Forgive them for they know not…

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”  Hebrews 13:17

Having lunch today with my wife at TGI Friday’s, (great salad by the way) I was deeply saddened and angered as I sat by two older women.  One of them was speaking with great authority and let me say venom, spite, disrespect and self-righteous pride, about her church and specifically her Pastor.  I don’t think she could have found many more ways to verbally tear him down.  I’m glad I was almost done with my great salad when she said “I think we are just going to fire him.”

I wanted to walk over and ask, “What church do you attend, so I can know where not to go.”  I had many other thoughts, but had I said them, someone might be writing a blog about me right now.

No one knows the burden of a Pastor but a Pastor and/or his wife.  How can people become so arrogant and unloving?  According to Barna Research, in 2008 there were over 1700 Pastors that left formal ministry every month.

Let me encourage you to take heed to the passage in Hebrews and Paul’s encouragement.  Repent if you have been guilty.  If justifying yourself is at all running through your mind right now  or this blog personally offends you – you need to repent.  Make it your aim to make your Pastor’s labor on your behalf a joy.  Go out of the way to serve him as he serves you.  Love him with the kind of love Jesus died to give you.

Romance…

Listening to this strikes a romantic chord.  I think I need to go out and buy one.

Keep your love alive!

Risky Buisness…

We have been teaching a series called “Going Deep” over the last few weeks and it has been an awesome experience for me because it has been shaping me as I teach it. 

The thing I have been pondering is how we mostly present Christianity as a belief system instead of a way of life.  Our faith was intended to be a way of life.  God models this for us.  We know 1 John 4:8 says “God is love.”  This is our belief.  But, in Romans 5:8 God Gives us His way of life, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   We know the bible says God is kind and we believe it but Romans 2:4 says “the kindness of God leads you to repentance.”  Our belief system has to always be fleshed out.  It has to become for us a way of life.

In our series about “Going Deep”,we looked at Acts 2:42-47 where the believer (system) devoted themselves (way of life).  They devoted themselvesto fellowship and breaking of bread which requires a great deal of humility and vulnerability.  Let’s just say this is RISKY BUSINESS.  I shared in our series how we will have fellowship to the degree that we are known.  This means the risk of exposing ourselves, being real.  It questions “If I let people know this about me, what will they think, what will they do?”

That said, I was privileged this week to be invited to lunch by a new friend.  When we settled down to eat he said the reason he wanted to have lunch with me was to expose himself.  He said he wanted to tell me about his life so we could know each other deeper.  WOW!!!  The courage it takes to let it all hang out.  My experience has been, you never know how people will react when you open up to be known.  I am so blessed, both as this persons friend and as a pastor.  I am blessed to go deeper as a friend and like most pastors, we are blessed when people “get it.”  It takes a great deal of faith to live the kind of life, but is is our reward, our inheritance in the saints.

Hang in there with me, I need to catch up the last two weeks of this series here on the blog. (Breaking Bread & Prayer)

Here are the links for the first 3 parts of this series “GOING DEEP.”

Pt. 1 GOING DEEP

Pt. 2 GOING DEEP

Pt.3 GOING DEEP

Going Deep Pt. 1

Last week I started a new teaching series at The Dwelling Place entitled “Going Deep.”  It was prompted by something I posted a few days back where I said “Going Deep is our part, going Big is God’s part.”  As I was reflecting on Acts 2 I noticed something that jerked me back like a dog on a leash.

We have a tendency as church pastors and church planter to give in to the pressure to produce.  Much of our insecurities can be manipulated by the pressure of perceived expectation, that we must make it grow.  Since we are the experts, we must do something to make that thing get bigger.  After all it is the consumers measure for success.  If it’s not succeeding then we are not succeeding.  Let me say to all of you in ministry, “What a load of CRAP!”  Success?  I remember what my Father said to His firstborn, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.”  This is it.  I am my Daddy’s son and He loves me.

Moving on.  After finishing a previous series where we looked at what our mission was, I was tempted to work up a mission statement, package it well, capture it in a clever statement and then….jerrrrrk.  I saw it.  

“And they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers……praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”   Acts 2:42,47

The new believers devoted themselves……it produced favor and the Lord added to their number.

Devoted in the Greek means “to be earnest towards.”  It is a compound word for “forward” indicating a direction and movement towards; and to be strong, steadfast or endure.   In the context of verse 42 it means these new believers were moving forward in a stronger and more earnest relationship with Jesus, their leaders (Apostles) and each other.  In other word they were GOING DEEPER in Scripture and teaching of the Apostles, deeper in fellowship, deeper in the practice of faith and deeper in prayer together.

When we enter into this deeper devotion and a missional, incarnational focus on those around us, it will produce favor.  Going deeper in relationship and love with God and people is an attractive thing.  When you find something you really love, don’t you want to tell someone or share it with someone.  “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  If you don’t want to share the experience of what you have, you might want to check and see if you had it in the first place. 

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”      1 John 4:8

God cannot be contained.  When we try to put God in a box and contain Him, it becomes something other than God.  It just becomes religion and not good religion at that.  Life has to have room to grow or you kill it.    “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”  1 John 4:7

Missional, Incarnational Community…

In the movie Superman Returns, Superman comes to see Lois and explains why he left and came back.  He takes Lois for a flight through the night sky high above the earth.  As they hover, Superman says:

S: What do you hear?

L: Nothing.

S: I hear everything….

S: You wrote “The world does not need a Savior, but every day I hear people crying out for one.”

Isn’t that so true.  If you have the ears and eyes to discern the cry of humanity all around us;  they cry out for a Savior.  From atheist to agnostic to right out vile pagan - While even in the midst of outright denying the existence of God, their lives, their pain, their dreams and life longings cry out for a Savior. 

Instead of self-righteous disdain for the behavior and religious beliefs of others, we should be moved to compassion for a crying humanity in need of a Savior. 

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”   Micah 6:8

Who is going to show them the way?

ReThink Church: Pt 4 – What is our mission?

This has been an incredible journey for me to this point.  We have finished our last week in this series at The Dwelling Place, but have only begun to scratch the surface of how this all applies to us practically as the church.  Our goal was to lay a firm foundation for our ecclesiology.  I believe the first layer has been laid well.  It’s now up to all of us to act as wise builders on a good foundation. 

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (22) In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

The premise for reconstructing our thoughts on our mission is the fact that throughout history God has been the “Missio Dei” – the sending God.  From the beginning God sent His Word and His Spirit and created all things.  He sent man in the garden.  He sent men throughout OT history.  He sent Jesus into the world.  He sent the Holy Spirit.  And, as we will see, He sends us.

So what is our mission?

First, our mission is to be new people.  Romans 6 is clear that God redeemed us and has in Christ brought us from death to life. 

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4

We are to live our lives consistently with the new identity we have in Jesus, walking in newness of life.  We should live different lives that reflect the life of Jesus in us.  There should be a marked difference in us as compared to the world we live in.  We are now light in darkness.

Second, our mission is to be God’s message.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what is our life speaking.  As Christ followers, we worry so much about sharing or not sharing Christ.  You might not think so, but I believe every person who has genuinely chosen to belong to Jesus has had to deal with the fear of sharing Christ, or not.  Some may think it’s not their job.  Though our word are important, we shouldn’t worry about our words as much as our life.  Paul says we are a letter that is being read by all that see us.

“And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:3

Paul continues this thought here in chapter 5 saying we are new creations in Christ, all things are new.  What things?  All things pertaining to who we are versus who we were. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (18) All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

He also makes it clear that by reconciling us to Christ he also gave us a ministry and message of reconciliation.  We are God’s message of reconciliation lived out every day.  We are to live in such a way that God’s appeal is evident to all we come in contact with.

“For the love of Christ controls us..” 2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul reveals the evidence of this new creation and the motivation of our shared life message.  It is love.  There is such an incredible love deposited in us that it cannot be contained.  It constrains or controls us.

Third, our mission is to be sent ones.  We are to be missional people just like our Father.  In John 20:21 Jesus tell us that just as the Father sent Him, He sends us.  Jesus is our model for sent life.  In the Gospel we see a Jesus who did not come to build a religion or religious building or systems.  We see a Jesus who showed us how to live as the church. 

Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28 to go and reproduce this life in others.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”    Matthew 28:18-20

The words “Go therefore” actually mean “as you go.”  The church is so diverse, made up of unique and gifted members with different functions.  God’s plan to redeem all things is evident in the diversity of the body of Christ.  God plans to infiltrate all aspects of life to redeem all.  We have been sent by Him.  Where ever we go and whatever He calls us to do in life, we are to be His message of reconciliation lived out in love.  We must be intentional in relationship with those in the world.  We are His message.

Are you living consistently with your new life?

How are you being missional?

ReThink Church: Pt 3 – What is Community?

In this 3rd week of rethinking church we are looking at The church as a community.  The word community itself tells us something about the church.  It is a common unity.

“And all that believed were together, and had all things common…”     Acts 2:44

Throughout the scriptures we find the community of God’s people who together share their faith and lives in common.  The description God most often gives to this community of believer and followers is family.

“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,”    Exodus 4:22
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”     Matthew 6:26

Israel was to God as a son and He to them as their Father. The Father provides for His children. From Genesis to Revelation God is a Father to those who receive His Fatherhood through a relationship with His Son, Jesus.

The New Testament uses family as well as a host of familial terms to describe the church. Paul’s use of brother (brethren) is found 130 times in his writings to the church. In Ephesians 2:19 Pail says we are “members of God’s household.” Where else do we find a more common union than in family.

Now let me say 2 things about family because living as family is not always easy, in fact, it is often messy. First, the family is to love one another.In John 13:34-35, Jesus tells us we are to love one another and that this love is what distinguishes us as His. Additionally He tells us that abiding in relationship with Him, His joy would be in us and our joy would be full and complete. (John 15:11-13) Paul tells us this love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8)  This is not to say we won’t have moments when the flesh gets the best of us or we don’t blow it, but it means with God’s help we work it out through love. Love prevails. Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

How often do believers, members of God’s household bail out on relationship with each other. How often do we give in to self and not work things out according to the way the Father has loved us. The church community should be a model of love.

Secondly, the church community spends time with one another. Acts 2:42-46 is a picture of people loving each other and spending time with each other. The knew each other because they invested in each other beyond the surface religious rituals of the day. The life of Christ stirred a deep desire for community and a willingness to be vulnerable with each other.

How many of you are experiencing this with your church family? Don’t blame it on your church or spiritual leadership, the onus is on you to risk being intimately known in order to be loved. How can this happen when the extent of our risk is when the minister says to turn around and shake the hands of 3 people around you on Sunday? Do you spend time with your church family outside scheduled meetings? It takes more than 1 to 2 hours in our safe non-participatory Sunday Services. You cannot program relationships. It takes personal initiative and vulnerability. It takes time.

Here is a list that describes the Church Community, Does yours look like this?  What are you doing about it?

Loving one another (John 13:34)
Forgiving one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Accepting one another (Romans 15:7)
Bearing with one another (Ephesians 4:2)
Being devoted to one another (Romans 12:10)
Honoring one another above ourselves (Romans 12:10)
Greeting one another (2 Corinthians 13:12)
Being hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Being kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Sharing with one another (Hebrews 13:16)
Serving one another (Galatians 5:13)
Carrying one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Building up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Encouraging one another daily (Hebrews 3:13)
Comforting one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Stimulating one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
Instructing one another (Romans 15:14)
Admonishingone another (Colossians 3:16)
Praying for one another (James 5:16)
Confessing your sins to one another (James 5:16)
Being of the same mind toward one another (Romans 12:16)
Submitting to one another (Ephesians5:21)

Is there anything we need to change about how we are living in community as the church family?
What do you need to change?
What keeps our church from modeling this kind of community?
What do you think?

ReThink Church: Pt 2.3 Worship is “Giving All”…

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”   Romans 12:1

In our relationship with Jesus, He gave us all and it cost God everything.  To Him, relationship with us was worth it.  In His presence I become aware of my need for His grace and He holds nothing back.  He lavishes His love and grace on me.  I can’t help but respond with worship.  It causes me to fall before Him.  What else can I do but give my all to the One who gave all for me.  It reminds me of a Rita Springer song ” Worth it all”.  Click and listen.

Paul says our only response to God is giving the thing that houses all we are, our body.  It’s worth it to worship Him with all we are and have.

Are you holding out on God?

The only acceptable thing is “ALL !”

Honor…

“Outdo one another in showing honor.”               Romans 12:10 ESV

In I Corinthians 12:22-27 it tells us that God places the members of the body where He desires and bestows greater honor on those who lack it so that there is no division in the body and that we can have the same care for one another.  If one member is honored we all get to rejoice together as well as if one suffers, we all suffer.  The church, Jesus body is meant to have a shared connection and sense of responsibility, a mutual care one for another.  What happens in the lives of others should provoke a shared loving response instead of jealousy, envy, covetousness, or reveling in loss.  If in the Spirit, it will produce the same care.

I had such a joy this week.  My Grandmother, affectionately known to all as Granny Hobbs turned 90 on February 3rd and we threw her a surprise Birthday party on Sunday to honor her.  We invited all of her family and friends to come and celebrate with us.  This may not seem significant to those who take Birthday parties for granted.  However, this party was more significant than any of us knew.

You see, my Granny Hobbs is the most generous person I’ve ever known, though as a child growing up, I didn’t realize how generous.  I like many children today only know it as love from the one who always gives us stuff.  Everyone who knows her has experienced her generosity.  She shows up every Sunday with candy for all the kids, not just mine, I mean all.  She always honors a new birth with some outfit.  Whenever I go by her house she always loads me up with stuff she thinks I or my family needs.  She gives to everyone.  Growing up she took in every stray dog or cat.  I pray for the owners of her previous home because she and I have buried probably more than 30 animals in her yard over the years.  I know TMI.  I could go on and on with stories of how she has given value and honor to others.

You may wonder where that generosity comes from?  Maybe she was blessed by people always giving to her over the years.  I’m reminded in Mark 12:42 “..but she out of her poverty put in everything shed had.”   My Granny Hobbs was born in 1919, one of nine children, very poor.  She got married to John Whitfield Hobbs who became a captain in the Army and shipped overseas in WWII.  Shortly thereafter she found that she was pregnant with my father.  My Grandfather never came back home.  My father never met his father.  She shared with me one day about standing at the train station waiting for the arrival of the pine box that contained my Grandfather.  My Granny Hobbs raised my father as a single mother til she met another serviceman and became engaged.  He too was sent overseas in the Korean War.  He was killed before they were married.  She never remarried.  My grandmother worked a number of jobs over the years determined to make it.  She went to work for Corning  and worked there till retirement.  I remember when I was young, she would come get me and take me with her on the weekends to shop the yard sales.  She would then take what she bought and resell it at a local flee market and a consignment booth she rented out.  I also, remember the first TV my wife and I had when we got married, it was a Black and White that Granny Hobbs bought for $25 at a yard sale.  Since then she has owned her own business, Granny’s Country Crafts, and even the last two summers worked at a suvournier shop on the boardwalk at the beach.  I think so she can still have extra money to buy stuff for everyone else.

All this really hit me when I went out to walk her into our church where we had told her we were going to have a small gathering with my brother and sister’s family.  She does not like to be the center of attention.  When I walked her in everyone sang Happy Birthday.  I pointed out my father and mother, her brother, sisters, cousins, friends and old coworkers.  They all stood and honored her.  It was hard to hold it together as I saw her tears.  My daughter says I’m a cry baby.  Granny Hobbs would have never asked for anything, though as she leaned over she said I’ve never had a birthday party given for me in my entire life. 

We honored my Granny Hobbs, but I feel I was honored more.  It was more of an honor for us to honor her.  It truly is more blessed to give than receive.  But after all I learned this from my Granny Hobbs who always gave all she had even when it was from her poverty.  This she gave her son, my father who has always modeled it for me and I pray will also be my legacy.  She always sees the needs of other and thinks not only of her own needs but everyone else’s.  The lessons I have learned are endless.

And by the way, I experienced the presence of God and a more profound sense of church than most of the church meetings I’ve been in, including my own.  There are some deep questions we need to ask ourselves after that statement.  But it will have to wait til the next post.

Honor one another!

Celebrate Life…

Today is my wife Amy’s birthday.   She hasn’t aged a day since this picture 20 years ago.  My life has been enriched by her every day.  No other woman would put up with me the way she does. 

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.”  Proverbs 18:22

Check out that mullet.  Aren’t you jealous?

We are only afforded so many such events to celebrate in life.  We should anticipate them with joy and celebrate them.  Make the most of your days.

What are you celebrating today?

Are you following Him?

Brace yourself.  I am haunted by what you are about to read. 

So I don’t take away from these words I will not say anything else except, please excuse my lack in poetic structure.  I copied this by ear.  The words are correct but may not be written out like it should as a poem. 

 

When I became a Christian I said “Lord now fill me in;

tell me what I’ll suffer in this world of shame and sin.”

And He said, Well your body could be killed

and left to rot and stink.

Do you still want to follow me

and I said, “Amen –  I think.”

I think Amen. Amen I think.  I think I say Amen.

Look I’m not completely sure.  Could we just run through that again.

You say my body could be killed and left to rot and stink.

Oh yeah that sounds terrific Lord I say, Amen I think.

But Lord, look there must be other ways to follow you I said,

I would really prefer to end up dying in my bed. 

Well yes He said you could put up with sneers and scorn and spit. 

Do you still want to follow me.  And I said Amen – A bit. 

A bit,  Amen.  Amen, a bit.  A bit I say Amen. 

Look I’m not entirely sure. Could we just run through that again. 

You said I could put up with sneers and scorn and spit. 

Well yes I made up my mind and I say Amen, a bit. 

Well I set back and thought a while; I mean I tried a different ploy

I said now Lord the good book says Christians live in joy. 

That’s true He said.  You’re going to need the joy –  to bear the pain and sorrow. 

Do you still want to follow me?  And I said, Amen – tomorrow.

Tomorrow Lord I’ll say it then.  Tomorrow’s when I’ll say Amen.

You see I’ve got to get it clear could we just run through it again.

You said that I will need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow. 

Well yes I think I’ve got it straight I’ll say Amen, tomorrow. 

He said look I’m not asking you to spend an hour with me,

a quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity. 

The cost is you.  Not half of you.  But every single bit. 

Now tell me will you follow me?  And I said Amen.  Now I quit. 

I’m awfully sorry Lord.  I said I’d like to follow you

but I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do.

And He said, you forget religion then and you think about my Son

and you tell me if you are manly enough to do what He has done? 

Are you man enough to see the need?  Are you man enough to go? 

Are you man enough to care for those that no one wants to know? 

Are you man enough to say the things that people hate to hear? 

And battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear?

And listen are you man enough to stand it at the end,

the moment of betrayal by the kisses of your friend?

Are you man enough to hold your tongue?  Are you man enough to cry? 

And when the nails break your body, are you man enough to die? 

Man enough to take the pain and wear it like a crown. 

Man enough to love this world and turn it upside down? 

Are you man enough to follow me?  I ask you once again? 

I said, Lord I’m frightened, but I also said Amen. 

Amen. Amen.  Amen, amen.

I said Lord I’m so frightened, but I also said, Amen.

 

(English friend of Michael Frost, taken from one of his sermons.)

Why do you love? – an examination of the heart…

Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to know how things worked – what makes them tick?  I see this in my middle son, Jonathan, who can’t help asking you a million questions about everything and taking anything electronic and dismantling it to see how it works and if he can build something else out of the all the parts.  In life we intuitively want answers to all our questions.

I find this carries over to pastoring people in that I want to know what makes a person tick.  What are the underlying issues of a person’s life that cause what is seen on the surface.  I like to fix things and part of fixing things is knowing what is underneath and how it works. 

God is really good at fixing things since He is the creator of all things.  He sees the root of everything.  Why don’t we take things back to the manufacturer more often.  God does a much better job of keeping His creation in tip-top shape than we do.  However, we will stubbornly keep trying only to make things worse.  Just break down and do it – take your stuff back to Him so He can fix it and quit pointing fingers and saying, “You broke my stuff on purpose.  I don’t like you anymore!”  OK, sarcasm, but true.

Moment of truth.  We do a great job judging others and figuring out what’s broke in other people’s lives.  But, what about our own?  What makes ME tick?  What are my underlying motives?  Why do I do what I do?  Why do I act loving to others?  Why do I do for others?  What’s underneath?

Check this post out by Pete Wilson called “Desiring to be loved or seeking to love.”  It’s a dose of honesty.  When was the last time you got honest with yourself?

There is no “What’s in it for me” motivation in God’s love for you.  He makes sure He gives you all He has with no strings attached.  Do you love as you have been loved by Jesus?

To love, someone must die…

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13  (ESV)

There is a high price for love.  You can have it for free but it will cost everything.  You cannot love without paying the full price.

God will allow us to choose to live our lives on a lower level that He has called us, but there is a price to pay.  If we do so we will never really and fully know Him nor experience the fullness of the life promised to us in Him.  There is a higher and GREATER love.  Love of this magnitude can only be received, experienced and given away through death. 

There is no greater love than when we die to self, lay ourselves down for someone else.  God wants us to walk in a greater love.  Greater love is received when someone else had to die in order for us to receive it.  Jesus laid down His life to break the barrier that would keep us from receiving the Father’s love.  It was the ultimate expression of love. 

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8  (NASB)

Jesus broke the barrier of our sin with the laying down of His life.  It doesn’t get any greater than that.

In order for us to have Greater Love, we must die, laying ourselves down for people.  We must die to being right about people or things or we will defend our rights and find an excuse to not love.  We must put away personal justice or we will punish people and seek to justify ourselves in the eyes of others, when Jesus said He was just and the justifier of all.  We must overlook faults or we will keep records of wrong suffered and not love.  Ouch.  Ouch.  If we die to self, we can release GREATER LOVE.  If we don’t, we will love self and then others when convenient.

Are you dying to give GREATER LOVE?

Why not?

Love on my mind…

My heart is weighing heavy on me this morning as I pray for some friend.  My meditation today was on two passages of scripture.

“…whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5 (ESV)

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails…”  1 Corinthians 13:7-8 (ESV)

I am concerned about the church and her love walk.  Much of our church activity is based on (if we get honest with ourselves) self-love.  It has more to do with what “I” want and what is in it for “me”.  People love, but with conditions.  They serve, til it’s something they don’t want to do or as long as they have control of what they are doing or others do what they want.  People love as long as they are getting something they want in return.

Before you get bothered about me expecting too much from young or new believers, please understand.  The concerns I have are about those who call themselves mature disciples.  These are leaders and people who have walked with Jesus a long time.  Remember, Jesus had problems with religious people.

Now, in John 15 there are several things Paul said we should be abiding in and one of those was love.  I John 4:8 tell us that “God is love.”  So if we are abiding in Him and in love we should be bearing fruit – the fruit of love.  This is not the kind of love that we see even on the world’s best day.  It’s a love on a much higher level.  God is our standard for love.  This love is so hard that we cannot do it without God’s help.  If we don’t abide in Him, we cannot love.  If we don’t love, we are not abiding in Him.

We have all been abandoned by what we thought was love with people.  This is why love was meant to be first received from God and then given away.  If we look for the love of people to satisfy us before finding our security in God’s love first, we will be left wanting and hurting or become unstable and abusive in our relationships.

How should we love? 

Love bears all things.  The Greek translation for “bear” means to roof over or cover in silence, to endure patiently.  I doesn’t mean you can maul people to death or act like a bear. It also doesn’t mean developing a callous heart but rather a covering of grace.  No matter what comes against you love still remains.  It covers over any situation with love and does so with no expectation for self without saying anything or justifying yourself. 

Love believes all things.  This does not mean that we believe everything we hear about people or situations.  But, it means believing the best about people and situations.  Our love is not dependant on what we know about people or thing but rather on God himself.  Because He is love, we believe all things about Him and therefore respond in love to all things.  If we truly know God we have no choice but to always respond in love to people.  See what I mean by this being impossible without Him.  It’s a higher love.

Love hopes all things.  Hope here means to expect and trust with confidence and pleasure.  This is not an expectation from people but from God as it relates to people and things.  It means we love with an expectation and trust in God that all things are going to be according to His will and purpose.  The hope is in Him so we are to freely give all our love to people even when they are not doing what we think they ought to do.  Dependency on Jesus frees us to fully love.

Love endures all things.  This means love is behind and under all things.  It suffers all things.  God’s love can handle anything.  It has no limits.

Love never fails.  Every where our love fails, it was not God’s love.  We fail to love when we are not abiding in Him.  We fail to love when we seek something for ourselves.

“God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.”  John Piper

If we are satisfied in God, if He is all I need in every situation then He will be glorified in and through me and my life.  If I seek satisfaction in any other thing than Him alone, then I will glorify myself. 

So, How’s your love walk?

Do Your Thing…

Good day.  Up early – cast my vote.  A little time with Jesus, myself, a good cup of coffee and some great music on iTunes.  Proverbs3:3-4  Love and faithfulness brings success and favor in the sight of God and man.

I get to spend some time with some cool people.  Today I got to have lunch with this guy.  I love to be around people who “know their thing and do their thing.”  Nobody can “do your thing” better than you.  You were created for it. Find it, pursue it, love it, do it!

Do you know what your thing is?

What’s your thing?

Are you pursuing it?