Category: Romans

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What Do You Reflect

This morning’s verses deal mostly with other’s reaction when we choose to stand on God’s word. Their response isn’t always favorable. Think back to a time when you weren’t really interested in spiritual things or in bringing honor to the Lord. Did you avoid or ridicule those you considered religious?

We should desire to reflect God’s purpose and teachings.

“41 Lord, show me your faithful love. Save me, as you promised. 42 Then I will have an answer for those who make fun of me for trusting what you say. 43 Let me always say what is true. I depend on your judgment to be fair. 44 I will follow your teachings forever and ever. 45 So I will live in freedom, because I do my best to know your instructions. 46 I will discuss your rules with kings, and no one will embarrass me. 47 What joy your commands give me! How I love them! 48 Not only do I love your commands, but I also honor them. I will study your laws.” Psalm 119:41-48

I want us to take a walk through the Bible and look at folks who took a stand for God and met with adverse reaction.

Noah – laughed at by his neighbors when He said God was going to send a flood but he and his family escaped.

Joseph – told his brothers the vision he had from God and they sold him into slavery. Then Joseph was set up to save his brothers from famine.

Moses – he tried to defend the Israelites from the Egyptians and they rejected him and God. But then he led them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea.

David – said he could defeat the giant and his brothers accused him of being arrogant and a braggart. He saved Israel and went on to be king.

Daniel – stood for God and his time of prayer and was thrown into the lion’s den by his co-workers because of it. God saved him and his enemies were destroyed.

3 Hebrew children – would only worship God and not the king so they were thrown into the fiery furnace. God rescued them and the king promoted them.

Jesus – spoke God’s truth and was crucified. He rose from the dead and provided salvation for us all.

Peter – was thrown into prison and beaten for preaching Jesus. He went on to become known as a leader among Christians.

Paul – was beaten, stoned, and imprisoned for preaching Jesus. He wrote over ½ of the New Testament.

Early Christians – martyred in the Coliseum for preaching Jesus. They gave their lives gladly for the cause of Christ.

I have a couple of personal experiences to share. At my 20th High School reunion, I had a man come up to me and tell me that he had gone to a youth meeting I had invited him to and accepted Christ as his Savior. I never knew. I was teased and unpopular in high school because I stood boldly for my faith.

There was a man who traveled with us when we went to rodeos in AZ. We would hold Bible Study and Sunday services for the cowboys and those in attendance. This man was so excited about Jesus that he was always met with one of two reactions. Either people flocked to him to hear what he had to say or the turned around and ran the other direction. There was no indifference.

All of these verses today reflect David’s rejection from his peers because of his stand for God. Maybe you have been embarrassed to share your relationship with the Lord with others. Or maybe you have been bold enough to share it and faced the taunts and jeers of others.

I’m not telling you to try and beat someone over the head with your Bible or to shove Jesus down their throats but be open to live your life committed to bringing God glory. Folks will notice and they will either want to know more or they will make fun and ridicule. It’s our job to be a testimony, 24/7, and the job the Holy Spirit to do the rest.

I leave you with the words of Paul. “I am proud (not ashamed) of the Good News, because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes—to save the Jews first, and now to save those who are not Jews. 17 The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself. God’s way of making people right begins and ends with faith. As the Scriptures say, “The one who is right with God by faith will live forever.”Romans 1:16-17

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White As Snow

Yesterday morning after I had written and posted my blog I took Glory on a morning walk. There’s a new house being built down the road and we stopped to good through it. It was interesting to see the bedrooms, the closets, the bathrooms – it was all framed in. We had walked by when they were clearing the lot and when the footing was being dug and even the day the concrete trucks came and poured the foundation. But I hadn’t seen it up close since they started the framing.

While I was there I noticed the concrete. As often happens in this area, there were some cracks in it. Those will be covered over soon and no one will realize they had ever been there. That made me think again about what I had written on “No Shame” just that morning. As I finished my walk, my mind was racing considering the other side of the coin.

When we follow the Lord he won’t lead us to do anything that we need to be ashamed of. However, we all know that there are things in life that we aren’t proud of and would prefer to keep covered. Things of our own making, things God had nothing to do with. It could be something as simple as being a High School dropout; an arrest record; a failed marriage; a bankruptcy; an affair; an abandon relationship; or whatever event or action you would know about yourself that no one else does.

The Lord knows how to deal with those areas of shame.

“Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. 3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” Psalm 3:1-3 KJV

These words were written by King David when his son Absalom was trying to kill him and take his throne. David said that the Lord was his shield of protection and the lifter of his head.

When you’ve experienced shame in your life it’s hard to look others in the eye. Someone who has been shamed will walk around head down but the Lord comes in, forgives our failure and our intentional sin and lifts our head. He brings a change to our countenance and restoration to our lives.

“And I will forgive the wrongs they have done, and I will not remember their sins.” Hebrews 8:12ERV

“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 ERV

“I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18 ERV

Our failures, our shame, our sin should by all rights keep us separated from a perfect and just God. In our own efforts we can never be good enough to remove our own shame. God knew that and He had a plan, a wonderful plan.

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.

9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. 10 Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life.” Romans 8:6-10 CEV

What a great way to start the new year – shame removed! Head help high, walking in peace with God!!

“But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.” I John 1:9 ERV

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The Gift of a Father

For the last several days we’ve been looking at the different names and characteristics of Jesus that are mentioned in Isaiah. He was given to us for a purpose, to restore us in relationship to God the Father. One purpose but it was multi-faceted in execution.

“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

We have looked at Jesus as the Counsellor, Almighty God and the Prince of Peace. This morning we will look at him as the eternal father or as the translation above says, the Father who lives forever.

I lost my dad almost 12 years ago and I miss him! But before he died, we lost him to dementia. I don’t think it was called Alzheimer but all in the same I saw him fade away. He was a wonderful man; tough but loving!

For those of you who are familiar with an older country song, Daddy’s Hands, the lyrics pretty much describe him to a T. I loved going fishing with him, Saturday mornings going to get donuts, dove hunting, watching him play with my children and taking them fishing…. A good man. He loved to sing and I loved to sing with him. One of my final visits home I enjoyed a cherished time; daddy was having a hard time sleeping so I went in and sat on his bed in the dark and sang hymns and choruses to him, sometimes he sang along and others he would just lay there and listen. He slept well those nights, I’m glad!

One of the main things I remember about Christmas was my dad reading the Christmas story each Christmas morning before we opened our presents, that’s why we did the same with our kids and grandkids. Then Daddy would pray and we would open gifts. I only remember 2 or 3 presents I received as a child but I always remember the story and the prayer.

I know not everyone had a relationship with their dad the way I did. I know not everyone can recall such wonderful memories. However, now with him gone, I also am drawn even closer in my relationship with my heavenly Father. He’s always here, I can hear His voice and feel His presence and it makes me glad. He is the Father who lives forever and will never die. My heavenly Father is my strength when I feel weak, my joy when depression would like to take over and my peace in every situation. There’s nothing that I have faced in the past or that will flood my future that He doesn’t know about and He has provided an answer for.

Everlasting Father. Just those two words bring comfort and contentment.

“Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. 15 God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.[a] 16 God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children.” Romans 8:14-16 CEV

[a] “Abba” (meaning “father”), which shows the close relation between the children and their father.

To me the word Abba means daddy.

If you didn’t have a father like mine, you can have the same heavenly Father and His love is so much deeper, so much greater, so much more intimate than what I experienced with my natural Father. If you do or did have a wonderful relationship with your Father, it can bring you such joy to know that you never have to be without that closeness of the heart, the warmth, the acceptance, the unconditional love with your heavenly Father too.

What a wonderful gift we have been given – the Everlasting Father!

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The Gift of Adoption

I recently watched a video of a young couple who adopted a little baby girl. It was a very touching story – made me cry! Their desire for this child was overwhelming; the news of her birth filled their hearts with joy and their eyes with tears. Then came the moment that they saw her for the very first time – the cradled her in their arms, kissed her repeatedly and yes, there were more tears. Finally they had the opportunity to introduce her to the rest of the family, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews. What joy!

The video finally ended with them speaking vows of commitment to her. (Remember the power of words) They united themselves to her, to love and provide for her, to give her everything she needed (not wanted) for life. They promised to protect, to nurture, to love, to encourage, to listen, to correct.

An adopted child is a chosen child. Your heart reaches out to hold what you didn’t conceive. The bond is just as strong!

Did you know that we have all received the gift of adoption?

The Apostle Paul writes about that in Ephesians and Romans and tells us that we have been adopted by God in heaven and it’s Jesus would did all that was necessary to make the adoption complete.

“Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:4-6 CEV

And in another translation

“Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

5 For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]—

6 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:4-6 AMP

Read through that again. I know it’s lengthy but break it down phrase by phrase. God the Father, the loving heavenly father, picked us out from himself. He made a way for us to be blameless (that’s grace) and He loves us!

We’re His kids and He wants us to come Him the same way loving, earthly fathers want their kids to come to them. He wants to teach, protect us, enjoy life with us. He wants us to come often and with excitement to be in his presence.

“The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 15 The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen (adopted) children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “ Abba,(Daddy) Father.” 16 And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:14-16 ERV

My Dad was a good guy – I enjoyed my time of hunting and fishing with him. He was strong and protective. He was honest and accepting. He wasn’t perfect and he was a strict and a disciplinarian but he taught me right from wrong. He was a good example of what a dad should be so when I think about my heavenly Father I have a good basis of what a Father is and does. I know that not everyone has that ability because their earthly fathers weren’t kind.

Let me leave you with one verse this morning.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

Take time to go to your Heavenly Father this morning and thank Him for adopting you. Thank Him that you were chosen and that He invites you to come to Him any time, no matter the need and that He will help and treat you with kindness. And then, if you don’t have a good image of a Father, ask Him to show you what it really means to be his adopted child. He’ll be glad to demonstrate His love in a way that you can understand!

“But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 AMP

Oh yes, what a joy to be adopted!

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The Gift of Constant Peace

And his name shall be called “Prince of Peace”.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 KJV

Peace: quietness, stillness, rest, prosperity. Jesus came to bring peace.

I live in a small community so we don’t have many of the external factors that disturb the peace; we don’t have a lot of fires or accidents that bring the sirens, no traffic jams, or fighting for parking places. To us a crowd is more than 3 people in line at the grocery store and the biggest disturbance is the school bus that rushes down the road each morning or the Fed-X truck each afternoon. In fact, in the evening we can hear the deer as they walk through the brush on the lot next door, the quail calling for the chicks and the dove cooing in the trees.

But regardless of our lack of external factors, the internal ones are the same no matter where you are. Anxiety, interpersonal conflict, health concerns, financial issues – those affect everyone no matter where you live. A sense of peace was so important to God that he made it part of His name, “Prince of Peace”. The peace that He was referring too will bring us peace in all the areas listed above. He was talking about peace between God and man. I’ve heard it said that there are 365 verses in the Bible that tell us not to worry or be anxious or afraid; one for each day of the year!

“Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor].” Luke 2:14 AMP

Peace between God and man was broken in the garden of Eden when Adam sinned. Their relationship was affected and Christ came to restore that relationship. He came to reconcile the relationship between God and man.

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Jesus spoke to his followers time and again about peace. And one of the last things He told them was this.

“Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]” John 14:26 AMP

This was His instruction right before His crucifixion. He was talking to them about peace. The angels announced His birth with peace and at His death he was still talking about peace.

I give you permission to open a Christmas present early this year. It’s probably the most valuable gift you’ll receive – untie the bow, open the box and the let peace of God, which bypasses our understanding, guard your heart and mind (Phil 4:7) and flood your life today.

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A Beautiful Center

Our backyard has transformed beautifully in the last 3 ½ years. When Dave and I first bought this house our backyard was bare desert. There was one tiny mesquite twig, 2 golden barrel cacti and an ocotillo. We had a tiny little patio and that was about it. Now it is an extension of our indoor living with a large patio, eating spaces, television, bar, conversation areas, fire pit, hot tub, vegetable and flower garden on one side and a cactus garden on the other. I think the flowers that I enjoy the most are the two hibiscus bushes on either side of the hot tub. I love when they bloom!

If you’ve ever take the time to watch a hibiscus go from bud to full bloom you will notice that they twirl their way open. The bud seems to rotate from left to right unfolding its petals finally exxposing its beautiful center.

Now where am I going with this. I knew you would be asking.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.

8 Love will never end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8

When we first begin our life with Christ we are like that barren plot of garden that was my backyard. But God’s love begins to change us. We begin to unfold and with that unfolding our real beauty can be seen. We are transformed – our petals unfurl and when our bloom is fully opened our center, who is Jesus, can be seen.

Each petal is unique and brings its own character and beauty; patience, kindness, humility, selflessness, clear headed, forgiveness, joy, endurance, perseverance, trust, hope, faithfulness.

But like the petals of the hibiscus, we are only an outward expression of what the center has created. When God places his love in our hearts we are transformed.

“…All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.

6 Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.” Romans 5:4-8 CEV

Since God is willing to fill our hearts with his love then we should be willing to share that love with others so that they can see who is truly at the center of our lives.

Yes, I’m thankful today for the beauty I see in the blooms of my hibiscus!

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Family Resemblance

As you know, Saturday we celebrated a day of thanks with my Mom and some of her wonderful friends. These folks have been there to help her when we couldn’t and some of them have known her most of my life.

My brother, sister and I were so glad we were able to thank them personally for all the do for Mom.

One thing I kept hearing as we would talk is how much of a family resemblance they could see in us and our kids. (Of course I was showing off pictures)

But the resemblance I wanted them to see most was the one between us and our heavenly Father.

As I focus on my relationship with the Lord, I desire to see His characteristics more evident in my life each day. I want people to be able to look at me and say, “You look like your Father.” God’s word validates that

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

and “God knew them before he made the world. And he decided that they would be like his Son. Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29

So many today are buying these DNA kits so they can trace their heritage. If you had a DNA test what would it show?

God has given us His DNA (Divine Nature Attributes) and place them within us; love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness and faith.

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” Galatians 5:22-23 CEV

I hope when you look at me you can see a family resemblance!

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The Thrill of Victory

Do you think that I am going to draw my morning devotional from the 7th game of the World Series? The thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.

No…but it was a great game!

I’m still thinking about the joy that comes from being in the presence of the Lord. Let me share a situation from a few years back that robbed my joy and you will realize why I kept repeating to myself, “I have fullness of joy”.

King Solomon said in Song of Solomon that we are to catch the little foxes because the little foxes spoil the grapes. I kept running into little foxes all day long. You see we had gotten a new computer. Now this was my choice mind you. Our old computer had been around for 4-5 years. It’s was a dear friend. I knew it inside out, literally. But it was old and wearing out so I asked our son-in-law Stephen to recommend a newer and better computer that would meet my needs and have a relatively easy learning curve for both Dave and I.

I made a list of everything I needed to move from one computer to the other and methodically went about my task. I felt pretty accomplished for a non-computer tech type person. Checking off each item as I completed them. Yes, this was going smoothly until one of those little foxes got out! Oh yes, must restart to activate new software…another little fox. A phone call in the midst of my concentration…another little fox of distraction. Launch again, a missing element…another little fox! Frustration mounting…

You see I’ve learned to recognize the “big” things in my life that seek to get me off course in my relationship with the Lord but more often than not, I get tripped up by these little foxes. It was certainly time to pray, I had done that when I started, asking for wisdom thanking the Father for guiding me through this process but somewhere along the way, I had allowed the frustration to override my peace.

Then I heard “in my presence is fullness of joy”. I don’t feel very joyful right now Father. “then you’re not in my presence”. Oh, right. I’m wrapped up in my own little world and I’ve forgotten to lean on you. Sorry. “That’s ok. Take a breath, rest, come sit with me and you’ll find fullness of joy”.

If God the Father is concerned with a small thing of setting up a new computer, let me assure you that the weightier matters of life are certainly within His provision as well. Capture the little foxes and then sit in the Father’s presence. You will find fullness of joy and experience the thrill of victory.

“8 I always remember that the Lord is with me.
He is here, close by my side,
so nothing can defeat me.
9 So my heart and soul will be very happy.
Even my body will live in safety,
10 because you will not leave me in the place of death.
You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave.
11 You will teach me the right way to live.
Just being with you will bring complete happiness. (fullness of joy, KJV)
 Being at your right side will make me happy forever.” Psalm 16 ERV

God is on our side! He has set a plan for our lives to lead us into victory. We need to understand that when we follow that plan we will triumph. Did you see that above “the Lord is with me so nothing can defeat me”?

“If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? 33 If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? 34 Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side,speaking to him for us.” Romans 8:31-34 CEV

God has chosen us, imagine that! He isn’t willing to leave anyone out, in His love He wants everyone to be a part of His family. The thrill of victory is a result of our being chosen.

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Straight from the Heart

For the past several days I have been thinking about the day’s devotional and how to share it with you without rambling or becoming too sentimental. I hope you read yesterday’s devotional on God’s unfailing love because that sets the tone for what I’m going to share today.

I have people ask me frequently what I enjoy doing the most and why I get up each morning to share with all of you. I can answer honestly that the thing I love most is teaching/sharing truths from the Bible and God’s amazing love.

You see I was raised in a Christian home. My parents took me to church from a very young age. I loved singing the songs, hearing Bible stories and memorizing Bible verses. My friends were at church – it was a good place to be. I don’t remember how old I was when I started hearing the list of do’s and don’ts. When the messages became more about how I’d better behave and do right or God wasn’t going to love me – I wouldn’t be acceptable but it was there. All the things you had to do right and if you messed up God was going to punish you and I wasn’t going to be good enough for Him.

I hope you didn’t grow up that way but if you did I want to tell you that there is no amount of good that you can do to make God love you more than He does right now and there’s no amount of bad that will make Him love you less.

“Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else, even if it is for a good person. Someone might be willing to die for an especially good person. 8 But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:6-8 ERV

God loves us so much that He had Jesus die to pay the price for our sin when we were at our worst! His love for us isn’t based on our merit but on who He is; God is love!

Anyway, as I got into high school and college I tried to “do enough” for God and for people to feel that I was “serving God”. As much as I tried to feel better about myself, I didn’t and eventually came to a place where I attempted suicide. And that’s when I heard a wonderful message on the unconditional love of God that changed my life.

Did you realize that the people God used in the Bible were real misfits? Moses was a murderer, King David committed adultery, Solomon was a bigamist, Peter betrayed the Lord, the Apostle Paul was on a crusade to kill all the Christians, Zacchaeus was a dishonest embezzler, Rahab was a prostitute and the list goes on. God used people with all their flaws and faults not because they were so great but because of His great love.

Now I want you to read the verses below and substitute the word Love with either God or He. That’s an appropriate way to read it because the Bible tells us that God is love. He doesn’t have love, He is love!

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.

8 Love will never end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 ERV

I have certainly had my failures; my times when I haven’t measured up to the standards that people would set for me. Heck, many times I don’t measure up to the expectations that I have for me and I know I don’t always measure up to the plan and hopes that God has for me but He loves me still. He loves me in spite of my failures.

“When the time comes, I will make an agreement
with them. I will write my laws on their minds and hearts.
17 Then I will forget about their sin and no longer remember
their evil deeds.”

18 When sins are forgiven, there is no more need to offer sacrifices.” Hebrews 10:16-18 CEV

That time has come – Jesus died to pay the price for our sins and brought us to a place of reconciliation with God!

Why do I get up early to spend time with God? Because He loves me! He will never leave me or abandon me and when I realized just how much there’s nothing I want more than spending time with Him.

So maybe you are like I was and think that if you don’t do things just right that there’s no way God could love you. Maybe you’ve quit trying and given up. Good! Because we can’t do it, we just need to accept what He has done for us.

“In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Romans 8:37-39 CEV

And I love reading God’s word and trusting what He has to say. God doesn’t lie and so if He has made a promise He will keep it. He’s more trustworthy than anyone. He’s a loving Father who wants the best for His kids.

So again, what do enjoy doing most…telling people about my wonderful heavenly Father and talking about His amazing, great, unconditional and unfailing love and the promises of His Word!

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Grateful for Grace

Heard an old Ray Stevens song on the radio, God’s Gonna Git Ya for That.

Lots of folks have the impression that God is waiting in heaven to throw down thunder bolts when we screw up – so glad that’s not true or we’d all be toast!

Jesus own words say it best “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:56

So much of religion has preached a message of judgment and condemnation. But true relationship with the Lord focused on His unconditional love and goodness. God sent us His most precious gift, His Son. The reason Jesus came was so to keep us from death and judgment, not give us over to condemnation.

“If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished. 2 The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death. 3 The Law of Moses cannot do this, because our selfish desires make the Law weak. But God set you free when he sent his own Son to be like us sinners and to be a sacrifice for our sin. God used Christ’s body to condemn sin.” Romans 8:1-3 CEV

Justice requires that a price be paid for our sin but GRACE paid the price for us.

“I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10 ERV

Imagine for a moment that God’s love is a two-sided coin. On one side is mercy; mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve. Like a man who throws himself on the mercy of the court – begging the judge for a lighter sentence. Now on the other side of the coin is grace; grace is receiving something wonderful that we don’t deserve. Go back to our man begging for mercy, if he received a full pardon because someone else paid his penalty that would be grace.

That’s exactly what Jesus did for us. Yes, Grace – Amazing Grace!

So now it’s time to express our thankfulness for the grace that God has given us in Jesus.

These are Jesus words: “A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.” John 10:10 ERV

Thank God for His grace and mercy. Take time to thank Him for the good in your life today and for His protection from the evil one!

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