What does love look like?

January 20th, 2010

What is love and what does it look like? Have you ever asked yourself this question? It is definitely an intriguing question, isn’t it? We can answer what love is easily. All we have to do is read the bible and it is as simple as the text on the page. But “what does love look like,” is a whole deeper subject.

Love looks different with every culture. To the Rich it may look like buying an extravagant gift, but to the poor it maybe something as simple as sitting down and spending time with them. To some Africans it may look like someone coming to drill a well for them. To some Americans and westerners, it looks like a big diamond ring or Rolex watch. To the Haitians it probably looks like someone digging through a pile of rubble to save their life. The point that I am trying to make is this. We must study one’s culture to properly know how to love and preach the Gospel to them. Not everyone receives love in the same manner. So we must take the time to sit, observe, and study a person’s culture, before we can show them the practical love of Jesus. This process can also be referred to as anthropology. In order to completely fulfill this process, you must be relational. Your goal as a believer, if you are a believer reading this, is to fuse Gods culture with mans culture, whatever it might look like. Not God’s culture, your culture, and another person’s culture. That’s just you building your own kingdom and making little mini-me’s of yourself. We are suppose to be followers of Christ, not followers of certain persons, pastors, teachers, musicians, etc.

I believe that love can be summed up in two words, selflessness and forgiveness. Jesus said himself in

John 15:12-13

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. There’s no Greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.”

We do know that within every culture, love has the same fragrance and texture. That is, selflessness and forgiveness, that’s the whole point of Christ, His coming, and resurrection.

The real struggle is figuring out how to show that selflessness and forgiveness in different cultures.

Even the Apostle Paul had the same views of preaching the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 states.

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

Often I see people who are passionate and zealous about Christ (though that passion and zeal is a wonderful thing and I do not wish to stifle it) who end up doing more harm to the Gospel than good. They simply lack knowledge, and I do blame this lack of knowledge on two parts, lack of studying and lack of discipleship. Zeal without knowledge is mentioned in

Proverbs 19:2,

“Zeal without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.”

You also have

2 Timothy 2:15

“Study to show yourself approved to God, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

And there are several more verses to back up what I’m saying. So study and tell me what they are.

My encouragement to those that are showing and sharing the love of Jesus is to continue doing so, but grow in knowledge. Not just knowledge of the Bible, though that is the most important knowledge, but knowledge of people and their cultures.  Take the time to learn someone before you try “saving” them. Your job is to love and be and example, God’s job is to save them.

I hope you were encouraged while reading this blog. I love you guys and I am so grateful for all you and your support! Keep in touch and come and hang out with me when I am in an area near you.

Love ya guys,

Jeremy Vanderloop

News Update

January 15th, 2010

UPDATE: on The Rescue

Well it has been three long months, but Jeremy Vanderloop’s album, The Rescue, is finally in the mixing stages, and will shortly be off to be Mastered. Thank you all for you support and patience. I know Jeremy really believes you are going to enjoy it!

RECORD OVER VIEW:

The Record is a 10 song LP (Long Play) and includes several different styles from ballads to acoustic pop, even a little Heavy Acoustic Rock. Everything is focused around the Acoustic Guitar, for the most part. There are two different versions of Baby Girl. The first is a heavy guitar driven song, which is around four minutes in length.  The second is a seven minute piano song where it is just Jeremy and a piano, passionately pouring his heart and soul into every lyric. I am positive when you hear it you will be moved.

For those that are signed up on the newsletter, you have already received some of this information, because you are special.  If you want to be special too, just go to the bottom of this page and sign up for the newsletter, it’s just that easy! You will receive the most up to date news about Jeremy, his ministry, and music.

The song list on the album is:
  1. Holy Holy Holy
  2. Glory Glory
  3. The Rescue (Title Track)
  4. Baby Girl
  5. Song Of The Martyr
  6. Forever And A Day
  7. More Than Ever
  8. These Are The Days (Mom’s Song)
  9. Baby Girl Novel ( 7 min piano song)
  10. Send Me
OTHER NEWS:

Jeremy has recently teamed up with a Cellist, you will have to come and hear them together. The set has such a unique sound and feel, that you will not forget it. The cellist’s name is CJ and of course if you know anything about Jeremy, there is always a unique story behind anything that happens to him.

CJ and Jeremy went to Largo High School together and graduated the same year in 2006. They lost touch for the past three and a half years. Then CJ ended up coming across Jeremy on Facebook. They starting talking on Facebook chat and Jeremy had to cut the conversation short to meet a friend at Starbucks. That same night after not talking or seeing one another for years, they just happened to run into each other at Starbucks (FYI Jeremy did not tell CJ where he was going). They exchanged numbers and got together a couple days later. That is where Jeremy realized that CJ could play cello. They got together to jam, jelled so good, that Jeremy asked CJ to start playing with him. They are currently practicing on twenty songs together. Ten worship songs, and ten of Jeremy’s original songs. Jeremy’s goal is to take CJ on his first tour.

Be sure to keep checking on Jeremy and CJ’s progress as the weeks and months go on, and come out to say hi at one of Jeremy’s concerts/worship events. As Jeremy would say, Love ya guys!!

Welcome to the new Jeremy Vanderloop website

January 1st, 2010

Welcome to the new Jeremy Vanderloop website, I am so glad you have come to check it out! Feel free to look around. First, is the “NEWS” section, where you can see the latest things happening with music, tours, release dates, etc.  Then you come to the “BLOG” Section. This is simply that, a blog. I will try and blog at least once a month, and hopefully more. Third is “MUSIC.” Listen to my music free from home or anywhere you can find internet connection. Additionally this is where you will be able to catch the first look at the new record, “The Rescue.” Next comes “SHOWS,” you can see if I am coming to an area near you and also get directions from Google Maps! Make sure you check this section regularly. I would love to meet you at one of the concerts! Next  is the “ABOUT” section.   This area has first my mission statement and Biography, as well as what others have been saying about my music and ministry. Last but not least, we come to the “CONTACT” section. Here you can book me for concerts, or simply say hey.

As you have probably noticed there are things that never change on the page. My Twitter at the top right corner, you can follow me by simply clicking on the widget and it will take you to my Twitter page. At the bottom is a sign up for my monthly newsletter. If you type in your email then you are signed up, it is that easy! It is also just as easy to unsubscribe. I will not be sending you an email every day, just once a month. At the very bottom of the site, you will see my logo,  as well as links to Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube.  Please be sure to add me and stay connected with me.

I have saved the coolest part for last. You can interact with me and comment on pretty much anything I say on the site. I really love this feature because it allows me to be more connected to my fans, who I consider my friends!! I love you guys and I am so glad that the gift God has given me is allowing me to meet such wonderful people! I hope you all know that you mean a lot to me. You are the reason why I write songs, simply for you to know that you are loved and adorned by the Most High God. Love you guys and hope 2010 is an awesome year!

Self-Controlled Choice

December 31st, 2009

Hey guys, here’s a blog I wrote several months ago. I am going to start working on another one. But I didn’t want this page to be blank.

This is an entry I wrote in my journal today and decided that it is so profound. That I should share it with you all.

9/12/2009 (1:33 P.M.) I also had another revelation this week, and that is that every morning when I wake up I won’t feel like praying, I would rather curse God. Also in the same effect, I would rather burn the bible instead of read it, and when I do feel like reading the Bible or praying, then it is simply by His grace and mercy that I have the feeling of desire to read that day. What I am saying is that, in my flesh, I am so wicked that I would not want to spend close, quiet time with God. But rather, I would want to do the exact opposite. Therefore, I must make a self-controlled choice and decision to wake up and spend time with the Lord, no matter what I feel! Paul explained this struggle like this: “I die daily.” I must choose to put to death my selfish sin nature and walk out His Divine Holy nature that dwells inside of me. (Read 2 Peter 1:3-8) This revelation and understanding came about when I heard a dear friend of mine saying, “if you don’t have the desire to read the Bible then there is something wrong with you and you must repent.” The truth is that there is something wrong with all of us…it is called SIN! We have something called GRACE which enables us to chose to either walk in our sin selfish nature or our new divine holy nature, which is given through the sacrifice of Jesus.

My brothers and sisters, do not fall into condemnation or self-righteousness, but know this, that our desire is not based on our feelings, but our choice. We must live a lifestyle of repentance and learn to dwell in His grace. Romans 5:20-21 says: “The law came in so that the transgression (sin) would increase; But where sin increase, grace abound all the more. So that as sin reigned in death even so grace would reign through righteousness in Jesus Christ which leads to eternal life.” This is basically saying that we cannot out sin God’s grace. In proper context this is not saying that we have a pass to continue on sinning. Romans 6:1-2 says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue on in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!!! For how can we who have died to sin still live in it?”

In closing, let us be encouraged to rest in the grace of Jesus Christ our King and God. The choice is yours. Please choose to walk out His divine nature that is in you and not the selfish sin nature that is also in you.

MAKE THE CHOICE AND REST IN GRACE!!!!

Love, Jeremy Vanderloop