Sustained by God!

I read this several months ago, and it has really stuck with me so I decided to post it.

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.  (Psalm 3:5)

Sustain- to support, hold, or bear from below; bear the weight of, as a structure.  (Dictionary.com)

A reliance upon God to the extent that you can’t even sleep… That is beautiful.

Jaeson Ma- Love

Good song-

Love Part 2: What is Love?

What is Love?  I’ve thought about this question for almost a month now; I’ve asked opinions, and got varying answers.  I’m a big fan of dictionary.com, but they even seemed a little lacking on a definition

–noun

1.    a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2.    a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

3.    sexual passion or desire.

If you were to ask someone what the most powerful force in the universe is, they would probably say something similar to the following: gravity, compound interest, the Light side of the force (after all, the Jedi won), a nuclear bomb, etc.  I believe I tell you the truth when I say LOVE is the most powerful force in the universe. 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16 NKJV)

It was because of Love that Jesus was nailed to a cross.  Love is the force behind war, peace, marriage, and life in general.  Yet we don’t fully understand it?

“What is Love?”

LOVE IS-

·         Trust- Love is complete, and total trust

–noun

1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

2. confident expectation of something; hope.

3. confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit: to sell merchandise on trust.

Trust is a foreign thought to our generation, but to love someone you MUST trust them.  So many times people say they trust God, but they don’t tithe; it’s a touchy subject, but if you trust God, then prove it by trusting him with your finances. 

·         Action- Love is an action (as it has been said so many times)

–noun

1. the process or state of acting or of being active: The machine is not in action now.

2. something done or performed; act; deed.

3. an act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by physical or mental activity: a crisis that demands action instead of debate

·         Commitment- Love is a commitment; an obligation that often restricts one’s freedom

–noun

1. the act of committing.

2. the state of being committed.

3. the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.

In a conversation, my dad said this: “I agree, trust, action, commitment, love is all these things, but it’s more.”  Yes, a Soldier has trust for his fellow soldiers; he trusts them to work with him, and to protect him.  Yes, a Soldier has action, he kicks down doors, and charges into compounds ready to take a bullet for his fellow soldier.  Yes, a Soldier has commitment, to both his country, and the men around him.  Although, a soldier doesn’t always have love, because quite simply he lacks compassion.”

·         Compassion- Love is  compassion
 –noun

1. a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

We are called to be a generation that has these things, and if we obtain these things, we will obtain love, and Love is key.  Love is not worldly, it is not a sexual desire, it is more than an idea, it’s a command. 

 ¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
(1^st Corinthians 13 NKJV)

Grace Be with all.  Amen.  (Now, “What is Grace?”  Well, that’s for another post.)

(Definitions Courtesy of Dictionary.com)

“Love” Part 1: The Love Dilemma

My Story-  
I was born a sinner, to two Bible believing, sword of the Spirit wielding, Godly parents; I was a PK, a “Pastors Kid”; I always felt like I had a free ride into heaven (clichéd but true).  In August of 2004 at a summer camp, there was an alter call, and I realized “Oh stink, I’m gonna’ go to Hell if I don’t give my life to God.” I got saved at that summer camp, and several years later was filled with the Holy Spirit.  There are many people who have had a harder journey to having a relationship with Christ, mine was pretty easy.

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (Luke 7:47 NKJV)

He who is forgiven much, loves much, he who is forgiven little loves little. You see, I was forgiven for so much, but in the grand-scale of things it wasn’t much.  Sure I loved God for my salvation, but then it was my ignorance that was the problem.  I lived life focused on me, and me, and some close friends, and well me.  Yet I still wanted to grow, I wanted to have a love like David had, I wanted to love God more, but to do that I had to love God’s created more.  My generation is an ignorant, indifferent generation.  Everyday I saw people, but I didn’t I acknowledge them.  Everyday God puts people in my life that I can influence, but so often I don’t even notice them, “I don’t care about them, I don’t love them. Everyday, I ignore God’s children, which he loves.
-I walk past them while they sit at Bus stops.
-They’re just background images at school.
They even hold weather- torn cardboard signs on street corners that read “I Need Help!”, and I don’t even stop to think twice about them as they sit on the corner right in front of my eyes.  God forgave me, and so many other Christians, yet we’re content to be silent, to be indifferent, and to be? Ignorant. Why? Because WE DON’T LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES, and this goes hand in hand with loving God.

 ²⁹ Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. ³¹ And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-30 NKJV)

Love isn’t an idea, or a suggestion, it’s a commandment, a mandate. Yet for a commandment, a mandate, we often don’t even know the meaning of love, "What is love?"  

Needed: RADICAL Generation

“WE LACK:”

– An analysis of what “we” need in “our” lives, to be “the generation” we need to be.

We Lack Boldness

Not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring: a bold hero.

We Lack Identity

The condition of being oneself or itself, and not another.

We Lack Wisdom

The quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.

We Lack Faith

Confidence or trust in a person or thing.

We Lack Mercy

Compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence.

 We Lack a Remedy…

(Something that cures or relieves a disease or bodily disorder; a healing medicine, application, or treatment.)

We Lack Love

A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

Mathew 22:37-40

 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

To be a generation that’s has boldness, knows their identity, has wisdom, has faith, has mercy, and has compassion, we must first have love.

1^st Corinthians 13

 ¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I urge you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, learn how to love.

(Definitions courtesy of dictionary.com)

An Introduction

I aim to make Generation Remedy (as both a blog and  lifestyle) a long term commitment.  That being said, I often believe I'm the busiest individual in the world, and posts will no doubt be rare, and infrequent.  My grammar and punctuation are poor, this acknowledged, feel free to correct me.


Why "Generation Remedy"?     

Several years ago, at a winter camp, I had the opportunity to make a decision to be a remedy for my generation; I thought about it, and decided I would fail.  I decided that the only way I would truly do it was if I made a vow, if I vowed it would be more then a decision, it would be a lifelong commitment.  Everyday, it's my goal to reach out to the lost and broken, and live a life of love.  "Generation Remedy" is a chronicle of my never ending journey to be a remedy for my generation.

The 5 Goals of G.R.

1. To share and compile ideas, thoughts, and things God has put on my heart.
2. To get constructive criticism.
3. To find, and connect Christians who are being remedies for our generation.
4. To reach out to the lost and broken.
5. To ULTIMATELY win souls for Christ.  (Mark 16:15)