Chesed - Love That Won't Let Go

He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.  I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)!  Assuredly not!                              Heb. 13:5

I'm doing a study of the Hebrew word Chesed, usually translated mercy, lovingkindness, or steadfast love in the Old Testament.  It can be thought of as God's steadfast loving favor.  I read that it is the Old Testament word closest to the New Testament concept of grace, so I thought it would be interesting to study and see grace in the Old Testament.

One thing I have learned so far is that the word Chesed contains the elements of (1) strength, (2) love, and (3) faithfulness or loyalty (security).  His is a strong love that won't let go of the other person, no matter what that person does.  It's not only that He loves and favors us right now, but also that He's strong and CAN keep on loving/favoring us in the future and that He's faithful and WILL keep on loving/favoring us in the future - forever.

This love will go with us into whatever dark corner we run; it will follow us every day of our life (Ps. 23:6).  Day or night, it's there (Ps. 42:8).  It is a love that endures and is on our side no matter what the enemy throws against us (Ps. 52:1, 59:10, 86:13), a love that continually holds us up and preserves us whole and safe in His arms (Ps. 40:11, Lam. 3:22), a love that endures through our failures and uplifts us even in the midst of them (Ps. 94:18).  It's unconditional, forever love that is better than anything this life has to offer (Ps. 63:3) and the only thing that will truly fill the ache in our hearts (Ps. 90:14).  And God delights in showing this unbreakable, unconditional love to us (Mic. 7:18)!  It will never fail to be there (Jer. 31:3, Ps. 136:2).  It won't let go.

I see the same idea in the verse I quoted at the beginning of the post (Heb. 13:5).  God's love just won't let us go.  He won't leave us or relax His hold on us.  His love won't fail to hold and support us.  That is part of what grace is to me, a love that just won't let go.  So I don't have to do anything to make sure it stays.  I'm safe and secure in this love.  This love is here to stay - He will always keep on loving me, will stick with me no matter what.  This is such a comfort to me.  God has bound Himself to me with the eternally strong bonds of love.  He won't give up on me.  He won't reject me.  He's in this for the long haul.  If He's totally forgiven all my sin and made me a perfect new creation joined in an eternal love-union with Him, how could anything break that up?

"For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain.  My covenant of blessing will never be broken, says the Lord, who has mercy on you"  (Is. 54:10).


                         With love,

We Are Loved And Accepted For Free

We are loved and accepted for free.  Without having to do anything.  Without having to change.  Without having to be worthy.  Without having to understand it.  We are loved and accepted right now, for free.  No questions asked.  No improvements required.  We need do nothing to get it and need do nothing to keep it.  It's already ours.

We are loved and accepted for free.  Without our trying to achieve it.  Without our effort to make it so.  Without our help at all.  We are loved and accepted right now, as we are.  Not as we hoped we'd be.  Not as we wish we'd be.  Loved and accepted as who we are in this moment.  And any moment.  Accepted no matter what we've done in the past.    Accepted no matter what we will do in the future. It's ours forevermore.

We are loved and accepted for free.  Without any possibility of losing this wonderful gift.  Without any risk of rejection.  Without any risk of ever being unloved or unaccepted.  No matter what happens.  No matter what people say.  No matter what lies the enemy hurls at us.  No matter how confused or doubtful we get.  No matter what failure grips us.  We are loved and accepted still.  It's free, so nothing we do or don't do can change it.  It's ours without condition, no strings attached.

We are loved and accepted for free.  No matter what we feel.  No matter what we think.  No matter what we've done in the past that fills us with regret.  No matter how much we think we've failed or gone too far.  No matter whether we feel hopeless or despairing.  No matter whether we feel all is lost.  No matter whether we feel all alone.  We are loved and accepted no matter what!

We are loved and accepted for free.  There is a light shining upon us.  There is a hand in ours.  There is a voice calling our name.  There are arms wrapped around us.  There is a wind lifting and carrying us.  There is a breeze blowing on our face.  There is a Lover loving us and calling us beautiful, forgiven, free, and delightful.  There is a place where all is Perfect Love.  There is hope, joy and peace.  There is a home for our heart.  We are loved and accepted for free!

We are loved and accepted for free.  It is already true.  We simply see and enjoy what is already there!

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. (Rom. 5:8)

It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself (accepting them), not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them].. (2 Co. 5:19)

Jesus is God loving and accepting us for free!  Thank You God for Your unspeakable gift!

              With love to all from

Schizophrenic About the Gospel?

"The whole idea that is you do poorly, God's going to be angry at you or judge you is wrong.  For Him to be angry He'd have to trample underfoot the work of the cross.

"You cannot be schizophrenic about the gospel!  The gospel is GOOD news, so we can ONLY view life throught he eyes of the goodness of God.  What does that mean?  Noone's safe from a blessing!  Noone's safe!  It doesn't matter what they do or what they are - noone's safe from the blessing of God.

"We have to stop being schizophrenic about the gospel, that "God loves you but He's going to beat the living daylights out of you."  What is THAT?  The whole image that we're giving off is that God is moody, and you never quite know what you're gonna get.  So you can't really relax.  That is a rank, bad gospel.

"Our role is to demonstrate what God is REALLY like - He is love, He is goodness, it's His goodness and His kindness that have so touched our lives and turned us into different people.  I'm still finding out about the kindness of God.  I love who God is.  I love His laughter.  Every time we speak with God we end up smiling.  He has a way of making you feel good about yourself.  John 15:11 - 'For this reason I've spoken to you, so that My joy may be in you.'"

                                                    From "God Is Good"
                                                    By Graham Cooke

Dance, Dance

 Dance dance
Everybody dance
Everybody sing
For joy is in this place now

Amazing grace how sweet the sound 

to save a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found, 
was blind but now I see


Shout shout
Everybody shout
Everybody shout
For joy is in this place now

Tim Hughes

People Pleaser

Why do I care so much what other people think of me?  And why do I think they won't like or accept me?   Yes, why?  It's driving me crazy caring what others think, trying to live up to expectations and meet their approval, wanting them to accept me.  Ugh!  And why do I assume I will fail to be a loving person to them?  Why the negative and self-condemning thoughts?  Why, why, why?  I can think of a devilish reason why...

The evil one doesn't ever want us to enjoy our freedom or acceptance in Christ.  He lies to us that we're worthless, a person noone would ever like, a weirdo, and he tries to make us think we MUST get others approval.  When all along we are just fine in Jesus!  And we have all the love and acceptance and approval we need from the One who matters most, the Only One who sees us as we are and accepts us as we are!  Total, free, unconditional love and acceptance!

Here comes a holy rant...

• We are the righteousness of God in Christ!
• We are accepted and dearly loved!
• We are beautiful to Him!  His masterpiece!
• We are okay right now with Him.
• We are full of Jesus and all our needs for love and acceptance are met in Him.
• We can hold our heads high because we are uncondemned!  He approves of us!
• He delights in us!
• He calls us His own and says of us, "You are MINE!"  We belong in His family!
• We are wanted and special!
• We don't have to meet anyone's standards or be pressured to be something we are not.  We are free people.
• We don't live under the expectations of others.  We are free to be ourselves.
• We don't have to perform for people.
• We are perfect in Christ and His performance right now, even if we never do another holy thing as long as we live.
• We STAND in the grace of God!
• We can be ourselves because who we are is a great and wonderful person in Christ.
• We are beloved and cherished.
• We don't have to compare ourselves to others and think they are better than us or know more than us.  We are just where God wants us to be and He's proud of us right now!
• There's no condemnation on us ever!
• We are people worth knowing!
• Love flows out of us!
• We don't have to be a people pleaser because we are pleasing already to God in Christ, and that's all that matters!
• We can love people for free without needing a thing in return, for Jesus meets all our needs.
• We can accept people as they are, because God does.
• We can accept ourselves as we are, because God does.

Thank You, God, for GRACE!

                            With love,

God's Main Thing

What is God's main thing?  I used to think His main thing was pointing out my faults and working on my sins.  But the truth is, the cross took care of my sins.  They aren't just forgiven, they are gone!  God has promised to remember them no more!  So why would He be thinking about them now?  Why would He be pointing them out to me all the time?  Why would He be obsessing about working on my sin problem?  He already fixed my sin problem, and His solution was named Jesus!  Jesus took every single one of our sins onto Himself at the cross and He became sin for us.  He killed off all those sins, the sins of the whole world, and He took them down into the grave (even took our old sinful selves down too), never to be thought of again!  Never!  If Jesus won't remember my sins any more, why should I remember them all the time?  Why should I try to work on my sin problem?  I don't have a sin problem anymore!  My sins and even my old sinful nature or self have been cleared away like the morning mist that disappears in the sunshine.  They've been cleared out to make room for the Life Himself to move into me!  I have Jesus, the Sinless Life, within me now.

So if sin is not God's main thing, what is?  Sin is not on Jesus' mind, WE are!  God's main thing is loving people!  And the main way a person loves another is by sharing their life with that person, being together with them, valuing and delighting in them for who they are.  I believe that's God's main thing: loving us!  God loves without demanding love in return.  He gives without requiring anything from us.  He freely shares His very life with us in the person of His Son, with no strings attached, no obligations pressed onto us.  God loves us by sharing His own Life with us forever, received by simple faith.  We're linked to Him forever and made alive with His Life!  Just as Jesus took our old creation selves down with Him into the grave, He brings our new creation selves up into the heavenlies with Him in His resurrection!   That's what's on God's mind, I think, loving us by bringing us into union with Himself forever!  He loves us so much He wants us with Him always.  Being held in God's embrace forever, being ONE with Him in perfect relationship, sharing all eternity together, sounds like the best thing going!  And it is..it's God's main thing.

"Immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.  Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus."   Eph. 2:4-7


                      Love to all from

Grace Changes Our Outlook

Grace makes a great change in us.  It changes our perspective on living, our outlook:

"The change of which I speak is the change from living life as a painful test to prove that you deserve to be loved, to living it as an unceasing "Yes" to the truth of that belovedness."

                                                                Henri Nouwen

A Tale of Two Camellias

Here are contrasting pictures of two camellias.  The one on the left is the one we planted.  It was purchased at a reputable garden center.  It was carefully planted, mulched and watered.  But no matter what we did, it struggled and did poorly.  And now it is pretty much dying.  The sickly yellow leaves are falling off; half the buds simply turned brown and died before they even opened; and the one bud that did open (pictured) is deformed and puny-looking.  All we have to show for all our effort is a diseased and dying plant with ugly blooms.  Camellia one is soon to be uprooted and replaced with a lovely little Japanese maple.

Only three feet away from plant number one is camellia two, shown on the right.  This plant is a stray seedling that came up by chance.  Noone planted it, it just came up.  Noone mulched it.  It happened to come up right at the spot where rainwater drips from the roof during showers, so it got amply watered without any of our efforts.  We did absolutely nothing for this plant, did not even notice it or realize it was actually a camellia for years.  But it always grew vigorously and had the most beautiful, spotless, healthy dark green leaves.  Then this spring I happened to glance under some of its branches and discovered not one but 4 or 5 beautiful double blooms on this "wild" plant!

It dawned on me that these two bushes really illustrate the difference between struggling to live under law and enjoying life under grace.

Camellia one is like living by the law.  It's life by trying, struggling and striving to keep all the right principles in order to produce righteousness.  It's all about self-effort and behavior.  It's feeling as if you will be rewarded if you succeed and punished if you fail.  It's life where everything is up to you.  It's stressful and draining and doesn't produce righteousness or life at all!  Living this way made me tired, frustrated, and depleted.  No matter what I did or how much I tried to improve this life, things only got worse!  Trying so hard only produced 'dead works,' lacking in the life of God.  We just can't produce the Life of God, and we were never meant to; we were meant to contain it!  The result of my own self-effort in trying to produce Life was, for me, just a sickly and weak "plant" that had lost its bloom..

Camellia two is like living by grace.  It's a life where all is given for free as a gift.  It's life where you don't have to do anything to earn the reward.  A life where you are not punished or rejected even when you fail.  A life where righteousness and life are handed to you on a silver platter.  Freely given with no effort required on our part.  We receive the Life of Christ by faith and He brings to life a new creation, whole and holy, thriving and strong, fully alive.  We actually contain the very Life of God!  His life pulses within us and blossoms out of us.  And that is true because of the free gift of the Life of Christ in us, by grace and not by our effort or trying!  We are basking in the Son, enjoying the Life of God inside our very being - we live in perfect and intimate union with Him always.  That is the kind of "plant" He has made us as new creations in Him!

So to think of myself as weak, sickly, inadequate and "blossom-less" is a lie.  I need never try to produce on my own what I ALREADY AM because of Christ!  I'm a new creation "plant" in Christ.  I'm thriving, fragrant, nourished, beautiful, abounding and strong, filled and blossoming with the Life of Jesus Himself!  All as a gift of grace!  Just call me "Camellia Two."

And that's true for every believer - we are Grace Camellias, lovely and vibrant and alive forevermore in Him, by grace!

For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, so the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations.  Is. 61:10b

                          With love,

Grace Bombs

I read these quotes recently on a Facebook Discussion Group called Grace Revolution.  They are grace bombs that explode joy and peace within my heart!  They were posted by Dahleen Enslin - thank you, Dahleen!

In Christ, I walk on solid ground!

We are 'being-driven' and not 'law-driven' anymore.

If God changes your nature, why fear sin?

Don't try to finish what God has finished already.

God didn't send His Son while you were a sinner, with the idea that you should pay Him back later.

Your advocate is not there to judge you.

He is in your genes, why use the law as a guide?

The message of the cross is the power of God!

Don't let time deceive you about who you really are..

Jesus 'crossed out' your sins...

The Holy Spirit will never accuse you of anything, that is the work of the accuser; the work of the Holy spirit is to comfort, for He is our comforter.

Faith is to believe you're righteous just after kicking your neighbor's dog, or even your neighbor.

To receive Jesus is to 'take Him personally.'

                                                        Dahleen Enslin

Father - Love, Jesus - Grace, Spirit - Communion

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Co. 13:14)

I read somewhere that in the Greek the word "of" isn't there, so it seemingly reads: "The grace - the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love - God , and the communion - the Holy Spirit - be with you all. Amen."  It reads so neat that way. Obviously Jesus demonstrates the grace of God, God IS Love, and the Holy Spirit brings us into communion with God and also makes us have fellowship with each other, all one in Christ.  I looked it up in the Greek and even though the "of" is implied, you can definitely still get the same meaning out of it reading it the regular way. Jesus has grace for He IS grace, we enjoy the love of God because He IS Love, the communion of the Spirit is special because He IS our linkage. I love that verse!

The Message translation of it is beautiful too:
The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.

So glad we have a Savior who is grace, a God who is love, a Holy Spirit indwelling us who is our Friend!

We can see these same attributes of the Trinity in the work of our salvation.  My friend Martha pointed this out to me (thanks, Martha!).  The Father (Love) planned our salvation, Jesus (Grace) carried out the plan and took away our sins so we could be given His Life, and the Holy Spirit (communion) is the gift given, the Life of God inside us and one with us forever!  Love planned out the new covenant, Grace inaugurated it, and Communion applied it to each of us individually.  He saved us BECAUSE OF Love, He saved us BY Grace, He saved us FOR communion (union, constant fellowship)!

I love to see and think about the beautiful love relationship and intimate union of hearts within the Trinity.  And it's so special to remember that we have been brought into that very love relationship, that very unity!  Dwelling forever IN LOVE!

Everything in this wonderful life with God is just wrapped up in Him - He takes care of everything!  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things!  To Him be the glory forever! (Rom. 11:36)

                   Love to all,

The Outpouring of His Love

God accepts us with the promise that we will never be unacceptable to Him.

God looks not to our strengths but to our weaknesses as a means of inserting His love into our hearts.

It is the voice of the Spirit within us that reminds us that we are the Beloved.

We may feel disappointed with ourselves, but God is not.  We may feel like condemning ourselves, but God does not.

The peace that Jesus [gives] comes from the fact that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

God's love is constant, ever-present, and unchanging.  Every moment of every day God is with me, loving me first.

When we grasp the magnitude of God's love for us, we will begin to feel it flow out of our hands and feet and mouths into the lives of others.

                                                   James Bryan Smith

Jah Love

 The love of Jah (Yahweh) is better than life! 

Because Grace Is True....

In the face of all this, what is there left to say?  

If God is for us, who can be against us?  He that did not hesitate to spare his own Son but gave him up for us all - can we not trust such a God to give us, with him, everything else that we can need?

Who would dare to accuse us, whom God has chosen?  The judge himself has declared us free from sin.  

Who is in a position to condemn?  Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us! 

Can anything separate us from the love of Christ?   Can trouble, pain or persecution?  Can lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the threat of force of arms?...

No, in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through Him who has proved His love for us.  

I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God's whole world has any power to has any power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord!                     Rom. 8:31-9

Because grace is true, noone can stand against us.  God Himself is for us against every enemy and we are already victors through Christ.  God withholds nothing from us.  He ALWAYS leads us through this life in triumph.  He freely gives us all we need in and with the gift of His Son; we are lacking in NO WAY at all.  We are ready and have all sufficiency for any situation that comes our way in this life.

Because grace is true, noone can make any accusation against us to stick.  God Himself has declared us FREE from sin!  We can thus walk through this life without any sin-consciousness AT ALL!  If the Judge declares you in the right, noone can reverse that decision, ever!  Let the voices of accusation say what they will, they are unable to change the FACT that Christ's work forgave us and made us right with God.

Because grace is true, noone can condemn us.  Christ Himself has won our acceptance before God, and it holds for all eternity!  Our standing before God is unchangeable no matter what our  behavior may be, since it is based not on our own imperfect obedience but on the perfect obedience of Christ!  NOTHING will ever cause us to be rejected because Jesus' sacrifice that perfected us will never be rejected!

Because grace is true, noone and nothing can remove us from the Love of God.  We are in the Presence of Divine Love and noone can take us out, not even our own selves.  We are truly safe in His hands.  No matter what we do, no matter what we think, no matter what terrible circumstances we suffer, He HOLDS us and will never let go.  His Love will always engulf us, carry us, speak tenderly to us, see the best in us, and call us beautiful.

Because grace is true, I am alive and well and thanking God today!  I am Son-conscious and not sin-conscious!  I am Life-conscious and not good-and-evil-conscious!  I choose to hold my head high and say, despite my feelings to the contrary, I am the righteousness of God in Christ and never condemned!  I am God's Beloved and the apple of His eye!  I am in union with Him who is Pure Love and would never, ever harm me!  I am free in Christ from all sin and guilt.  I am beautiful to God!  I am accepted no matter what!  As Jesus is to the Father today, I am!

Because grace is true, as Jesus is to the Father today, YOU ARE!

        With love from

"Get Over It"

I was talking to a friend today about how the hurts and trials in our lives can leave us reeling.  She had posted something on her blog that really resonated with me and we began talking about it.  It was the idea that Christian culture sometimes tells us we "shouldn't" be hurting or struggling with some problem in our lives, because we "should" always remember someone has got it worse than we do.  This sounds pious, but it sends a message that our pain is unimportant.  That's the message of Christian culture, but it's not the message of grace.  The message of grace is that it is okay to feel.  It's okay to be honest and say "I'm hurting."  The message of grace is that no problem is unimportant to God.  He cares about every hurt and doesn't compare our problems and reactions to other people's.  He knows our unique makeup and personality and background.  It's okay to have trouble in some area that other people seem not even bothered by.  It's okay to be who we really are and feel what we really feel in our pain.

Then my friend said something that ministered so much to me.  It was definitely a grace statement meant to heal some wounds inside me.  She said "It's okay not to ever get over it."

You see, a few years ago my family went through a tragic crisis.  This situation scarred our lives and its effects are still with us.  It is something we will have to deal with for the rest of our lives.  I went through great worry, fear and pain during and after this terrible time.  And now, a few years later, there is this guilt I have, thinking that I should have "gotten over it" by now.  I keep thinking I should be pain-free and worry-free and sadness-free.  I know other families who have gone through similar or worse things, and they seem to be doing so much better than me.  The message my brain hears is "Get over it."  Since I haven't gotten over this situation, since I still bear the pain, it's made me feel like I'm a "bad Christian."

But today God gave me this wonderful word through my friend:  It's okay not to ever get over it.  Our pain is real and valid.  I don't have to feel guilty about still feeling it years into this situation!  I don't have to get over it!  It's okay to hurt.  It's okay to cry.  It's okay to feel pain.  I felt this statement was giving me permission to let those feelings come out without any shame or guilt.  I am accepted just as I am by God and understood in my hurt.

One day the pain of this trial will be gone.  It will be perfect in heaven, and God will wipe away my tears.  Until then, I don't have to be ashamed to feel.  I don't have to feel ashamed to say, "I'm not over it."  And He is here in the midst with His healing presence in the midst of that pain.  He gives me permission to be real about my problems.  He accepts me and doesn't compare me to others.  He sees me in His Son, and that's perfection.  Yes, I believe God ministers to our hearts.  Yes, I believe He brings healing balm to our wounds.  But I am so thankful that He loves and accepts me, feels my pain with me and isn't telling me to "get over it."

Thank you to my friend, Courtney, for sharing with me, and thank You, God, for loving me and my family through all the  pain and never letting us go!  May all who stop by feel freed to just BE before the God who never rejects us but accepts us as we are in all our troubles and has compassion on us.

                           With love,

Grace - The Essence Of Who God Is

God is gracious and compassionate towards us (Ps. 86:15, Ps. 111:4).  In fact, grace is the essence of who He really is toward us and the foundation of all His relations with us.  God is defined as Love, and when He stoops to love us, the ones who did nothing to deserve it, and continues loving us no matter what we do, that is grace.

Recently I did a little study of the word "grace" in the Bible and how it relates to the character of God.  These are some things I learned:

Grace describes the very character of God and is seen in each member of the Trinity.  The Father is called the God of all grace (1 Pet. 5:10).  The Spirit is called the Spirit of grace (Heb. 10:29).  The glory of Jesus the Son is full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14).

God's grace isn't inadequate in any way - it's sufficient for us at all times (2 Co. 12:9).  It won't run out, either - it's exceedingly abundant (1 Tim. 1:14), for God is RICH in grace toward us and this grace will be showered upon us for all eternity (Eph. 2:7).   This grace is not small or puny - it's glorious and makes us jump up and down in praise to God (Eph. 1:6).  His grace isn't just a "sometimes" thing, for God is gracious in ALL His works (Ps. 145:17).

God longs to be gracious to us (Is. 30:18).  He wants us to taste and see how gracious He is (1 Pet. 2:3).  His grace toward us has been shown or revealed in Jesus,  for the most special way God has graced us is in Christ (Eph. 1:6).  Jesus showed us God's grace by becoming poor for us so we could become rich in Him (2 Co. 8:9).  By grace He tasted death for every person in the world (Heb. 2:19).  He gives us His own Life as the most wonderful grace-gift of all (Rom. 6:23). 

Grace is who God is, and He shows us that grace in Jesus!  In Christ, we are accepted for free and receive the gift of Life and righteousness.  Thank You, Lord, for being a God of ALL GRACE!

                    With Love,

Led by the Spirit - WE ARE!

As we go through each day of our lives, He is working and bringing His life out in us and in our circumstances.  That is such a wonderful thing! He is at work, we don't have to worry about making things happen. I was reading about that recently and it brought rest.  I think God opened my eyes to that more. I learned that as believers it's not that we have to put the Holy Spirit in control - He IS in control. He IS leading. He IS working all out for good. He IS resurrection life, the glory and very essence of God, and that unstoppable Life, WILL and IS transforming us and our circumstances for good. He IS bringing out what is already true in the spirit realm out into the visible realm.  His Life is shining through in our messy lives, even in the midst of our turmoil, problems, pain and even failure.  The River of Living Water IS flowing, the Life IS coming out!  It won't be completely seen till the redemption of our bodies, but He is there working.  And that brings me rest. Just to know He's at work.

As many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God.  Doesn't that mean that as God's children, the Spirit IS leading us?  That's just a fact of our new existence.  And He ALWAYS leads us in triumph and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ!  We don't have to worry about making that happen by works, understanding, right focus, or even faith.  It IS happening, now and now and now and now.  The Life just IS.  The Life just LIVES.  His Life, His Spirit is at work sustaining, holding, keeping, moving, motivating and expressing Himself in, to, through and as us at all times!  It's not up to me in any way at all to get that to happen.  We don't have to "activate" Him; He is activating us!  Grace means God does it all!  It's up to Him!  And if it's up to Him, it's done. 

                       Love to all,

Because We're in The Covenant of Grace, Not Law....

Because we're in the covenant of grace, not law:

• We have favor and acceptance before God that is a free gift - we didn't have to do anything to earn it, don't have to do anything to keep it, and couldn't do anything that would make us lose it.
• We can sin and fail and know that we are still in His grace, still delighted in and smiled upon by God at all times - we can't outsin the grace of God.
• We never have to feel inadequate or lacking or not good enough - we are already complete in Christ and perfect before God as a free gift, not through anything we did or earned.
• We can come boldly to the throne of grace to receive help when we need it - we never have to feel we need to "clean up our act" before we can approach God.
• We can be sure of God's blessing in our lives without needing to do one single thing to earn or get those blessings - they are already ours because we are in Christ.
• We can relax, knowing there's no pressure on us to perform or to change or constantly improve  - we are alright in Jesus right now as we are.
• We can enjoy security, knowing nothing we do will cause us to fall out of His favor or make Him reject us - we are in His favor and right with Him by Christ's performance and not our own.
• We can be sure of His loving closeness to us and know that nothing that happens and nothing we do will separate us from Him - our relationship is one of perfect fellowship (union) at all times.
• We can trust that when bad times do come in our lives, He is not inflicting them on us or punishing us through them - Christ was already punished for us, there's no punishment left for us.
• We can know that the Holy Spirit will never point out our faults or bring them up again - He always convicts us of our righteousness. before God - we never have to be afraid that God will rebuke us.
• We can rest, knowing God will never get angry with us for anything we've done - He is at peace with us and is pleased with us constantly on the basis of Christ's finished work.
• We can know there's nothing we have to do to maintain this covenant, keep it going, or keep it from failing - Christ put us in it and maintains it for us by His works.
• We can enjoy freedom, knowing we are completely free of all requirements before God and not expected to keep rules that we in ourselves can't keep - Christ already kept the law for us.
• We can know that when we fail, absolutely nothing has changed in our relationship with God - we are still in perfect fellowship, for that's based on Christ's work for us, not our own work.
• We can rest knowing that even if our behavior never matches our true spirit identity (and it won't until heaven!), that we are still completely accepted by God as right with Him!
• We can know that we are not required to produce fruit or live this Christian life - Christ lives it in us and will work in us to bring out the fruit of righteousness in His time.
• We can trust that we are not resistant to God - sin uses law to produce rebels but God uses grace to produce righteous,obedient children whose nature is to love, and this is all a gift from God
• We can know that everything that happens in our lives will be worked out for good, including all hard times and even our mistakes and failures - His grace overrides any problem or failure.
• We can know that God never relates to us on the basis of our own works or effort but always on the basis of Christ's work and effort, and that makes our relationship secure.
• We can know that our sin and our old self are gone forever and that we are righteous, new creations (alive with His life) forever because of all He's freely done for us - His work is finished.
• We can know that we'll never be lacking or inadequate before Him - He has made us complete in Christ and perfected us forever, and we are not deficient in any way.
• We can know we are loved and accepted and right with God for free, that God never sees us as a loser or a failure or a disappointment but only as His dearly loved child - forevermore!

What a blessing and relief to be under the covenant of grace, not law!

                       With love,

Spring Comes

Photos: Top - the woods I love to walk through; Bottom - mountains near home

Spring has come and everything is waking up.  It's time to awaken.  It's time to awaken from the nightmares of condemnation and guilt and separation and wake up to the truth that we are accepted and righteous and one with God!  I've lived too long in the wintry lands of mental anguish and self-condemnation.  I've suffered too long from those dark dreams that God is distant or uncaring, disappointed or angry.  That there is always something more I need to "do" to get close to Him.

Time to wake up!  Birds are singing, the grass shoots up, the trees bud and early flowers bloom!  Skies clear and the gentle breeze replaces the shivery cold we had felt too long.  Time to awaken!  Awaken to the new life that has been ours since the day we first believed.  All this time we have never been alone, never been apart from Him.  We don't need to do something to get closer, for we are IN Him - IN!  He is not angry or uncaring but madly in love with us!  He has been our Dearest Friend all along and He ever will be.

This is the real world.  The wintry world of cold and dark was not true reality.  LIFE is our true reality, the season and country we now dwell in.   Let's enjoy our beautiful Lover and Friend!  Let's forget about the sins, the guilt, the "shoulds", the pressure to perform, for all that has been left behind.  Now we awaken to the real life that is ours forever, free from sin and shame and law's demands, free to live, to love, to be beloved!

Plants don't wake themselves up; God awakens them.  It is the same with us - we don't have to struggle to drive confusion away and "see" these truths, for God Himself will wake us up and reveal TO us all that He has already done IN us.  Dear Lord, thank You for waking us up to enjoy the Life which is You in us!

                        With love,

Last Snow

My Savior, My Friend

Love Unknown

My song is love unknown;  

My Savior's love to me;

Love to the loveless shown,

That they might lovely be.

O, Who am I,

That for my sake

My Love should take

Frail flesh, and die?

He came from His blest throne,

Salvation to bestow;

But men made strange, and none

The longed-for Christ would know.

But O, my Friend, indeed,

Who at my need

His life did spend.

Here might I stay and sing,

No story so divine;

Never was love, dear King!

Never was grief like Thine.

This is my Friend,

In whose sweet praise

I all my days

Could gladly spend.

Samuel Crossman

This is my Savior, my Friend.  He loved me before I was born, sacrificed His own life for me before I even existed.  He loves me when I'm unloving in my actions.  He loves me when my words are hurtful.  He loves me no matter what my thoughts, feelings, doubts or confusion.  He loves me with a love that has no strings attached.  He loves me with a love that has no beginning or ending.

This is my Savior, my Friend.  He understands me.  He understands why I do and say the things I do.  He understands my fears.  He knows my background and the ghosts that sometimes haunt me.  He knows the deeper reasons behind my sins and knows my deepest needs.  He understands where I hurt and why.  He looks on me with sympathy and compassion.  Even if noone else does, He understands!

This is my Savior, my Friend.  He cries with me when I am crying.  He walks beside me when I walk aimlessly through my pain.  He holds my hand in the very darkest night.  I am never, ever alone.  He is a VERY present help in trouble.  He goes through everything with me, as me.   Even if my problem is of my own making, He is there, pouring out love and compassion on me.  There is no failure or sin that would EVER make Him leave me!  He's in this for keeps.   No matter what the mistake or circumstance, He is with me and He won't ever desert me!

This is my Savior, my Friend.  He does only good to me, never evil.  He doesn't wound, He heals.  He is never harsh but gentle.  My Jesus would never harm me but only help me.  He won't kick me when I'm down; instead, He picks me up and carries me in His arms.  He effortlessly lifts my depressed spirits.  He whispers words of truth to me that clear away the cobwebs of untruth.  He always gives words of encouragement, never anger or disappointment or rebuke.  Even after I fall on my face, He is smiling at me, delighting in me!  He is okay with me, and that makes me able to be okay with myself and with other people, too.

This is my Savior, my Friend.  He wants to be around me.  He enjoys being with me!  He is never too busy to talk and He cares about every word I say.  He is interested in the things that interest me.  My hobbies aren't boring to Him;  He shares my joy in the things that interest me.  He likes to spend time, just the two of us, doing nothing together.  He is delighted with me and believes in me, sees the beauty and goodness He put in me which I cannot see.  His love gives me worth, value and dignity.  It makes me want to hold my head high!  It makes me want to introduce everyone to my Friend!

And I have this friendship for free, by grace, through the finished work of Jesus.  I did nothing to earn it and I could do nothing to lose it.  It's freely given to all, to be received by simple faith that says, "Oh, this friendship is mine!"

This is my Savior, my Friend.  I love You, Jesus.  Thank You for being my Friend!  And thank You for being the Friend of every person..

                    With love to all,

The Glorious Truth of the Gospel

"The GOSPEL itself....is the glorious truth that we are justified freely by His grace, clothed in His righteousness, having the same standing before God as His own dear Son, with the right by His blood to stand in God's presence and bask in His glory as sons and daughters of the Lord, to hear His voice, and to cry Abba Father. And to know that we are free from any form of payment, free from any requirement to meet human regulations, free from the accusations and reminders of how we fall short....God's grace is free, access into His presence is free, for every single child of God. It is essential that we encourage God's people to stand firm in the grace of God and enjoy their full inheritance."

                                                                   Peter Day

A Picture of True Freedom

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.   (Rom. 6:10-11)

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.  (Rom. 7:4)

"Here is a picture of true freedom.  You are a death row inmate sitting in the Electric Chair as the final minutes of your life tick by.  Just before the switch is puled something happens.  You are taken out of the chair and another takes your place!  Sounds familiar, doesn't it?  But don't stop there.  For just before the switch is pulled the person in the chair reaches over, grabs your hand and says, "You can't understand what I am doing right now, but you will learn later!"  And the current that rips through his body rips through yours...and you die with him.

"Freedom?  I'll admit, it's not a very good altar call, but this is the Gospel!  You say, 'NO!  I don't remember that!' and you are right, because the whole exchange took place outside our puny concept of reality... 

"Listen, Jesus was raised to NEW LIFE, and HE raised us with Him!  This New Life has no relation to our sins!  Instead, it only relates to GOD!  By killing the people we were - who could do nothing but evil - HE raised us to New Life!!  NOT the walking death that we have come to think of as life.  Don't we know that we have died to sin?  Don't we know that we now Live in relation to GOD?  Don't we know that this is the meaning of true Freedom?

"Our REAL lives are untouched by sin and law, for we have been taken out of it through the miracle of being joined with Christ in his death and resurrection."
                                                           
                                                                Jim Minker
                                                                       

The Life Realm

I was thinking recently, pondering some troubles in my life and thinking about my worries, when the thought came to me suddenly:  "you are already free from them."  My feelings and thoughts can make me feel as if I am in a place of sin, worry, fear, condemnation, struggle, and lack.  Yet here was the idea that I was already free from all that.

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." (Col. 1:13)  We have been taken out of the realm of sin, law, struggle, condemnation and striving.  Through the death of Christ we have been delivered from that realm and have been raised up with Him into a new realm, the Life realm.   In the Life realm there isn't any sin.  There isn't any condemnation, guilt or shame.  There isn't any striving or inadequacy or lack.  There isn't any bondage.  We have been placed into the Life realm, which is Him - we have been placed into HIM!  And in Jesus, none of those things exist.

The Life of Christ is where we are now hidden.  That is the Life realm, the Kingdom of the Beloved Son.  In the Life realm there is freedom.  In the Life realm there is righteousness, peace and joy.  In the Life realm, there is abundance, fullness, and completeness.  In the Life realm there is union with God, uninterrupted intimate friendship with Him in a relationship of complete acceptance and divine love.

Every day I FEEL like I'm in the realm of struggle and sin.  Every day thoughts and perceptions come at me trying to tell me that.  So I THINK I am in the place of inadequacy, trying and failure.  Yet it isn't so.  The truth for me and all of us His children is that we are in the Life realm.  We really are free from the struggle and sin.  We may not feel it, we may not experience it, we may not see it.  But it is true.

So since it is true, that makes me say to myself:  why not enjoy the peace, the joy, the fullness, the acceptance, the love relationship, the union with Him?  Why not stop the obsessing about problems and worries, failures and struggles?   Why not run free in the sunshine?  Why not explore all that the Life realm (Jesus) is, the waterfalls of grace, the rivers of living water, the tree of Life itself?  Praise God that He has brought us into the Life, Jesus, and that's where we are today and forevermore, no matter what...He will never stop telling us of that truth.  He is renewing our minds to that truth day by day.  And even if we never enjoy it to the fullest extent, it's still where we are always!

Let's run freely and dance with Him who IS Life and Love in this wonderful new Life realm, the new creation in Christ!

                     With love,

Love Never Fails

 

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

                                                                Brandon Heath

When everything falls apart, Love holds us together.  Love, whose name is Jesus, will always be there for us, no matter what.  Love weeps with us when we weep and laughs with us when we rejoice.  Love holds our hand and walks through this life with us.  Love wishes only the best for us and would never harm us.  Love isn't interested in getting something out of us or using us - Love gives without expecting anything in return.  Love only wants to hold us in His arms forever and see us smile.

Love protects our heart.  Love builds us up when everything else conspires to tear us down.  Love always sees us as beautiful and perfect, no matter how we see ourselves.  Love doesn't see our failures but only our value and worth.  Love won't let us go.   Love will be the one carrying us through the darkest days.  For Love won't ever, ever leave us.  Love, whose name is Jesus, will never fail us.

I had a dream recently that I was holding the most beautiful little baby girl.  I knew in the dream this was my own dear child.  Her face was so beautiful, every feature so delicate and perfect.  She snuggled quietly in my arms with a hint of a smile on her lips.  What a beautiful dream!   The next morning at breakfast I "happened" to read these words:  "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you." (Is. 49:15)

I think God sees me and every one of His children as a little one in His arms.  He sees us innocent, pure, beautiful, without one single blemish, every feature so perfect and delicate and lovely.  He cherishes us and holds us in His arms, safe with Him forever.  You are His dear little child.  Love holds you.  Love says, "I will not forget you."  And Love won't ever let go of us.  Let's not grow up, let's grow down.  Let's see ourselves as His little innocent ones today, receiving from Him all  nourishment and care.  Let's see the world from that place where we truly are right now, cradled in His arms.  Let's rest and sleep like a baby, snuggled up close to His heart.  Because that's where we are today.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love."  (Jer. 31:3)

(I'm dedicating this post celebrating God's love to my two friends, Stan and Martha, who are celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary today.  Stan and Martha, His love shines through you so brightly and it will hold you both forever!  Congratulations on your big day!)
      
           Grace and love to all,

When I Look at Me, When I Look at Him

When I look at me, I see failure, struggle, lack, selfishness, trials, fears, problems..

But He gently directs my gaze to Him.  He diverts my eyes from myself and draws my eyes to Him.  He looks at me with tender love and compassion.

And when I look at Him, I see hope, peace, acceptance, joy, fulfillment, love, grace, confidence and REST.

When He lifts my face to look in His eyes, I see all that's needed has already been provided.  I see He accepts me and embraces me right now.  I see His perfection and I see my perfection in Him.  I see our union.  I see that I have already arrived at the place of perfect rest.  And it's Him.

Thank You that You remind us of the truth so beautifully, dear Jesus!  Thank You for looking into our eyes with such love that it melts our hearts and makes us relax once again in Your arms.  Thank You for reminding us that You are okay with us, and we are okay to You..

"I forgot about me when I saw You."  (Jamie Weeks)

                     With love,

Happy Day!

The greatest day in history, Death is beaten
You have rescued me
Sing it out Jesus is alive
The empty cross, The empty grave
Life eternal You have won the day
Shout it out Jesus is alive
He's alive

When I stand, in that place
Free at last, meeting face to face
I am Yours Jesus You are mine
Endless joy, perfect peace
Earthly pain finally will cease
Celebrate Jesus is alive
He's alive

Oh happy day, happy day
You washed my sin away
Oh happy day, happy day
I'll never be the same OH NO
Forever I am changed

Oh what a glorious day
What a glorious way
That You have saved me
Oh what a glorious day
What a glorious name

YEAHHH

Oh happy day, happy day
You washed my sin away
Oh happy day, happy day
I'll never be the same
Love has rescued me
Forever I am changed
What a glorious glorious day,
I'll never be the same

Tim Hughes 
  
He is alive and we are alive in Him!  We are seated with Him in heavenly places!  We have been catapulted out of the realm of death into the realm of LIFE!  Happy Resurrection Day to all!


              With love to all from

You Didn't Have To Do It

You Didn't Have To Do It

I´ll never know why
Why you did what you did
You didn't have to die
But you did
You hung on the cross
So that I wouldn't be lost
You took my place
Now you're pleading my case
You didn't have to do it
Oh, but I'm glad you did
You didn't have to do it
But I'm glad you did

You didn't have to suffer
You didn't have to give your life
You could have come down from the cross
But you chose to die
You said "Father forgive them
For they know not what they do"
An when they pierced Your side
You just hung bled and died

You didn't have to come down
From the Father's side
But because of Your love for me
You made the sacrifice
You knew no sin
But became sin for me
An all who believe
Can live eternally

You didn't have to do it
But I'm glad you did
You could have come
down from the cross
Then my soul would be lost
But You chose to stay
And Your love made a way

                                                 Crystal Lewis

Behold the Lamb of God Who Takes Away Our Sin

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.  (1 John 4:14)

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.   (John 3:17)

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  (1 John 3:8b)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  (John 10:10)

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.  (Matt. 20:28)

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  (John 15:13)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Rom. 5:8)

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;  the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  (Is. 53:5-6)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.  (1 Pet. 3:18)

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.  (1 John 2:2)

Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  (John 1:29b)

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.  (Heb. 10:14)

“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  (Heb. 10:17b)

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.  (2 Co. 5:14-5)

For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.  (Gal. 2:19-21)

Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  (Rom. 6:6-7,10-1)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Co. 8:9)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?  Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.  (Rom. 8:31-4)

Phil. 2:6-11
[Christ], being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:6-11)

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!  (2 Co. 9:15)

The Wonderful New Covenant of Grace

The New Covenant means God does everything for us and we get all the benefits without having to deserve or earn them!  The New Covenant of Grace is an agreement between Jesus and the Father that God will relate to us and bless us based solely on the perfection and finished work of Christ on our behalf..In this covenant we are the beneficiaries simply by believing in Christ.  We need do nothing, for Christ has done it all, and we get all the benefits, rights, and privileges as beloved sons and daughters of God.  The main clause of this covenant is that our sins and iniquities He will remember NO MORE and that we are righteous (in right relationship with God) with the righteousness of Christ Himself (2 Co. 5:21, Heb. 10:16-7).  This covenant is inaugurated by the blood of Christ, which took away our sins and perfected us forever!  Believing this caused us to receive the gift of Life Eternal - the very life/Spirit of Christ put within us, producing the goal of the covenant - knowing God in intimate, perfect, continuous, unbroken fellowship!  We were made to be in love-union with Him forever and Jesus brought that about and it's a free gift.  Everything is in Christ and we receive everything when we receive Him by faith - that means we live in the ALREADY - we already have life, acceptance, forgiveness, holiness, sanctification, completion, righteousness, oneness, freedom, perfection, GLORY.  We have it already in Christ, now and forever, as a gift.  We have been delivered from the realm of law, sin, condemnation, and death through being crucified with Christ and we have been placed in the realm of grace, freedom, righteousness and life by being raised with Christ.  Jesus maintains this covenant and maintains His own life within us, taking care of everything for us both now and forever.  This covenant can only fail if Jesus Himself and His sacrifice were to somehow fail - which is impossible!  So this covenant is secure forever.  All as a gift of grace!

                                 With love,