Grief

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Sometimes the news comes quick. Sometimes the news comes slow. No matter how or when it comes, grief travels in the wake of the news. Grief is heavy, weighty, a burden, especially when it involves someone deeply loved. Grief is not meant to be carried alone. It’s too heavy and may last a while—and that’s ok. That’s what family and friends are for, to share the load. Jesus stood outside the tomb of his friend and wept but He did not weep alone. It was a deep, human moment. “ Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted ” (Matt 5:4). If anyone knows how we feel in grief, it’s Him. But His grief did not linger long, as at the mention of his name, Lazarus came forth. We are not meant to dwell in grief, but should leave room enough for it. Let it run its course. Like the song says, “ Every Storm Runs Out Of Rain .” Another song says, “ The storm We will dance as it breaks The storm It will give as it takes And all of our pain is washed away Don't cry or be afraid Some things...

How to Create a Debationist.

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  1. Let Hedonism be your guide. Try anything once and do the fun things twice—just don’t hurt anyone in the process;
  2. Stand up for your rights. Nobody has the right to tell you what to do—and be loud about it. Stay away from intolerant people;
  3. Follow your heart, your feelings. Soothe the conscience by referring to Step 1;
  4. Discover your hidden potential;
  5. Truth is what you make it, so do what seems right to you. Believe in yourself;
  6. Whatever you desire, go for it. Let nothing get in your way. Give yourself permission to get whatever you want even though people are not going to simply give it to you. The world is there for the taking—after all, you deserve it. The sooner you get it, the better. ("Send me $95 and I’ll show you how!")

    “Quarrels are a part of life. We grow up understanding them, we are competitive, we are even taught to be competitive. Little children fight. The kids fight over the toys, they go to school and they fight over the games in the playground, they go to high school and they fight over the girls, they go to college and they fight over campus policies, they grow up and fight over their business dealings, they become politicians and fight over policies of a government. That’s war, and James says it’s because you have strong desires and those strong desires are generated by yourself. Man, because he is depraved, is selfish and egotistic; and that problem finds its way into the church, so we have fights in the church.” (John MacArthur, Sermon on 1 Cor. 1:10-17, “Splits and Quarrels in the Church.”)

    “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: 'He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us'? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'” (James 4:1-6)


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