1 John 1 1[WE ARE writing] about the Word of Life [[a]in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands.
2And the Life [[b]an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eyewitnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [[c]in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers].
3What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may [d]realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a [e]distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
4And we are now writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be full [and [f]your joy may be complete].
5And this is the message [the message of [g]promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [[h]no, not in any way].

He has made me to shine! ... But they cannot see the light unless I turn my face to You, Father. (p.p. sara groves)

I think people know Christians are supposed to be these loving people- light- pleasant to be around, a source of fellowship because they are an extension of Life.

I am a little upset at a Christian on TV that has a platform of political ideas and what sounds like judgemental statements on other leaders, writing them off as if they are beyond saving or beyond the intervention of Father, telling them not to even call out to God because of something they had done.

I am SO GLAD that I don't have to earn or achieve the salvation Father imparts to me. He gives it just when I need it. I definitely don't deserve it except for the cross! I am SO glad He does not renig on that promise when I mess up! (The Gospel is the saving power to those who ARE BELIEVING not once believed... there is no present power or life in a historical fact but in Him and the fact that He's alive today!)

I am also SO GLAD that it's not my job to judge or decide the fate of others. I leave that to Father for this man on TV (since there's no possible way I can know His heart) and for myself. (Father, Search me and Know me. I trust and you live inside me you will bring to my conscience that which You want to deal with... humble me to accept it).

When will we understand its more about loving people and less about dividing them, analyzing them, and figuring out their destiny. It seems that people know Christians are "supposed to love and such and the world is just waiting to see it in action. There are hearts that want to believe but are pushed away by those who are focused on 'do' and 'dont'.

Relying on the Spirit brings about LOVE and from that flows the others: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self control. If you LOVE above all else won't you find the rest of these. I believe that this is what our world hungers for- now's our chance to let the Life of the ALL Powerful Resurrected Jesus accomplish it: "for I am with you until the end of the age" We cannot truly and selflessly love without being full of Him.

I am just really pumped about the message of "Your kingdom come" Salvation is Here! Grace is Here! He is Alive and we can participate in it Now! I love what Sara Groves says:

IN MY MIND THE NEW ALBUM IS ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD, HOW IT REALLY DOES EXIST, AND IS AS REAL AS YOUR CAR OR YOUR KRISPY KREME DONUT, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR PROBLEMS. IF WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT, GOD HAS INVITED US TO LIVE in His kingdom in the midst of our regular existence. It is not a place of isolation and perfection, it is not far away where we cannot reach it. It happens at all the places where we intersect with each other. I hope the album is another reminder that the kingdom of God doesn't just come in the rally or worship event. It comes when I speak respectfully to my husband, and refrain from letting my anger spill over onto my kids, when I have an opportunity to gossip and refrain, when I open up my home, when I mess up royally, and have the stuff to go apologize, when I refuse to blame everyone else for my problems. These songs are about the beautiful character that grows out of seeing people through by loving God, and loving people. – SARA GROVES

do yourself a favor and listen to the whole sara groves album (the new one)

i think two of the biggest lies to creep in the mind of the believer are
1: i have something to hide
2: i am the only one who has this "something"

well, newsflash:
1.you have nothing to hide because your identity is that of Christ so that "something" does not define you and satan is just taking your eyes off of Him and onto yourself
2. you are NOT the only one! satan has deceived us all at one time or another into withdrawing and hiding so that the body won't be expressed and community will cease to be formed when this overwhelming shame comes over you and me and prevents us from being able to share what's really going on with our brothers and sisters in Christ...

Your community is there to glorify Him through being His hands His feet His voice His hugs His touch His vessel of love and acceptance to us all that we so desperately need but are too proud to admit. It is formed through people being transparent- you cant really reach out to someone that pushes you away.

What do I have to be ashamed of? Nothing. I am no different than you. You are no different than me- we were both separated from God and now by His grace alone can we live a victorious life. We can stake our fellowship (definition: my acceptance of your acceptance of me) on that fact. WE(none of us!) didn't earn, afford or make this grace that God gave us to rescue us from an independent a.k.a. self-centered life where I have to figure it all out and I have to present myself the way I expect me to be. The shame is only a shadow of the past life, when we had to be perfect and work twice as hard to hide that we weren't. Man has been struggling like this since the time when he covered up in fig leaves in Eden, like that would take care of His shame... like he could "fix it all" by controling and coping in every which way but rely on the One who gave him his life in the first place.

Any time the enemy speaks into your head (and yes he will come first person in a voice sounding like your own) "I am so defective... I am worthless... I can't let anyone know this about me or they'll think _____" (b/c it only matters what GOD thinks) Rebuke it immediately and preach the gospel to yourself:

I am a child of God, born again by the Spirit of God. The sinner me was crucified with Christ, and the old me is dead- I no longer live but Christ lives this new resurrected life through the new me. Those thoughts are not my own but sorry attempts from someone who hates me and wants the worst for me. I choose today to rely on the one who loves me and wants the best for me and has a plan for my life, and i welcome the flow of His life through me. I can't do this life... I can't think thoughts of truth apart from TRUTH himself who has given me access to His mind and His heart and His thoughts through the miracle of the Holy Spirit.
I DENY that i am alone. I receive the life and love of my savior who loves me and gave Himself for me. Don't you see how important it is to believe the gospel?

Isaiah 53: 3He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, (I have to believe that He sees my darkness )
a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness;(I have to believe He knows my pain)
and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised,
and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.
4Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses)
and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment],
yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten,
and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].
5But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities;
the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace
and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes
[that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. (I have to lift up my hands to worship, worship His name)

You are NOT a half-person, a maimed person, a defective person... He has made you WHOLE in Christ, in your spirit, the part of you that identifies you to Him. That's reality and that's what you can live out of. He's paid the price for all imperfections, iniquities (which is twisted thinking) and sorrow and pain so that we could have peace and know that He's experienced it all. There is fellowship w/ Jesus because of that and we also find fellowship with others when we have shared experiences.

The painful stuff? Well that's just Him transforming your mind to line up with the truth. It's a process and a journey as he refines the soul part of you: the part that thinks, feels, and chooses. It's also an opportunity to find intimacy with the one who has felt the same think and who has an exchange for that pain. He gives healing and wholeness.

There's a fight to believe, an urgency almost, to believe God is who He says He is and we are who He says we are: His. Beloved. Your Spirit cries Abba father from deep within and your flesh tries to raise up that old dead you so you can be in control, putting your fig leaves back on... Hiding that which is not a part of you any longer anyway. the enemy is tricky, he is subtle and clever but he is defeated. Shame is not of Father. Love and acceptance is. Receive it from Him he has more than enough to give. Do not be deceived. Be-loved. Love drives out all fear (and shame I would guess since that's pretty much fear of being exposed).

Let Him love you intensely in this moment.