Blog of Doreen Ong www.jesuscentral.com/13458   July 08, 2008 Incite? No I do not think He was trying to incite His death.  Being fully God and fully man, He knew what was going to happen.  That does not mean He had to cause it to happen.  He has no need to manipulate or try to control events.  The Father is in control, and everything Jesus did was in obedience to the Father. In the gospel of John, Jesus said that He had authority to lay down His life and to take it up again. The fact that He willingly did so, enduring such torture, for my sake, is amazing. By: Doreen Ong - July 08, 2008 - Public Category: Timeline - Final 1 Week Comment Helpful? Favorite Violation June 23, 2008 How does being forgiven increase ones love for God? I think if we strip away the superficialities and let Jesus see all the failings and selfishness and foolishness in our secret and not so secret lives, if we surrender our hopeless struggle to "get it right" to Him, there is a deep intimacy that is created.  He knows us, the part of us we are ashamed to have anyone see, and He loves us anyway.  He sees us, the messed up, disorganized us, and says "I can fix that."  He sees all we have been hoping to hide, and forgives us--cleanses us from all that is not right.  If we can truly understand that, experience it, our love for God will be overflowing. By: Doreen Ong - June 23, 2008 - Public Category: God Forgives You, If You Ask Comment Helpful? Favorite Violation June 19, 2008 What is the Kingdom of God? This is an interesting question.  I think the kingdom of God is anywhere God is obeyed and submitted to as King. In this case then, the kingdom of God is in the hearts and lives of those who love, obey and serve Him.  It is where His will is carried out. As He has dominion over all, of course, the world belongs to Him, and yet though He is the King above all kings, not all have submitted to Him or recognize Him as such.  Yet realizing the kingdom of God is among us--it reminds me again that life is full of infinite possibilities as we align ourselves with Him! For nothing is impossible with Christ! By: Doreen Ong - June 19, 2008 - Public Category: Good News: the Kingdom of God has come... Comment Helpful? Favorite Violation June 18, 2008 According to Jesus, what does it mean to be loved by God? According to Jesus, it means He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to save us. It means He loves us with the same love that He has bestowed on Jesus Himself--a love that cannot be taken away, a love that can be lived in. To be loved by God means that He desires for us to know Him, that He will reveal Himself to us, that He will make His home with us and be our refuge, our comfort, our rest, our strength, our sustenance. To be loved by God means that NO ONE and NOTHING can snatch us out of His hand! PRAISE HIM! By: Doreen Ong - June 18, 2008 - Public Category: God Loves & Values You Comment Helpful? Favorite Violation June 12, 2008 The Value of Every Soul Jesus' actions showed the inestimable value God places on each human soul.  It is not determined by our status, our usefulness, our productivity, our success, our failings, our hypocrisy, or our sin.  It is not based on our ability to give back to Him or worship Him or accomplish anything of worth to Him.  He values us, treasures us, loves us simply because we are His.  He made us because He loves us.  Even those that society would despise, disdain, or disregard, He deems precious and full of possibilities.  What a wonderful Savior! By: Doreen Ong - June 12, 2008 - Public Category: Befriending and Promoting the Lowly Comment Helpful? Favorite Violation Next >>