The Passé of Everlasting Love

Posted on by skeptikokyy

I often wonder how “back in the days” people dated (if they ever did) and made decisions involving someone’s heart and future. I read an article about how in the 50s a boy would go out with different number of girls to get to know them and girls would do so with a couple of guys. Apparently this was done to protect the heart of the young man and woman.

The older I have grown the more I have moved from the notion of love at first sight. I am not really sure if I fully understand what love is, but I am sure I know a few facets of it. Love is the state of the will that moves an individual to make a decision to give away that they price, for the joy of another. That is what I think love is. It involves emotions like happiness, ecstasy, sadness, hope, faith, disappointment, peace, contentment, jealous, frustration, admiration, trust, acceptance. Negative emotions are indicators of what is happening in our hearts when we enter into a loving relationship.

A cornerstone of love is truth. This came to me in strange way, reflecting on Christ. He actually knew the truth about me prior to the pursuit. HE KNEW MY HEART AND ALL ITS FLAWS, BUT HE PURSUED. For me that is the greatest comfort I get from love. It saves me from my efforts to try harder, see if you can become a better person, give it a bit of more effort, and that does not work and I think we all know it. This great comfort of being loved cause you are known turns the page of balance to rest in the knowledge that I am known and loved, despite my faults. This, in practical dating, makes me want to know people and what their lives are about rather than seeking intimacy first.

The previous paragraph makes it sound like we never need to change, but that is not what I am saying. When you find peace and acceptance in someone the result will be joy and wanting to be a better person from a place of love not improvement. Half the time we put our acceptance on performance which undoes us when we cant perform anymore, but if acceptance comes because we are know and loved as we are, we rest and love grows.

One of the great tragedies I had bought till recently was that love comes in fullness, and its already blossomed. That is a lie. I think true love is cultivated as one would cultivate a garden. There will be days to remove weeds which aim to choke the growing flowers, there will be days to prune the flowers themselves. There are phases and these will repeat. However with every repeat the flower is maturing. Nurturing a relationship is probably one of the hardest things I know of. The internal pressures, self-expectations, external pressures, fear of failure, fear of disappointment, fear of missing the boat that we have been waiting for all creep in and distort that which we need to hold close to our hearts.

Sometimes we think of love, we think of how people or circumstances have distorted it. We think of times when we were in dark, ropes of uncertainty are tangled around us,torrents of loneliness terrified us, snares of disappointment confront us. We see all of this and want out. We feel the universe has ganged up to bind us in loveless relationship. Instead of thinking of it as an growth opportunity we freak out and focus on potential for failure, fear of the messiness of it, the misunderstandings. Having doubts about futures too big for us we implode. I have discovered love sees through and hopes for the best, that voice of someone saying I am here and I hear changes everything. I have decided to love as follows;

Love with wild abandon,
love with completeness of freedom.
Love with no measure,
love with no restraints for joy.
Love with all your heart,
love with every fibre of your being.
Love with intention of mind,
love with fullness of the soul.
Love the individual who is,
Love who they are growing to be.
Love, love, love
because love is freedom eternal

 

2015 in Brief

Posted on by skeptikokyy

As 2015 ends and we stand on the brink of 2016 I cannot help but think of all that happened, the highs the lows, the laughter, the crying, the joys, the sorrows that this year has brought. Some moments are captured in the collage. In it all I have seen it was one long class to lead me to grace and mercy of God. The major lessons I learnt are as follows

  1. Humanity, all of humanity is desperately seeking refuge from the state we are born into, state of depravity and lostness. Doesn’t matter race, class, tribe, creed cut it however we are all in the same bought.
  2. We have a merciful and kind God. His mercies are so vast that even the word vast is an insufficient description, His love so deep that talking of depth as we understand it is futile. Only eyes of faith can see the vastness and depth of Him who holds everything.
  3. God is a good shepherd. This has been a constant theme this year because as a sheep, I have found myself wandering in plains which I have not been able to identify. When all gets dark and ravenous wolves draw close, I see the Shepherd approach with His rod and staff. This wells up so much joy in me it’s awesome.
  4. Obedience to known truth is crucial. Here I am not talking about trying to keep the law to justify self but loving God in such a way that you want to be obedient to Him. I have not yet arrived at this, I hope 2016 will see me take courage and stand firm in obedience.

These are among the top lessons I learnt. Some are those so close and so personal this is not the platform. I hope as the new year dawns you keep you eyes fixed on Jesus.

Prepare Him Room

Posted on by skeptikokyy

Christmas has came and gone, just like in all years. However, there is one thought I cannot seem to shake off my mind. I remember hearing a Christmas carol and it had a line “prepare Him room”. And for last two weeks I have been thinking about how does one do so.

Previous Christmases, the day was the time to reflect on Christ coming as a baby and being joyful about it. Then as soon as that is done, its New Year’s plans and life goes on. Christmas is a reflection and a reminder on Jesus coming to earth and I needed to “prepare him room”  after all He will soon be passing into the world. This year it took a different twist, it came in a different way. This room which I need to be preparing is to be eternally occupied. I have been a Christ follower for a while but this came to mind fully this year.

The best part about preparing Him room is He comes, and He comes with rest, He comes with peace, He brings joy, He brings justice, He comes in His fullness, and the heart will burst to life. To those who have prepared the room,

“Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine:
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
In memoria æterna erit iustus,
Ab auditione mala non timebit.”

Chance or Creation?

Posted on by skeptikokyy

Does life have any ultimate meaning? Are we created for a purpose? Or do we just find ourselves here by chance? And there is no ultimate significance? I cant help but think of the differences in how we answer these questions.

Chance says,

We are here because one odd group of fishes had a peculiar fin anatomy
that could transform into legs for terrestrial creatures;
because the earth never froze entirely during an ice age;
because a small and tenuous species, arising in Africa a quarter of a million years ago,
has managed, so far, to survive by hook and by crook.
We may yearn for a ‘higher’ answer — but none exists.
This explanation, though superficially troubling, if not terrifying, is ultimately liberating and exhilarating.
We cannot read the meaning of life passively in the facts of nature.
We must construct these answers ourselves — from our own wisdom and ethical sense.
There is no other way.
Stephen Jay Gould

If we created for significance and a purpose by a all-loving God, I believe we can hold on to this.

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Romans 8v28-30 & Ephesians 1v11-12

Words vs Actions

Posted on by skeptikokyy

Os Guinness in 1974, speaking at the Lausanne Congress regarding encountering professional evangelism, made this comment:

“Why is there such constant disparagement of the mind? Why so much appeal to the emotions? Why so little content presupposed on which to decide? Why all the talk of “souls” and so little talk of whole people? Why the obvious exploitation of the testimony of the famous? Why is it so often a case of the most simplistic the message the most sophisticated the techniques? Why is there the need for always being bigger and more successful? Why the creation of Christian “celebrities” and “one man denominations”? Why the unconscious manipulations or the open fraudulence in public appeals for money or in prayer letters?

…Part of our failure to get thinking people to take the Gospel seriously is born of a credibility gap. We claim Christianity is true – a claim which is awesome by contemporary standards, but then we whittle down our claims by the patent incongruity of our practices of the truth. The way we operate speaks louder than what we say. Without the practice of truth, evangelism is in danger of becoming a giant institutional mouth or as E.M. Forster dismissed it scornfully, “poor, talkative, little Christianity!”

Vistas of love

Posted on by skeptikokyy

Disclaimer: This was written under the influence of creativity that was born out of the awakening of the soul and mind. Vista means a pleasing view, and I had a glimpse of it recently particularly in the subject of love and this treatise lays out what lied in the heart of the author.

How sweet is the knowledge to know that you are deeply love
unconditionally love, loved not because of what you do but who you are.
How blissful it is to have one who looks at you
and be satisfied with the core of your being in deep friendship.
One who looks upon you and desires to see you succeed and prosper in all the senses,
the one who beholds your face and smiles from the heart.
The type of friendship which is enjoyed in the sublimity of life,
when you seek out their presence just to see them smile.
The deep knowledge that your candour is held close to their heart and is precious to them,
and you can rejoice in their success and joy in all things.

The beauty of life is in the small things, in the everyday
But the most exquisite of sites are that of the eye in eternity.
How deep is the friendship that spurs you to eternity,
knowing that the bond of commonality will traverse the grave.
The very glory of love is the friendship forged in heaven

Prayer

Posted on by skeptikokyy

I remember hearing this in a sermon and it quite a powerful way to look at prayer and here it is;

The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of fire,
it has bridled the rage of lions,
hashed anarchy to rest,
extinguished wars,
appeased the elements,
expelled demons, 
burst the chains of death,
expanded the gates of heaven,
healed diseases,
repelled frauds,
rescued cities from destruction,
stayed the sun in its course,
and arrested the progress of a thunderbolt.
Prayer is an all sufficient panoply,
a mind which is never diminished,
a treasure which is never exhausted,
a sky unobscured by the clouds,
a heaven unraffled by the storm.
It is the root, the fountain and the mother of a thousand blessings

Reflect on it and think of stories where this has been true.

The Light and The Anchor

Posted on by skeptikokyy

I had several dreams last night and they were more of a commentary of my life than dreams. I found myself having a heavy recollection of recent and distant past memories. How all those fitted in together was very strange way. Dreams are always of interest to the party concerned and maybe insignificant to anyone else, however, I will share these.

Dream One
I was yet again back in the black thick forest. The height of the night had veiled even the moon itself. A dark, dreary place it was. The fear of being lost had gripped my twisting and turning soul already. What twisted within was thoughts of inadequacy and insufficiency. Long had I lost the way, and long had hope to regain the path gone, yet never dying. At the turn of each corner it would resurrect with promises to lead me home only to let me down again. What had I done to deserve such cruelty? Whom had I to appease for the relief of my soul? It is in lostness in the journey of life that we find that there was a path we were to follow, inasmuch it is in death that we know of life. I wondered if there was a place of respite in this forest, a house of contemplation such that I may be granted reprieve? Is there a hand that could gently guide me forward in the journey. A picture was then vividly painted on my mind and its The Deluge. Am I the man who holds onto the tree in a storm so hard even I know of my impending doom.

DreamTwo
There I was, a sailor in the middle of the vast calm ocean. How I got here I know not but what I remember is I was the captain of this ship. The sun was high and jovial yet I could see in a distance dark clouds to bring me terror. I shout for the crew to roll up the sails, but there seems to be no one. Wait, I am alone in this ship? What happened to my men, what happened to the crew? Panic stricken I go into the lower deck praying and hoping I will find them smoking, drinking and playing cards but there was no one. Looking for words I found none either, in my attempt to scream I found that I had no voice. The clouds were drawing in close quicker than a cheetah pounces on its prey and here is my doom, to die in the middle of the ocean alone with no shroud to wrap me or a prayer to bid me farewell. Alas, I had entered the high seas without a map and campus. The winds had became tumultuous and boisterous when the first thought of needing rest came into my mind. It is when that which was comforts is taken away that we realise that life was good, really really good. Waves come crashing by the side of the ship, showing their intention to grab me forcefully and hand me over to Poseiden. Fear thickens my blood and I could even feel it curdle. Lord help me. Will I find rest in this storm, all alone and lost in the sea. No one to comfort as the ship sinks no one to remind me of the other side.

It was at this moment that I woke up, division of spirit had reeked confusion in my soul. What light do I have for the dark forest and what anchor do I have for the tempestuous storms?

Of the Bible, Homosexuality and Legalizing Same Sex Marriages: Part 1

Posted on by skeptikokyy

I have seen countless posts on how wrong the christians are for standing against homosexuality (and by this I mean calling it sin) and their refusal to legalize it. What I cannot really understand is people working outside a christian framework telling christians how it should be. I firmly believe and holdfast to the idea that central to christianity is the relationship we have with the Triune God; the Father who so graciously out of His own love and free volition will created all that there is and gave it purpose, the Son in whom we can approach the Father and we are saved by, and the Holy Spirit who so lives in us and guides our consciences daily. Long have I pondered about this matter and I have chosen that maybe I should speak out in a matter that I will shortly. Note that the following

  1. Ideas I have put on this blog are directed by what I know and believe as a christian who is saved solely by grace, through Jesus and His finished work on the cross.
  2. I am not infallible and I am still learning myself and some ideas contained may not fully and/or accurately portray what God desires of us but they are best to my knowledge. What I know now has a lot to be worked on and I desire that learning through dialogue
  3. I believe God loves everyone alike (christian, atheist, Buddhist, Muslim, Jew and all other I have not mentioned) and our acceptance before God is not dependent on how good we are, think we are, try to be but on the finished work of Jesus Christ at the Cross
  4. I am not trying to convince anyone about a lifestyle that they live that is the Holy Spirit’s job, however, I want to highlight the link between Lostness of Man and lifestyle that is directed by beliefs, then tie that to salvation through Jesus and introduce people to their God, which is my job.

I could try do this in one post by that would be a long and tiresome post. And just like all good readings to save you time I will start by what I think and believe before expounding on what I think are fallacies in the flow chart below. I do not think it is a God idea for governments to legalize same sex marriages, but should people desire it the government should grant it. Why do I think that? Because I realize that they are making decisions based on a different moral system to that of the Bible and to call them to abide in what they do not believe in is a bit hypocritical. However, I realize the difficulty I quickly run into, should we then let sin reign because the sinners have a different moral campus? No we should not, I think there is a freedom of choice God has given us, and everyone has a right to practice that freedom. Some will practice it to honor God, some in between (if there was such a thing) yet other to live lives which totally disavow what He has said. It is in the interest of practicing freedom of choice or free will why I say legalize it and not from a theological point.

I believe in the writings of the Holy Script and that there exists a concept of sin. Sin is described in two forms in the Bible (1) missing the mark and (2) going against that which we know to be right. With that ideology of sin I believe homosexuality is a sin. It is not the only sin that is described as sexual sin. Any sexual activity outside of marriage is a sin, Christ even takes this to levels only a mind of God could have thought of. Looking at a woman lustfully is a sin.  The difficulty we quickly run into when we look at these sins is the ease of noticing homosexuality hence easy to pick on. This does not make it right either. A sin is a sin because God in His judicious statements has said so. And I say this with tenderness of knowing what the pleasures of sin are and the comforts it offer while boldly trying to warn people from the damnation to come from rejection God. Look at Jesus himself.His whole life was love. No one was half so kind and compassionate to sinners as He was yet no one ever spoke red hot scorching words about sin. It is in wanting to see the real Jesus that I engage.

Homosexuality

The above flowchart has a lot of misconception which I do not agree with and vaguely nudges at the truth. I can not go into depth of debunking all the misrepresentations about Christianity. The flowchart is cleverly crafted creating traps and snares along it. The argument that it puts up is a bit hostile and does not let christianity defend itself. The defence will come in the next article but for now I want to highlight a few things wrong with this flowchart.

  1. It assumes christianity is following a list of rules to appease an angry God but this is not the christianity I subscribe to. The one I subscribe to is of a loving God who sees people trapped in sin, and moved by compassion comes and rescues them and then gives them a blueprint to awake their appetites so that they desire Him, the highest and ultimate joy.
  2. It assumes that just because Jesus did not directly answer or address homosexuality directly therefore we cant extrapolate information about it. Jesus may not have said “thou shall not have same sex relationships and marriage” but certainly he said things which bear on that. He said things like “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”. In the context he is speaking a wife was a woman and no dispute about that. There are other places in which he addresses this issue though not directly.
  3. And as for the Old Testament and one should reconcile the Bible and realise why some things are no longer done. Also understand it from christian perspective not from your own perspective. There are different types of laws and this will be touched on later.
  4. The most misleading thing I found was what the flowchart claims the Bible defines as marriage “man and many wives, many concubines etc” , those people who did it had stepped outside of God’s commands and does not make it any right to follow them. Think about it
  5. About Adam and Steve and the comment is that was to populate earth, well if you are genuinely saying that then patiently wait for the day we will be told same-sex is ok.

That is what I have to say for now. Catch you on the second one.

This road, long and winding road

Posted on by skeptikokyy

This road, long and winding road.

Paved with steel and stones.

This road is my way back home.

late is the hour and dark is the night.

I wind alone on this road of steel,

the autumn chill biting my face with its fangs unforgiving.

As I wind around I am aware of the journeys that still lie ahead

the junctions that await.

with whom shall I share this voyage with, in this dark lonely road.

Lead me to Zion not built with hands but you and I are bricks,

and our worship is the mortar.

Zion whose king is of ages, and everlasting kingdom.

Oh how I long to enter your gates, oh Zion

How i yearn to set my foot in thee.

Written in Switzerland on way home from 8-11-12 19:40