God's Amazing Love

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  (1 John 3:1 KJV)

Amazing love!  What amazing love God has for each person.  God’s love for us goes far beyond what we can understand while we live on earth.  As I shared in my Valentine’s Day post, we struggle to grasp God’s love for us due to the poor examples we see and experience so many times in our daily lives in this sinful world.

The love of God transforms us and heals us.  God’s love renews and refreshes us.  When we are saved, we are transformed (over time) in to a new creation (this is sanctification)—God’s love permeates the process throughout our lives and throughout eternity. 

From https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2012/02/25/19/16/jesus-17022_960_720.jpg

Looking back over the last several years, I can note considerable changes in me; even if they are difficult to articulate.  These inner changes are a result of really experiencing God’s love for me through daily working on my relationship with Him.  Yes, it is a commitment; and like any other relationship it takes time…a lot of time.

How have you been changed by God’s love for you?  How have you seen others changed through God’s transforming love?

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.  

(1 John 3:18 KJV)

The love we experience as a child of God is something the world desperately needs but does not understand.  Therefore, the world does not understand us, because they are not part of God’s family.  Let us endeavor to share the path to salvation and God’s amazing love with those who need to hear it, whether they respond positively or negatively.  May we ever love others not in word or in talk but in deed and in truth! 

From https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2013/07/12/12/43/god-146126_960_720.png 

Remember that actions and attitudes speak far louder than words!  People will remember how we treated them and made them feel far longer than the words we said.

How can you share God’s love today?  Who needs to hear the way to have peace with God (salvation)?

 

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for adopting us as Your children through Jesus’ work on the cross and bringing us into Your family.  We long to experience the totality of Your love.  Grant us the ability to share Your love with others in ways that they can understand through our actions, attitudes, and words towards them.  Guide us to those who need love, particularly Your love.  Free us from the fear that holds us back and silences us from sharing You with others. Empower us to walk the walk and not only talk the talk as we live in a world that needs Your love.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim 

Happy Easter—Christ is Risen!

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

(Matthew 28:5-7 KJV)

“Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!" Listen here These majestic opening words to the wonderful Easter hymn by Charles Wesley captures the essence of Easter for Christians.  

The somber mood and darkness of Good Friday gives way to joy—great joy—when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus three days later. A tragedy turns to triumph. Darkness turns to light. Death turns to life—ever lasting life.

Reflect on this:

Grief turns to joy…

Darkness turns to light…

What do you suppose it would have been like to have seen the empty tomb? Would we have understood any better than Jesus’ followers, what He told them about His coming death and resurrection? How would we have reacted to the empty tomb in our grief? Would we have recognized Jesus?

Like Mary and the other women and the disciples who grieved the death of their Teacher and Friend; our grief can turn to joy, when we fully realize that we serve a risen Savior and what it means. This is good news, indeed; news that we should share! The world needs to hear what we have to share. Yes, not everyone will want to hear—and yes we will face rejection and ridicule. However, if we keep in mind that it is Jesus who is being ridiculed and rejected, not us, our perspective can change.

It is not too late to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord! He is ready and waiting for you to turn to Him with open arms! Be assured there are no age limits for salvation—a person cannot be too young or old. For more information, please refer to my previous posts: Salvation; A New Creation; Counting the Cost.

Take time this week to reflect on the hymn He Lives (listen here). Remember, we can face many things because He lives! If Jesus is not alive our faith and hope would be in vain! Jesus gave us victory over death and the grave! For those of us in Christ Jesus, we have a future to look forward to with great excitement!

    

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your only Son to die in our place—to redeem us from our sins. It is with great joy, we exclaim, on Easter and every day, “HE IS RISEN”!!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy Easter! May God Bless you richly today and everyday!

Counting the Cost

From https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-CAGK3Qy1uEsY70fxdnaY5N5M3DyjuSh8HCcj-6CD-gNnCxa4F_L_vGL7Xfs84pL0vzXBMLGkmRR0q51TmRNejQhCbX_7afOi1g767maWbcwz981AT1iQgrw3S0RFZHn7jHmmKbLDro/s1600/ctc2.jpg

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-35 KJV)

In the last two weeks, I have written about Salvation and A New Creation—today we will consider what it means to count the cost, before saying “yes” to Jesus. Certainly, there is a cost—what that cost is differs from person to person. Just as we count the cost (budgeting) in planning for a week, a month, or a year—counting the cost of following Jesus into a new way life and living is important too.

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, prior to His death and resurrection, He clearly communicated the cost of discipleship—following Him. He expected His earliest followers (and us) to count the cost of what it means to follow Him, before we commit our lives to Him. Jesus talked about picking up our cross (a topic for a future blog post!), leaving family (and everything else) to follow Him. The commitment is big; however, Jesus empowers us through the Holy Spirit to live life as the new creation He has made us!

Many times Jesus asks us to do things that not only may take us out of our comfort zones. He may also ask us to “leave home” (either literally or figuratively) and family, like Abram/Abraham, in order to follow Him to where He desires us to go and what He has for us to do. Jesus may well change our plans—His plans are far greater than ours!

When we commit our lives to Jesus, we don’t know what He may ask of us.  Jesus may ask us to give up treasured dreams, hobbies, careers, or perhaps a high paying job, in order to serve Him. One thing that we can be assured of: He will be there for us each step of the way. He will be faithful to us, that we can count on. However, Jesus expects His followers to surrender all to Him and that includes family. There is no looking back at the past; there is too much to do!

How have you counted the cost of following Jesus (discipleship)?

What is/was the cost to you?  

What is/was your choice?

From https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/18/bf/9b/18bf9b90b68a486f31d3948daf7748b5.jpg

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we desire to make a new or to renew our commitment to serving You. We have counted the cost and found the cost worth it. Grant us the strength and courage we need to leave home, family, or whatever else You ask us to do. We desire to look ahead at the path You have marked out for us and not behind us or to the right or to the left. Thank You for everyone who has obeyed You and gave much to follow and serve you—we seek to walk in their footsteps, following their example. In Jesus’ name. Amen.   

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

New Life in Jesus Christ

 “Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’”  (John 14:6 KJV)

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23 KJV)

At the very beginning of this blog, I want to share what will make a difference in the lives of those who are reading: the importance of having a saving relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?  What are you waiting for?  God loves you deeply and desires nothing more than a relationship with you.  God is waiting with open arms for you to come to Him.  You can take comfort, because everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23 http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/romans/3-23.html).  Sinners (and that’s all of us!) are worthy of death.  The only way we can be saved is by calling upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13 http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/romans/10-13.html) there aren’t multiple ways to God, as the world would have us believe. 

Do you honestly know where you’ll be spending eternity?  Each human will spend eternity either in Heaven with the Lord or in the horrors of hell—utterly and eternally separated from a holy God.  The choice is an individual one—no one can make it for you.  There is only one way to God and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ, without Jesus we lose our way—Jesus is our compass—guiding us through life until we leave this life for eternal life with our Father.  This is only possible if we have Jesus in our hearts; if we don’t have Jesus truly in our hearts we deceive ourselves and others, and we will pay for it for eternity.  If you haven’t acknowledged your need for a Savior and honestly confessed your sins and invited Jesus into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior what is holding you back?  I pray that you will find that Jesus in your heart and life satisfies your deepest longings. 

What are you waiting for?  Jesus accepts us just as we are.  We don’t have to do anything other than come to Jesus, just as we are—He will do what we can’t do—change us, set us free from all that has enslaved us.  In salvation, the Holy Spirit will come and live within us, empowering us to live a Christian life.  Allowing Jesus to come into our hearts and lives changes us.  As the old hymn, Just as I Am (public domain) states, “Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come!  I come!”  This is so true.  We don’t have to clean ourselves up before coming to the Lord.  He accepts us when we sincerely come to Him; however, He doesn’t leave us as He finds us. 

When we invite Jesus into our hearts and lives, He begins to change us from the inside out.  It’s a transformation, we are a new creation!  ("Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold , all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).  Without the Lord, there’s a deep emptiness inside, a longing that we try to fill with things, with people, with work, with activities, and sometimes even drugs.  Yet we find the emptiness remains—an emptiness that can only be filled by our Creator, the One who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on a Cross, so we could have a relationship with Him (John 3:16).   Why not start the greatest relationship of all—a relationship with Jesus today?

God loves you all so much and desires to have a relationship with you.  He’s a gentleman, so He’ll not force Himself upon you.  He’s already said yes to you—the ball is now in your court.  What will you decide?  Will you say “yes” or “no”?  Please don’t wait too long; one day it will be too late—none of us know when our life will end. 

Here’s a prayer that is an example for asking Jesus into your heart and life. 

Dear Jesus, we come to You humbly admitting that we are sinners.  You died for us, to pay the penalty for our sins.  We need Your forgiveness and we turn from our sins.  We open our hearts to You and invite you to come in to our lives as our Lord and Savior.  Thank you, Jesus, for humbling Yourself to come to earth and live among us and then die upon a cross for us.  In Your name we pray.  Amen. 

From my heart to yours,

Kim