So we cleaned the bathrooms, and the auditorium seats. It took a while, but the man directing us was so positive, his name is Ken. He really made an impact on my morning. I really want to start waking up asking "God how can I be a blessing in someone's life today?"
After lunch, we headed to Project Prevention again. This time it was only Victoria (the leader), Casey (co-leader), then Amber and I. Yesterday when we did this ministry we had a group of over 10. Today it was so much more personal, and God had answered our hearts desire to go alone, in a much smaller group. A great gift God had given today was to this little boy named Angel. We had had 2 gameboy games and couldn't find anyone with a gameboy, until today. God had blessed Angel with 2 new games! I believe he will never forget that, he was so happy!
Amber and I missed dinner today but got to eat at an Italian pizza place downtown. It was straight up from Italy! haha not really, but sure did taste like it! So good! Amber could even see the chef making our food! A bit after dinner we headed to the Angeles Temple for the thursday night service. What a blessing! Every Thurs. night they have a guest speaker. Tonight was Charles Nieman from Texas. He spoke about God's love. I like the way he started it with the passage 1 Cor. 13:13: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." God can give us all these things, but God IS LOVE. There are so many different people from different backgrounds and races. But there is one thing that is the same: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 We are all rotten sinners. Praise God, because John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Did you catch that?! WHOEVER. That means you, that means me, that means WHO ever believes. God is love. Nothing can separate those who are in His love FROM His beautiful Love. mmm. mmm. mmm.
Romans 8:35-39 (message version): "So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. "
God has a MEGA love for us. Charles spoke about how you may be, or may have been many things. You may have been rejected..but you HAVE NEVER BEEN UNLOVED. You may be insecure..but you HAVE NEVER BEEN UNLOVED. You may be lonely but you have NEVER BEEN UNLOVED. You may be uneducated but YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN UNLOVED. You may have been an addict but YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN UNLOVED. You may be a hypocrite but YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN UNLOVED...and the list goes on. Please think about this thought. What have you been? What are you? Than override it with God's love, because His love does cover over a multitude of sins. His love washes away all diritness, and purifies. His love is why we live. I hope you realize how GREAT God's love is for you today, and that it increases daily.
This message tonight definately RE-awakened God's love for me. What an amazing Lover Jesus is!
"My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19 (the message version)
Oh yeah, can't forget, the Angeles Temple also had an amazing guest singer: Racheal Lampa. She sang 2 lovely songs. All I can say is WOW, she is gifted! Here is Amber, Shelley, and I tonight after the service:
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