How can One who knows us so intimately, love us so deeply?
as Pastor Stan said in a comment to one of the blog entries. This a very perplexing thing to think about. How can God know all our secrets and were all our treasures are hidden( or what we treasure) and still love us? Its a hard thing to even try and get a grasp on and maybe we can't grasp it. I don't really think that we care for and love people in that same way. I mean myself personally I would like to think I try but fall very very short all the time. The Bible says that "He created man in His image" so I can see the family resemblance and I know the potential to love to that degree Is there but, not by our own means. To me its like a machine thats missing an integral part like a gear, it can function ok, but its designer intended it to do something far greater. There have been several situations in which I had the oppritunity to just love someone that was unloveable, but it seems like when those times occur I choose the easy way out and don't love them like I know I should. I think it is a process though and what I mean by that is that the potential is there for the kind of love that he loves us with but we have to seek it.
A friend who has commented on the blog before (Enock) said something the other day that really got me to thinking. He said that instead of saying WWJD we should be asking what is Jesus doing, which implies the here and now. It is a very powerful statement. So when the question is applied to our Situations be they individual or community it becomes so Relevant. What is he doing?
I said earlier that the potential for us to love is there, let me elaborate a little bit. love is something that God gives us freely and with no strings attatched. So can you think of all the stuff in your life that you screwed up on and all the things that you hide from other people for fear that they will not like you any more, you take that stuff and put it together and then think of the worst time you ever double crossed someone (maybe a friend) or maybe you were double crossed, but do you remember what it felt like during those times? We do this to God almost all the time... think about that for a minute or two or three.
the amazing part about it though is God doesn't stop loving us because we do stupid things or hurt him. everytime we hurt him he just opens himself up for more. Thats what Jesus did, when he was being beaten and cut and nailed to a cross he had all power at his very whisper, he could have stopped all of it in a micro second. but he didn't. He loved those who where mocking him and those who where beating him when they were the most unlovable that they could be. He gave his very life so that they could know Him and love like he loves. and again no strings attatched. Its the most beautiful expression of love any one has ever given. So what does that have to do with our potential for love? Love is a choice. He chooses to love so we can make the same choice through him.... through he who is our strength and know our heart.
Lord Jesus set us on fire for you, and teach us to love others as you love us.
Let us freely give what we freely recieve from you with no strings attatched, so that we may show others you through that love.

the dwelling place.

I was thinking the other day. (I know Dangerous) but I was none the less and something struck me...
We all here the pastor in church say Jesus dwells inside of us and that we are the temple, but something in that statement did something to me.. I got to thinking about the Enemy actually lets call him by name Lucifer. I think we give him to much power by calling him the enemy(scary.) Anyway what spoke to me is that the devil has set up camp and has been dwelling a temple that was never created for him to dwell in.. what I mean by that is that people today young and old the temple of God have this cast down rebelious angel dwelling in them. And for to long we as the church, the body of Christ have just set back in our complacency and not stood on the word of God. People were never created to have the devil dwell in Gods temple, and frankly it makes me mad excuse me furious that he thinks he can do this. and I know that people are just as much to blame, because lucifer is a copy cat and only inhabits a willing vessel. But as for me and I hope there are others out there, I think it is time to reclaim the temple.. and boot out the squatter. I am so tired of seeing the rusty chains of bondage around the ankles of people, because thats not what God ever intended. As for the devil he knows his time is drawing to a close and he is gonna fight tooth and nail to keep his place.
So this a call to action for the church and anyone individuals out there that are tired of seeing our youth taken by him and to anyone who is ready for a change of tenant in your temple.

Chasing Him.




So lately I have been reading "God Chasers" and I haven't gotten to far into the book because I am tring to read "Blue Like Jazz" at the same time, but I can say with out a shadow of a doubt that I like the idea of being a God Chaser. It was a new way to look at a relationship with God for me. I have always heard "its a chase". I heard it from my current pastor and from others but I really never put two and two together. sounds stupid huh? seems so obvious. but not for me apparently. So the author talks about the time he almost caught him. He was talking about (for anyone who has not read the book) that at one specific service where he was a guest minister that Gods presence was so heavy in the place that the air was hard to breath and that just when he thought the place could hold no more of his glory that more of God just kept flowing in.
I thought to myself as i read this WOW, Have I ever experienced this? and the fact that I had to ask ment no. And im not saying i have never experienced His presence, just not to that degree. So then I got to thinking about do I truely have an idea about his glory and what he can do, so I have come to this strikingly obvious conclusion.
nope.... I have no idea what he is capable of and what he is capable of through a willing vessel.
I mean you read about what he has done and you can see where he has been but what if thats just the tip of some gigantic ice berg. What if theres more than that?
A friend of mine has a blog that talks about "looking for more" its linked on mine under shop students (check it out), but When he first came up with the title or the theme (and this is the theme for the youth group that i am a part of) It clicked a little with me but it resonates hard with me now. I said earlier that you can read about where he has been and the things that God has done but what we change our focus a bit instead of looking where he has been and the things he has done, what if we focus on where he is now, what he is doing now. I think there are alot of people out there that are tiered of just looking at where he has been. I think the "looking for more" theme says it all. We are looking to be where he is now and to be in his presence, to seek his face not just his blessings. And the one very cool thing that comes from that is the "chase". the thing that grabed me in "God Chasers" was when we persue him he turns to us and we become the persued. I never thought about it that way...
So Chasing him, I think thats what he is after and If i should dare to say your heart. because I think once you start to seek him there is no going back because he is now chasing you as well.
Its a beautiful Collision when you catch him.......

Whats love does.


Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions”



What does love do? Thats the question that I have been struggling with lately. and further more what is love? When I was ask to speak I had an idea of what I wanted to say, But it turns out it wasn' t anything near what I was suppose to talk about.So first what exactly is love? Its a strange concept isn't it? We use the word alot I have noticed for things (I love cheese burgers or I love to work out ) But do you ever really think of the meaning and do those statements really deserve that verb? I looked up the definition of love (dictionary) and this is what it said love- an unselfish loyalty or a benevolent concern for others. A passion or tendrness for. to take pleasure in.and one word I want to add to the definition is sacrifice.It seems like a valid definition for the word right? But what and how is this something that relates to God. but I think that we try to look at God through our own definition of the word. We always hear that God loves us and that famously repeated for God so loved the world. but What does that mean?
God love is a strange thing when compared to the kind of love we are use to. I mean growing up I knew my parents “loved” me and would do anything for me but I Think I have often wondered how far their love for me went. Was there anything I could do to make them stop caring for me and wishing for my best? Was there any way I could mess things up and have them never want to speak to me again? And trust me you name it and I pretty much did it and got the T-shirt, so I probably tested their defintion of love on more than one occasion. And I am sure that a lot of you can relate. Something happened the older I got though I started to realize that no matter how hard I tried (although unintentionally) to mess my relationship with my parents they still loved me. So is Gods love really that much different? I think its very similar to the love of a parent but a great deal bigger. What lead me to this was that One sunday morning during praise and worship I was trying my absolute best. trying to show up cause God was already there. And my eyes where shut tight and I was concentrating on God and its like I was standing in epmtyness.And at first it was very troubleing then I remember thinking God what is this and he simply said I am this Vast. I was and still am speechless. So lets Go back to the initial question of What does love do? The connection that I finally got or he finally got through to me was He is love and his love is vast, far more vast than I could imagine. Its like he covers us in his love and all the things that we have done all the times we have wronged him and hurt him he still extends his hands too us. It’s a powerful thing. Only for us to hurt him more. Why does he do this? Gods love is unselfish even when we are selfish, it comes with no strings attached and the most amazing thing is that he gives it to us freely. God in his very nature is Love in all its truth and glory. So if God is love, then he is giving HIMSELF freely to us and all we have to do is accept it. You may be sitting here tonight and maybe you have wronged him and you can feel his spirit pullling on you saying its ok I still love you and always have. And I can just imagine the thought process cause I have been there you think is this thing for real? Cause I want it to be so real. This love with no strings attached how can it be when I am such an unlovable creature. Can I change the way I am?

love doesnt say change and come to me love says come to me as you are and ill change you.So what does love do. It covers you, it changes you, it humbles you, it loves you. The bible from cover to cover says one coherent message " I Love You " and thats it. its elagant and it is simple. I said earlier that I had an idea what I wanted to say tonight I brought it to God and he said " Tell them I love them" . and that is what this whole thing is about this whole christianity thing, the whole message of Jesus. thats what it is about. God loves you.