Agape

Agape: love. a commitment to do good to someone else. To regard someone in such a way that you commit to their good.  When there were 99 sheep and one was missing Jesus went to find the one. He pulled in the sheep and said you are mine. Thats the love of God.... taking initiative. Love. Reaching out and loving others even in your time of hurt. Thats what God did..... he took initiative.  I read 1 John 4:7-21 this weekend and almost fell off my chair. It hits you hard..... read it slowly. You see, Love is a God-thing, and it shows up in people who are born of God and know him. God's love in Christ, took initiative to meet our greatest need...... he DIED for OUR sins. His love that is expressed among his people displays the fullness of his presence.  Verse 12 says..... No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.  I don't know about you but its hard for me to believe in a God that I can not physically see. I don't know with 1000000% of my being that he exists..... but you know what? I see God is others, I see God in the youth that I work with each week...... I see God in the miracles that he creates, the sun that he brings us each morning, the skyline that I drive past each day, and the ways he works in my life. I see Gods love in an entire new perspective when I realize how huge his love is for us. I look at the word love in an entire new perspective when I understand how precious this word is.  LOVE- a commitment to do good to someone else. To regard someone in such a way that you commit to their good. Doesn't God do that to us each and every day? We don't deserve that. We fail him daily.  Lets look at the word love in a different way...... "We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us-- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another." 1 John 3:16  We fail God daily. The LEAST we could do is to show our love for him by radiating it to others, and laying down our life for him. If we as his people don't get this message right we are sending the wrong message to the world and failing to show who God is. WE are a family of love. Lets continue to love one another so that we can sense that God is among us.  How often do we say "oh i LOVE starbucks..... or i LOVE that movie." What does that kind of love mean? I can bet it doesn't mean the same kind of Love that God has for us. Why do we use the word Love so lightly? Love is love..... it shouldnt have so many meanings. Is that failing God? Shouldn't love be forgiving those who have hurt you, or holding onto God when you feel like you have nothing left to hang onto? Guard this word of love. Treat it with the utmost respect. Lets guard this word of love shall we? When we say "I love you" or "I love that ....." Think of Gods love.... and if it compares....... than say it like you mean it. I think it's safe to say…. that I truly LOVE all of the supporters that God has brought Firefleyes….. remember that you are truly cherished and truly loved. Stay tuned.