1) Civil rights– passive resistance
We talked about Acts 5:28-32 (Follow God not men). I think that some of the issues in civil rights may fall into that category. I beleive (this is from memory so it may not be accurate) that Martin Luther King even said that we need to go to God’s Word to determine right laws in this area (God rather than men).

The “passive” part of this is significant as well. Perhaps laws were broken about proper assembly and such– but they were not broken with violence on the part of the protesters. Also, there were other issues to consider– constitutional rights that overshadowed some state laws.

Just thoughts without my knowledge of the facts…

2) America Independence
This question is really interesting. Intially, I automatically assumed that the American Revolution was justified and right… But then, in light of Romans 13, I have step back and determine how much I am influenced by my culture. Again, I am using my basic knowledge of the history of the event, but a big deal was taxation without representation. That is a financial issue and I wonder if the revolt was justified.

I’m not being unpatriotic, but perhaps England has a beef with those they protected and supplied, etc. I know that there were other issues, however.

The main thing that this question raises in my mind is how willing am I to admit that America can make wrong decisions and that our history is not perfect. How much do I feel that America is the center of the world (if not universe) and everything we beleive is correct and right?

I know this, I am blesed to have been born in America and I love my country– but that has been a gift from God. We are part of a world community, however, and I think I need to consider that more carefully in the future.

I have been in the situation several times in my life where I have thought…”If I could just move away from here….to someplace where nobody knows me….and just start all over again it would be so refreshing and calming to my soul.” Most of the time it was in response to a circumstance that I wanted to escape.

There is something “refreshing to the soul” about being relieved of the burdens of the past and starting with a fresh clean slate.
Being a new creation in Christ is what this is all about. If I truly understand that I am a brand new cleansed and holy creature by the work of Christ in my life, then I am free to start over, to live my life in a totally new direction….one with purpose, one where I can be who I always dreamed of being, one where I can be who I was always meant to be!

What really makes a difference is believing it to be true.
In my previous example, I said that I wished that I could just move away and start over. Let’s just say I went for it. I cut all my strings from my past, packed a suitcase and moved across the country to where no one knew me where I could start fresh. What sense would it make if over the next few months or even years I continued to live my life the same way I had lived it before I moved! Did I really believe that I was starting over?

I think it is the same way when God tells us that we are NEW Creations with a new life. If I have difficulty believing this to be true, then I will see myself as being the way I used to be and I will continue to follow the same old patterns of life that I have always lived. BUT, If I truly believe that I am new, that I am clean, that I am free from my past, and Christ is going to lead me in a new meaningful, abundant life, then I am going to be excited about the prospects of this new start and not go back.

thus, God so valued this access, He so desired this ability to commune with us, He so wanted us to have this favor that He sent His Son. His desire for us equaled His desire for His Son.

the thought that really struck me was the concept that this relationship that we have with Him as His son’s and daughters only equals His love for Christ.

He Loves us just as much as He loves His Son. and this is what Christmas is all about. Christmas is about God providing this kind access to mankind, Christmas is not just about the gift of His Son – but in that, its a gift of not only salvation, but that of access.

i don’t think that God simply had mankind gaining salvation in mind when He sent Jesus- because those living in the time of the Old Testament had that — but God had intimacy in mind. He had this crazy thought that He could come to us so that we at any time could come to Him. this access — this favor — i think is what God was really after.

salvation came because of Jesus i know – “for God so loved the world that He sent His Son . . so that who would believe in Him would have eternal life.” yes Christmas is about salvation — but that only came through the giving of Jesus.

the Father so wanted us to have this salvation – so wanted access to us and us to have access to Him that He gave His Son.

God’s desire for us equals His love for His Son. Jesus tells His disciples this, that the Father loves them just as much as He loves Jesus. and that they in turn will love the Father just as much as the Father loves Jesus.

what an incredible thought. the Father’s desire for us to have this favor, this access, this love equals that of the love He has for His own Son.

what favor. what blessing. what an amazing God.

Good story! I could really relate to many similar incidents in my own life with my father as he calmed my fears and showed me the truth of many of my misunderstandings and how it allowed me to gain confidence in areas that at one time scared me. And yes, what allowed me to take the step forward that he encouraged me to do was the fact that he was there with me, encouraging me that I had nothing to fear. I acted because I believed in him and his words. I also acted because he had never failed me before, so it became easier to trust him.

Thanks for giving me this picture and its correlation with our heavenly Father. I need to spend some time considering this.