By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North
The mind of a Pharisee thinks truth is more important than love, but Jesus showed us that love is the most important part of truth.
-- From 'He Loves Me!', by Wayne Jacobsen
While there have been various movements around lately such as the emerging church, the new reformed movement, or various proclaimed revival 'outpourings'. There has been another set of voices that have been calling believers back to believe in the Goodness, Grace, and Love of God. None of these voices have gotten organized, other than simply following the prompting of the Holy Spirit. And, as far as I can tell, none wish to build or proclaim the next 'great thing'. They are simply Prophets of Love, proclaiming God's Love to all people, and reminding us that we can't save ourselves, we can't fix ourselves, we don't need to work to earn anything from our Father (like the song above), and that the only hope we have is in the transforming power of His Love.
All to often in our world, we find that performance is a condition of our acceptance and worth as a person. We learn this in school, many learn this in our homes, our churches, and in our jobs. This is the way of the world, and we recast God in our image when we assume that God is the same way. I'm guilty of this more times than I'd like to admit. But in God we find someone who knows us at our worst, and loves us all the more. He doesn't stand back and wait for us to fix ourselves, rather he offers to come into our brokenness and begin the healing process - if we ask. He is the one who is faithful to complete the work he begun. When we look for something we can do to get right with him, we get nowhere. But when we trust what he has done to make us right, that makes all the difference. I have found that the most profound changes in my heart come at my darkest hours; Those times when I finally give up on my abilities to accomplish anything through self-effort. “We worship in the Spirit, glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” (Phil 3:3) Papa, may I learn from those and trust you at the first, rather than at last.
Are you Tired? Worn out? Burned out on Religion? Come to me, get away with me and you'll recover your life.
-- Matt 11:28, The Message
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.
-- Zephaniah 3:17, NIV
Here are just a few voices of Love that God has brought into my life at just the right times:
He Loves Me! - Wayne Jacobsen.
True Faced - John Lynch
The parable of the dancing God - Baxter Kruger
The Shack - Paul Young
The Wisdom of Tenderness - Brennan Manning
2 comments:
Rick,
Hello...I found your blogpage from a link from another. I've been checking in to see if you posted, and I see you have today!
I completely understand and agree with everything in this post! My heart truly resonates. I am "one" of these, you described.
In fact, I actually wrote a post titled "Who We Are," that reminded me of your post here.
Please feel free to read it, and if you'd like, tell me what you think:
http://amyiswalkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/2008/09/who-we-are.html
Oh, and definitely feel free to browse around, read other posts, and even add me to your "RSS Feed" or Blogroll. I always love gaining new friendships.
Blessings,
~Amy :)
Hi Amy,
Thanks for stopping by, I already read your blog from time to time :-). I'm quite guilty of reading many blogs and commenting on very few. Oh well, I did read your post 'who we are' and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will add that the 'movements' I mentioned in my post are almost exclusively leader driven, and I hold little hope for any of the to last. I see something different, however, in those who have rediscovered God's love and grace. There are those, of course, like Wayne, Brad, and Paul (all of whom I'm thankful for) who have a platform and a gift to share the message of God's Love and Grace, but the bulk of the everyday conversations occur among the ordinary folk, in their every day lives. I've personally witnessed half a dozen people in my community who were nearly lifeless under the obligations foisted upon them come back to life in the past year. Simply amazing, thank you Papa!
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