious nature of ours….
And since we’ve basically spent the history of time stumbling about lost to ourselves
while totally avoiding demanding Love…of which means we’ve not been very good at
offering said love outward….
well, it all sounds really quite hopeless actually….
And yet…
Yeshua, the Son of the Omnipotent Creator…
the very Creator of this very demanding Love,
came to this earth in order to live the very example of the oh so demanding Love…
demonstrating that it is hard, that it can be painful and that it is extremely costly but…
it can be done and when it is done…it is actually the gift of everlasting Love….
And he did all of this for you and for me and for all of us who are lost in our
rebellious ways….
While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man—–
though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.
But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood,
much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received our reconciliation.
Romans 5:6-11
cookiecrumbstoliveby 
We need Jesus so much to show us our shortcomings. Your point about his struggling, shows his humanity and compassion for us. He knows what we go through yet he was willing to carry our burdens. We are indeed blessed.
Ok so I just posted a comment again, this time on your post of the soldiers—and guess what—it disappeared to what I suspect is the limbo or waiting moderation—Why in heaven’s name, each time I comment on places that are my second home, WP dumps me as if I don’t exist….me thinks I smell some sort of rat…oh no wait, that was bacon…… soooiiiieeeeee
Chocolate covered bacon!! I’m pretty sure I got it.
it doesn’t even have to covered in chocolate—but on the serious side—I did write a brief heartfelt reply to those letters you posted 🙂
I did receive it. Thanks. I thought the letters were very touching. Time doesn’t change the feelings experienced through war. It’s an internal battle which goes along with the outward fight. I love your words.
I know—we were flipping through TV the other night and stopped on what I suppose was a British Antique Roadshow but they were actually doing a spot on the Battle of the Somme there in France as this is the 100 anniversary year of WWI
They were talking with various folks whose loved ones—all 72,000 plus soldiers buried there at the memorial cemetery, and reading letters written between those there in battle and those back home in England—it was very touching—one man recounting eating their Christmas day meal without utensils, a table, or much of anything resembling a festive meal—but how he made it seem grand all the same—shortly after writing his letter, he was killed in battle…
I am amazed when I see either documentaries or even well done movies that show both sides of battle—each side believing they are justified, each side having lives away from battle, each side knowing both love and hate, sorrow and joy—
it is absolutely unreal how we humans behave—but then you look at places like North Korea or back to Stalin’s USSR or Hitler’s Germany–and despite the lives and loves of those who defend their leaders and ideologies—the wrongs have to be undone by those who know there is a better way to live…
It is just such a viciousness that comes part and parcel with being a human being I suppose.
Wow, that’s a whole other post 😍❤️I’m just glad the final battle has already been won.
I know!!!!
Viciousness? Yes, but it is complicated. When the Nazis invaded Russia, many would have happily gotten rid of Stalin, but then they realized the Nazis were more hateful, at least to Slavs.
When we learn from our government can be horrid. When the Americans invaded Okinawa during WWII, civilians on the island committed mass suicides. To what extent were the suicides voluntary? Hard to say. Reports say that the Japanese Army ordered the people to kill themselves. In any event, their government had taught them to fear Americans.
The evil we know seems to b more comfortable than the one we don’t know.
Don’t get me wrong Tom– I’ve read the stories of those atrocities committed by Nazis on Russian civilians and Russian atrocities committed on German civilians– such that I’ve become physically sick from the details– sadistically horrendous- there are no words– and so on with other times, other places, other nations and other wars and conflicts — the notion for the Japanese that suicide was noble– or that today we see radical Muslims seeking a similar false glory of martyrdom in their suicide bombings– there are just governments as well as unjust- with the peoples of their lands caught in the middle– dare I say Iraqis may today say that life under Sadamm was better then than what they have known since…
Yet whether we are blessed to be born in western nations or a pariah like North Korea– we are all human none the less being caught in between– and is it then not the responsibility of those fortunate to help the unfortunate– as it becomes a matter of perspective– either way it all leaves me sad over the human condition– so maybe my one small act of offering hope is to do so on a tiny platform of a blog that shares the notion of salvation found in Jesus Christ sending it outward in the blogosphere to whoever may stumble upon it
It is strange thing. Many preach the word.
This evening I am listening to the radio. It is a Christian celebration in the Kennedy Center. Dr. Robert Jeffress put on a show celebrating freedom starring our president. Trump just finished a stirring speech.
Still, it is rare human being who never feels alone and vulnerable. Our Lord has had to comfort many.
God knows we don’t want to be alone. He made us that way. To need other people seems to be great gift.
Just as He told Elijah long ago. He will have justice. Just as He told Elijah long ago, Our God will not dessert us or leave us alone.
Oh amen Tom !!!!
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thank you my little fire fly
You’re very welcome my dear, I love lighting up your blog… 😀
💥🔦💡
😚🌟🌝🌞
You know…we just had “revival.” Not to sound cynical, but I am not as excited as I could be with what I saw. I wonder if all we did was have church an extra 5 nights. Looking around it seems nobody seemed particularly revived. Clearly we were given a call to follow for 5 nights…I wonder how many will answer, and how many will stay exactly the same as they were Monday night when they got there? This doesn’t even include the rather substantial number who could not even bother to show up and pretend to be revived.
Doesn’t sound as if you’ve come away revived but rather more heavy hearted…
I personally feel quite revived, and I suppose I should shut up and be happy over that. It’s good we got a boost, as we have much going on at the moment. Revival last week, church camp next week, then a normal week followed by Vacation Bible School. At the same time, I find myself discouraged by the blase attitude I see so much of. It’s as if we don’t actually get that this world is careening to the end, and when it ends, there are so many we won’t ever see again.
I know Wally– I feel very strongly that we are indeed careening towards the end– that’s why I’ve shifted in the posts I now right
Yes. I have noted a rather more urgent tone. I am glad someone is awake in the cockpit around here.
I just feel like a lone voice at times
Thanks for the inspiration, by the way.
🙂
No, it’s me who thanks you for the support 😇
And I do know the difference between right and write- blasted phone 🙃
LOL..shame is I read it just like you had spelled it write in the first place
🙂
Good—-we think alike 🤗
Your “lone” voice is very powerful and not as lone as you might think!!! 🙂 ❤