When Love Came To Town

I have been pondering on what Jesus said with regard to saving or loosing our lives,

"Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?"

In my opinion, there is no lasting and fulfilling way to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him apart from one most essential thing, Knowing the present and unconditional love of God the Father, other wise, it might look good, being-living sacrificially, but maybe inwardly bemoaning the fact of having to give up something.

If we were created, all of man kind, to be loved unconditionally, to try and function apart from this reality explains the insanity of what man is doing to his fellow man.It says that in fear there is torment, but perfect love (unconditional love) drives, or casts out fear. The plague of fear and shame that is in the very DNA of mankind is an unavoidable prison house, and no one escapes its clutches unless Love comes to town!

A Marxist leader once said. 'that religion is the opiate of the masses,' and religion goes far beyond what most of us think we know it to be. In my opinion, everything outside of Christ Jesus, not knowing this unconditional love of God the Father is pure, 'religion.'So in other words there is an absolute need to find whatever it takes to anesthetize the insanity of these relentless and tormenting fears within us. This anesthetic comes in many forms, bottom line, it never frees us, but in fact only securely keeps us enslaved.

For every situation you'll ever encounter will offer you two options in prayer: "Father, save me" or "Father, glorify your name." One will only compound the frustration and emptiness, and the other to discovering what it means, when Love comes to town.

Freedom, the way of escape, is only found in the true knowledge of the Father's unconditional love, this true knowledge is a weapon that defies all logic, it is the key that frees us from our self-interests, our self-preservation, and finding a way of facing and dealing with whatever life throws at us.

I like what Wayne Jacobsen says in his book, He loves Me, "It's not the words we use that matters here, but the cry of our heart. Choose to save yourself and you will find yourself resisting God when you don't even mean to. You'll end up praying against the very things God is using to transform you. You'll miss his attempts to help because they won't look like the thing you want."

This insatiable craving for security and completeness is only found in the arms of this loving Father...let His love draw you unto Himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2M54u5aIGU

U 2 Lyrics....."When Love Comes To Town" (Live From the Kingdom mix)

Don't you know love is the greatest thing that the world has ever known
Love is what everybody loves
We all need just a little love But I did what I did when love came to town
I was a sailor, I was lost at sea
I was under the waves before love rescued me
I was a fighter, I could turn on a thread
But I stand accused of the things I've said

When love comes to town I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before love came to town

I used to make love under a red sunset
I was making promises I was soon to forget
She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown
But I left her standing before love came to town
I ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream
The notes were turning blue, I was dazing in a dream
As the music played I saw my life turn around
That was the day before love came to town

When love comes to town I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before love came to town
When love comes to town I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before love came to town

I did what I did
I did what I did

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when the pierced his side
But I've seen love conquer the great divide

When love comes to town I'm gonna catch that train
When love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before love came to town

Thank you Madonna I'm calling you to fire it up
And telling everybody everywhere that love is in town
And it's gonna stay around
And you can always, love can always be found
You got to have it
Don't you need it
Everybody need it, everybody
Everybody need it, everybody
I don't care how much money you got
I don't care how many mansions you live in on the hill
You need love
Gotta gotta gotta get it
Gotta gotta gotta get it
We need love
We need love
We need peace
We need joy
We need hope
We need salvation Hallelujah, hallelujah
And we got to catch the glory of our own tree
Do the best you can, God understands
He holds the world in the palm of his hands
And I want you to know that
No more fighting in the gangs
No more killing in the streets
No more fighting each other
No more hunger
No more homeless
No more helpless
It ain't the glory
The spirit isn't selfish

Rich