Nathanael Joseph Maloney's Blog

Change

nswipe92 — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 03:01:40 +0000

America is going down the drain if people dont change; the same is for the church. It is shameful the reputation that some Christians have with the world. The world hates us, and yes it does say in John that that the world will hate us, but it has gone to the point were they accuse us of being hypocrites, and judgmental. First off we are called to Love, in 1 John, it says that if anyone hates his brother but Loves God, is a liar. Also we have people ignoring the great commission, to go out to ALL the nations, yes there are needs here in the US but we also need to go to all the nations. We are called to make disciples in all nations, then baptize them, and then help them along in their new life. We are also called to give everything we have to God, and let him use us. We are called to pick up our crosses and follow him, everyday, not when we feel like it, but all the time.

Now I dont really know what the I am going to say really, what I want to say and let all Christians know will take years, especially to get it in their heads. God has called us to be so much more than we are now, me included. Our biggest calling or one of them is to reach out to the needy, not just the needy in our own town, but also the world. The other is to make disciples; those are two important parts of following God, yes there are many more like Love. This is just the beginning.

Radical is a book by David Platt, I highly recommend it. It has helped me see things in a new light, things I already knew but didn’t take action upon. That statistics are mind blowing, and why? because Christians that can do something aren’t doing anything. They are busy living out the American dream in their lives but with a Christian spin on it. If we are to start living a biblical life it demands radical change, hence the title of the book.

Now I am going to try to post more posts about this subject of radical change, but dont take my word on it. If you want to get the book radical and read it, and even f you dont want to, well I am telling you to, it is worth it.

Christianity is Not a Relgion

nswipe92 — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:33:02 +0000

We live in a world of so many religions. All claim to be the one, the one that is the truth. Well there is one that stands above the rest but it doesnt fit in the category of religion. It is prob safe to say that it receives the most mudslinging from anyone. Now you may be wondering what makes it not a religion. If you look at all religions, they all require the follower to do good. Look at Buddhist, they do good to reach enlightenment, pretty selfish to me. Or lets say Islam, they do it to get the virgins, and to put themselves in a good light, they dont even let woman have rights.

Well with Christians, do it not for their own glory, not to get into Heaven, but to bring glory and honor to God. See we dont have to work our way to Heaven because our Savior died to let us in. Not only did he die but he sealed our way to heaven by rising again. We dont have to do anything except allow Jesus to be our savior. We don t do good deeds to bring glory to us, but to God.

Now this is a short post but I was just writing my thoughts

Love

nswipe92 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:56:50 +0000

So there is this thing called love, the reason I call it a thing is because its a feeling but also a verb, something you do. You feel it but yet you also do it, so im just going to call it a thing. This thing love is so powerful, but yet this world throws it around like its nothing. One reason I dont like the English language is it only has one word for love, the Hebrews have at least 3 and the Greeks have 4. So in english we can say we love our wife, and we love tacos. Hm comparing your wife and a food. See what I mean? Love is degraded by the English language.

I like the 3 words the Hebrews use for love the most. Raya, Avahah and Dode, (not sure on the spellings). Raya is love between friends, like good friends. Avahah is unconditional love, like the love Christ showed us through his sacrifice. And Dode is physical love, like what should only be between a married couple. The reason I pick these 3 is because you need these 3 in any marriage. They need to be balanced and if they are then it is a healthy marriage.

The saying you marry your best friend is so true. Before you date anyone, you need to get to know them on a friendship level, otherwise you run the risk of getting too much of the other Loves before Raya. And yes it can work out were you meet and start dating cause if you are focused and want it to work you will try to get to know the person you are dating. But doesnt it make sense you need to be able to tell them whatever? Before moving onto Avahah or Dode, you need to get Raya.

Once you have Raya in your relationship, Avahah will come and this is when Love really starts to show. This is when you will say I love you and mean it. This is when you would do anything for the one that you Avahah. Then there is Dode, this love is anything from holding hands to yes of course sex. Dode needs to be controlled in till marriage otherwise it can compromise your marriage.

The beauty is that when these 3 loves are in perfect balance they become a fire that cant be put out because Love Wins.

If you want more insight to these 3 loves watch this Rob Bell video, he does a really good job explaining them.

Homeless

nswipe92 — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:39:03 +0000

I just finished reading a book call Under The Overpass. It was about how the author and one of his friends lived homeless for 5 months. They shared how they were treated by the not homeless people. They got the worst treatment by restaurant employees. Sadly only a handful of Christians helped them and treated them like normal people. This greatly discouraged their faith along the way. But they did encounter people that encouraged them and even was changed by them. In Matthew 25:40 it says The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ . Also whatever we dont do unto the least of these we dont do unto him. If God is love and we are called to be like Christ then we are called to love. So whats preventing us? our comfort zone? We (even me) need to learn step out of our comfort zones and love those who need it.

Christmas songs

nswipe92 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:54:12 +0000

Lately I’ve just been thinking about Christmas songs and how its so sad. Society has taken these worshipful Christmas songs and tried to make them less meaningful. In some ways they succeed, like when a non-Christian sings a Christian Christmas song like silent night, thats a common one. But when you really stop and think about the lyrics of these songs we sing during this time of year you realize how powerful they can be. For example in the song What child is this the line “come peasant king to own him” jesus even as a baby was so great and praise worthy, that a king was like a peasant. That is pretty crazy i would have to say. Also in the song Hark the Herald Angels Sing the line “Born that man no more may die” yes millions and billions of people have died since then but the meaning of that line is Jesus was born to die on the cross for our sins and then defeat death by rising from the dead. This made it so sinful people like you and me can ask for forgiveness, believe in our hearts that He is Lord and be saved and only experience a a physical death. Our souls will forever live with God in heaven, we wont have to experience another “death” separation from God forever. One of my favorite Christmas songs is by Relient K, I celebrate the day
“To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life”
I just love that song so much, the words are so powerful. So if there is one thing you get out of this blog is that Christmas songs are worship songs just as much as any other worship song. It may be seasonal but I hope that next time you sing a “carol” in church that you sing with worship to God just like any other song that is sung in a church. The people who wrote them I imagine wrote the songs with huge reverence to God so i hope when we sing them we can sing them with just as much reverence for God as when they wrote them.

Abram

nswipe92 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:59:56 +0000

So what does the character Abram (AKA Abraham) from the bible have to do with me? He may be the father of Faith but, im not going through the same as he did. I am nothing like him. As i said in the previous blog, God told Abram to do some wacky things, to leave his family, take what he has and go to a land that is about to get a famine. And God told Abram, oh by the way, even though you have no kids, im gonna give them this land. When the Famine struck, Abram went to Egypt; God didnt tell Abram to do so. When they get there, Abram tells his 65 year old wife to pretend to be his sister so the Egyptians dont kill him. The Pharaoh hears about Sarai and wants to see her beauty. Pharaoh almost takes her in as his wife, God sends plagues down on Pharaoh and his family. Pharaoh gets pissed and kicks them out. So Abram goes back to Bethel, but this isnt the “promised” land. His nephew Lot is with him and God has blessed them soooo much that Abram and Lo must part because the land cant support them. Abram does one thing that went against the culture of that time. He was the head of the house and he let Lot choose. He told Lot if you go to the right ill go to the left, but if you go left ill go right. Lot looked and saw good crops to one direction, he choose for himself and went that way. The funny thing is that Abram ended up going back to this land, the land of Canaan. the land God told him he would give to his descendants. Abram stuck his neck out, and God provided. He took the leap of faith no one would think to take. This is where it connects to me and even you. God calls us to do his work, and some have to give up everything to do so. But then God provides and you are taken care of. But we need to take that leap of faith in order for God to provide.

A Mystery Of God

nswipe92 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:38:45 +0000

So God is unfathomable, we can never understand him. Since we cannt understand him, when he speaks to us, we dont get, he doesnt explain everything, or how hard it may become. We see this in Abraham, but this is when he is still Abram. God tells Abram to go to one place full of Idol worship, his homeland. To leave his family, his land, and at the time, even extended families lived in either the same house or the one next door. God sends Abram over 100 miles away from his family. At this point Abram is 75 and has no kids. God promises Abram that he will make his descendants into a great nation (Israel). When Abram gets to the land on Cainnan, the land of the Cainnanites, another land full of Idol Worship. God tells Abram that he will give his descendants this land, oh and by the way, it has a famine, now go to Egypt. What God told Abram didnt make any sense. There will come a time in everybody’s life that God will tell them to do something that doesnt make sense. I feel like that moment in my life is now, as a senior in high school. The logical thing for me to do is to go to college. To do what my parents want me to do. But I feel God telling me to not go to college for now and go work at this Christian Camp in the Kitchen because they need someone to run it and i have worked in that kitchen for 2 summers, and this makes no sense to me. But this is were faith comes in and helps you. when you have two options and God is telling you to do the one that makes the least sense.

Update

nswipe92 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:30:22 +0000

So its been a while since I’ve last posted something. Since then a lot has changed. The last time i posted something i was “dating” one girl but now im dating another. But the thing is that i still care about the other girl because she is my sister in Christ. It is safe to say that i am more mature than the last time i posted something. Not just in a mental sense but also a spiritual sense, my knowledge of Love is just one topic i have broadened my knowledge in. But since April God has opened my eyes to the mistakes I made, mainly the ones I didnt think were mistakes. Now im dealing with what to do after high school since im a senior. well this is a lot shorter than i thought it would be but its just a small little update of things and more is to come

Jesus Christ our Laminin

nswipe92 — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:40:03 +0000

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17

I know some people try to debunk this fact, they say that the symbol used for medicine. But you know every fact and every theory will have people against it, there will always be someone opposing, its just how it is. Well the scripture that i posted above says in verse 17 that Jesus holds us together, and he does and a protein in our body that is in the shape of a cross holds us together, it holds our tissues and organs, holds our skin, on Youtube you will find videos that try to debunk it of being the shape of the cross, i just dont think they truly dont get the importance, you know the cross was once a symbol of death, and now its a symbol of hope and what our savior, who holds us together was killed on before he rose again. honestly i dont know how atheist can be atheist, i mean the proof against them is so big in number, and the proof for the bible is so big as you can read further on my common objections to Christianity page. but yeah watch the video and leave what you think.

Your Name

nswipe92 — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:08:46 +0000

As morning dawns and evening fades
You inspire songs of praise
That rise from earth to touch Your heart and glorify Your Name

CHORUS
Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
‘Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name

Jesus, in Your Name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord, give us strength to live for You and glorify Your Name

CHORUS
Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
‘Cause nothing has the power to save but Your Name

INSTRUMENTAL

CHORUS
Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
(1st & 2nd endings)
‘Cause nothing has the power to save but

(Repeat Chorus)
(3rd ending)
‘Cause nothing has the power to save but Your Name
(Repeat)

By Anthony Evans