October 18, 2009

Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Church of the Beatitudes, the Jordan River all in one day! What a fantastic day it has been! Last night was a great Shabbot service at a Messianic Jewish church. The message being given at the service was about LOVE. I think that message was perfect for today's adventures. God loves us so much that he sent his one and only son to die for us so we may go to heaven. We went to the Jordan river to get baptized today. This is the very river Jesus got baptized at. Jesus shows us how he loves God and how committed he is to love God and his people. It is like what the pastor said at the church. God has given us two commandments Matthew 22:37-39:

             "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

               and with all your mind. this is the first and greatest commandment.

              And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself."

God has continually shown his love towards me every single day of my life, but really have I loved him with all my heart. Today I was recommiting my love for him. I loved what Dr. Waddell said today about married couples having a second marriage later in life. They are not getting married again to one another that is silly, they are simply recommiting their love for one another. Giving a public testimony of their recommittment to one another. Getting baptized again was showing that I am committed to love my Lord with all my heart, soul and mind. 

Also today we went to a church that was by the Sea of Galilee. It is said to have been built on the very rock that Jesus had made a fire where he reinstated Peter as a fisher of men not a fisher of fish. You can find the story in John 21(side note: It does not say that their was a rock that Jesus made a fire on...so I really do not think this was the actual place, but who knows. We aren't made to know everything). Jesus says to Peter three times do you love me. Here again Love pops up. Love is the center of everything. Peter had gone back to what he was familiar with and that was fishing for fish. He thought because he had betrayed Jesus he no longer had that same calling by God to be a fisher of men. You can see in Mark 1:17 that Simon Peter was called to be a fisher of men. How many times do we not feel worthy of continuing down the path God has for us because we have betrayed him in some form. We can be like Peter taking things into our own hands because it can be easier to do. We may think that we are no longer in God's will and we cannot get back to the path God is leading us down. Let me ask you these questions...Do you truly love Jesus? Do you truly love Jesus more than whatever you are going through? Are you willing to put down your nets again and follow him? Let me tell you this it is not to late to put them down. Just because you have turned away from God's purpose for your life does not mean that you are unworthy. Once God has worked in your life and has changed you do not go back to what he took you out of. To God that is saying you love whatever it is more than him. God loves you so much he continuely gives you chances to follow him. This is called unconditional love. No matter what you do, no matter what you go through in life, no matter what battles you are facing, no matter what good times you are having, no matter what happens God Love you so much! That is the greatest love I can ever want and need. In the Kim Walker's song called How he loves us. The song that I have is sung live somewhere. She says in the middle of the song "without the  love of God it is just like we are making noise, but the love of God changes us we are never the same when we encounter the love of God...if you want to encounter the love of God right now embrace yourself because he about to blow into this place." Right now I encourage you to encounter the love of God! You are worthy! God does not want you to be alone on your path have him guide you and be with you always. Embrace him. He is reaching out for you to embrace him! He has a warm embrace. 

God right now I want to encounter you...I want to put my nets down and follow you. God you love me so much and I want to give you back the love you have given me to you and to the people you place in the path you lead me down. I can be like Peter taking things into my own hands, and not allowing you to guide me. God your path will never be easy, but I know that path is the right path for me. I love you so much and I thank you for loving me unconditionally.