We are all the same. Made the same. It is by what we have that we think we need to define ourselves. So in taking into account the things we own we place importance among ourselves. When in all actuality we are the same. We are born the same way, flesh, into this cold and dark world. Waiting to one day awaken to the heavens opening up and angles singing to us. However it seems as though when a person who has a "higher" status than another steps down from their place and sees that we are all the same, the heavens do open and angles sing at the top of their voice. Heaven comes down to earth.
When the death row inmate realizes how deeply they are loved and valued, when the broken and tattered prostate realizes that she is a beautiful creation that is worth more than rubies, when the alcoholic or drug abuser realizes that their own version of hell has a very beautiful way out to sobriety and life. When heaven is spoken into each of these things then we begin to see that heaven is not some far off place up in the sky that we go to when we die.
Rather, that it is a very real and beautiful place here on earth. Waiting, watching, hoping, for the next chance for its king to rescue someone from the loneliness of hell and crab their precious hand and tell them how beautiful and wonderful they are. The king then shows them how beautiful this world is and how to live in this new way of heaven.
So if we as the church stop placing so much importance on what we have and place the importance upon people's own version of hell. Somehow learning to be like our Savior. Remembering that it was not so long ago that someone took on the servanthood of Christ for us and love them. Love them as Jesus first loved us. Forgive them as Jesus forgave us. Be patient with them as Jesus was patient with us. No matter what they say, no matter what they do no matter anything, be there and grab their hand through it all. Hell is to hard to bare alone. And rejoice with them on the day that they walk from death and sorry, to glory and joy.
For it seems to me that this is when we see Christ the most. When we look into another's eyes, who we know can give us nothing in return, and say regardless of everything, we are the same, I have worth, I was fearfully and wonderfully made, thus you are all of these things. Let's walk this path together, rejoice, cry, scream, laugh, live together so that we may embrace eternal glory together.
I can't keep this in anymore. This country is great. It has freedom. However, with all this freedom it seems as if we have lost the power of the gospel. Churches preach how Jesus died and rose again.They constantly tell their congregations usually the same watered down message week after week. There is no supernatural complete transformation. They say that you are blessed by God if you read your bible everyday, go to church every Sunday, listen to Christian music, the list goes on. But this is not what scripture teaches at all. Jesus says those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted. They are the ones who are blessed. Now if you believe in God and truly live for Him, yes God does bless you and romances your heart in the most beautiful ways. But as the body of Christ, most American Christians are doing a downright awful job in my opinion. I love everyone but where is the taking upon the burdens of others on yourself.Where is the dying to your earthly desires so that the Spirit may truly live in you.
Most people desire the American dream. Don't get me wrong, it could be nice, but where in the American dream does it speak of selling all you have because you have come upon the kingdom of heaven? Where is love? Where is forgiveness? Where is giving God His tithe? Where is your faith? Yes you have a savings account worth so much, you can buy food when you want, you have many blankets, you have things, so many things you can fill a house. But what about the homeless person sleeping on the bench downtown. Or the orphan who has no choice in becoming a prostitute because she just needs something to eat. Jesus said,what you do for the least of these you do for me. I ask you if you are the actual body of Christ and love the true Church as Christ intended ( just as a group of passionate believers united with Christ in love) then where is your love for those overseas in the communist countries who are endlessly beaten for their faith. The love for the old man who sits on the side of the road asking for a quarter so he can have something to eat because he probably hasn't eaten in days. Where is the love for the ones who don't know Christ who you see everyday but don't ever say anything to them about Christ. Where is your love for your fellow believer when they have wronged you in a terrible way? What does your heart break for? What is the desire of your heart?
I do not wish to condemn a single person at all or ever, that is not my heart, but it's just so heart breaking that in communist countries such as China the underground Church is so persecuted. Their pastors are consistently put into a torturous prison. However after many years of the most depressing prisons ever, they risk their lives again and again so that another person may come to know Christ. Yet in America we see the same people everyday, and it doesn't bother us at all whether or not they know where their neighbor will spend eternity.
I guess all I want to truly convey is what are the desires of your heart? Why is the norm to be a Christian but if you desire to be a radical Christian you are looked down upon? Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the tares. It is possibly the most beautiful parable not because of anything else but the fact that everyone looks the same, but its what is on the inside that determines where they will spend eternity.
Like I stated earlier, I wish to judge no one, that is God's position only, but I do plead that you examine your own heart with me as I consistently examine mine. Ask yourself where your true desires lie. Would you be willing to be a radical Christian and accept giving up material things for the eternal. Would you risk looking like a fool for Christ? Would you risk your life for love?
It still amazes me how much God truly cares for the little things. For a month now I have been wanting to have a homeless outreach day. So I had asked people if they wanted to join and tried to get food organized so that the homeless could experience love. However a month of only semi planning it (mainly because my work and school schedule took up to much of my time), the week came to when I wanted to go. That Wednesday and Thursday all the people that wanted to go and the friends I was going to spend time with in Houston had all canceled. So I still decided to drive up to see one of my friends before they went off for a camping trip. That morning I randomly packed 3 sandwiches and had more than enough food but thought I would stay for a while. However while stuck in downtown Houston, I just wanted to give the food to at least one homeless person and show them love. Thinking my plans were ruined I still went to see my friend. I finally arrived at my destination and was trying to find a candy shoppe, when randomly there was a homeless man who I was able to give the two uneaten sandwiches to. My heart was filled, and hopefully his tummy was too! Then to make things even better. I stopped at Starbucks to wait out rush hour traffic. I was meditating upon His complete goodness and care for the small things. I was desiring a good cup of coffee, read some of Acts and really wanted some fellowship. Turns out that God had such an idea. I entered into a marvelous conversation with one of the baristas and she was telling me all these marvelous stories of how she as a single woman would walk along the streets of Chicago unarmed and alone. She would experience the life of homelessness in one of the worst places but she was completely safe. It was just all so wonderful. God cares so much about the little things. He desires our hearts and romances them in every way possible. How Great is He and worthy of all praise.
I recently started reading Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne. What an amazing book. I read a part that struck me between the eyes and ever since, I have not been able to deal with myself. It speaks of the different prophets in the old testament and tells the stories of their strange ways of getting Israel to turn their attention back to God. I find Jeremiah's story the most interesting simply because there are no miracles involved, no amazing miraculous defeats, no fire from a rock or staying alive in the lions den or even walking in fire unharmed. Instead, Jeremiah used a yoke and wore it for days to symbolize imperial captivity and Ezekiel pulled off a nude protest and John the baptist ate lotus and wore camel skin clothes. All of these prophets have certain amazing things in common. They completely rejected societies ideals and norms to be outrageously in love with Jesus. They didn't care if they were publicly humiliated or cast out of their homes, all that mattered was that they were reaching the people with the news of the kingdom of God and His amazing grace and everlasting life they did whatever it took. It makes me wonder what it would take to get the public's attention that there is such a different world that can be imagined. Where love is the only answer anyone needs and peace is the currency that drives relationships all over the globe. In his book, Claiborne says of these prophets, "Yes, the prophets are weird. It can embarrass us to read of their antics, but what they do is not nearly as embarrassing as the things we do. which their actions expose so we can see that another future is possible". It asks the question of how far would you go to let those around us know that there is another world possible. There is another future that can happen. There are people out there who are in love with this new world so much so that they are making a change in their community. Would you be willing to look like a fool to show the foolishness of the "American dream"? It takes more than one act of kindness to stir a revolution but it starts with an act of love that turns into the revolution of love that could change the normal perspective of reality and see what life is truly like. Jesus died so that we may live the best life possible. We are supposed to be in this world and not of it. We are not able to serve two masters at one time. There is reference all through out scripture about how the kingdom of God is upon the earth and is alive and thriving. May we be so bold of a generation that we would take a stand to show others that there is freedom and that another world of beauty, love, compassion and freedom is possible, and here! There are so many amazing things that are happening everyday. Open your eyes and be amazed.
In the gospels were constantly told about having faith like a mustard seed and how the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. I’ve always thought that this is such a great parable but never quite grasped the real picture Jesus was trying to get at. So I googled some pictures. Matthew 13:31-32 says “He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
a mustard tree
Another one is Luke 17:5-6 “The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.”
So often we read so many books, listen to so many people tell us how to grow our faith or how to experience the kingdom of God on earth. The kingdom of God is here, it is on earth. It exists in the hearts of those who love God with all they have. It’s in the smallest of things that we see the largest manifestation of the kingdom. I’m not saying that reading Jesus books are bad, (that’s pretty much the only type of book I read) Instead of trying to figure out how to grow your faith, thinking that you may need to get your life “together” before you can dig deeper into God. Just stop now and take Christ at His word. Have some faith, any faith. All it takes is small faith that God will come through and once He does, your faith will grow. Plus you never have to have your life together or better yourself before you come to Christ, He meets you as you are but beware, you will never leave changed. And if you want to have everything together before you meet Him, chances are He will change it for the better. He loves you more than you will ever imagine, just have faith in the one who created you and love all.
“Long before there was man or the voice of mankind on the earth, there was music”. –Swindoll.
“Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave His only Son just to save us
The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Fathers Broken Heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died
Search your heart you know you can't deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave His only Son just to save us’
Now I’m a huge fan of music. I’m always listening to it. Having contemplated my first blog on love as well as all the comments, I’m completely in awe, flabbergasted if you must. God’s love is THE SINGLE GREASTEST THING IN THE UNIVERSE! I wish I could scream it at each and every person all the time. It is His love that comforts, His love that guides us, His love that corrects us and trains us. It’s His love that became man that calls us out of the miry clay to be transformed into beautiful pottery for His kingdom. It is out of His great love that He died. I love the lyrics I posted on this one. My favorite one is that it is more faithful than the morning. Is it just me or do you begin to cry when you read it? The song is by Phil Wickham and the song is True Love. It’s such a beautiful melody. I love this metaphor in the second line. The one thing that everyone knows will be faithful, that tomorrow (God willing) will happen; the sun will rise as it always does every morning. Plans may be set but they could fall through. Unexpected things happen all the time and life is completely blank but the greatest faith we have about everyday life is that the sun will rise. However God’s infinite love is so much more than that. It is so much greater!
It is out of this love that we learn how to love as He. I was listening to a sermon one day and I’ve forgotten the topic but one of the key points was that to love like Christ is plainly put. 1 Corinthians 13 the “love” chapter talks all about love, yet never would I have thought that It is a foundation and the very blue print about how we are to love all. I feel the need to examine. “Love is patient”. So often we get bugged about things with people whether it be time constraint or they’re not showing enough passion at the moment or they’re just not who or where you would like them to be. However love takes a step back and says, Christ is ALWAYS patient with me, and out of my consuming love for Him I shall show my friend and other people the same love so that Christ may be seen through this love. “Love is kind”. Love holds the door for other people. It helps an old lady cross the street. Love looks at the homeless, broken, “bad” people of this world and says you’re more than enough, you’re beautiful and I love you because Christ first loved you. Love takes the time to build others up. Think of the kindest thing someone has done for you. Think about how kind Christ is to us each and every day. All of the little amazing blessings God freely gives each and every day out of His overflowing kindness and love. That is the picture of kindness we should show to others out of our love for Him. “It does not envy”. Love says OH MY GOODNESS I’m so excited for you I wish you only the best and I wish for you blessings WITHOUT ever saying, I wish I had that or they don’t deserve that they didn’t work hard enough etc.” It rejoices! Honestly no one deserves anything. As people we are entitled to absolutely nothing except death and destruction. All good things flow from God Himself. “it does not boast, it is not proud”. Boasting is “to puff oneself up in speech: speak vaingloriously” (M-w.com). However we have nothing to boast about. It is by faith that we are saved! Love doesn’t boast and isn’t proud. It knows that without Christ’s death and resurrection, without clinging to the truth that Christ is Lord over our lives, we are nothing, damned to hell for all eternity. It is out of that love that we show others the love of Christ. What type of Jesus would the world see if, instead of talking about our 401k, retirement plan, life insurance, amount of money we make, what type of tv we have, and what not, if the love we showed the poor and homeless ended up costing us most of what we have so they could have a warm bed, warm food in their stomach, that didn’t come from a dumpster, a warm coat on cold days and a fireplace to sit next to while its raining or snowing while playing scrabble and enjoying fellowship. I’ve recently been reading Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. I started this blog back in February and now finishing it I have a greater passion and fire that this is lived out. We as humans were made to love. Love all as Christ loves us. The more and more love we give, the deeper out hearts become for others, the more we give ourselves away, the more we are filled with Christ’s love. It is never ending. I love the verse right before this passage that says,” 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing.” I challenge all, even myself every day to truly ponder what it means to love selflessly with the love of Christ. What are ways that you can live this out a little more everyday.
Also EVERYONE needs to read Irresistible Revolution. This book has seriously made my walk deeper and my heart restless in every way possible. The kingdom of God is here and now. When are we going to start living like Christ is coming back?
http://www.inspire4less.com/christian/where-there-is-love-there-is-god-a-path-to-closer-union-with-god-and-greater-love-for-others-mother-teresa-of-calcutta/9780385531788/product-details?lf=pd&pID=193013#
