Where's the Love?

Love! Everywhere I look in this world I see it crying out for more love. REAL love, unconditional, unadulterated, unashamed LOVE!!! For God, for our world, for each other, for everything!!
I have heard people say things like the word love is being overused in our society, people love things like food, sports teams, hobbies, cities, buildings or books and other inanimate objects and how can you possibly love those things, I would counter and say it is entirely possible to love those things, because people will fight and defend those things until the bitter end.  Think about it, when was the last time you let someone say something bad about your favourite sports team and you just let it stand? You came to their defence didn't you? I know when people said bad things about Tom Brady and my Patriots I was up in arms, and I have had more than one LOUD argument to stand behind MY team! That is because I can say I love the Patriots, they are my team. How about when someone says something bad about the city you live in, or grew up in? Quick to defend it aren't you? What about when you have a really bad day, is there anything that picks you up more than that food you love so much? Or what about if you are celebrating something really good? Don't you go out to eat that food you love? We all do that, I know I do that! It is because we really do love those things.
Love and as much of it as we can get is what we need in this world. Worshiping God, and loving each other is the whole reason we were put on this planet. Outside of loving and worshiping God, loving each other is the most important thing for us to do.

^" Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself " -  Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)

Jesus said it, specifically, loving each other is EQUALLY important as loving the Lord.  So the two most important things for each of us to do is love, love the Lord and love each other. But where is that love? Where do we show it in our day to day life? If we loved each other the way we love our favourite sports team, would we ever let anyone speak bad about someone? No, we wouldn't.  We would defend them as rigorously as possible. If we loved people as much as we loved that same sports team, would we spread rumors and gossip about them? Probably not.  How quickly does a nasty rumor about someone spread? I mean I know we are all guilty of hearing something about someone and with a gasp, calling all our friends and saying "Goodness, did you hear about so-and-so, they did such-and-such!" Usually with such a frenzied and fevered pitch we drop everything that we are doing to tell someone.  That is not an action of love, in fact, gossip and rumors are pretty much the exact opposite of that. In fact, if we look at Psalm 15, God explains who gets into heaven 

"Those who refuse to gossip
    or harm their neighbors
    or speak evil of their friends." - Psalm 15:3 (NLT)

So now we know, that gossiping is going to get us into trouble, mainly because it isn't an action of love, and truthfully as Christians, who love God and have accepted Jesus as our Saviour, there is really only one thing for us to do, we really only have one job, just one job.  Jesus laid it right out for us.

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”" - John 13:34-35 (NLT)

 Nowhere does it say that we are supposed to decide what actions are sinful or what actions are wrong, that isn't my job, I have just one job love everyone! This is the resounding message over and over again from Jesus.

^""But I say, love your enemies!Pray for those who persecute you! ⁴⁵ In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike."" - Matthew 5:44-45 (NLT)

Nowhere are we given the right to judge, or point fingers or even say what is right or wrong. God, gave us a set of rules to follow, His commandments, His Law! Then, He gave us one simple job, love everyone.  Love totally, love completely and love unconditionally.

 ^"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

That is still my absolute favourite verse in the bible. Love is the greatest thing God gave us, it is what allows us to reflect the Lord.  When we talk about being made in the image of God, we are talking about love, love is the image of God, we are made of love and God loves us more than we are even able to comprehend.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16 (KJV)

God is love, and we are made in His image.  WE ARE LOVE!!!  Shout it out, really feel it! 

WE ARE LOVE!!!

 So, where is the love y'all? It time we really focused on loving one another, let love guide all your actions, no matter the person, the situation or anything just let love guide you.  Let every action you take, every word you speak be from a place of love.  I promise you, if we all start to do this change will come, in our lives, in our communities, in our cities, in our country and in our world.

Love!

PRAISE GOD!!! 

Who Moved?

Life has made me weary, tired and I feel like I am constantly at battle on one front or another. I feel abandon, I feel alone and start to wonder where is God in all this.  He used to be so close to me. He is supposed to have my back, that whole footprints in the sand thing. He is supposed to be carrying me right now, but here I am fighting this battle alone. I get angry! I begin to question everything. Where did God go? Why did He leave me? But the reality is He didn't go anywhere.  I did. I think Robin Jones Gunn said it best "If you feel far from God, guess who moved?"
 

^"People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord." Proverbs 19:3 (NLT)

It is here, in the Word of the Lord I once again find my answer. I have made mistakes, and I haven't been doing things the way I should and now that I am embattled I look to blame God.  We are all sinners and we know that, we all make mistakes

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"  Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

But for the grace of God, we also know that we are forgiven, I am forgiven

"I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus." 1 John 2:12 (NLT)

The Grace of God, is the most powerful and wonderful thing, because without it we would surely be lost, we know we are sinners, I know I am a sinner, that I have and will continue to fall short, that knowing the rules and what I should be doing isn't going to be enough for me, if it were, then why would we need Jesus? We needed Jesus to make the ultimate sacrifice because we will fall short.

"I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die."  Galatians 2:21 (NLT)

 So, if we are sinners and we are going to fail and sin again and again because it is our nature, what hope do we have? This is were we all lose focus and lose steam.  Yes, we will sin, yes we will make mistakes but that does not mean we are hopeless, and that does not mean that we should give up.  We are in a constant battle with the enemy and we must work and make the choice to submit our will to the Lord and to allow Him to guide us down the paths of our lives.  Starting with making the choice, to spend time reading the bible, and getting to know His word, and going to church, celebrating and giving thanks and praise with God's people. Letting all our voices and hearts ring out in praise together. I know for me, this has been my first problem.  I stop going to Church, because it is easier to stay in bed, or say I want more time at home, I start not spending time reading the bible and exploring God's word because I am tired or don't have enough time.  This is where the separation begins, how can I expect to be close to God, when I am not taking the time to be close to Him.  I expect Him to put in all the work, and save me when I am in trouble, but yet I am seemingly unwilling to give anything of myself to Him.  It is essential to our souls to spend time in the word of God, it is what helps us to submit to His will and let Him guide our hands, or essentially Let Jesus take the wheel as Carrie Underwood would say.  We know God, through His word in the bible. 

"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

It is when we stray off the path, that we realize we are far from God.  When I stop reading my bible, when I stop going to Church is seems everything else starts to get worse.  My shoulders start to hurt from the weight I must carry alone.  As I go further and further into the wilderness, and get further and further away from the light of God, I soon begin to realize the night is dark and full of terrors.  There are traps and storms all around me. I feel weary and tired from battle and of course I start to blame God. But it has always been me at fault, I have stopped doing the things I need to do, stopped lighting my path with the word of God and now I am out on my own or at least feeling that way, God has never left my side, it was me, who left His. It was me that has wandered.  Now I must find my way back, and thankfully we are always welcomed back.  No matter where we go, or what I do I can always come home. I can always be close to God, I just have to make the first move.

^7"So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. ⁹ Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour." James 4:7-10 (NLT)

I want God, to lift me up in honour.  I want God to be my shield. God provides us with all the armour and protection we need in this world if we chose to us it, 

"Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.^{[b] 16} In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.^{[c] 17} Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:13-17 (NLT)

So it is then, in the full armour of God that we feel His presence, it is then that He can carry us through the most trying times of our lives, it is then that He takes the wheel.
Now as I begin to enter another battle, as I see another fight I must face, I am not afraid, I have no doubts or no worries because 

"...If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" Romans 8:31 (NLT)

Read my bible, go to church, remember to praise and worship and keep the Lord close, and I will never walk alone!

PRAISE GOD!!!