Beloved

This is what it's all about.  Jesus died for us so we could experience his never ending love every day of our life. He loves you so much more than any earthly thing or person.  Please give him your feminine heart this morning as you soak in this love song from the Prince.

This is Love. Part 1

(Continuing from This is Lust...)

Love is the opposite!  Love can only come from God, and love is God!  Seek God and find love. Seek love and find God. J
Let's take a look at a very special verse I found last week.  What better place to study love than the book of Song of Songs!  If you are a romance reader or love guru, check out this entire book sometime for a good read!

Song of Songs 8:6-7

“Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.

Many waters cannot quench love;rivers cannot wash it away.
  If one were to give

all the wealth of this house for love,
 it would be utterly scorned.”

This verse is so beautiful, so powerful, and so full of knowledge about love.  Take a look at the first part, “Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm…”  The author is begging God to not just love him, but to place a seal over His heart and around his arm, showing that he was God’s and God was his.  I think of this “seal” like a wedding ring.  A man gives a woman a wedding ring for 2 reasons. 1) to show her that he is hers and she is his for life.  It’s a daily reminder of their love for one another. 2) to show other men that her heart has already been taken by another man.

Some girls wear purity rings to show that their purity has been given to God’s will, which means they are waiting until marriage to have sex.  What a beautiful promise to wear on your finger every day; the promise of love and fulfillment in a long term goal.

 I see lots of students my age wear necklaces with special meanings.  The ministry I’m involved in has a joke about wearing your “Jesus necklace” to show that you are a Christian.  This is just a joke that came up because we noticed almost all of us happen to wear necklaces with a cross of some sort on them.  My Catholic friends wear a rosary around their neck.  People who have lost loved ones sometimes wear a memorial necklace.  High school girls wear their sweetheart’s ring around their neck.  The examples are endless.

So why do we wear special things around our arms, fingers, or neck?  I can’t tell you the exact answer, but it seems to be a special place for people or things we love.  The bible talks extensively about seals and metaphorically hanging things around your neck.  2 Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his…’”  Even God seals things with inscriptions.  It’s a sign of permanent importance, love, remembrance.  It is a covenant, or a promise.

So what’s the seal over your heart?  Is it God?  Your boyfriend?  A hobby?  A talent, maybe basketball or volleyball?  Do you put these things above your love for God?  I know it’s “just jewelry” to many of us, but think about it…what you put around your neck everyday really does say something about you.

Also, have you ever asked God to place you as a seal over his heart?  What about around his arm?  Do you want God to love you like that?  What are you afraid of?  Allow him to love you and consume your heart with His love, I promise you won’t regret it.

Three Little Words

God's been showing me a lot about Love in my personal quiet times.  I'm still learning, so I haven't typed up a blog to share yet, but while we wait God has provided me a song to share with you.  I have heard this song a few times, but it was this past Monday when I actually listened to the words for the first time.


'Cause I know, in sun shining and rain
Through heartache and pain
There's always a new tomorrow..


What powerful lyrics! "So many people need a change..need some one to say I love you" I mean really, our world is FULL of people who are all hurt and sad and depressed and lonely.  As Christians it's our duty to step up and literally love them.  


I'm not talking about going oversees and feeding African children, I'm talking about pausing  your conversation with your bff, looking behind her, and seeing the girl sitting by herself with no one to talk to.  She's dieing on the inside, begging God for someone to love her--but no one has reached out.  It's not her fault she's shy, she just wants someone to love her for who she is, despite all the pain and heartache she's been through.


Love people today.  Go beyond surface level and really ask about how they are doing.  Pray for them, share with them.  Point them to the Christ who saved you.

What the world needs is three little words

"I love you"

So many people need a change

So hurt by yesterday

Needing someone to say "I Love You"

'Cause I know, in sun shining and rain

Through heartache and pain

There's always a new tomorrow

(Chorus)

Oh, oh, here you go

Three little words

It's all it takes

Gotta make them heard

Raise your voice and say

I Love You

Oh, oh, here you go

One simple phrase

It's all it takes

To make a change today

Raise your voice and say

I Love You

Our hearts are one in the same

One voice and one name

Let's end all the separation

When the dark clouds ascend We know it's not the end There's always a new tomorrow 

Chorus Love, love, love (X8) Make a change today Say I love you Show it! Chorus (X2)

God's Love for You

You want to know how special you are in the eyes of Christ?

He desires for you to be his bridegroom! His wife. His lover, his spouse. He wants nothing more than to be one with you and have communion and fellowship with you every single day of your life. He thinks your gorgeous. “All beautiful you are my darling; there is no flaw in you.” Song of Songs 4:7

“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.” 1 Corinthians 11:2

He is enthralled with your beauty! Psalms 45:11

He has a purpose for you as an individual child of God and he will love you forever. Psalm 139:8

He made you so perfectly that it’s wonderfully scary. He sees no flaw in you. Psalm 139:14

He made you in his image! Genesis 1:26

I could go on and on with the snippets of bible verses proclaiming God’s love for you, but you’re not going to fully grasp the depth of his love unless you study it for yourself. Look at the entire salvation story, cover to cover, for yourself and see what you take away from it.

Great and powerful God who rules over everything—he created you intricately, fantastically, and phenomenally. He created you to be part of a community with him. To be with HIM. Then we failed. We screwed up and chose our sinful, selfish desires over his. You know what his first response was?

Grace. I hate that you did that my child, but I forgive you. I love you and so I will only punish you, not destroy you. For the next 2000 years we constantly hurt God, failed him, turned away from the good he provided us with, and turned towards evil and destruction. Every single time God was faithful and loving and compassionate. He always forgave instantly. Continuously pouring out his love and mercy on a people who deserved death and torture.

Finally one day God himself humbled himself so much that he came to our rotten planet because he knew it was the only way he could fix our relationship with him. He knew that it was going to take an act like that to win our love back for himself. So not only did he come to Earth and live a full life here, but he served and he served and he loved and he served. The God of the universe washed feet, made friends with outcasts, and helped people in need. As if that wasn’t enough, he was spat on, stoned, whipped, cursed, rejected, accused, and finally—our selfishness and bitterness drove him to a harsh death. The crazy thing is he didn’t mind it. He desperately wanted our love so bad that he was willing to die for us. He set things right so we could have the opportunity to live a life with him in love forever and for all eternity.

Today he is still begging you for your attention. He wants to be the one who captivates your heart. He wants to be the one you share everything with, the one that makes you smile and get warm on the inside. He wants to be your mate, your bridegroom, your lover, your best friend, your master, your shepard, your teacher—he loves you THAT much.

Yet we constantly reject him.

Study the bible for yourself. Let me know what you find out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoC1ec-lYps

The REAL Love Story

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Are you still sitting around wondering what true love looks like? Do you ponder if it even exists? Can a marriage even last till death or is it all just a fairytale. Is love just "magical comfort food for the weak and uneducated?" as Matthew Mcconaughey says in the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

The truth is their is only one way to experience true love and that is through Jesus Christ. The bible says that God IS love and those who know him know love. Without God it is impossible to truly love another person. This video puts it into perspective by using the name Love for God. Love is supernatural which means it's not something we automatically do. We automatically lustand want, but love is more than that. It takes power that we do not have in our own flesh. Once again, if you want to love and experience true love, there is only one source: God.

1 John 4:7-8

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God,

because God is love.

You're Beautiful

"You're beautiful. You were made for so much more than all of this."

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's workmanship (masterpiece,)

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Made in His Image...

Genesis 1:26-27

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over the each, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.”

I share this with you from the creation story found in Genesis 1-3. This part of the story should more than anything, confirm your identity in Christ and replenish your self-worth. To be made in God’s image is the highest compliment you can ever be paid. God is holy, perfect, beautiful, and just. We are sinful, guilty, crooked, and sad. To think that the creator of the universe loved us enough to create us in his image is mind blowing!

God obviously thinks of you as someone very special, someone who was placed here to do his work while he momentarily remains in heaven. Did you hear that sister?! GOD, who created the world—created YOU to be like HIM and do HIS work! That’s beautiful. Our father thinks so highly of us that he trusts us with the rest of all creation, and the work that needs to be done!

I don’t know if you’ve ever applied for a job—but they don’t just hire anybody. Only those who seem worthy of the job, honest, and dependable will get to do the work. The same way with God! He didn’t make EVERYTHING in his likeness; neither did he give authority to everything to do his work. He didn’t say, “I have made the birds to love people like I do.” NO, that’s what he made us for!

Another illustration—think back to a time when you created something; whether it be a painting, a dessert dish, a collage, a piece of jewelry—anything! Think about how much time and effort you spent working on it…chances are you carefully planned it out, each brush stroke or turn of the spatula was done with passion and excitement. You worked really hard on what you made. Then think about afterwards—did you step back and look and ask your special friend to come look at what you had made? Did you serve your family in hopes that they would delight themselves in the deliciousness you created? Chances are you did! Even if you didn’t ask them straightforward, you still deep down sought their appreciation for your masterpiece.

How much more then does God want to show us off and use us for his glory!? He spent 24 hours creating our species, who knows how long planning out you and your life, 9 months preparing your form, and a lifetime for you to complete his good works! And afterward he will lead you into glory where you will shine with him for all eternity! (Ephesians 2:10, Psalms 73:23-24)

Beautiful child, the Lord has designed you so intricately. Ever design, ever pattern, every curve, nitch, spot, wrinkle…every part of you was sculpted to perfection in the eyes of the creator. He loves you dearly and he has created you for a wonderful purpose that only you can fulfill on this earth. Don’t let the enemy or the voices of the world steel this truth from you. Be joyful and praise your creator for giving you this opportunity called life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Knowing that we are made in God’s image and thus share many of his characteristics provides a solid basis for self-worth. Human worth is not based on

possessions, achievements, physical attractiveness, or public acclaim. Instead it is based on being made in God’s image. Because we bear God’s image, we can feel positive about ourselves. Criticizing or downgrading ourselves is criticizing what God has made and the abilities he has given us. Knowing that you are a person of worth helps you love God, know him personally, and make a valuable contribution to those around you.”

--Life Application Study Bible (NIV) p.6

You ARE good enough.

Something I see lots of people (especially girls) struggling with, is self-worth and feeling good enough for other people and for God. Even in my cockiest days as a wordly teenager, deep down I knew I depended on everyone else’s opinion of me, and I ran to things they said would make me cool in order to be deemed worthy in their eyes. Then God showed me true freedom. True freedom came when I realized the only thing that matters is God’s opinion, and the only person I have to impress is him. Furthermore, I don’t even have to impress him, because he has already loved me enough to sacrifice is son for me and give me a free gift of reconciliation if only I will reach up and take his hand. How beautiful.

This situation still makes me feel unworthy, but it’s a different kind of unworthiness, this kind springs up out of humility and ultimately results in my desire to worship God all the more. Isaiah 43:1 says, “ But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.‘“ How beautiful it is to know the God of the universe, who creates all living things; who knows every star by name, who rules over all peoples in all nations in all worlds—THIS God, is the one who still cares enough to know every hair on your head (Matthew 10:30-31), every thought in your mind (Psalm 94:11), and every care in your heart (1 Peter 5:7.) When you feel like there is no one to talk to, and no guys like you, and your friends suck, remember that THAT God who rules over everything, is right there beside you, waiting for you to grab his hand and walk next to him.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world (that means YOU personally, every single individual on this Earth) that he gave his only begotten son, (he gave up his only son for you) so that whosoever believeth in him (even you,) shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

Here are some verses about being worthy in God’s eyes:

• Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
• Psalm 139 (entire chapter)
• Psalm 45:11 “The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.”
• Psalm 45 (entire chapter)-God thinks you’re a princess J
• Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”—he promises to be right there for you whenever you need him.
• Zephaniah 3:17 “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.”

Also, here is a video beautifully affirming what I just explained:

Isaiah 41:13 (MSG)

“That's right. Because I, your God,
have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go.
I'm telling you, 'Don't panic.
I'm right here to help you.'”