God Is Not A White Man
Gungor is new to the music scene and recently released a video on YouTube portraying images related to their song “God is not a white man.” I love the song, and the video is lots of fun too. It’s kind of funny that in my head I always think of God as an old, white man.
When I went to YouTube to see the comments I was immediately struck by a comment left by neoctopusos.
“what a stupid video; totally irrealistic. If God loves terrorists, i wonder whether god loves also the terrorists victims.”
This is the great thing about our God. That He loves us in spite of us. In reality, we were or are all terrorists against God. God passionately pursues His lost kids regardless of who they are, or what they have done. God’s pursuit is not based upon our value or worth. We call this Grace. Instead it is the very fact that we are pursued by God that makes us valuable and worthy. God knows that when He catches us He will change us, but unless we are caught we are destined to be His enemy.
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WybvhRu9KU’]
The song is about the character of God, and not the wickedness of mankind. Therefore, we should not confuse God’s passionate pursuit of us, compelled by His love for us, with a tolerance of our wickedness. One of the outcomes of being captured by God and through the concentration of our affections toward Him is that we are made new. Therefore, how we might have identified ourselves today is destined to change tomorrow until time is undone.
But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? Romans 5:10
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17
Do you Love or Desire?
[singlepic id=53 w=320 h=240 float=right]Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sex and Beer are three things that, until recently, I would have said “I love!” But a recent post by my friend and professor Dr. David Timms has challenged me with a quote from In Hope, “When we say “I love chocolate cake!” we deceive ourselves. We don’t love it. We want to eat it! If we loved it, we’d care for it.”
You see, one is focused on fulfilling another and the other is focused on fulfilling self. One is willing to be used and the other uses. One is miserly and the other charitable. One cherishes freedom and the other slavery.
When I desire someone or something I will get “it,” and hold onto “it” at any cost even if “it” doesn’t want to be held. I might rather destroy “it,” then allow anyone else the pleasure of having “it.”
Chocolate chip cookies, sex, and an ice cold beer are things I desire. If I get to the last beer or cookie I will seldom ask if anyone else wants it (Confession #1). I may even eat cookies in secret so as not to tip off the crowd in order to secure as many cookies as possible (Confession #2). I used to say I love chocolate chip cookies, but I am deceiving myself because who cares about what a cookie wants?
Sometimes I try to pass off my desire for sex as love for my wife (Confession #3). This is hard for me to type, but if I loved my wife I would be more concerned for her desire than my own. Sadly, I fail miserably at this.
And there is nothing better than a hot summer day and an ice cold Grolsch, or Yuengling, or Newcastle. In fact, forget hot and summer. Any day drinking one of those is going to lead to refreshment, but I don’t want to give anything to beer or sacrifice for it.
In this season of life I find myself in a state of some confusion about whether I desire or love Jesus. I have thought that I loved Him, but I have been asking a lot of Him lately: heal my Mom, heal Kasey’s baby, make a way for this adoption to happen, and now heal my brother and heal Kristi’s grandfather.
It never really occurred to me in the midst of this until now that I might show Jesus love if I just simply asked Him, “What would You have happen Lord? What would You have me do?”
His answer may be, “Just continue to do what you are doing, keep asking,” but it may be something else. It’s the fear of the something else that keeps me from moving out of desire and into love.
Are you a user or lover of Jesus?
It’s a valid question. It’s one I need to wrestle with more.
Fill in the blanks with people and then with Jesus and answer the question: Do I love _____________ or do I desire _____________?
Now, with me, repent, and seek to love the Lord and desire Him only…only if He wants you to.
Thanks to David Timms for sparking this post.
Do Something!
Waiting on the Lord…
Is not an excuse for inaction…
While your perfect situation
Your dream job
Your Dream
Is awaiting heavenly approval
God’s blessing
Do SOMETHING!
Volunteer in the nursery…yes men I mean YOU!
Do SOMETHING!
Only drink water for two weeks and send the money you would have spent on beverages to Living Water International.
Do SOMETHING!
Might God be waiting on us
To just try to be obedient
Loving others and showing compassion
Before our dreams are realized
Or ChAnGeD!
1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.”