Who can be against us?

"And the words ‘God is for us’ are also covenant language; what is being proclaimed here is God’s undertaking to uphold and protect us when people and circumstances are threatening, to provide for us as long as our earthly pilgrimages lasts, as to lead us finally into the full enjoyment of himself, however many obstacles may seem at present to stand in the way of getting there." -J.I. Packer

This fundamental truth gives hope to the believer. Although the lives of Christ followers include trials and painful growth, the Lords benevolence and goodness follows us into the deepest of despair. The God who gave His son to be murdered, the Father who endures our deepest rebellion, will surely never leave us or forsake us, and continues to be the giver of good things in the midst of sinful depravity. 

Servants

1 Timothy 1:12
I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to his service.

Radical

My boyfriend says it all the time
Well...he says "that's rad".
Close enough.


Tonight, I finally went to my church's college group. 
Hallelujah, praise Jesus. I miss my church family. It was like a breath of fresh air. 
I love them.


Anyway, radical. What does a radical  God-fearing life look like for a Christian not living in a Muslim country? How does a radical Christian deal with sin. 
Well, let me tell you. 


You need to radically cut off your sin. (I can tell you to, because I have to as well). 
I don't mean say you're sorry, or simply meditate on your wrongdoing. 
Don't just acknowledge that what your ways are sinful. 


Matthew 5:29-30
^29"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."


This is crazy. This is insane. This is love. 
This is like that guy who cut off his own arm to survive. This isn't easy, but the battle's been won! The Lord gives us the power to do this! Now that is love. 


Initially, I come to this verse frightened. What do I have to cut off? What do I have to give up? 
And then I remember. Jesus came to humanity. 

He gave up glory

He gave up comfort

He gave up respect

Our King suffocated, bled, and died on a few pieces of wood in the desert as he was spat on and mocked for absorbing the wrath of God.

Suddenly, obedience to my Lord and King becomes my upmost joy. 

Rest

Rest in the Lord. Rest in my mind. Rest in my body. Why is it so hard to rest?
I hate it but I love it.
My mind goes runs at a million miles a minute, and consequently so does my mouth. But what would it be like if I quieted my mind, doubts, fears, goals, and ambitions, and just focused on the Lord.
What would happen if I stopped pondering the secondary effects of respiratory acidosis and started meditating on the Word longer. Oh Nursing School, you are ruining my brain.

I guess the only way to find out is to just do it.

Love 146

 I found this blog and was broken by it. I feel so comfortable and ignorant. What can we do about it?
http://love146.org/love-story

1 Corinthians 13

I've been really praying about what true, biblical love is. What does it look like? How can we approach other people with love, so that they can see the beauty of Christ? How can I mold my life so that I become more loving, but the more I read about "love", the more I realize what a supernatural gift it really is. It's all the things we as humans are not. It's patient, kind, not envious, humble, generous, bearing, hopeful and trusting (1Cor13:4-7).

What baffles me the most, is that while I can achieve the exact opposite of those characteristics in less than thirty seconds, Christ was those things for me. Not only for me, but he displays those characteristics to me. He is our righteousness as well as our example.

I can't wait to see what the Lord teaches me about genuine love.
"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." -1 Corinthians 13:13



http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13&version=NIV

AGAPE

This is the Love of intelligence,  of reason and comprehension coupled with the corresponding purpose.  Its concept is vastly superior to any other form of Love,  In essence "Agape" is a permanent benevolent attitude toward God and human beings, without any condition, that freely springs out of the Agape God has place in the heart of His own.  It is disinterested love that does not need anything in return. We can only Agape others only if God has firstly filled us up with His Agape. All the other form of love need a reaction, a return to maintain themselves, whilst Agape comes from God and the beneficiaries that are full of it do not need a confirmation from others, being fully satisfied in the Agape of the Lord (aymon de albatrus).