the power of love and forgiveness

[waterlilyoflife]

Have you ever had trouble loving yourself? I know I have. Sometimes it seemed easier to love other people, like my family, than to love myself. i had to deal with depression in my teen years and twenties. God was there as my rock, even though I strayed from hm. I was a lost sheep, with a broken heart. sometimes what I read in the Bible made me very sad and depressed, sometimes it angered and outraged me. I sought out the truth. Seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened.


My parents' love helped get me through the dark times. I learend to trust the Lord. I learend more about love from the Lord and His word. God is the ultimate source of love. I have sought Him in His word. Love sets us free, it gives us wings.


Jesus said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.


Jesus even tells us to love our enemies

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what does not belong to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."

 

[bbyrd009]

amen! It can be really hard to accept forgiveness, especially when immersed in the society we are in, that seeks to illuminate shortcomings so as to induce some consumption method to cure them. Although people self-cutting are an obvious manifestation of this, there are many who are basically in the same boat yet just do not manifest quite so openly; spiritually self-cutting, so to speak (there are even undertones of "self-cutting" in the Lexicon of the term "Armageddon," when you follow the links out to "Har"). So it is a good idea to reflect on any familiarity with this spirit in yourself, and suspect any outright denial of any, uncomfortable though it may be.

 

[waterlilyoflife]

Jesus Christ is the great healer. All the other religious leaders, Zoroaster, Buddha, Mohammed, Aristotle, could nt compare. They are all dead and in their graves. They could not perform the miracles Jesus did. I heard a story about Buddha that there was a woman who's son had died who went to him and begged him to bring her son back to life again. Buddha said that in order for him to do this, she needed to bring him a mustard seed from a house where no one has ever died before. The woman went on a long journey to many other homes and families, and of course someone had died before. She talked to the people and shared her grief, the shared their grief. So a mustard seed from a house death had never touched could not be found.

But prasie Christ, he told us if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains. Jesus Christ raised the dead, he raised his friend Lazarus from death after being in a tomb for four days, and Christ paid the price for our sins, he died on the cross and was inside the earth to Confront and battle Satan, he freed the prisoners in hell, or sheol, and rose to life, the stone was rolled away and he came back to life on Easter Sunday morning.

So you silly Budhhist out there, choose the winning team. Jesus Christ conquered death. We must speak the truth with love when we witness to other religions and atheists, sharing our faith is a blessing and requiremnt.


We must show Christ's love to a suffering, corrupt and dying world. Love is what saves us, not faith or good works.


in 1 Corinthians, Paul has his famous verse on love.

1 Corinthians 13:1 And now i must show you the most excellent way. If I speak in tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. I f I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love,i am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.


Love is patient, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are propehciies they will cease, where there are tongues they will be stilled, where there is knowledge it will pass away. For we know in part, we prophecy in part. But when perfection comes, the imperfect disapears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child, I thought like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. .

 

[bbyrd009]

hmm, imo better to be a humble Buddhist than a religious Christian. Buddhism is not a religion anyway; there is no reason a Buddhist might not also follow Christ. There is a counterfeit way to follow Christ, too.

 

[tabletalk]

hmm, imo better to be a humble Buddhist than a religious Christian. Buddhism is not a religion anyway; there is no reason a Buddhist might not also follow Christ. There is a counterfeit way to follow Christ, too.

Buddhism may not call itself a religion, but I think it is. One tenant of Buddhism (from buddhism beliefs.org) : "5. The Purpose of Life
Life exists in itself – there is no inherent meaning attached to life. However – as all human beings (and animals) wish for happiness and not to suffer – the purpose of life may be said to end that suffering."
Another: "6. The Afterlife Depends on this Life
Buddhism teaches that in an interconnected world, all actions have consequences (karma). The consequences of acts undertaken in this and earlier lifetimes will be felt in a next one, in a process known as reincarnation. It is a Buddhist aim to educate oneself and meditate in order to escape from this cycle of rebirth, to enter Nirvana."

Follow Christ and leave the Buddha behind.

 

[Josho]

hmm, imo better to be a humble Buddhist than a religious Christian. Buddhism is not a religion anyway; there is no reason a Buddhist might not also follow Christ. There is a counterfeit way to follow Christ, too.

I would disagree with you.... And I would know, because I have some Buddhist relatives in Malaysia, It is definitely a religion, it's worship of an idol, sacrifices are offered to it, they bow to it, they burn incense to Buddha, they go to Buddhist temples, so you have gotta be kidding, they also practice ancestor worship. No Christian should worship an idol or image, whether if it's made out of gold, wood, metal, silver, bronze, jade, it doesn't matter, it's an abomination to Christ and no Christian should hang onto idols, there's an evil spirit behind the statue of Buddha.

And good on ya waterlily for learning the power of love and forgiveness. The love of Christ is far greater than all false religions, and the grace of God is far better than karma.

 

[bbyrd009]

Buddhism may not call itself a religion, but I think it is. One tenant of Buddhism (from buddhism beliefs.org) : "5. The Purpose of Life
Life exists in itself – there is no inherent meaning attached to life. However – as all human beings (and animals) wish for happiness and not to suffer – the purpose of life may be said to end that suffering."
Another: "6. The Afterlife Depends on this Life
Buddhism teaches that in an interconnected world, all actions have consequences (karma). The consequences of acts undertaken in this and earlier lifetimes will be felt in a next one, in a process known as reincarnation. It is a Buddhist aim to educate oneself and meditate in order to escape from this cycle of rebirth, to enter Nirvana."

Follow Christ and leave the Buddha behind.

yet you can easily find analogues for these in Scripture, i think? I'm not a Buddhist, but i think "the power of love and forgiveness" calls us to reflect upon these as we understand them, while allowing others to pursue them as they understand them without judging them to be "the losing team." Otherwise how do you not end up at "us 4 and no more?" If a Buddhist finds works unto rebound (repentance) in their model, one has to consider whether they may not be in a better spiritual place than a Christian who cannot accept forgiveness, and so cannot give it, imo.

 

[bbyrd009]

I would disagree with you.... And I would know, because I have some Buddhist relatives in Malaysia, It is definitely a religion, it's worship of an idol, sacrifices are offered to it, they bow to it, they burn incense to Buddha, they go to Buddhist temples, so you have gotta be kidding, they also practice ancestor worship. No Christian should worship an idol or image, whether if it's made out of gold, wood, metal, silver, bronze, jade, it doesn't matter, it's an abomination to Christ and no Christian should hang onto idols, there's an evil spirit behind the statue of Buddha.

And good on ya waterlily for learning the power of love and forgiveness. The love of Christ is far greater than all false religions, and the grace of God is far better than karma.

well, but now you are introducing other tenets into "Buddhism" that i don't think the Buddha would have encouraged; but that we can also see analogues for in Christianity. "Buddhist temples" being just the first and most obvious that comes to mind. With all due respect what we are doing here is basically looking for splinters in others' eyes. If you dig a pit, don't be surprised when you fall into it. If your religion suggests a "winning team" to you, then imo it is a false religion, one that must lead you to pride and judgement of others. I could press some issue out to a conclusion that even the two of you would not agree on, and you would each deem the other to be on "the losing team," see? Would you condemn someone you do not know who evinces works unto repentance? Then how will you avoid condemnation?

 

[Josho]

well, but now you are introducing other tenets into "Buddhism" that i don't think the Buddha would have encouraged; but that we can also see analogues for in Christianity. "Buddhist temples" being just the first and most obvious that comes to mind. With all due respect what we are doing here is basically looking for splinters in others' eyes. If you dig a pit, don't be surprised when you fall into it. If your religion suggests a "winning team" to you, then imo it is a false religion, one that must lead you to pride and judgement of others. I could press some issue out to a conclusion that even the two of you would not agree on, and you would each deem the other to be on "the losing team," see? Would you condemn someone you do not know who evinces works unto repentance? Then how will you avoid condemnation?

Do you have any real Buddhist practicing relatives? Because my devout Buddhist aunties, uncles and grandma would disagree with your comments about it not being a religion. Especially grandma, she is too scared to leave Buddha for Jesus, because she is scared she will receive punishment from Buddha. My mum is an ex-Buddhist and she would also disagree with your comments. There's a place in Malaysia called Batu caves, and it has Buddhist altars in there, and a bunch of demon possessed monkeys are also in that cave, when my dad went there they ran and screamed at him with an evil look on their faces, because they could see the Holy Spirit in him, these aren't ordinary monkeys. So we would all disagree with you, especially mum who came out of that mess to discover the love of Jesus.

 

[bbyrd009]

Do you have any real Buddhist practicing relatives? Because my devout Buddhist aunties, uncles and grandma would disagree with your comments about it not being a religion. Especially grandma, she is too scared to leave Buddha for Jesus, because she is scared she will receive punishment from Buddha. My mum is an ex-Buddhist and she would also disagree with your comments. There's a place in Malaysia called Batu caves, and it has Buddhist altars in there, and a bunch of demon possessed monkeys are also in that cave, when my dad went there they ran and screamed at him with an evil look on their faces, because they could see the Holy Spirit in him, these aren't ordinary monkeys. So we would all disagree with you, especially mum who came out of that mess to discover the love of Jesus.

well i wouldn't doubt that a religion has been made of it, but Buddha had no altars, see, so my position is that there are Buddhists and then there are Buddhists, just like with any actual religion, or for that matter any organization of men, as soon as a couple of guys get together and start writing stuff down on paper, more or less. Even with the best of intentions. That those might disagree with me is cool, but that does not change the fact that you could not have dragged Buddha to a "Buddhist altar" to worship something. There are counterfeit ways to worship Christ, too.

 

[waterlilyoflife]

Jesus Christ and His Heavenly Father are not a cruel God. God put His laws in the Bible to keep us safe, to protect us from physical harm, from the devil, from eveil neighboring nations who worshipped idols, false and evil imitation of the real God inspired by Satan. Satan wants people to worship all kinds of other gods, gods in league to the devil, who are demons in dsiguise, who harm those who worshi these demons. Buddha had nothing to do with Jehovah, he did not know the true Biblical God, he could have been posssessed by a demon. THe people in Asia where they worship Buddha are very poor. They put their faith in a false god, they will remain poor.


God loves us and wishes to save humanity from our own sins, the sin became so great God had to send his only Son to earth, to suffer and die for us on the cross. Jesus' death on the cross was the ultimate act of love. He forgave the men who were tormenting him. Jesus did not stay dead. He said "Destroy this temple and in three days I will build it up again" He rose from the grave, witnessed by Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of Christ, and Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Simon Peter witnessed this, so did all of Jesus' disciples when he appeared before them in the room, walking through the walls. Buddhism is the one that encourages pride and arrogance. It teaches meditating and thinking, saying you can have wahtever you want. THat people have their own power to reach high enough to be their own god.


THat is the same lie the serpent, devil, told Eve in the garden of Eden to trick her into eating the forbidden fruit., along with Adam. We are not gods. We must allow the true God to mold and shape and form us into what God wants us to be. The new age encourages people to rely on their own strength. Christ says we are to rely on Him for strength. God gives us strength. God lifts up the poor and humble, the weak the sad, the sickly the downtrodden, meek, poor, and helpless. What this evil world calls weak, God calls strength. He heals the broken, and takes away bitterness. Sometimes God's discipline hurts. But their is a reason for it, and in he end it builds up, makes us stronger than before.


Bless you, Josho, for your faith and courage. It must be difficult having relatives who do not accept Christ. I will add you to my prayer list. I have sympathy for you, living in what could be considered a third world country. I hope you can start a Bible-believing ministry in Malaysia, is that where you live?


bbyrd009, I will pray for you too, that God softens your heart, and you will know and understand how much the Lord loves you. Jesus Christ was not just God' son, he was God in part. Easter is coming, perhaps it is time for a resurrection in our life. God forgives, no matter what you've done, God will forgive you. I forgive you, I hope that if I have written anything here to hurt you, you will forgive me please. God loves you, God bless you. God bless everyone in this post. ,

 

[bbyrd009]

you say that Buddhism encourages pride, when i find Buddhists practicing works unto repentance; although there are surely both i guess. We are called to be gods in Scripture, so while i have no interest in judging another man's servant here, to paraphrase the pope "better a humble Buddhist than a proud Christian," almost surely. If anyone is worshipping Buddha, they are missing the point of Buddhism anyway, and frankly i have never met anyone who admits to worshipping Buddha, although these might also exist. In my experience--which is admittedly pretty limited with Buddhists, but still--Buddhists are generally much more humble than your average Christian. I would even say palpably so, in many cases; i have been convicted of my own lack of humility around most Buddhists.

It teaches meditating and thinking, saying you can have wahtever you want. THat people have their own power to reach high enough to be their own god.

i could easily provide Scriptural references that reinforce these concepts, understood in the right context. I could also dismantle either one, as the Buddha most def never imparts that one might have "whatever they want," nor did he ever suggest that one might "become God," capital G. So, with the understanding that we all write in shorthand, i would ask you to clarify your meanings here, so that i could reply to them rather than reply to a misunderstanding.

Buddhism is not a religion
The Buddha never sought worship
You can be a Buddhist and also be a Christian
"Proud Buddhist" is an oxymoron, according to Buddhism

i list several so that you may pick one to debate.

Buddhism seeks to instill works unto repentance in a practitioner, it just approaches this concept from a diff angle, that of "ego," understanding that suffering comes from the ego, which imo many Christians seem oblivious to. Now i am not saying that there aren't some or many hypocritical Buddhists, as surely there are, but this does not negate the fact that the Buddha arrived at the conclusion that a Christian would have to define as "works unto rebound (repentance)."

You would be hard pressed imo to argue Scripturally against a single thing the Dalai has said, although i guess he is condemned to some hell in your mind? Is this true? If it is my heart that needs to be softened, then, i hope your prayers are heard.