God of love::God of fear
Submitted by Ray on February 06 2000 at 07:58:23
In reply to OT and NT - and my YF Submitted by Forgiven on February 04 2000 at 13:28:32
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Forgiven, I think that though your intentions for your YF are the best, your direction for accomplishing them aren't. A better approach, from my perspective -- one which is Christian, but has been pushed aside from the time of American frontier protestantism -- is Jesus as Way, Truth, and Life. Keep the God of Love without the God of Fear! The Way of the God of Love brings fullness to Life! He prefers the life of pleasure to the call to holiness. And in my mind this is because the only aspect of God that he has seen over the years is the 'God loves you and is waiting for you' rather than something about the fear of God and the horror of the consequences of rejecting Him. Don't the people in the congregation have any pleasure! Or are they just holy? True holiness is being able to "play" in the presence of God! And play is pleasurable! True happiness is deeper than, more than pleasure -- it involves satisfaction. It involves stepping out of the pleasureable event and being able to say: "Life is good!" It involves feeling loved and being able to love; it involves trust and hope; it involves competence and understanding. The call to holiness is a call to wholeness, the fullness of life! So lay before your YF the call to fullness of life and love and he will find pleasure and God there! Lay before your YF the God of fear and he will find a fearful life there???? Ray |