Love them like Jesus...

I read something in a book last night which was.. pretty awesome! The book was the bible and it said this: "But I tell you who hear me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If some one takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking you tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back." (Luke 6:27-30)


I have read this passage before, but it hadn't really stood out to me that much. I read it again, and realised that actually, I have so much to learn. You see, I got this cup for my birthday, it's a Cath Kidson mug and I was really pleased with it. However I don't use it that often because it's quite large and I usually only want a small cup of tea or whatever, but it was still mine. Then, my sister started borrowing it and for some reason I got really annoyed. I told her not to steal it because it's mine and I didn't want her to break it. I kept getting angry with her every time she took it. Now, having read that, I could have let her take it. I could have offered to make her a cup of tea with it. When my sisters want to borrow my clothes I could let them borrow them, then they wouldn't be 'stealing'. If we share everything with everyone, there wouldn't be thieves!! If my sister takes my favourite jumper from my wardrobe, I could offer her my best hat to go with it. That is love! It's grace! It's loving like Jesus! We all think 'What Would Jesus Do?' But do we all think 'What Did Jesus Do?' Jesus gave everything he had, when people persecuted him he prayed "Father forgive them" When the poor came to him, he blessed them. 


I know that I have so many things, a lot of it is junk, as Christmas comes closer I will obtain more "stuff" but there are people who own nothing but the clothes on their backs. I have so much that I can give, what stops me? I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I want to give and share but why don't I? Maybe I value my possessions far more than I should. We come into this world with nothing and we leave with nothing. So technically, that means that every possession we own, doesn't really belong to us. We're borrowing it whilst we're on this earth. If the world didn't value "stuff" so much, every one would be more satisfied. People say money doesn't buy you happiness, I don't completely agree. I think it buys happiness for a while, but it will never buy satisfaction. Some one spends their whole life saving for  this one object because the media or their friends have told them that it's amazing and that it will bring them happiness. And they buy it, and it does make them happy! For a week or two they're overjoyed with this "thing" that they have, but then they see an advert for a car or a new phone and suddenly, they want that instead. The thing that they so desperately wanted, when they have it, they suddenly see it's uselessness. True happiness comes from serving other people. I'm not talking about becoming a slave, I'm talking about helping others. Some people might spit it back in your face, but the people who accept your help and are grateful, that will make you happy. When you make someone smile or say thank you or laugh, don't you feel all bubbly inside? It makes you happy knowing that others are happy. It is impossible to be happy when you are walking through a street with children dying both sides of you, a war zone in front of you. And not just because you're scared you could die, but because you see suffering. Unless your a sadist you can't smile when you watch destruction and suffering. But when you help those people, when you make a child smile, then you start to smile, knowing that you just made someone else's life worthwhile. If you're unsatisfied with life and don't feel that your life is worthwhile, it's because your not doing anything worthwhile! I can spend my time playing computer games, reading novels, lying in on the weekends, arguing with my sisters, these are all pointless things which do absolutely nothing. If I didn't do these things and instead I spent time with God, I helped my mum with the tidying, I went and spent time with old people who are dying and with newborn infants, then I would see the meaning to this life, I would be humbled. 


Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at anyone, I do it too! I live an unsatisfying life because I am selfish and I place too much value on worldly things. I want to be humbled and full of love and grace! I can't do it on my own, that's why I need God to help me. To ask him if he will soften my heart and open doors to help people. I need him to help me get rid of the selfishness in my life and give me a heart of love. I am going to mess up, it's going to happen because I am only a human. I need God to help me, but even if I don't change, even if tomorrow I go shopping and buy lots of clothes and ignore the homeless guy on the street, God still loves me! I can't stress this enough!! You are free by grace! God died so that we don't have to earn our way to heaven, if we accept him and ask him into our lives, we are going to heaven!!!!! *CELEBRATE* but I want the most out of my life, I want to live a life full of love. 


God love us so much! He thinks about us all the time! He can't take his mind of us! We are free! We are children of God! I read this the other day, it's a love letter from God, they are all verses from the bible put together to make a letter of love from our creator God. I just read it and it is quite long so I will put it on a separate post... Please read it, it's amazing!!

Compelled by Love

Had another awesome day today, went to my friend's house for a couple of hours and she lent me a book called "compelled by love" by Heidi Baker. I read the introduction and was in tears!! It's an absolutely amazing book and if you ever get the chance, read it. 


I feel like every day I'm getting one step closer to God; well I suppose I am seeing as every day we're one step closer to heaven! But I mean in my relationship with him. I know I never can and never will fully understand God but each day I learn something new, I learn how to love all over again, I learn what faith truly is, I understand more about our role as Christians on the earth. God is so amazing! He just loves to talk to us, to hold us, to whisper to us!


Anyway, in this book it talks about the "Western world" and how once she got a picture of "us" licking the crumbs from under the table, when there was a glorious feast on the table. It really made me think. Why are we settling for crumbs, when God invites us to a banquet?


I was walking into Tesco's today and as I was walking up to the door, God challenged me to lay hands on the sick and heal them in his name. I then literally walked into a woman in a wheelchair, but I just couldn't do it! I couldn't say to her, "Hi I'm a Christian. I can see your in a wheelchair, please could I pray for you to be healed?" I just couldn't! I doubted. I didn't have the faith. I didn't have the courage. I've been asking for opportunities to tell people about God and for people to be healed, yet here I was, rejecting this God-given opportunity! Yesterday, at youth group, we were praying for my friends back to be healed and we asked her how it was on a scale of 1-10 and she said 6, so we prayed again, she then said 10! And guess what we did?! We said "Really? Wow!"
... What is with that! We pray for faith, for healing, for people to know God and yet we are so surprised when God does something! No wonder we don't see many miracles in the "Western world"! I was talking to my friend's dad today, who was saying that Christians pray for God to heal someone, or to do something and then wait for God to do it, God does it through us; he gave us power and authority, not to just ask him and then sit around and wait, he gave us his authority to lay hands on the sick and heal them; he gives us the opportunities and then speaks through us or acts through us, he uses us for his glory!


Don't worry, it's so much easier said than done! But I want to do it too! I want to go out there, into the world and lay hands on the sick; and they will be healed, to pray for the dead; and they will be raised to life, to pray for the hungry; and they will never be hungry again!
God does these miracles in the bible. He does them in the world. Today. When we fall on our knees and cry out to God to see miracles and healing on a regular basis, it will happen!
But we can't pray and sit in our comfortable homes, lie in our comfortable beds, read amazing Christian books and go to sleep thinking "ah, that was nice, thanks God" and then nothing changes. The world needs change! We can pray to see miracles all we like but until we go out there, and lay hands on the sick as God commanded us to do, we won't see anything!


Where are the believers of miracles, the believers of love. They are out there. Are you one of them? Jesus is calling us to surrender to him and go out into our streets, our neighbourhoods, our towns, and expect salvation for our friends and family. How much do you love your friends and family? How much do you want to see them in heaven? How much more does God love them and want them in heaven!


Have you ever thought "I can't be bothered right now. I'm too tired. My life's just to busy." *Raises hand* I have. Even now, I sometimes feel that it's too much effort, even to pray for the energy! Sometimes, it's easier to not try, to simply carry on as the rest of the world does. But then we miss out on the beautiful things God wants us to experience!


I hope and pray that I never fall into the thinking pattern of this world, that I never stop loving Jesus and loving my 'neighbours' as he wants me too. I pray for more faith and confidence every day that when Jesus says to me "pray for that person". I will. God, would you do that? Please help me, equip me for your plan and for your will. I will do whatever you want me to do, help me Lord! Amen!

God has a huge plan ahead; do you want to be part of it?

God is good! He is great!

Wow! I didn't think it could get much better than this?!!


This week has been amazing... one of the best in my life!
On Sunday I wrote a list of expectations, I want God to do in my life but particularly for the next week (this week). Most of the expectations were about more amazing conversations with my friends and to be a witness for Christ. Every single expectation was met, to the fullest possible way that it could have been!!!


Monday:
Had 2 different conversations about God and Forgiveness and Grace with about 8 people in total!


Tuesday:
Told 2 guys who didn't know before about my faith and why I believe in him and about hearing God speak!


Wednesday:
This was amazing!!! In my chemistry class we were "debating" God vs Science. It was me (and God!) against a class of 32 students. I stood in front of my class and said: "I believe in God, I believe in Jesus. I believe that Jesus came down and saved the world" So I got to witness to 32 people!!!!! Thank you God!!!!


Thursday:
Even more amazing!!! I had R.E; it was a different class, about half the people who were in my chemistry were there and half from another class were there. We were talking about witnessing to people, everyone was asking me questions about my faith and my church and how I knew there was a God and why do people go to Heaven or hell!! It was another amazing God-given opportunity!!!


Friday:
Talked to 2 of my friends who are coming to my youth group tonight, we just had a great time of talking about prayer and one of them even asked me to pray for something!!!


This week was a blessing and a joy. Thank you God for choosing me to share your gospel to the people in my school this week! I pray that something of what I said would really speak to them, make them consider you, I pray for tonight as well at youth group that loads of people would be added to your kingdom! I pray that you would be glorified tonight!


I feel that God is on the verge of doing some really amazing works in our school and youth group!! Keep praying for us!! 


PRAISE GOD, THE CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS! HALLELUJAH!!!