Debit - Love

I see the buzz around Amanda Knox... the injustice and you can't help but feel for her.  And yet my thoughts are turned to the reality of Jesus accused wrongfully of no crime and yet not released but rather brutally, brutally killed.  The Spirit of Injustice arises for me and yet deep sadness that MY LORD... would undergo such wrongful injustice for you and me.  That we would enjoy freedom.  Humbled... motivated to give my life more to selflessness as HE did.

There's a shift going on right now in our culture.  All the DVD stores around us have closed for instance.  These little shifts that seem insignificant are actually bigger than we think.  As I ponder this and prepare to be obedient to the call that God has given both Roger and I at this time to REACH our city how does this shift impact even what the lost and outsiders think of church?  In an hour Roger and I will talk to this to key leaders God has brought together. 

The word is God's WORD and that will never change, and the church is His Beloved Bride and that too will never change.  But when I look at our society that we live in I see a few key components that have shifted.  "The love of many will grow cold... " Jesus says.  Where is love I wonder?  The selfless true love that Jesus talks about?  The one that is given to serving others?  Where is the unity that involves community in a society based on "Independent Living"?  Virtual relationships from facebook, to "e" and "i" everything... are the norm for this generation growing up.  We can't make them wrong for it, but we need to rise up even stronger as a UNIFIED family of God to demonstrate what Jesus prayed for us before His death.  " My prayer is that they may be brought to complete unity that the world may know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me".   Jesus prayed that in John 17 to His Father.  You see unity and love only comes from the power of God's Spirit.  When people especially those around us, can witness a love amongst us and given towards them, that says we would lay down our lives for one another and we want to give to you over ourselves it makes people today stand dumbfounded.  "Why??"  They wonder. 

John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you so you MUST love one another.  By this ALL people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."  Jesus gives us this command. 

How are we doing with it?  I'm failing miserably... but I want to own it.  Right now.  And hence I want to devote myself with a core of other believers to immerse ourselves in the study of Acts, in community one with another that His Holy Spirit would begin to unite us in a powerful way.  That's my heart.  Will I make mistakes.. you bet... but I want to lose life oh that I would found before the throne of God in the days to come as being a faithful follower to Jesus.

Yes the one that stands accused unjustly of no crime; not enduring four years of prison to be released but rather being condemned to die brutally.  wow... When I imagine His eyes looking at me hanging on the cross...bleeding and whipped, marred beyond human recognition, I can picture Him saying with His eyes"I Love you Carrie."  uggghhh... tears well up even now.  I owe you my life JESUS... I believe, now please I beg of you, help me by the power of your spirit to indeed impact this city by simply revealing you to them.  You... the very essence of love.

Indebted Forever,

Your Carrie