Saturday, April 9, 2011

An Exploration of Love Pt. 1


Now-days it is an unsaid, unspoken, unheard of subject; yet we feel it so much running through our veins- it makes us want to yell from the tops of mountains, echoing for all the world to hear. It shines through our windows, reflecting a greater light than we ever imagined. It jumps over walls, opens every lock, crumbles everything in sight, shatters our atmosphere, brilliantly sounding out through both the night and day...

But we hear it everyday.. misused, mistreated, abused, forsaken, broken, let down

What is this subject I speak of?

LOVE

There I said it.

I often think about this term, and the many implications behind it. It as almost too commonplace, we use the word too loosely. We hear, "I love you" left and right, through the media, music, friends, whatever it is...we hear the word way too much. This is a word I wonder and wonder and wonder about, what does it mean?

You see, I am obsessed with the concept of love. Not a day goes by when I'm not thinking about it. I question who I am going to marry, what will she look like, what will our love be like; better yet, will I ever fall in love? Many days have gone where I have pondered these very questions. But it was until I took a step back and wondered a different question that my other questions made more sense to me.

Where does love come from?

I truly believe with all my heart loves comes from God. Why, you ask, does love come from Him? This love comes from one central fact:

GOD IS LOVE
The truth comes through 1st John 4:7-11 which says:

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Christ calls us his beloved... We are loved by Him!!! We are constantly being loved by someone!!!!

But before we love a human the way the Creator of love desires us to, we must learn how to love the way that Christ's loves us. What does that entail? A relationship with Him!

For Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

These thoughts struck me, I realized I had been looking for love all in the wrong places. Often I get trapped into thinking, "this relationship is what I need, I need a girlfriend," or if "I just could get this one girl to like me everything would change."

But in reality, all I need is Christ, for His love is constant, and never goes away: all I need to do is let Him pick me up in His arms and say, "You are mine child, I love you for who you are"

"He must become greater, I must become less," -John 3:30
Matt Galvin

Friday, January 21, 2011

Encouragement In Troubled Times


Friends,

Today just seemed like no other, the sun was out, the air was crisp- it was perfect. Even as I gaze out of my window, the sunlight streams in, reminding me of how awesome our Creator is. It also makes me think of Daniel, he always sat by his window and prayed towards the east, I wonder, did he see this same amazing sunlight streaming through his bedroom?

Due to recent happenings, I have had a great opportunity to reflect on our blessings and truly how precious life is. It's not until we are tested and thrown upon the high storms of our life that we look up to the sky and search for answers and seek out His truth. These trials test ones foundation, for it is only through faith in the Lord we can endure these trials.

Matthew 7:24-27 says,
"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded upon the rock."

As the Lord gives and takes away as Matt Redman sings, I hope that we can use the life of Alan Cole to inspire us to remember that our life here on earth is not temporary, for our time here is short lived compared to the vast time spent in our true home: heaven.

Psalm 39:4-5 "O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!

Lastly, I loved how Wes read Isaiah 41:10. This was the first verse I memorized as a kid and has constantly been a reminder to me in my messed up, screwed up life that He is there. "Do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Kingdom Living,
Matt