WHO WILL TELL THEM

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Romans 10:14

Yesterday afternoon I had to run a few errands.  As I got to the bank, an elderly woman with a cane had gotten to the door just ahead of me.  She was struggling to open the door.

I hurried to hold it and I opened the second door just inside for her as well.  She expressed her thanks and we went on about our banking business.

As I was at the counter, this lady was leaving and I watched her struggle as I was in the middle of what I was doing (in hindsight, I really wish I would have stopped and helped her with those heavy doors).

With my bank errand finished, I walked outside.  The sweet older woman was still walking to her car, tired from struggling with those heavy double doors.

I stopped her and made sure she knew about the handicap access button just outside the door and I let her know there were two inside at each door.  She had no idea they were even there!

Had she only known about the button, she would not have struggled so much.

As I got in my car to go to my next stop, I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me as I had the thought, "Who's gonna tell them?".

Life can be really hard.  People are struggling.  Who's gonna tell them they don't have to struggle so hard?

Walking with Jesus, we are not promised an easy life free from hardship or painful circumstances.  We are promised a Helper, Comforter, Friend, and so much more.  Someone who carries our burdens and loves us through it all (even when our pain is out own fault).

Be reminded.  We have help in the struggle.  That same help is available to so many others that we encounter in our day to day lives.

Are we gonna tell them?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28



A RECKLESS LOVE--BRIDGE (THE LIGHT UP SONG)

This will be the final post to a series that has taken a while to get through.  Life happens.  Maybe I can get back to posting on here regularly (looks promising), maybe not.  We will see.

To wrap this series up, I want to look at the bridge of the song Reckless Love.  Because of these few lines, my daughter refers to this as "The Light up Song".  Why?

Because........

There's no shadow You won't light up

There is no place so dark in your life that the presence of God cannot meet you there.  Nothing you have done or that has been done to you is beyond God's love, grace, and forgiveness in Jesus.

Mountain You won't climb up

Just as the shepherd pursues his sheep, we have a Good Shepherd who pursues us to the rocky heights and scary ledges that sin leads us to.

These two lines of the bridge remind me of Psalm 139:7-12.

Coming after me

God pursues us.  If we feel distant, it is not because He has moved.  Our sin separates us from Him, places distance between us, and He took initiative and came to us.  He chases us down relentlessly.

There's no wall You won't kick down

There are many walls that can separate us from God.  Really, anything between us and Him and that relationship He desires with us, can be called a wall.  Sometimes they are walls we put up.  Other times, they are constructed by others.  However they get put up, God, through Jesus, kicks them down to get to us.

Lie You won't tear down

Whether they be lies that we tell or others tell about us, what God says about us is greater than what others think or say about us.  May we listen ever closely to His voice, and allow that to be our filter for the lies we hear and believe.

Coming after me


For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

A RECKLESS LOVE--- VERSE 2

******WRITER'S NOTE******
Life has had my attention in various other places so it's been a while since my last post. This is a continuation of a series of posts about the song RECKLESS LOVE.
As I write this, it is Thanksgiving 2018. We all have so much to be thankful for. Remember, Who we are thankful to is more important that what we are thankful for. It is only in and through Jesus that anything else in life has any true value or significance worth our gratitude. I'm thankful for each of you. Happy Thanksgiving!

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me


Even when we were "by nature objects of wrath" (see Ephesians 2:1-5), God has loved us with a love that knows no condition. When He would have been completely justified in turning from us, He has turned to us and made a way for us to be made right with Him. When He had every reason to consider us His enemies and to fight us, He considered us His beloved and fought FOR us.

His goodness and kindness on full display as he chose not to love us because of who we are, but rather, in spite of who we are.

As life happens and we make choices (and inevitably, mistakes), it can be easy to question our worth. In light of the great love that God shows us, I would ask you to consider this......

The worth of something is determined by the price someone is willing to pay for it.

We are reminded in scripture that we were "bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20). Look at the price that was paid! God in the flesh on a cross for our sin.

A high price was paid for you dear friends. In those moments when you are tempted to question your worth, consider the price that was paid for you.

Jesus loves you. He loves you so much. He thought you were to die for. So much so, that He did.

A RECKLESS LOVE---CHORUS

Oh (used to express an emotion (such as surprise or desire) or in response to physical stimuli)
The overwhelming (very great in amount),
Neverending (having or seeming to have no end),
Reckless (without caring about consequences)
Love of God

Oh,
It chases me down (pursues),
Fights til I'm found (defends),
Leaves the 99

I don't deserve it,
I couldn't earn it,
Still you give yourself away
(GRACE).

Oh, the overwhelming, neverending, reckless love of God.


***Not my typical style. I felt that this would be a powerful way to look at the chorus to this song. I didn't want to lose the meaning of the lyrics in a wordy, interpretive post. I pray that you have reflected on and are living in response to this great love.

A Reckless Love--- verse 1

In my last post, I introduced what will be a series of posts about the song Reckless Love. I aim to share a weekly post over the next month or so and share what is on my heart pertaining to each part of the song. With that in mind, the following are a few of my thoughts on [Verse 1], which says:

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me

From the beginning, when God created man, He has desired relationship with us. Before we could ever sing Him a song, or write Him a poem or verse, or paint, dance, or any other creative way to express our praise for and love of Him, the Creator of creativity was delighted with us.

The Giver of life breathed life into each of us. Before we could ever impress him with any kind of effort.

Our lives are to be lived in response to His great goodness and kindness towards us. After all, it is His kindness that leads us to repentance. Without which, we have no access. We have no relationship. We are on our own and dead in our sins. We stand condemned.

As we journey through life with Jesus, I truly believe that we are to share that kindness and goodness with those we meet along the way. He pours into us and we are to spill out into our lives and helping, healing, serving, and loving our world. His indwelling Spirit leading us and responding with obedience in gratitude for all He is to us and all He has done for us.

Inhaling His grace. Exhaling His praise.

This is how we change the world.

A Reckless Love--- INTRO

I really like the song "Reckless Love". I think it is powerful, anointed, and is being used globally in leading us to a place of worship. Showing us a glimpse of " the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God".

Apparently, there is some controversy over the word "reckless" being used as a way to describe God's love.

I believe that God's love is multifaceted. He being the Creator and us being the created, I find it humerous that we would even begin to think we have him all figured out.

That being said, I like the word being used in this song. It fits. Especially when you consider the lengths He has gone to in order to share His love with us.

When Jesus was praying before His arrest and eventual crucifixion, He prayed. At one point, it seems He was interested in completing His mission a different way. He knew what was coming and He knew what it would cost Him to be obedient. He still chose to say, 'not my will, but Yours'....

Sounds pretty reckless to me.



hiya

 

 

https://goo.gl/8cP4yM

 

 

 

Craig
Craig Clark