deeper love

I occasionally receive email devotionals from Josh Harris (look him up, he's great), and I received this one the other day about a controversial topic: HELL. This one man is apparently writing a book on it, and in a promo video raised a few questions. Another man made it a point to try to answer them. I felt it was an accurate and clear portrayal of things, and also showed incredible love amidst anger (for that is what God has). Check it out:

Bell: Will only a few select people make it to heaven? And will billions and billions of people burn forever in hell? And if that's the case, how do you become one of the few? Is it what you believe? Or what you say? Or what you do? Or who you know? Or something that happens in your heart? Or do you need to be initiated or baptized or take a class or be converted or be born again? How does one become one of these few?

Answer: Yes, that is true. Jesus taught that a select number of people would make it to eternal life. Most people will choose the broad way that leads to destruction, but a few will choose the narrow way to life (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:23-28). Nevertheless, the Bible also teaches that there will be a great multitude which no one will be able to count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).

I don't know if anyone knows what the exact number will be, but the Bible teaches that at the end of the age there will only be two groups of people: those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life and those whose are not. All those whose names are not written in the book will be thrown into the lake of fire. This will no doubt be a countless throng of people (Revelation 20:10-15).

There is nothing that any person can do to be counted among the saved. Salvation from the penalty of sin is all of grace. God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God offers us His Son, and the only way to receive Him is by faith. Jesus said it this way, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29). If you want to become one of the few, then you have to trust in Jesus alone for your salvation.

Bell: Well, and then there is the question behind the questions. The real question: What is God like? Because millions and millions of people were taught that the primary message, the center of the gospel of Jesus, is that God is going to send you to hell unless you believe in Jesus. So what gets subtly sort of caught and taught is that Jesus rescues you from God. But what kind of God is that that we would need to be rescued from this God? How could that God ever be good? How could that God ever be trusted? And how could that ever be good news?

Answer: What is God like? This is the ultimate question and how one answers this question will determine how all the others get answered. God is holy. He loves righteousness, and He hates sin. He is the most valuable, precious being in the universe. He is worthy of all our worship, devotion, and obedience. All people fall short of their obligation to love and worship God, and this falling short is called sin (Romans 3:23). Through our sin, we all have earned God's just sentence of death (Romans 6:23). In fact, God says that He is angry with those who do not repent of their sin. The Bible says that God is storing up His anger for impenitent sinners (Romans 2:5) and that it will be a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of an angry God at the judgment (Hebrews 10:27, 31). The Bible teaches that God is both the treasure of heaven and the terror of hell. God will punish His enemies.

You are asking how can God be good if He sentences sinners to eternal damnation, but I think you have the question backwards. The real question is how can God be good if He doesn't send sinners to judgment. [I personally love this statement! I NEVER thought about it in that way before. If we all agree that murderers need to be punished, that people who do wrong need to be punished, then why do we think that God is mean and not just when He judges us for sinning?!? It is the ultimate act of LOVE that He would pardon our wrongs and look past them. It is in His very nature to hate sin and to judge/punish, but He goes against this nature because of Hi love for us. AMAZING.] In other words, how can God be good while forgiving sinners? This is the question Paul wrestled with in Romans 3, and he concluded that God set forth His son Jesus as a propitiation for sin. That means that all of the wrath and anguish that would have taken us an eternity in hell to endure, God poured out on His Son in the moment of the cross. God is good because He settles our sin debt in the cross of Jesus Christ, our substitute. This is good news because God clears away guilt through the cross and offers eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus. Anyone who believes in Jesus in this way can have forgiveness and eternal life. This is more than good news; it's the best of news.

Bell: Why do lots of people want nothing to do with the Christian faith? Because of these questions. They see it has an endless list of absurdities and inconsistencies, and they say, "Why would I ever want to be a part of that?"

Answer: Sin will always appears as a trifle to those whose view of God is small. If you were to discover a little boy pulling the legs off of a grasshopper, you would think it strange and perhaps a little bizarre. If the same little boy were pulling the legs off of a frog, that would be a bit more disturbing. If it were a bird, you would probably scold him and inform his parents. If it were a puppy, that would be too shocking to tolerate. You would intervene. If it were a little baby, it would be so reprehensible and tragic that you would risk you own life to protect the baby. What's the difference in each of these scenarios? The sin is the same (pulling the limbs off). The only difference is the one sinned against (from a grasshopper to a baby). The more noble and valuable the creature, the more heinous and reprehensible the sin. And so it is with God.
If God were a grasshopper, then to sin against Him wouldn't be such a big deal and eternal punishment wouldn't be necessary. But God isn't a grasshopper, He's the most precious, valuable, beautiful being in the universe. His glory and worth are infinite and eternal. Thus to sin against an infinitely glorious being is an infinitely heinous offense that is worthy of an infinitely heinous punishment.

We don't take sin seriously because we don't take God seriously. We have so imbibed of the banality of our God-belittling spirit of the age that our sins hardly trouble us at all. Our sin seems small because we regard God as small. And thus the penalty of hell--eternal conscious suffering under the wrath of God--always seems like an overreaction on God's part. If we knew God better, we wouldn't think like that.

peace, hope, love. . . beauty

Romans 5: 1-5 “ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  

Any situation, trial, or struggle in our lives should not hinder us from receiving peace and having hope in God.  His love for us is so amazing, so powerful, and abundant that the hardships in life can be beautiful.  Each and everyday, we wake up with new mercy, new compassion, and new grace.  With every “hard thing” in our life, God wants to build us up.  He wants us to keep persevering so that in the end we won’t be lacking anything.  Like this picture, our lives can be peaceful.  Our lives can have serenity.  Our lives can be beautiful; we just have to completely submit to God.  Be naked.  Beauty is obtainable. 

Speak to us of Love

When Love beckons to you follow Him, though His ways are hard and steep.
And when His wings enfold you yield to Him, though the sword hidden may wound you.
Though His voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as Love crowns you so shall He crucify you. Even as He is for your growth so is He for your pruning.
Even as He ascents to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall He descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn He gathers you unto Himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant.
And then He assigns you to His sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall Love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only Love's peace and Love's pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of Love's threshing floor into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter; and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives nothing but itself and takes nothing but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; for Love is sufficient unto Love.
When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not that you can direct the course of Love, for Love directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires:

To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love and to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heard and give thanks for another day of loving; to rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy; to return home at eventide with gratitude; and then to sleep with a prayer in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Excerpt from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Just the Way You Are

One day a few months I was having a bad day. Probably a result of my approaching menses, I was an irritable, emotional mess. My hair looked like a rat's nest and my face seemed adamant on sprouting zits at an alarming rate. And of course to top it all, I was bloated and had to wear my "fat jeans" ( a pair of pants two sizes too big on a normal day) . Theodore, my boyfriend whom i was fussing at, didn't seem to notice how awful I looked or how awful I felt. Instead he pulled me to him and made me listen to Bruno Mars song "just the way you are." In the 3 minutes that the song played, all of my feelings of inadequacy faded a way. Needless to say the song has been on constant rotation in my iPod. Now when I listen to it I think not only think of how Theo felt, but of how God feels about me. Despite my flaws, God looks at me and still He loves me just the way I am! How amazing is that?!

DS Ariel Pierson

waiting . . .

Waiting....

To feel your love on my skin completely awed with the extasy of your love making hands on my soul.

I miss the kiss of your Spirit on my forehead, captured in a moment in time but lasting for eternity.

The bliss of looking into your eyes and watching time escape us, propelling us into a place not defined with time only space for more opportunity for me to experience your love.

I seize each moment your eyes look into mine.  Each moment bringing me to tears from the simple thought of why me?

What did I do to deserve a love so pure, a love that holds my heart with care leaving an imprint on my soul.

My heart yearns for every second of my day to be filled with your passionate kisses, your fear destroying hugs and your orgasmic touches that make me a victim to this love.

I am weak.

I can't fight the everlasting feeling that you have cleansed my being with; fear no longer is my master.

No longer can I be afraid to wrap my arms around this love, to initiate the first kiss, to experience the bliss of freely falling in love with you.

Waiting...

Now I realize the love that I have been waiting for has been waiting for me all along.

I willingly give you my all.

I love you God.

 

~Dove Sister Janelle Guy~

Forever Valentine

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would give anything for it? Loved it so much you would give EVERYTHING YOU HAD just to get it?

 

Or have you ever longed for someone to love you this way? Waiting for that Valentines where you know that forever after this one, you don't have to worry about having another Valentine ever again, because you have your Forever Valentine who loves you every day like it is Valentines?

 

Today is a day that is marked by showing love by giving things. I long for the day when I can receive gourmet meals, diamonds, pearls, lingerie, kisses!....all the amenities that come with being loved by someone who has, if not everything, enough money to get ANYTHING!

Now don't think I'm bitter or lonely or sad or materialistic; I'm not (that much). But I'm sitting here yearning for that day when I can have my Forever Valentine--the day when I stop wondering "Will I have something for Valentines this year? What am I going to do? How do I feel about what I'm going to do?"

 

Because that is my current state lol. I am doing nothing this year (for the actual day, this weekend I celebrated it with my sorors, I love them) and I don't actually want to go into the details of how I feel about doing nothing and receiving nothing from a significant other (or any male, really). I just sit and imagine what it will be like when I am so loved that my man will do anything in his power to make me feel loved, not just on Valentines, but everyday (though he better have something off the top extravagant for Valentines.)

 

As I was imagining this though, a thought came to my mind. Would I appreciate him if he did it? Ha, of course I would! I would shower love on him as well, be so devoted to him, do everything in my power to love him completely, totally give myself to him. I mean, if he loves me so much, I have no choice but to love him as well too right?? And show him everyday! Shoot, I know I'm going to be a good wife. Can't tell me nothin.

 

Then I heard, well DeAnna, somebody does love you, yet you ignore him every day, especially on this day when you get caught up on what you don't have...not realizing that you DO have it, you just throw it to the wayside until you feel like its convenient.

 

And it's true. I have someone who loves me so much He gave EVERYTHING just so that He could have a relationship with me, to restore His relationship with me. He gave me His LIFE trying to show me how much He loved me. And am I that hopelessly devoted woman I said I would be? Good question.

"...the Apostle John wrote in I John 4:19, "We love Him, because He first loved us." We count Him as precious because He counted us as precious -- so precious that He, God Himself, left Heaven's glory to put on and confine Himself to human flesh for 33 long and difficult years, ending in a cross -- a cross on Calvary, for our sins. He died the death we should have died -- in agony, being spit on and mocked and abused for evil He had never done. After three days in a borrowed tomb, He got up from the grave and returned to Heaven for our justification -- so that we could be counted righteous in Him. And He lives now as our Lord, our Savior, our Keeper, our Provider -- all by grace, for we are and could do nothing to have earned His favor. And, He is daily conforming us to His perfect image; meanwhile, He is building us a home in Heaven to be with Him forever. He has loved us beyond how anyone else ever could or would -- and in response, yes, we count Him most precious.

 

The difference in worth of a pearl and a chip of broken sidewalk is but a poor metaphor to describe the difference in worth between the Lord Jesus Christ and all of His creation . . . treasures are very expensive, of course, and yet the greatest treasure in the universe comes with the price for possession already paid by Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ; He is truly priceless to us, for we as sinners could not pay the price necessary to possess and be possessed by Him in love for all eternity . . . so He condescended to pay that price, with His own precious, precious blood. Those who have received Him by faith as their Savior from sin belong to Him, and He belongs to them -- the utmost and only Treasure of their hearts, from Whom all other earthly and heavenly blessings flow forever!

 

In the first place, He is God, and thus possesses all that is His to possess -- He is the Creator, Sustainer and Heir (Hebrews 1:2) of the entire universe and all that lies beyond it -- all things were, are, and will be His. In His character He is holy, righteous, merciful, compassionate, gracious, patient, glorious, and majestic -- and the Bible declares that He Himself is Love (I John 5:8)." -Excerpted from "The Singing Devotional," Vol. 1 by Deeann Matthews

So I ask you, have you given your love to your Forever Valentine today? Or do you ignore Him every day? Don't take His love for granted. It should have been you instead showing your love, yet He decided to give you life because He loves you that much. Think about it.

 DS DeAnna Rhodes

loving tough

By Heather Zempel
(http://www.churchleaders.com/smallgroups/small-group-articles/147901-the-reason-your-discipleship-process-is-frustrating.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily-Update)

"I've talked a lot recently about making disciples. I'm struck by the fact that Jesus told his followers to go "make" disciples, not "find" disciples.

Once upon a time, someone stumbled upon my blog because they did a Google search for “how to shorten the discipleship process.” Which prompted me to immediately write a blog post on how the discipleship process cannot be shortened. And if that’s what you are looking for, then you are in the wrong business. This isn’t FedEx. It’s not even the Pony Express. It’s discipleship. The life-long pursuit of God and invitation to others to follow you in that process.

In the Great Commission, Jesus instructed us to go into all the world and make disciples…

As leaders, we think we are accepting that challenge, but in reality, we are trying to find disciples. Jesus said go make disciples, not go find disciples.

If the people in our groups are not growing, it's our fault. If we get discouraged after one month or one year or even three, we haven't yet grasped that discipleship takes time. Twelve Galilean guys spent three focused years with Jesus himself and still didn't show up for the prayer meeting on the most important night in history.

We often look for disciples. We look for a potential leader. We hope to find someone with maturity and gifts that we can raise up. We forget that Jesus told us to go make them. Not find them. If you can't find a potential leader in your group, in your ministry, or on your team, it's not their fault. Don't blame them for being immature or needing to grow. It's your fault. It's my fault. We are supposed to make disciples. And making disciples is long, hard work.

The only way to measure success in discipleship is by looking at reproduction. At multiplication. Two verses continually serve as guideposts for me.

2 Timothy 2:2- "You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others." Discipleship is about shared truths. It's passing on what God has taught us to another. This is the environment of face-to-face discipleship.

1 Thessalonians 2:8- "We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too." Discipleship is also about doing life together. It's about shared experiences. It's about inviting them into the opportunities and activities that you do and letting them be a part of them and learn with you and from you. It's the environment of shoulder-to-shoulder discipleship."

The Matthew 5:44 Principle

My mother always told me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” For
a long time I tried to follow this principle, especially with people who I didn’t get along with. If I saw
someone I didn’t like, instead of giving them a piece of my mind, I would hold my tongue. This worked
for me and I figured that it worked for God too since He did say love your enemies. But I soon realized
that not speaking to one’s enemies did not equate showing them love. When the bible says love your
enemies, it means in the same way that God loves us. That means we are to pray for them with the
same fervor that we pray for our family and friends. I had to go out of my way to speak to people who
I knew probably wouldn’t speak back. I made it a point to rejoice in their good news and mourn with
them when something bad happened. I didn’t shut them out of my life like I wanted to; I tried to open
up and invite them in. It was and is hard, especially when your “enemy” is someone who hurt you, but
it is through your love that they will see Christ and also through total forgiveness that you will receive
healing. Remember today to pray for your enemies and to pray that God continue to heal whatever hurt
they left behind.

How He Loves

More than anything else in my Christian life, I've always been boggled by God's unfailing love. How is it that a God so holy, so exalted would be concerned by me? How is it that He would have anything to do with me? His love is something that I wrestled with, ran from and denied -- all because of a great sense of unworthiness. Yes, I am unworthy of His love -- I will always be unworthy of His love. But that's what makes it all the more remarkable. His love for me is greater than any sin I could ever commit. It's stronger than any feelings of guilt I may have.  His love for me drove Him to give His life and His love is now what gives me life. Even though I learn more everyday about His great love, I still cannot completely wrap my mind around how awesome it is. But, I can say that now I've found that in His love I don't have the time or right to maintain my many regrets or disappointments. Why not? Because in His love I am redeemed and in He sees me as perfect. How sweet it is to be loved by God!



Dove Sister Ariel Pierson

Lyrics to David Crowder Band - How He Loves

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves. 

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we?re all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don?t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way....

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves.  

FEBRUARY--LOVE

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful LOVE month! That is right, the theme for this month is LOVE. We will be posting love stories, devotionals about different types of loves, creative ways to show love, etc. Please feel free to send in an entry to nulife.blog@gmail.com.

And don't forget PRAYER AT THE FLAGPOLE at 1PM every FRIDAY! If you can't stay, just shout out a prayer request!