Work of Art

When studying art, you’ll find many commonalities among painters. Generally their best works take the most time. Also, those great works generally didn’t escape being changed. Most times, the thing they start painting changes; they delete something, or completely change another. Pablo Picasso said “Art is the elimination of the unnecessary”.

I’ve heard it quoted many times when somebody asked a great scupltor “How do you sculpt a lion?”. The sculptor responded “I start with a big block of stone, and chisel away everything that’s not a lion.”

We are works of art.

I hope every day Jesus continues to paint my life and sculpt away everything that's not part of Him.

Chances are, if you’ve failed many times, you’re getting ready to be a champion.

Failure = future success.

When we let God paint our life, we won’t understand every stroke of his paint brush. We won’t get every color painted. But we’re a work in progress.

Let God work on you. Let Him erase a few things.

Let Him paint new lines.

Let Him create a masterpiece.

What would happen?

What would happen if every time God called me to pray for somebody, I would?

What would happen if every time God prodded me to worship, I would?

What if I gave my all, every single day?

What would happen?

What if I witnessed to every single one of my classmates?

What would happen if I invited everyone to church that I walked by?

What would happen if I prayed for every sick person I came across?

What would happen if I loved unconditionally?

What if I gave it my all?

What would happen if we didn't judge?

If we asked no questions about race or culture.

If we didn't assume somebody wasn't interested.

What would happen if we were all sensitive?

What would happen if we gave it our all?

What would happen if we sent somebody a text every day to encourage them?

What would happen if we got into....His...text. Every day...?

What would happen if we talked to God as much as we talked on the phone?

What would happen if we had the same convictions we did when we were 10 years old?

What if we gave it our all?

What would happen if everyone respected authority?

What would happen if we all feared God?

What would happen?

Really Saved by Grace

Together.

Linked.

Not Separated.

Down here, we're all on the same level.

We're all saved by grace.

Sinners, saved by grace, that is.

Not those who "used to struggle with sin". Those kind of people don't exist. According to Romans, all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. That doesn't mean that all used to sin, and there's some that don't sin anymore.

Once we accept the fact that we're human and not perfect, we can begin to live in the grace of God.

Lamentations 3:22-23

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

His mercies are fresh every morning. Not fresh out.

Too many times we rob ourselves of forgiveness because of the unbelief in his love. It's hard to understand, but it's real.

"Real love has changed us. Real hope invade us. You illuminate us. We've got a world to change, they gotta hear His name. Real life is freedom, so now with freedom we will run. Real love. Real life. We'll illuminate." - Gateway Worship

http://tinyurl.com/4dow87w

Nightlights

This is one of the most powerful poems I've ever heard in my life.

Be Thou exalted over my reputation
‘Cause applause is a poor form of soul medication
And I’ve tried it for years but my symptoms remain
Still fretting the day that they’ll misplace my name
Still selling my soul for American fame
Treating the promotion of Jesus like a well oiled machine
Advancing His kingdom just to snag some acclaim
Now, I’m both comforted and haunted that it isn’t just me though
I see a nation of people needing to feed their own egos
Parading status like steeples
Do we not know it’s evil to love ourselves more than both God and His people?
But see, here’s where you turn this poem on it’s head
‘Cause the greatest among us came as servant instead
And You humbled Yourself to the point of Your death
Apparently love for the Father’s glory runs red
So friends, will we point to the Son till our own flames grow dim?
Will our bright lights become merely nightlights near Him?
Words echo once, let them echo again
Be Thou exalted over my reputation

-Jimmy Needham

How You Love

I don’t know, what you saw in me that day
Died for me; sins You cast away
I don’t deserve You love for me so true
regardless of what I say or do



Your love, so hard to comprehend
For the way we treat our family and our friends
We love them for the things that they do
Not because of who they are in You
Lord give me strength from above
To love how You love

Sometimes I can’t see the road ahead
But You let me walk in darkness instead
Then suddenly, You open up my eyes
You pull away the darkness and disguise

Your love, so hard to comprehend
For the way we treat our family and our friends
We love them for the things that they do
Not because of who they are in You
Lord give me strength from above
To love how You love

I pray I would love the ones You do
and I would see through Your view
I pray that I would be made brand new
and my love would be true

Children of Light

Matthew 5:14-16
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.


I asked some people the question: “If you were a light, what kind of light would be the best to be?”
Here are just a few answers I got:
-One that never dwindles. Who cares how bright your light is if it’s not dependable.
-Revelation 21:23...”and the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamb is the light thereof...can I be the lamb?”
-Compact Fluorescent Plug-in with a triple twin tube and a twist and lock. Thanks for asking.
-secretly, i’ve always wanted to be a ceiling fan light. But that’s just secretly.

I got many answers. Some comical, some convicting, some just completely random.
It brought up many good thoughts.

1 Thessalonians 5:5  says: Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
SO, we are called to be Children of Light.

Question. What kind of light are you?
Are you a flashlight? Only coming out when it's dark outside (trouble arises)?
What about a Christmas light? Only presenting yourself as a true christian at yearly events such as camp, winter youth, etc..?

We are CHILDREN OF LIGHT! When looking at the book of John and 1st John, we can come to a few conclusions:
-God is light, and in Him there is no darkness
-If we have light and walk with Him, we are one with him, and he cleanses us from our sin
-Person that says he is in the light, but hates somebody = living a life in darkness
-Light shines in darkness, and the darkness doesn’t understand it.
-Doers of evil hate light. Doers of Good comes to the light.

Check this out.
Genesis 1:1 says In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. NOT an current action verse. It's a verse that sets up what God is going to do in the next few verses. In verse 2 it states that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. In verse 3, it then states that God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

So, the first thing that happened was the movement of God's spirit. And THEN God spoke light into existence. When God's spirit moves in us, the light should then be evident! The very next verse, verse 4, states that he SEPARATED the light from the darkness. When God's spirit moves inside of us, not only should 'light' be evident, but darkness should be separated from our lives.

John 11:9-10 says that If a man walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble because he sees the light. But, if a man walks during the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him!
Too many times we get used to living in darkness and blindness. Therefore, we stumble and fall.

So...

How to be a child of light:
-be quick to confess sins
*1 John 1:8

-Be aware of false advertisement
*Isaiah 5:20
*1 Corinthians 11:14

-Read your Bible!
*Psalms 119:105

-Be separate
*Ephesians 5:11

-Spread the light!
*Acts 1:8