Love (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient and kind; love 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 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

 Right there, you see God tell us almost directly what love actually is. I feel like (depending where you grow up of course) the word love doesn't always quite mean that. We tend to over-use the word love. But not just that, we say we love our friends or family etc. but than you read this verse. I question, do I actually love them this way? The way God told us too? You can also take this in an encouraging way, because we know that God loves us, and that this is how He loves us.

 John 3:16 “For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Another amazing example of love! The greatest one of all in my opinion. I am young and I don't have any kids obviously, but if you do, try to imagine! Having your only child go and die so other's can live, knowing that so many people will not want the free gift. I don't know if I could love like that, God loves us so much.

Quick Look

Okay, so I will give some examples I have gotten from some people's reactions to when I told them about my faith, about God, the Bible, etc. Well I just was studying Castellano with a teacher from the school and I asked if I could read my Spanish Bible outloud for practice on pronunciation. I secretly wanted her to hear a few Bible verses. When I pulled out my Bible her first reaction was terror! She said something about hating religious stuff, but if it meant practice for me she would listen. Oh wait, let me tell you how much she was laughing, I don't think she was expecting me to pull out my Bible and read it to her. There were other people in the room and they stopped and listened. So I read all of Romans 8 in Spanish and after a few sentences she became very quiet and didn't correct me on anyting. She interrupted me and asked me if I believed in it and I answered yes. She just laughed and laughed at me and then compared the Bible to a little children's book I was reading about fairies. We then started talking about what happens after you die and she said you just die and nothing happens. I told how sad that was and she didn't understand. But the thing I have really learned, is that you need the Holy Spirit to ACTUALLY understand the Bible. I told her that I have it in me so I understand it. She said she had it too but then I said that she didn't understand. She said all of the Bible was made up and that all the help I recieve from "God" was just my mind. Again, she continued to laugh at me the whole time. There were some other things I told her, but that is close to a normal reaction from somewhere here. Sometime's I get yelled at, or a lecture on how it isn't true or insults. Even people I am generally closer to here told me - after I told them that I read my Bible every night - that I needed help, or that I was crazy or insane and there was something wrong with me. The whole time I just sit there and think "you have no idea!". Europe is definately a mission field, there is no such thing as God to them and most of the people my age have been raised being told that. No one seems to have a spiritual connection and no one cares that they don't. People just keep asking me, "you actually believe the Bible?" As far as I know God will never be a liar. The worst part is they insult the Bible and God and they don't know anything about God and haven't ever picked up a Bible. The teacher I talked with kept calling it all made up and a fairytale, but then I asked her if she has ever even read the Bible and she said no. Most people here seem to blame their disbelief on not being able to believe in things they can't see. But even I know there is something much deeper than that. Some atheists I have met would even ask me to pray for them if they were going through a problem. Deep inside everyone, there seems to be some form of a spiritual knowledge. You can keep denying God but there is a point where you are never sure, right? When I read the penalty of sin is death, her eyes just popped open. She was really distraught after and I know even though she denied God deep down there was something. Sorry this ended up being way longer, but there is so much more. Even my host family has told me that I can't be "this into it" and it "could lead to trouble" and I just don't understand! But, whenever I talk with an atheist, I always say at the end, well one day you and I will both see, but at least I don't have to worry about that day. Oh, they definately continue to laugh, but isn't that something Jesus said would happen? I am pretty content with laughter, it is much better than some of the things that could happen to me.

Courage

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." What is your definition of courage? Living in Barcelona (Catalunya area of Spain) is difficult. I bring up the word prayer and I get a 15 minute lecture about how that person respects my "religion" and how they just "aren't prayers". The whole time I am just thinking "if you only knew!" I try my hardest but sometime's I really need the courage to bring up God. Especially here. I told someone that I read my Bible every night and they said that I need help, something was wrong with me, and that I had a problem. So now, it takes courage to bring up Jesus because how many strange looks, and sometimes mean comments I recieve. I would take this any day over some of the persecution in some countries where if you even own a Bible you can get thrown in jail or worse. But, in full perpesctive, you need the Holy Spirit to have the courage to talk to others about Jesus. If you ever feel a pull to do something or say something, a good pull, do it. That would be the Holy Spirit working in you!

Good Sermon

River Valley Church is a local church in Minnesota and they have a base over here in Spain too! They have some great sermons if you have time, you should check out! Here are a few more photos I have taken! They are a little random, but enjoy! 

Some Photos of Barcelona :)

I am currently living in Barcelona and here a few photos I have taken so far!

Romans 8 - More Than Conquerors

 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 31-39. Here you find an amazing passage explaining how if you are a genuine believer and saved that NOTHING can take that away. Absolutely nothing. No sin, there is nothing you can say or do that will take away your salvation once you have accepted Christ into your heart and as the Messiah. I have a long history of worries about things that this verse has helped me with. There are so many things I would worry about, that somehow God wouldn't forgive me. But I realize from this verse that once you are saved, you are saved forever. When I first read this passage I didn't understand that it was only applying to genuine believers. I thought it was applying to everyone and I kept wondering "but the people who are in hell are separated from God?" But even Revelations makes sense once it is explained to you! Here is a good song you should listen to: Psalm 139 (You Are There) - MercyMe

Some Solid Sites

I am frequently searching the web and looking for great Christian websites to share and get involved with. My first one is Christian version of Amazon.com essentially. I love it. http://www.christianbook.com/. Here are a few ones on mission trips. It can be difficult to find an organization that you completely trust if there are no mission trips from your church. http://royalservants.org/, http://www.teenmissions.org/, and http://ywam.org/. With these three organizations I have had many friends go on their experience with and loved it! Each one is different but amazing in a different way! Here is a good website on some information about persecution of Christians in the world. http://www.persecution.org/. And a website I found that has some church sermons if you ever feel the need! http://gochristfellowship.com/about-us/sermon-archives/#series=107.