The Greatest Love Story Every Told

The last couple of weeks in various forms I have been receiving scriptures dealing with love. As I sat in Bible Study last night today’s blog post came to me. So, I would like to share with you all the greatest love story every told. The story has been told for many centuries and in many different languages. Yes, this story is universal. Some believe it the first time and others like me it takes a minutes to get it. The story is very long and it spans many lifetimes but it is well worth reading. I will give you the short version.

It started ions ago with a man, His Son and His Comforter. The man was very powerful and had access to the whole world. He was a creative Man and like to make things. He was what we would call today a move and a shaker. One day He was sitting with His Son and decided to make something so wonderful and beautiful, no one would every forget it. In the course of days the Man and His Son created many beautiful things and as they set back and looked at everything they created and decided to share it with others. The Man and His Son decided to allow this couple to live in what they had created. The couple seemed to be very pleased. The Man share with the couple some rules and regulations of being in this gorgeous place the Man had created.

If you are a fan of romantic comedies like me, you know earlier on something is going to happen that will separate the main characters and then someone or something else would take place to bring the main characters back together. In the greatest love story every told the same thing happens. The couple does not follow the Man’s rules and regulations, so the man is forced to evict them. There is an but here, the Man loved this couple a lot, so He did not want to see them out on the streets. He provided less gorgeous accommodations for the couple.

So for years the Man had tried to mend His relationship with the couple and their descendants to no avail. It would be times when they were in trouble and He would help them out of their situations, they would seek His guidance for a while before turning on Him. See, the Man was very wise and know things know one else know. The Man of the course of time continued to try and reach them. When they would ask Him to do things, He would give them their request. He was always there for them, just a second away each and every time they needed Him.

The story says, He longed for the relationship He had with their parents before the broke His rules. He had done almost everything to try and repair the relationship. So, the Man decided to send His Son to the people. His Son was very successful in talking with the descendants of the couple. We all know there is always a villain trying to mess everything up, the villain so the Son was able to reach the people, so he decided to put a stop to the Son. The villain thought he had stop the Son but he was setting the Son up to bring true reconciliation between the people and His Father. The villain had the Son falsely arrested, beating, mistreated by the prison guards and ultimately the Son would be killed. It does not end there thank God!

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." Matthew 28: 1-10

The Man (God) sent his only begotten Son as an atoning sacrifice for us all that we would be back to that perfect relationship we had with Him in the beginning. So, my family and friends “be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5: 21

The Bible is the greatest love story we can every read. God loves us so much and wants to be in a relationship with us. He does not want us to be perfect because He know we will make mistakes hence repentance but what He does desire is a personal relationship with us.

I thank JESUS for taking all my sin on Him at the cross. I personal do not think I could handle it. I thank Him for bridging the gap between God the Father and me. If what Jesus did on the cross was not love I sure would like to know what love does.

Unfinished Business

As I enter day 2 of the Lenten Season, I am reminded of what was spoken to me at my churches fall revival in 2009. The Pastor told me I had left several assignments from God undone. He said, “I was not living up to the call/purpose the LORD has purposed for me. He continued to tell me, if I would just let go and trust God, I would be amazed at where God would take me. He concluded that I had received enough in God’s permissive will that it was time for me to start living and operating in God’s perfect will.”

The things the Pastor had spoken to me that night were not new to me because God had spoken them to me before and sent others before the Pastor at revival with the same message. It was in my hard-headiness, fear and procrastination that I did the bare minimum and prayed the LORD would bless my effort. I believe God did bless the effort back then, He knew where I was in Him, meaning He knew my spiritual maturity. At the same time the Lord also knew I was growing in my knowledge of who He was and who He said I was to Him.

It is past time for me to operate in what Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” I trust God! I had no really faith in myself to do the things God was calling me to do. I did not trust myself fully to do those things that were assigned to me and went as far as to question God at times as to why He trusted me so much. It was in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” and Psalm 139 (http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/?niv=yes&q=Ps139 ) God would give me my answer.

So, as I prepared myself for Ash Wednesday Worship Service on yesterday, I asked God to give me a scripture for this Lenten Season. He gave me Jeremiah 29:11, He gave me the scripture that He has given me for the last three years. The number three biblical means completion.

This morning as I sat at my computer to write this post I knew I would writing something about what I would give up for Lent. What I did not know was the LORD would bring back to my thoughts about the confirmation message He gave to the Pastor at fall revival to give to me.

I totally agree with God, it is time for me to stop allowing fear, procrastination and my will to interfere with His plan and purpose for my life. So, instead of giving up things I would only start again after Lent is over. I am giving up fear, procrastination and my will to living in God’s perfect will for my life. I know it is the best thing to do because my relationship with Christ is the best thing that has every happen to me. I LOVE YOU FATHER!!!

Always Be Ready

In the book of 1 Peter 3:15, Peter tells the church, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” So, here is the reason for the hope that I have in Christ Jesus.

There was a time during my senior year in college when my life was spiraling out of control. I was drinking almost everyday, sex for me was just another thing to do to mask my pain and I was not taking my education seriously. I did enough to make a B in my classes and C’s were not that bad to me. I barely looked into Grad School or thought hard about my future. It was during this time I was living in my pain and taking past hurts out on me and others. I was slowing killing myself with the things I was doing to my body and putting into it.

My sexual behavior lead to an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy during the time I was suppose to be preparing for my internship with a local television station in North Carolina. My belief was abortions were murder but I find myself seriously considering it. It was also during this time a long time friend of mine was murdered. Despite my beliefs I decided to abort the baby because I never really thought I could give the child the life he/she deserved.

It was these two things and past hurts that would lead me to my knees months later begging God to help me. I knew there was something better I just did not know how to go about obtained the happiness I wanted in my life. It was there in my despair the LORD begins to set things in motion for the happiness I wanted in my life. He begins to send people my way who believed in Him completely. They begin to share their testimony with me, which led me to pray more and visit churches with friends.

I remember one day I asked the LORD to send me to a preacher who would teach me His Word. The LORD would answer the prayer on December 12, 2004, when I came home and visit the church in my community. I sat there and for the first time in a very long time I felt some peace. I figure now it was God allowing me to feel what a life with Him could be like.

It would be months before I would go back to visit the church and after another intimate encounter with the LORD in August of 2005 I answered the Lord’s call and give my life to Him.

So as I entered year five of my journey with the LORD, here is the reason for my hope in Christ Jesus. He found me where I was in the midst of my pain, anger, bitterness, regret, self-hatred, suicide and loneliness and HE LOVED ME PAST MY PAIN. He gave me a life and purpose. Each day I wake up I KNOW He is with me and through Him I will surely have the victory. He supplies each and every one of my needs. I hope in Him because in Him I found me. I hope in Him because He has never lied or led me astray. He has never broken a promise and everything I know will be okay because of Him.

I hope in Him because I would have never made it to 31 years of age without Him.