Ever offend people without trying to?

I always do, even those times that I am not trying to do so!

A couple of things stand out just this week, and one is when friends found an out-dated, seventies or eighties jacket and sent it my way, and my friends got offended that I thought that I was too good for it; but I never liked that style even when it was cool, and it is way too tight to fit me anyway... and people are upset with me over it?

But why base so much on that? It does not really matter anyway! I hate losing friends over silly things like that. But people get angry about things that don't really matter and should matter anyway?

And speaking about how I have to now be careful what and how I eat because of my new health condition and new heart medz, and people are angry with me for 'putting down good food'... like I am being ungrateful or maybe even a little 'un-American' because I have to reject some foods and even Salt for medical reasons now?

And I tell people about the experiences in my life, good and not so good, that have made me who I am now, and gotten me here up 'til now; and people get all angry with me for my experiences good and not so good... like I could've helped it all already now?

But one is born when they are born and to whom they are born to, and even if one grew up where there were monsters, they can decide to be better than all that and be like I am now... a simple, good person, who is sincere no matter what, and here I am still doing my personal best no matter what! As well as seeking to be the very best Christian that I know how, by the grace of God, to be!

And I still seem to keep offending people, even good people, and well meaning people, right and left, no matter how hard I try not to, and it is all making me a wee bit shell-shocked or skittish about all of my daily interpersonal relationships around me!

Wouldn't it you?

The Direct Email Address for Joe Christian is:

"JoeChristian@surf1.ws"

But posting your comments is still most welcome as always as well!!!

The Bible tells us that our job is to rescue and protect the poor and the oppressed, as Jews and as Christians, either/or, if we are either one or the other, or both, God commands that we rescue and protect the poor and the oppressed!

But what if the oppressed is one of our own, who has gone through life bearing all the scars of one who is also extremely traumatized, and are either being oppressed, or maybe only feel that they are being exploited, and/or oppressed?

I still believe even then, as Jew or Christian, either or both, God still commands that we help rescue and aid that 'victim' with their problem no matter what!

Don't you agree?

(Reference: Isaiah 58)

So I heard a message about how that God sees Jesus and not us, when we get saved, and the pastor tore up a piece of paper and said that that torn up paper represents us, and then he put that into his Bible and closed it, and said that that Bible represents Jesus, and that God does not see the mess that we are in, but only Jesus; So I guess that that means that we remain a mess all of our Christian lives, never growing, changing or improving... But that's okay then?

And then I heard Pastor Hagee later that day (1pm) preaching on TBN about people who are in a rut, and all the feelings and views that I had about the sermon illustrating how that God's "Grace" only hid us in Jesus while we all remained such a mess all torn up like a piece of paper that was hidden in that pastor's Bible was validated as I was feeling and thinking about it!

Pastor Hagee explained that being in such a rut was not actually a good thing. So I was right to think that just remaining a mess, like in a rut, hidden from God's view by Jesus, because of "Grace" shouldn't be our Christian lifestyle, but that we should all be changed by God's grace and by our relationship with Jesus and become new and different because of God's grace toward us?

I think of passages like Second Corinthians 5:17 that tell us we are "new" because of now being in Jesus, and that the "old" mess has passed away!

Did I say that all correctly? What I meant was that I thought that that pastor was in a rut, and his message was about remaining in a rut, and how that that was all that could ever be expected of Christians; and that the sermon by Pastor Hagee that I heard later that very day (1pm) on TBN was almost word for word the 'revelation' that I had about the earlier sermon while I was listening to it and watching the torn up paper being hidden in that pastor's Bible by the pastor... saying that that torn up paper was the mess we are in as Christians and that his Bible was Jesus where we are now hidden so that God only sees Jesus and not the mess that we are all in as Christians!

Now did I explain myself and all this correctly? And that I think that Christians are not just hidden from God's view by Jesus, but do improve in Jesus instead, and that Grace heals us, not just hides us from God? I think I made my point now? And I liked that Pastor Hagee brought all the same things out in his sermon about spiritual ruts in his sermon on TBN later that same day that I heard and saw the 'spirutal rut' condoning sermon by that other pastor earlier that same day.

We were all 'messed up' people; but now we are healed and made a "new creation" in Jesus! Amen! Alleluia!

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST TO ST. JOHN

Chapter Two

TO EPHESUS: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write this: “’The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this: I know your works, you labor, and you endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and discovered that they are imposters.
Morever, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. But you have this in your favor: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
“’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God.”’

TO SMYRNA: “To the angel of the church in Smyrna, write this: “’The first and the last, who once died but came to life, says this: “I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who claim to be Jews and are not, but rather are members of the assembly of Satan. Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
‘’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. The victor shall not be harmed by the second death.”’

TO PERGAMUM: “To the angel of the church in Pergamum, write this: “’The one with the sharp to edged sword says this: “I know that you live where Satan’s throne is, and yet you hold fast to my name and have not denied you faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was martyred among you, where Satan lives. Yet I have a few things against you. You have some people there who hold to the teachings of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the Israelites: to eat food sacrificed to idols and to play the harlot. Likewise, you have some people who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore, repent. Otherwise I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth.
‘’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna: I shall also give a white amulet upon which is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it.”’

TO THYATIRA: “To the angel of the church of Thyatira, write this: “’The Son of God, whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like polished brass, says this: “I know your works, your love, faith, service, and endurance, and that you last works are greater than the first. Yet I hold this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, who teaches and misleads my servants to play the harlot and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent, but she refuses to repent for her harlotry. So I will cast her on a sickbed and plunge those who commit adultery with her into intense suffering unless they repent of her works. I will also put her children to death. Thus shall all the churches know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds and I will give each of you what your works deserve. But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not uphold this teaching and know nothing of the so-called deep secrets of Satan: on you I will place no further burden, except that you must hold fast to what you have until I come.

“’”To the victor, who keeps my ways until the end,
I will give authority over the nations.
He will rule them with an iron rod.
Like clay vessels will they be smashed,

just as I received from my Father.
And to him I will give the morning star.
“’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’