a chat with a friend

8:40 AM
(my friend): So, lets talk
8:41 AM
me: ok

what's up?
13 minutes
8:54 AM
(my friend): dude, you are electronically greeted with a Holy Kiss and embrace.
8:55 AM
You are loved so much by the God who created you and everything good around you.
8:56 AM
in that same way, I love you in a holy way.
8:57 AM
Grace and peace to you from our Father in Heaven.

He is especially fond of you Jared
8:59 AM
me: :) :D

thank you!!!!!

yay!!
5 minutes
9:05 AM
(my friend): Since God knew we couldn't come to Him... he limited Himself on purpose and became human. He crossed from heaven to earth. He met us because we couldn't meet him. He became human. He remains fully human and fully God today even...
9:09 AM
me: :)
9:10 AM
(my friend): The center of God's love you'll find us.

me: :) :D

yay!

(my friend): No matter where we are in Christ, he love us!

me: yes! that is so true

!!!
10 minutes
9:21 AM
me: :) :D :) :D :) :D

yay God!!

(my friend): I don't think God causes guilt or creates guilt to guide us (that is of the evil one). God is a restorer. He is working to restore us to Him. God is encouraging us to let go of our chains.
9:22 AM
Among the three God heads, there is not one that is higher than the other. The father isn't higher than the holy spirit or Jesus. They are all equally submissive
9:23 AM
There is no level of authority in the God head. They are all in relationship with each other.

It has to be that way since there is no power struggle between them
9:24 AM
relationship is about submitting to one another and not about expecting the other to do something.
9:25 AM
Now, in the same way, God is in relationship with you, and me.

me: :)

ahh yes!
9:26 AM
(my friend): Now, we submit our selves to God because He submits Himself to us.
9:27 AM
me: ahh
6 minutes
9:33 AM
(my friend): God is one of order. But yet it seems God doesn't value authority. He seems to value relationship as described.
9:34 AM
me: ahh

yes

(my friend): God doesn't cause harm.
9:35 AM
God didn't intentend for bad things to happen.

But yet, he allows them to happen. He doesn't actively come from heaven and stop those bad things.

The reason: God wants us to freely love us.

I mean
9:36 AM
God wants us to free love him

He gave us our of love for us, independence. He let us choose independence. This happened when Adam ate the apple.
9:38 AM
And if God jumped into to prevent the bad things, then he would in effect remove our free will.
9:39 AM
He would remove our independence that we choose to have.

So from this, we see that independence is evil.
9:40 AM
We ought if we want to walk on water, give-up our independence and depend solely on God.
9:42 AM
me: wow

good stuff
9:46 AM
(my friend): If we judge others, then we are assuming us to be the judge of God himself.
6 minutes
9:53 AM
(my friend): We are good at judging aren't we. We judge if this is bad or if this is good. we say, he shouldn't do that. We judge business. we judge killers. we judge each other.

we are good at judging aren't we?

lol
9:57 AM
Let me break it down.

somethign bad happens to us
9:58 AM
So we judge that person for inflicting pain.

But then, do we judge that persons father for causing the same pain in His son?
9:59 AM
So now we judge the person and his father... what about his grandfather? Now lets take a leap, do we judge adam for eattign that apple?

God knew all this would happen and he still created creation, didn't he?

So do we judge God for creating all of this mess?
10:00 AM
So we infact judge God when we judge others, right?

Now, you have to pick one of your parents to goto Hell since you are the judge of the universe.
10:01 AM
which one would you pick?
10:03 AM
You would probably in the end pick yourself rather than choosing any loved one to goto hell.

That sounds a lot like Jesus

That is what Jesus did for us.
10:04 AM
Now, God allows this to happen because He wants us to choose freely to love HIm. Love isn't a bully.
10:06 AM
There is a quote, "judgement isn't about destruction, but setting things right"

Interesting perspectives right?
5 minutes
10:12 AM
me: yes! :) :D

very nice!
10:13 AM
(my friend): These are not thoughts that I developed, but ones that spoke to me while listening to a book titled, "the Shack"

I wanted to share them with you, because they freed me up.
10:14 AM
me: :) :D awesome! i've heard of The Shack... and I have kind of wanted to read it but i'mt not much of a reader in general.
10:15 AM
(my friend): Listen to it in the car. It took me about a week to listen to it all. it is about 7-8 hours of listening and crying. I listened to it while i was driving back and forth to work.
10:16 AM
I am working to personally pair it up with scripture to see if it stands. I would encourage you to do the same after you read/listen to the book.
10:18 AM
The story used to communicate the authors thoughts is fiction (made-up)... but the dialog contains real truth.

It is a good book in my opinion.
9 minutes
10:28 AM
me: yea :) :D awesome

!!
33 minutes
11:01 AM
me: I just realized something, we even judge God often. sometimes we think that God is not right, not righteous, not perfect. we're like, how could God allow that? etc..
11:02 AM
and we judge ourselves as well as each other.

(my friend): Yes, we look into the past and feel guilty.
11:03 AM
At least I do at times
11:04 AM
me: yea
11:05 AM
(my friend): Jesus does remember all... But I think he willfully chooses not to remember the sin when we repent and are forgiven by HIm.
11:06 AM
He has used my past as His good. He didn't cause the bad in my past, but he will use it for His good.

That is freeing for me. and helps to restore me
11:07 AM
me: ahh yea!!! wow!!! really good!!

:) :D
11:10 AM
(my friend): The Lord is not condemning at any point. That isn't helpful. He is encouraging and loving and joyous.

among just a few qualities.
11:12 AM
me: :)

(my friend): I really like how excited and in love with the Lord you are.

me: yea! :) thanks!
11:13 AM
I really like how deep you are getting into God! :) and the revelations of God that you get.. whether it be through a book or anything.
11:16 AM
(my friend): I want to walk on water with Jesus one day! That to me is the culmination of so much. It isn't about walking on water, but it is deeper than that. It is being with Jesus and him working in me. And with that, we can walk on water with Jesus. Wether if that is in Heaven or here on earth, it doesn't matter.... you know?
11:17 AM
And sometimes walking on water is just the shorter way of getting from place to place.

:)
11:18 AM
me: yea, true!