To Love in Turn

So, I have been writing like mad these past few weeks. Its been an odd thing this, but I suddenly have two books due - crazy right? Anyway, I have been posting the daily devotionals that will be edited at some point and put into the new Open Table. The Open Table is a small group study for new believers with a film and participants guide.

Chapter one is on Love. I think I have the chapter finished and thought I would put one more segment up. This is part four and follows on the heals of my last blog. If you think about me in the next 6 weeks, pray that God would release His love and Kingdom message through this project.

Oh, also, there are supposed to be two to three questions at the end of each section for the reader. I'm not very good at asking those questions as I rarely read them let alone answer them when reading a participants guide - maybe I should start. Anyway, if you think of a question that would help drive the message home, let me know. Thanks!

To Love In Turn

Yesterday I wrote about how John referred to himself, as “the one Jesus loved” and how this revelation of Gods loves is available to us.
Shortly after I discovered these verses in scripture God began to speak to my heart. I started thinking about Johns understanding of Jesus love and wondered if I was capable of loving in the same way.

Recently, one night at the super table while holding hands with my family, I told my wife she was “the one” I loved, that I loved her best, she was my favorite. Then I looked at my oldest daughter and I told her the same thing. I moved on to my son and finally my youngest daughter repeating myself as I went. You are “the one” that I love…
And you know what, it was true and everyone at the table knew it. Somehow I was able to love each of them best.

Paul tells us in Romans 8:11 that the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. It stands to reason then that we should be able to love just like Jesus does. In fact, I think that’s why we are here. We exist to know Gods love and love in turn.

That’s what this new life we have entered into is all about. The moment we surrendered to Gods love, the moment we received our salvation, we said yes to love and yes to becoming love.

I would like to suggest that the “Christian” experience, journey, walk, or whatever you want to call it, isn’t just about going to church, it’s also about becoming church. It isn’t just about going to heaven when we die, it’s also about bringing heaven to earth while we live. It isn’t just about receiving the beautiful love of our Savior and friend Jesus, it’s also about becoming that same love. And I am convinced that the only way to become love is to know His love as John did.

Several years ago, I began dialoging with God from John’s perspective. When praying I would thank God for His love, not the wide vague concept of love but the personal intimate one of a kind love God has for me. I don’t pray this way out some insecurity or arrogance, on the contrary. I have learned that the more aware I am of how much he loves me, the greater capacity I have to love those around me. I can say to my wife, my kids, my neighbor, the guy sitting next to me at Starbucks “you are ‘the one’ I love.” A person cant give away what they don’t posses. That’s why it is so important that we begin to see ourselves as God does, thereby possessing love and giving it away in greater measure.

I encourage you today to ask God to love you best, to reveal to you that you are “the one” that he loves and then begin to love those around you like you believe it.

He Loves Me Best

I was reading the gospel of John several years ago. Somewhere along the way I realized that John – the author - had a unique way of referencing himself. Three times he wrote about himself in the third person, as the “one Jesus loved.”

“One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.” (John 13:23)

“So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved…” (John 20:2)

“…And saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.” (John 21:20)

Now I grew up hearing preachers refer to John as Jesus’ favorite. You know, Jesus just had a special spot in his heart for John. As a kid I thought it was kinda cool how Jesus had a best friend. So a couple years ago, when I discovered that John was the fella that started the rumor, well, I have to admit, I was impressed. “I like that John,” I thought – starting nice rumors about himself like that.

Oh by the way, I don’t know if you have heard this yet but Jesus loves me best…

The more I thought about it, I realized that if anyone knew about Jesus and His love, it was the disciples and John was one of those fellas. He was with Jesus for three years. He was there when Jesus was moved with compassion and healed two blind men (Matt 20:34). He was there when Jesus wept before raising Lazarus his friend from the dead. (John 11;36). He was there when Jesus healed, restored, delivered, forgave and fed people (The Gospels). He ate, slept, prayed, laughed, cried - he did life with the love that is Jesus. He witnessed with his own two eyes the love that is Jesus poured out to the lost, weak, blind, def – you name the need – John watched love meet it.

He then witnessed love whipped and beaten and spit upon and cursed. He watched as Jesus was spread out, nailed to and the hung on a cross - love in human form giving up his life for all of mankind.

And then John was there for the resurrection, when love displayed his hands and feet to the disciples. He watched love ascend to heaven and experienced love again when it descended in the form of the Holy Spirit. If anyone knew what love looked like it was John.

And this same disciple went on to write a book about love. He went on to tell us all what he’d witnessed. And this is the same disciple who wrote about himself, as “the one Jesus loved.” In essence, the man who knew intimately what love looked like and felt like and acted like went on to tell us that this same love who was Jesus, loved him best. John had a revelation of God and described it as a uniquely shared love that was only available between the two of them. Essentially, what John communicated through his gospel was that as far as he was concerned, he was Jesus’ favorite. Jesus loved him best.

The Bible says that when Jesus went to the cross, he did it “for the joy set before him.” I have recently come to understand that we – you and me and the guy sitting next to me at Starbucks – we are that joy. Jesus loves each of us individually and intimately. And if Johns correct, then somehow we can know Jesus love in such a way that we could say about ourselves “I am the one Jesus loves,” I’m his favorite, He loves me best.

John’s revelation is astounding; Jesus can love each of us as “the one.” How cool is that? What’s more amazing is that Jesus can love each of us as “the one” without undermining His love for someone else. I think Johns understanding reveals the heart of Gods love. You see, from John’s perspective, Jesus was able to love Him best without contradiction.

There is available to us a unique relationship to this love. The heart of God even now speaks over each of us and he says “you are the one that I love."

Jesus doesn’t go to a cross because he has to, he goes for the joy that was set before him. That joy is a unique relationship with me and you. He went to the cross so that we could say with absolute certainty, “I am the one Jesus loves.”

Aimee - Peeing In The Bushes

Have you ever just wanted to tell a story but you have no context. Well this is one of the stories that was originally edited out of the S&U book. However, I am working on final edits right now and man if I am still not trying to find a relevant truth where this story works… We shall see.


Years ago, after walking home from school, Aimee, Joel and myself found the house locked up. Mom wasn’t home and so we had to wait outside. After a couple of minutes Aimee announced that she had to pee. A couple minutes after that she said to me “I’m going to go pee in the bushes.”

I thought that this was grossly inappropriate. Now if Joel had needed to pee, I would have told him to go pee in the bushes. But Aimee was a girl and so, well, it was just different, that’s all.

I told her she wasn’t allowed to go pee in the bushes and that she would just have to hold it till mom got home. I thought I had made myself clear but…

She glared at me and said, “I will pee in the bushes if I want to.”

“I am the boss and you have to listen to me!” I shot back. Looking back, I don’t think that statement ever got the results I was looking for…

Now Aimee was beyond mad, enraged, yeah that’s the word. I think she said the first thing that came to her mind, the only thing she really could have said at that moment, “Then I’ll pee in my pants!!”

It worked. Now I was enraged as well. You see, if it was unladylike to pee in the bushes it was definitely worse to pee in your pants. Plus, like any dictator I didn’t appreciate being questioned. “You are definitely not going to pee in your pants” I yelled.

“I will too” she screamed back.

And then...she did.

Eva's Bible - Love Poem

I had in my possession an amazing holy historical artifact - my Grandma Eva's Bible. My dad finally sequestered it but not before I had a chance to read through and scan some of the contents. This was her bible for over 50 years. It was marked on nearly every page in every ink color you can imagine.

Eva Clark was a holy person. She prayed. Always. Her prayers are resounding still. I think the blessing and favor that God has released on us Clark's is due to her praying.

Anyway, I found several little notes she kept in her Bible. Today I thought I would post this little cut out piece of paper that had a poem about the love of God.

Lord, thank-you for your wonderful love that is beyond my ability to comprehend!