Freezing in Houston

In John 13 we see the story of the Last Supper…

Jesus washes his disciples feet. He tells His disciples this is a practice He wants them to follow Him in doing. I have seen foot washing as an important aspect of worship in other churches and I have been wanting to really evaluate why I had never participated in such a procedure. Why in all the churches that I have ever attended have we never done this?

Which had brought me to a question: Is washing of feet necessary for us as believers?

Jesus washed His disciples feet as a symbol of humility? You could say that. Humility is an aspect of love and love is humble. Jesus tells the disciples he wants them to follow His example in foot washing; he tells them that the slave is not greater than his master… He was demonstrating His love in a physical way. I, myself, HATE FEET! For me to wash the feet of anyone would gross me out. It would require me to be stripped of my pride in order that I may place myself at the same level or more like below my brother/sister. In our culture we are programmed to be selfish for #1. We give the best for ourselves but not for anyone else. Jesus told the disciples that the world would recognize us by our love for each other. Unfortunately, in our culture we do not understand what love REALLY is. We typically, understand it to be the opposite of what it really is. Few, if any really understand what love is, which is why there really is little if any difference between a non-Christian and a “Christian”. We have trained ourselves and the world to expect that we as Christians follow the rules and are “better” than those who do not believe because of it. Committing 1 sin damns all of us to hell. All of us have committed at least 1 sin.

Therefore none of us can say we are better or act as though we are better than anyone else. We are all on equal ground! Jesus’ act of love allows all of us to be saved from an eternity of misery and quite possibly even better a purposeless life. So, if we really, and I mean REALLY loved each other, then our world could recognize us by our love for each other. But, if we could/can allow ourselves to love each other in such a way it would be likely that LOVE would be what we all become. If we became love, then love would be what we do. If love became what we did, it would be freely given not only to each other as “Christians” but to those who live outside of Christ. If we claim Christ this SHOULD be our desire! To be known as apart of Him and that He is apart of us. If we are afraid to speak of God’s love then we should at least be able to speak of His love with our actions. What is the most important thing in our lives? The temporal things we think we want are likely not it. Jesus said He came to give us life more abundant! Selfishness and lovelessness can suck the life out of us. At the end of the day we may have everything we want, but are we happy? I have been there, I have had everything I could want and still feel as though I am missing something.

How do I begin to love?

It could begin with a desire to know what love is, or a desire to know who God is. Though those go hand in hand. Love is defined by God, real love anyway. Love is not defined by us, our definition of love will never satisfy us, rather leave us empty. You never really know how selfish you are until love begins to change you. Learning of love is not an easy road. As love changes you the sharp edges begin to smooth out. It is possible that as you begin to love you will be rejected; however you may find how many love deprived people exist. An inherent desire we all share is to love and be loved, and quite possibly to know love. I know myself, I have always had these desires, but could only understand love from a human definition, and not even really understand that either. It is likely we have these desire because we have been created by God and He has a desire to share His love with us. Unfortunately, generally speaking we do not know what love is. We are required to really search for what love really is. “Christians” are usually not good examples of love, which makes it that much harder. Maybe this is the reason Jesus performed this small act of selflessness, not for the sake of the non-believer, but for the believers, those who really claim His name. He wanted His disciples to KNOW love. He wanted them to KNOW Him!

He challenged them to do as He did. There is little evidence of God’s love displayed by humans in our world, and we as His followers are supposed to be that. He wants us to remove our garmet of pride and make ourselves as a servant and SHOW love, not our love but His love. The understanding of love has changed my life. I still cannot fathom it all. I spent the day enjoying nature in prayer and meditation. It was my hope that God would reveal Himself to me. I have desired to study Jesus washing His disciples feet for months and just never got to it. Today I did.

Is washing of feet necessary for us as believers?

I believe that it is. Just as we perform other acts to be a physical reminder of God’s love (i.e. communion), we should also do this to remind us we are the Light of the World. Without us the world is dark, and without our love for each other (God’s love revealed) there is what exists among everyone else selfishness and emptiness. Can a simple act of love change the world? It could be possible. However, teaching others what love is will likely have a greater effect.

But what better way to teach a simple act of love?

PeACe

daneK

As Old Friends Come to Visit

2009 in Review

We lost very important heroes in our lives, Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon, Brittney Murphy, Patrick Swayze to name a few, I just don’t know how this world could have existed without any of these actors, actresses, stars, etc. (JK of course!)

As I sit here at work with nothing to do, waiting on Dr. Vanderweide. I am contemplating the last year of my life. I had a titanium post implanted into my mandible in January. I had extreme sinus surgery in July. I had a hernia repair and  a cyst removed from one of my testicles in November. Needless, to say, my extra funds have been limited between that and the cost of schooling.

I find that this year has been the year of greatest growth in my life thus far. This is the 1st year I purposed to do something at the beginning and have done so to the end.

To learn to love as God loves, that is the goal simply put. Where has God taken me this year????

It began with me pursuing to love as God loves, in reference to my 2008 New Year’s Eve post. Ohhhhh, what did I get myself into? I seemed to regret this desire through every hardship I found myself in. I learned it is easier to love those you don’t know because you know nothing about them. As God began to teach me, I began to forgive. God taught me that His love FORGIVES! While I had always known that, I never really understood what it was like to forgive even the simplest of wrongdoings. Here I was forgiving some of the greatest! I won’t describe each situation in detail. God’s teaching me of forgiveness caused me to realize that forgiveness and love go hand in hand. At this point I began to really KNOW God. In this journey the 1st half of the year was a struggle. I didn’t want to let go of my selfishness. Honestly, I, my flesh, still doesn’t want to let go of my selfishness, it is getting easier. As I continued I learned that love is Self-less. I at this point began to put the pieces of the puzzle together. All those years of church and stories, sermons and classes, conferences and camps, etc. I never understood Jesus’ love or God’s love. As I began to understand, I realized that up to this point, I NEVER KNEW GOD! Satan had me fooled, I said a prayer and “got saved” my ticket outta hell, but all the while my self-righteousness and legalism was sending me straight there! With only a slight, miniscule comprehension of God and His love, I knew I needed to find if my salvation was ever real.

I met with Russell, one of the pastors at the church I serve in. He didn’t have a black and white answer, but told me that if I felt God leading me to baptism, I should follow His lead. The following Sunday, I was baptized with 6 other people, 1 child and 5 other adults. That was the time to tell the world what I believed, and there has been an excitement to know God and serve Him since before that point but definitely since that point.

I had forgiven, I was learning to be selfless. What else did God have in store for me? These are only two aspects of God’s Amazing love. God had also taught me that love is Humble, and that love will cause you to apologize when you are wrong, something my pride has never allowed me to do. I learned that God’s love is undeserved, He loves those who have no way of earning His love despite what they have done.

Love protects those who are unprotected. This I learned only recently, one I would never have contemplated had I not seen the lack of it in action and realized this very important aspect of love.

I have some highlights from my blog this year I will tie together:

“Person also defined as human/ HUMAN:

Subject to or indicative of the weaknesses, imperfections, and fragility associated with humans (as defined by                                dictionary.com)”

“At the end of the day, people who make mistakes are still people, most times they have a family and similar personal responsibilities.”

“It would be ideal that Christians (a term used loosely to describe supposed followers of Christ) would act as Jesus acted and pursue  opportunities to show love even in small ways to those in whom it may not be socially acceptable, accepted by “Christians”, or any other socially rejected person.”

“I think even the non christian can safely say in general that christians are nothing like the God we serve.”

Lastly:

“God is awesome, I asked Him to teach me how to love and he is doing so, not in the ways I would have liked but probably in a more effective way.”

I began my blog with many struggles I have had this year. In the midst of those struggles I have realized some important truths that the Bible has taught me through the years. Some good things I have been able to be apart of are countless trips to the Star of Hope, opportunities to serve families who need help with things they cannot do on their own, service at a retreat camp, VBS at Sagemont, and pouring myself into a group of guys I love very dearly. None of these things would have meant anything to me prior to my relationship with Christ.

I feel it would be unfair for me to end the blog with anything other than what is owed for its ending thus I shall. So through teary-eyed typing, I can tell you all I want how amazing God’s love is but it is possible you could be like me, grew up in the church and deceived by Satan to believe you are a Christian when in fact you are not. I can only offer to talk with you if you so desire in regards to my experiences and relationship with God. I hope that if you are a Christian that you would seek to place God first in your life and allow Him to change you into what you are meant to be. Once you REALLY experience God’s love there is no question as to whether or not you are a Christian, only as to what He has in store for you. There is no debt in receiving God’s gift of salvation, because it is a gift and gifts aren’t meant to be repaid or made even. However, while you may feel as though you owe God something, you do not! If you truly understand His gift and His love then you will develop an excitement for others to know as well. Showing and teaching others can be displayed in millions of ways. My charge to you is to allow God teach you how to LOVE, and then…LOVE!

LOVE & PeACe

daneK

danekcoffey@gmail.com

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love (GOD), I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love (GOD), I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love (GOD), I gain nothing. Love (GOD) is patient and kind; love (GOD) does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love (GOD) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love (GOD) never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love (GOD) abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (GOD).

From Mark 12:

Jesus answered… “‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. “And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”…