Ok, so normally I use a bible verse and share with you my thoughts, but today I feel the need to blog about the second greatest news that you ever hear. Of course we know what the greatest news that you will ever is, Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, but the second greatest news is…..man…..awesome.
So, Christians believe in God because he is all-knowing, loving, forgiving….did I mention loving? and many other reasons to I would assume, but we believe in God but what about God? Does he believe in us?
YES!! HE DOES!!!
GOD BELIEVES IN YOU!!!
Yes, it sounds like there should be more to it but their isn’t, that’s it. Just think for a minute about all the stupid stuff that we do to sabotage us from experiencing the overwhelming love and grace of Christ, Think about the thousands of people that have lost their jobs here recently, think about anytime you have felt alone and had no clue what to do. God doesn’t see us as His children that constantly make mistakes. He thinks and sees us His children whom He Loves and Believes in, and there is no amount of stupid crap that we could do in our lives that will change that.
Now, that is an exciting thought for Holy Thursday now isnt it!? So, no matter what you have been going through recently or what has even happened today that may have brought you down DONT FORGET THAT GOD ALWAYS LOVES YOU AND BELIEVES IN YOU!!!
Be Love.
Saints
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, “To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers[a] and deacons.”
Philippians 1:1
I mean let’s be honest when you look at yourself or even people in the community of faith do you think saints? So, this begs the question do we really know what we are capable of? or who we are?
In God’s eyes we are a lot of things that we dont see that we are, but God sees us as those things. Saints is just one of the many things that God wants to do with our lives. He sees us as his children whom he loves so much that he would die for us, and he believes in us as the people that help bring the kingdom of God to earth, i mean that’s the point isnt it. To make life better.
God is so beyond our own “rational understanding.” I mean he is three in one, that just doesnt make sense, and neither does calling us saints.
No one ever said that being a child of God would make sense all the time. A lot of the time its not going to make sense because God is so beyond us, but its the truth. Even though at times it doesnt make a lick of sense.
God made us His voice, and asked us to be faithful and loving in response to His gracious gift of love and faithfulness in us.
God believes in His voice.
Jesus = Fully God + Fully Man
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
Last night my brother David, our church’s teaching pastor talked about this verse as we as a community of faith prepare ourselves for Easter. During the message that David brought this verse kept replaying in my mind, and it really struck me because in this moment at the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus, who knows fully well what his purpose is comes to His Father and pleads with him to see if there is another way to absolve the world of its sins.
Jesus is scared.
Jesus, the savior of the world, our redeemer is scared. He is pleading for another way for this to be done.
Jesus is Fully God and Fully Man, that is the essence of his existence. That he is God and Man in the same body. We should take comfort in the fact that Jesus faced every trial that we will ever face. Why should that comfort us? Because Jesus knows what it means to be scared, to be hurting, to be loved, to be disappointed. He can relate. He understands. He gets it.
Im going to let that sink in…..let it marinate….
Following while Confused.
So, here in the last couple of weeks I have been hit with a thought that is disturbing at the same very humbling. As I follow Jesus through my life and learn of his teachings, I find myself confused with a paradoxical and unreasonable being that is God. Now, that statement in and of itself may confuse you, but just think about it for a minute. How reasonable is our faith? It’s not a reasonable notion, but somehow in the inner core of being of who we are tells us that its a part of us. Take the word faith. It means to believe in things that you cannot see or touch, which is not a reasonable thought.
Even in the scriptures it says that people saw Jesus and still didnt believe….and today I believe in Jesus but I cant see him. Or can I?
Seeing the confusion yet?
Im learning that not understanding everything is an ok notion to have. There are some things that we will never understand about God, creation, Jesus, and etc. But God tells us that the only thing that matters really is Love your neighbor as yourself and Love the Lord your God with your heart, mind, and soul. So, really its all about love. Who knew the Beatles were theologians when they sang, “All you need is Love?”
At the inner core of every human being is God. You are made in God’s image which means that if God is Love then you are Love. The Greatest Commandment of loving your neighbor and loving God is just God saying be yourself, be who I created you to be. Be Love.
That is a humbling and awesome feeling. Be Love. So its ok to be follow while your confused, just be love.
Love is.
So, its been like five years since I blogged last and man a lot has been happening in my life here lately. So, first of all lets talk First Mansfield Students. I am very proud to say that I am a student ministry intern for the most amazing church in the universe! First United Methodist Church Mansfield and man its been such a blessing doing ministry with a good friend of mine, Johnny Brower. The church has been going great!
Just recently we were so blessed to have the amazing organization, Invisible Children come and give us a personal screening of their new film, “Jump First, Fear Later,” and I have to say that it didnt disappoint, it was amazing, very eye opening and made me realize a couple of things, but one question came to my mind that night. And its been nagging at my me.
“What is a Christian to do with such horrible injustice? “
This question has been tearing at me for a couple of weeks now and I have one answer.
Love
Is Love really enough?
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
and wait for it….
8Love never fails.
Yeah its enough…