Tag: ForGodSoLoved

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Unstoppable

Yesterday we saw Jesus facing down His greatness enemy and He emerged victorious.

“Jesus returned to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. News about him spread everywhere. 15 He taught in the Jewish synagogues, and everyone praised him.” Luke 4:14-15 CEV

He came back full of power and ready to take on the world with the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness. He went back to His hometown and this happened.

“he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read, 18 ‘The Lord’s Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, 19 and to say, ‘This is the year the Lord has chosen.’

20 Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue looked straight at Jesus. 21 Then Jesus said to them, ‘What you have just heard me read has come true today.’ 22 All the people started talking about Jesus and were amazed at the wonderful things he said. They kept on asking, ‘Isn’t he Joseph’s son?’…

 You will tell me to do the same things here in my own hometown that you heard I did in Capernaum. 24  But you can be sure that no prophets are liked by the people of their own hometown…28 When the people in the synagogue heard Jesus say this, they became so angry 29 that they got up and threw him out of town. They dragged him to the edge of the cliff on which the town was built, because they wanted to throw him down from there. 30 But Jesus slipped through the crowd and got away.” Luke 4:17-30 CEV

Now wait a minute!

At the beginning of the message they were excited to have Jesus there but at the end when He said that He had fulfilled the Scripture and that they weren’t accepting of Him, they tried to kill Him.

These were people who had seen Him grow up, people who knew His parents, people who had been kids and he probably played with them. Something, someone, had stirred up such anger toward Jesus that they physically dragged Him out of town and were trying to throw Him off a cliff.

I think it’s interesting that just days before this the devil had tried to get Jesus to jump off a cliff to prove He was God’s son and now an angry mob is trying to throw Him off one but He slips away in the confusion of the mob.

He is unstoppable!

The road to the cross was not an easy one. One moment people love you and the next they are trying to kill you. In spite of all of this He kept preaching, teaching, healing, loving and showing compassion.

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 CEV

If Jesus had stopped walking that road we would be lost and have no hope for peace with God. Thank God Jesus was unstoppable!

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One Night A Year

Merry Christmas everyone!

I’ve been sitting here quietly anticipating the waking of the grandkids. Soon the house will come to life, and it will be Christmas…

But why only one night a year?

I saw a headline on my phone this morning that because of the fighting, Christmas has been cancelled in Bethlehem. Really – cancelled?

Christmas is more than just a day on the calendar, it’s an attitude of the heart. Christmas is a person. It’s the knowledge of our Savior’s birth and the impact that has made on our lives all year through. And yes, there are many things that cause us to lose sight of that wonderful joy we experience this time of year and Christmas is often cancelled in our hearts.

Bitterness, loneliness, financial pressures, illness, anger, war and busy-ness all have a way of creeping in and driving Christmas out.

This morning’s picture is of a flower that only blooms one night a year and then dies. How sad! I never want Christmas to be like that. There’s a song on one of my favorite Christmas CD’s, I play it often, “One Night A Year”.

“Once again the presents are resting by the tree
Once again we worship the One who came for you and me
I hear choirs of voices as they’re singing out His name
Again we tell the story of how the Christ Child came

One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year

Once again around the world heads are bowed in prayer
Once again the promise of peace is in the air
But soon will come the morning and the feeling will be past
And I can’t help but wonder why the feeling only lasts

One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year”

The prophets foretell the birth of Christ hundreds of years before it actually happened. Now, here we are hundreds of years later. May we always remember the event that changed the world and not just celebrate it one night a year.

“This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be ‘Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.’” Isaiah 9:6 ERV

Merry Christmas all year through!

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Grateful for Unconditional Love

Unconditional love and loving-kindness walk hand in hand.

We saw over the last week that the loving-kindness of God is His love in action. His protection, provision, peace and forgiveness. Forgiveness is certainly paramount in my life and thoughts.

For years, I felt I had to earn God’s love. I needed to be reading my Bible every day, praying according to some set standard, going to church by man’s standard, doing as many good works as possible and giving, not only finances but my time, according to a standard.

I couldn’t! I didn’t measure up to the standard of a good Christian.

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, there is One Who will go between him and the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One Who is right with God. 2 He paid for our sins with His own blood. He did not pay for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” I John 2:1-2 NLV

My sins – past, present and future – were paid for by Christ. We were on His heart before He went to the cross and willingly gave His life. We were forefront in His thoughts. He died for us. He wanted us to have an unbroken relationship with His Father.

“I do not pray for these followers only. I pray for those who will put their trust in Me through the teaching they have heard. 21 May they all be as one, Father, as You are in Me and I am in You. May they belong to Us. Then the world will believe that You sent Me. 22 I gave them the honor You gave Me that they may be one as We are One. 23 I am in them and You are in Me so they may be one and be made perfect. Then the world may know that You sent Me and that You love them as You love Me.” John 17:20-23 NLV

This was just part of the prayer Jesus prayed on the night He was arrested and taken to trial. His thoughts weren’t on the persecution He was about to face, He was thinking of us!

“The Lord says, ‘I love you people with a love that continues forever. That is why I have continued showing you kindness.'” Jeremiah 31:3 ERV

Forever!

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:22-24 NLT

I want to spend my time walking and talking with Him each day. My Father loves me. All those things I said I felt I had to do to earn and deserve God’s love, I now do because of my love and gratitude for His unconditional love!

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Consider the Cost

What does counting the cost have to do with Thanksgiving?

Many of us are counting the cost these days. The cost of fuel at the gas station, the price of groceries keeps going higher and now we are looking forward to Christmas and the presents we would like to buy for family and friends.

If you’re on a budget all of this brings up the thoughts of cost cutting. But once again, how does this tie into having a thankful heart?

I was reminded of not counting the cost the other day when I came home and heard a song on Pandora.

“Here I am to worship,

Here I am to bow down,

Here I am to say that you’re my God,

You’re altogether lovely,

Altogether worthy,

Altogether wonderful to me.

I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.

I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.

And I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.

No I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.” By Chris Tomlin

“I’ll never know how much it cost”…stop and think about that!

How much did it cost Jesus to bear our sin? It cost Him relationship with His Father. It cost Him His home in heaven, His reputation. He was hated by men and hated by the realm of Satan and his demons and they spent time trying to destroy Him. He was misunderstood by His friends and family. It cost Him His physical life, which He laid down willingly, but only for three days and then He rose again!

Aren’t we glad that Jesus didn’t look for cost saving measures when it came to our salvation. No second-rate sacrifice, only the most costly would do. To Jesus, we were worth it!

“He was hated and rejected; his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering. No one wanted to look at him. We despised him and said, ‘He is a nobody!’ 4 He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. 5 He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well…

8 He was condemned to death without a fair trial. Who could have imagined what would happen to him? His life was taken away because of the sinful things my people had done. 9 He wasn’t dishonest or violent, but he was buried in a tomb of cruel and rich people. 10 The LORD decided his servant would suffer as a sacrifice to take away the sin and guilt of others. Now the servant will live to see his own descendants. He did everything the LORD had planned. 11 By suffering, the servant will learn the true meaning of obeying the LORD.

Although he is innocent, he will take the punishment for the sins of others, so that many of them will no longer be guilty. 12 The LORD will reward him with honor and power for sacrificing his life. Others thought he was a sinner, but he suffered for our sins and asked God to forgive us.” Isaiah 53:3-12 CEV

This is loving kindness. This is how valuable Jesus thinks we are. Thank you Jesus for going through all of this just for me!

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You Are Loved

This morning I have spent some time looking at pictures from four years ago. You see, this is a very special day, it’s our youngest granddaughter’s birthday. This afternoon, all three of our youngest grandkids will be coming for a sleepover. I love being a Bestamor.

I don’t imagine that God has photo albums; He doesn’t need them. We are always present in His thinking. From the day we accept Christ as our Saviour and become a part of His family He takes special interest in us, He even knows the number of hairs on our head.

“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.” Luke 12:6-8 NLT

Even before we accepted Christ He loved us.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:6-8 NLT

Do you see that? Willing to die. There’s a common expression, “that’s to die for”. It’s used to describe excitement over a new car, a good meal, a vacation – but when God used that expression, He was talking about us.

We are that precious and valuable to Him.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NLT

As a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother I feel I have a big capacity to love but as much as I love it isn’t even close to the depth of the love God has for us.

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT

May your day be filled with the thought of this very thing, you are loved so deeply that you were “to die for”.

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Do You See It?

I have always had a vivid imagination.

When I was a young girl, I didn’t need books with pictures because my mind would make the words come to life. It still happens today.

Through my mind’s eye I have seen Daniel in the lions’ den, Miriam standing at the riverside watching over Moses, the leper who was healed, the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ robe and Mary in the garden on resurrection morning.

When I read the last few chapters of John and the story of the crucifixion it’s hard for me because my mind takes me there and I can see the anguish on Jesus’ face as he is stripped, whipped and abused.

“He was hated and men would have nothing to do with Him, a man of sorrows and suffering, knowing sadness well. We hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was hated, and we did not think well of Him.

4 For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows. Yet we thought of Him as being punished and hurt by God, and made to suffer. 5 But He was hurt for our wrong-doing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace. He was beaten so we would be healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone the wrong way. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has put on Him the sin of us all.” Isaiah 53:3-6 NLV

But the thing that has made the biggest impact on me is His eyes. Going through the pain and anguish that He did, His eyes were never angry, they were always filled with love. It was love that held Him to the cross. It was love that forgave the thief hanging next to Him. It was love that asked John to care for His mother. It was love that said, “It is finished”!

“Let us keep looking to Jesus. Our faith comes from Him and He is the One Who makes it perfect. He did not give up when He had to suffer shame and die on a cross. He knew of the joy that would be His later. Now He is sitting at the right side of God.” Hebrews 12:2 NLV

It was the Father’s love for us that sent His Son and it was Jesus’ love for us that compelled Him to die. Both the Father and the Son are the living examples of unconditional love.

” But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NLV

Close your eyes. Do you see it? Jesus is looking at you with a smile on His face and eyes filled with love!

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