Whenever we have the opportunity to make human assessments, the assessments we make will always betray our doctrine of man. We can always glean from what one person has to say about another, their doctrine or philosophy concerning man in general.
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:3.
The comments made here in Matthew focus on the negative because there is something negative that is disturbing Herod and something negative brewing within him. He hears about Jesus being born and the magi looking to locate Him so that they could worship Him. Herod immediately begins to feel threatened; so much so that his behavior becomes pathological and results in the death of thousands of innocent children.
Well, this negative something is in all of us and we need to deal with it. We must come to terms with the fact that there are some negative qualities that are common to all human beings. We know this because we realize how difficult it is to honestly say what we will or will not do in any given situation. Peter, you recall, was one of the closest disciples to Jesus. He loved Jesus and Jesus loved him. But he lied, cursed, and betrayed Jesus to save his own skin. He walked and talked and dined with Jesus for three years. He had seen miracles performed and heard sermons preached and claimed he was willing to die, yet denied even being acquainted with Jesus.
Now, we have never seen Jesus, never walked with Him, or talked with Him in the same sense that Peter had. So we have to come to a consensus on human nature. Man was born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We possess the capacity to do all kinds of negative things. We see it in others and we see it in ourselves, do we not? Yet, through the power and might of Jesus Christ, we are enabled and empowered to overcome the negative and the stronghold of sin. Jesus bore our sins on His shoulders at Calvary, thus releasing us from their yoke. When we view life and live life consistent with the will of God, old negative thoughts and behaviors pass away. Behold! All things become new.
Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Water: A Grief Healing Workbook, will be available soon.
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareWhen God first unveils a business or ministry vision that... Read More
THE PREMISEFeng Shui is an ancient Chinese art that has... Read More
One of the "loopholes" in my philosophical belief system when... Read More
Natural laws exist that serve to maintain order in the... Read More
This article is a reply that deals with certain criticisms... Read More
Did we just overlook the amount of love that God... Read More
Five verses specify that we are to live by faith.... Read More
I finally went to the dentist today. I had been... Read More
Greetings my Dear Beloved SoulsWe have heard your cries, your... Read More
Some say praising Jesus is just singing. Others say it... Read More
We are living in highly challenged times. Our mass consciousness... Read More
Matthew 3:4-6 John Baptizes the People4 Now John wore a... Read More
The Evil Eye has been around since the beginning of... Read More
Although your creative ability and talent is something that God... Read More
Far to many people have become "followers" rather than BEING... Read More
Hello, My name is Mellody Davis and here is my... Read More
What is success? It probably means different things to different... Read More
Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the... Read More
1. How can anyone receive direct communication from Divine Source,... Read More
There is nothing more valuable to a sentient being then... Read More
Human beings are blessed with a unique gift: the gift... Read More
God, what a wonderful spirit. He, is our ever present... Read More
"There must be a higher love/Without it life is wasted... Read More
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-Excerpt From The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and... Read More
Lately In my email newsletters (available for FREE at http://www.ChristThroughMe.com... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..Some say praising Jesus is just singing. Others say it... Read More
(Channelled)I have been trying to ignore this title "A Man... Read More
Continued from "Origin of Certain Thoughts, Part I"If you haven't... Read More
As we walk these halls of Life viewing the world... Read More
Greetings Divine Ones, I am going to ask you a... Read More
There is an prayer process in every religion and everyone... Read More
Sometimes trying to be spiritual holds us back from actually... Read More
I have discovered as I grow older in Christ Jesus... Read More
It is life, time for breathing deep, sighs and touching... Read More
Contrary to popular beliefs, we are not our mind, our... Read More
Good morning beloved,I always feel a need to let people... Read More
I was walking down the street the other day, walking... Read More
The following article is an exploration of the Spring holiday... Read More
While I do hope to avoid arguing the merits or... Read More
You will become as great as your dominant aspiration...If you... Read More
Many of our great religions hold that numbers contain hidden... Read More
We are living in highly challenged times. Our mass consciousness... Read More
I was recently asked how I interpreted the Mayan and... Read More
God, what a wonderful spirit. He, is our ever present... Read More
For the last 35 years, I have been working with... Read More
A Tarot card deck typically consists of 78 colorful cards... Read More
The formula for spiritual growth is given briefly in 2... Read More
Have you ever noticed how much our lives resemble a... Read More
"There must be a higher love/Without it life is wasted... Read More
As Christian's we are often very independent. We try to... Read More
Spirituality |