Worn Out Love

Spiritual Lessons/ Political & World Issues  

Guest writer Chris Hutto from Voices of Dissidence shares an amazing thought on "worn out love".  Hope it is as big of a blessing to you as it was to me.

Worn Out Love 

Love is a worn out word.

Everyone, sinner and saint, knows that we are supposed to love one another. Everyone desires to be loved and everyone attempts to express their love to others, no matter how warped or flawed their presentation. The world teaches an ideology of lust, tolerance and irresponsibility and masks it with words like love, understanding and freedom. God is love but lust is a corruption of love. God understands every trial and temptation we endure but He has no tolerance for sin and wickedness. 

God is a God of freewill but He must hold us accountable to the wrongs we have done.

Love and peace have been hijacked by our society and lauded as the standard of liberalism. Our culture teaches a love without God. But a love without God is no love at all. It becomes man’s own self-righteousness. This love is as filthy rags in the sight of God.

We have let the world define love for us. Their perversion of this godly attribute has become main stream by the media we allow into our homes. Hollywood films are saturated with this sugar coated lust. The book stores and libraries are overflowing with books that glorify what God detests. And the Christian mind is meditating on this perversion until he begins to interpret the Scriptures the same way. The Christian’s mind must be renewed and transformed.

Many children’s books teach that you are only accepted and loved if you are able to out perform others. Secret love affairs are presented as romantic and exciting. The main characters in films capture their audience’s admiration by their appearance. Love is only given when something else can be gotten in return. Is this the love of the Bible?

Love has become cheap and overused. 
The world has stolen and warped who our God is and we just stand by and let them. We let them every time we welcome a filthy movie into our home. Every time we apologize for the wrath and judgment of God. Every time we refuse to show our neighbor real love. Every time we become ashamed at sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with a sinner. Every time we dwell on an evil thought. Every time we refuse to tear down an idol in our heart.

When we are public witnesses for Him we are accused of being hateful. That is because they don’t understand true love. How could they? They have never accepted the one and only love, Jesus. They call us hateful because they don’t understand that hate isn’t the opposite of love. Jesus said that we are to love God and love our neighbor as our-self. When He was challenged at who that neighbor was, He responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Anyone we pass by with a need is our neighbor. The Samaritan that helped the Jew about to die was the perfect example of love. His love was proven by action. That is why hate isn’t the opposite of love but apathy is. Apathy is the priest and Levite that saw the need and passed by. That is our world today. A world of self-love. The priest and Levite no doubt thought that they were doing the right thing in passing by. They probably thought, “I don’t know that man. He’s no concern of mine.” Maybe they thought, “That man isn’t MY ministry.” or “I won’t be able to perform my duties if I stop and help.”

Real love actively searches for those in need. It doesn’t wait for a need to arise because it already knows that there are needs on every side. Love came into this earth in human form to SEEK and save the lost.

The world says that we are hateful for having a righteous standard and for following the moral standard set in place by the Creator of the universe. They tell us that we must be tolerant of sin and accept it as who they are. But this isn’t love at all. Love warns of coming judgment. Every sin WILL be judged one day and for us not to tell the lost of this fact is a sin; the sin of apathy. People may become defensive when faced with their sin but we must be loving and obey God anyway. He does the work of drawing and saving. All we do is present the unadulterated truth of God in love.

So what does love look like?

All we have to do is look at His Word. We don’t have to learn what love really is by the culture around us. We have the answer already. Stop borrowing the definition from the heathens.

1 Corinthians 13 tell us what love really is. I know that it is long but it is worth reading.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

I have a question for you Christian. Is this the love that you have for others? Is this what you gained at the moment of salvation? If not, why not? A way to see if this is the love you have is to take a closer look at verses 4-7. But instead of reading charity, substitute your name in there instead. So for me I would read, “Chris suffereth long, and is kind; Chris envieth not, ect…”  Now you do it.

“_______ suffereth long, and is kind; _______ envieth not; _______ vaunteth not him/herself, _______ is not puffed up,

_______ doth not behave him/herself unseemly, _______ seeketh not his/her own, _______ is not easily provoked, _______ thinketh no evil;

_______ rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

_______ beareth all things, _______ believeth all things, _______ hopeth all things, _______ endureth all things.”

So is that true of you? Is that true of me? Did is sound laughable to you? Does it sound like a lie or over-exaggeration? If so, why? If God is love and if we have God dwelling in us as Believers, than why don’t we have His love flowing out of us? Why have we covered up the beauty of God’s character and smothered it with a faulty imitation. That’s what the lost do because they are separated from our Father. Why should we act and live like that world, denying the very person that gave us life?

Love has been robbed of it’s beauty.

It is about time that we show the world God’s love. This starts at home with your closest neighbor and extends to the uttermost parts of the world. Lets focus on the ones that God has already brought into our lives. If you can’t love God, who has given us love and grace and mercy beyond our comprehension, than you won’t be able to love your family. And if you can’t love your family, who you have grown up with, you won’t be able to love the stranger that reviles you because of Christ.

We need to be honest with God about the human love we try and manufacture in our lives. Ask Him to love others through you. It is possible. We can do ALL things THROUGH Christ. Claim the love that He has bestowed upon you and throw off the bands of the perverted, worn out love of the world.

Political/World Issues 

Guest writer Chris Hutto has written something so compelling that I had to share it with you.  It's an amazing read.  Thought provoking, convicting, mind blowing and simply brilliant.  A must read.  It is longer, but once I started I couldn't stop.  Please leave your comments!  I would like to hear from you!  

                     My Ministry to the Jews

www.voicesofdissidence.wordpress.com 

May, 1944

  Despair increases steadily as does the terrible hunger, the like of which mankind has never yet suffered. With complete assurance we may say that they have not left us even a jot of that which is called body or soul.

  In truth, the world deserves only that we spit in its face…Sudden death, hunger, deportation, interrogations, labor, queues, etc., etc. wreak havoc on the ruined vineyard of Israel, among the poor remnant. Will you O God, keep silent? How can you, having seen it?

July 31, 1944

  My…heart is cut to pieces when I perceive how terrible my little sister is tormented. She lost literally everything- no stockings, no clothes…no tenderness. O you poor orphan, and what you have to suffer by my unjust treatment, because of my destroyed nerves. You, poor being, must help yourself with substitutes: instead of stockings some rags, instead of boots some wooden contrivance…God seems to have abandoned us totally and left us entirely to the mercy of the heartless fiends. Almighty God, how can you do this?

August 3, 1944

  When I look at my little sister my heart is melting. Hasn’t the child suffered its part? She has fought so heroically the last five years. When I look on our cozy little room tidied up by the young, intelligent, poor being I am greatly saddened by the thought that soon she and I will have to leave our last particle of home.

  Oh God in heaven, why didst thou create Germans to destroy humanity? I don’t even know if I shall be allowed to be together with my sister. I cannot write more. I am resigned terribly and black spirited.

  

That was a few entries from the diary of an unknown Jewish boy orphaned, along with his younger sister, by the Nazis. The children lived in the Lodz Ghetto in Poland where they were forced into slave labor. After the war his diary was found written in the margins of an old French novel. Both of the children were murdered.

  Even though the Jews were forced to live in the confines of the ghettos, people, often children, would sneak through the borders and scavenge for food to bring back to their families. The Gentiles (Goyim as the Jews called them) were not allowed to mingle or assist the Jews in their plight…but some did anyway.

  Imagine for a moment that this was happening in our country. Our Jewish population was being dehumanized and confined to bordered ghettos in YOUR city. Imagine that we lived in a country that taught us through the school system, media and court rulings that the Jews were not human like you or I because of their race. Evil propaganda spread like wildfire on the internet assuring us that annihilating the Jews was for the betterment of our civilized society. The Gentiles justified their murder by calling it “choice” and “rights.” Imagine also that 80% of your fellow Americans supported this discriminatory ideology.

  Can you picture it? You were born in a country this way. You aren’t even surprised anymore when you see the smoke rising from the crematoria. That’s how it’s always been…well, at least since you can remember. You are disgusted at the racist barbarism but just try not to think about it too often. During the elections you faithfully vote for the candidate you think will help make the Jewish people a bit more comfortable. You are satisfied with the fulfillment of your duty. You stand for what is right with your vote! I mean, just two months ago a provision was voted on in your state that allowed the elderly Jewish people 85 and older to live outside of the ghettos. Not only that but it actually passed! Life is good…or is it?

  Imagine once more that you need to head into town to pick up a few groceries. No big deal. You hop into the car and head strait for the supermarket. Your day is busy but this will only take a few minuets. Zipping absentmindedly around traffic you make a left turn and speed down 7^th Street. Less traffic down here. A long razor-wire fence stretches the length of the road, an ancient brick building looms beyond the boarder. Dark billows of smoke curl like a wicked smile from a blackened chimney. It’s the Ghetto hospital were the Jews go to get “taken care of.”

  Turning up the Christian radio station you try and ignore the place but are stopped short when two children dart from the curb and into the road. Quickly, you slam on the breaks and come to a screeching halt. The children are frozen in their tracks right in the middle of the road and stop to see what you will do. You know that they have just escaped from the prison-like ghetto.

  Reddened eyes stare back at you from swollen lids and tallow colored faces. Stained and tattered rags cling to the children’s sweaty, emaciated bodies. Hunger and fear are etched deep in their beings. Bitterness and resentment leap from the boy’s eyes. In one hand he holds his sister’s tightly and in the other an old book. Golden words grace the front of the hardback cover…are those french words? You don’t have time to figure it out.

  A piercing alarm rings out across the city. The children have been missed. A dog barks in the distance. A few shouts echo from beyond the ghetto fence. The children would never have a chance on their own. The city teems with police and people that are more than happy to turn over runaways for a promised reward.

  You love the Jews. You aren’t a racist. You see the “King of the Jews” in your mind’s eye with children sitting at His feet. You worship these young Jew’s Messiah. Startled, the children run to your window and plead with you to let them in. You can’t hear their faint, despairing voices over, “God’s so good” blaring from the stereo. Now you can really see their faces stained with tears. They beat on the window with their fists. Two guards appear on the hospital grounds, weapons raised. A German shepherd bounds forward with a menacing growl and slams his body into the fence just a few feet behind the children. Tension floods the air. Screams from the children, barking from the dog and curses from the armed men all scrambled into a chaotic frenzy. Your heart pounds against your chest in rhythm to the pathetic drumbeat of the Jewish children’s fists. Police units assemble on both sides of the streets.

Oh, what was that? A faint sound hummed in your pocket. You look down. There is was again! Suddenly a burst of laughter irrupts from your mouth. Excitedly you whisk the phone from your pocket and glance at the screen. Incoming call. It’s Sammy! You answer, “Hey, what’s up?” A bouncy voice answers back, “Not much. And you?” You laugh and after a short pause look at the children. They’ve stopped screaming. The despondency in their eyes screams louder than their voices ever could.

“Um, nothing really…Just headed for the store.”

“Great! You have time for coffee?”

You look out your window and see the guards closing in.

“Yeah, I think so. I’ll meet you at Starbucks. Sound good?” You snap the car into gear and zoom off.

“Yep, sounds good. See you in a bit.”

You hang up the phone with a smile.

“Coffee sounds great right now.”

  

You are free and it feels good to take a drive…even if you are busy. A few angry gun shots scream through the air but you don’t notice. You were just at the best spot in your favorite hymn and singing along.

  

That would never happen, right? How could I ever be so hardhearted? If I saw another human in need I would stop and help, wouldn’t I? I would be brave like Corrie Ten Boom, Miep Gies, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

  

After shopping you head strait to the coffee shop and meet your friend. You are having a wonderful time. Outwardly you chat about what is new and exciting in your life but inwardly you wrestle with accusing thoughts in your mind.

Should I have helped those children? Well, I am really busy this summer.

But you could have taken a bit of time out of your busy schedule to save a life.

They were going to die anyway and besides what could I do when thousands die everyday?

Don’t you think it is your moral obligation?

I know what you mean but that isn’t my ministry. I have never been led to help the Jews.

Do you have to be “led” to do what’s right?

Well…the Holy Spirit hasn’t given me a peace about it yet.

What about the peace of those children?

I’ll do it in my own way. I wouldn’t want to offend any of the guards.

They are murderers!

Jesus was loving and…

I know. So loving that He gave His whole life to save the lives of others.

But, that was Jesus!

Now it’s your turn.

  

Nonchalantly you say good bye to your friend and drain the last drops of your mug. It was a long day and you hurry home. Out of habit you take 7^th again. The street is abandoned and lonely. In the center on the road you notice a small object. Is it a book? Gold letters gleam brightly in the sunlight of the evening golden hour. Carefully you pull alongside the book and open your door. The words are French on the cover. It is an old French novel. Your curious fingers reach down and scoop up the fragile book. Nothing extraordinary about it. Just an old book.

You gasp and recoil your hands in shock. The book falls, binding up, smashing the yellowed pages. Dark blood spots the back of the book. It is the boy’s blood. Hurriedly you slam the door shut and speed away from the sight of blood. The steering wheel feels sticky. No, it can’t be! There is blood on your hands.

Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing/Abortion

Political/ World Issues 

Recently a Maid Arise reader shared with me how she would like to see more on the Abortion issue.  She also lamented on the fact that there seems to be no Christian resources to glean from on this topic.  I wanted to share something that was written by guest writer Chris Hutto .  Also I would like to share some resources.  Plus if you are interested in other posts on the topic please see the Political/ World Issues  page of this blog!

Keep the Main thing, the Main thing

by Chris Hutto 

I would like to address the opposition we face from Christians for abortion abolition. Some don’t think it's the Christian's job while others just become offended anytime they hear a “thus saith the Lord.” There are many avenues from which other Christians attack the abolition standpoint but really I only want to focus on one of them.

Whenever you do something bold for God you will be criticized. Whenever you stand up for what is right you will be mocked. Whenever you choose which side of the fence to be on and stay on it someone is going to be offended. That's because people don’t like it when someone else rocks the boat. People find comfort in consistency and conformity. It's much safer to agree. It's much easier to passively stand by. But is this the Christian thing to do? 

Some Christians say that we shouldn’t judge people or that we all just need to get along. Some cry, “peace” when there is no peace. Christians were never meant to be silent in the face of evil. We are soldiers and ambassadors. The world craves ambiguity but as Christians we don’t need to fit in. We were never meant to keep our opinions to ourselves. We are taught in society to follow the masses and even those that have promoted individuality through things like media and clothing brands have become the newest fashions and trends. We have become robots in a society of illusions. Everyone claims that they want to be different but insist that no one challenge the world view that has been hand crafted for them by the god of this world.

"Whenever you stand up for what is right you will be mocked. Whenever you choose which side of the fence to be on and stay on it someone is going to be offended. That's because people don’t like it when someone else rocks the boat.”

As Christians we automatically don’t fit in. This isn’t a condemnation or something to be ashamed of. We willingly traded our conformity to the world for the transformation of Christ at the blood stained cross. We throw off the weighty expectations of the world everyday when we pick up our own cross that has also been stained with the blood, sweat and tears of our own ambitions, dreams and desires. We have been crucified with Him. He was crucified outside the camp, why do we deserve any different? We are salt and light. Salt is painful to the stinking wounds of sin. Light is blinding to the inky darkness of evil.

"As Christians we automatically don’t fit in. This isn’t a condemnation or something to be ashamed of. We willingly traded our conformity to the world for the transformation of Christ at the blood stained cross."

 

I said all that to say this --  No matter what you do for God in this world you will be reviled. It was God's plan. Always has been. And it's okay. Both sinner and saint will criticize and complain. Does it change the legitimacy of our cause? No. Should it hinder the work? No. If you stand up against sin the sinner will say you are too judgmental while the saint says you are self-righteous. If you boldly proclaim the truth the sinner will say you are hateful while the saint says you are full of pride. 

Since obeying the great commission and reaching the lost with the Gospel the most hurtful attacks I have experienced against the work have come from fellow Christians; fellow soldiers. It isn’t the homeless drunk that lashes out, he already knows he's a sinner, but the comfortable Christian sitting apathetically in the barracks. Its easy to lob grenades at your own guys while they are fighting the enemy because they have their backs to the comfort of the barracks. They are charging the gates of Hell.

"We have become professional takers.”

The work of abortion abolition is not for the weak. If you are looking for recruits to criticize the guys on the battlefield, you don’t have far to go. The churches are full of them. Not only does the Christian soldier have to deal with the frontal attack of the enemy but the back biting attack of his comrades. The pews have become the comfortable barracks of the Christian army. It has become the mess hall where you never have to leave, only to glut on the abundance of food. We aren’t fed week after week, month after month, year after year to grow fat and lazy. It is better to give than to receive. Our crosses are never for ourselves but for others. 

We have become professional takers. We have mastered the art of cross bearing just enough to hoard the benefits for ourselves. Sitting in church is what a ''good'' Christian is supposed to do. The bearing of our crosses and burdens look so spiritual. But what about giving? What about sharing the good news? What about boldly standing up for truth? Often all you get in return is a mocking stare, an unkind word, a whisper behind your back.

Those whispers become the very flames of discouragement and doubt that destroy the battle ready soldier of Jesus Christ. We are all guilty of this are we not? Gossip and backbiting have become one of those sins that Christians sweep under the rug by adding a bit of humor and a lot of quenching of the Holy Spirit. 

I'm writing this to address one of those sneaky darts that so often pierce the armor-less back of the fighting soldier. I’m writing this both to those that have been hurt by that dart and those that are throwing them, from the shadows of the barracks. There are many darts being thrown around carelessly, but I want to focus on just one of them. 

I call it the, “Keep the main thing the main thing” argument. Many Christians, once they get a preconceived idea about something, paint everything with the same brush. The best way to try and destroy someone’s viewpoint is to build a straw-man argument, paint it with their misinformed, preconceived notion about that argument and than knock it down with skewed logic. By misrepresenting someones position it makes it much easier to attack.

Many Christians, when confronted with the question whether or not they should be actively “delivering those being drawn to death” will say, “keep the main thing the main thing” or something similar. What they are saying is that we shouldn’t be focused on a side issue when we should be spreading the Gospel. It sounds good but it is a straw-man argument. 

In one sense they are right. No matter how many people we convince that abortion is wrong, if they aren’t saved, they will still go to Hell. But do we dismiss the subject in light of their salvation? I believe Christians with this mindset don’t really understand the very Gospel message they are championing as the “main thing.” I'm not saying they aren’t saved but that they missed a vital step in convincing men of sin and leading them to the cross. Does abortion abolition and salvation have to be separate? No. Actually they can't be apart. 

“Man must be convinced by the law that he is a sinner, that he is sick before he will willingly take the cure, Christ's blood atonement.” 

First of all, what is the Gospel message? The death, burial and resurrection of Christ. But how do we convince people that they need it? That is what often is missing. We shouldn’t go up to people and say, “Just turn to Jesus and He will save you.” They will say, “save me from what?” Man must be convinced by the law that he is a sinner, that he is sick before he will willingly take the cure, Christ's blood atonement. 

Was Paul not “keeping the main thing the main thing” when he boldly preached against superstition and idolatry on Mars Hill? If Paul were alive today his fellow comrades would have berated him for preaching against one thing. They would have said he had too narrow of a focus. Why wasn’t he preaching the Gospel and asking if they wanted Jesus to come into their hearts? Because he first had to destroy their false notion of innocence. First he had to convince them of their sin. He had to preach against the wickedness that was dear to their hearts. What is dear to the hearts of the American people? Might it be the idols of convenience and comfort? Maybe its the callousness toward life or the addiction to pleasure. How many babies have been murdered on the alters of these very things? Fifty-six million so far.

"The world doesn’t need anymore cute messages of universal peace and love.”

Humanity must be shaken to the core of its blind ignorance. The world doesn’t need anymore cute messages of universal peace and love. What the world needs is a broken heart. God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble. Did Jesus fail to “keep the main thing the main thing” when He cleansed the Temple? Maybe He was wisely striking at the heart of greed and irreverence. There's no hope until the sickness is revealed and taken seriously.

If attempting to save the lives of innocent babies isn't enough for the dart throwing Christians at the very least I would hope they could see that the abortion issue is often the very means to salvation for a wounded soul. The law must be used before grace is applied but sometimes the conviction of lying and stealing and adultery isn’t enough. I’ve had people proudly proclaim that they were lying, stealing, blasphemous, fornicators at heart. Sometimes we need the indictment of murder to get them to see the light. 

Abortion strikes hard at the soul of humanity. How couldn't it? It is the legal slaughter of children by their own parents. Christianity isn't a spectator sport. Something must be done but if the majority of Christians are content with apathy I would implore them to stay out of the way and sit in the comfort of the barracks and gorge themselves on the meat of the Word. The pews are comfortable. The camp is friendly and inviting. Maybe then in the slumber of inaction and disobedience they will stop throwing darts and hindering the work of the Lord.

Please visit Chris' blog dedicated to abortion: voicesofdissidence.wordpress.com