What would it be like if Gods glory fell on us like a storm: raining down and flooding the dry dust of our hearts with holy fire? What would that look like?
I think it would look like romantic Love.
Lately, Gods been guiding me through lessons in Love.
What is Love?
Love is God.
God is Love.
He's helping me get to know Him more and more.
One thing He's been showing me is that Love is commitment, not emotion.
Emotion comes from it, but it is not the definition of Love. Emotion is temporary, Love is eternal. That is not to say that emotion is bad; of course it is not. Often times, our relationships with God have been started out of a very emotion state; He stoops down from heaven and woos us up to Himself. He wins our hearts with romance.
But, eventually, like most successful relationships, the Love grows: matures. Love doesn't become "how can You make me happy"; Love becomes "how can I make you happy". Love doesn't become "I'll stay committed to You when You make me feel the same way I felt when I met You"; Love becomes "I'll stay with You even when I don't feel like it, because I'm committed".
John 15:13 says that "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends".
God stayed committed to His people, whom He loved. Not to the point of laying down His own life. No. That would be too easy. He stayed committed to us to the point of laying down the life of His only son, Jesus Christ. Christs blood rained down to the ground, full of life and redemption. His blood pours over our bodies, fills our veins, and covers us; it makes us acceptable in Gods eyes. He sees Christs blood in us and takes us in as sons. Adopted. We are His children, and He is our Father.
We were Isaak, about to be sacrificed, and Jesus was our perfect lamb, slain in our place, who's blood is the payment for our ransom of sin. God provided the perfect lamb.
That is Love.
Love is when the person we care about becomes more important than ourselves.
That is Love.
Love is when we can look a person in the eyes, and they can stare back into ours, and see the reflection of God in our eyes. Then, with every thing we have say, I, Christ in me, Love you, and would gladly lay down my life for you. They wouldn't just see that a person, a mortal human would lay down their life. They would see God saying that too them. Not only that, but they would see Jesus saying that.
Hell.
Jesus already did that.
I hear people say "I love you", now, and I don't think they realize what they're saying. We do this so often. We really might as well say "I emotion you", or "I care about you as long as you make me feel this way".
What if God had done that.
God would have ditched us in the deserts of the Middle East.
God would have left us after His son was crucified.
No, God didn't just emotion us, God Loved us. God committed Himself to us.
It says so many numerous times that we will be His, and He will be ours.
It does not say "I will Love you, my people, if you worship me".
No.
It is a promise.
It is absolute.
God deals with the eternal, and temporary things flow from it.
For all good and perfect things come from Him.
Including Love; after all, He is Love. Love is eternal.
I'll end with the last thing I heard from God before He continued to test me.
He said "just because you don't feel Me, does not mean that I am not there. Just because you don't feel My Love, doesn't nullify my Love. Feelings don't affect my Love and commitment, just like your sin doesn't affect My goodness. I Love you, Joshua".
I hope this encourages you to ask God to rain down His glory, to flood the dust of our lives with Holy fire so that we can Love as God Loved us. To be perfect as He, our Father, is perfect.
I Love you,
-Josh
Monday, April 19, 2010
inspired to live inspired to die
does the testimony of the men living today strive you for some change in your life. make you want to get off your own butt and open the door to find sunshine on cloudy days. and make an opportunity a dream. or is it the walk in a cemetery reading the graves or opening an old book make you starve for such daring feats. i feel like both have each of its merit.
truthfully, when i read of dead men. i get chills. i am reading about jim elliot a second time in a book called "the shadow of the almighty" it is about his life and testimony. jim elliot wasn't your normal kid, God called him early to a life of reckless hope and abandoning the safe christian life. jim took other brothers and their wives down to a jungle to speak the gospel to a cannibalistic tribe and learn their ways and eventually bring them jesus. jim ended up dying along with the other men. leaving the women and children and what you thought was a lost cause. (read his story to know more)
but we have another dead man we can all look too who left a cross and a tomb to save all mankind. Jesus the son of man. the son of God.
this is where it conflicts me. how often do the christians note. i am so thankful that Jesus died for my sins. but we forget that after he left us living. he sent his Spirit to live in us.
where does that leave us. where does that leave me.
tonight is another night. where i am desperate to know the man in the letters that were left by dead men. to inspire me to live. they knew something that started after he left them. something must be done.
read matthew 16:24.
does that inspire you to live. or inspire you to die.
i love you,
stephenjoseph
truthfully, when i read of dead men. i get chills. i am reading about jim elliot a second time in a book called "the shadow of the almighty" it is about his life and testimony. jim elliot wasn't your normal kid, God called him early to a life of reckless hope and abandoning the safe christian life. jim took other brothers and their wives down to a jungle to speak the gospel to a cannibalistic tribe and learn their ways and eventually bring them jesus. jim ended up dying along with the other men. leaving the women and children and what you thought was a lost cause. (read his story to know more)
but we have another dead man we can all look too who left a cross and a tomb to save all mankind. Jesus the son of man. the son of God.
this is where it conflicts me. how often do the christians note. i am so thankful that Jesus died for my sins. but we forget that after he left us living. he sent his Spirit to live in us.
where does that leave us. where does that leave me.
tonight is another night. where i am desperate to know the man in the letters that were left by dead men. to inspire me to live. they knew something that started after he left them. something must be done.
read matthew 16:24.
does that inspire you to live. or inspire you to die.
i love you,
stephenjoseph
Easy Button
Have you ever looked at a situation and experienced an overwhelming sense of hopelessness?
I found myself recently looking at problems in the body of Christ: contradictions, gossip and complacency; and I found myself overwhelmed.
Everything is messed up, and there is no "easy button".
There is not one thing to fix all of the "ish" in our lives.
G.K Chesterton wrote to the letter of the editor in response the question: what is wrong with the world?
His response was: I am.
We are the problem. We are whats wrong with the body of Christ.
There are a lot of people in the body of Christ.
Where do we start?
With ourselves.
I use the analogy of the mess a hurricane leaves after a storm, often. It comes through, ripping apart lives with destructive winds of change and leaves a huge mess, only to make us clean up after it.
There is a huge mess in the church, people have been wrecked, and things need to be cleaned up.
How do you clean up after a hurricane?
One thing at a time?
The same goes with any other problem: you fix it one thing at a time.
The problem in the church cannot be solved with better worship services, better evangelism, better scenery, better graphic design teams, better plans.
The problem starts with us, and must be fixed in us first, then the person in front of us, then we move along, loving Jesus, one person at a time.
I didn't understand this until I remembered what it was like being a life guard this summer.
We used to have to swim test people as they swam across a lake. 200 people would be tested at a time. Now, if they had all jumped in the water, and started to swim at the same time, what would have happened if 4 people couldn't swim? They'd be killed by the masses because we couldn't focus our attention on them.
But.
We filed them in a line, and focused on every person: one at a time. The multitude wasn't as big of a deal when we focused on the individuals.
Suddenly, it didn't become this giant problem, it was just us looking after our flock, one sheep at a time.
The same goes with every other problem.
You cannot save the multitude if you can't first save the person in front of you.
Just a little food for thought.
I'm not thinking too clearly; I'm on a 3 day fast and don't have a whole lot of thinking abilities right now.
Pray for me, I hope this encourages someone.
Love,
-Josh
I found myself recently looking at problems in the body of Christ: contradictions, gossip and complacency; and I found myself overwhelmed.
Everything is messed up, and there is no "easy button".
There is not one thing to fix all of the "ish" in our lives.
G.K Chesterton wrote to the letter of the editor in response the question: what is wrong with the world?
His response was: I am.
We are the problem. We are whats wrong with the body of Christ.
There are a lot of people in the body of Christ.
Where do we start?
With ourselves.
I use the analogy of the mess a hurricane leaves after a storm, often. It comes through, ripping apart lives with destructive winds of change and leaves a huge mess, only to make us clean up after it.
There is a huge mess in the church, people have been wrecked, and things need to be cleaned up.
How do you clean up after a hurricane?
One thing at a time?
The same goes with any other problem: you fix it one thing at a time.
The problem in the church cannot be solved with better worship services, better evangelism, better scenery, better graphic design teams, better plans.
The problem starts with us, and must be fixed in us first, then the person in front of us, then we move along, loving Jesus, one person at a time.
I didn't understand this until I remembered what it was like being a life guard this summer.
We used to have to swim test people as they swam across a lake. 200 people would be tested at a time. Now, if they had all jumped in the water, and started to swim at the same time, what would have happened if 4 people couldn't swim? They'd be killed by the masses because we couldn't focus our attention on them.
But.
We filed them in a line, and focused on every person: one at a time. The multitude wasn't as big of a deal when we focused on the individuals.
Suddenly, it didn't become this giant problem, it was just us looking after our flock, one sheep at a time.
The same goes with every other problem.
You cannot save the multitude if you can't first save the person in front of you.
Just a little food for thought.
I'm not thinking too clearly; I'm on a 3 day fast and don't have a whole lot of thinking abilities right now.
Pray for me, I hope this encourages someone.
Love,
-Josh
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Capital "L"
My name is Isaiah Joshua Islas; that isn't too important, but, I figured you should know, since I'm writing to you. You don't know me yet, but I just introduced myself to you. Hi. Nice to meet you.
Fun fact:
Isaiah is from the Hebrew, and it means: Yahweh, or Jehovah, is salvation.
Joshua is from the Hebrew for Yeshuah, and it means literally the same: God is salvation.
Islas is just Spanish for islands; exciting right?
I like my name. I feel special when I think that my parents, and God Himself chose my name and prayed about me before I ever came to be. I think its cool that my name repeats itself. It makes me feel like there needs to be emphasis on the fact that Jesus is the way to the Father. That Jesus saves.
Now that we've gotten that terribly awkward introduction out of the way, I can FINALLY tell you something I, and Jesus, has been waiting to tell you all day:
I Love you.
Notice how I capitalized "Love". I meant to do that.
This week I remembered that God is Love, therefore, His name should be capitalized.
Funny, I always knew God was Love. I knew that.
But I forgot.
Somehow I forgot that.
Somehow we forget that.
I think we are Christians with amnesia. We are Israel, crossing the parted Red Sea of our sins, getting to the other side, and instantly forgetting what we were delivered from. We are saved from ourselves, our fallen nature, our sin, and somehow, somewhere, we convinced ourselves that we're still slaves to sin. To Egypt. Thats a lie. We were saved from that.
Why?
Because God. Is. Love.
His Love saved us.
God is love. We can't be forgetting that.
Love is what saved us from sin.
The Love of God was the original romance.
We were a damsel in distress, He was our hero.
Its the best story ever told, because, we all know, Love is the only thing worth talking about. Really.
I mean, God creates humans out of His own image, out of Love. Out of Love, He makes a promise with the world to not flood it, no matter how jacked we are. Out of Love He delivered us out of the hands of our oppressors. Out of Love He made us wander in the dessert to help us realize our dependence on Him. Out of Love He sent us the law to give us intimacy with Him. Out of Love He sent His son to fulfill the law and to die for us, to have even GREATER intimacy with Him. Out of Love, He gave us the fullness of His son, and gave us the title of Sons and Daughters of God to inherit His kingdom. Out of Love, He is coming back for us.
All out of Love.
How amazing is that-
That is Love.
That is beautiful.
Thinking that the Creator of the universe, thought of me, knew what was going to happen since before time began, knew I would sin, knew I would kill His son, and still chose to create me, because He thought I was worth it.
Well, that makes me blush.
Oh, how I Love Him.
Oh, how I Love you.
I hope you're encouraged.
I look forward to writing to you soon, and often.
I, Christ in me, Love, with the fullness of Gods heart dwelling in me, you, brothers and sisters.
Have a blessed day.
-J
Fun fact:
Isaiah is from the Hebrew, and it means: Yahweh, or Jehovah, is salvation.
Joshua is from the Hebrew for Yeshuah, and it means literally the same: God is salvation.
Islas is just Spanish for islands; exciting right?
I like my name. I feel special when I think that my parents, and God Himself chose my name and prayed about me before I ever came to be. I think its cool that my name repeats itself. It makes me feel like there needs to be emphasis on the fact that Jesus is the way to the Father. That Jesus saves.
Now that we've gotten that terribly awkward introduction out of the way, I can FINALLY tell you something I, and Jesus, has been waiting to tell you all day:
I Love you.
Notice how I capitalized "Love". I meant to do that.
This week I remembered that God is Love, therefore, His name should be capitalized.
Funny, I always knew God was Love. I knew that.
But I forgot.
Somehow I forgot that.
Somehow we forget that.
I think we are Christians with amnesia. We are Israel, crossing the parted Red Sea of our sins, getting to the other side, and instantly forgetting what we were delivered from. We are saved from ourselves, our fallen nature, our sin, and somehow, somewhere, we convinced ourselves that we're still slaves to sin. To Egypt. Thats a lie. We were saved from that.
Why?
Because God. Is. Love.
His Love saved us.
God is love. We can't be forgetting that.
Love is what saved us from sin.
The Love of God was the original romance.
We were a damsel in distress, He was our hero.
Its the best story ever told, because, we all know, Love is the only thing worth talking about. Really.
I mean, God creates humans out of His own image, out of Love. Out of Love, He makes a promise with the world to not flood it, no matter how jacked we are. Out of Love He delivered us out of the hands of our oppressors. Out of Love He made us wander in the dessert to help us realize our dependence on Him. Out of Love He sent us the law to give us intimacy with Him. Out of Love He sent His son to fulfill the law and to die for us, to have even GREATER intimacy with Him. Out of Love, He gave us the fullness of His son, and gave us the title of Sons and Daughters of God to inherit His kingdom. Out of Love, He is coming back for us.
All out of Love.
How amazing is that-
That is Love.
That is beautiful.
Thinking that the Creator of the universe, thought of me, knew what was going to happen since before time began, knew I would sin, knew I would kill His son, and still chose to create me, because He thought I was worth it.
Well, that makes me blush.
Oh, how I Love Him.
Oh, how I Love you.
I hope you're encouraged.
I look forward to writing to you soon, and often.
I, Christ in me, Love, with the fullness of Gods heart dwelling in me, you, brothers and sisters.
Have a blessed day.
-J
life is Him blessing and us forgetting
if i am here to tell you i have it all together. i would be a liar. i don't consider myself one. ideally i think i am loyal even to the point of blood. and that makes me an outlaw. too many times in this jaded broken world we are told who we are and who we should be. and i suck in the "consumerism" mentality and try to be who i am not. and i hate that. tonight. i almost cried again and was shaking because this is what i remembered. "if you then being evil know how to bring good gifts to your children how much more will the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" luke 11:13. oh i feel like that. evil. because i struggle. i struggle. i struggle. but this is another reason to wave a white flag. and surrender. as quoted tonight from one of my dear friends. "life is Him blessing and us forgetting." damn. again. do you have those things you have been asking for. those dreams. your ultimate desire. your little prayers. the shotgun ones. or the sniper shots. but each one is a breath and and exhale for our Father to hear us. your not alone in this. remember his precious blood because "...young men because you are strong and the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one." 1 john 2:14b. justified. just. if. i. never. sinned. i cant collect anymore thoughts tonight before i fall on my face again in thankfulness.
to those of you who read:
i suck at introductions and i usually rub my right arm which is a sure sign i’m nervous i give my name away like it’s a free t-shirt at a concert. and guarenteed though you will see my heart somewhere in the conversation because Jesus is my life. it’s beginning to be the only thing i know. it’s harder now when i tell people about my life and say i’m part of the military. air force actually. but that doesn’t hold me back from being totally true. because my skin is like paper. i deal with victory and defeat like the sun has it’s turn just like night wants to share. i’m humbled that i am used by my Heavenly Father and sometimes i am the most forgetful christian. but in the end i will always believe. i hope you return to this page often.
-.sj
to those of you who read:
i suck at introductions and i usually rub my right arm which is a sure sign i’m nervous i give my name away like it’s a free t-shirt at a concert. and guarenteed though you will see my heart somewhere in the conversation because Jesus is my life. it’s beginning to be the only thing i know. it’s harder now when i tell people about my life and say i’m part of the military. air force actually. but that doesn’t hold me back from being totally true. because my skin is like paper. i deal with victory and defeat like the sun has it’s turn just like night wants to share. i’m humbled that i am used by my Heavenly Father and sometimes i am the most forgetful christian. but in the end i will always believe. i hope you return to this page often.
-.sj
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