Just a Few Thoughts on Love

Love is one of the most overused and misunderstood words in our vocabulary. We say we love someone and act lovingly toward them until they do something we don't like. We attach out love to our feelings when love should be an amendment to out feelings. Love is what steps in when you don't feel like it.

When you need a break but don't feel you deserve it, in love steps in, even Jesus rested. When you have been hurt by others or even yourself and can't forgive, love steps in and shows grace, that's what Jesus did when He died. When your too tired, broke, or scared to give anymore, love intervenes.Your relationship with God is not measured by your religion or the things you say or do it is measured by your capacity to love when Gods definition supersedes yours.
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Who is Christ?

Who is Christ? We are! 

1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it." If we look at verses 12-26 we see how vital each part of the body is, "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it".

You have a function in Christ's body, you were created to operate in a way that only you can. Salvation isn't just about accepting Jesus as lord of your life, it's about you accepting your role in Christ body through Gods word living and abiding in you. 1 Peter 1:23 says, " For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,through the living and enduring word of God.Not only is God's word alive in you it is enduring or permanent. 1 John 4:17 says, "...as He is, so are we in this world." Whoever Jesus is, we are. We can perform miracles, speak life, teach, heal, and transform the world around us! According to 1 Corinthians 6:15 our bodies are members of Christ it states, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!" We seem to have this idea that when we do something wrong God is right there with us looking over our shoulder watching us when in fact he is in us we are using Christ to commit our sin! Verse 17 of the same chapter says, "But He who unites himself with The Lord is one with him in sprint." When you are saved you become one with Jesus in spirit, you cannot choose to separate from Jesus when you want to appease the flesh. 1 Corinthians 12:15 says, " If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?" You cannot choose to no longer be apart of the body of Christ because you want to do or be something that is not in agreement with the rest of the body of Christ. Nothing you do effects just you and your Christian walk, it effects the body of Christ as a whole.Which is why its very important to have unity. Recognizing that though we may look and function differently we are apart of the same body operating toward the same goal. 

John 17:20-23 says, "20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." Unity is the state of being united or joined as a whole its an agreement between people or groups. It is important for us as the body of Christ to be unified because it shows the world that God sent Jesus. Satan will do all he can to disrupt unity and he does this by drawing our attention to surface issues so we cannot address the root of the issue. For example, gay, lesbian and transgender rights. The church is focusing on how a change in laws may effect their environment rather than changing their environment by addressing the deeper issue. 

There is a group of people out there who believe the church does not love them but the church is a reflection of Gods love which means there is a group of people feeling unloved by God. Imagine a head saying I love you, come to me, I have so many things to show you and teach you. I know you are hurting and I can heal you, but the body is pushing these people away,hitting and turning away from these people. I am not saying that laws are not important they are and you should vote however God leads you. Imagine opening your arms and seeing these people and any others that are not in the body of Christ the way God does; broken, hurt, sick just like all of us were. Laws aren't going to change peoples actions and feelings but the love of God can.Jesus did not come to change man, He came to redeem man. Through that love, that redemption, man could not help but change. He came to give us life not to point out that we were dead. 

Gossip is another thing that comes in the way of unity. It is so easy to see someones faults. We, especially women, watch others and address their surface issues by spreading our irrelevant opinions instead of addressing the root issue which is and always will be a hurt or offense. Luke 17:1 says, "Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!" We will be offended and when offenses come we need to forgive quickly but we need to be very mindful of the offenses that come through us and be as quick to rectify them. We have heard many times about people leaving the church because of an offense or people not wanting to turn their hearts to God because they believe Christians are hypocrites. We need to ignore the surface and address the root because that's what Jesus did when he died for us. Again, complete unity is how we show the world that God sent Jesus. The only way to become unified is to function within the purpose. 

Isaiah 61:1-4 tells us exactly what Jesus came to do. As the body of Christ we are now responsible for these task until He returns. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives,and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God;to comfort all who mourn,to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes,the oil of joy for mourning,the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;that they may be called trees of righteousness,the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations,and they shall repair the ruined cities,the desolations of many generations." 

This is a lot for one person, auxiliary, or church to do so why do we try to do it all? God's intended this be done by the body of Christ, by all of us collectively.  God has given us each as individuals, auxiliaries, and churches a specific function within the body and it is so important that we operate in our gifts. This is the only way we will fulfill our collective purpose, and in operating at our highest capacity not only will lives be changed but souls will be saved! The eye cannot function as an ear and the foot will never be a neck so we need to stop comparing people by their functions. Now some things do not function as they should, for example there may be something in the eye, the hand many need to hold up a mirror in order to remove the obstruction. This should only be done in love and in an attempt to get the eye to function at its highest potential. 

You may wonder, how do I know a person, auxiliary or church is really in the body of Christ? This is where you pray for discernment. Your prayer should not be that God bring to your attention all that is wrong but that He allows you to see His children according to their function in the ultimate purpose of executing God's will. If you are praying for discernment and still aren't sure then act in love. 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 "[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Father,

Thank you so much for creating us for a specific function within the body of Christ. Thank you for sending Jesus to die so we may become one with you. Forgive us for not always operating in our function, for trying to change our role or the roles of those around us. Forgive us for not always recognizing you in others and seeing the surface issues rather than the root issues. Reveal to us father the roots of the issues we face on a daily basis so we may handle them with love. Replace our judgement with compassion and give us a deep seeded desire for unity among your people. Help us to see through your eyes and to be purposeful about being your hands and feet we love you. Amen

If you want to become a part of the body of Christ or you are a part of the body but are unsure of your function; even if you just have a prayer request please email me at leeanahjames@yahoo.com. 

My Life is a Letter

My life is not my own
It is a letter
To be read by those around me

A message of hope and peace
Trials and triumphs
Wisdom and understanding

Most importantly it is a delaration
Of Gods unchanging love
And salvation through His son Jesus

This letter may be interpurted
Through eyes that are hurting
Proud, angry or ashamed

However, the message remains
God is Love and
Love calls your name.

2 Cor. 3:2-4

Like Christ Loved the Church

Ephesians 5:25 has really been on my heart lately. The word if God instructs husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church. Well what does that mean for us the wives. Well I began to think about church, first we are the church our physical bodies. We live our lives consecrated to God to prepare an atmosphere within our hearts for Him to move in our lives. Even at the building the church services start with praise and worship to draw the attention of the congregation to the purpose for being there. Worship sets the atmosphere for God to move. I am not suggesting we worship our husbands but this does make one consider their responsibility to create the atmosphere for their marriage. Here are some questions to think on: Are you creating an atmosphere of open, honest, communication? Are you creating an atmosphere of encouragement? What are you contributing to the atmosphere when you argue? Are you fighting fair?

Father,
Help us create a positive, honest, atmosphere with our actions and words in our marriage and wherever we go. May your love pour out of us in all situations. Thank you for changing and shaping us. Amen

Canvas vs. Clay

I was talking to my mom the other day and she gave me a few words of wisdom. Too often we live our life as if we have a blank canvas, and we have to paint this beautiful picture to present to God. We work so hard to make sure we have the right colors and textures, to make sure we include depth and range. Often times forgetting that none of the above things is our responsibility; we are clay.
Clay does nothing but what the potter shapes and molds it to do. It does not move on its own, it does not create something to be presented to the potter. Rather the potter is creating something out of the clay. When I was a little girl I would watch my aunt at the potter’s wheel. I was amazed at the ease in which she shaped and molded vases and cups, something that was hard for my little hands to do. As I reminisce about the clay in her hands, I never once heard her curse the clay for being clay. She never disapproved of the clay or what it had to bring. I don’t even think she saw the clay as the big ugly block that it was. She would wet her hands, sit down and make the clay into what she envisioned it to be.

We are clay. I don’t think God looks down on us judging us for what we do or don’t do. Measuring us based on our accomplishments rather He sees us for who we will be; as mothers, fathers, sisters, brother, missionaries, pastors, teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc. The bible says in Isaiah 46:10 that God sees things from the end to the beginning. Isn’t it wonderful that He sees us not as the big ugly block of clay we are but the beautiful masterpiece He is making us to be. Isn’t it amazing that we are not judged on our accomplishments on blank canvases but rather our willingness to be shaped and molded by Him?

Even Jesus was clay. He submitted and was obedient when He got baptized. He had not yet performed any documented miracles yet God still said to Him, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. Be encouraged today to submit to the process that is life, to be shaped and molded to what God has called you to be. Not looking at the other beautiful pieces of pottery around you trying to conform to them but realizing that you are being formed and fashioned for a specific purpose.

Father,
Please shower us with you love, affirm us, shape us mold us. Give us the wisdom not to compare ourselves to the ideas we have of others. Not to create something to present to you but rather to present to you ourselves to be fashioned by you. Thank you for your grace and mercy. For being faithful even when we aren’t. We love you.
Amen

Would A God of Love Do That?

I was listening to a very interesting coversation about the character of God. When one co-worker mentioned that natural disasters are sometimes seen as punishment from God, another co-worker asked "Would a God of love do that?" It was interesting because God is love but that does not mean He is a pushover. There are still consequences for ones actions, the bible says, in Proverbs 29:15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left [to himself] bringeth his mother to shame." Further verse 17 says, "Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul." So a God of love would correct and dicipline His children because He will not call us to do anything He wouldn't do.

Well naturally the next question would be, "Would God punish a nation?" There are many examples of this in the Old Testament, Noah's hometown and the world was flooded (God promised not to flood the entire world agian), Soddom and Gomorah, He even punished Isreal and for years they were enslaved then walked through the wilderness.

After Christ died on the cross, and rose again we were afforded grace, however, the character of God did not change. Hebrews 13:8 say, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

I am not saying that naturally disasters are punishments from God, but they could be. It can also simply be the result of our free will; we make decisions concerning our enviorment on a daily basis that effect the eco-system, another reason can be that God simply allows things to happen so future events can occur (if children don't learn to get up after falling they wont learn how to walk).

Be blessed.

Happiness or Love?

I realized the other day I am constantly being bombarded with the things the world says that sounds good but goes against everything God says. Like, "You do you, I will do me." or "If you like it, I love it." I have said both of these things and recently; just because it’s easier than taking the time or energy to care. Or how about, "I just want you to be happy."

This is something my mom never said to me and with good reason. There are things that make people happy like drugs, sex, booze, if that were the case if it was of most importance for everyone to be happy and to stay in their own little bubble then what would be the point of love. Love stretches both the giver and receiver it’s sometimes uncomfortable for both parties but is more necessary than happiness. Love understands that addiction, illness and helplessness are real, love weights the risks and the benefits and love acts accordingly regardless of one’s happiness. I wonder if this world will ever stop chasing the illusion of happiness and just open up to receive perfect love. Who knows one day they may look up and be happy.

God help us to live up to your definition of love (1 Corinthians 13) rather than chasing the worlds definition of happiness. Shape us and mold us to be more like you.

Worry

I am back!! Okay, so 7 months ago on 3/13/10 I married the man of my dreams. It has been quite a spiritual journey and has really opened my eyees to how much the devil hates marriage. So far every month since being married my DH and I have gone through something. Its always new, always different, and it always hits us and stretches us a little differently. It also brings us closer to each other and to God. Nothing has happened this month, yet. With it being month 7 maybe we will get a break but you know we don't even fret about whats going to come next. God is really growing us from faith to faith. Isn't it amazing how God creates precedent in our lives. When we go through something new we can look back and say well God you got me through that so I know you can get me through this.

Let me tell you something about me. I worry, it comes so natural to me. I put it on like an warm coat in the winter. God is teaching me through this time to rest when it seems that I should worry. At one time DH and I were both not working and a friend of mine said, "What are you going to do? Don't you think you should get a job?" I said, "No, God didn't tell me too." Would you believe ALL of our bills were paid we were eating out and enjoying life. I got caught in a flash flood and our only car was totaled everyone said there is no way you can buy a car for cash that is a good car. Do you know that just when we were going to break down and finance a car (I mean the only thing we were missing was a ride to the dealership) the credit check was complete we just had to sign the papers. God stepped in and opened the door for us to get a car for cash that only had one previous owner and runs great. How dare I worry. I know these trials that I have gone through are God's way of answering my prayers that He show Himself to me anew. That He remind me that I am fact am His favorite.

Be encouraged "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28