LOVE

It has never been more real to me that Love is the most important part of our Christian walk. Everything we do must reflect Christ's love. Out of God's love does everything we know exist to begin with. He created us so that we might be in relationship with Him. At the beginning there was Love. Now there is love. And His love will never die.

Coming home from camp and reflected on all I have learned, the largest lesson is simply that our world longs for love. From the toughest Gangsta to the smallest girl. I have seen how love can literally change a life.

Her name, Kimmy.

Her life...horrible.

She hated God. She hated men. She ran into the arms of the great deceiver. She bought the lies that she was worthless, that God didn't care, that she was gay; just to name a few. She used her life to worship the Father of lies and was so deeply caught up she knew no way out...until LOVE (1 John 4:8 : "God is love.") met her.

She tried to run and hide, literally, we followed her down the road. Crying out to her about how much God loved her. Than God showed up. Its crazy how He uses the simplest of things. There was a butterfly, its' wing broken. Kimmy bent over to picked it up but it fell out of her hand. So I reached for it but she wouldn't let me touch it; she was saving it. She took it over by the side of the road and made it safe. As we kept walking I began to talk with her about her love of animals. That is when God took over and spoke through me. At the end of the conversation I asked her how many times would she have picked that butterfly up, and she said as many times as it fell. So I said that was exactly what God has been doing for her because of His love. Every time she jumped out of his hand, he picked her back up.

She stopped. Did a 180 and started heading back to camp. No words. Just watery eyes.

I was speaking one night about freedom in Christ. And as I finished I saw Kimmy huddled on the ground weeping. And I went over to talk. But she was just crying.

She stands up and says I want to be free. So I brought her to the foot of the cross but she couldn't kneel; Satan wasn't ready to let her go and she left.

Fast Forward a bit. Thursday night she comes up to me and says "I'm ready." So we went down to the cross and she fell to the ground and began to pray. And with tears in her eyes she looks at me and says "I'm Free!". She went off by herself and began to yell "I'm Free! I'm Finally FREE!"

I have seen LOVE take a satanic worshiper to the foot of the cross and worship the King of Kings. Oh the awesomeness of our God's love. She has dumped her girlfriend, and has told us she is straight again (just mentioning that for you).

Now here is the point to all this...

"But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way. " 1 Corinthians 12:31 (NASB)

Love is the more excellent way. This verse is the transition between Paul talking about spiritual gifts and then Love. Healing, prophesy, teaching, any gift God gives us is literally nothing without Love. Even to the point where we shouldn't concern ourselves for those things as long as we can show love. I am at great fault of this. I was much more concerned with seeing the great wonders of God and very much neglected the heart of our creator. But through one of the most influential person I know, God changed my heart. He showed me the need not for signs and wonders, but for us as Christian to demonstrate the unending, unmatched, unparalleled, indescribable, incomprehensible Love that God is. No other person, philosophy or religion known to man offers such love. And we have failed at letting that love shine forth.

We should strive more to love the people we encounter than convert them. People will always disagree with us, but even still we love them. When we are cursed, we bless. When we have nothing to give, still we give.

This love is literally revolutionary. But only to those that let it changed them. It starts with us. The Christians. Allowing God to reveal the immensity of this love to us. And as we begin to change, we will change others. Its an amazing, but yet humbling, feeling to feel this love surrounding you.

It is truly hard even talking about it with out welling up with tears as I begin to try and put words to this love. He loves us so much. It is truly unknown to us. It is truly mind blowing.

I pray that God takes to so much deeper into his limitless love so that LOVE will change our nation, and our world!

AWESOME

I have seen satanic worshipers fall at the foot of the cross. I have seen people conquer their fears. I have seen boys and girls find their Father; welcomed into their real family. I have seen thugs crying before the Most High. I have seen drug dealers throw out all there stuff. I have seen cutters set free. I have seen AMAZING things this summer. Bottom line...I have seen lives CHANGED. The Lord has become so real to me in many ways. Even in the times where I felt drained and a thousand feet away from Him, He always showed up! Always give me a word of encouragement. All I can literally say is I found God again and He is Awesome, truly Awesome.

Let us give thanks with our full hearts for all the incredible things the LORD is doing and will never stop doing. Praise the LORD.