Love is...

In the Bible, it tells us that ‘God is love’

Love, in human terms, is generally intense affection felt for someone either in our family or a friend or partner or something or someone we enjoy. We love because someone is related to us, or they make us happy or good about ourselves, or we find someone or something attractive or loyal or funny or enjoyable.
But loving someone because of another reason makes it ‘conditional’ – it is based on a condition such as being a parent or being attractive.

Imagine a love where it doesn’t matter who you are, what you did, what you were like, where you were from, what you believed, what you achieved.

A love that began before you were even born and lasted forever.

This is hard for any of us to grasp, especially for people like Nicole, who never knew love as a child.

The greatest expression of love that we can understand is dying for someone else. You’ve maybe heard the bible quote: Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
To die in the place of a loved one like this is quite a feat of unselfishness.

But imagine if someone died in place of his enemies?

The bible tells us in Romans 5 that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God doesn't say, "as soon as you clean up your act, I'll love you" nor does He say, "I'll love you if you promise to love me."

In fact, in Romans 5:8, we find just the opposite. God wants us to know that His love is unconditional, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us just as we are.

We didn't have to get clean, and we didn't have to make any promises to God before we could experience His love. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.

There is no sin, no flaw, no belief nor unbelief, no circumstance in life that can stop God from loving you.

How does that make you feel?

(acknowledgements to Barry and AllaboutGod)

Swing your pants!

Who said it was all kum-bye-ya and flares?

If you're old enough to remember 'Going Live' in the 80s, you'll remember Trevor and Simon's brilliant 'Swing your pants' corner. This was pretty much my view of the 'God Squad' for many years.

Oh how wrong could I be!

Check out these guys....amazing.....and not a sock and sandal in sight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEoJm79xuL8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf0B_0jReDU&feature=PlayList&p=56661E647BF15A24&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhkMdcN7uAA&feature=related

Also on Facebook..

http://www.facebook.com/pages/thebandwithnoname/10022292396?ref=s

If you like intellectual arguments...

For every Dawkins / Darwin website, there's a host of Christian websites refuting them.
For every poster or billboard that suggests there may be more to life, there's now one telling you there probably isn't.

From whatever side of the fence you fall on, you opt for the sites and arguments which prove your own point. That's human nature.

I have a friend who says she's researched 'God' on the internet and knows he doesn't exist. But did she even read the other side of the argument?
No.
Did she want to listen when I tried to share my view.
No.
Because she'd made up her mind.
No-one likes to be proved wrong. Especially me. It took a while before I, as a new Christian, dared to read the latest views of the ''opposing camp'' - I was genuinely afraid it would challenge my faith. Before I became a Christian, I thought they were people who, while putting on their Jesus sandals, also took a minute to leave their brains and intellects at the door of the church on the way in. I was amazed to find it wasn't the case.

I've read the other arguments now. I believe they are wrong. They are certainly challenging and on both sides there are questions which can't be answered.
But I believe, to be open-minded is to at least consider everything from all angles.
My friend says she is the open-minded one because she has researched all the evidence against God and has decided there is no more to life.
Full stop.
I think I am the open-minded one because, in the face of the research from all angles, I'm still open to the idea that there is more to life than that which can be scientifically proved.
Believe it or not, I love science - and I don't see why science and religion need to be be mutually exclusive...

Here's a link for those who like science and explanations and logic.
http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html