There is a lesson to be learned when real love is given
I feel like i have been a pupil for the past three weeks down under. A pupil in a teachers position. Its crazy how when given a role of leadership we end up learning more then we ever would as a student.
Recently God has been revealing to me what real christ love is. The primary meaning of the word "love" in scripture is a "purposeful commitment to sacrificial action for one another".
In our day, most define love as some type of feeling. We "fall in love," or two people meet and it is "love at first sight." But the world's love is a selfish matter. If you are attractive to me, be nice to me, meet my needs and love me I in return will "love" you. The world's love is based on getting something from some else. The world does not give love where is does not benefit themselves. If you do not please me then I have no love for you. Thus for the world love must be earned by making someone else feel good.
Emotions will vary, but a commitment which has its basis in biblical love will not be affected by the whelm of emotion or of one's circumstances. I was watching a movie a while back called 500 Days of Summer. It was a great movie but in the film boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, and suddenly out of nowhere girl decides she wants to stop being with him. This is a classic example of worldly love. We go head first into it based solely on our emotions.
Our example of true love is shown in God's love for the sinner. Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates his own love for us is this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us". This shows that true biblical love is a matter of will....not of emotion. God choose to love us and His love was not based on our meriting it in any way.
Paul talks about the true righteousness of those who profess Jesus Christ in 1 corinthians 13:4-8, "Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no recod of wrong, it rejoices in truth, it always protects, trusts, and perseveres. Love NEVER fails." Paul is speaking and telling us that if we do not do things in this "charity" love then it is not true love. When we say "charity" love we mean christ like love, "Agape" love. A sacrificial love, not an emotion based love. God is telling us that "charity" which is true biblical "love" does not fail. Relationships based on emotion fail, but those based on the tenants of true biblical love NEVER fail.
Today many churches promote a "feel good" religion. It is meant to appeal to emotions. This has had the effect of turning people on to emotion and feeling instead of true spiritual biblical love and commitment. Many today are motivated by emotion rather than being motivated by a commitment to the Lord.
The reason so many are in false doctrine and weak in faith and service to God, and are immature... is because they do not honestly know what the Bible teaches about Biblical love and commitment to Christ or they know and refuse to life in love as the Lord instructs. Their relationship with the Lord is based on how they feel rather than on the promises of God's Word. The same is true in their relationships in their marriages, with their children, family and friends. They evaluate their relationship based on the selfish idea that others should make them feel good and if they do not they are not loved or have the right to withhold love towards others. ILLUS: When I first came to Australia I met a woman who was offended because I wasn't a huge fan of contemporary So-Called Christian Music. She told me in glowing terms how she listened to a Christian Rock Station and the song so helped her get through the day. My friend....think for a moment about what she was saying? She got through the day by hearing a commercial singer, repeating phrases over and over to a strong rhythmic beat and that this helped her spiritually. By the way...the Buddhists, Oriental mystics and many other pagan religious do the same thing. The use music with a strong rhythmic beat to whip the people often into a frenzy.
This is a tough thing because I am very much a music mind. But I feel God has been challenging me to be based in his word, his truth. Music is great but many times music is there to cater to our emotionally charged relationship with the Lord. When our love with the Lord should be based with an "Agape" love. Now don't get me wrong there is some great music out there. But if your looking at music to grow you in the Lord that music should be calling you into action, urging you to go out and proclaim Christ's gospel of life and love.
These last three weeks down under have been a stressful/fun/rewarding/challenging time. God is challenging me with the true meaning of sacrifice and leadership. Giving true Christ like love is not easy, investing your life into lots of people is a draining life. But when you begin to see the fruits of your labor it is fuel to continue. God is good. God is love. God is people.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Flooding
Hey everyone!
Just putting up a quick blog to let everyone know that I am alive and safe. I am living right north of Brisbane and as most of you have heard there has been massive flooding. The area I am in has seen some flooding but nothing close to what is occuring in Brisbane and surronding areas. Please be praying for all the victims and people affected by the floods. The government is talking billions of dollars worth of damage.
As for my organization, thi is giving us many many opportunities to reach out and love our community. With so many hurting and broken families due to the flood, we are stoked at the opportunity to love these people.
Just putting up a quick blog to let everyone know that I am alive and safe. I am living right north of Brisbane and as most of you have heard there has been massive flooding. The area I am in has seen some flooding but nothing close to what is occuring in Brisbane and surronding areas. Please be praying for all the victims and people affected by the floods. The government is talking billions of dollars worth of damage.
As for my organization, thi is giving us many many opportunities to reach out and love our community. With so many hurting and broken families due to the flood, we are stoked at the opportunity to love these people.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
I remember, what was it about 13 years ago, that Princess Diana was killed in a car accident? I remember when it happened, it was all over the media. Any television channel that you turned on had some kind of coverage of the latest developments of this tragedy. Then I remember, I think it was two days later, Mother Teresa died. The media was still saturated in covering the death of Princess Diana, now all of a sudden there was the death of another international figure to cover.
But, for some reason, Mother Teresa’s death never did receive nearly the same level of coverage that Princess Diana’s did. Now the media pundits defended this by saying that Princess Di’s death was somehow more tragic and shocking because, at 37 years old, she was so much younger than Mother Teresa who was 87 years old when she died. They would say that Mother Teresa would definitely be missed, but that she lived a full life. But I think that there was something else going on there.
I think this is a typical example of the difference between the world’s definition of greatness and Jesus’ definition of greatness. I’m not trying to trample on the memory of Princess Diana. The truth is, she was very devoted to helping people. She was involved in charity work right up until her death. Her charity work involved providing help for the homeless, children, people suffering from AIDS, as well as her campaign to ban land mines. But, at the time of her death, the overwhelming majority of the coverage that was given to remembering her life was not given to her charity work but to less servant-oriented aspects of her life.
I remember several times, I heard her courtship with Prince Charles referred to as a “fairy-tale” like romance. And, granted it was the first time in 300 years that someone from non-royal lineage married into the royal family. But let’s be honest, it’s still a big stretch to call their courtship a fairy-tale. It wasn’t like she was a peasent-girl who caught his eye one day while he was milling about the marketplace and they instantly fell in love. She came from one of the richest families in all of Europe. It wasn’t a story of a young woman going from rags to riches. It was more a story of a young woman going from one level of riches to slightly higher level of riches.
Mother Teresa, on the other hand, lead a life that could hardly be considered “fairy-tale.” She began her service as a nun at the age of 19. For her first twenty years as a sister, she served as a teacher in Calcutta. On September 10, 1946 she heard what she referred to as a “call within a call.” She believed that God was calling her to renounce everything so she could follow Christ to serve in the slums, to serve the poorest of the poor. She said that in a quiet prayer she heard a clear and distinct message that she was to “leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.” She felt it wasn’t a request but an order.
When she left the comfort of her teaching job at the convent she ended up on Creek Lane in Calcutta with no shelter, no company, no helper, no money, no employment, no promise, no guarantee and no security. But she held tight to her faith. She prayed “God, You only, only You. I trust in Your call, Your inspiration. You will not let me down.”
Before long, she had found a place to stay at the home of Michael Gomes. Plus, former students of hers began to join in her work. By 1953, 28 women had joined in her work. In 1952, she opened “Pure Heart,” the first of many homes for sick and dying street people. Here she is said to have, along with her helpers, cleaned maggots off the faces of leprosy victims, washed the emaciated bodies of the malnourished and held the hands of the dying. She continued the work of serving the poorest people of Calcutta that began in these humble beginnings the rest of her life. And the work that she began, continues today.
Now, I don’t want you to think that I am trying to over-exalt or detract away from either of these women’s memories. The point that I’m trying to make is that often there is a huge difference in what the world sees as greatness and what God clearly lays out as greatness in His Word.
We see this same confusion in today’s Gospel message. James and John are curious about what their position will be in God’s kingdom. They ask Jesus to allow them to sit at his right and left-hand side in this kingdom. James and John had somehow gotten the mistaken notion that true greatness was measured by how many people served you. But Jesus told them it was just the opposite.
Jesus contrasts the Roman and Greek view of greatness with God’s view of greatness. In speaking about the Roman and Greek rulers, Jesus says, “…those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.” So, in Greek and Roman culture, greatness was measured by how much power somebody could wield over people.
But, Jesus says that the opposite is true. He presents them with a totally different world view. He says, “But it is not so among you; But whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant.” The reason why James and John thought that they should receive exalted positions was because they were a part of Jesus’ inner circle. This inner circle consisted of James, John and Peter. Jesus had a closer and more intimate relationship with his inner circle than He did with the rest of His disciples. He, of course loved all of His disciples equally, but his relationship with his inner circle was a little more personal and intimate. They were the first three disciples called, and Jesus’ ministry began with them. That’s why those three disciples were always able to make a connection with Jesus that the other disciples weren’t. So, in a way, it’s kind of understandable that they might think that they should have somewhat exalted positions, since they were still thinking on earthly terms.
Then Jesus kind of wraps this all up by saying that He didn’t come to be served, but to serve and that He also came to “…give His life a ransom for many.” Now when we hear the word, ransom, more likely than not we will think of kidnapping or something like that. But, Jesus uses it here because, back then a ransom is what was paid to release someone from slavery.
Jesus’ death on the cross saved us from our slavery to sin. When Jesus spoke of being the messiah and savior, the disciples, particularly those in His inner circle, thought that His life and power would save them from bondage to Rome. But, what Jesus actually meant was that His suffering and death would free them from their bondage to sin, which is of course a much more significant freedom. This is the confusion that James and John struggled with, and it’s believed that none of the disciples truly began to comprehend what Jesus meant by greatness through servanthood until Jesus’ death and resurrection.
James and John definitely, eventually did get it. James went on to become the first disciple to be martyred for his belief in and teaching of the Gospel and John went on to be a leader in the Jerusalem church and write the Gospel of John and three Epistle letters. He was eventually imprisoned on the island of Patmos for believing and teaching the Gospel of Christ. During his imprisonment on Patmos he wrote the book of Revelation.
What James and John learned was how to be good servant leaders. Servant leadership is when a leader humbles him or herself to be on the same level as those who serve.Mother Teresa definitely understood this. And, I would say that even Princess Diana understood this. But, she didn’t show her greatness through the “fairy-tale” like romance that she had with prince Charles or the lavish extravagant lifestyle that being a member of the royal family allowed her to lead. She showed her greatness through the humility and servanthood that she showed through her work toward helping others.
James and John, eventually understood this. Consequently, they are remembered not for the way they exalted themselves, but through the humility and servanthood that they showed through their ministries.
As Christians, we are called to be servant leaders to the world. We are called to show greatness not by exalting ourselves over others but by humbling ourselves and by serving others. It’s only through humility and servanthood that we are able to continue the work of Christ. It’s only through humility and servanthood that we are able to display the righteousness that Christ imparted upon us through His death on the cross, and it’s only though humility and servanthood that we are able to display true greatness.
Hope this brings some thought to your brains... Feel free to comment below. Also if you would like to email me, feel free to do so at andrewthetford89@gmail.com
But, for some reason, Mother Teresa’s death never did receive nearly the same level of coverage that Princess Diana’s did. Now the media pundits defended this by saying that Princess Di’s death was somehow more tragic and shocking because, at 37 years old, she was so much younger than Mother Teresa who was 87 years old when she died. They would say that Mother Teresa would definitely be missed, but that she lived a full life. But I think that there was something else going on there.
I think this is a typical example of the difference between the world’s definition of greatness and Jesus’ definition of greatness. I’m not trying to trample on the memory of Princess Diana. The truth is, she was very devoted to helping people. She was involved in charity work right up until her death. Her charity work involved providing help for the homeless, children, people suffering from AIDS, as well as her campaign to ban land mines. But, at the time of her death, the overwhelming majority of the coverage that was given to remembering her life was not given to her charity work but to less servant-oriented aspects of her life.
I remember several times, I heard her courtship with Prince Charles referred to as a “fairy-tale” like romance. And, granted it was the first time in 300 years that someone from non-royal lineage married into the royal family. But let’s be honest, it’s still a big stretch to call their courtship a fairy-tale. It wasn’t like she was a peasent-girl who caught his eye one day while he was milling about the marketplace and they instantly fell in love. She came from one of the richest families in all of Europe. It wasn’t a story of a young woman going from rags to riches. It was more a story of a young woman going from one level of riches to slightly higher level of riches.
Mother Teresa, on the other hand, lead a life that could hardly be considered “fairy-tale.” She began her service as a nun at the age of 19. For her first twenty years as a sister, she served as a teacher in Calcutta. On September 10, 1946 she heard what she referred to as a “call within a call.” She believed that God was calling her to renounce everything so she could follow Christ to serve in the slums, to serve the poorest of the poor. She said that in a quiet prayer she heard a clear and distinct message that she was to “leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.” She felt it wasn’t a request but an order.
When she left the comfort of her teaching job at the convent she ended up on Creek Lane in Calcutta with no shelter, no company, no helper, no money, no employment, no promise, no guarantee and no security. But she held tight to her faith. She prayed “God, You only, only You. I trust in Your call, Your inspiration. You will not let me down.”
Before long, she had found a place to stay at the home of Michael Gomes. Plus, former students of hers began to join in her work. By 1953, 28 women had joined in her work. In 1952, she opened “Pure Heart,” the first of many homes for sick and dying street people. Here she is said to have, along with her helpers, cleaned maggots off the faces of leprosy victims, washed the emaciated bodies of the malnourished and held the hands of the dying. She continued the work of serving the poorest people of Calcutta that began in these humble beginnings the rest of her life. And the work that she began, continues today.
Now, I don’t want you to think that I am trying to over-exalt or detract away from either of these women’s memories. The point that I’m trying to make is that often there is a huge difference in what the world sees as greatness and what God clearly lays out as greatness in His Word.
We see this same confusion in today’s Gospel message. James and John are curious about what their position will be in God’s kingdom. They ask Jesus to allow them to sit at his right and left-hand side in this kingdom. James and John had somehow gotten the mistaken notion that true greatness was measured by how many people served you. But Jesus told them it was just the opposite.
Jesus contrasts the Roman and Greek view of greatness with God’s view of greatness. In speaking about the Roman and Greek rulers, Jesus says, “…those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.” So, in Greek and Roman culture, greatness was measured by how much power somebody could wield over people.
But, Jesus says that the opposite is true. He presents them with a totally different world view. He says, “But it is not so among you; But whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant.” The reason why James and John thought that they should receive exalted positions was because they were a part of Jesus’ inner circle. This inner circle consisted of James, John and Peter. Jesus had a closer and more intimate relationship with his inner circle than He did with the rest of His disciples. He, of course loved all of His disciples equally, but his relationship with his inner circle was a little more personal and intimate. They were the first three disciples called, and Jesus’ ministry began with them. That’s why those three disciples were always able to make a connection with Jesus that the other disciples weren’t. So, in a way, it’s kind of understandable that they might think that they should have somewhat exalted positions, since they were still thinking on earthly terms.
Then Jesus kind of wraps this all up by saying that He didn’t come to be served, but to serve and that He also came to “…give His life a ransom for many.” Now when we hear the word, ransom, more likely than not we will think of kidnapping or something like that. But, Jesus uses it here because, back then a ransom is what was paid to release someone from slavery.
Jesus’ death on the cross saved us from our slavery to sin. When Jesus spoke of being the messiah and savior, the disciples, particularly those in His inner circle, thought that His life and power would save them from bondage to Rome. But, what Jesus actually meant was that His suffering and death would free them from their bondage to sin, which is of course a much more significant freedom. This is the confusion that James and John struggled with, and it’s believed that none of the disciples truly began to comprehend what Jesus meant by greatness through servanthood until Jesus’ death and resurrection.
James and John definitely, eventually did get it. James went on to become the first disciple to be martyred for his belief in and teaching of the Gospel and John went on to be a leader in the Jerusalem church and write the Gospel of John and three Epistle letters. He was eventually imprisoned on the island of Patmos for believing and teaching the Gospel of Christ. During his imprisonment on Patmos he wrote the book of Revelation.
What James and John learned was how to be good servant leaders. Servant leadership is when a leader humbles him or herself to be on the same level as those who serve.Mother Teresa definitely understood this. And, I would say that even Princess Diana understood this. But, she didn’t show her greatness through the “fairy-tale” like romance that she had with prince Charles or the lavish extravagant lifestyle that being a member of the royal family allowed her to lead. She showed her greatness through the humility and servanthood that she showed through her work toward helping others.
James and John, eventually understood this. Consequently, they are remembered not for the way they exalted themselves, but through the humility and servanthood that they showed through their ministries.
As Christians, we are called to be servant leaders to the world. We are called to show greatness not by exalting ourselves over others but by humbling ourselves and by serving others. It’s only through humility and servanthood that we are able to continue the work of Christ. It’s only through humility and servanthood that we are able to display the righteousness that Christ imparted upon us through His death on the cross, and it’s only though humility and servanthood that we are able to display true greatness.
Hope this brings some thought to your brains... Feel free to comment below. Also if you would like to email me, feel free to do so at andrewthetford89@gmail.com
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Back in Oz
Well hello there... It has been awhile since I last blogged but I am now back in the land down under! I arrived two days ago, and I am set to staff on the Discipleship Training School here on the Sunshine Coast. For the past two days I have been in staff training for 7 hours a day. The school starts on the 17th when the students arrive. This blog is going to be my way of letting all of you know what God is up to in my life and the community I will be working with. I cant wait to get started! Right now I am settling into my new home and starting this crazy adventure. Stayed tuned because every week I will be filling you guys in on all thats going on.
Be Blessed,
Andrew
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