backed in a corner!

So if you haven't noticed, it has been a while since I blogged....lol....well, that is because I sorta backed my self in a corner...not sorta, I did! LOL. I told the world that I would post on "Christian character" LOL....I know, that was dumb! But it was already out there!....I didn't want to take it back. BUT here is the problem, 1st. I knew the blog would take a good amount of time...which doesn't seem to be something I have had a lot of lately! 2nd....and most importantly, I haven't had a clue how to start, or finish, my post! My first thought was..."who am I to tell others what Christian character looks like!" I am surely not there, w/ most of it myself....people are going to think I am being so snotty! I started a blog to get myself out of it...yet it remained un-posted! lol...I asked God to help me out, to show me a polite way of avoiding/ignoring it...yet, that didn't seem to happen either....I kept thinking about it and praying....oh the stress and thought I have put into it!....and to think, blogging is suppose to be fun! lol!

So I have finally been given peace about what I am to say, yes I am going to blog about Christian Character, BUT I am not going to be using my words! This way, you can't get mad at me, or think I am being Pharisaical....I am using Jesus' words...straight out of the book of Matthew!

SO here goes! Matthew 5:21-48
You have heard that the ancients were told, "You shall not commit murder" and "Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court." "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his bother, "Raca," shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, "You fool," shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. "If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. "Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. "Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent. "You have hard that is was said, "You shall not commit adultery'; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. "And if you right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, then for you whole body to be thrown into hell. "And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut if off, and throw it form you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for you whole body to go into hell. "And it was said, "Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce"; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, expect for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. "Again you have heard that the ancients were told, "You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord." "But I say, to you make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the City of the Great King. "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; and anything beyond these is of evil. "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." "But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. "And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. "And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go w/ him two. "Give to him who asked of you, and do not turn away from him how whats to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? "And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect!

So these are Jesus' words to the disciples....there is more in chapter 6...go there and keep reading. I don't want to try and "tell" you, what this is saying, but I do challenge you to think on them and pray over them. I have studied them in the past few months at BSF, and I now find myself referring back to them often. I believe that God shows each of us what our own Christian character looks like....we all have different make ups....therefore it will look different for all of us....I know that sounds confusing, but let me see if I can explain....It clearly says that we shouldn't commit adultery in the physical form, but then Jesus also tells us...if we do it in our mind it's the same thing.....well...that's where it gets a little tougher. Because what might make me go "there"(in my mind) might not make you think about "it" at all....see what I am saying? An example, when I was first studying this, I clearly came to realize that TV was a "stumbling block" for me, there were many reasons, so I chose to do what the bible said....which was "cut it off" LOL...convenient that in this situation it applied so well! lol....so I decided to turn off the TV for ME...that did NOT mean I asked Alex to stop watching TV or that I think anyone who does is wrong, it means I needed to remove it from MY life.....that doesn't mean if you read this passage that you "should" hear the same thing, no not at all, you may hear something completely different, that is what I mean when it is "different" for everyone. You have to do what you are told from God to do, not what you think someone else thinks you should do....you are only accountable to God and His word, so if while you are reading this passage and feel the Lord speaking to you, then heed what He is saying and He will bless you for obeying!

Ok so I hope I have gotten myself out of my corner, I hope this gives you an idea about christian character....now I can go back to enjoying blogging....actually, this wasn't bad....I do enjoy this topic, but it did take a few times of sitting down to finish it!....But then Alex is off from work....from the Friday before Christmas through new years.....so I have been spending a lot of extra time w/ him!...sorry it took me so long to blog....and I won't be back again before the new year! lol! Love to all~ and happy new year~