Dont you just love that? I love coffee, I love this song, I love this weather, I love this shirt, I love this movie, I love I love love...lo...v...e. We whip that word around like we are trying to swat a bunch of flies with a wet noodle.
May I say I am very good and certain things, almost too good for my own good. Sound like any voice inside your head? Paul knew only too well what that was like, if I speak in the tongues of angels, if I prophecy, if I have faith to move mountains.....but have not Love I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor, but have not Love, I am nothing.
Gosh, God goes to the center of who we are, to make us miserable? No, to set us free from ourselves, Scripture says we love because He first loved us. The ability to love, it comes from the author of love. The definition comes from Him. Could it be that God is more concerned with me being patient, kind, keeping no record of wrongs, always forgiving, always hoping, always enduring than looking great as a Christian? I myself have ran over people in the name of ministry, I also have been run over in the name of the gospel. I need Jesus, as a Man, as a Husband, as a Leader, I need Jesus. Our striving for cars, money, status, etc. they mean nothing if we are using those to fill our need for Jesus. Below are lyrics to a recent song by Shane and Shane:
I'm overcoming fear
With Your perfect love, Your perfect love
You're opening my ears to hear
The sound of a lover's voice
You're calling out, You're calling out
Let me see Your face, Your loving face
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
I'm overcoming fear
With Your perfect love, Your perfect love
You're opening my ears to hear
The sound of a lover's voice
You're calling out, You're calling out
Let me see Your face, Your loving face
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Love, Your love
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Love, Your love, Your love
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Grace
I find myself trying to understand things, the why's or why not in life. Maybe you've done the same a time or two, someone gets sick, someone wins the lottery. Why is it I never seem to catch a break? Is there something I am not doing? Or maybe doing wrong?
The idea of Grace is one that seems at times to be out of reach or some mystical idea that is great to talk about, but really where does it fit into our purpose driven focused lives? May I suggest that Grace was really never meant to be understood, but rather experienced. For instance, the idea or rather the fact that someone can love you completely regardless of what you do or have done can make anyone including me short circuit. There is someone thing in us that wants to earn it, that wants to have our worth tied up in what we have been able to accomplish. Scripture talks about how we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
This glory is His alone, by right, by who He is, yet here is the startling thing, God in His infinite Love invites into His presence through the sacrifice of His Son. He invites us to the life in Christ, this life is something that most of us stop short of. Meaning that we dont hear much past Gods sacrifice, thus we learn to live up to the point of the cross, feeling that we are still a wretch who is lucky to be saved. At what point do we accept the grace of God, knowing He loves us, has saved us and we are made righteous in His sight. Let me say this, this isn't just an opinion, this is a fact, if you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, you are made righteous. I was once told there should be a healthy tension between the Law and Grace. May I be so bold to say, that the Law was fulfilled in Christ and done away with. There is no room for the Law in the Grace filled life. (Which is every Christians right as a child of God).
To bring this all together, God cares about each detail of our lives, sickness, provision, hurt, joy, laughter, peace, the list goes on and on. He call for us is to be obedient to His Divine Love and Grace that has so eloquently been written out in His word to us. The break we have been given is something we didn't deserve, what we have won is a life of hope and freedom and relationship, what have we done? Nothing. It is all by Gods Grace.
The idea of Grace is one that seems at times to be out of reach or some mystical idea that is great to talk about, but really where does it fit into our purpose driven focused lives? May I suggest that Grace was really never meant to be understood, but rather experienced. For instance, the idea or rather the fact that someone can love you completely regardless of what you do or have done can make anyone including me short circuit. There is someone thing in us that wants to earn it, that wants to have our worth tied up in what we have been able to accomplish. Scripture talks about how we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
This glory is His alone, by right, by who He is, yet here is the startling thing, God in His infinite Love invites into His presence through the sacrifice of His Son. He invites us to the life in Christ, this life is something that most of us stop short of. Meaning that we dont hear much past Gods sacrifice, thus we learn to live up to the point of the cross, feeling that we are still a wretch who is lucky to be saved. At what point do we accept the grace of God, knowing He loves us, has saved us and we are made righteous in His sight. Let me say this, this isn't just an opinion, this is a fact, if you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, you are made righteous. I was once told there should be a healthy tension between the Law and Grace. May I be so bold to say, that the Law was fulfilled in Christ and done away with. There is no room for the Law in the Grace filled life. (Which is every Christians right as a child of God).
To bring this all together, God cares about each detail of our lives, sickness, provision, hurt, joy, laughter, peace, the list goes on and on. He call for us is to be obedient to His Divine Love and Grace that has so eloquently been written out in His word to us. The break we have been given is something we didn't deserve, what we have won is a life of hope and freedom and relationship, what have we done? Nothing. It is all by Gods Grace.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A new way to post and to live
Well my friends, I've been inspired, after hitting the ole doctors office recently, I've realized I need to be eating healthier. So its been about 1 month, my wife and I have revamped our diet, let me tell you I feel much better, in only a month! All that aside I think I will share a bit of the new way of living as I go, here is what I will tell you.
Eating healthy and taking care of your body is honoring to God, many of us overlook it and think oh whats the big deal. Take some time to study what you are putting in your body, "high fructose corn syrup" = poison. God never intended us to fill our bodies with junk, as the temple of the holy spirit we should be taking care of it. I want to be around for my family and hopefully kids in the future ;). Its sobering to know that we are finite, but also good to remember, what choices will you make today? Peace love and uh...tofu (ok that is going to far....I dont endorse tofu, nasty nasty yuk yuk).
Eating healthy and taking care of your body is honoring to God, many of us overlook it and think oh whats the big deal. Take some time to study what you are putting in your body, "high fructose corn syrup" = poison. God never intended us to fill our bodies with junk, as the temple of the holy spirit we should be taking care of it. I want to be around for my family and hopefully kids in the future ;). Its sobering to know that we are finite, but also good to remember, what choices will you make today? Peace love and uh...tofu (ok that is going to far....I dont endorse tofu, nasty nasty yuk yuk).
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