God is Love.
When you repeat those words, you tend to want to feel them as well. The feelings support the belief, but those same feelings can also hinder understanding the depth of the truth they convey.
God is Love.
We find those words written in the letter attributed to the Apostle John, one of Jesus’ original twelve disciples, which we refer to as 1 John.
“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” – I John 4:15-16
Most scholars believe this letter is one of the last written that we find in the Bible, dating from somewhere between 60 and 70 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. Much had happened in those years. The Jewish religious leaders had run the followers of Jesus out of Israel. It’s referred to in textbooks as the “Diaspora”, which comes from a Greek word meaning “to scatter.” It was violence that scattered them, and it was the scattering that brought the message of Jesus to the Asian, African, and European continents.
The violence was not exclusive to Israel, where early letters recorded the death of John the Baptist (Matthew 14), Stephen (Acts 7), and James, the brother of John (Acts 12). It seemed to follow the believers wherever they went. One by one, the loyal companions of Jesus Christ spread their message of love and forgiveness only to be put to death. Peter was crucified and Paul was beheaded in Rome. Andrew was crucified in Greece. Matthew was stabbed in the back as he prayed in Ethiopia.
The Apostle John was not spared the violence, but was spared his life. After torture, he was exiled to Patmos, a remote island, where he was to live the rest of his days in solitude. It was here, in solitude, that John had all the time in the world to reflect on the past 80 years of his life. Time to reflect on truth and error. Time to recollect the memories of his time with Jesus, as well as the years of difficulty that had followed. Time to grieve the loss of family and friends. Time to ask the deeper questions, like, “Was it worth it?” It was here, alone on the Island of Patmos, that John picked up a quill, dipped it into ink, and put these words on paper…
God is Love.
It makes me wonder if John’s feelings matched those words as he wrote them. John must have worried that the message entrusted to the disciples by Jesus might be lost in the violence and martyrdom of his friends. Yet, “we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love,” is the truth within which John’s life remained firmly rooted.
Ministry can be lonely and discouraging at times. No matter what you are experiencing or feeling today, those words are still as true as they were when they were originally written.
I encourage you to look for ways to be an expression of that love today.
Dean Kuest
This is not a typical bio I would use to introduce myself to strangers, but ministry is often where we present our best on the “front stage” and hide the dirt “backstage.” Like social media, it is easy to produce the stuff that makes us look great, but I long for relationships that are real…so here is my “honest” bio.
I am a husband of 33 years to my beautiful wife, Leslie. I am a pastor and a PK who raised five PKs (all boys). I am now Pops to five grandchildren (four girls in there – finally). I have a great relationship with my parents and my boys. I’m so proud of each of them.
I am an example of failure—I have put my work above my wife for many years. I have never had an affair, but the church has been my mistress at times. Leslie has been gracious, and we have worked through those wounds and scars. We are an example of perseverance, and I am so grateful for the love we nurture.
I was blessed to be rooted in one church in the Phoenix area for 25 years. I was blessed to be uprooted and lead a church plant in the Seattle area for eight years. I have climbed the ladder of leadership in an exceptionally large church. And I have been humbled by a complete loss of confidence at the end of my time in Seattle.
I sought help and learned several things about myself.
I tried to do everything myself and had poor stress management.
I have ADD and need strategies and medication to deal with it.
I had a hormone imbalance that contributed to my anxiety.
Thirteen years later, I continue to learn about those strategies and how to tap into the support I need.
I was one of the original nine pastors who met together in 2018 to dream the dream that has become the Matthew 5:9 Fellowship. I am passionate about the Gospel, the love and grace of Jesus, and I long to be a peacemaker in a polarized world. I have learned to be honest about what God has gifted me to do and where my abilities fall short.
I like to build and create. I don’t like to maintain. I have always had great people skills, but I am a poor administrator and event organizer. I lead with grace because I know I have needed it throughout my life and ministry. I am not always good at giving myself grace because I have a VERY LOUD inner critic who is very opinionated and always self-effacing. I am a gifted coach and mentor and connect well with younger generations of pastors.
I would love to come alongside you as a coach. As a reminder, the first session is free, and the Matthew 5:9 Fellowship will pay for two more.
Shoot me an email if that is something you would like to explore.
