Thanks

I am thankful for:

1. The pure unapologetic enjoyment of Jesus.
2. My amazing family.
3. My amazing e3 family.
4. Guitars
5. My friends.
6. My new friend.
7. The list goes on........

It's the season of thankfulness. It's a pretty awesome season. I am reminded of how much I'm blessed by those around me.

Keepin it simple today.

Thanks.

Simplicity

It's the simple things in life that make life that much more enjoyable.

A warm bowl of soup on a cold day
A hot cup of tea
A simple poem
A simple sigh
An empty park bench under the shade
The presence of a loved one
Your pastor saying I'm so blessed by you
Simply letting go
The list goes on...

Why make something simple complicated? I've struggled with simplicity cause I guess I like to make things complicated. Jesus makes my life simpler. Yes I do run into complications all throughout my life, but simply trusting in Him, life becomes more enjoyable as I wait upon His blessings.

Sometimes the most simplest of things are the most complicated. It's easier to do things our way rather than trusting Him, but immediately when He takes over, the ride smoothes out.

We need to let go.
Let Him take over.

I wish to simply be and receive.
As I receive His perfect love.
May I return with joyful gratification.

He is the vine.
I am a simple branch.
Apart from Him I can do nothing.
Literally.

I wish to live simply.

Beauty

I can't describe it
The beauty of it all consumes my heart
It's striking how You would lose it all
To have me
You have this heart
It's forever Yours

Your affections
Your infatuation
Completely arouse my senses
Knowing
I'm fully loved
I'm fully enjoyed
I'm changed

Dead

Faith without deeds is dead right? It's written in the bible.
I think what's even more scary for me is works without faith.

Pastors stress faith without deeds is dead but never read Romans 14:23.

Romans 14:23

²³But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

The main point of this Pastor's sermon was to "fight sin". How do you fight sin? He said "I'm not telling you guys not to sin." but he contradicted himself by telling us to "fight sin" without actually telling us how. Initially, when any person hear's the saying "fight sin" their psyche immediately tells them to stay away from it. It's bad.

How is it to possible to stay away from sin or even, not sin? It's impossible. I've tried and failed miserably. It's like a constant battle with yourself. You beat yourself and no one wins. It's always a loss. How is it possible to live a victorious, joyful life if the battle is always against yourself? 

Like I said. No one wins a battle with themselves.

Sin is the problem. There has to be a solution. 

His name is Jesus. 

His death and resurrection paid for every single sin, past, present and future. 

Because of Love we have now been declared righteous by what we believe. 

Hebrews 10:17

¹⁷Then he adds:
   "Their sins and lawless acts
     I will remember no more."

Understanding who God is and His character develops a deeper love for God. We continue to receive His love and we end up loving Him back. We fight sin by keeping our eyes on Jesus. He is the solution.

Think of a relationship with your significant other. Let's say your girlfriend hates something that you do. Would you the guy, keep doing it? I hope to my guy readers it's a no. I love my girlfriend enough that if she didn't like something I did, no matter how small or stupid it is, I would fulfill her request. 

Because Jesus Loves me so much, I hate the one thing that keeps me away from Him. I desire to be with Him, that despite my short-comings, I know that I've been forgiven completely. When I fall, I look to Him. And He says, Andrew, I love you. 

Don't focus on the problem.

Focus on the solution.

Jesus.

Infatuation

How can someone be upset at the same time be completely infatuated with someone?
I was reading Hosea, and one chapter talks about punishment for the Israelites and the next is all of the sudden about God's love for them.


Hosea 11

God's Love for Israel

 ¹ "When Israel was a child, I loved him,
       and out of Egypt I called my son. ² But the more I ^[a] called Israel,
       the further they went from me. ^[b]
       They sacrificed to the Baals
       and they burned incense to images.
 ³ It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
       taking them by the arms;
       but they did not realize
       it was I who healed them.
 ⁴ I led them with cords of human kindness,
       with ties of love;
       I lifted the yoke from their neck
       and bent down to feed them.
 ⁵ "Will they not return to Egypt
       and will not Assyria rule over them
       because they refuse to repent?
 ⁶ Swords will flash in their cities,
       will destroy the bars of their gates
       and put an end to their plans.
 ⁷ My people are determined to turn from me.
       Even if they call to the Most High,
       he will by no means exalt them.
 ⁸ "How can I give you up, Ephraim?
       How can I hand you over, Israel?
       How can I treat you like Admah?
       How can I make you like Zeboiim?
       My heart is changed within me;
       all my compassion is aroused.
 ⁹ I will not carry out my fierce anger,
       nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.
       For I am God, and not man—
       the Holy One among you.
       I will not come in wrath. ^[c]
 10 They will follow the LORD;
       he will roar like a lion.
       When he roars,
       his children will come trembling from the west.
 ¹¹ They will come trembling
       like birds from Egypt,
       like doves from Assyria.
       I will settle them in their homes,"
       declares the LORD.

If you look at verse 8 the tone of God's voice is literally an obsessive one. He's so infatuated and obsessed with His people that despite their disobedience His response is not wrath, but Love. 

He Wants Us.

Believe.

Drive

Love.

An intense feeling of deep affection.

A law of nature. 

An entity that is essential for a spiritual response.

Either you love something or something or someone loves you.

It's absolutely insane how this one entity called love is the driving force that literally is the reason why this world spins. 

God could've completely destroyed us. But what? He destroys something most precious to Him because He loves us. He wanted us so bad that the only way to have us was to lose His Jesus. 

Love drives everything.

His love is the fuel that allows me to run. I need to fill up everyday cause this kid is a complete gas guzzler. When I refuse to fill up I won't go. There is no energy for me to move. Any place that I need to get to, it takes triple the effort to get to my destination. I have to watch my gas meter every second, go extremely slow so that I wont run out of gas. If I had filled up I wouldn't have to worry.

Every time I receive His love, I can't stop. It's amazing the sites I see, the people I meet. He completely fills my life with joy.

I am completely satisfied.

I am filled.

He overflows my heart.

Be Loved.

Breakfast In Bed

I thought of something absolutely profound today. Doing good works in the Christian sense is like a 7 year old child wanting to make breakfast in bed for his or her mom's birthday. It's the kid's mom's birthday today. Let's say he has been receiving his mom's love since he was born and he continues to receive. Because of all the love and affections that he receives, he finally want's to do something nice for his mom. He decides to make her breakfast in bed. (I thought of this cause it's what I did when I was 7 for my mom's birthday) It's not out of obligation but pure enjoyment of who his mother is. He has received so much from his mom that he wants to give some back.

I really think at times, we don't give God enough credit. If we really thought about it, He does not need us. He created this universe perfectly, and beautifully all by Himself. We think that we have some sort of obligation to do things. It's not an obligation but a privilege and absolute joy. Imagine God wanting to show you a glimpse of His glory through You. You receive so much from Him that the gratitude that's been built up in your life, you finally want to release it. Through that release, in reality it's God bringing glory to Himself, but He shows it to us. He shows us how glorious He is. It's such an amazing blessing to serve others, or to give him praise. It's all from gratitude. Not obligation. Obligation leads to pride, which God sees as dirty, bloody tampons.

It's easier to do things for God rather than to trust Him.

Trust Him.

Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

As we learn to trust Him, He will leads us into every good work. He has prepared all of it. 

Trust.

Also...

I was talking to a friend. She's so adorable, but what she said completely warmed my soul.

Here's the conversation in a nutshell-

Andrew: Rebecca, isn't it so amazing that we are God's children?

Rebecca: I know I'm His Princess.

We are his #1 sons and princesses of daughters. 

He loves us. 

We are His.

We are His children.

Believe.