Tag: GodSoLoved

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True Love Lasts

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! I thank you for spending a small portion of your day with me.

This morning it’s only appropriate that I bring you a message of love straight from the Father’s heart. But really, I believe that’s what I do every morning.

These are the words that the Apostle John wrote in the first chapter of his book which chronicled the life of Jesus. John is often referred to as the disciple that Jesus loved. John was one of Jesus’ closest friends, he was one of the people on earth who knew Jesus the best.

“The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his divine greatness—the greatness that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace and truth. 15 John told people about him. He said loudly, ‘This is the one I was talking about when I said, “The one who is coming after me is greater than I am, because he was living before I was even born.”‘

16 Yes, the Word was full of grace and truth, and from him we all received one blessing after another. 17 That is, the law was given to us through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son is the one who has shown us what God is like. He is himself God and is very close to the Father,” John 1:14-18 ERV

The reason Jesus came to earth and lived as a man was to show us all what God was like. Jesus embodied the loving kindness, the grace and mercy of the Father. Jesus lived a life of compassion and healing. He comforted those who were hurting and outcast in society.

“ Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ERV

Because of God’s great love He gave what was most important to Him, He gave us His Son so that we could experience this wonderful love of God.

“The Lord came to us from far away, saying, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. So I have helped you come to Me with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:2-4 NLV

God doesn’t just have love, He is love! His total being is the embodiment of love and He sent His Son to share that love with us.

“ We were weak and could not help ourselves. Then Christ came at the right time and gave His life for all sinners. 7 No one is willing to die for another person, but for a good man someone might be willing to die. 8 But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 NLV

God’s love is true. God’s love is eternal and God’s love has been given freely to all of us. True love lasts forever!

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Dyed Red

Today’s blog is a Valentine’s message.

One of my favorite chapters on the love of God is Colossians 2. The Apostle Paul writes about what Jesus did on the cross for us and how his death set us free from our sin and made us acceptable to God. I want to focus in on one phrase that has always had particular meaning to me.

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Colossians 2:14

The Old King James English phrase “Blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances against us” drew my attention.

Writing a document in Jesus’ day required extreme patience. No erasers or delete buttons – every word had to be carefully written. If there was a mistake, the document had to be thrown away. Some corrections would be acceptable, but the paper would have to be so saturated with ink that the word or the mistake was completely blotted out so that it was no longer legible.

This is the picture that Paul is painting for us here. There was a document with a long list of sins we have committed, God’s laws we have broken, and Jesus “Blotted” out the list. He took and nailed it to His cross. His blood cancelled the evidence of our sin. It was dyed red. Amen!!

Jesus completely defeated His enemy; the one accuses us of the things we have done. Jesus rendered him powerless for all the spiritual world to see. We are now free to live for Christ, through God’s amazing love!

“You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14 Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:13-15 ERV

God promises that He will not remember our sins and the wrong that we have done.

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 10: 16-17

How can He do that?

Simple – God the Father chooses to hit the delete button; crash the hard drive; He blots them out. Why? Because He is our LOVING heavenly father.

“His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 The LORD is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children.” Psalm 103:11-13

The page from our life’s book that has all our sins written on it has been dyed red. The handwriting is no longer visible. Thank you, Jesus, for Your shed blood!

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Take A Walk

When you read the Bible, do you read it as if you are there? Do you take time to look around and see what was going on and how people are affected by the story that is being revealed?

Can you imagine what you would do if you were in their shoes? I am always amazed as I read the account of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, and then the first couple of verses of Matthew 8.

Here Jesus has been teaching all day. The hillside is covered with people, children are playing and adults are trying to hear what Jesus is saying. Jesus has positioned himself in such a way that his voice carries down the hillside, without the amplification that we have today.

“Blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted…You are a light on a hill, don’t hide under a bushel…Heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will never pass away…Forgive, be faithful to your mate, don’t seek revenge…Give to the poor, pray often, don’t make money your master…don’t worry…God knows what you need, seek Him first and everything else will be added…take care of the beam in your own eye before you try to remove a splinter from your brother’s…ask & it will be given, seek & find, knock & it will open…bear good fruit…build on a solid foundation (the Word) and you’ll make it through the storms…”

All day long Jesus preached, the multitude listened, now the teaching is over and Jesus heads down the hill with his followers. But this is where the story runs into a road block! A leper, who has obviously been waiting at the bottom of the hill, can’t contain himself. He comes running and puts himself right in front of Jesus.

Unclean, unclean!

I can see the shock and repulsion on the face of the people. This leper should not be in close contact with all of us good “clean” people.

Wow! Weren’t you just listening – about removing beams and judging not? But this leper had been listening. He heard Jesus say, “ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find”.

It seems all the others on the hillside had heard words, words, words. Amen. But this leper had heard a message that would change his life forever. It brought hope and faith so he came to ask and to receive. What would you have done if you were in his shoes?

“Jesus came down from the hill, and a large crowd followed him. 2 Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, “Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.” 3 Jesus touched the man. He said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at you. And offer the gift that Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed” Matthew 8:1-4

He received!!!

He asked and he received. Jesus did tell him to go show himself to the priest and have them declare him clean. He needed that pronouncement according to Jewish law to be able to go back home and live among his family and friends again. And he needed to offer sacrifice.

All the people that heard Jesus preach on the hillside that day but only one came to Jesus to receive! I guess it amazes me because for many years I just heard words, words, words about Jesus; of the things He had done, the way He lived and I read the stories in the Old Testament and thought how neat that would have been. I did let it impact and change my life to a small degree but then the Holy Spirit became my teacher and started showing me that what happened in the Bible was available to me today.

My life has been forever changed and I can identify with that leper. I was unclean but one touch from Jesus has cleansed my life forever! To God be the Glory!

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Mary Did You Know?

A good portion of the country is having really bad weather – the snow, subzero temperatures, the wind!

I got to wondering what the weather must have been like travelling to Bethlehem all those years ago. I know it wouldn’t have been subzero but it can get cold in the desert regions. Was there rain?

Ladies, imagine this…9 months pregnant, riding a donkey, sleeping under the stars. Regardless of the weather, it may have been perfect, but that’s not the time you want to try out the new tent and sleeping bags you just got from BassPro, right?

What was Mary thinking, this was certainly a “memory maker”? Did the trip affect her disposition? What questions did this young woman have, after all it was her first pregnancy?

Mary, did you know?

” So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box. 17 When they saw the baby, they told what the angels said about this child. 18 Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary continued to think about these things, trying to understand them.” Luke 2:16-19 ERV

As a mother, I sit here this morning remembering different Christmas mornings with my children and grandchildren. I pray that the significance of that first Christmas morning stays as the focal point in their lives long after I am gone.

Last night I put down the knitting needles and washed the final baking dish of the season. The gifts are finished, and the baked goods have been distributed to friends and neighbors. I want to be remembered not for the goodies and the handmade gifts but for honoring the Lord and being obedient to Him.

I want to keep the attitude of heart that Mary had. The heart of a servant.

“ Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38 NLT

There are not enough words of gratitude to possibly express my heart’s joy over the events of that first Christmas morning and how it’s changed my life. My desire is to be a faithful ambassador for Christ, sharing His love with those around me.

“ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us…” II Corinthians 5:19-20a NLT

Mary, did you know that your obedience would change the world?

Thank you, Father, for loving me enough to give me the gift of Your Son and a relationship of eternal life with You that first Christmas day.

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Just Because

When I woke up this morning, my heart was filled with so much love and thanksgiving to the Lord.

Just because…

because He’s God, because He loves me, because He knows me and loves me still. When Jesus was born, wise men from the East saw His star and came to worship Him just because.

” Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 ERV

They knew the heavens declared the glory of God and they came to see the child.

My “just because” came when I realized that God was not holding my sin against me but that I had been “justified freely” by His grace.

” Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. 23 Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; 24 yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.

25 For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath.” Romans 3:22-24 TLB

God loves us just because, and because He does He sent His Son!

“ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world! ” John 1:29 ERV

Just because of His great love He has given me a robe of right-standing to wear.

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 NLT

Jesus came just because of God’s great love!

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Seek for What’s Lost

Have you ever lost anything?

Maybe it’s your car keys, glasses, a special dish, jewelry, a family heirloom, money, a child! Each one of these items probably brought a different reaction in your thinking – a smile when thinking of losing your keys or glasses, a sense of gratitude at finding an heirloom or something of monetary value but an absolutely overwhelming peace and relief at finding a child!

When Kaci, our youngest daughter, was in pre-school they went on a field trip to Sea World in San Diego. I went along as one of the parent helpers. Another parent helper was my friend Theresa. She had 2 children in the preschool but she also had 2 other little ones that were younger than that. We had a wonderful day – the kids had a ball. All was well!

It was getting time to leave and each parent was responsible to see that their group had gone to the bathroom and had all their belongings before we started on the hour’s drive north to the school. Suddenly, there was a frantic movement in one of the other groups. It was Theresa’s. The twins were gone! They had just been there at the fountain with all the others and now they were gone. We got all our kids to sit down out of the way of foot traffic, left a couple of parents with the group and began searching, praying and searching, for Luke and Lizzie. It seemed like hours but was really only about 15 minutes and they had been found! Relief, tears, joy, peace!!

I was reminded of this story this morning as I thought of a verse in Luke 19. Jesus was walking through town and Zacchaeus had climbed a tree to get a look at this man that everyone was talking about. Jesus spotted him and called him down from the tree. Then Jesus said that he wanted to go to Zacchaeus’ home.

The Pharisees, the religious rulers of the day, were critical of Jesus for associating with “such a low life”, my paraphrase of Zacchaeus’ character. You see, Zacch worked for the IRS and had just been in hearings in front of the Senate committee for misappropriating funds and lying about how much taxes the folks owed. Oh, wait – no that’s another story. But by his own admission, Zacchaeus had taken money wrongfully from the citizens. The Pharisees felt justified with their criticism of Jesus and Zacchaeus.

Now hear Jesus words:

” For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 ESV

He, Jesus, came to seek and to save the lost! That’s the reason He came on that Christmas morning.

With the same singleness of purpose that we searched for Luke & Lizzie, Jesus “just happened” to walk down a road by a big tree – He just happened to look up and call to a man that others would ignore. Zacchaeus went to see Jesus, but Jesus was seeking to touch and save Zacchaeus.

I want to ask a personal question. If we lived in Jesus’ time and saw Him hanging out with the IRS agents, hookers, liars, politicians, etc. would we be critical of Him for making association with people of such low degree? Or would we realize that He was on a mission from the Father to find and save a lost child?

May the love of God flow through us today and allow the Father to use us to seek out, befriend and find the lost!

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Dinner’s Over…

But the joy remains!

Do you remember that sound of laughter, the fun and contentment from yesterday? Everyone around the table enjoying one another’s company?

Isn’t it great to know that we can have that for all eternity? Our heavenly Father is waiting for us all to come to His dinner table – to laugh, to sing, just to be together and enjoy His presence!

Now that will be a wonderful dinner of Thanksgiving. All of us have been invited to that wonderful supper.

“Then I heard what seemed to be a large crowd that sounded like a roaring flood and loud thunder all mixed together. They were saying,

‘Praise the Lord! Our Lord God All-Powerful now rules as king. 7 So we will be glad and happy and give him praise. The wedding day of the Lamb is here, and his bride is ready. 8 She will be given a wedding dress made of pure and shining linen. This linen stands for the good things God’s people have done.’

9 Then the angel told me, ‘Put this in writing. God will bless everyone who is invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.‘ The angel also said, ‘These things that God has said are true.'” Revelation 19:6-9 CEV

We have all been invited to that feast. The invitation is open-ended.

“ It says this because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all people. And he richly blesses everyone who looks to him for help. 13 Yes, ‘everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved.‘” Romans 10:12-13 ERV

Everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved. Everyone. I hope and pray that you have placed your trust in Him.

Accept the invitation and join in the heavenly dinner that God is preparing for us.

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Think On His Goodness

Choose to let yesterday go! Those are the words that filled my morning mediation. I choose to let yesterday go and live today in God’s goodness.

Yesterday after work I began preparation of the recipes I am making for Thanksgiving dinner. I had a recipe card before me. It was probably written 50 years ago. My handwriting but my mother’s recipe.

I assembled the ingredients on the cupboard and then concentrated on the exact ingredients, measuring correctly, not guessing as I sometimes do. You see, this time I’m taking it to share with friends, and I wanted it to be good, not just ok.

That was what I thought of as the Lord prompted me to let yesterday go and live today in His goodness.

I’m to use the same concentration that I did in getting each ingredient of the recipe measured correctly. I needed to measure His goodness, His love and not let anything else contaminate the recipe.

“Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 NLV

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 136:1 NKJV

“ For sure, You will give me goodness and loving-kindness all the days of my life. Then I will live with You in Your house forever.” Psalm 23:6 NLV

“Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever.” Psalm 106:1 NLV

The recipe for a life focused on God’s goodness is one void of anger, frustration, and strife. Those ingredients sour and taint the pleasing flavor of the life God intends us to have.

Make today one where you savor the goodness of God!

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A Father’s Prayer

We have three children, two are married, five grandchildren, two are married, and two great grandchildren. We are blessed!

We pray for them daily and many times a day as the Lord puts them on our hearts. This morning, I was praying for them and the joys and obstacles that they face each day. In that, my heart began to feel a bit overwhelmed. So, I did what the Word says.

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:7 CEV

“6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

And then I was reminded of these verses:

“All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and the well-being of your children will be great. 14 All will be right and good for you. No one over you will make it hard for you, and you will not be afraid. You will be far from trouble, for it will not come near you.” Isaiah 54:13-14 NLV

“ See what great love the Father has for us that He would call us His children. And that is what we are. For this reason the people of the world do not know who we are because they did not know Him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now. But it has not yet been shown to us what we are going to be. We know that when He comes again, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.” I John 3:1-2 NLV

“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 morning, I got a deeper vision of the Father’s love for each one of us. We are His children, we were adopted into His family when we placed our trust in Him. I only have fourteen in my prayers, He has millions.

How great is the Father’s love for us! The Holy Spirit prays for us just as Jesus did.

“God knows the hearts of men. He knows what the Holy Spirit is thinking. The Holy Spirit prays for those who belong to Christ the way God wants Him to pray.28 We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan.” Romans 8:27-28 NLV

My heart is at peace. Peace because I know that the Father hears and answers prayer and He is praying for us. Thank you, Father, for Your prayers!

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Not Enough Words

My dad told me I started talking in small sentences before I was one and he reminded me that I really hadn’t stopped since. I was a chatterbox – got marked down in school for talking during class and even won first place in the state speech contest.

But this morning, I am having a hard time coming up with enough words to express my wonder and amazement in the goodness of God and His overwhelming love!

Shocking, isn’t it?

In the book of John, we see Jesus’ interaction with those who are hurting, outcast, needy and sometimes completely alone. Jesus has turned the water into wine, fed the 5000, calmed the storm, walked on water, healed the blind, defended the adulterous woman, healed a lame man and the centurion’s son and eaten with tax collectors and other sinners.

The religious leaders always questioned His authority to do such things.

“It was winter, and the time came for the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. 23 Jesus was in the Temple area at Solomon’s Porch. 24 The Jewish leaders gathered around him. They said, ‘How long will you make us wonder about you? If you are the Messiah, then tell us clearly.’

25 Jesus answered, ‘I told you already, but you did not believe. I do miracles in my Father’s name. These miracles show who I am. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give my sheep eternal life. They will never die, and no one can take them out of my hand. 29 My Father is the one who gave them to me, and he is greater than all. No one can steal my sheep out of his hand. 30 The Father and I are one.’” John 10:22-30 ERV

Every time Jesus did something wonderful for the people, these men were there to question his motives and his character. They wanted to kill him for doing good!

In the face of accusation, Jesus stays on point. “I am doing what my Father sent me to do – the Father and I are one!”

That truly is the definition of love; love is patient and kind, love suffers long, love thinks the best.

Jesus is our example for walking in love. When we are falsely accused and maligned, when the folks around us are so angry that they would like to destroy us, can we walk in love? I started to pray “Lord I want to walk in that love” and then I realized what that meant. It’s a hard prayer to pray. That truly is where I desire to be – Christ like.

The words of the song “Reckless Love” came up in my heart.

“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God,”

I thank the Father that He is conforming me to His image so I can walk in that depth of His overwhelming, never-ending reckless love. Now I will sit in silence and let Him speak to my heart.

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