Nameless, Faceless Love


Venturing out from behind our Four Walls to a place at first unfamiliar to us, we found our Saviour waiting among the lost, inviting us to join Him in the Journey.
We offer no names and no faces.
Only His.
Nameless, Faceless Love.



Nameless, Faceless Love's authors live on every populated continent of the world, remaining nameless and faceless so that God might receive any and all of the glory.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Jack 'n' Jill or Just Plain Me?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I was young in the faith, I used to thank God that - like Jack ‘n’ Jill climbing up the hill for a pail of water - I could always go to “the well” and get living water for those around me who were troubled or without Christ.

I would climb up that hill anytime I needed to, or anytime that someone near me had a need, and God would always come through with an answer - there was always living water to be had for anyone who was thirsty for an answer.

Little by little, though, I found that I was becoming physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. The treks back up the hill were beginning to take their toll. Even though I so deeply wanted to help those around me, I was beginning to wear down.

And then one day, I couldn’t make it back up the hill.
And I sat there, thirsty, tired and unable to reach the well.

In hindsight, I realize that our Lord allowed me to arrive at that desperate point so that I would remember the lesson that He was about to teach me. I had been left empty by my own efforts, my own well-intentioned plans to help others, my own perception that I was a go-between for people and the living water in that well at the top of the hill.

“Ben,” our Lord told me, “you are not the well. I am. I do not need you in order to be able to give My living water to My children. Put down your bucket, Ben,” He said. I relaxed for the first time in a long time, and I listened as one thirsty for living water for my own soul, but unable to reach it.

“The well is not at the top of the hill, Ben, “ He explained. “I have placed it within you. Do you remember My Word, Ben? ‘But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’”

“The well of My living water is within you, Ben,” He continued, “and it is there to fill you up first, and then to flow out to others as I so choose. Stop climbing, and rest in Me.” And so I did.

There is a peace knowing that we have been given a well of living water within us. Sure, our hearts still ache with the knowledge that some in our lives do not have that assurance. But, what can we do except experience that living water within us and then allow it to pour forth when He determines it should? After that, each person has a choice to believe or not believe in Christ Jesus.

These days, I try not to spend time climbing the hill like Jack ‘n‘ Jill, and being overwhelmed by my desire that all those around me might come to Christ. Rather, I seek to spend my time being thankful for the living water of His grace toward me, and by letting that water flow forth as He desires.

Funny thing. As I have sought to do that, His living water within me has become more evident than ever before to those in my life who are lost. More peace for me, more fruit for God. Sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it?

I guess being Jack ‘n‘ Jill climbing up that hill for a pail of water resulted in a good lesson for my life. But being myself in Him, His little boy Ben, resting in His care with His living water within me, has turned out to be a whole lot better.


Labels: , ,


Read more!

SUBSCRIBE and get updates whenever there's a new post at NFL

E-Mail                                Newsreader                   Bookmark
                      Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your blinklist account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your delicious account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your digg account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your fark account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your furl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your newsvine account
                                                                    Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your reddit account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your simpy account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your spurl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your myyahoo account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your shadows account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your sync2it account





Long Spoons Of Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."

The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could
not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew, which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."

"It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill." You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."

When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you.

....when Thou [God] shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see [the children that will come to You through His death upon the cross].....
Isaiah 53:10 (b)

Labels: , , , , ,


Read more!

SUBSCRIBE and get updates whenever there's a new post at NFL

E-Mail                                Newsreader                   Bookmark
                      Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your blinklist account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your delicious account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your digg account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your fark account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your furl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your newsvine account
                                                                    Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your reddit account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your simpy account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your spurl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your myyahoo account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your shadows account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your sync2it account





Friday, February 23, 2007

The Eagle and Child / Living Hope

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In that this blog is called Nameless, Faceless Love, it is logical that some might ask, "Why, then, do you make specific reference to 2 blogs by name in your "recommended edification section?"

Good question.

And so this post is meant to share a little about these two blogs and why we feel so strongly as to note them here.

The Eagle and Child

The Eagle and Child is the blog of a Cincinnati, Ohio pastor (you can find his name when you visit the site :-)....). The blog covers many subjects at various times that are of interest to most believers.

One post may speak about a House Concert held in a local loft featuring musicians that are Christians (as opposed to "Christian musicians", the post notes).

Another post may inform us of an outbreak of persecution against Christians in the nation of Burma, or enlighten us about little spoken of modern day slavery.

Still another post will review the recent film One Night With The King, or speak of high hopes for the upcoming film Amazing Grace.

And interspersed between, you'll find posts pertinent to the Church at large today; a post about a quarterly pastors' meeting aimed at prayerfully facilitating racial reconciliation and cross-denominational fellowship and support; a post about what the classic church can learn from house churches; and in yet another highlights concepts from the book "With One Voice" about the concept of suffering - Christ's and our own.

In one word I would describe The Eagle and Child as "transcendent." The reason I use this word is that - just as we're told that humans use so little of their brain's capacity - most Internet blogs, and specifically Christian ones rise to the task of encouraging, compelling, truly informing, and even provoking unto love and good works. The Eagle and Child does just that.

The best of what Christian blogs can be is to both edify and unsettle. That's what the Word of God does. That's what the Gospel does. And that's what The Eagle and Child does.

And we love it.

Living Hope

Living Hope is the blog of a former institutional pastor from California (you can find his name when you visit the site :-)....). The blog is both very personal and very universal at the same time.

This is because the writer prayerfully and Biblically gives illustration to the Word of God and our own humanity at work in our daily lives. The examples and stories that are shared hit home with so many readers as being relevant and sometimes even seemingly identical to their situation or state.

Having lived throughout the United States and on the continents of Africa and Asia, we can tell you this; in spite of the "wrapping paper," people are basically the same. There is one Jesus, there is one satan, and there is one kind of people - us.

That's what's so special about Living Hope. It gives witness to the universal nature of our humanity, our faith, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And we love it.

Labels: , , ,


Read more!

SUBSCRIBE and get updates whenever there's a new post at NFL

E-Mail                                Newsreader                   Bookmark
                      Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your blinklist account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your delicious account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your digg account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your fark account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your furl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your newsvine account
                                                                    Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your reddit account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your simpy account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your spurl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your myyahoo account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your shadows account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your sync2it account





I Am Ready To Have You Unite With Me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In 1 Chronicles 12:17, the Word of God tells us, David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace, to help me, I am ready to have you unite with me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you. (NIV)

This scripture is one of the most important in the entire Bible regarding the subject of dealing with people without bitterness in your heart. And this is a very important topic in God’s Word. Bitterness is dangerous.

In Hebrews 12:14-16, God’s Word says that we are to:
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright
.

In other words, bitterness is the first step on a dangerous road. We are to “look diligently”, the verse says. Too often, the flesh desires to “look diligently” at other believer’s flaws and then judge them, instead of “looking diligently” to see that no bitterness against anyone would ever come against us.

The problem we face is that there are some challenging people out there who are believers, right? Or so our flesh would like us to believe. It’s not really so complicated as that.
Ultimately, we tend to identify only 2 types of people - saved and unsaved - as we walk in this life. As one walks in the Spirit, it is easy to identify over time those who are seeking to walk with Christ, and those who don’t know Him at all. These 2 types of people are light-years apart.

But the question remains - why do we struggle with “people problems” amongst the believers? The problem is that we tend to assume that, because there is one group of “believers”, they will behave toward us in one way. This is not true.

It is not quite as simple as “Hey, everybody’s different, ya know, so no big deal”. The Word of God clearly declares that which “is written in stone” as far as living a righteousness life is concerned.

But the Word of God also identifies five separate ways in which believers will behave toward us while pursuing that righteous life, not one. This is what first “trips up” believers in interacting with one another.

To see these five separate ways of behaving, we only need go to 2 Timothy 4:9-12, in which Paul tells Timothy:

Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus
.

First of all, we must understand that this passage is a request for help. Paul is informing Timothy that he is “short-handed” and is explaining why.

In Verse 10, Paul says that “Demas has forsaken me”. He did not say that Demas had forsaken Christ, though Paul says that he had departed because of his love for this present world. Paul says that Demas had forsaken Paul.

But also in Verse 10, Paul notes that two others had abandoned him.......not for the love of the world, but for the cause of “ministry”. Paul says that Crescens went to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Clearly they left of their own accord, because he later notes in Verse 12 that he had specifically sent Tychicus to Ephesus, but makes no such reference toward Crescens and Titus.

In Verse 11, Paul says that “only Luke is with me”, and then asks Timothy to bring Mark because he could help Paul in the ministry.

When we consider this passage then, we see people in five distinct ways of behavior toward us, not one:

~ Those who are leaving us because of their love of the world (Demas)
~ Those who are leaving us because of self-made plans for ministry (Crescens, Titus)
~ Those who are ministering with us at this time (Luke)
~ Those who are on their way to minister with us (Mark)
~ Those who are leaving us because they have been sent elsewhere by God (Tychicus)

This paints a much more easily understood picture of things, doesn’t it? This understanding is a much more accurate description of the lives of all believers than a spiritually immature and overly-simplistic “you’re saved and you like me” or “you don’t like me so you left me so you must be a bad person, be walking unrighteously, or be unsaved” view of things.

And this understanding of 2 Timothy 4:9-12 provides the foundation for understanding 1 Chronicles 12:17. If we did not have this understanding, the way we applied 1 Chronicles 12:17 would be angry and vindictive. With the understanding, we will apply it with wisdom, peace, power and true Love.

So again, in 1 Chronicles 12:17, the Word of God tells us, David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace, to help me, I am ready to have you unite with me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you. (NIV)

This scripture tells us how David dealt with people in general.

1. Peace, Help and Unity

If you have come to me in peace, to help me, I am ready to have you unite with me”.

First, this scripture shows us that one aspect of operating in peace toward other believers is helping them. Maybe not in person, because believers are the world over. Maybe not every day, because has He has many to whom He desires to minister. Perhaps even on some days at His instruction, “helping” by not doing anything and allowing God to do His perfect will. But - all in all - helping.

Second......“I am ready to have you unite with me”. Now we know that God’s Word tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:12 that For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Therefore, the Body of Christ IS one. He made us that way. So, as it relates to the New Testament Body of Christ in this scripture, “to be united” is referring to being united in ministry, not in the Holy Spirit. This is a helpful understanding. We are already one with others believers......but God “unites us” with others for the purpose of ministry.

2. Wisdom, Purity, and Liberty

“But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you”.

The prior sentence in this scripture equates “coming in peace” with “helping” another believer. Conversely in the sentence above, the concept of “betrayal” is equated “fighting against” another believer.

The key phrase in this scripture is “free from violence”. The King James version of the same verse reads.....“but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands.....”. Some versions even read “no sin”. The original meanings of the Hebrew words here bear out the NIV translation, however.....

“But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence [toward you]......”.

This is an extremely important understanding! If we bear any grudge toward another believer, we simply cannot righteously apply this verse in our lives. If we bear any grudge toward another believer, we simply cannot say “I have no violence in my hand toward you”.

God’s Word is clear about the matters of forgiveness, and we will not address those here. But know that if unforgiveness exists, we are the problem. :-)

We know then that if we do not have “violence in our hands toward another”, then we are free to operate in this scripture’s Truth.

“But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you”.

This verse goes on to indicate that if someone else has come to us to betray us to our enemies when there is no violence in our hands toward them, then God will take care of it.

Not in a “God’s gonna get you for this” way, either. In a peace-filled way that only comes from earnestly seeking to walk in 1 Peter 1:22, which tells us that “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently”.

What peace the Lord brings to us through this scripture!

When we have this understanding, we are free from anger, judgment, and defensiveness toward others. We are free to declare the Gospel with God’s love and in His protection as Jesus instructed us in Matthew 10:7-8, 16.

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.


Be blessed, my dear brethren, as you live, love and minister with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.....


Labels: , , , ,


Read more!

SUBSCRIBE and get updates whenever there's a new post at NFL

E-Mail                                Newsreader                   Bookmark
                      Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your blinklist account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your delicious account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your digg account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your fark account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your furl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your newsvine account
                                                                    Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your reddit account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your simpy account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your spurl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your myyahoo account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your shadows account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your sync2it account





Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Inconvenient Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, today is Valentine's Day, and mine started before the sun was even up in the sky this morning.

Yesterday, we had a blizzard where I live and we got a lot of snow, so I needed to dig my wife's car out this morning so that she could make it to work.

At 6:00 am, it was cold and still snowing. My lungs hurt as I shoveled for almost two hours to free her vehicle from the grips of the snow and ice. In some places, the snow was almost 3 feet deep, and I had to stop every few minutes to catch my breath.

There were a lot of other things that I would've rather been doing right then, but - in a way - it was exactly what I wanted to be doing.

All that time shoveling gave me a lot of time to think. Today, I will send flowers to my wife with a heartfelt message again declaring my abiding love for her. But you know what? It's pretty easy to do that. It doesn't take much effort. It's convenient.

Shoveling that snow this morning wasn't convenient. I had to get up well before my wife did to make sure that her needs were taken care of. It took a long time. It hurt. It was inconvenient.

And as I was shoveling and thinking, it struck me that one of the hallmarks of true love is that true love isn't convenient. It's inconvenient.

It is easy to think within ourselves that we love someone. And because that feeling within us is always there, we come to believe that that love is very strong and that those whom we love should find it obvious that we love them. But that's not necessarily true.

Just because we tell ourselves over and over again that we love someone doesn't mean that we love them. Love isn't merely an emotion that we feel. It is a heart-born action that brings that which is within us to the surface.

I can think silently and unbeknownst to someone about how I love them any time I want to. But that's convenient, and that's not true love. True love speaks to us from within us that we must unwrap what we feel within us and declare it to the one we love, to demonstrate it even when - and perhaps most importantly when - it is inconvenient for us to do so.

I'm sure my wife appreciated the fact that I shoveled her car out of the snow this morning. And when she receives her flowers today, that may for a few moments fill up her vision and warm her heart. I hope it does, because I love my wife very much.

But when it is all said and done, I have realized that it is not just the special days and special things that matter to her most. What matters to her most is knowing that I love her because I show it to her even when it hurts me to do so.

G. K. Chesterton once wrote "an inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." What an adventure true love can be when we consider it so.

Labels: , ,


Read more!

SUBSCRIBE and get updates whenever there's a new post at NFL

E-Mail                                Newsreader                   Bookmark
                      Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your blinklist account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your delicious account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your digg account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your fark account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your furl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your newsvine account
                                                                    Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your reddit account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your simpy account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your spurl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your myyahoo account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your shadows account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your sync2it account





Monday, February 05, 2007

The Tandem Bike

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At first I saw God as an observer, my judge; keeping track of the things I did wrong so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was sort of out there like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it but I really didn't know Him.

Later on when I met Christ it seems as though life were rather like a bike ride. But it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was on the back helping me pedal. I don't know just when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since.
You see, when I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long-cuts up mountains and through rocky places at break-neck speeds. It was all I could do to hang on! And even though it looked like madness, He said, “Pedal.”

When I was worried and anxious and I asked, “Where are you taking me?”, He laughed. He didn't answer and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and I entered into the adventure. When I'd say “I'm scared”, He'd lean back and He'd touch my hand. He took me to people with gifts that I needed; gifts of healing and acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord’s and mine.

Then we would be off again. He said, “Give the gifts away! They're extra baggage! Too much weight.” So I gave them away to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and in doing so that my burden stayed light.

I did not trust Him at first in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it. But He knows bike secrets! He knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners. He knows how to make it jump to clear high rocks. He knows how to fly to shorten the scary passages. I'm learning to trust Him while we pedal in the strangest places! I'm beginning to enjoy the view, and to enjoy the cool breezes on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ. And when I'm sure I just can't take anymore.....

He just smiles and says, "Pedal, just pedal."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them-- sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute.
Isaiah 42:16 (The Message)


Labels: , ,


Read more!

SUBSCRIBE and get updates whenever there's a new post at NFL

E-Mail                                Newsreader                   Bookmark
                      Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your blinklist account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your delicious account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your digg account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your fark account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your furl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your newsvine account
                                                                    Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your reddit account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your simpy account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your spurl account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your myyahoo account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your shadows account Add http://namelessfacelesslove.blogspot.com to your sync2it account





Nameless and Faceless From All Over The World



Myspace Map