Jesus Loves Me

The title of this blog post is the title of one of the most beloved and well known hymns, Jesus Loves Me, to Christians throughout the world.  In preparing to give a short devotional talk at a nursing home, the Lord gave me this title/topic—a topic that would be meaningful for those who would be listening (what follows is an expanded version of that talk).  My goal was to keep my words to a minimum, yet convey some deep truths and comfort many elderly saints.  A brief internet search led to learning about the background behind this meaningful song.  Please check out the following website to learn about this beautiful hymn.  The story behind the hymn "Jesus Loves Me".

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that 

whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Jesus loves me this I know.  What an amazing simple yet profound truth!  Jesus loves me this I know—simple enough for a young child to grasp and share in great confidence.  Jesus loves me this I know, profound enough to bring grown men and women to tears.

“Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” 

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 KJV)

Throughout the Bible we read of God’s deep, stubborn, everlasting love for us.  We can see His love in the Old Testament as He freed Israel from oppression in Egypt.  God’s love was apparent even when Israel constantly wandered from God’s plan for them and He disciplined them.  (Similarly, human parents discipline their beloved children.)  In the New Testament, we see His love through Jesus.  He loved us even when we were still sinners.  He loved us so much He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die a criminal’s death on a cross!  That is amazing love!  Love that sets us free to truly live. 

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

(1Corinthians 15:55-57 KJV)

In dying and rising again, Jesus gave us victory over death and the grave.  Now that is LOVE!  We have eternal life that matters when we have Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  That, my beloved, is love.  Therefore, in our life and in our death we can find joy and peace, even when the world around us is crumbling to pieces. 

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.  (Zephaniah 3:17 KJV)

God loves you so much.  He rejoices over you with joy.  He sings over you in joy.  You are God’s beloved child!  His heart is for you, not against you.  Knowing and experiencing this should change how we see and interact with the world and with others around us.

 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into 

the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to 

love one another.  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.  (1 John 4:7-12 KJV)

 Remember and rest in the fact that Jesus loves you more than your mind can begin to conceive.  Jesus loves you and me because the Bible tells me so!  Share the love of Jesus with those around you each day.  You’ll discover the amazing blessing of blessing others.

Listen to "Jesus Loves Me"

Please join me in prayer:

Father, thank you so much for the love You demonstrated to us through Jesus.  Help us to open our hearts to Your amazing love and experience the transformation that love does in our hearts.  In turn, may we share Your love with those around us.  In Jesus’ precious Name.  Amen. 

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Jesus Still Heals Today

I am pleased to share with the readers of my blog the video of a church service I led on February 9, 2014.  It was an amazing blessing to share what God had placed on my heart so long ago—this is a message that God has been developing within me over the last several years (parts have been given in other formats and settings).  In some ways, it was freeing to share this with my church family and now with others through my blog and via YouTube. 

It is my prayer that my message will feed your faith in what God is capable of doing today.  Our God is so very big and powerful!  He loves us so very much.  He is still alive, living, and active today!  Moreover, He is still in the business of healing supernaturally (divine healing) today!

God is amazing, wonderful, holy, powerful, mighty…He really is beyond description—beyond what our finite minds can begin to grasp.  Our words fall short of conveying all God is and how amazing, powerful, and holy He is.  God’s Word is clear, He never changes (we see that in both the Old and New Testaments).  We are the ones who change; the ones who get too smart for our own good.     

In the future, I plan to share more posts on healing (amongst other topics); hopefully more video messages too.  It will be interesting to see what God has planned for each one of us.  May God reveal more of Himself to us each day, drawing and wooing us to His incomparable beauty, majesty, and greatness.

Below is the description I provided for the video on YouTube.  It includes hymn titles and Scriptures.

This is a video of our traditional service (Trinity United Methodist Church--Albia, Iowa) that I was blessed to lead on February 9, 2014. (I'm one of several lay members who are called by the Lord to lead in worship and preach the Word of God when our pastor is away.) 

Currently, I'm a lay speaker in United Methodist Church; my status is such that I can preach in my church and others when called. 

Hymns: "Victory in Jesus", "My Faith Looks Up to Thee", "I Know Whom I Have Believed"

Scriptures: Psalm 103

                  Malachi 3:6-7, 16-17; 4:2

                  Mark 5:22-34

May each one of us experience Jesus Christ as our Healer!

Here's the link to the video: see sermon here

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Miracles

“I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.  ….

Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people."

(Psalm 77:11, 14 KJV)

What sorts of images, thoughts, or words come to mind when you hear the word miracle?  How open are you to believing without knowing the how or why something extraordinary has happened? 

The dictionary defines miracle like this:  “an extraordinary or unusual event that is considered to be a manifestation of divine or supernatural power.” 

I wonder what it would have been like to be present at one of Jesus’ miracles.  Would I have understood the significance of the event?  Would I have believed?  What about you—would you have believed what you saw Jesus do, such as restoring to life an only son of a widow (see Luke 7:11-17)?

Many people saw Jesus’ miracles with their own eyes yet couldn’t believe or wouldn’t believe.  The religious leaders demanded signs and wonders from Jesus to be delivered on their terms and their timing, when He refused to comply; they reviled Him all the more.  Perhaps we don’t see miracles today because we’re demanding a sign, want to see a show (be entertained), or simply don’t believe what we see when we see it.  How many times have true miracles been explained away?  How many times has our lack of belief hindered others (or ourselves) from receiving all our Heavenly Father desires to provide us? 

Imagine for a few moments what it would have been like to see one of Jesus’ miracles.  There are many to choose from:  healing, power over nature, and raising the dead.  What would you be thinking?  How would you process what you saw?  Which of Jesus’ miracles fascinates you the most?

Jesus’ miracles that most fascinate me are those where He healed people with physical disabilities.  Even as a little girl, I was captivated by those amazing, wonderful stories.  At that point, I readily believed that Jesus healed (healing will be a topic of a future post), just as easily as He turned water into wine, fed the 5,000, walked on water, or calmed a storm.  For a time, my belief in the supernatural waned—I no longer believed—due to personal experiences and incorrect teaching.  However, for the last several years my belief in the supernatural has grown and continues to grow today.    

What miracles are you currently praying for and longing to receive?

What miracles have you observed?    

What miracles have you prayed for and did you experience what your heart longed for? 

What about those miracles you didn’t see (John 4:48 see here)? 

Do you believe without seeing?   

Spend some time reflecting on the miracles that Jesus performed while on earth.  Reflect on the miracles you’ve experienced, as well as those you are longing to experience.    

Dear Amazing God, thank You for all the miracles You have performed around us and continue to perform.  Open our spiritual eyes to the miracles You perform around us each day.  We joyfully remember the miracles You have performed throughout history.  There are so many needs for the miraculous that we hold in our hearts—You know each one so well—prepare us to receive those miracles.  Thank you for being the God who performs mighty miracles.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

From my heart to yours,

Kim

Firsts

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 (John 1:1-5 KJV)

The beginning of a new year seems to be an appropriate time to consider some firsts, some beginnings in the Bible and in the life of Jesus. 

Our lives are full of beginnings—first tooth, first steps, the first day of school, or the first day on a new job.  The list is endless.  What are some firsts you’ve experienced throughout your life?  What are some firsts for this year?    

Likewise, in the Bible there are many firsts.  For example, there is the creation story in the first two chapters of Genesis; Israel’s first king—Saul (1 Samuel).  In addition, there is the beginning of Jesus’ life on earth (see Matt. 1:18-2:23 see here; Luke 2:1-52 see here) and the beginnings of His earthly ministry (see Matt. 3:1-4:25 see here; Mark 1:1-13 see here; John 1:15-5:15 http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/john/passage.aspx?q=john+1:15-51;john+2:1-25;john+3:1-36;john+4:1-54;john+5:1-15). 

What is it that makes beginnings so special?  Could it be the potential of things to come?  There seems to be a freshness to beginnings as well.  What can you begin this year that will have a lasting impact on you and those around you?  What about reading the Bible from cover to cover (a variety of plans exist)?  You’ll discover Jesus revealed from Genesis to Revelation.  It’s an experience you won’t regret; it gets better every time you read it. 

Dear Lord, we lift up holy hands to You in prayer and praise.  Guide us in our daily lives throughout this year.  Help us to reflect Your light in this dark world—we pray for strength.  Guide us to fresh new revelations of You.  Grant us ministry opportunities that will allow us to share our gifts with Your people and a watching and waiting world.   Thank You for Jesus who is the Light and the Word, who has been since the beginning.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

From my heart to yours,

Kim