L-O-V-E

Let’s talk about LOVE. Are we, as Christians, missing the bigger picture?? We know what we need to do to be saved…

·         -Hear the Word of God

·         -Believe in the His Word and know that it is the truth

·         -Repent, turn from our sins

·         -Confess the good confession (that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross to    take away our sins)

·         -And be baptized (in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the remission     of sins)

But over and over again we seem to look past what the New Testament refers to time and time again! 

LOVE.

Let’s consider the plan of salvation, the five parts of worship, the do’s and don’ts of the Bible all as a bunch of those Pandora* beads in their cases, and then let us look at LOVE as the sparkly, strong clasp that we have to add to the ends. We need all those beads to make our bracelets; one bead on the sucker would look pretty funny, would it not?? But to make our bracelet complete, to hold it all together and show the world what it looks like and tell them about the meaning of each little bead, we need that strong clasp at the back to connect it all.

That bracelet is like our Christianity. We should wear it out where everyone can see it and tell them all about the meaning and what they can do to get one of those beautiful things. But if we don’t use that clasp, if we don’t use LOVE, as soon as we put it on, it falls apart.

Matthew 22:37-40

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND PROPHETS.

LOVE!

Our Momma’s didn’t tell us this! Our Dad’s didn’t, nor our neighbors, nor our teachers. Our sisters didn’t, our brothers didn’t, our friends didn’t. Our elders, deacons, preachers didn’t…. Okay, so they may have repeated those verses to us before, but they didn’t speak those words; JESUS DID!!

JESUS said to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds (that comes first because God is supposed to come first in our lives). And then He goes on to say that the second of His commandments is that we love our neighbors! We hang the old law and the prophets and the way things were before Jesus was resurrected on this; it’s in the past. 

Now, we press onward in LOVE, with LOVE.

There’s a particular type of LOVE that I thoroughly enjoy referencing. That’s right, you guessed it, Agape Love.

Agape Love: origin-Greek - Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible.

Agape love is the kind of love that God has for us.

Romans 5:7-8

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

It is SELFLESS. It is SACRIFICIAL. It is UNCONDITIONAL. Let that sink in, let it fill your heart. It means that, no matter what and despite the fact that we fail and fall and don’t deserve it, God will love us so that He has our best interests in mind, He gave His own Son to live and die on this earth so that our sins could be taken away, and He loves us endlessly and relentlessly pursues us even when we lose our way and often forget that we should be pursuing Him. Can you comprehend the depth of that LOVE??? 

Doesn’t it take your breath away??

The definition of Agape love that I gave was found in an online dictionary (isn’t everything found online these days?? It’s all accurate, you know…*heavy sarcasm*). But let me give you an even better definition of LOVE. Let me tell you about what the Bible says it is.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Let’s break it down. LOVE is:

·         -Patient (suffers long)

·         -Kind

·         -It isn’t jealous (does not envy)

·         -It doesn’t brag or boast (does not parade itself)

·         -It isn’t cocky or arrogant (is not puffed up)

·         -It does not behave rudely

·         -It doesn’t insist on its own way (does not seek its own)

·         -It doesn’t get angry easy (it is not provoked)

·         -It has nothing to do with evil/hateful/sinful thoughts; it’s pure (thinks no evil)

·         -It isn’t happy about wickedness/sinfulness/immorality (does not rejoice in iniquity)

·         -It rejoices with the truth

·         -It withstands trials and tests; you name it (it bears all  things)

·         -It believes all things

·         -It hopes all things

·         -It endures

LOVE never fails.

Side-note: I read a small story online one day (a link from a link from a link) that went something along the lines of a Mother telling her daughter what to look for in a boy/guy/man, particularly a man whom she would wish to marry. She told her that if she could take his name and replace the word love with it and if it fit the large majority of the passage, then he was the right type of guy; provided he did his best to walk in the light of the Lord. So the daughter thought about it. “Jimmy is patient, Jimmy is kind…wait, I saw Jimmy making fun of someone the other day, so, I guess he isn’t very kind after all…”

I REALLY liked the way they used that verse in their lives (even though they were fictional characters). What an awesome way to discern the character of a person when looking for a potential spouse!! (Big believer of intentional dating you guys; saves everyone time AND heartache). And we ourselves should strive to be able to place our own names in those verses.

 But THAT, is the biblical definition of LOVE; how awesome is that??

But how often do we overlook LOVE while going about our Christian lives? How often do we not apply one of the most important principles of the Bible while we do as we were told, Mark 16:15 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ?

We don’t see the tree for the forest sometimes.

He is LOVE. God is LOVE.

1 John 4:7-8

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

You guys!! Our God IS LOVE. Our Savior and redeemer is LOVE!!

There is a quote I’d like to end with that says: “I was on my way to the Savior, and I ran into serving, and I got into serving, and I never got to the Savior.” 

(I don’t know the author, if you happen to, please let me know!)

Let’s remember that faith without works is dead (James 2:18-20), but let us also remember that if we don’t make sure to cover and coat and drown everything and everyone in love, then we’re nothing more than the Pharisees; what good are we doing for His Kingdom??

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Without LOVE, without God's LOVE, we are nothing.

Get out there and give love.

Photo: Pinterest

The Power of Prayer

Good advice from a good friend:

Pray like it's all up to God and work like it's all up to you.

I've heard a good friend of mine say this time and time again. He will wait till someone needs a little extra spiritual encouragement and then he will pull out this phrase an dust it off and let you have it. He's said it several times in our bible class in church and personally, to me, on a few occasions (it's a blessing from God to have close Christian friends). 

I've said this to myself at times as well when I need the reminder that all I have to do is simply pause and go to God in prayer. I can be having a bad day or I could be completely over thinking something (which is often, sometimes, for me; one of my downfalls), and every time I approach His throne in prayer I know that He will work things out for my good no matter what!! [Romans 8:28]

I also have to tack this on too, however. Doing this, praying like it's all up to God and working like it's all up to you WILL work, but we also have to keep in mind that we may have to wait a while for His answer, or that His answer and solution may not always look the way we had hoped for it to or dreamed up in our heads. That's where our faith comes into play and also that peace that passes all understanding.

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We have to let go and let God.

The world will not instantly become better, the clouds will not lift right away, hurtful words will not disappear from our memories and pain will not evaporate into the abyss, but God will take what we are going through and turn it into something glorious in due time; in His time. 

His timing and His plan are always perfect.

The amount of comfort in that is what heals our hearts right away.

We also get another blessing when we constantly pray for help and trust Him to answer; a different kind of blessing besides an answer to our prayer.

We are taught an incredible lesson straight from Him in the meantime, He teaches us to slow down and appreciate the things that we do have, the things that others are praying for. He teaches us to be patient and wait on Him, to let things unfold in His time. He teaches us to go about our duties as Christians with love in our hearts and compassion in our manner while we wait. He teaches us to have faith in Him and trust Him. And He teaches us to be thankful and grateful for all the blessings He bestows on us. We get ALL that and we didn't even think to ask for it when we went to Him  in prayer in the first place. That's just who He is; He blesses us even when we don't seem to notice.

(Photo: Pinterest)

No matter what, God will handle our situations if we place them in His hands. He already knows what's going on in our lives, there isn't anything about us that He isn't aware of and nothing we do will ever surprise Him.

Our Great Father knows our hearts!!!

He wants us to pray to Him about everything so that He can bless us with all these gifts and He want us to let Him guide our lives. And we're better off when He does!

Say your prayer if it's laying heavy on your mind and heart, move on from it and let God take control, and do His Kingdom work here on earth.

He knows right now what you're in need of and He knows right now what you're hoping and holding out for; He's simply waiting for His child to ask.

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” - Max Lucado

How Great He Is

(Picture from Pinterest)

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
There has been SO much going on in our world here lately, and undoubtedly in our personal lives as well, that have affected us permanently. There have been times of sorrow and tragedy where we seem to feel the earth pause and tremble from the impact of the event, or maybe simply from the way it has stirred us in our own ways, and there have been moments of raw clarity where we have witnessed awakened humanity and a breathtaking kindness we sometimes forget that the human race possesses.
When is it that we remember God the most?
It's easy to turn to Him or accuse when we are hurting or afraid; when it seems as if our storms will surely bring us down. We cry out in anger and frustration, in fear and anguish, when a hopelessness overtakes our hearts and a darkness settles in and clouds our faith...
We go to our good God when we need something of Him like a reflex and we don't always react as quickly when we're kind of making it okay on our own.
Why are we so swift to turn to The Father when we need something?
When did we forget that all we really need, is just Him?
How great He is! Not just for all He can do, not just for all that He does, not just for all He will do, and not just for all He is doing.... He is great simply because of who He is.
Consider this.
Can you honestly think of someone in your life that can forgive the worst thing you have EVER done and welcome you back with open arms and call you theirs?
Can you think of a person who will never leave you or let you down?
Can you recall anyone ever loving you and waiting for you despite how ever many times you have forgotten about them or chose something else over them?
Could you, yourself, do any of these things for someone without one bit of hesitation or a single thought of the fact that it would most likely happen again?
You can't, we can't, because we're human.
We get hurt, disappointed, angry; our moods swing and change thanks to what the world hands us on a day to day basis. It isn't our faults, this is our nature.
As Christians, we do our best to love and show TRUE kindness and forgive and give grace to others when grace is needed, but no one is perfect and that type of behavior doesn't always shine forth like we might hope that it would.
But, you see, God CAN do all these things.
Here's another one for you...
Can you think of someone who would knowingly send their Son into a world of hate and sin to grow up in poverty to teach and speak love and everlasting life to multitudes of people, people who would one day accuse, mock, whip, beat, strip, torture, exhaust, nail, crucify, and kill him, only because they knew that it was the only way they could save you?
Jesus was a humble, kind man, who was quick to listen and slow to speak. Nothing in this world mattered to Him except for us. His love was [is] endless, as was [is] His patience. Imagine a perfect being, imagine His grace; He spoke of a home with His Father where we are all welcomed and loved and He simply asked us to return that love in the lives we live.
And yet, they killed Him for that.
Still thinking?
Save yourself a headache if you are; no one is that great. No one can match our great God.
How great He is.
Why is He called on the most when we need something? When the world is falling apart or our lives are being broken. If we remember this greatness of His, how incomprehensibly amazing He is, how incredibly wonderful, we might remember more that He is what we really need.
He can do all these things and more, and with the strength He give us, we can do all things through Him. (Philippians 4:13)
Lets remember that He is not only here in the hard times when we seek Him to come and take away all of our worries and heartache; He is here through the good times too.
He smiles on His children, He calls us His, He blesses us daily, endlessly.
How great He is.
 

Stay in Your Season

Ecclesiastes 3:1

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

Have you ever felt like the world and everyone in it was zipping by you at a pace much faster than your own? Or maybe a friend has something in their life at the moment that you long for; you're happy for them, but you wonder sometimes, "When will it be my turn?" Do you ever feel like you're in your own bubble and all the happiness seems to bounce off you and it never seeps in and fills you up? Are you wanting something right now that you aren't able to get?

You're not alone.

It's the pursuit of joy. It's a task that the world as a whole works toward, constantly trying to "one up" each another, or build a better life for themselves. Working to better your life isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on how you go about it.

I go all day long sometimes giving myself the "Christian Pep-talk" or scolding myself when my thoughts stray to something worldly. Majority of the time my pep-talks root from something like what Maya Angelou said, "Stand up straight and realize who you are, that you tower over your circumstances. You are a child of God. Stand up straight." That hardly ever fails to get me going. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. STAND UP STRAIGHT.

"Yes ma'mm I am!!", and then I go about my business with a better attitude and I'm much more willing to rise up and give grace to others.

The rest of the time, when I'm scolding myself, it's usually because I'm wishing for something I don't have yet or because I'm worrying about something that's ahead. I remember the verse above, Ecclesiastes 3:1, and I buckle down and shout in my head, "Sydni, stay in your season!"

STAY IN YOUR SEASON!

THIS! HERE! RIGHT NOW!

Your season isn't back in the past where you made that mistake you regret or at that time when you thought was your happiest moment, sweet friend,

THIS IS YOUR SEASON.

Your season isn't up there in the future where all your plans have played out perfectly and you're with someone you love, or you have that awesome job, or everything is just so; the way you've always wanted it.

THIS IS YOUR SEASON.

Isaiah 43:18

"Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.

Hebrews 13:5

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about it's own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

James 4:14

whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.

When we start thinking or wishing for something we don't have or can't get, our hearts become heavy and our minds get clouded. It seems as if we'll never reach that level of happiness we want. But God wants our happiness to stem from Him. When our thoughts are focused on Our Father, we find that JOY. Your time will come, but it has to come in HIS time. His plan is so much better than ours could EVER be and His timing is absolutely perfect dear one. You just have to trust in Him and remind yourself to Stay in Your Season. He give blessings abundantly; there isn't a day that goes by that He isn't handing them out to His children. Only things that are good come from our King.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Learn to live in the present here with Him because that's where He always is. Wake up each day and accept that day's blessings, and those alone. Don't worry or wish for what is ahead, don't obsess or be shameful of what's in the past. STAY IN YOUR SEASON.

Today is your season, right here with Him, with what's happening in this very moment. The rest will come in time.

(Photo: Pinterest)

Can You See Him?

James 2:18-20

But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

I found this poem online a while back and liked it a lot. I'm not sure who wrote it, it didn't say, but it had a good message. It's so very good to share the Gospel with others, that is what God intended for us to do, but we should also SHOW the Gospel to others. What good is it to tell others that we as Christians are all about love and evangelism and charity and kindness if we don't show those things through our actions? And what about little ones, the younger generation? Do they have a good Christian example in you? After all, it takes a village to raise a child and it isn't exactly raising an upstanding citizen that's the primary goal, it's about raising God fearing adults; it's about raising disciples. People may be able to hear your faith loud and clear, but can they see it? Don't act with the intention of others only seeing you, act with the intention that through you, others may see Him.

I'd rather see a sermon

than hear one any day;

I'd rather one should walk with me

than merely tell the way.

The eye's a better pupil

and more willing than the ear,

Fine counsel is confusing,

but example's always clear;

And the best of all preachers

are the men who live their creeds,

For to see good put in action

is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it

if you'll let me see it done;

I can watch your hands in action,

but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lecture you deliver

may be very wise and true,

But I'd rather get my lessons

by observing what you do;

For I might misunderstand you

and the high advice you give,

But there's no misunderstanding

how you act and how you live.

Photo: Pinterest

Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

    

Let the Helper, help...

Ever had a bad day?

Like, a really bad day? One where everything goes wrong and you just want to kind of shrink up and fade away???

When will this day be over?!?!

We've all had those days where we feel so alone or upset or just plain on edge for no reason. It's days like those when we feel so far from God and we manage to lose ourselves in an even darker place than we were when our bad mood started in the first place. God hasn't gone anywhere though, He's right next to you. Close your eyes for a second. Imagine Jesus sitting near you, like how it feels when you sit near someone at a sporting event or at church or in a car. You get that feeling of another person next to you, don't you? Now imagine His arm around you, imagine Him whispering, "I have you my child, you will not have to fight this alone. I am with you always." Because that's what happens when we feel lost and make the decision to turn to Him.... 

Psalm 91:4 
He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

See? Says so right there... :)

Bad moods aren't easy to get over, especially if something goes wrong on that particular day. But guess what helps? It's fool proof!!! It never goes wrong, anyone can do it. It's an easy fix that you can apply at any time in any place. You can do it in a crowd or completely alone, totally up to you. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book, it's been going out of style lately, that's just unfortunate for the one's not trying it out anymore. It goes well with literally everything and it ALWAYS solves your problems. Okay, okay, take it easy. Just trying to add some suspense, I'll tell you what it is. Sheesh.


PRAY.



You knew that already though, didn't you? But maybe you didn't. Maybe you used to, but it's just been a while. How long has it been? Minutes, hours, days, weeks.....years?? It helps. Oh, how it helps. He is always listening. He is always there. And He always answers us. Sometimes we may get the feeling that we are being ignored in our time of trouble because He doesn't take away what is hurting us, but that NEVER means He hasn't answered. We can't always see the things God does for us because we're surrounded by to many worldly problems. 

Matthew 14:29-32
So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Psalm 107:28-30
Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that it's waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So he guides them to their desired haven.

God does not always calm the storm, sometimes He only calms His child. Our situations don't necessarily always change because that might not be His plan. He may not want our situation to change because He wants our hearts to be the thing that changes.
God is in the business of changing hearts. 
When Jesus called Peter from the boat while the wind was raging, it scared Peter. Instead of looking toward the Lord for comfort and safety he began to look around him and doubt the greatness of the Savior and began to sink. In the same way, when we're having bad days or hurtful times in our lives, we focus on the things around us and slowly start to be swallowed up in all the negatives. We forget the greatness of our Savior!! 
He is there, and He is listening. He's only waiting for us to ask for His help. He's waiting to hear our prayers. Look past your problems and look instead at the Problem Solver. Seek Him and you WILL find Him.

1 Chronicles 16:11
Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
pray without ceasing,

When your mind is on Him, it has no room for problems or pain.
Life can seem daunting and problems look big sometimes, but our
God is BIGGER.

"There's a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. when you truly know God, you have energy to serve Him, boldness to share Him, and contentment in Him."
- J. I. Packer

Go ahead. Have a talk with the best Friend you'll ever have. And the next time you get the feeling that you're in a problem you can't get out of or a situation that has you depressed or angry, try to stop looking at your own picture and try taking a look at what God might be seeing instead. What lesson can you take away from this? What is He trying to teach you? It's always for our own good and He always has our best interest at heart, and when we go to Him in prayer our problems shrink at the sound of His name.
If you're looking for help, the Helper is listening...

Psalm 116:2
Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.


(Picture:Pinterest)

(Picture:Pinterest)

What is Agape?

Agape...

Agape love is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional, and never ending.

This love is not the kind we have for our neighbor. It is not the kind we give to our friends and family. This is not the love that is shared in a marriage between a man and a woman.

Agape love is the kind of love that poured out of our Savior, Jesus Christ, as He suffered on the cross. Agape love is the type of love that God gives us daily, no matter what.

John 10:17

"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

I read something on Pinterest (the most successful time killer out there if you are unaware) that reminded me of God's love for us. It said, Love is not "if" or "because", love is "anyway" and "even though" and "in spite of". WOW. God does not love us IF we do what He says, God does not love us BECAUSE we are good and faithful... God loves us IN SPITE OF the things we do wrong, and EVEN THOUGH we fall short and make bad decisions. And when we stray away from Him for a time or become completely lost altogether, He loves us ANYWAY.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God is not surprised by us, we do nothing to shock Him, we have no secrets from Him. He knows all, sees all, and hears all. AND HE LOVES US ANYWAY!!!!!

 That's what agape love is.

If God loves us so much, that, knowing that we would all fall short or sin or stumble, He STILL sent His Son to die for us...why can't we love Him back?

All He wants is our hearts. How wonderful is that?! 

How wonderful is that agape love He has for us?!

It's easy to get caught up in this world and lose sight of our Father and His word. We become concerned with what we'll be doing this weekend, the "to do" list that we have, the "he said, she said" gossip, relationships, our schooling, our jobs, our social lives...

We forget the One who made all of that possible, the One who (agape) loves us.

Our Father in heaven.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Give Him your heart, that's all He wants. Obey His word and follow Him.

When you focus on Him and His love for us, everything else falls into place.

He died for us, let's live for Him.

He gave up His life, let's give up our hearts.
Let's love Him the way He loves us.
Agape love.

(Picture: Pinterest)