The worst thing a rape victim can do

“The worst thing a rape victim can do for herself is get an abortion”—Rebecca Kiessling

Oxygen

Think about all the things a planet needs to support life; oxygen, water, variety of plants, insect to pollinate the plants, variety of animals, temper climate, just the right distance from the sun, the right kind of sun, a large moon, the right placement in the milky way….etc.

Look at the air we breathe, for example. Our bodies need enough oxygen to live, but if we have too much, it can damage our lungs. The amount of oxygen in the air needs to be very precise; not too much, not too little.

21% of the air we breathe is oxygen, which just so ‘happens’ to be the perfect amount. If you increased the oxygen level by 1%, the chances of natural forest fires occurring goes up by 70%! As you can see, there is little margin for error.

What makes up the other 79% of the air we breathe? I was hoping you’d ask. Nitrogen. Nitrogen just so ‘happens’ to be the perfect dilute of oxygen, because it doesn’t react with our bodies in any way; you breathe in the nitrogen, but then you breathe it right back out. Almost all other gases—carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc—are poisonous to humans! We are very ‘lucky’ that nitrogen makes up most the air we breathe.

Exploring Creation with Chemistry by Dr. Jay L. Wile

The Love Chapter: Benifiting Others

As we look at the words Paul uses to describe the love chapter, most words falls into two groups; serving others, or denying yourself.

Love is…..

Patient: To endure boredom or the annoyance of others

Kind: Always ready to help others

Doesn't envy: Doesn’t want what others have

Isn’t Boastful: Doesn’t brag about oneself

Isn’t Proud: Doesn’t think too highly of oneself

Isn’t Rude: shows respect for others

Isn’t self-seeking: the desire to benefit oneself

Isn’t easily angered: doesn’t become furies with others

Keeps no record of wrongs: Doesn’t keep track of wrongs others have committed.

Always Protects: to guard others

Trusts: A strong belief that some person is honest or can be depended on

Love is, in short, the desire/act of benefit others, even at personal cost.

1 Corinthians 13: definition of adjectives

I like most of us are familiar with the Love Chapter (1 Corinthians 13). We’re going to look at this passage, but from a new perspective. I love looking up the definitions of words. For every adjective in the sections, I looked up the definition of that word. When I did it, I really enjoyed it. It brings the text to life in a whole new way.

Love is patient
• Able to put up with pain, trouble, delay or foredoom without complaining.

Love is kind.
• Always ready to help others and do good; friendly, gentle, generous, or sympathetic. To show kindness.
-The condition or habit of being kind.

It does not envy
• A feeling of jealousy or dislike toward someone who has what one would like to have.

it does not boast
• To talk about oneself or accomplishments with too much pride and pleasure; to brag.

it is not proud
• Thinking too highly of oneself; conceited or haughty. To be self forced.

5It is not rude
• Without respect for others; not polite. Rough or crude.

it is not self-seeking
• To find or search for something valuable to claim for one’s self.

it is not easily angered
• To be upset or to lose one’s temper.

it keeps no record of wrongs

6Love does not delight in evil
• Does not give great pleasure or rejoice or become joyful in wrong or shameful acts.

but rejoices with the truth.
• To be glad or be delighted of what is fact or has the quality of being true, honest and real. What is true; the facts.

7It always
• At all times; at every moment. Forever.

Protects
• To guard or defend against harm or danger; to shield.

always trusts,
• A strong belief that some person or think is honest or can be depended on.


always hopes,
• A felling or strong belief that what is wanted will happened.

always perseveres.
• maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

8Love never fails
• At no time, under no conditions does not do what one tries to do; not succeed. To lose.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Jesus’ life: Miracles

Jesus was always healing people; the lame, the sick, the blind, the mute, etc. Every miracle was an act of love; he was serving someone else.

In that day, the teachers (Rabbi) had to be clean. There was a list of requirements that a teacher must do to remain clean; ceremonial washing, not touching dead animals, etc. One of the requirements was you couldn’t touch a dead or ill person. If you did, you had to go through this time-consuming ceremonial washing.

When the widow’s only son had died, Jesus had compassion on her. She now had no one to provide for her.

At the funeral, Jesus came forward, touched the boy, and healed him.

Jesus touched him. Jesus knew he’d have to do ceremonial washing, but he did it anyway. He put the needs of the widow and her son before his own.

I think Jesus had to go through the ceremony washing a lot, because he was always touching and healing sick people.

Jesus demonstrated love by putting other’s needs before his needs.

Jesus' life: The cross

Jesus is love. He doesn’t have love; He is love. You cannot separate the two. If you have Jesus, you have love. If you have love, you have Jesus. Jesus can’t run out of love; it’s a part of His identity. Jesus is love. Jesus life is a perfect example because He didn’t just have love; He was love.

Let’s look at Jesus and His life on Earth. The reason he came was to die for us and to save us. He chose to leave heaven, live like a human for 30 some years, and then die a cruel death.

What did the cross do for Jesus? Nothing. It brought Him only pain. He sacrifice and lost everything He had.

What did the cross do for us? Everything. It gave us life and saved us.

Jesus didn’t put himself first, but He always put other first. If He’d been thinking of Himself and His own well being, He would have stayed in Heaven. But He didn’t. He chose to put others and their needs before His own.

Love is putting others’ needs before your own.