Kill 'Em part 2
Only by showing people love will we be able to show them God. I think a lot of times we lose people when we get religious with them. We try to shove "Jesus" down people's throats and people choke on Him. They end up running FROM God instead of running TO Him. We turn people off, and they end up calling us things like "hyporcrites" or "judgmental." We end up alienating people when we should be killing them. With kindness. Heaping coals of fire on their heads--by loving them no matter what--and melting their hearts. If, according to Jesus, we have to be born again to enter the Kingdom. And, yes, I think in a very real way Jesus took care of this for everybody when He drew us all into Himself, and died, and was born again) then what we need first is a second death. The second death, according to Revelation 20:14, was the death OF death, when death and hell were thrown into the lake of fire. Which, of course, is God. When Jesus died we all died. That was the second death that was needed before the new birth. We are crucified with Christ. We died when He died. And now we live because He lives in us, and through us, and as us. So when we're speaking of killing each other (with kindness) what we're speaking of is what we see in 2 Corinthians 5:18, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." We ARE reconciled, so we CAN reconcile others by TELLING them the good new that THEY are reconcilied. We don't have to actually reconcile anybody. God was in Christ on the cross reconciling us to Himself. That happened 2,000 years ago. That's a done deal. So we don't have to try to "save" people. We can simply tell them that they are saved. Or, even better, tell them what the Gospel really says: God is love and He loves you. And, again, we can tell them this by simply telling them, "I love you." We don't have to use the Word, "Jesus." Because God is love. When we use the Word love we ARE saying God. We ARE saying Jesus. Or, even better still, we can SHOW people that we love them. Through acts of kindness. I think one of the most important things Jesus did on His earthly ministry was to SHOW people the Father. By showing people a man, wrapped in human flesh, that loved people. Show and tell is important, right? And many times actions speak louder than words. I've been in situations where--one time I gave someone a substantial monetary gift. And that person was literally shaking with joy, and relief, and happiness. And when they said, "I can't believe you would do that," I replied with a simple, "I love you." And you better believe I believe THEY believe I love them. I think, in a very real way, I killed it. Which, in our vernacular, means "crushed it." Nailed it. Did it right. Because that's what this life is all about--being loved by God and loving each other with that same love. That's what we were created to do. That's what we were created to BE. We are God's expression on this earth. Jesus showed us the Father by showing us love. That's how we show other people the true God who is love--by showing them love. By killing them ALL (and that word is probably my point for tomorrow) with kindness!