Inconvenient Love

The God kind of  love is a topic I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around. When Jesus walked the earth He loved deeply,  and near. He was near those He was loving…near the leper, the corrupt government official, near the {gasp} prostitutes and women of “questionable” reputation.

Often we talk about boundaries and “not getting too invovled”…but Jesus seemed to love without boundaries. (Disclaimer: I am NOT saying to throw out wisdom, so you do have permission to quote RTTW as saying “rid yourself of boundaries”   ) What I am saying is that I think the radical, Jesus kind of love is perhaps messier, nearer and dare I say more inconvenient than most church-goers are used to (myself included).

Be it at home having a lonely friend over on the holidays and accepting them into our families OR holding and weeping with orphans than have been trafficked and abused OR loving the very enemy that would hurt you if given the chance OR lovingly, aggressively,  purposefully seeking out those that will misunderstand and offend OR going without some things so that we can give more to getting the Gospel to the unreached.

Since the love of God is without measure, shouldn’t we, who so freely receive it, also let love be unleashed?

Romans 15 (MSG): Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.  Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

Check out Philippians 2: Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing  by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.

All that to say…the world needs us to get used to getting a bit messy, being uncomfortable and being near the hurting so that we can bring hope in the Name of Jesus knowing greater is Jesus that lives in us!

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love” – Mother Teresa

Thoughts? Quotes? Stories? Scriptures? Please share!

God’s not into antiques!

Isaiah 43:18,19 “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”

Why is it that churches in America are time warps? I’ve been in several churches over the last couple years. Church in America is the only place on earth you can walk into it and go back 50 years in time.

I recently spoke with a pastor that was struggling with transitioning the worship music over to a contemporary style (as opposed to their organ and piano hymnal style).

Can I ask a very elementary question? Where in the bible did God ever ask us to sing an “Old Song”? I think I know the bible pretty good, but I don’t ever remember God asking his people to do anything “old”.  God is a God of the new!

• Sing a NEW song
• You will speak in NEW tongues
• NEW wine in NEW wineskins
• You will get a NEW name
• NEW Convenant
• Preparing a NEW heaven and a NEW earth
• We are NEW creatures

Are you ready for something new. Are you ready to see something that’s NEVER been done before? Can you see something NEW in the spirit coming? Can you have faith with no point of reference? This is a term you’ll hear more of in this blog in the days to come.

God’s not into antiques!