Identity with Fiona

There are few things that I love about the internet more than getting the unique opportunity to see
a glimpse of God’s grace and goodness in one’s life through his/her blogs. This is the reason why
I’m thankful to have stumbled upon Chelsea’s blogsite one day.

Chelsea, like what I said in my first email I ever sent you, you have a gift for words and your love
for God is so evident in your writing. You are a true encourager and inspiration to many. Thank you
for the opportunity to write for you over here today! :)

Across the ocean on the other side of the world where Chelsea lives is where I am currently writing
these words down. I’m Fiona Alvero, a blogger (http://www.fionamaealvero.com/), an event coordinator and a follower of Jesus.

I was born and raised in a small town north of the Philippines where I spent most of my fondest
childhood and teenage years. I moved to the city of Manila - where I still currently resides today - at
sixteen to go to college and get a degree in Communications with the hopes of pursuing a career in
writing or journalism someday.

This picture, I feel, says a lot of me and what I do as an event coordinator

It was also in college where I met Jesus as a first year student. My life since then had a whole new
meaning. I began to understand my true purpose and calling in life. While I kept writing as
something that I love to do, God placed in my heart the burning passion for the youth and later on
felt the call of God to go full-time in campus ministry.

And so that was exactly what happened after I graduated college when God opened the door for
me to serve in the campus ministry of the church I’m part of. I was tasked to be in charge of the
communication needs of the ministry while coordinating few events on the side at the same time
and never for a second it felt like a job to me because I was thoroughly enjoying everything about
it.

Later on, as God is faithful to grow our campus ministry, there was a time where we felt the
pressing need to separate the two functions I was doing and treat it as two different job functions
for two different people to do because the load of work was already big for me to do. That meant I
will either be tasked to solely focus on doing communications or coordinating events.

And of course, as someone who built herself around the fact that communications is something I’ve
always desired to do and I know I can do well, I was praying and hoping they’d entrust that job
function to me. But I was given the other position instead.

I didn’t take it well, to be honest. It was hard for me because I felt so insecure thinking that I wasn’t
good or competent enough with my talents and skills in communications. I was so hurt and
disheartened by that transition to say the least.! !

Why it became hard and painful for me was because I didn’t realize until it was taken away from
me that all along I’ve been using my job, my talents and skills as the basis of my identity. So when I
didn’t get the communications position, it hit me right to the core of my being. Because I’ve allowed
it to define who I am. Have you ever had any of those?! !

Cause I realize over time, it could be other things for many of us. That thing that we make as the
basis of our identity. Actually, if we will not be careful enough to check our hearts, it could be
anything - family, finances, beauty, relationships, power, media, health, economic status, trends,
words that people say about us.

Sadly, these things are all temporary things that will certainly change over time. And the tendency
for us is that if this is what we will allow to define who we are, we will always end up trying to
measure up.

Looking back today, I will never be grateful enough that God has placed me in a situation that
though painful for me to go through, it was worth it because it allowed me to realize and learn
many things in life. One being that it opened my eyes to see how blessed I am to have godly
leaders in the ministry who have been so gracious in guiding me during that transition period and
who have always been there believing in my potentials as an event coordinator more than I believe
in myself.

Mostly, I am thankful for it because God used that transition as an avenue for Him to teach me an
important lesson in life and it’s this:

The only time we will feel secure of who we are is when we place our identity on something that is
constant. On something that will never change. On something that is eternal.

And you know what I’ve learned that is to be for you and me? It’s the love of Christ.

The Bible says in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.”

It’s mind-blowing for me to think that when we were still at our worst as sinners, God has already
chosen to love us. It means that whether we mess up today or we do good tomorrow, God’s love
for you and me will never change.

There is nothing we can do for Him to love us more or love us less because He has already loved
us enough when He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for us.

You are eternally loved by a good and holy God.

Let that sink in for a while.

Cause that, my friend, is the truth of who you are. :)

'Lovelessness' of World Vision?

 I'm not sure if you heard the BIG news about World Vision.

World Vision is one of the largest and most influential humanitarian organizations.

Through their organization people are able to donate and sponsor children around the world to help provide water, food, clothes, farm animals, medicine, and more essentially...LIFE. 

With that being said, World Vision came out yesterday and said that they are allowing people who are in  faithful same-sex marriages work for them. They didn't take a stand on what they believe, but are simply stating that if a person is to believe in Jesus Christ and have a heart to give life to people around the world, who are we to keep them from working for us? The president, Richard Stearns explains, This “very narrow policy change is simply a decision about whether or not you are eligible for employment at World Vision U.S. based on this single issue, and nothing more. . . . This is not an endorsement of same-sex marriage. . . . We’re not caving to some kind of pressure. We’re not on some slippery slope. . . . This is not us compromising. It is us deferring to the authority of churches and denominations on theological issues...Denominations disagree on many, many things: on divorce and remarriage, modes of baptism, women in leadership roles in the church, beliefs on evolution, etc., So our practice has always been to defer to the authority and autonomy of local churches and denominational bodies on matters of doctrine that go beyond the Apostles' Creed and our statement of faith. We unite around our [Trinitarian beliefs], and we have always deferred to the local church on these other matters."

My favorite quote of the news release was this, "We are determined to find unity in our diversity." They realize that the church is divided over the same-sex marriage debate. Many denominations are in support and others are not. Therefore, WV is pretty much saying, 'Look we aren't going to ban people from working for us, but let's come to the agreement that feeding and clothing the poor is much more important than  our differences.' 

This post is not about where I stand or where WV stands on the same-sex marriage debate, but it's about realizing that no matter our differences, we should never desert  Jesus' commandments of "loving the fatherless, the poor, the sick, the oppressed". We should be united in that simple, yet powerful truth.

John Piper wrote a blog about this, stating that World Vision is guilty of practicing 'lovelessness'.

Really?! Really. 

How in the world can you say that WV is hating instead of loving?!

You can't. 

World Vision's mission states...

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

We work in nearly 100 countries, serving all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

We provide emergency assistance to children and families affected by natural disasters and civil conflict, work with communities to develop long-term solutions to alleviate poverty, and advocate for justice on behalf of the poor.

Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people.

None of those statements scream 'lovelessness' to me, but scream Jesus' radical kind of love.

It really upsets me that World Vision is getting punished for this, but more so, the punishment of people around the world who don't even know that this is going on. Many people have decided to remove their support from World Vision and give it to other humanitarian organizations. 

Believe what you want to believe, but don't let a child go hungry. 

Jesus never said, "When you feed a child through an organization that matches only your beliefs, you feed me" or "Only feed the poor who believe in Me." 

Nope, He never said any of that.

He said to love our neighbors even when they differ from us.

Jesus never said, "Only love when its comfortable" or "Only love when you agree with them".

In fact, He said, "love your enemies."

Heck, that's not comfortable, but we're called to do it anyway.

Let's get past this accusing and realize that caring for the poor should not be conditional, but unconditional just like our Savior's love. 

Let's give life, not take it away.

Be a part of Kristen Howerton's goal of 100 sponsorships and sponsor a child! 

http://myshare.worldvision.org/rageagainsttheminivan

"When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 

-Matthew 25:39-40

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." -Psalm 82:3

Music Monday: Love is War

This week's song is "Love is War" by Hillsong United. My awesome friend, Marissa, actually suggested this song and I'm glad she did, because I had never heard it before.

I have a feeling that many Music Monday's will feature Hillsong United...they just have such powerful lyrics that are hard to ignore!

"In Your justice and Your mercy
Heaven walked the broken road
Here to fight this sinner's battle
Here to make my fall Your own

Turn my eyes to see Your face
As all my fears surrender
Hold my heart within this grace
Where burden turns to wonder

I will fight to follow
I will fight for love
To throw my life forever
Into the triumph of the Son

Let Your love be my companion
In the war against my pride
Long to break all vain obsession
Till You're all that I desire

Turn my eyes to see Your face
As all my fears surrender
Hold my heart within this grace
Where burden turns to wonder

I will fight to follow
I will fight for love
To throw my life forever
Into the triumph of the Son

And I know Your love has won it all
You took the fall
To embrace my sorrows
I know You took the fight
You came and died but the grave was borrowed
I know You stood again
So I can stand with a life to follow
In the light of Your name"

I think my favorite lyrics in this song are, 

"I will fight to follow...I will fight for love...to throw  my life forever into the triumph of the Son."

I think it shows that it isn't always easy to follow...but although it may be tough, I will still follow.

The same with love. The love that Jesus asks of us, can be difficult at times because of our own selfishness, but Jesus wants us to live in love, so we should fight for love. 

When we stand firm and persevere, we through our "lives forever into the triumph of the Son." Jesus is glorified when we overcome the inner struggle from within. 

This song is a great picture of how life can be challenging, it can feel like a battle at times, but in the end, Jesus always wins. 

What lyrics speak to you? 

Any suggestions for future Music Monday's? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Attack of the Squirrels

This morning, Lola (my toy poodle) and I were sitting on the deck enjoying the sunlight. 

I was drinking my coffee and reading, while she was exploring the perimeter of the deck as if she were an inspector.

When all of a sudden, we heard a rummage in the trees up above. 

We both look up and see about 5 squirrels chilling in the branches.

Not only did we see them, but they saw us...well, they saw Lola.

One squirrel in particular was extra curious about Lola and decided to jump to the tree closest to her and run down about 15 feet away from Lola. 

The squirrel stopped and stared.

All of the sudden, I have a flashback to the classic, old movie, "The Birds." Instead of "The Birds", our movie would be entitled, "The Squirrels." Doesn't sound so scary, but if you had 5 or 55 squirrels staring at you, maybe it would be. 

Anyway, at this point, Lola and Mr. Squirrel are having a standoff.

I'm not sure exactly what was running through the squirrel's mind, but I would imagine it would be thinking something to the effect of, "What is that fluffy, white thing down there?" 

He stands there for awhile just staring at Lola, while I'm ready to jump to the rescue in case he wanted to hop on the back of Lola for a poodle ride or worse...breakfast.  

She continues to look up at him.

Meanwhile, the other squirrels are running and jumping through the overhang of the trees.

I guess Mr. Squirrel got tired of staring at Lola or perhaps the other squirrels were coaxing him to come play. So Mr. Squirrel turned around and joined his friends.

Lola looks back at me with her head cocked as if to say, "Why won't they play with me?"

Again, she looks above and continues to watch the squirrels frolic in the trees.

If only we were in a Disney movie like Bambi, the squirrels would befriend Lola and they would play for the rest of their days.

Unfortunately, Lola doesn't live in a Disney movie so she was left alone on the deck without anyone to play with, but me.

This interaction made me think of life in general.

Why is it that we like to separate ourselves from people who are different than us?

Just because people are different than us, doesn't mean we can't get along.

Out of the squirrels, Mr. Squirrel was the most curious of Lola.

However, he wasn't curious enough to interact with her. He only stayed at a safe distance.

Poor Lola, that had to feel so isolating. 

We can either be like the other squirrels in the branches, who don't even want to try to interact with a fluffy poodle or we can be like Mr. Squirrel, who is curious enough to get a closer look.

Perhaps there is a better option than those two.

Perhaps we can go the extra step or as Jesus said, "extra mile" to interact with people who are different than us, no matter how uncomfortable we may feel. I bet the more interactions we would have, the less uncomfortable it would be.

This isn't a new issue either. We've been dealing with this problem since the beginning of time. The victims just seem to change. Why haven't we gotten this right after all these years? 

If Jesus were here, I would hope that our reality would turn into a Disney movie, because I know Jesus would expect us to love those who are different than us. 

He tells us to love God and love others, just like He did.

I don't think He was uncomfortable when He hung out with the poor and the sick, but I'm sure it didn't feel good when He was ridiculed because of His act of service to all. That didn't stop Him though.

The Kingdom of God, I think, looks a lot like a Disney movie without the bad guy, of course.

It looks like a poodle and some squirrels hanging out.

It looks like a lion and lamb lying together.

It looks like us interacting and loving ALL people despite our differences, because ALL people are made in the image of God. 

It's funny how some animals can reflect what we're dealing with today. 

Let's show people the Kingdom of God and if we struggle with that, we should pray asking for strength to love like He loves us. 

It's not about rules like you may think

This past Sunday, Pastor Fuller titled his sermon, "Surprised by Jesus." 

It was based around the passage of Matthew 5:21-37. 

This reading is shortly after the beatitudes where Jesus presents us radical reversals like, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" and "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me." 

After this He talks about His followers being salt and light to the world, and then follows with a conversation about the Law. For instance, "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell." Jesus is challenging us once again to look outside the box of rules. Of course, Jesus isn't saying, "Forget the 10 commandments, do whatever you want ," instead He is saying, being angry with your brother or discouraging toward another is just as bad as murder so don't do either. Don't say, "Well I won't murder, but I will be rude and angry towards people." 

Instead say, "I won't murder and I won't be rude and angry either, because none of them are life-giving."

Jesus continues to challenge us. He's good at that, isn't is He?

"You have heard that it was said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your whole body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell..." 

Here He goes again by going outside the tablet of rules (10 commandments) and says, don't even think about committing adultery for it is as bad as the act. He says if one eye makes you stumble, tear it out, not literally of course, but to get rid of the sin in our lives for it is better to repent, than to continue to sin. 

THEN, Jesus talks about a common issue in our culture today, divorce.

"It was said, 'WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE'; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." 

This one can really make people feel uncomfortable, but I was so glad Pastor Fuller talked about it. He said that with any passage, learning the context and history is vital to understanding. 

I learned that back in biblical times, divorce had become a casual thing. The Hillelite rabbis had created the "any cause divorce" because they believed the word 'cause' in Deuteronomy 24:1 meant a divorce could occur for any cause. Men could divorce his wife for whatever reason, even the smallest reasons like forgetting to sweep the floor. This became extremely common among Jews so that's why some Pharisees asked Jesus (Matthew 19:3) if  any cause divorce was lawful and Jesus answered with a bold no. He wanted the any cause divorce to end. He took it serious, but the Jews of the day did not. They only took advantage of divorce. [Check out this article for more info about divorce]

Here again, we see Jesus taking the rules a step further.

Now, He wasn't challenging us to simply add more rules and regulations to our lives. That was one of the reasons why Jesus always challenged the Pharisees, because they were focusing on religious customs and losing sight of the real reason  of faith in this life. 

Jesus didn't come to get rid of the Law (10 commandments), He came to fulfill it, meaning lets go even further than these commandments, not so we can feel boxed in but, so we can be free.

Jesus says the most important commandments are, "love God and love others, including your enemies." Pastor Fuller explained that Jesus doesn't have a problem with the 10 commandments, but Jesus wants our sole priorities to be loving God and others. When we do this, the 10 commandments are checked off. If we love others, we will not murder. If we love others, we will not commit adultery. If we love others, we will not steal. If we love others, we will not lie and so on. 

Many people think that being a Christian means that you have to follow a long list of rules, but being a Christian means to follow Jesus, which in turn, translates to loving God and people. Instead of being scared off by the intimidating 10 commandments, we should focus on God and who He is. When we do that, we can only love Him and because we love Him, we want to obey Him and make Him happy. Everything else falls into place. 

Pastor Fuller said, "Jesus wants to get us past the rules of living to the heart of living."

Jesus' heart is love.

Therefore, as Christians our hearts and lives should focus on love. 

It's not about rules, it's about heart.

Honoring MLK Jr. including everything he stood for



via

Today is the day when we remember an incredible man. Martin Luther King Jr. is the epitome of standing up for your beliefs in the face of adversity. He had every reason to hate, but with every word and action, he spoke love. He truly embraced Jesus' teaching, "love your enemies." He challenged people to go against the grain of what society taught and live by what Jesus commanded...justice, equality, love, nonviolence and community.

Whenever we think of MLK Jr., "I have a dream" often comes to mind and what a wonderful speech it is, but I really like his speech, "Our God is Marching On!"

 Check it out (below)!

Today I want to tell the city of Selma, (Tell them, Doctor) today I want to say to the state of Alabama, (Yes, sir) today I want to say to the people of America and the nations of the world, that we are not about to turn around. (Yes, sir) We are on the move now. (Yes, sir)

Yes, we are on the move and no wave of racism can stop us. (Yes, sir) We are on the move now. The burning of our churches will not deter us. (Yes, sir) The bombing of our homes will not dissuade us. (Yes, sir) We are on the move now. (Yes, sir) The beating and killing of our clergymen and young people will not divert us. We are on the move now. (Yes, sir) The wanton release of their known murderers would not discourage us. We are on the move now. (Yes, sir) Like an idea whose time has come, (Yes, sir) not even the marching of mighty armies can halt us. (Yes, sir) We are moving to the land of freedom. (Yes, sir)

Let us therefore continue our triumphant march (Uh huh) to the realization of the American dream. (Yes, sir) Let us march on segregated housing (Yes, sir) until every ghetto or social and economic depression dissolves, and Negroes and whites live side by side in decent, safe, and sanitary housing. (Yes, sir) Let us march on segregated schools (Let us march, Tell it) until every vestige of segregated and inferior education becomes a thing of the past, and Negroes and whites study side-by-side in the socially-healing context of the classroom.

Let us march on poverty (Let us march) until no American parent has to skip a meal so that their children may eat. (Yes, sir) March on poverty (Let us march) until no starved man walks the streets of our cities and towns (Yes, sir) in search of jobs that do not exist. (Yes, sir) Let us march on poverty (Let us march) until wrinkled stomachs in Mississippi are filled, (That's right) and the idle industries of Appalachia are realized and revitalized, and broken lives in sweltering ghettos are mended and remolded.

Let us march on ballot boxes, (Let’s march) march on ballot boxes until race-baiters disappear from the political arena.

Let us march on ballot boxes until the salient misdeeds of bloodthirsty mobs (Yes, sir) will be transformed into the calculated good deeds of orderly citizens. (Speak, Doctor)

Let us march on ballot boxes (Let us march) until the Wallaces of our nation tremble away in silence.

Let us march on ballot boxes (Let us march) until we send to our city councils (Yes, sir), state legislatures, (Yes, sir) and the United States Congress, (Yes, sir) men who will not fear to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.

Let us march on ballot boxes (Let us march. March) until brotherhood becomes more than a meaningless word in an opening prayer, but the order of the day on every legislative agenda.

Let us march on ballot boxes (Yes) until all over Alabama God’s children will be able to walk the earth in decency and honor....

The battle is in our hands. And we can answer with creative nonviolence the call to higher ground to which the new directions of our struggle summons us. (Yes, sir) The road ahead is not altogether a smooth one. (No) There are no broad highways that lead us easily and inevitably to quick solutions. But we must keep going....

My people, my people, listen. (Yes, sir) The battle is in our hands. (Yes, sir) The battle is in our hands in Mississippi and Alabama and all over the United States. (Yes, sir) I know there is a cry today in Alabama, (Uh huh) we see it in numerous editorials: "When will Martin Luther King, SCLC, SNCC, and all of these civil rights agitators and all of the white clergymen and labor leaders and students and others get out of our community and let Alabama return to normalcy?"

But I have a message that I would like to leave with Alabama this evening. (Tell it) That is exactly what we don’t want, and we will not allow it to happen, (Yes, sir) for we know that it was normalcy in Marion (Yes, sir) that led to the brutal murder of Jimmy Lee Jackson. (Speak) It was normalcy in Birmingham (Yes) that led to the murder on Sunday morning of four beautiful, unoffending, innocent girls. It was normalcy on Highway 80 (Yes, sir) that led state troopers to use tear gas and horses and billy clubs against unarmed human beings who were simply marching for justice. (Speak, sir) It was normalcy by a cafe in Selma, Alabama, that led to the brutal beating of Reverend James Reeb.

It is normalcy all over our country (Yes, sir) which leaves the Negro perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of vast ocean of material prosperity. It is normalcy all over Alabama (Yeah) that prevents the Negro from becoming a registered voter. (Yes) No, we will not allow Alabama (Go ahead) to return to normalcy. [Applause]

The only normalcy that we will settle for (Yes, sir) is the normalcy that recognizes the dignity and worth of all of God’s children. The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy that allows judgment to run down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. (Yes, sir) The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy of brotherhood, the normalcy of true peace, the normalcy of justice.

And so as we go away this afternoon, let us go away more than ever before committed to this struggle and committed to nonviolence. I must admit to you that there are still some difficult days ahead. We are still in for a season of suffering in many of the black belt counties of Alabama, many areas of Mississippi, many areas of Louisiana. I must admit to you that there are still jail cells waiting for us, and dark and difficult moments. But if we will go on with the faith that nonviolence and its power can transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows, we will be able to change all of these conditions.

And so I plead with you this afternoon as we go ahead: remain committed to nonviolence. Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and understanding. We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not of the black man. That will be the day of man as man. (Yes)

I know you are asking today, "How long will it take?" (Speak, sir) Somebody’s asking, "How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?" Somebody’s asking, "When will wounded justice, lying prostrate on the streets of Selma and Birmingham and communities all over the South, be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men?" Somebody’s asking, "When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, (Speak, speak, speak) plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified, (Speak) and truth bear it?" (Yes, sir)

I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, (Yes, sir) however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, (No sir) because "truth crushed to earth will rise again." (Yes, sir)

How long? Not long, (Yes, sir) because "no lie can live forever." (Yes, sir)

How long? Not long, (All right. How long) because "you shall reap what you sow." (Yes, sir)

How long? (How long?) Not long: (Not long)

Truth forever on the scaffold, (Speak)

Wrong forever on the throne, (Yes, sir)

Yet that scaffold sways the future, (Yes, sir)

And, behind the dim unknown,

Standeth God within the shadow,

Keeping watch above his own.

How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. (Yes, sir)

How long? Not long, (Not long) because:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; (Yes, sir)

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; (Yes)

He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; (Yes, sir)

His truth is marching on. (Yes, sir)

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; (Speak, sir)

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat. (That’s right)

O, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant my feet!

Our God is marching on. (Yeah)

Glory, hallelujah! (Yes, sir) Glory, hallelujah! (All right)

Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah!

His truth is marching on. [Applause]

I hope that we continaully be inspired by this amazing man's legacy!

I know he made Jesus proud :)

Following in Your Footsteps: And the answer is...

I've been wanting to write this post for awhile, but for some reason, it seemed to continually be put on the backburner. You know what? I'm glad it did!

 Raise your hand if you know the answers for...
How do we gain world peace?
How do I love my sibling who annoys me?
How do I forgive?
How do I see eye to eye with someone who I disagree with?
 

I just started a new book and as I read the intro  I realized that it could be a huge tool in opening my eyes even wider to what the answer is in terms of being a better Christian.

 Each page turned in Red Letter Revolution, my eyes watered and my heart stretched.

It dawned on me that my attempt of being a Christian hasn't earned me a gold star or an A+. I have failed to really follow what Jesus has taught me. My eyes have skimmed over the red letters in the New Testament (the red letters being Jesus' words). Yes, I may have read His teachings but my reaction most likely resembled, "Wow, I wouldn't be able to do/say that" or "Aw, how nice...Jesus sure is an amazing guy!" Instead, I should have reacted in a way of, "That's the answer...that's how I reach my hurting sisters and brothers...thank you Jesus for showing me the way to their hearts...I can't wait to go out and serve them, just like You have served us."

 

The Gospel is all about love, service, and redemption. I believe that Jesus didn't serve those people just so we could read about it and adore Him. [Yes, we should definitely adore Him for who He is because He is amazing!] Instead, we should take one step farther and not only adore Him, but follow in His footsteps. He has shown us how to reach people. He wants to use us to represent the kingdom of God. Jeremiah 29:11 says that He has great plans for us and I believe that the number one plan He has is that we embody the kingdom of God.

You know those questions I asked in the beginning of the post?

Jesus has given us the answer.

Jesus is the answer.

 

When deciding what to do for the homeless & poor...Jesus is the answer.

When talking about war...Jesus is the answer.

When fighting with a friend...Jesus is the answer.

When in contact with someone different than us (whether it be color, orientation, religion)...Jesus is the answer.

 

Love, service & grace is who I see Jesus as. That's what He was and is about. So many times I have chosen the wrong answer. I have answered in a way that religion and legalism (not Gospel based) would have me answer or I have acted out of own self-interest, but guess what? Jesus would have never answered in that way. More times than not, I think we answer to situations based on our comfort level, pocket book, and traditions that have been passed down. We fail when we do that.
We aren't representing the kingdom of God when we find our answer apart from Jesus.

 

Now, the last thing I want to do is to make us feel like failures in our attempt to be Christ-like. I'm writing this as motivation, as a reminder of what our motives should be. We talk so much about what we should do and search for the answers, when all along the answer has been standing right in front of us...Jesus.
Thank God for His loving-kindness and forgiveness towards us. Now we can step forward and follow in Jesus' footsteps, rather than walking in the opposite direction.
 

1 John 4:7-12 says, "⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us."

 

 Friends, if we know that God is love and that when we love one another, God abides in us, that should give us the motivation and confidence to live our lives in the shadow of who Jesus is. He loved the down and out. He even loved the people who nailed Him to the cross.

Do we have enough faith to turn the other cheek?
Do we have enough faith to give the coat off our backs?
Do we have enough faith to love our enemies?

 Tony Campolo has asked himself and I think we can ask the same question...
"Do we have enough faith to live this radical lifestyle?"

I challenge you to read the red letters of the Bible (Jesus' words) not as a story, but as a lifestyle...as an answer to change the world.

 

 

 Will you join me in following in Jesus' footsteps?

Check out www.redletterchristians.org or read the book Red Letter Revolution by Shane Claiborne & Tony Campolo about the many controversial issues that the church faces today.

Left part of my heart...

Hey there!

I'm baaaack ;)

 

I came back from my mission trip this past Sunday and I wanted to update you!

 

We went to the Seattle/Tacoma, Washington area and partnered with a fairly new church there. It was an extremely busy and tiring week for me, but I'm sooooo glad I went. The theme for the trip was "love the person in front of you", which I think is fitting since my blog series is about loving like Jesus.

 

We spent time prayer walking, feeding people in parks, and putting on a nightly kids club, as well as a block party at the end of the week. Because kids bring so much joy to my life, the kids club had to be my favorite part of the week. We sang silly songs, helped with arts & crafts and most importantly, loved on the kids. It was so easy to tell that these kids were yearning for love and attention and I feel blessed to have been able to connect with the kiddos. They made such a huge impression on me that not a day has passed since I've been back that I haven't thought about them. The sense of community despite brokenness was encouraging this week. The hunger to learn was inspiring this week. The love of Christ was evident this week.

 

To summarize,  I seriously feel like I left a part of my heart in Tacoma.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

So thankful that I had this opportunity and how God used it!

Live on mission.

Next post, will continue my "Living in Your Footsteps" series.
See ya there!

Following in Your Footsteps: Not always easy

 

Last post in the series, we talked about how if you love someone, you should treat the person with kindness, patience, respect, ect. If that's what Jesus did, we should do it too, right?

 

Side note- I was going to include some awesome quotes for this post, but sad news, I let my boyfriend borrow the book and he lives like 3 hours away from me so when I get it back, I'll update this post with the quotes (because they're too good not to share!) Now back to it..

 

I'll be honest, sometimes it's not always easy to love someone. For example, I love my brother, always have and always will. However, I may not act like it. He annoys me, on purpose. I don't really understand him, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't understand me. We're siblings and that's pretty normal, I think. The point is, I can say I love someone but it can be hard to act like I love them. Make sense?

 

The thing is, Jesus never said it would be easy. I've said before that life was never promised to us that it would be easy. I think it's safe to say then, it's not always easy to love. I mean, Jesus said, "love your enemies"....yep, enemies. Matthew 5:43-44 says, " “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." So not only love your enemy, but pray for them?! That can't be easy.  I'm sure He knew that. Love for Him was easy...because He is love. Us, on the other hand, love doesn't come that natural.

 

When we love our enemies, people most likely will give us a strange look or even turn their back on us. They don't understand why we would react with love instead of hate towards our enemies. We may lose friends. We may lose respect from others. Who knows, but those things don't matter...what matters is that we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do...to love.

 

Not only will we face opposition from others, but other obstacles may arise too. For instance, the debate over gay marriage has divided the church. This is a huge obstacle. I'm not going to get deep into this issue right now (if you want to read a great book for both sides of the debate..read "Torn-Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays vs Christians Debate"...awesome read that will really open your eyes...at least it did for me). Anyway, churches who welcome gay/lesbian relationships are being frowned upon and churches who turn away gay/lesbian relationships are being frowned upon. Division is an obstacle that the church is facing right now and the only way we are to be united again is to get back to the basics of Jesus...love.

 

I mean seriously why do we get ourselves into positions like these? Ultimately, we need to check ourselves..."Is this loving? Is this life-giving?" and of course the common question of "What would Jesus do?"

 

It may not be easy to stand up for what you believe in, but Jesus says to "carry your cross". Matthew 16:24-26 says, " Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"

 

It wasn't easy for Jesus to take the sins of the world on His back...it wasn't easy for Jesus to have people who he loved, mock Him, but He completed his mission anyway. His mission of love and grace. Jesus knew that in order for his mission of love and grace to spread across the world, He knew that we as followers would have to deny ourselves...get past our selfishness and fear of serving others rather than ourselves. He made it clear to us that it would not be easy...we would have to carry a heavy cross that may inflict some inconveniences BUT He did promise that when we go all in and follow Him, it will be worth it. Opposition and discomfort didn't stop Jesus, so it shouldn't stop us either.

 

 

Following in Your Footsteps: If you love...

 

If you love someone, then you are...

Judgmental.

Hateful.

Prejudice.

Disrespectful.

Arrogant.

Jealous...

 

"Say what, Chelsea?! Did you say if you love someone, you are judgmental?"

 

Oops...what I mean is...

 

If you love someone, then you are...

Nonjudgmental.

Kind.

Humble.

Open minded.

Forgiving.

Respectful.

Giving.

Caring.

Compassionate.

Trusting.

Gracious...

 

 If we say we are following Jesus, the second list should make up how we treat others. You see, I thought about writing separate posts on different characteristics of Jesus such as grace, compassion, and ending with love. However, I realized that they all go hand-in-hand.

 

If you love someone, then you are going to be respectful and compassionate..etc.

When I think of Jesus, the first word that comes to my mind is love.

As Christians or Christ followers, our first priority should be to love, then everything else follows along.

 

Of course, like I've said before, we aren't perfect like Jesus, but because of His love for us we can love others.

1 John 4:19 says, "We love because He first loved us."

I know that it can be difficult sometimes to love, but love is the best way to embody the Gospel.

 

As a church/body of believers, we should be constantly aware of how we are treating people. We should be always welcoming to everyone and anyone. We should never turn anyone away for any reason. We should love unconditionally, just like Christ did.

He hung out with the sinners...He let a prostitute wash His feet with her hair....He wasn't afraid to interact with people who might be different than Him.

 

For instance, if a lesbian couple walks into a church...how should we treat them?

If we were to ask Jesus, I'm sure He would say, "love them".

We aren't God...we don't have the right to judge them, the only thing we need to do is love them.

Many people say "love the sinner and hate the sin", but Tony Campolo says, "Jesus says, 'love the sinner and hate your own sin'".

 

What if a homeless man walks into a church...how should we treat them?

Do we go lock up everything valuable? Do we tell him to leave?

Jesus wouldn't tell him to leave...Jesus would talk to him...feed him and love him.

 

You see, we have a lot to learn from Jesus. The church needs His compassion, love, generosity, grace (etc..) in order to shine His light throughout the world. Many people think that being a Christian is all about rules, but guess what?

The only 2 things that Jesus commands us to do is to...

love God

&

love others.

 

 So it may be helpful if we are constantly checking ourselves...reminding ourselves that as we grow in relationship with God our love for Him grows and will soon spill out to others.

 

Reading plan for this week:

Monday: Job 35-37

Tuesday: Job 38-39

Wednesday: Job 40-42

Thursday: Psalm 1-8

Friday: Psalm 9-16

Saturday: Psalm 17-20