Fresh inspiration 2.

Jason from The Ember Days posted this on Facebook this morning (Note: Spelling grammers etc I found were edited):

The call to love. Jesus emphasized over and over again that the most important thing or doctrine that we should place over every other (the first and greatest commandment) is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as Christ has loved you."

We have all heard that our entire lives growing up in church. It seems like a no brainer, most people think they get it. I don't think we get it at all. This is a call to unconditional love. A love that is not helped back by different doctrines or belief systems. Jesus' love is not based upon your performance or your theology. He loves because it is who he is and he has called us to do the same.

Imagine for a moment that churches loved each other like they love and show kindness to their own denomination. If we are called to love and bless our enemies, surely you would expect we are meant to bless our own brothers. Jesus said if you hate your brother you live in death. Far out... I think there is a lot of people living in a place of death. I think a lot of the body of Christ right now is living in death and proud of it.

Why do churches split? Denominations divide? Theology, sin and around human nature. The thing is if we are called to unconditional love and to bless even our enemies. Our love to our brothers should be unchanged even if they have different thoughts on the end times, gay marriage, or whatever. You are post-modern you may think... nope. The responsibility is to love no matter what theology people have. Is truth important? Yes, truth is to be pursued, that is Jesus. But at the end of the day, the pursuit of knowledge and truth does not take away from the first and greatest commandment... To LOVE. 1 Corinthians 13:2 says, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."

The Lord is saying that knowledge with out love is meaningless. Even if you fathom all mysteries (if you have the understanding of God himself) and do not love like we have been called to... If love isn't our priority, we are nothing... harsh? I don't think so. I think it is just a reflection of God's priority to love his creation and for us as believers to do the same. For so long the church has been focused on being right, fathoming the mysteries, understanding prophecy eg. end times that has lead to many church splits and much division. Imagine, if the doctrine... the truth that we held closest to us was the one that Jesus told us to... the call and responsibility of the believer to show unconditional love.

How awesome would it be if the Church was known for its love for one another like Jesus prayed. I didn't see him praying that the church would be known for its correct eschatology, doctrine or theology. At the end of the the day... pursue Jesus the truth, pursue wisdom, pursue knowledge and the mysteries of the scripture, but hold unconditional love of people that believe and think differently to you higher than your opinions or revelations or what ever you believe they are. Love like crazy and that will change the world.

Currently listening to: Sleeping Giant - These Streets Don't Lie

Fresh inspiration 1.

I spent my morning getting inspired by bands' love for Jesus Christ. I watched a documentary on spirit-filled hardcore Sleeping Giant, and these are a couple of quotes from the lead singer Thom Green:

"Christianity 101 - bless your enemies. Love, fast, give, pray - bless your enemies...I was thinking about people like Martin Luther King and Mohatma Ghandi...and just by the overwhelming power of civil disobedience and standing when they're being mistreated and not responding back and retaliating - there's power in that because that's Jesus for real. There's an element of the love of God that comes out in those situations, so when you're wronged and you don't fight back, God begins to work on your behalf and...I want people to come into repentance, I want them to change their thoughts about who He is, I want them to see Him and I want them to rise up."

On commercial success:
"There's a whole culture machine behind bands and it's garbage man. There's a part where at the end of the day, if you're not closer to Jesus because of the ministry you do, can it. Just get out of there. The minute we (Sleeping Giant) start substituting money for substance and for being sincere I'm out. We're out. We're done. Cause it's a joke...We're not gonna be concerned with trying to do it like everybody else. It's not gonna happen. Not on my watch. My life is too important to me. And I've already traded some of it to corporate America and I'm not going to trade it to the culture machine."

People like Thom Green really inspire me and point me back to the substance of my faith. The line between being a 'modern' Christian and a 'worldy' Christian is so thin to me. There is this mentality amoung our generation that says it is okay to be a Christian and still get caught up in consumerism, partying, rude humour, degrading music and so forth, ONLY if on Sundays you act holier than thou and go to church. Is that okay? Have we lost what it means to be a Christian in the world today?
For me, the definition of being a Christian has been flipped upside down and shaken. The term 'Christian' isn't a label you put on yourself just because you attend church and sing in the worship band. It's not a term to be used and abused to a make you feel superior to everyone else. It's not a term gleaming with promise but when inspected is rotton inside. Christianity is a lifestyle, the way you live every moment, in every decision you make. It's in the way you think, what you do and what you say. It's gaurding your one heart from the evils of this world, even if it's denying yourself from listening to an artist that promotes sexual immorality, or choosing a skirt that's below the knee and not above the knee. It's a relationship with God which breathes love - more specifically, the love for His heart and His values.
Maybe our generation has taken grace as a ticket to sin. I think the majority of us have thought 'God will forgive me anyway' at some point in our lives before we did what we knew was wrong. But there's power in the choices you make everyday. There's power in your decision that it's okay not to drink. There's power in turning off a sex-crazed radio station. There's power in saying no to drugs. There's power in blocking porn sites on your computer. There's POWER when you choose to do what is right. When that happens, like Green says, that's Jesus for real. And when we take that stand, God moves. Not only in our lives, but in our generations. I am dreaming and hoping and praying that we can be part of a Holy Spirit empowered movement where people do not give themselves to such demonic enforced industries such porn, drugs and alcohol but to LOVE.

I am hoping that we havn't done it all wrong. I am hoping that the values that Jesus held in his heart and evidently in the way he lived would align with ours. Cause man, I am far from being a real Christian. I am far from taking my identity away from the world's hands. It's time to pray. It's time to fight.

Listen to: Sleeping Giant - The Army of the Chosen One

You fight for me when I can't fight for myself.

'I am always aware of the Lord's presence; He is near, and nothing can shake me.'

Psalm 16:8

What a beautiful morning I have had with the Lord. I listened to The Ember Days' album 'Emergency,' soaking in the glorious sunrise which filled my soul and left me breathless at the same time.

I highly recommend The Ember Days' album. You can download it for free (and legally) here.
My favourite songs are 'High Above' 'Adore' and 'Sound of You.'
Also, for all you indie folk lovers, have a listen to The Middle East. Unfortunately they are no longer together, but nonetheless their music is beautiful. My favourite track would hands down be 'Blood.'
Enjoy!


Illustration by Anna Emilia Laitinen.

Desperation.

The devil has been attacking me furiously lately, and I'm already giving in. I'm neck high in my sin.

God has shown me nothing but unwavering love, forgiveness and healing and yet I am brave enough to spit on the cross and show no gratefulness for it.
I have no words for how weak I feel and how disgusted I am with myself.

It's time to get on my knees again. It's time to bleed, sweat and cry for forgiveness again. I can't do this alone. I won't let the devil drag me down again.

Currently listening to: The Middle East - Lonely