What is love?

[Brakelite]

Just a belief.

No. A fact of history, attested to by eye witnesses, and experienced by those who surrender to Him from that time to this day. Attested to by changed lives, often radically changed, slaves freed from addictions, killers freed from hate, thieves freed from covetousness, idolaters freed from confusion, rebels freed from deception, seekers freed from lies and rabbit trails and false pathways. There is absolute truth, truth that can be relied on, and trusted. Dependable, immoveable, unchangeable Truth. It is not out of reach to those who are lovers of truth. Lovers of the principles of truth and are willing to obey that truth when they find it.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No-one comes to the Father except by Me". John 14:6
He also said, KJV Matthew 7:7-11
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Again, Jesus said, KJV John 3:17-21
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

 

[Brakelite]

Since I've been back in Melbourne I am living on it's street's. Lately I have found the best place to sleep away from the public at night time is by sleeping in a cemetery. On the cement ground between some graves, and I have some very quiet sleeps. It seems sleeping in a cemetery with the dead is better than sleeping on the footpath with the living.

There are some folk who give away books and food parcels every Saturday afternoon at Flinders Sation. Have a chat with them some time, they may be able to offer help, company, and a friendly word. Peace bro.

 

[Brakelite]

Tell me Christian's are your beliefs worth that much to you that what's been happening in the middle east must be something to prove your faith being true? If we didn't make belief the centre stage of our understanding do you think events like that would happen?

There are any number of beliefs about 1000s of different deities, demi gods, spirits of various shades and hues, and the result has been 1000s of years of conflict and wickedness, death and destruction, of men coveting stuff in the name of their particular god and willing to kill in the name of that same god. Even those who call themselves Christians.
But not so with Jesus. What did Jesus actually do? How did He live? What was His attitude in the face of hatred, ridicule, cruelty, and violence. And those who truly follow Him and through prayer and the scriptures have been changed into His likeness, detest the war in the middle east for what it is. They are not deceived by conflicting morals and religious expressions justifying the killing. God is not in that war. God's interests are not aligned with the interests and greed and pride of fallen sinful man, whether Israeli or Arab. Whether Russian or Ukrainian. God's interests in man are wrapped up in the message of the gospel, in the redemption made available for all men through the precious blood of His only begotten Son, who lived, died, and rose from the grave that you and your family could live forever in joy and peace and contentment forever. That is His promises to you... Yes, if you believe. But it isn't a blind belief. It isn't a faith without substantial evidence. It isn't belief without a sure foundation, a certainty and assurance available to all who with sincerity and hope place their lives in their Creator's hands.

 

[Brakelite]

Carl Sagan. Astronomer.
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

And yet , that help did indeed come. And hints, even promises, there were in abundance.
Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss.
KJV John 3:1-13
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven....
KJV John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 

[Rella ~ I am a woman]

I had to let go of my belief in Jesus because it tormented me to believe that my daughter could end up in hell. I didn't really have a choice, I really didn't. Yet giving up on my faith was considered as a unwise and unloving act towards God. Strange, no?

Let me understand this.

You daughter is not a believer.
And because of that you have given up your belief in Jesus.
And you did this because you believe that your daughter could end up in hell?

Now. Do you believe that having given up believing in Jesus that your daughter in no way can go to hell OR do you believe that by your giving up your belief in Jesus that it is you who will go to hell instead, thereby saving your daughter?

How old is your daughter? Personally I never had that drive to really commit to Jesus and God until I was in my late 30s and as likely the most undeserving person on these pages
God provided a miracle to me. A life changing one and I never looked back.

Curiosity begs me to ask you how your daughter feels about you decision?

 

[Cassandra]

Why are you living on the streets?

 

[I.O.U]

Why would you want that when you know about Jesus? Why reject him, for yourself and your daughter? Specially as you are so concerned about where she will spend eternity.

If you don't believe why are so so worried about her eternal rest?

That's exactly why I will not believe in something like Christianity, or even accept it on face value. I don't need to be concerned about something I myself couldn't even imagine doing to her. My question to myself goes like this: Could I ever think up an oven scenario to punish my own daughter if she didn't follow a plan I mapped out for her? No. So why or how can a perfect loving God use such a punishment? You know that I am totally infatuated with her, so that means I'm pretty sick comparing to biblical doctrine. Yet I can't even believe such a punishment like warning her I'd burn her for not obeying my sick fantasy is justified logically.

 

[I.O.U]

Why are you living on the streets?

Why did Jesus live on the streets?

 

[I.O.U]

Let me understand this.

You daughter is not a believer.
And because of that you have given up your belief in Jesus.
And you did this because you believe that your daughter could end up in hell?

Now. Do you believe that having given up believing in Jesus that your daughter in no way can go to hell OR do you believe that by your giving up your belief in Jesus that it is you who will go to hell instead, thereby saving your daughter?

How old is your daughter? Personally I never had that drive to really commit to Jesus and God until I was in my late 30s and as likely the most undeserving person on these pages
God provided a miracle to me. A life changing one and I never looked back.

Curiosity begs me to ask you how your daughter feels about you decision?

I don't know if she is a Christian.

 

[I.O.U]

There are some folk who give away books and food parcels every Saturday afternoon at Flinders Sation. Have a chat with them some time, they may be able to offer help, company, and a friendly word. Peace bro.

Yes I know this.

 

[thelord's_pearl]

That's exactly why I will not believe in something like Christianity, or even accept it on face value. I don't need to be concerned about something I myself couldn't even imagine doing to her. My question to myself goes like this: Could I ever think up an oven scenario to punish my own daughter if she didn't follow a plan I mapped out for her? No. So why or how can a perfect loving God use such a punishment? You know that I am totally infatuated with her, so that means I'm pretty sick comparing to biblical doctrine. Yet I can't even believe such a punishment like warning her I'd burn her for not obeying my sick fantasy is justified logically.

God's greatest commandment is first to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and second to love your neighbor as yourself. So if someone doesn't accept that, God cannot be with people who are in sin without a care/evil, darkness. He gives everyone a chance to get to know Him, accept Him, follow Him and deny themselves and take up their cross daily, to make this world a better place but he gives freewill. That means that Christians, people who are in Christ can impact those that are lost and broken, separated from God, the source like the Parable of the Vine, it says He is the vine and we are the branches, that is one of the truth of the Word, it also says that the Word is living and active.

 

[Brakelite]

Yes I know this.

And every second Saturday afternoon in Burke St mall. They are friends of mine. I know them to be straight up, honest, generous people.

 

[Rella ~ I am a woman]

That's exactly why I will not believe in something like Christianity, or even accept it on face value.

Why are you here? To boast or to drag people away from their own convictions?

 

[Pearl]

That's exactly why I will not believe in something like Christianity, or even accept it on face value. I don't need to be concerned about something I myself couldn't even imagine doing to her. My question to myself goes like this: Could I ever think up an oven scenario to punish my own daughter if she didn't follow a plan I mapped out for her? No. So why or how can a perfect loving God use such a punishment? You know that I am totally infatuated with her, so that means I'm pretty sick comparing to biblical doctrine. Yet I can't even believe such a punishment like warning her I'd burn her for not obeying my sick fantasy is justified logically.

Who has told you these horrible things? They certainly are not Christians (even they may be religious).

I don't know if she is a Christian.

But if yourself are not a Christian, how will you be able to teach your daughter about Jesus. And what if she IS a Christian and goes to heaven and you don't because you turned your back on God to suit your own purposes?

 

[Pearl]

That's exactly why I will not believe in something like Christianity, or even accept it on face value. I don't need to be concerned about something I myself couldn't even imagine doing to her. My question to myself goes like this: Could I ever think up an oven scenario to punish my own daughter if she didn't follow a plan I mapped out for her? No. So why or how can a perfect loving God use such a punishment? You know that I am totally infatuated with her, so that means I'm pretty sick comparing to biblical doctrine. Yet I can't even believe such a punishment like warning her I'd burn her for not obeying my sick fantasy is justified logically.

With Jesus in your life, as a born again of the Spirit Christian, you can have absolute certainty of eternal life in heaven with Jesus. He will not let you down. But your words don't make any sense to me. It's like you are going round and round in circles, not taking heed of anything that has been said to you but you seem to enjoy the game.

 

[Cassandra]

Why did Jesus live on the streets?

I dont mean it in a bad way. I mean it in a conc3ern way. Jesus lived in a home with Mary till 30s. I just wondered if you have family or a support system.

 

[Matthias]

Why are you here?

That’s a fair question. I don’t know why he’s here but I’m glad that he is. Are you?

To boast or to drag people away from their own convictions?

Are those the only alternatives?

Speaking only for myself:

If he is here to boast, let him boast.

If he is here to drag people away from their own convictions, let him try.

If he is here for some other reason(s), let it be.

 

[Behold]

People who will accept reality on belief alone do not understand what damage those beliefs are having on the society around them. But if anything why do you get to believe what you want and call it truth?

CHRISTians believe this..... Truth

John 14:6

and...

John 3:36

 

[Rella ~ I am a woman]

People who will accept reality on belief alone do not understand what damage those beliefs are having on the society around them. But if anything why do you get to believe what you want and call it truth? What makes your truth so true? Because you believe in it? I know that at this junction point of our societies evolution many more are believing that revelations is unfolding before their own eye's. I know these events will bolster peoples beliefs, that it is near for the arrival of the Christ Jesus. No. It's just your beliefs working against you, and causing this planet to become a wasteland and the human race to go extinct.

Do you ever talk to your daughter about your beliefs or lack of faith? Do you ever ask her what she thinks? I said think not believe because you have obviously never had any faith... but you seem to want to.

And, when you say "I know these events will bolster peoples beliefs, that it is near for the arrival of the Christ Jesus. No. It's just your beliefs working against you, and causing this planet to become a wasteland and the human race to go extinct."

If this planet becomes a wasteland there is a very big plus for all. No more worrying about global warming.
And we will all be gone.... to wherever you think we will be..... so what is so bad about that?

 

[Brakelite]

That's exactly why I will not believe in something like Christianity, or even accept it on face value. I don't need to be concerned about something I myself couldn't even imagine doing to her. My question to myself goes like this: Could I ever think up an oven scenario to punish my own daughter if she didn't follow a plan I mapped out for her? No. So why or how can a perfect loving God use such a punishment? You know that I am totally infatuated with her, so that means I'm pretty sick comparing to biblical doctrine. Yet I can't even believe such a punishment like warning her I'd burn her for not obeying my sick fantasy is justified logically.

I think your attitude towards Christianity and the God of Christianity is totally understandable. That you don't believe in a God who sends people into a place of eternal unjustified torment and suffering on account of a short lived life on earth is a logical response to an illogical concept. I don't believe in that God either, and Christians who study deeper into the Bible without preconceived ideas that are rooted in paganism and/or Catholicism, have discovered a very different God who finds no joy in suffering, takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and as I said previously, risked His own eternal existence to make it possible for you and your daughter, and millions like you, and me, to live in joy and peace forever. The Son of God thought heaven not worth living in without you. Don't accept everything you hear about Christianity and the Bible, and allow misunderstandings to colour your decisions.