Wonderful Words from Bertie Brits

"Any verse in the Bible - even in the New Testament written by Paul - that does not reveal GRACE (effortless life) is simply misunderstood.  Any scripture that is seen as something that we need to do to contribute to HIS work is MISUNDERSTOOD.  Don't be blinded by a scripture that seems to contradict the simple Gospel of HIS LIFE IN YOU AND THROUGH YOU FREELY.  If it is not effortless it is flesh."                                                                                  Bertie Brits

Wow, I love that!  I have been confused by certain scriptures in the past, coming as I did from a more performance-oriented background.  I had probably put 'works' and 'effort' and 'should' and 'must' into verses because of my legalistic perceptions.  What a relief to know that God is gracious and loving, and that even the scriptures I don't understand will eventually become clear in the light of GRACE! 

It helps me to know that if I read the scriptures and feel condemned, tense, pressured, and wanting to focus on self-effort, I must be confused, because His Word of Grace is always life-giving and liberating, joyful and releasing!  His Word of Grace always frees and lifts us rather than depressing and crushing us.  His Word of Grace always points to Jesus, not us.  His Word of Grace lifts off burdens rather than putting on burdens!  His Word of Grace is always life and healing, not death and despair. 

Grace is the New Covenant that we are in, the ministry of the Spirit and of Life, so we can interpret every scripture through the lens of grace and His Life, not law and our works which are a dead-end.  As Bertie says so well, "If if is not effortless it is flesh."  It's all about His work in and through me while I rest.  What a blessed relief for someone who gets worn out trying to do enough, be enough, change enough, measure up enough...ad nauseum!

Thank You, Lord, that the Gospel is all about Christ living in me FREELY through the Holy Spirit !  Oh, how I need to hear that today and just lean back in Your arms and REST!  Thank You that when we get caught up in the "doings" at times, we can just STOP and fall back into the arms that never let go of us for a minute!  Thank You for loving and delighting in us at all times, whether we're basking in Your presence or confused and troubled or even on a wearying flesh-trip.  Thank You that You are unwavering in pouring out Your life and love and Spirit in us!  You are a river in us that never, never, NEVER runs dry!  Amen..

Servant or Son?

Here is a wonderful article by my dear friend Patty, someone who loves God and loves His grace!
I loved this so much and wanted to share it here, and she has kindly allowed me to share her words with all...

The story as found in Luke clearly defines grace [as being the opposite of a servant mentality] through the picture of eldest brother who is angry when his brother comes home and is met by his father's grace and a feast of celebration.

The eldest brother's attitude seems to be based on what he feels he deserves because of his efforts. "All of these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends?"

Notice the brother's attitude and then ask yourself-Am I a servant or a son?

Might we be striving in all are efforts to literally live up to the name, servant of God?

Might we be thinking and feeling and living not like a family member should, but like a servant does?

The servant is accepted and appreciated on the basis of what he does, the child on the basis of who he is.

The servant starts the day anxious and worried, wondering if his work will really please the master. The child rests in the secure love of his family.

The servant is accepted because of his workmanship, the son or daughter because of a relationship.

The servant is accepted because of his productivity and accomplishment. The child belongs because of his position as a member of the family.

At the end of the day, the servant has peace of mind only if he is sure he has proven his worth by the work that he has done. The next morning his stress and anxiety will begin again. The child can be secure all day, and know that tomorrow won't change his standing as a beloved family member.

When a servant fails, his whole position is at stake, he might lose his job. When a child fails, he will be grieved because he has hurt his parents and will be corrected and disciplined but he is not afraid of being rejected by them. His confidence is in the belonging and being loved and his performance does not change the stability of his position in the family.

Grace then is unearned belonging. To grasp this view of belonging (because of complete acceptance and total unconditional love), will correct a faulty way of thinking, feeling, acting, reacting and relating in life.

So let us thank the Lord above for the miracle of GRACE. May he help us each to stop living as servants, while keeping us ever willing to serve him and others. May we know the difference and begin to esteem ourselves the rightful position as children of the most high God. May we be reminded daily that we are sons and daughters and may he help us live and feel that we are loved and accepted, that we are forgiven for our sins, no matter what, because of Christ's provision for us to become members of God's family as a direct heir of God through Christ! And lastly may God give us each increased confidence in this newly understood position of grace.               (by my friend Patty)

When Attacked by Those Nasty Lies..

Sometimes I wish I would get to the point where I have it all together - haha!  That isn't going to happen anytime soon!  At least I wish I could get a firm grip on grace and not sometimes slip back into that awful performance thinking - aargh!  I really have needed a big dose of grace and love and acceptance in my life lately, as I have been down and feeling condemned about a certain aspect of my life.  In my case, it's my lack of ability to be consistent in intercessory prayer like I "want" to be.  But really, any work or struggle will suffice to be used by Satan to accuse us when we fall short..


Does anybody else identify with this scenario:  You see another Christian who is so vibrant and alive and thriving in a certain aspect of their Christian life (for me, enter the intercessory prayer warrior).  A tiny, little, seemingly harmless thought pops in the mind - "I really should do that too" - for me, it was about praying for other people more.  So you start to "try" to add in that Christian virtue (notice the focus on self-effort, oh-so-subtle!  It's like we're putting ourselves back under law without even realizing it - ugh!)  Then the inevitable failure.  (I forget to pray for people that I said I would pray for!  I go for days without interceding for anyone, even myself!  I feel like a rotten excuse for a prayer warrior!  I try to think, well, maybe this just isn't "my" kind of ministry - but it's too late, I've already agreed to help lead the intercessory prayer chain group at church!  ARGH!  Sadly, this is all a true story..)

Next comes the inevitable attack..the enemy with his lies..."See, you are a rotten Christian.  A hypocrite, too!  You failure!  Surely God's displeased with you, disappointed.  Can't you do any better than that?  You are hopeless as a Christian, just what was suspected all along.  Don't go crawling to God now, why would He want you around?  You've fallen from your strong walk in God and would have to work too hard to get back to that position of growth and closeness with God.  So why try?  Give up.  Run the other way.  Drown your sad and sorry feelings in meaningless hobbies.  Withdraw from other Christians because they are better than you anyways and will probably judge you if you admit your struggles.  You are such a loser, just like you always feared.."

It hurts even to write that because so many of those lies have been thrown at me at times.  And they are ALL lies!   God told me recently a very simple thing:  "Stand on the Word."  What the devil says and what feelings say and what other people say isn't the Word.  The Word is what GOD says, and that's the final authority, the truth, and the last word on the matter!  God is teaching me all over again, as He washes over me in grace and acceptance, what His Word really says:

The Word says:  "You are accepted in the Beloved."  (Eph. 1:6)

The Word says:  "You are called a son/daughter of God - that is what you are!"  (1 John 3:1)

The Word says:  "Noone can snatch you out of My hand."  (John 10:28)

The Word says:  "God is not counting your sins against you!"  (2 Co. 5:19)

The Word says:  "You are not under law but under grace!"  (Rom. 6:14)

The Word says:  "There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!"  (Rom. 8:1)

The Word says:  "The law of the Spirit has set you free from the law of sin and death!  (Rom. 8:2)

The Word says:  "He that the Son sets free is free indeed!"  (John 8:36)

The Word says:  "I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy.  (Lk. 10:19)

The Word says:  "You are more than conquerors through Him who loved you!  (Rom. 8:37)

The Word says:  "NOTHING shall separate you from His love! (Rom. 8:38-9)

The Word says:  "You have been set right with God as a free gift through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ! (Rom. 3:24)

The Word says:  "You are the righteousness OF GOD in Christ!"  (2 Corin. 5:21)

The Word says:  "You are a new creation.  Old things have passed away, and ALL things have become NEW!"  (2 Corin. 5:17)

The Word says:  "I will NEVER leave you or forsake you!"  (Heb. 13:5)

Wow, I love it!  So God is reminding me that when the enemy tries to pull the old "you're under a set of performance rules, and if you fail you're condemned," that I can remember the truth that hasn't changed, no matter how my feelings waver:  I am still as accepted and loved and cherished as ever.  I am NOT under a set of performance rules.  God isn't looking down at me to see how I'm measuring up or not.  He is looking at me with intense love for His little child.  He is holding me in His arms and won't let go.  Nothing can stop His love from coming to me, not even my sin - my sin has been removed and is gone, never to be held against me again!  I'm not under law (earn acceptance or else be punished), no!  I am under grace (He accepts me already without any having to earn it, so receive acceptance for free!)

And in my case, even if I never become a prayer warrior, I am still 100% fine and accepted and SUCCESSFUL as a Christian right now, because I've been accepted through the work of the Son!  I've been born again by grace through simple faith, just believing the gospel of grace (the good news that God has reconciled me to Him in Christ).  I'm a new creation in Him.  I don't have to do anything to earn an acceptance that is already mine by BIRTHRIGHT!  Always His child!  Always innocent in His sight!  Always pure and holy and clean!  Always cherished and beautiful in His eyes!  Always a DELIGHT to Him!  Always, forever, once-for-all, for sure, perfectly and completely taken in, included and ACCEPTED!  Belonging with Him for always!  THAT'S living by faith, walking by the Spirit, being built up in Him..

Thank You, Lord, for defeating the lies that attack my mind!  Thank You for showing me the condemnation I sometimes FEEL isn't even REAL!  Lift off every lie that may be clouding our vision and perception right now.  Let us clearly see You in all Your glorious grace and love for us!  Let us see how perfect that love really is, how wonderful and freely ours, how eternally and permanently ours!  Thank You so much for who You are - the Purest, Truest, Best, most Amazing LOVE in this universe, a Love that is Pure Grace from start to finish!  We love You, O Lord!

Grace Says..

God's Grace Message says:

I love you even at your worst moments.

And I love you in the midst of your worst circumstances.

God's Grace Message also says:

I raised you up and have made you the best you could be.

And I raise you up in your circumstances and make them turn out for the best, too.

Restoration and the Great Exchange

Wow, what a beautiful song about the restoration God has worked in our hearts and spirits!  Because of the complete and finished work of Jesus, everything rotten and dead and old in us has been exchanged for everything good and living and new in Him!  What a wonder is the new creation reality He has brought forth!  The old has gone, and the new has come, hallelujah!

What a great exchange!  What a great and amazing restoration - Eden is restored, and actually, we have something better than Eden, because we have His very Life, His Spirit, inside us in union with us - HIS Life as OUR Life, as our heart of hearts - that is heaven, being one with God like that!  We have heaven in our spirits!  Praise God, You make all things new!

Restoration (David Brymer)

You bring restoration
You bring restoration
You bring restoration
to my soul

You've taken my pain
called me by a new name
You've taken my shame
and in it's place, You give me joy

You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take weeping and turn it into laughing
You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my sadness and turn it into joy

hallelujah, hallelujah
You make all things new, all things new

Your Great Name

I woke up this morning and found that God had put this song on my heart.  What a beautiful message and reminder that all that can get us down just falls away in His presence.  At His name, every lie of the enemy must be gone.  What a wonderful place to be, dwelling in Him by grace!  I sometimes forget where I am and who I am in Him, yet just a thought of Him or mention of His name brings me back to clarity!  And it's not that I must remember to turn to Him, no, HE brings me to remember those truths!  Just like He put this song on my mind this morning when I felt troubled about something.  What a wonderful life this walk of grace is!  He doesn't leave us down, He enters into the pain and comforts us saying, "Peace, be still!  All is well!  Surely I will help you!  Surely I will uphold You in my hand!  Speak My name, for I'm here!" 

Your Great Name

Lost are saved; find their way; at the sound of Your great name
All condemned; feel no shame, at the sound of Your great name
Every fear; has no place; at the sound of Your great name
The enemy; he has to leave; at the sound of Your great name

Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name

All the weak; find their strength; at the sound of Your great name
Hungry souls; receive grace; at the sound of Your great name
The fatherless; they find their rest; at the sound of Your great name
Sick are healed; and the dead are raised; at the sound of Your great name

Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name

Redeemer, My Healer, Lord Almighty
My savior, Defender, You are My King

Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name.
                                                                                            Natalie Grant

Jesus Says, "I love you.."

Do you ever have those mornings when you wake up feeling out of sorts and just need to hear Your Precious Lord say that He loves you?  I sure do!  Just this morning, in my heart I found myself asking, "God, what do you think of me?"  And I just felt the presence of the Spirit reminding me He is right here with me, delighting in me and loving me, no matter what.  And that was all I needed, everything was okay again. 

He loves us more than anyone else ever would or could!

I read something about that very truth recently.  It was about the verses in the New Testament where Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love Me more than these?"  In the comment I read, Charles Spurgeon turns that question around and lets us see how much Jesus truly loves us!  Here is the quote, from a sermon of Spurgeon's called "The Gladness of the Man of Sorrows:"

Jesus speaks today to us, "I have loved thee more than these; 

...thy mother loved thee; strong were her pangs when thou wast born, and anxious her cares when she nursed thee at her bosom; but I have loved thee more than these, 

..and thy brethren loved thee, and thy sisters; born of the same parents they watched over thee with delight, and they have been ready to help thee in thy time of need, but I have loved thee more than these: 

..and thy husband loved thee, loved thee as his own soul, he has cherished thee, and has been ready to lay down his life to give thee back health when thou hast been sick; but I have loved thee more than these: 

..thy children, too, have loved thee; they have climbed thy knee and smiled upon thee for all thy kindness to them, and they have strengthened thine old age, and thou hast leaned upon them, as upon a staff, when thou hast been tottering with weakness; but I have loved thee more than these: 

..and thou hast had a joyous companion, a dear friend who has been with thee from thy youth up, and has never lifted his heel against thee; and thou hast had thine intimates and thy familars who went up to the house of God with thee, and talked cheerfully by the way, but I have loved thee more than these," 

I think I hear him say to me—"There are some in this congregation who would pluck out their own eyes to give them to thee; they love thee, for thou art their spiritual father, but I have loved thee more than theses." And he points to all the good men that have ever tried to teach you, to all the comforters who have given you joy, to all the helpers that have aided you on the road to immortality; and he says, "I have loved you more than these." 

                                                                         Charles Spurgeon

He says to us that no matter how much anyone else has ever loved us or could ever love us, He loves us MORE than these!

No matter how much we imagine His love is, it is always MORE!  He loves us MORE! 

No matter what we're like in our walk and talk, He loves us MORE than we could imagine...purely, totally, freely, completely, unconditionally, unreservedly, permanently, unchangably, unstoppably, faithfully, surely, amazingly, infinitely, boundlessly, unswervingly, and any more "-lys" you can think of!  

As Brennan Manning says, no matter how great we think His love is, it's always MORE.

Thank You, Jesus, that You love us more than these on earth.  Thank You that Your love is more than we could ponder or comprehend.  Thank You that Your love is more powerful than any sin, trouble, worry, doubt, circumstance or problem.  No matter what the situation, You and Your love are always MORE!

Thank You that Your MORE kind of love holds us now and forever!   

That's My King, My Savior, My Friend!

What a powerful video..He is our King, our Savior, our Lover, our Lord, our Hope, our Strength, our All..

That's my Wonderful Savior, Jesus!

He is all those wonderful things, and He calls me His friend..

I love you, Lord Jesus!  Thank You for being all that to me, all by grace, all as a gift, all for free.

Nobody ever loved me like You do.  Nobody ever cared about me like You do.  Nobody ever listened to me or accepted me like You do.

I see that You truly love me no matter what I do, no matter how I fail, no matter what I feel, no matter what happens..

Your love is the unconditional love that my heart has longed for all my life.  I have finally found my forever Lover and forever Friend, the One who satisfies all my longings, fulfills all my hopes, and heals all my wounds - it's You!

You stand before me and look at me so tenderly and joyfully, with pure love and acceptance in Your eyes!  It's just me and You, in that special place of the Spirit, where the whole realm of earth fades away and all that is left is You and Your love..

I love you!  I adore You!  I worship You!

You are everything to me!

Your Love Never Fails, It Never Gives Up, It Never Runs Out On Me

I love this song!  Here I've posted the "short" version of the song, but the long version is wonderful, too.  In the longer version, when the band is basically finished singing, the audience picks up the refrain, and sings it over and over, "Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me," till the band starts up again with the song.   It's like they just can't stop singing about His great love, like they just can't get over such a love that never fails them! 

I think that idea of His love NEVER failing us is the heart of the grace message, the core truth that grounds my life and rocks my world.  That main refrain of grace in my heart is that "You can't get away from a love that will not let you go (R.R. Capon)."  His love is stronger than anything - stronger than any circumstance, any trial, any sin, any doubt.  He just won't let us go - we are safe in this unfailing, unending, loyal, never-running-out, never-giving up unconditional LOVE!  That just embodies what God's grace is to me - it's His love and acceptance of me that I don't have to deserve and that I can't make go away.  This love will hold us forever!

His grace never fails us!

"One Thing Remains" by Jesus Culture

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant in the trial and the change
One thing... Remains (repeat)

On and on and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, have to be afraid
One thing remains

Your love never fails, never gives up
Never runs out on me (3x)

In death, In life, I'm confident and
covered by the power of Your great love
My debt is paid, there's nothing that can
separate my heart from Your great love

At the end of the longer version the singer, Chris Quilala, just starts praising God in his own words:
"Your love never fails me
Your grace never fails me
Your grace never fails
His love never fails
His presence never fails
His mercy never fails
Your kindness is never-ending
Your grace is never-ending
Your faithfulness is never-ending
Your love is never-ending
Oh, Father.."

Thank You, dear Lord, that Your love never fails us!  (1 Co. 13:8)