L-O-V-E spells love, and it ain't just for Cupid

How many times on Valentine's Day have you opened up your Bible to 1 Corinthians 13? Be honest. I can tell you that I have on numerous occasion. It's just natural- February 14th just reminds us of something that can be kicked to the curb in our modern society- love. But love isn't reserved for just your dearly beloved.

37 He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important commandment. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments."

This passage is from the Book of Matthew (22:37-40). I'm sure you know it. But did you realize that Jesus used the same word here that Paul used: love? We are supposed to love not just our significant other in 1 Cor 13 fashion...but our neighbor i.e. everyone. Oh snap. Let's look this over.

1 If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; 5 does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; 6 finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Ok, Paul. Let me get this straight. I have to be patient with the people who argue with me? Yep.

I have to be kind to the people who make fun of me? Yep.

I can't hold grudges and get revenge and go off on people when they start it? Nope.

That's what is so crazy- Jesus wants us to take love farther than we even think possible. We must be willing to love everyone, all the time. It's hard, wicked hard. But in order to follow Christ effectively, this is what we must do. Are you doing all you can to love your neighbor? Can you love the unlovable?

Hillsong - Stronger - With Subtitles/Lyrics

Your new champion...you!

This past weekend, I watched the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 121 event at Applebee's with some friends. I do this from time to time, as it is considerably more fun to watch fights at a restaurant than at the house (not to mention cheaper- pay-per-view prices are ridiculous!). It was a great card of fights, topped off with a brawl for the heavyweight championship.

Leading up to this title fight, there was all kinds of footage of the two fighters training. They lifted weights, ran miles and miles, and then lifted weights again. They sparred in the ring, grappled on the mats, and then lifted weights again. So much work went into this fight- months and months!

This was all for four minutes, as Cain Velasquez (who I was rooting for) emerged the victor only four minutes into the fight. When he strapped the belt on, he was officially the baddest dude on the planet. How much tougher can you be than the world's best heavyweight cagefighter? The correct answer is...not a lot.

Yet, this title as champion, and the gold belt that goes with it, means little. Let's look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

24 Do you not know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 26 Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly, or box like one who beats the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

You see, it doesn't matter how hard you train and how many trophies you win- all that matters is God. Cain Velasquez has a very pretty belt, but it will someday tarnish. It will someday rot. Someday, that belt will be thrown away. Yet, we as Christians have an imperishable crown. We have eternal life through Jesus Christ. We still train and get ready for the fight, just as Velasquez did, but our fight is much deeper than two dudes slugging it out in a cage. We don't lift weights or spar for our fight; we dig into the Word, for our fight is a spiritual war. Satan is out there, antagonizing us, tellign us we aren't really champs. I tell you, that by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior and repenting of our sins, we have doen just that. We have won a title.

Are you training hard for your title defense against Satan? Are you ready? The Devil hits hard, so make sure you have put in the effort to hit harder.

The Expedition

I will be reading through the entire Bible this year, instead of meandering about at the speed I was previously going. Therefore, each day I will read around four chapters. So, instead of writing about every single passage I read, I will touch on the most meaningful one of the day. Thanks for your support, and hang on, This will be an adventure.

I'm a Heap of Trash

Time to continue through the book of 1 Corinthians, as we look at 1 Cor. 4:6-13.

6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: "Nothing beyond what is written." [b] The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another. 7 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn't receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn't received it? 8 Already you are full! Already you are rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we also could reign with you! 9 For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; 12 we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we entreat. We are, even now, like the world's garbage, like the filth of all things.

The Corinthian church, as Paul writes to them, is a hot mess. They've got more problems than the math portion of the ACT. In this passage, Paul addresses their pride. You see, they thought they were pretty awesome. They didn't realize that one of the possible causes for their division amongst each other may have been purely because they all thought they were really something. Paul questions what makes them so great, and then proceeds to switch over into some sarcasm.

He says, "already you are full, already you are full!" He then proceeds to ask when their reign as kings began, then how he wishes he could join them as rulers! Kind of typical, Paul and his sarcasm.

Continuing, Paul states some truth: people of Christ are at the bottom of the food chain for respect. Everyone is going to beat you down. Jesus has said it, and it's a point Paul gives a considerable amount of time to. It ain't easy to follow Jesus.

You will be ridiculed. You will be rejected. You will be unpopular and uncool. This is all fact. But we have back up.

Jesus intends to keep us strong. Through prayer and faith, we can find the strength to stay steadfast to the truth instead of crumbling under pressure. After all, it's only under intense pressure that diamonds are made!

Are you willing to let go of your pride? Are you willing to be a piece of garbage to the world? They say one man's trash is another man's treasure- are you God's trash or treasure?

You have been promoted to...manager.

So, I'm currently reading through the book of 1 Corinthians, which is one of my very favorite books. As I do my daily readings, I will post the Scripture I read and then my thoughts on it. Hopefully, I'll actually sit down and write everyday...

1 A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God's mysteries. 2 In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one be found faithful. 3 It is of little importance that I should be evaluated by you or by a human court. In fact, I don't even evaluate myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord. 5 Therefore don't judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God. -1 Corinthians 4:1-5(HCSB)

Ok, so I read over this in both my New International Version and my Holman version, and the Holman is actually a more direct translation from Greek, particularly the word "manager." The NIV calls us "servants entrusted with the secret things (stuff that humans couldn't find out on their own but that God will reveal to us) of God." The Greek translation actually says more along the lines of "house manager" or "steward." So, God is entrusting us to be in charge of His stuff. Does that blow your mind?

I know that when I have made something, be it a Lego fort when I was younger or a project for school now, I certainly don't want anyone to come in and mess it up. Yet, God is entrusting us to be in charge of the entire Earth. I don't know about you, but that's pretty wild.

But wait- that's not all this passage says. It goes on to say that we will be judged. God will be looking over all of our work. It's just like a manager anywhere else- corporate lets you be in charge, but you must maintain good conduct and do your job. Eventually, the CEO of the universe is going to call you into His office and look over your work, evaluating what you have done.

Will you get a good review? Did you do your job satisfactory? That's a question only you can answer.

Helped by notes from the NIV Study Bible.

Radical

Recently, my life has had a cataclysmic shift. I read David Platt's book Radical.

The book focuses on how the American church has gone totally south. The topics range from missions to money to the American Dream. It is, as a friend of mine called it, "a gut check, yet major inspiration, all at the same time." Radical will make you think about whether you're going about this Jesus thing right or not, and should be a mandatory read for all Christians. So, if you need a copy to read, let me know. I'll do my best to help ya. :)

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Hello friends and family! :)

Here I Am

I finally got out of that jar!