What Is Love?

The following article is Lesson 3 from my book, Superhero University: The Ultimate Superhero Training Manual:

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Superheroes, having the correct understanding of what is good and right, are full of love, and they are compelled to act out from love. This is the only reason we can distinguish the hero from the villain. Spider-Man doesn’t save a falling person from splatting on the ground because he hates the person he saves, right? The superhero saves someone from danger/death because he/she has love for the person he/she is saving. In stark contrast, the villain performs acts of evil, not love. Again, evil is merely a privation of what is good; hatred is a privation or lack of love. It is written in James 2:8 that we are doing right by living a life of love toward others. But what is love? 

Love is not something we can have or hold like materialists would like us to believe. Not everything in life can be boiled down to materialism. Think about it: Can you describe the physical features of love or even the thought about love? How much does love weigh? Of what is the love molecule comprised? There is no infinity stone of love we can possess that can be contained in a gauntlet. In fact, of all the infinity stones Thanos (from the Avengers) had been able to collect that provided him with seemingly unlimited power and ability, it is evident that he lacked love, and that is why he had no qualms about murdering half of the created creatures in the universe—including his own daughter! In fact, Thanos had to sacrifice love in order to be able to obtain one of the infinity stones. Ultimately, Thanos traded love for power because he could not possess both. 

But what is love? And why do humans possess the capability to love? If love is not a material that can be weighed, or measured, how are humans able to possess love? How do we even know that love exists? Does love exist? We know that love exists—not because humans have defined the term—but because the Creator provided the definition of love and humans live by that defined divine design. 

Think about this: Oxygen—the air we breathe—exists whether humanity believes in it or not. In fact, oxygen exists even if humans call it something else. Humanity never created or invented oxygen; we merely discovered it. Likewise, love exists whether humanity believes love exists or not. Love exists even if humans call it something else. In fact, the definition of love is so confused by many humans because they believe it to be something it is not. Many people misuse the word love when they are actually referring to something else that love is not. And this is why it is important that the word love be clearly defined. 

(1 John 4:7–8, NLT)
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

(1 John 4:19, ESV)
“We love because he first loved us.”

Scripture makes sense. If GOD is love, then we would love because GOD first loved us because GOD created us. We are able to love because GOD is love and we are from GOD. If love is GOD, then we must know who GOD is so we can better understand what love is. So who is GOD? We will examine that in detail in Lesson 32, but for now suffice it to say that GOD is love and the absolute moral standard and therefore provides the definition of love (which we will soon examine and define). But we can also better understand love by examining what love is not. 

Love Is Not An Emotion 

Many people in the world claim that love is an emotion, but that simply isn’t true. Love affects our emotions and even causes us to produce emotions within us, but love is not an emotion in and of itself. You may claim that you can feel as if someone loves you, but love is not a feeling. 

Love Is Not Sexual Intercourse 

It is unwise to confuse sex for love and love for sex. Sex needs love to be relevant and meaningful; however, love does not need sex to be relevant and meaningful. A person can have sex with another person simply for the pleasure all while possessing no love for that individual. Examples of this, of course, is prostitution or rape. Such acts of sexual intercourse are meaningless because there is no love in the act of sex. That kind of sex serves a selfish purpose, but has no ultimate meaning. And of course, sex isn’t necessary for love to exist, to be relevant and be meaningful (I will expound upon this later when I define love). Now sex may be found in one of the definitions of love (Eros—I’ll get to this soon), but Eros is within the definition of love; love is ultimately selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. A distorted desire is often misconstrued, mistaken as love. It is unwise to confuse lust for love. 

Even if love is not an emotion, a feeling, or even the act of sexual intercourse, does it matter if love can be clearly defined? If so, why does it matter? Consider what is written: 

(1 Corin. 13:1–3, NLT)
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

The definition of love matters because GOD is love and GOD created us in His image (Gen. 1:27). For without GOD, love would not matter because life would ultimately be meaningless and purposeless. And if we are to be loving beings, it is important that we understand the definition of love. 

What Is Love? 

(1 Corin. 13:4–8, NLT)
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”

Love Is an Action 

Though it is not specifically and solely the act of sexual intercourse, love is definitely an action; it is something we do. Read verses 4–7 again and take notice of the fourteen different active descriptions the Holy Spirit (via Paul) uses to define love (patience, kindness, etc.). It’s important to note that this is not Paul’s definition of love, but the definition of love written by Paul while he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

Love Is a Choice 

The fourteen active descriptions are actions that we choose to do or not to do. There’s a nonsensical saying that states, “You can’t help who you love.” But yes—you can! We get to decide if we love and who we will love if we decide to love. And this is because we have free will (discussed in Lesson 41). 

Also, there’s a saying that states, “I fell in love.” It sounds so romantic, but this is also nonsense. Love is not a hole or trapdoor we can fall in. You don’t fall in love any more than you fall out of love. Love is a choice. You choose to love. You choose not to love. People do not fall in love; people decide to love. People do, however, fall into the trapdoor of lust. When people talk about love at first sight, what they really mean is lust at first sight. Now is it possible to possess love for someone at first sight? General love? Yes. Complete love? No. Love in the sense that you want the best for someone? Yes. Love in the sense that you desire the best for someone despite all his/her flaws and mistakes? No. It’s not possible to love someone so deeply at first sight because you wouldn’t know the flaws and mistakes associated with the person. And how is it possible to truly love someone unless you love despite the flaws and mistakes? 

Love, in a nutshell, is the good you will show toward someone and/or others. It’s treating someone else with the qualities described in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. Take the Supreme Superhero (Jesus) as an example (after all, the Savior is the definition of love and the ultimate example of love): 

(John 15:12–13, NLT)
“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

However, the Supreme Superhero goes even further by commanding us to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43–48). And then the Savior did exactly that—Jesus went out and laid down His life for us by dying on the cross as our atoning sacrifice while being mocked, spat on, beaten, lacerated, and murdered by those who hated Him for no good reason. Love is caring more for others than for self because love is selfless. Love is sacrificial. Love is unconditional. 

Love Defined 

Unlike the English language, which uses the one word of love ambiguously, the ancient Greek language used different words to define the one word of love so that people wouldn’t be confused as to which definition of love should be inferred. Examine the four following words and their associated definitions: 

• Storge/stergo—This is a familial love such as the love of a parent toward offspring and vice versa. Devotion can be a key word associated with this type of love.

• Phileo—This love is companionable and relational. It means brotherly/sisterly love or friendship. It carries the idea of two or more people who feel compatible with each other.

• Eros—This is the word for sexual or romantic love. In fact, this is where we get the word erotic. This word implies a sexual demand. And because it is unwise to confuse lust for love, it is imperative that we not confuse lust for Eros. The passion and intimacy of Eros is to be confined within the covenant bond between husband and wife, as was designed by the Designer. Lust is only about the pelvic thrust, to seek pleasure and fulfill a selfish desire. Lust is committed only to fulfilling a distorted desire whereas love (eros) is committed to fulfilling the needs of the partner within the covenant union. Therefore, be wise: pursue love and reject thoughts produced from the lustful lair of the Liar—they are lies created in the cave of the contemptible con artist and Counterfeiter, the Salesman that is Satan. Don’t buy the lies. Even a lustful look is adultery in the heart (Matt. 5:28). Money can’t buy you love. And no—that’s actually not from the Beatles—it’s from the Song of Solomon 8:7.

• Agape—This is the highest and deepest level of love. This is the ultimate love and is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. This is the love of GOD. This is the type of love all superheroes should possess. 

(1 Pet. 4:8, NLT)
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

Love covers a multitude of sins? Is that true? Yes! In fact, that is exactly what Jesus did for us:

(Rom. 5:6–8, NLT)
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

For love, compassion is the key and empathy is everything: 

(Luke 23:34, NLT)
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus is able to see us as His precious people, not a pervasive problem such as a plague. The Savior sees us as eternal beings, not mortal enemies. The Supreme Superhero sees us as family who belong in His heavenly home, not failures to be flung in the fiery furnace. Hell is where evil belongs and will ultimately be quarantined, but GOD doesn’t desire for us to go to that awful place. In fact, the Lord desires for everyone to be saved and doesn’t take any delight in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek. 18:21–23; 33:11; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). 

Jesus is our awesome, ardent advocate who absorbed for us the penalty of sin. Apostle Paul assists us by providing an important reminder that helps us put people into proper perspective: 

(Eph. 6:12, NLT)
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

It is of the utmost importance that all superheroes remember this: we are to hate evil/sin, but we are to love people. 

Conclusion 

1. Love never fails. 

(Song of Sol. 8:7, NLT)
“Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.”

2. Love perfects us. 

(1 John 4:12–18, NLT)
“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

3. Love is supreme. 

(1 Corin. 13:13, NLT)
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

Reflection 

If you want to be a superhero, you must possess love and choose to love others. A superhero can only be a superhero if the hero first and foremost possesses love for others. Do you possess love for others? If not, you resemble a villain. But wait—is that a fair statement? Consider the words of the Supreme Superhero:

(Matt. 12:30, ESV)
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

The late and great Martin Luther King Jr. once posed a powerful question to the clergymen of Alabama in his renowned letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He asked, “So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?” 

And that’s not a fallacy of false dilemma—if we’re not loving others, then…we’re not loving people. Therefore, I implore everyone to examine the motives and intentions of each and every choice/decision you make. Are you able to recognize good from bad? Right from wrong? Are you living a life of love or hate? For if you’re not living a life of love, what are you doing and what is your life? I choose to live an extreme life of love (not lust), and I urge you to do the same. Don’t scatter. Be a gatherer. Ironically, the best way to be a gatherer of people is to scatter seeds of love. How many seeds of love can you sow today? 

So ask yourself, do you love others? From where did you get this desire to love? Do you feel compelled to act out from love? If so, why do you think that is? All superheroes possess love for people. If you love people, then you possess one of the qualities of a superhero and you just might be one someday! 

The Single Life

Some Christians struggle with the single life; some Christians do not struggle and are content being single. I, Trenton, am currently single and I have been single pretty much my entire life. I am able to teach about the single life because I actually live it out.

First and foremost, if you’re single, you struggle with the temptation of lust, and you believe that being single is the worst scenario you could ever be in, then perhaps you need to take the advice from Paul:

(1Corinthians 7:9) -NASB
“But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

If you’re single, you burn with passion, and you can’t seem to control yourself or find contentment in being single, then perhaps you should go out of your way to actively seek your husband/wife. There are many dating sites/apps available. However, marriage is to be taken seriously because GOD hates divorce.

So, if you’re single, you burn with passion, you cannot control yourself, and you cannot find contentment in being single, then you should marry. However, if you marry, you must remain faithful to your husband/wife. But if you feel, like some disciples did, that because of the seriousness of marriage and the consequence of divorce, it would be better not to marry, you must also know that you do not have a free reign to have sexual intercourse with whomever you please. Not only is purity important for righteousness, but sexual immorality is a terrible sin. The truth is that sex matters.

(1Corinthians 6: 12-20) -NASB
“¹² All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³ Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. ¹⁴ Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. ¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ [Ephesians 5:22-32]? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! ¹⁶ Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. ¹⁸ Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

Sadly, many people who claim to be Christians hold the naturalistic view that sex is merely the fulfillment of a natural, primal desire that we have inherited from our evolutionary ancestors. According to this view, sex exists merely to pass on one’s genes to the next generation for the “survival of the species.” But if that were true, then rape would be a mere act of fulfilling a natural desire; further, rape would also need to be praised for ensuring the survival of the species. But we know that rape is wrong because morality is absolute and rape is absolutely wrong. According to GOD – the Creator of sex – there are three primary purposes for sex:

1. Procreation (Genesis 1:28)
2. Unity & faithfulness (Genesis 2:24)
3. Pleasure (Proverbs 5:18-19)

However, our sinful society is backwards and upside-down. People nowadays pursue pleasure, are faithless and disregard marriage, and desire to prevent procreation. 

Therefore, if you’re single and you struggle with being single, then make an effort to find your husband/wife and get married. However, do not get married if you’re going to desecrate marriage with divorce. But you’re also not to have sexual intercourse outside of marriage. This means you need to either control yourself and remain single or get married and remain faithful in that marriage.

Now, if you are single and you are content being single, the remainder of this message is to strengthen you and encourage you. We must realize and understand that people do possess an identity apart from marriage. This is not to say that marriage is not good—it is good so long as it is in alignment with the original design of marriage (1 male + 1 female = 1 unity for 1 lifetime). And this brings us to the number one. Understand this: one is a whole number, not a half of a number. In fact, singleness can be a gift. The fact that such notable and influential leaders as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist, Paul, and Jesus were all single speaks highly of the single status, and that singleness should be seen as a viable, credible option in society — especially in Christianity!

Singleness is a gift to use for the Kingdom of GOD, not a curse that prevents us from becoming complete. We are complete in Christ alone (Colossians 2:10). So, if you are currently single, find joy in knowing that you are capable of achieving a lot for the Kingdom. But don’t take my word for it—read GOD’s Word on the matter (Matthew 19:12; 1Corinthians 7:7–8, 24, 32–35, 38; Philippians 4:11–13). In fact, we will all end up being single on the New Earth under the new heavens (Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:24–25; Luke 20:34–36). There is no marriage in Heaven; marriage is a gift for us on this earth for this specific time. However, two becoming one (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5) isn’t a prerequisite for salvation. In fact, the mystery of two becoming one is Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-32).

Conclusion:

If you’re single and content in being single, your attention is not divided — that’s a good thing! You are able to solely focus on the Kingdom of GOD (Matthew 6:33). So, use your time well! Singleness is a gift to accomplish as much as possible for the Kingdom of GOD! The single life is not a wasted life! If it were, people such as Jeremiah and Paul wasted their lives. But we know they did not waste their lives; in fact, they stored up treasure for themselves in Heaven because they were willing to let go of the things of this world in order to pursue the Kingdom of Heaven. 

(Matthew 6:19-20) -NASB
“¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

(Mark 10:29-30) -NASB
“²⁹ Jesus said, ‘Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, ³⁰ but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.’ “

The single life is not a wasted life. Use your time wisely. What are you doing with what you’ve been given? 

Come And See…

If you prefer to read this message, I provided the words below:

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The purpose of this message is to reinforce the fact that relationship is the key to the “come and see” opportunity. 

“Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.’
‘Nazareth!’ exclaimed Nathanael. ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’
‘Come and see for yourself,’ Philip replied.”
(John 1:45-46) -NLT

Chronologically, before this moment of conversation between Philip and Nathanael ever happened, John the Baptist had baptized Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22), Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13), and John the Baptist had publicly proclaimed Jesus as the promised Messiah that they had all been waiting for (John 1:29-34). 

Obviously, Nathanael wasn’t there when John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as Messiah; otherwise, he would have known who Philip was talking about. In fact, not many people at this point really knew who Jesus was — they only knew Him as the carpenter’s son. This was at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus hadn’t even performed His first miracle yet. When Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, this was the beginning of Jesus’s ministry when He first started gathering His disciples. 

“The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, ‘Look! There is the Lamb of God!’
When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. ‘What do you want?’ he asked them.
They replied, ‘Rabbi’ (which means “Teacher”), ‘where are you staying?’
‘Come and see,’ he said.”
(John 1:35-39) -NLT

Do you notice something that both stories have in common? In both stories, a person said, “come and see” and then the person/people went and saw. But why? Why did they go and see? In both stories, an established relationship between those people in conversation was the key in convincing the other to go and see. Conversation was the key in convincing the other. That’s important so I’ll say it again, but I’ll say it a little differently: relationship is the key to “come and see.” 

Now, we know that Philip and Nathanael were friends because it is written that Philip went looking for Nathanael. You don’t just go looking for people you don’t know, right? (“Helllooooo? Person I don’t know? Where are yooouuuuuu?) Plus, if they weren’t already friends, Philip’s response probably wouldn’t have worked so well. (“Come and see for yourself!”; “I don’t know you, bro!”)

Without that pre-existing relationship, the connection wouldn’t have been possible. Because Philip had a relationship with Nathanael, Philip was able to lead Nathanael to Jesus. Because John the Baptist already had a relationship with his two disciples, he was able to lead them to Jesus. 

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus.”
(John 1:40) -NLT

In the very next verse we learn that one of those two disciples who left John the Baptist was Andrew — Simon Peter’s brother! (The second disciple was most likely John — not John the Baptist, but the author of the book!) 

“Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, ‘Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas’ (which means “Peter”).”
(John 1:41-42) -NLT

And in those two verses, it is written that Andrew — because of his relationship with Peter — was able to lead Peter to Jesus! 

This is worth repeating over and over again: Relationship is the key to “come and see.”

Application

As a Christian, the ultimate end goal is for us to lead people to Jesus. But how can you lead people to youth group or the main church service unless you have pre-existing relationships with those people? Would people “come and see” if you asked them to come and see? Do they know you well enough to do that? Have you established relationships with the people you would like to invite here? How many of you know that it’s awkward to invite people you don’t know to places they don’t know? (“I know you don’t know me, but you should totally come with me to this place you don’t know.”)

As a pastor, I’m not just concerned with quantity (the amount of people present). I do want a lot of people to come, but I want them here for the right reason. Think about it: when the two disciples left John the Baptist and followed Jesus, Jesus turned to them and asked them, “What do you want?” Wow. It simply wasn’t enough to follow Jesus. Why were they doing it? Jesus essentially responded, “Why are you following me? Do you know who I am and what I’m all about? If you plan on following me, I expect you to know who I am and what I’m all about. Because there’s no sense in you following me unless you’re going to have a desire to do what I’m all about.”

Do you know who Jesus is and what He is all about? Love. Relationships. Relationship is foundational! Without relationship, ministry doesn’t exist! People are more important than programs. Activities can be fun, but they’re meaningless if we’re just trying to force people into our programs. Relationship is the base (foundation) that holds everything else up. People are important and loving people is what I’m all about here. 

It is my personal goal that you know and understand that you belong. You’re not an outsider or an outcast. There should be no cliques. I understand that it’s human nature for us to connect better with some people than others. But no one should be excluded and made to feel as if they don’t belong. We are one family. Your joy will be my joy; your troubles will be my troubles; your heartache will be my heartache; if you have something to celebrate, I want to celebrate with you! You need to know that you are loved. A lot of people will say what I’m about to say, but not many people will live up to it: I will take a punch in the face for you, I’ll take a bullet for you, and I’ll even get fired from my job for you. I will put my reputation on the line for you. And it is my hope that you would be willing to do the same for everyone else. 

It has been said by many influential people that no one will ever care about what you know until they first know that you care. In my experience, this is true. And as we now know, this is also true from GOD’s Word. Genuine authentic relationships matter. Youth group and/or church service is a place where we can be real with each other. There’s a lot of talk about people having safe spaces. I want youth group and/or church service to be your safe place. I want you to be able to be open and honest and be able to share your struggles and know that you’re going to be loved and everyone is going to have your back. Because the truth is this: we all struggle with something. Even me. Especially me. 

Life’s hard. And if it’s easy for you now, just know that it will be harder later on. In life, we will feel pushed to our limits and it’s sometimes overwhelming and you’ll just want to take a nap, like this little girl (video below):

I know. Especially the teenage years. I’ve been there. I remember my teenage years as if they happened last week. To be honest with you, I kinda failed at life during my teenage years.  

Deep down we all just want to be loved, cared for, accepted, and not worry about having to impress people all the time. It can be exhausting. But I want you to know that you’re going to be loved and cared for here. And we don’t need to impress anyone. No on here is better than anyone else. We just need to be authentic and genuine. We can be raw, we can be real, but we need to be one. We’re a team. We’re a family. 

It all boils down to this: Do you love people? Do you care about people? Do you want what’s best for them? Do you want people to know Truth and to experience eternal joy? It all starts with relationship. And it’s quite possible that you’re in a position right now where you’re doing everything you can to just try to love yourself. I get it. I’m here for you. We are here for you. But it is my goal that we will also be there for everyone else beyond the church walls.

Relationship is the key to “come and see.”

Call To Action

There’s always a new challenge popping up on social media: In fact, I just made one on my TikTok account (@pointlessthorns): #laughwithoutsmiling ! But there’s also been other challenges created: duct tape, duck lips, setting yourself on fire, doing polar bear plunge into freezing water, or even using ice and salt to burn yourself. People are strange. I’m a weirdo, but I’m not that strange. I’m not setting myself on fire. But I want to give you a real challenge that will not only be challenging for you, but it will actually benefit your life and the lives of others if you do it: the “Come And See” challenge. 

The ultimate end goal is for you (as a Christian) to be able to invite people to come to youth group and/or church. But as I’ve already said, it’s kinda awkward to invite the people you don’t know to places they don’t know. But by simply introducing yourself to others, getting to know them, and doing intentional acts of kindness, you can build a bridge of trust that will help lead others to Jesus — to a life of love! Relationship is the key to “come and see.” Relationship is the bridge that leads to discipleship. I’ll teach on discipleship at a later time. But for now, just know that it means the process of trying to be like Jesus. Becoming like Jesus is a lifelong process of growth. We’re all growing — even me. I may be a little farther along in the growth process, but I’m still growing and I’m still learning. 

So here’s the challenge: I want you to choose three people who need love the most. Who are they? Think of them in your mind right now. You know who needs love the most. After you choose those three people, I want you to do intentional acts of kindness for those people for the next month. Give a compliment, ask how they’re doing (and actually listen to the answer), buy them a snack just because, or even clean up their trash for them. Something. Anything! But show them that they matter! Three people for one month with many intentional acts of kindness in order to love others. 

By the end of the month, you should have three new friends. It may sound terrifying — especially if you’re an introvert — but it’s easier than you might think. Here’s some encouragement for you: those who need love the most will typically respond well to acts of love they receive. Those who need love the most are typically those who have been hurt the most. They might be standoffish at first, but that’s just a protective shield they put up so they won’t get hurt again. It is your job to convince them to lower that shield. And you will be able to do that with intentional acts of kindness. Even an abused dog will eventually come and eat food out from your hand after it learns you love it. Intentional and consistent acts of kindness. One month. Three people.

Establishing and building relationships takes time. I understand that. The ultimate end goal is for us to have a solid relationship within the church and then for you to be able to have that relationship with others beyond the church walls, which will give you the opportunity to say to them, “Come and see for yourself.” If we can make our youth group and/or church environment the “come and see” place, then you’ll not only want to invite people, but it’ll also be easy for you to do that. 

I Want To Hear From YOU:

Suggestions? For church to become the “come and see” place, what would help create that environment? It’s not only awkward to invite people you don’t know to a place they don’t know, but I understand that you inviting people requires you to put your reputation on the line. So, if this place isn’t a place you would want to invite your friends to, I need to know why so we can try to fix that. What would make it the “come and see” place? Please understand that the goal isn’t to make church the most hip and trendy place. The goal is not popularity. The goal is to make church the most home-like environment so people feel welcomed and comfortable.

I actually want you to put thought into this answer. And also, because I care about you, I care about what you think and how you feel. Your thoughts matter to me; I value your opinions. I just want honesty. I’m looking for genuine and authentic answers. I’m looking for practical solutions to a potential problem. What can we do to make church the “come and see” place? Obviously, we first need to become the “come and see” type of person. And that means we need good relationships. Please repeat after me: Relationship is the key to “come and see.”

The Frog In Your Jar

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If you prefer to read this message, I have provided the words below:

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This is a message about forgiveness. And as stated in the hilarious 2005 movie, Just Friends, “forgiveness is more than saying sorry.”

But why is forgiveness more than saying sorry? Let’s investigate…

“The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine.”
(Proverbs 4:18) -MSG

The longer we live, the more we experience and the longer we practice living; therefore, the longer we live, the better at life we should be. GOD provides new and different ways for us to collect wisdom as we travel through our journey in life. Here’s some wisdom I have for you: you poop. (I know — insightful, right?) And you poop because your body has a filtering system: your body keeps the nutrients from the food you consume and it discards the rest. Your body rejects and tosses out what you don’t need; therefore, you poop. Just as our bodies have a filtering system for the food we eat, we are meant to live our lives with a filtering system for our minds that keeps the good and discards the bad. After many years of living and filtering, we will become as a safe with stored treasures within our minds. If we travel through life only keeping what is good and ridding of what is bad, we will be a collection of what is good at the end of our lives. Sadly, many people collect the bad and refuse to let go of it and end up as a jar full of poop.

Have you ever caught fireflies (lightning bugs) and put them in a jar? If you catch enough of them, that jar will turn into a lantern. We are like a jar that can either be filled with fireflies or poop. The jar is the Christian; the firefly is the good in life. The longer we live, the more fireflies (good) we collect and put in our jar, the brighter the light will shine! We then become a lantern of light that shines into the darkness of this world – we will then attract those who are lost in the darkness!  The more we filter and the more good we store within us, the brighter we will shine!

However, we must never put the frog (the bad) in the jar with our good (the fireflies) – the frog will devour the light-bearing fireflies! The negative thoughts you keep inside of you will destroy the good; the bad corrupts, contaminates, and eliminates the good you desire to keep. Peace will not be possible so long as the frog is in the jar with the fireflies.

We must filter and discard the bad! A refusal to forgive someone will rot you from the inside-out and rob you of your peace and  blessings. Do you have bitterness? Resentment? A desire for revenge? Anger? Those emotions are connected with a refusal to forgive. If you truly forgave someone, you wouldn’t harbor that bitterness or resentment within you. If you truly forgave someone, you wouldn’t possess a desire for revenge or wish for bad things to happen to that person. If you truly forgave someone, you wouldn’t celebrate due to that person’s downfall. If you truly forgave someone, your anger would have transformed into peace. If you truly forgave someone, your forgiveness would be revealed by your willingness to love that person. Is there anyone in your life whom you believe does not deserve forgiveness? You need to examine why you believe that person doesn’t deserve forgiveness.

Forgiveness. What’s it all about anyway? Well, forgive me, but it is my intention to take you out of your comfort zone…

Do you remember the rock star, Alice Cooper? The master of Shock Rock who was considered by many to be the ultimate showman? The Rolling Stone Album Guide once called Alice Cooper the world’s most “beloved heavy metal entertainer.” Well, the master of Shock Rock shocked many when he opened up in an interview in March of 2006:

“I used to celebrate moral decay, the decadence of it. I can look back on what I did then and what I’m doing now and they’re two different things. But at the time I was the poster boy for moral decay, you know. So yeah, I’ve got a lot to be forgiven for… Out of ignorance, I thought I was doing the right thing. I was totally in agreement that every guy should sleep with every girl and drink as much as they can. I don’t believe that now. I don’t believe in it, because I see how destructive it is.”
(Interview – KNAC.com)

Alice Cooper admitted that he needed to be forgiven. But who doesn’t need to be forgiven? Don’t we all need to be forgiven?

“There is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and never sins.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:20) -Voice
[see also: 1Kings 8: 46-50; Psalms 143:2; Proverbs 20:9; Romans 3:10]

What have you done and why do you need to be forgiven? I can think of many things I’ve done in my past that were evil. And by the way, if your actions aren’t done out of love, then they’re evil. Have you ever made a selfish decision? To be selfish is to be evil because GOD commanded us to be selfless and to love others. And to love others, we must place them above ourselves. Read the following Scriptures and ask yourself if you are in alignment with GOD’s Word: Matthew 16:24-26; 23:11-12; Mark 8:34-36; Luke 9:23-25; Romans 9:1-3; 1Corinthians 10:24; 2Corinthians 6:3; 12:15; 2Timothy 2:10.

Are you in alignment with what is written in GOD’s Word? How often do you place yourself before others and make decisions to serve yourself? The story in Matthew 18:21-35 should help us all to understand the importance of forgiveness:

“Then Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’
‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’
‘Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. [10,000 talents: a single talent was worth about 20 years worth of labor; about 2,000 lifespans.]
He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. But the man fell down before his master and begged him, “Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.”
Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. [100 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage. So, about 100 days of labor.]
He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. “Be patient with me, and I will pay it,” he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?”
Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.’ ”
(Matthew 18: 21-35) -NLT

When Jesus told us to forgive someone seventy times seven times, He did not instruct us to forgive someone 490 times but not on the 491st offense. If you were to count how many times you forgave someone — especially up to a number so high as 490 — one would almost certainly only be counting with intentions of being able to counter attack or walk away once incident #491 came about. Plus, why would we count how many times we have forgiven someone if we have truly forgiven that person? Would we allow that frog in our jar? Would we allow ourselves to be consumed with the details of our forgiveness and hang onto the heavy burden of weighty numbers?

The point Jesus was making is the same point He made when He instructed us to turn the other cheek, give someone our clothes, walk the second mile, give freely, and love our enemies (see Matthew 5:38-48). We are not to condemn someone for their sin(s) because we are not the Judge (see Luke 6:37-38). [Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t point out sin in someone’s life, it just means that we are not the ultimate Judge who should make the judgment as to whether someone is sentenced to Heaven or Hell.] The point of forgiving someone is to clean the slate, not to keep tallying up numbers on the slate. We are to go above and beyond in our love. Forgiveness isn’t a trade defined by special stipulations that would bring the act of forgiveness to be null and void if someone stumbled. Forgiveness is not quid pro quo; we do not forgive a person in order to receive what we perceive to be a right response that would please us. We are not to forgive someone in order to make that person act a certain way that pleases us.

Christ Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Jesus forgave us even though He knew of the evil we would commit. With all the wrong that we have done in our lives, we have built up a debt that we can never repay; however, Jesus forgave us and cleared our entire debt!

Forgiveness is only possible with love. Is there someone in your life you believe does not deserve forgiveness? …If someone came to mind when I asked you that question, you need to let go and finally forgive. It’s time. From a spiritual standpoint, you are withholding GOD’s blessings for yourself because of your inability to forgive someone whom Jesus has already died for and forgiven. It’s wasted energy. Even if the person you’re thinking of is completely evil in your sight — perhaps a murderer? — your unwillingness to forgive is only placing a frog in your jar, devouring your peace and light, and causing you more pain.

Ponder on the person you have trouble forgiving. Why does this person desire to hurt you? Or does this person desire to hurt you at all? Is it possible that he/she does not have intentions to harm you, but that you get hurt because of miscommunication? But if this person does have malicious intent towards you, perhaps that person sees in you what he/she wishes that person could be. Perhaps that person is so wrecked and pained within that he/she lashes out. Some people have never learned the proper way to express emotions in a healthy manner. Whatever the case, it is easy to forgive someone when you place yourself in his/her shoes and realize that he/she hurts others because that person is hurt and broken inside his/herself.

As a believer and a follower of Christ Jesus, I find it easier to forgive someone once I realize he/she is lost and needs to be saved. Compassion overwhelms me and I understand that he/she needs love. I used to be an atheist and full of anger, sadness, and confusion. I used to mock Christians. I can tell you from experience that I had lashed out at others because I was broken and hurt inside. But I got saved at the beginning of 2004. Because I used to be the person who was capable of [intentionally] hurting others, I can relate and understand. I now find it somewhat easy to place myself in others’ shoes. Because I once needed forgiveness (even more than I do now), I understand the need to forgive others. And I’m not saying that I never need forgiveness now that I’ve been saved and am a Christian. I still need to be forgiven by others. I still make mistakes and I still have potential to hurt others; however, if I do hurt others, it is never intentional. But I still have moments where I need to be forgiven — especially for my thoughts. And when I have those moments, I make sure that I confess, I repent, ask for forgiveness, and then make a conscious effort to once again live my life aligned with GOD’s will.

But what if the person you have trouble forgiving isn’t an unbeliever and lost but is a fellow Christian who proclaims to be righteous? It is not your duty to change a person. If you love the person and forgive that person, you have done your part.

The person who hurts you needs an example of Christ in his/her life. The people who hurt you need love. But you can only be that example to that person if you forgive him/her. Unfortunately, it’s rather difficult to express love to someone whom you harbor bitterness or resentment towards. Through Christ who strengthens you, you can forgive that person. You can release yourself from that prison. Pray to GOD and ask for strength to forgive. Pray to GOD and ask for patience. Pray to GOD and ask for endurance so that you may forgive for as long as it takes. Praise GOD! All things are possible through Him who strengthens us! Release that anger/resentment/bitterness and allow GOD’s blessings to flood your life. A refusal to forgive is like a dam that holds back water, but the water is our blessings. Don’t hold back the blessings of GOD any longer! It’s time for forgiveness.

“Forgive other people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive the sins of other people, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
(Matthew 6: 14-15) -NIRV

“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”
(Matthew 6: 14-15) -MSG

Do you have a frog in your jar? A frog in your jar will devour your light. Without the light, there is only darkness. With darkness comes pain, suffering, sadness, confusion, frustration, anxiety, stress, worry, doubt, fear, and hatred. And with all that, peace is simply not possible.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”
(1John 1:5-10) -NLT

Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and hoping someone else will die. Forgiveness is unlocking a door and expecting to allow someone in only to discover that you are letting yourself out. Forgiveness is freedom; forgiveness produces life; forgiveness provides peace.

Out of all your past sins, which ones has GOD forgiven? The answer: all your sins have been forgiven. Jesus paid the price for you when He allowed Himself to be crucified on your behalf. Christians are the most forgiven people in the world; therefore, Christians should be the most forgiving people in the world. As Christians, we should forgive others’ transgressions more readily than the world would avenge them.

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
(Colossians 3:13) -NLT

“Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us.”
(Matthew 6:12) -NCV

What would happen if GOD forgave you in exactly the same way you are forgiving others at this time?

Forgiveness is undeserved and cannot be earned. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is an act of the will. Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgiving is an active process; it involves a conscious choice and a deliberate course of action. Forgiveness is not excusing the sin, accepting sin, or condoning sin in any way. Forgiveness says, “We both know that what you did was wrong and without excuse; however, I’m choosing to forgive you as GOD forgave me.”

Forgiveness may be described as a decision to make four promises:

1. I will not dwell on this incident.
2. I will not bring up in this incident again and use it against you.
3. I will not talk to others about this incident.
4. I will not let this incident stand between us or hinder our personal relationship from growing healthier.

When forgiving someone, do not merely say, “I forgive you.” Go on to describe the four promises that are packed into those three special words.

Remember: Forgiveness does not automatically release a wrongdoer from all the consequences of sin. Even Newton’s Third Law declares that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Choices create consequences. The ramifications of sin sometimes goes beyond the targeted person and affects others around the targeted person. If the sin is severe enough, it may cause a reaction from those who enforce the law. An example of this was seen in 2015 when the relatives of the Charleston Church shooting victims told the shooter, Dylann Roof, that they had forgiven him. Though the relatives had forgiven Dylann, it didn’t release him of the consequence of his sin. However, like the those family members of the shooting victims, you must do your part. In fact, Jesus commanded us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36). To forgive someone means to release him/her from liability to suffer punishment or penalty within your own heart. To forgive someone, we choose to absorb as much cost as possible. Forgiveness provides opportunity for growth and refuses to allow evil to win.

To forgive, we must renounce sinful attitudes and unrealistic expectations. Either consciously or unconsciously, many of us withhold forgiveness because we believe the offender must earn or deserve our forgiveness or because we want to punish the offender or make him/her suffer. We may also withhold forgiveness because we want a guarantee that such an offense will never occur again. These attitudes and expectations are utterly inconsistent with the command to forgive as GOD forgave us. Just as GOD demands no guarantee from us regarding our future conduct, we have no right to make such a demand of others. We have no right to let our fears of the future delay the forgiveness of today.

Consider the fact that the apostle Paul had once been addressed by the name of Saul and he lived his life persecuting Christians (Acts 8:1-3). In fact, he had been present while Stephen had been stoned to death and he approved of the execution (Acts 7:58; 8:1). But even Paul was forgiven and provided a new life through Christ Jesus (Acts 9:1-22). And Paul acknowledged the fact that he might have been the least deserving (1Corinthians 15:8-10). Is there someone you believe doesn’t deserve forgiveness? The truth is that none of us deserved to be forgiven; however, Jesus was so loving that He forgave us and died for us even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

Assess your own contributions to the problem. Again, do your part. In some situations, your sins may have contributed to a conflict. Even if you did not start the dispute, your lack of understanding, careless words, impatience, or failure to respond in a loving manner may have aggravated the situation. We often take GOD’s forgiveness for granted while we stubbornly withhold our forgiveness from others. If you’re struggling with unforgiveness, take another look at the enormous debt for which GOD has forgiven you. Or do you not realize that your sins killed Christ?

Now, we are commanded to forgive, but how is one able to forgive? Put forgiveness into practice. Forgiveness requires reconciliation and replacement. Forgiveness is an event that knocks down a wall that stands between you and a person who has wronged you. Forgiveness is a process. After you demolish an obstruction, you usually have to clear away debris and do repair work. It takes time and requires effort. Reconciliation requires that you give a repentant person an opportunity to demonstrate repentance and regain your trust. Setbacks and disappointments are likely to occur, but mistakes are acceptable so long as continuous effort is put forth to rebuild. But keep in mind that if you are coasting, you’re probably going downhill. In other words, unless a deliberate effort is made to restore and strengthen a relationship, it will generally deteriorate.

We should pursue reconciliation on three different levels: our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. We need to replace negative thoughts and memories with positive ones. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, pray about the positives. Pray the positives for the person you need to forgive. And when you pray the positives, speak them out loud so you say it with your lips and hear the positive words come out.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
(Philippians 4:8-9) -NLT

And when talking to others about the person who offended you, make it a point to speak well of the person. As you verbally reaffirm your relationship and sincerely build up the other person, both of you should experience improved attitudes and feelings. And finally, put your actions where your words are. Loving actions can do much more than change your feelings; they can also communicate in unmistakable terms the reality of your forgiveness and your commitment to reconciliation. Be quick to demonstrate forgiveness with concrete actions.

“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ ”
(Luke 23:34) -ESV

Jesus prayed forgiveness for the very people who were murdering Him and ridiculing Him. Why? Because that’s love. Jesus said that those people didn’t know what they were doing. How is that possible? Obviously, they knew that they were crucifying Jesus. However, they believed they were accomplishing justice when they were actually acting out of sin and doing wrong. Is there anyone in your life who has ‘crucified’ you that you should be forgiving? What has GOD forgiven you for in the past? How serious are your opponent’s sins against you when compared with your sins against GOD? Read Matthew 18: 21-35 again. How does it apply to you?

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
(1Peter 4:8) -ESV

What does love look like? Love looks like a man wiping away your tears and forgiving you even after you left Him hanging on a cross for your sins.

There are two types of people I want to pray for and exhort to action:

1. Do you want to be forgiven? If you are full of guilt, regret, sorrow, or shame and want to be forgiven, I want to pray for you, pray with you, and commit myself to encourage you from now on. I also want to challenge you: If you desire forgiveness from someone, I urge you to meet with that individual in person (or via phone if over a great distance), confess your feelings and desire to be forgiven, and then ask the person to forgive you. And remember: your ultimate forgiveness isn’t based upon the person’s choice to forgive you — Christ has already forgiven the repentant person. Your duty is complete upon asking for forgiveness. The Holy Spirit will do the work of change in the other person.
2. Do you need to forgive someone? If you have a frog in your jar and you need the strength to open the lid and the courage to grab the frog and remove it from your jar, I want to pray for you, pray with you, and commit myself to walk this journey with you. I also want to challenge you: if you need to forgive someone, I urge you to meet up with that individual in person (or via phone if over a great distance) and confess the reasons why you desire to forgive that person. To do this, all you need to do is explain what happened and why you got hurt. The conversation is not to pile guilt on the other person, but to explain your pain. It’s as simple as that. And remember: the person you need to forgive does not need to accept your forgiveness for you to be able to release your frog. The person you need to forgive might not believe he/she needs to be forgiven and might reject your forgiveness. That’s not your problem. The Holy Spirit will deal with that person. You need only to release your frog. But keep in mind that forgiveness is only possible through love.

Please pray this prayer with sincerity: “Jesus, thank you for sacrificing Yourself on the cross and forgiving me. Your forgiveness covers all I have ever done and all I will ever do. You died for me; therefore, I will live for you and I will live for all others whom You died for as well. I repent of the evil ways that are not aligned with love and I commit myself to live a life of love from now on. For myself and others, I pray for the powerful miraculous healing of the heart as seen in Ezekiel 36:26-27. I forgive everyone who has ever hurt me and I give all of my bad burdens to You. For I know that if I hold a grudge, it will be I who will face The Judge. Thank you GOD for setting me free! I proclaim to live a life of love and righteousness from now on. Thank you, GOD, for all that You have done, all that You are now doing, and all that You are going to do. In the name of Jesus, by the power of GOD, I cast out any and all frogs of darkness that are currently in my lantern of light! I proclaim freedom from all bondage of past pain and declare a life of love, light, and peace! I will no longer allow negativity, pain, suffering, sadness, confusion, frustration, anxiety, stress, worry, doubt, fear, and hatred to control my thoughts and direct my actions! I will no longer allow the heavy burden of unforgiveness to weigh me down! I am free from the burden of unforgiveness! Amen.”

Call of Duty

Dear Christians, are you satisfied with being saved? Don’t be.

Calling all Christians! It’s time for ‘real talk.’ Can you handle real talk? In a mere moment I spent with GOD, I received conviction and then a calling. Listen!

Call of duty. We have been given an assignment by our Lord and Savior, Jesus, who was given all authority by the Father. Would you disregard a task that your boss gives you to do at your earthly job? No. Would a soldier disregard an order given to him by his commanding officer? No. And how much more important it is that we do not disregard the task that [our Savior] Jesus Christ has given us.

“Take the news of his glory to the lost, news of his wonders to one and all!”
(Psalm 96:3) -MSG

As a Christian, the Great Commission is our real job. Our purpose in life is not to argue with an unhappy and ungrateful customer in our secular standing; however, our purpose isn’t to give someone a Happy Meal either. Our purpose isn’t to make a promotion within the company. Our purpose isn’t to sell a higher priced vehicle in order to earn a bigger commission. No. Regardless of what our earthly job may be, our purpose is the Great Commission – given to us by Christ!

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ ”
(Matthew 28:18-20) -NLT

We all have jobs to do here on Earth, but that job is not your purpose! Our purpose is to find the lost and show them the way Home. And we can do this through simple actions of helping people where they are in need. It is as simple as this: we meet them where they are. We need to live out the teachings of Jesus and show our love and compassion through our actions. Our purpose is to reach out to those who are drowning in misery and pull them out of despair. Our purpose is to help people and make a real difference. Our purpose is love. Our purpose is sharing the Gospel.

“Pity can be nearsighted and condescending; shared suffering is life changing and dignifying.”
(Eugene H. Peterson)

On too many occasions, we [Christians] are pathetic because we are sympathetic when we should be empathetic and offering support. Too often we pity people when we should be pulling for people. We need to get our hands dirty! We need to be in the places we wouldn’t want ourselves to be and help the ones that most people are too afraid to be near (Mark 1:40-42). We need to allow ourselves to feel others’ pain and sadness in order to connect with people on a personal level (Matthew 9:36). Religious people will offer a prayer and walk away. We should desire relationships with people. It’s good to pray, but don’t ever walk away!

“Write this down for the next generation so people not yet born will praise GOD.”
(Psalms 102:18) -MSG

We humans – especially in America (and big cities such as New York and Hollywood in particular) – are so busy trying to leave our mark in the world that we forget that it is not our mark that needs to be left behind. We act like dogs urinating on fire hydrants, one right after the other constantly trying to be on top of someone else, proclaiming territory and status. We are not called to be the center of attention and it doesn’t matter if we get personal recognition for the good we do. The purpose of doing good is so that good will be done. There are more important matters to tend to than leaving our ‘mark.’ Even nazis left a mark and it was called the swastika. Even knife wounds leave a mark and it’s called a scar. We need to leave the mark of GOD everywhere we go and be a constant and consistent reminder to others that GOD is real and His love is available. This is the goal: whenever good is done in the world, people should be able to ask, “Who did this good thing?”
The answer should be, “A child of GOD, a person called a Christian.”

If these events happen often enough, those who don’t yet believe will be inclined to to inquire about GOD. When they seek, they will find (Matthew 7:7-8). But why would unbelievers seek GOD if the representatives of GOD look and act just like every other miserable person in this world? That is why it is imperative that we not be conformed to this world, but instead be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2).

So, what does the mark of GOD look like? Smiles, laughter, and even tears of joy and gratitude. We can’t see the mark of GOD because it is written on their hearts and happens within their spirit, but we can see the fruit that grows from the seeds we plant. Just as true prophets can be known by their fruit, so too can true Christians be known by their fruit (Matthew 7:20). The fruit is proof of the seed. We can witness restoration!

We need to be a blessing to others whether we get praised for our actions or not (Matthew 6:1-4). It’s not about us. It is estimated that only 33% of the entire world’s population claims to be a Christian. That means that about 2/3 of the world’s population is not saved. There is a very large number of unbelievers in the world today. The number is so large due to one of two reasons:

(1) Christians are too aggressive and/or hateful and are scaring unbelievers away with threats of fire and eternal damnation (without even having a personal relationship with the person they scared away!);

(2) Christians are being cowards and aren’t sharing the good news [with love] due to fear of rejection and retaliation. We can’t live in doubt or fear! Many of us are so concerned about offending people that we never take the initiative to love them. If you love someone, tell that person the truth in a loving way (Ephesians 4:15).

The key to sharing the gospel is in the act of building personal relationships and showing others the truth by what we do, not only by what we say. Actions truly do speak the loudest. And that is why the Word became flesh and lived amongst us (John 1:14)!

Somewhere down the line, people have misdirected their focus onto their own desires instead of placing their focus on Jesus and other people. We must live our lives not only to reach the lost in present time, but in order to speak to those in the future whom we will not be able to meet. Everything you do matters and everything you do has a reach that extends much farther than you realize.

I want to challenge you: Do your earthly job (if you’re unable to do ministry full-time), but fulfill your heavenly purpose. Love people. Help people. Find those who are broken, hurting and lost and try to bring them to The One who can save. Jesus is the only One who can lead people Home. We must remember that. People are not to ever follow Christians to Heaven; people can only follow Christians to Christ and then Jesus will lead the way into Heaven. We [Christians] do not save people; we merely bring people to The One who saves. We must stay humble if we are to help others.

Find a need and fill it; find a hurt and heal it. Today, do what you can to lead others to Christ. Try to share the good news to someone who needs good news. Take the news of GOD’s grace and glory to the lost. Take the news of GOD’s mercy to one and all. Perhaps you can even share your testimony. Do what you can to save this generation; in addition, do what you can to save those who have not yet been born.

“Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. ‘There is still one thing you haven’t done,’ he told him. ‘Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!’ This amazed them. But Jesus said again, ‘Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded. ‘Then who in the world can be saved?’ they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.’ Then Peter began to speak up. ‘We’ve given up everything to follow you,’ he said. ‘Yes,’ Jesus replied, ‘and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.’ ”
(Mark 10: 21-29) -NLT
[also, Matthew 19: 21-20; Luke 18: 22-29]

In that story, that rich man left the presence of Jesus and was upset because he had his focus on himself. He told Christ that he was a good person; however, when Jesus asked the man to give up his life in order to help others, the man rejected what Jesus had said. Isn’t it amazing how people will claim to be good people yet they will refuse to give up their lives in order to help others?

Forget about leaving your mark. The only marks we need to be concerned with are the ones that were left in Jesus Christ’s flesh after He was crucified. There’s a message to be shared and there are people that are in need of hearing this message. In fact, about 67% of the world’s population is in need of hearing the gospel and witnessing the power of Christ’s love. Therefore, go. Get out of your comfort zone. Do your duty and may GOD be with you to equip you, enable you, empower you, advance you, and enhance all that you will do while emboldening you to speak Truth out from love. Build relationships. Love others. Share the gospel. It is our call of duty.