For, contrary to popular hymnology, love is not the only grace which "abides."
The truth is rather that "these three remain, faith, hope and love" (1 Cor 13:13).

I read the above statement today and it rocked my world.

That even in the life to come these 3 things will remain.  I mean it makes sense but think about it.
If hope remains by definition it must have a future expectation and object of anticipation to be hope.

Meaning God is eternal and even in eternity we will be forever finding out new and amazing things about him.

We will never reach the end of Him, our revelation will go on and on and on...

This being so how much more should we be in total awe and revelation of how great our God is in our temporal state.

If heaven and eternity hangs on love how much more does our temporal world our finite earth our defined life hang on love...how much do we need his love now!

It all hangs on this...right now and forever

+jk

It is natural for us to define.
We long to define so we have control.
But we lost control way back in the cool of the garden.
We lost control when we wanted control.
Now we must let go again.
Now we must not hold on.

Love was never meant to be defined.
It is undefinable.
It is beyond comprehension.
It is above intellect.
If we could define it we could be...well you know...God

God is love

Don't define it...live it.

ALL WE HAVE IS THE GOSPEL...IT ALL HANGS ON THIS||||||||
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Mark 8:35
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
Romans 1:2
the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
Romans 1:9
God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you
Romans 1:15
That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.
Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Romans 1:17
For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Romans 15:20
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.
Romans 16:25
Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
1 Corinthians 9:14
In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:16
Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
1 Corinthians 15:2
By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Galatians 1:11
[ Paul Called by God ] I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.
Ephesians 1:13
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:7
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
Ephesians 6:15
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Ephesians 6:19
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
Philippians 1:27
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Colossians 1:5
the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
1 Thessalonians 1:5
because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
1 Thessalonians 2:8
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
Hebrews 4:2
For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
Hebrews 4:6
It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.
Revelation 14:6
[ The Three Angels ] Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.

2 Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. 16 So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer.

|||||||||||||||||||||

I judge because I judge myself. I am judged because I judge.

I used to look with human eyes.  BUT something is changing in me.

Now I am controlled by something greater.
A love that is all controlling because it is all freeing.
A love that is all consuming because it is all releasing.
Jesus is altogether lovely.

All of him died for all of us...so we should no longer live the same way.

We used to feel judged.
We used to judge.
We used to look at the outward.

What if FROM NOW ON...

we loved
we loved
we loved

Because...

We are loved
We are loved
We are loved

From now on.

+jk

^{Matthew 22:34}Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

 ³⁶"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" ³⁷Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'^{[b] 38}This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'^{[c] 40}All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

||||||||||||||I sometimes wonder why I always complicate things.  My world and my emotions seem to be in a vicious cycle of confusion to clarity back to confusion.  I would like to say that as I write this first blog that I have figured everything out and that my life makes sense however this is not the case.  I am in a perpetual tension of faith and doubt, life and death, flesh and spirit, joy and sorrow, laughter and crying and a whole lot of other opposites.

This is the reality of my life, not sure if you can relate...

I tend to hang my future, my thoughts, my emotions and choices on things that cannot handle the weight of them and ultimately let me down everytime.

We all would like a more simple life, one filled with peace...I mean real peace not just the notion of it.

Jesus silenced the self righteous.

Then he silenced my fears.

Joshua....just do two simple things, love me and love people.  All the rest of that other stuff hangs on this.

Easy.

Revolutionary.

Life altering.

Now take a deep breath and live it.

No ifs ands or buts.

It is that simple.

As I was about to speak in Singapore this weekend I felt a voice in my heart say clear as day...

"Trust me Joshua"

It was the most simple and clear thing I have heard in a long time.

This is God.

Simple, clear, love, truth, joy, peace...

So let us not hang our thoughts, lives, decisions on anything else.

Ask yourself does this choice love God and love people?

Does this thought love God and love others as I love myself?

IT ALL HANGS ON THIS....LOVE

+jk