I found this to be beautiful

Lent: Purification from Natural Motives

FR. LEONARD M. PUECH

Man is not a pure spirit. All his actions do not spring from his spiritual nature. A good part — if not all — comes from his animal instincts, and often these instincts go to excess, passing the bounds of reason.

However, these instincts are not always satisfied with full deliberation: man is unable to maintain the constant attention and perfect control that would require. Nor, on the other hand, is there satisfaction without some participation of the will, which does not exercise the control it should and could. This is what theologians call semi-deliberate venial sins, on account of the half attention and half consent they involve. Frequent confession may diminish their number, but cannot suppress them completely.

Only when the soul reaches perfect purity and perfect union with God, only then do all human inclinations become perfectly ordered and directed to God. The soul has then become the "casa sosegada" — the pacified mansion, as St. John of the Cross calls it in his poem on the Dark Night of the Soul. But as the saint says, very few reach that state.

To attain this perfect purity, the soul must be purified not only from venial sin, but even from purely natural motives. An action may not be a sin, because it does not break any rule of good human behavior, and yet it may not be inspired by faith or love of God, but only by a natural motive. For instance, one might eat without any excess of any sort, but just for satisfaction. There is no sin; yet one has acted purely from a natural motive.

Many do not realize the harm it does to the soul, and justify many acts by saying, "It's not a sin," as if this were enough. Not to offend somebody does not mean loving him. This is precisely the fault with actions inspired by purely natural motives: they do not proceed from the love of God, but from love of the goods of this world.

Because no one can serve two masters (Mt. 6,24) ("if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (Jo. 2,15)), such actions are without merit, as Jesus teaches very clearly in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 6,1-18). There he takes the three kinds of good works, most recommended in Holy Scripture — almsgiving, prayer and fasting — and declares that if they are done in order to be seen by men, "you shall have no reward with your Father in heaven" (Mt. 6, 1).

Note that to do something to be seen by men means to do it for the sake of glory and that glory is the highest natural motive. Very few people indeed do things for the sake of glory only; most of the time they do it for the pleasure of the money it brings them. Yet Jesus declares that the best actions done for the highest natural motive are without value in God's sight. Why should he regard what was not done for him?

Worse, natural motives lead to sin. As a consequence of the fall, the natural inclinations of man are no longer under the perfect control of reason and, unless checked, carry us to excess and to sin. And this happens all the more easily, since purely natural actions are not inspired by the Holy Spirit. It may even come to the point where we live only for the goods of the world, so that there is no love of God in us. To God, we then become adulterers and enemies: "Adulterers, do not know that the friendship of this world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of this world becomes an enemy of God" (James, 4,4).

A Christian should do all he does for the glory of God, as St. Paul teaches his disciples: "Whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do all for the glory of God" (I Cor. 10,31; see Col. 3,17).

Is it possible to live this way? Yes, but not without effort, and not without grace. It should be noted, however, that for an action to be inspired by a supernatural motive, be it faith, hope or charity, it is not necessary to be thinking about it all the time. It is not possible here on earth to keep our attention fixed on God always: it is enough that our intentions tend to him always; and this is possible.

A mother preparing a meal is not repeating all the time, "For my husband, for my children." But were somebody to ask her whom she is doing it for, she would immediately answer: "For my husband and children." That is her only motive.

If I go into town, I don't have to repeat all along the way, "I want to go to town." I decide to go, and then walk in virtue of that decision without thinking about it; this is what theologians call a virtual intention which really inspires an action without attention to it.

In order to act always for the glory of God, it is necessary first of all to form this intention and offer our actions to God. This is why we should make it our practice to present to God every morning all we are going to do or to suffer during the day. This intention can easily be forgotten, since it is not necessary for the action. It is impossible to go into town without wanting to go, but altogether possible to go without the intention of going for the love of God. This explains why good resolutions wear out much faster than a pair of shoes! Spiritual authors recommend that we make a new offering at the beginning of a new occupation, or when we notice the time.

Useful as this practice may be, it cannot bring the soul to perfect purity. Our natural inclinations remain, so that when something is pleasing they may influence our action more than the love of God. It is difficult to eat ice-cream just for the love of Jesus, without some love for the ice-cream! Natural motives creep in, despite our protests of love for Jesus. St. Therese of Lisieux found that out one day when, supposedly out of love for Jesus only, she put a pot of flowers back in its place, forgotten by Ce1ine. She was quite disappointed when Ce1ine did not thank her.

It is necessary to control our natural inclinations through mortification. The Church therefore reminds us during Lent that mortification remains necessary, even if fasting and abstinence are no longer prescribed — and it is necessary all through life, not just in Lent.

Mortification is necessary to make up for our past sins, but also to cut out the roots of sin — the three lusts that rule the world (I Jo. 2,16): lust of the flesh, or love of pleasure; the lust of the eyes, or love of luxuries and riches; and the pride of life, or love of independence.

Against these three lusts, the Church proposes three remedies: against the love of pleasure, fasting and abstinence; against the love of money, almsgiving; against the love of independence, prayer.

As useful and necessary as voluntary mortification is, it cannot bring the soul to perfect purity. God must purify it himself. This is the teaching of St. John of the Cross "From neither of these imperfections... can the soul purify itself completely, until God plunges it into the passive purification of this dark night of which we are about to speak. It is right, however, that the soul, insofar as it can, procure on its part to purify and perfect itself, so as to merit God's placing it in this divine cure, where he heals the soul from all the things of which it could not free itself. Because, however much the soul may help itself, it cannot purify itself actively so as to be at all prepared for the divine union of love, if God does not take things in hand and purify it in this dark fire" (Dark Night, Bk. 1, ch.3, n.3).

Suffering is the means God uses to achieve this perfect purification of the soul. In different places and under different forms, Scripture repeats that, as gold and silver are refined by fire, thus souls pleasing to God are purified in the furnace of tribulation (Ps. 65, 10; Prov. 17,3; Sap. 3,6,- Eccli. 2,5; 1 Pet. 1, 7; 4,12). For that reason, St. Paul rejoices and even overflows with joy in all his troubles (2 Cor. 7,4), "knowing that tribulation works out endurance, and endurance tried virtue" (Rom. 5,4).

God uses different sorts of suffering to purify the soul. They may be the ordinary kind, which come from natural causes or from people — poverty, illness, humiliations, injustice, persecution, etc. For souls who aspire to perfection, he adds to these interior distress and agony, which St. John of the Cross describes in what he calls the night of the senses and the night of the spirit, and which burn much more deeply into the soul than any exterior suffering. At times, God even allows the devil to harass a holy soul through obsessions of all kinds, not excepting possession — although this is rare.

The purpose of it all is to enable the soul to receive the full communication of God's love with all its delights, passing all understanding. How much, then, should we be zealous to purify our souls, as the Church invites us to do in a special way during Lent. If this purification is not completed here on earth, it will have to be completed after death, because nothing defiled shall enter into the heavenly Jerusalem (Apoc. 21,27).

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Fr. Leonard M. Puech, O.F.M. "Lent: Purification from Natural Motives." In Spiritual Guidance (Vancouver, B.C.: Vancouver Foundation of Art, Justice and Liberty, 1983), 233-236.

Republished with permission of the Vancouver Foundation of Art, Justice and Liberty.

THE AUTHOR

The late Fr. Leonard M. Puech wrote a popular column for the B.C. Catholic from 1976 to 1982. Those columns were compiled and published by the Vancouver Foundation of Art, Justice, and Liberty as the book Spiritual Guidance in 1983. The VFAJL is interested in reprinting Spiritual Guidance. Anyone who would like to contribute to this worthy cause please write: Dr. Margherita Oberti, 1170 Eyremount Drive, West Vancouver, B.C. V7S 2C5.

Copyright © 1983 Vancouver Foundation of Art, Justice, & Liberty

Letter of the Law vs Spirit of the Law

One fast an loose way of looking at the old vs new covenant or testament.   The Law refers to the 10 Commandments and other items defined in the old testament.  It is a defined set of laws with consequences (offerings).  The new covenant was a shift to the principle of the Law, Love.  So Christ was trying to teach us to understand the principle and apply it to any situation, as Love your fellow man implies. Love God and every other law  For example the first 4 of the 10 Commandments, are about loving God, the 5th is about loving your father and mother, and the last 5 are about loving your neighbor.  So it is a list of how to Love vs just the command to Love all.

What is next?  A perfect utopia could be one where everyone has the spiritual awareness, so that everyone is connected on the level, everyone loves one another.  There would be no court system needed.

The possibilities are interesting.

Also the rules relax depending on your faith (Romans 14, 15).  As an example consider the speed limit is 55 by the 'law' typically you will not get a ticked until you do something dangerous, like exceeding it by over 10 mph.  But the point is if a healthy driver in a  new car may feel safe at 65.  Whereas a retired person with a 1970 car, likely needs to slow down a bit to maintain the same level of risk.  So for that situation you leave it up to your conscience if you feel safe it likely is  safe.  By the same token types of food eaten or avoided, which day you consider holy,... and many other things can be adjustable as long as it is done with Love.

If you know where evil lives, should you expose it.

I now feel that Obama is not the man of character I thought he was.  He ordered the Marines to not have ammo in their guns.  That is a move motivated by fear, whether it is for his own life or just concern over others.  Fear is fear and not love.  But that story has been contested. So who knows the truth.

But I discovered something very disturbing in his speeches recently.  He is a master at playing to emotions,  both positive and negative.  He seems to focus on superfluous issues ad skates around the root issues.

For example he has his finger on the trigger of drones, and his cabinet appointee refused to answer the question before the Senate about if he felt he could target American citizens on American soil.  Yet he spares no opportunity to speak on gun control. But he does not drive consensus, he seems to play both sides against each other.

Other items are the budget and the debt.  Out debt went up by $7 - $10 trillion during his watch.  He speaks of transparency in government.  Yet his administration has allowed the most pervasive secret spending spree in our history.  Yet he made a big issue of the $2k tax break, which is moot.

The reality is the other side is equally wrong.

But everyone is blind to it.  Obama has played the roll of the serpent in the garden of Eden, seducing the women into his charter.  His exorbitant spending has grown out of control HHS burns $3 billion per day per one report.

Romney was right about the 47%, they appear to be the most expensive votes ever bought.

Secrecy and fear are the tools of Satan.  Satan has created several powerful networks that all play against their opposing counterparts in a way that creates fear and bias.   But they are all equally wrong and they are all orchestrated, in a magnificent crescendo of evil.  Unfortunately due to secrecy nobody sees it. Wake Up and ask for truth.

Most importantly is his naive approach to North Korea.  They now possess the ability to destroy us.

2 Thessolians 2

The Man of Lawlessness

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness^[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Stand Firm

¹³ But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^[b] to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings^[c] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

My Path

God has given e a sequence of experiences and insights that seem to imply I am to act.  This set of items are about the world, it's safety, it's evil, it's future.  But how and why would I be in such a position.  I am not sure how I will accomplish the goal, and I am only vaguely aware of the goal.  But I believe it is to defeat Satan, not by harsh battle, but by showing him love and truth.  My goal was just revealed to me as I wrote this, that being to let my love shine as a light.

From this day forward I will show Satan he is loved. Perhaps by a miracle he can be saved too.   I know God has my back.  He has protected me in ways I cannot deny.  And given me a life that disproves probability and statistics by its mere existence, I am the outlier, the anomaly.  I will do God's will.  He will not allow me to fail. He is the almighty and his will shall be done.

 

Further Evidence That Time Is Not Literal In The Bible

Hebrews11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 
In the Greek New Testament it is  
πίστει νοοῦμεν κατηρτίσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας ῥήματι θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων ^[a]τὸ βλεπόμενον γεγονένα  

The word translated "worlds" in modern Bibles. But directly from the Greek, it is αἰῶνας, which primarily means "ages" or long periods of time whose sum is eternity.

Hebrews11:3 By faith we understand that the ages were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

This see,ms to ,me to indicate that God's reference of time is misunderstood by many.
 

Perhaps I Can Do Better

Why cannot we be a true nation under God.  If we can jus get a nucleus going that is as pure as we can get.  I feel it would grow.  What is so great about the ways of the world in relationship to a loving family and friends. One of if not my best friend from high school spent his life in his fathers house and is to this day a preacher in the same church as his father.  He has a beautiful wife and children.  He seems at peace.

I take that in contrast to my life and I question what was the difference.  It is all about the support network and how the children are nurtured and the values they are taught.  I am a truly self and world made man.  It recently dawned on me that my parents simply do not communicate.  They talk but never about anything of value.  My dad was religious but I knew nothing of it.  I was taken to church as a child the as I grew older that ceased.  I began to go on my own in junior high.  I was baptized in 1980 and fell away.  What I recall is that I felt the more devout the people were the more controlling and hypocritical they were.  So my experience almost without exception, supported this.  But without guidance I didn't know to look deeper at others like my friend.  He has always lead an exemplary life.  But he had some serious tribulations, he lost his sister to cancer when he was in junior high.  I did not have the wisdom to realize that tribulations make you stronger.  Nor did I have the counsel to guide me nor the communication skills to even ask the right questions. 

But I always knew God existed and was just and merciful.  But I had no idea how much he cared and loved.  I just wish I knew him better.   I feel my worldly ways may have pushed him away.  But Satan has his hooks in me with regards to lust.  At least I think of it as lust.  But all I really want is to feel love.  That is one thing I know how to give, pleasure  to a lady.  The world isolates me, forcing me away from any sort of loving relationship, then judges me for trying to somehow fulfill that need. But never does i offer ay true support or help.   I am not complaining I just do not understand why.  Well I did not.  But I am starting to see some things that explain it in the Bible.  I just hope my stubbornness,  and seeming misplaced urges are not too excessive for his forgiveness.  I have a heart
and I need love, and that desire or need becomes overwhelming, and pours out into wrong places.

But I can see so many things that can be improved in relationships among people, groups, and governments.

Taken from the Berean website

 Hebrews 11:3

(3) By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 
New King James Version   Change Bible versions

This verse is rather difficult in most of our modern English translations. It literally says, "By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in regard to the things seen not having come out of things appearing" (Young's Literal Translation).

The key to understanding this verse is the word translated "worlds" in modern Bibles. In the Greek, it is aioonas, which primarily means "ages" or long periods of time whose sum is eternity. For modern translations to understand this to be "worlds" distorts what the author was trying to explain. He is not talking about physical creation of the earth or matter, which "worlds" implies, but about God's sovereignty over the ages of mankind's civilizations. "Framed" is the Greek kateertisthai, meaning prepared, arranged, constituted, set in order—generally, to put a thing in its proper condition.

The Bible speaks of three distinct ages: the time before the Flood, the present, and the age to come (see II Peter 3:6; Galatians 1:4; Matthew 12:32; Luke 18:30; etc.). Other periods of time can be divided into distinct ages: The Babylonian, the Persian, the Greek, the Roman, the Medieval, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Modern, the Postmodern, etc. The author is telling us that the word of God "prepares," "orders," or "arranges" the ages of mankind—in other words, God is sovereignly guiding the affairs of men to bring about His ultimate purpose. As is said to Daniel, "The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whoever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men" (Daniel 4:17).

We know this by faith—that is, if we truly believe and trust God, that He is almighty, that He is bringing us to perfection, and that He has a purpose He is working out, we know that He is in control. We understand by what we read in His Word that He is working toward His ends, and what goes from His mouth (in terms of law, direction, and prophecy) will come to pass (Isaiah 55:10-11). When God speaks, things happen: It was by God speaking that the earth and everything in it was created (Genesis 1). The same is true of the migrations of nations, their rise and fall, the installation and removal of leaders, as well as the circumstances of His people in the church. God is on His throne, and He is governing His creation.

The last half of Hebrews 11:3 is our "proof": What we see going on in the world (during our age) has not been brought to pass by men but by the invisible God. Men think they are movers and shakers; they think they are in control. But God says here that events on this earth have their ultimate design in the invisible God; He rules over the kingdom of men.

There is an unseen hand manipulating events so that the person of faith can understand that history is not an endless cycle of repetition; it is going somewhere. God is drawing things to a conclusion. We are coming to the end of an age, and God is framing and manipulating events in preparation for this age to climax and end so a new and better age can begin. This verse tells us that we can see the hand of God working, not only in the big events of this world, but also in our lives if we are living by faith (II Corinthians 5:7).

— Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Freemason Facts, National Geographiic Magazie

... Masons stress that their organization is not a religion, that is it has no unique theology and does not represent a path for believers to salvation or other divine rewards.

Even so, to be accepted into Freemasonry, initiates must believe in a god—any god. Christians may be in the majority, but Jews, Muslims, and others are well represented in Masonic circles. At lodge meetings religious discussion is traditionally taboo, Kinney and Tabbert said.

But some religious leaders believe that Masonic rituals and beliefs—with its temples, altars, and oaths—do constitute an opposing faith. And the Masonic refusal to rank one religion above the others hasn't always been popular.

A 1983 Catholic declaration approved by Pope John Paul II, for example, said that "Catholics enrolled in Masonic associations are involved in serious sin and may not approach Holy Communion."

 ...

Prominent Freemasons like Ben Franklin and George Washington played essential roles in the American Revolution. And among the ranks of Freemasons are 9 signers of the Declaration of Independence and 13 signers of the Constitution.

The above text is excerpts from National Geographic

There are two significant points to be taken from the above interview. One is that they acknowledge they require belief in a god, ANY god, and refuse to prioritize any religion hierarchy. This alone constitutes idolatry. Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me."

The second is their acknowledgment that the Pope declared they cannot take communion.

Could God Be Lonely

Could God be trying to create worthy companions?
Man was made in his image.
God is pure Love.
Love needs a target.
God wants us to Love and be Loved.
God wants his children with him.


I understand.
I feel the same.
Not that I am capable of grasping you, except in small glimpses.
I love you God. I will do my best.

How Satan Creates Networks For His Purpose

Satan's Creation of his unknowing network

• Satan is a Liar
• Satan Knows Most People Are Good
• Could Satan Create A Network Of Do Gooders, With a Cause
• Could Satan Convince The Network of Do Gooders That They Need To Operate In Secrecy
• Could Satan Slip Some Subtle Wording Into The Fine Print That Alienates God
• Could Satan Convince The Network That They Have A  Right And Moral Obligation To Operate Outside The Law To Harass Others That They Have Judged To Be In Need Of Correction.
• Could This Network Of Would Do Gooders Be So Naive That They Do Not Realize They Are Alienating God By Idolatry, And The Sin By Judging and Controlling Others, Even God Does Not Seek To Control.

Do you know any networks like this?
Any networks with a positive agenda in their minds, but operate in secrecy, choose to try and control others behavior,  have a symbol that they pay reverence to.

I know of several, they all are in fear of something, or want to control someone else who's behavior they have judged improper.

Networks have power and when they are based on sinful behavior Satan has been given a powerful tool.  Our country is full of these powerful networks that operate in secrecy.  And our country is being destroyed because of it.

Wake Up America

Our country tis of the sweet land of idolatry...

Did you know that 36 0f 50 signers of the Declaration of Independence were freemason, All of Washingtons Generals, ... The freemasons say a prayer to ANY god before and after every meeting.  The definition of idolatry. We are a nation not of God but that shuns God by our very structure.

I Believe It Is All About Truth and Love

The first five books of the Bible—the books of the law—deal primarily with the instructions for Israel pertaining to the covenant made with God. The majority of what is called the Old Testament pertains to the historical accounts of Israel, as well as other writings and prophecies pertaining to Israel, past and future.

In Hebrews 8 it states, that the the old covenant had something wrong, and a new covenant was required. It further states that the new one obsoletes the old one.  Christ sates he came to fulfill the law, and states that by following his one commandment that we fulfill the law.  So by loving thy neighbor we fulfill the law but by trying to justify ourselves under the law we deny Christ and fall from Grace.  So we really have no choice, we must focus on loving our fellow man.

Hebrews 8:6 "But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises."

Hebrews 8:7 "For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. "

Hebrews 8:13 "By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."

Matthew 5:17 ""Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

Galatians 5:14 "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 13:8 "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law."

Further Galatians 5:4 "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace"

The new covenant is all about Love.  Christ did get angry at times but it was due to injustice and disrespect for his Fathers ad His house.  But Righteousness is necessary in the world to protect the innocent against evil.   Righteousness comes from love, because to love someone is to protect them.  I feel it is ok to stand up against others in defense of the ones you love.  In John 1 Christ used a whip to drive merchants out of the temple.

How Can we Begin To Think That Evolution Did Not Occur

God created everything including Physics, Math, and Darwin's Principles.  Perhaps they should be called God's Principles that Darwin discovered due to God's enlightening him.  But our concept of time is based on the sun rising and falling.   I picture God setting at a bench with the globe setting in front of him spinning it as he does his work.  Seasons were not defined until several days in.  There is no need for him to tie an absolute time reference to anything.  I am not convinced that a day means 24 hours, but a collection of events that relate to an experience or idea.

  The most basic unit of intuitive experience. Throughout the Scriptures we read of “day of rejoicing,” “day of trouble,” “day of salvation,” expressions that commemorate a given day's experiential quality. As a matter of fact, the Hebrew word y|#om, meaning “day,” is the fifth most frequently used word in the Old Testament. Though used for all sorts of common experiences, it came to be used for marking special days of God's revelatory appearance, whether to individual persons or to the nation. Most notably, there was a “day” of Israel's election (Deuteronomy 9:24; compare Ezekiel 16:4-5), a “day” when God brought His people out of Egypt (Judges 19:30; 1 Samuel 8:8; 2 Samuel 7:6; Isaiah 11:16; Jeremiah 7:22,Jeremiah 7:22,7:25), but also a “day” of restoration (Zechariah 8:9-12). There was also a “day” of judgment ( Lamentations 1:12). A final day when God would judge the world was “the day of the Lord” (Amos 5:18-19; Isaiah 13:6; Zephaniah 1:7).

I feel we are farto presumptive when we make claims that evolution is not true.  Science is God's creation. Yes we have limited knowledge of it, but it is sheer arrogance to believe that just because of a dogmatic interpretation of time that one day = 24 hours, which is actually never defined in the bible.  We have know way of knowing how fast the earth was spinning.  Personally I believe that the concept of a day is used more metaphorically than literally.  

If You Hear The Words True Love, Run

I have been looking at online dating sites and recently realized one thing.  You should likely be cautious around people who make statements like:

• State they are looking for True Love  
• State more than once they are sick of games
• State more than once they are sick of being lied to, or mislead 
• State that most of the opposite sex are this or that

These people have a negative bias against the opposite sex and will never be happy. That is because the do not understand what Love is.  To Love is to give.  So what does the statement true giving mean?  Nothing, because they are referring to love as something you receive.  The Love they are referring to is the joy that one gets from giving to others.  But they likely confuse this for the euphoria of a new relationship.   Which given that lack of understanding  they will likely get cold feet once the newness wears off, then begin sliding into discontent.  The time they remain in the relationship is inversely proportional  to their ability to communicate and self awareness. 

Love can be thought of as 4 components:

Commitment -  this is the decision that one makes to try, longevity creates a sense of familiarity comfort that acts like a glue keeping people together, in a healthy relationship this provides a sense of security, in a bad one it can keep people together if they are weak in other areas.

Communication - open and complete communications about everything from expectations to the daily events, God refers to this as walking in truth.  But never assume the other understands, likely they do not.  This develops trust over time, via familiarity.  But not communicating properly allows surprises and disappointments to creep in, destroying trust. 

Giving - Giving freely of yourself, without expectation of return.  This generates Joy in the giver, the feeling of love.  So True love for someone is generated by the person.  So to ostate one is looking for true love simply demonstrates they do not understand and likely cannot achieve a healthy relationship.

Passion - The physical aspects of love, lust, euphoria, bliss. physical intimacy. These are much greater when coupled with the other aspects od love.

The core issue is that people who do not get this are not self aware. Likely due to not being open minded, which comes from being to inwardly focused.

A good set of questions to ask someone are:

• How do you define love?  When do you know if it will work?
• What are you looking for in a relationship ad partner?  Or perhaps what do you know you do not want?
• When you are in a disagreement and you know you are right do you prefer to listen completely to  their positon first, or get to the truth ASAP?
• Are you better at giving advice or receiving advice?
• Your spouse just came home late from work, on your birthday and forgot.  How do you respond?   

In the first two you are just looking for self awareness of the person.  Self and situational awareness is the foundation of the ability to adapt and have a successful and happy relationship.

In the next three you are looking to see how inwardly focused the person is.  A unselfish person will have no problem getting hung up when every choice does not go their way. 

Be fair, ask yourself the same questions.  Try to find a compatible mate.  Also realize that if the person has an open mind, all these things can be learned.  Do not mistake lack of experience with lack of ability.  Try not to judge, but simply try to understand each other and what works and what does not.  

But you should be looking for self aware, open minded, communicative givers, as you should also strive to be.

A Joke At The Expense of Another is A sin

If one demeans or belittles another for the purpose of humor they are not building that person up.  They are in fact driving Love away from that person.  And they clearly are not loving their neighbor.

The One I Love