I wrote this as we were having a group meeting and everyone began sharing how God was moving or how they wished God was moving, and it was very encouraging. I was sick towards the beginning of the conversation, so much so that I could not get out of the bed (the night before I was sick and throwing up) but by the end of the conversation I realized I was so excited about God that I had got up moved across the room and was sitting with everyone and I was writing this weeping the whole time. I am so moved at how much God loves us, I hope that you see how much God loves you and you can come to know this love too.
It’s so simple, yet we make it so complicated nor do we get it. I hear so often preached “God Loves You” and I hear the first two words of that phrase, then take the last word “you” as a plural you for all Christians. I think well duh God loves us, but what I always miss from that message is God yelling directly at me, “JOHN I LOVE YOU” I love you, I love you, I love you!!!
It’s so simple God is love, and the highest calling God can put on anyone’s life is to know this love he has for us. We need to grasp that, we need to understand. From the very beginning God loved us; he created us simply to be with him.
The apostle John was so clear about love. We all know it… John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Also in 1 John says over and over LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, God is love, love one another. John was the youngest of the disciples and he understood the most important thing, that Jesus IS love it forever changed his life because he GOT IT!!!
I can speak for myself and probably many others. So many times I am moved by the junk that goes on in this world, and I begin to pray for those things. I do so in all the wrong motives though I desire people who are broken-hearted, sick, and crippled to be healed, but instead because I want something cool to happen. Someone read a passage to me from Utmost for his highest that reminded me of just that.
(December 6 entry ‘the bow in the cloud’)
“It is the will of God that human beings should get into moral relationship with Him, and His covenants are for this purpose. Why does not God save me? He saved me, but I have not entered into relationship with Him. Why does not God do this and that? He has done it, the point is – Will I step into covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God is incarnate unbelief, it means that I have no faith in Him; I wait for Him to do something in me that I may trust in that. God will not do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man has to go out of himself in his covenant with God as god goes out of Himself in His covenant with man. It is a question of faith in God-the rarest thing; we have faith only in our feelings. I do not believe God unless He will give me something in my hand whereby I may know I have it, then I say-‘ now I believe.’ There is no faith there.” (‘Utmost for his highest’ by Oswald Chambers)
So many times I desire to stand on these signs that God gives me. But Jesus says in Luke 11:29, this generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given but the sign of Jonah. We have complicated things so much, all we need is love. Paul says the fruit of the spirit is love. We spend too much time waiting on a sign when God has already given it to us. HE SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR US SO THAT WE COULD BE WITH HIM, BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU!!!!
Because God is love.
Hi John o. Nothing showed upbut a title
Hey John! I just wanted to let you know I subscribe to your blog in my Google Reader! I’m gonna try to comment more. Your mom’s right- nothing showed up on this one except a really great title!
John, Laure is right on, GREAT TITLE, can hardly wait to read the content.
Know that we think of you often, pray for you and all there with you, that blesses you in all your efforts that are in accord with His wil.
Poppa & Mema H.
To ALL, I spoke with John on Saturday for about 40 minutes! Then his sister, Lauren & I spoke to him a few minutes today.
He said he spent over 1 1/2 hrs working on his Blog, I’m guessing a lot if that time was dealing with Internet. He said when he hit post, it deleted ALL content! I know that it was disheartening. He will have to wait until his next opportunity to redo.
When we spoke with him today he said he was in “The Bush” and was about to preach in a couple minutes!! Can anybody even believe what God has done with him, he’s PREACHING and MINISTERING and in AFRICA of all places!! GOD IS AMAZING!! I am blown away at Johns transformation. God is RADICAL, isn’t He??
John sounds good. He sounds unbelieveabily Happy!!
FYI for anyone that is interested in reading all posts, he just got a new one but it’s listed under his “Training Camp” blog section. Honestly i am not exactly how this blog works!
Love to ALL and thank you for your support John!!
If you want to CALL JOHN he does have a phone and it is FREE for John if you call him. I have no idea what each of our individual charges will be per minute.
+256 784534536 His time is 9 hours ahead of ours in Texas.
CHRISTMAS SUPPORT…
MacKenzie, John’s little sister, wanted to make and send dolls to a few kids in Africa. Well due to shipping costs, length of time it takes to get there and apparently people have been having tremendous trouble with packages actually making it in one piece, it’s just not an option to send anything. There are also around 600 kids at the school John and his team are living near. All in all, the best thing to do is to send CASH.
John said it would be great if anyone does want to donate anything, then they can buy the kids cookies for their Christmas Celebration Party. We figured to get just ONE cookie per child, they would need around $100.
I know that doesn’t sound like much, but John said they would be thrilled to receive a cookie, or pretty much anything it sounds like.
I spoke with the Host’s wife who is in Georgia and she said the kids are in need of socks, soap, toothpaste and deodorant for the older kids. Sounds like something I put in MY Kids stockings at Christmas!! Just ask them!
I feel that by donating cookies for the kids, it’s like giving John a present. I know he would be thrilled to see smiles on all their faces!
If anyone would like to participate, please contact me via email or my cell. John does have access to his bank account and we can get it too him pretty easy that way.
Just thought I would put that out there.
Thanks
Julie
Mema and Poppa hartsell’s check in mail to Julie H. Parish for deposit in JP Parish’s Mission Account to be used as JPP sees fit in his efforts there locally..
John, I was so wrapped up in my little world that somehow I missed my notification on Tuesday that you had posted this blog! I didn’t see it till Thursday. I feel I missed a time to actually talk to YOU when I read your blogs, so I was a bit sad. I am just now taking the time to really read it.
I may have already said this in another one of your blogs, I know I’ve told Landon…Your words that keep ringing in my ears when I think of you is when you stood up at church and were passionately saying “God loves you. God is saying I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU” I just hear your voice and those words ringing out and I cry!
I cry that you have gotten that for yourself and how wonderful that is. I cry because I am slowly getting that into my head at a much deeper level. I cry because I know there are others who must be getting it, probably for the first time, and how BEAUTIFUL that is!!
I love you and there is so mucy more I want to write. I’ll go to your NEXT blog and write some more, in case you wanted to know where my little head is going next!
I love you
Mom
preach it brother!
all i can think is, you get it. you really do and not just the compassionate love or the adoring love or a gentle love but also love that hurts, love that doesn’t care about what others think or say when it comes to pursuing each other in love. You are not afraid to love. You get that love challenges and often moves with rage wielding a sword of justice. You get it in a way some just don’t. all i can say is preach it.