tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89225578045575349362024-03-05T01:22:27.928-08:00Grace and Good NewsFreedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-18963912562455052042012-05-02T06:52:00.001-07:002012-05-02T06:59:11.767-07:00Bird With Broken Wing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJnyVdu-gHITIN-8mkPWvxLq0CXupHKAjCcbQAHy-JYxRtqFLXoM7GRXDc3J1PpC-Q3ePrQsQv3WJiYfHruFuo9dCA6jTc23WhtEgEmOh0Bvo5tbZZEWyoAuHYuuqo3bHhL7FdFc9Jfo/s1600/dove+with+broken+wing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJnyVdu-gHITIN-8mkPWvxLq0CXupHKAjCcbQAHy-JYxRtqFLXoM7GRXDc3J1PpC-Q3ePrQsQv3WJiYfHruFuo9dCA6jTc23WhtEgEmOh0Bvo5tbZZEWyoAuHYuuqo3bHhL7FdFc9Jfo/s400/dove+with+broken+wing.jpg" /></a></div>
Bird with broken wing<br>
Locked up inside<br>
A tiny cage<br>
Till the day I heard your cry<br>
And set you free<br>
<br>
But as I reached in<br>
To heal the hurt<br>
You fled in wild dismay<br>
Now your pain<br>
Is made you blind as you can be<br>
<br>
Echoes in the distance<br>
Are almost all you hear from Me<br>
Each time I speak your name<br>
You fly away<br>
<br>
While the agonies of mindless flight<br>
Is more than you can bare<br>
Still you think it's because of Me<br>
That you feel this way<br>
<br>
Soarin' far above the storm<br>
On wings spread strong and wide<br>
Is the vision that you've buried<br>
In despair<br>
<br>
You dash yourself against a stone<br>
And flutter terrified<br>
When My love will heal your wounds<br>
And lift you there<br>
<br>
Like a frightened child<br>
That starts away with every move<br>
You want to trust<br>
But watch so fearfully<br>
<br>
Everything you're longing for<br>
Is here within My hands<br>
I'm waiting now for you<br>
To come to Me<br>
<br>
(Don Francisco)
<br>
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EfDX9_KmdgY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-47647176706297605702011-04-08T10:40:00.000-07:002011-04-08T12:07:21.737-07:00BEHOLD HIM<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0SUfVBQYQ437novHG1D139jMivkbEQ6ksFpJnyvfIvPn-xQU40_cg5zz2oH5pdwJyEUNE_xaZp-Pic3URwSdXX5Eb7Dd_QMDsGrxuTCqUn3La0kVNKLz39DgDapZQw3V5gZqPoGtacc/s1600/eye+flower.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0SUfVBQYQ437novHG1D139jMivkbEQ6ksFpJnyvfIvPn-xQU40_cg5zz2oH5pdwJyEUNE_xaZp-Pic3URwSdXX5Eb7Dd_QMDsGrxuTCqUn3La0kVNKLz39DgDapZQw3V5gZqPoGtacc/s320/eye+flower.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593270219880872658" /></a> When you LOOK at our Divine Creator, which is your act of faith, what do you SEE? Tozer referred to this as, "The gaze of our soul." Looking (beholding) Him, what do you see? What do you believe? You say, I believe in the "Truth." Ah, yes, the "Truth." Everyones has their personal version that they place their trust in. Jesus proclaimed that He IS the Truth. The Truth is not a concept or theory, but Divine flesh and blood...a living message, or profile, of the Creator. He is God's Profile. How does Jesus personify the Creator, His Father? His indelible, birth, life, perfect performance, death and resurrection is a brilliant Light and the Truth. So...what do you SEE? What you see, is what you believe. Jesus wants us to see His mercy, His Grace, His Love and Compassion and His complete and finished Work on our behalf. And then, to trust in them all...keeping our focus and the gaze of our hearts continually, firmly, believing. I love what David Wilkerson says below:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"> THE MERCY OF GOD<br /><br />In Acts 9 we learn of a man called Saul of Tarsus, one of the most religious<br />men who ever lived. He could boast, “I have lived in all good conscience<br />before God until this day.” But what was this pious man doing?<br /><br />Saul is so full of hatred toward Jesus that he determinedly persecuted the<br />church of God, even outside Jewish territory. In Acts 9 he is on his way to<br />Damascus, seeking to destroy the Lord’s people.<br /><br />Consider God’s action toward this man who became the greatest Christian<br />evangelist who ever lived.<br /><br />Suddenly there shines round about him a light from heaven. What for? To<br />confound him? To put him under guilt and condemnation? To destroy him? To<br />pronounce wrath and judgment on him? No—but to announce that his iniquity is<br />forgiven and his sins covered.<br /><br />Picture Saul lying prostrate before the shining light and hearing the voice of<br />Jesus, instead of hearing denunciation of a holy God for the path he was on.<br />The words he heard are, “I am Jesus!” There was not a word of the<br />wickedness of what he was doing. Why this? The one he persecuted was his<br />greatest friend.<br /><br />Beloved, this same Jesus offers us the same mercy. Deserving judgment and<br />denunciation, we hear him say, “I am Jesus, your Redeemer.”<br /><br />Thank him this day for the mercy he has shown you.<br /><br /></span>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-14717264744302622062010-06-28T10:25:00.000-07:002010-06-28T10:37:06.494-07:00God's Fierce Mercy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGCjpvdggVM83rQqgXC-btlmlkCmc4kYkH-C8qb5gCzX-dbRWiicVuB553lMVWNovJXtjaLf-cylgWU99GqHn2nJAwbLsQTLkdZqX5aWUA2dfIV7h_V26l4F8vF537qifKBAXs-GPH68/s1600/absorbing+Jesus.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487878430112892418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGCjpvdggVM83rQqgXC-btlmlkCmc4kYkH-C8qb5gCzX-dbRWiicVuB553lMVWNovJXtjaLf-cylgWU99GqHn2nJAwbLsQTLkdZqX5aWUA2dfIV7h_V26l4F8vF537qifKBAXs-GPH68/s320/absorbing+Jesus.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />I'm contemplating this statement, "God's Fierce Mercy," that I just recently came across.<br /><br /><strong>Fierce</strong>. . .God is strenuously active and resolute. <strong>Strenuous</strong> . . . He is vigorously active; energetic and zealous. <strong>Resolute</strong> . . . God is firm and determined; unwavering regarding His mercy toward us.<br /><br />God's mercy toward us is vigorously active, zealous, firm, determined and unwavering. It is fiercely intense and strong.<br /><br />God's mercy is <strong>passionate </strong>-- emotional, excited, eager, enthusiastic, animated, strong, warm, wild, intense, flaming, fierce, frenzied, ardent, fervent, heartfelt, impassioned, zealous, impulsive, vehement, impetuous, and fervid. It can be wild and frantic, even uncontrollable. Can you imagine? It is ardent and fiery and extremely hot! <strong>He is filled with and inspired by intense enthusiasm toward us.</strong><br />He is eager, having or showing a keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy, to cover us with a high wave of this mercy, which is caused by a tidal flow (colliding tidal currents) of His Love and Grace.<br /><br />It can come from Him suddenly, even impulsive, on a whim without careful thought, spontaneously as a lover's impulsive kiss! Ahhh! Just the thought!<br /><br />God's mercy toward us can be militant, agressive as in the service of a cause. . .showing His determination and energetic pursuit of His ends on our behalf.<br /><br />He is a <strong>"heavyweight</strong>", impressive in the size, strength and quality of His mercy. He's our Chamption, our Gladiator, a warrior Who is heavily armed with unconditional love.<br /><br />With this fierce and impulsive, eager and passionate Champion on our side, WHO can be against us? His mercy <strong>TRIUMPHS</strong> over His judgment!!<br /><br />His mercy travels directly to us through only one Connection or Way: <strong>His Son</strong>. We connect and are permanently and securely sealed on our part through faith in this Gift.<br /><br />And when we believe and receive His ardent and fierce mercy, our hearts are tenderized and respond with mercy to others. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." (Luke 6:37) Actually, because grace abounds first . . .we will not judge, because we have not been judged; and we will not condemn, because we were not condemned; we will pardon and forgive, because we have been pardoned and forgiven.<br /> <br />We will love others as fiercely as He has loved us. If we really knew His Fierce Mercy personally, we will reflect it unto our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, foreigners, strangers, the alienated, rejected, the lowliest, the least of these . . . and even our enemies.<br /><br /><br /><br />With this in mind, I consider what Jesus highlighted in His message to us: Luke 6:27 ~ "But I tell you who hear Me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, [28] bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. [29] If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. [30] Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. [31] Do to others as you would have them do to you. [32] "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. [33] And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. [34] And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. [35] But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, BECAUSE He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. [36] <strong>BE MERCIFUL, JUST AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL."</strong><br /><br />Is there anyone who doesn't need this mercy?Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-73899072662391985142010-03-20T11:09:00.000-07:002010-03-20T11:14:06.415-07:00The Pear Tree<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0hfj67wf7HE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0hfj67wf7HE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />There was an Indian Chief who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge<br />things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at<br />a pear tree that was a great distance away.<br /><br /><br />The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in<br />summer, and the youngest son in the fall.<br />When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe<br />what they had seen.<br /><br />The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.<br /><br />The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.<br /><br />The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so<br />sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever<br />seen.<br /><br />The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with<br />fruit, full of life and fulfillment.<br /><br />The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they<br />had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.<br /><br />He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season,<br />and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that<br />come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons<br />are up.<br /><br />If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the<br />beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Moral:</strong><br />Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.<br />Don't judge life by one difficult season.<br />Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come sometime.Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-43230473112569810062009-12-09T14:32:00.000-08:002009-12-10T11:53:14.481-08:00Christ In Us!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VNANtLOo4KjrLgfA_7LbVcd-OXKWqbuof4XFaH3m7UTROUAYqZPcwWjY8eUfu6CFFAiQ6O27XX-iOROAP-wX3WFQVXdyFRyTO-4Oz9Axmm0jUYri7o2KY5Jn4eNSt8S7EHP8ZbI92-I/s1600-h/resting+lamb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VNANtLOo4KjrLgfA_7LbVcd-OXKWqbuof4XFaH3m7UTROUAYqZPcwWjY8eUfu6CFFAiQ6O27XX-iOROAP-wX3WFQVXdyFRyTO-4Oz9Axmm0jUYri7o2KY5Jn4eNSt8S7EHP8ZbI92-I/s320/resting+lamb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413373455479080354" /></a><br /><br /><br />Contentment. Resting. Peace in knowing that all is well with your soul. Assurance of everlasting bliss. God wants each one of us to possess these gifts from Him. The Good News is we are not alone. God is with us and not against us. His deepest desire is to GIVE us the Kingdom of Heaven. He has provided the Way through His Son, Jesus precious Christ. <br /><br />Comfort and Joy! Good Will toward men! God REST ye merry gentlemen, all you triumphant ones, all ye faithful ones. These are the products of the right Gospel. The Good News...the lighter yoke of Christ. Religion would make you perform and promotes conditions and fear. To be faithful is to turn your ear and heart from this false gospel. Stay convinced of the Good News of redemption. You have been accepted into the Beloved of Christ. You are not condemned nor rejected. YOU ARE DEEPLY LOVED AND HAVE BEEN PURCHASED BY THE PERFECT BLOOD OF CHRIST. Nothing is left for you to "do," except rest. . in peace. . .knowing all is well. Believe and stay convinced of His mighty Grace and Love and let us build one another up in our most holy faith. That's my Christmas prayer for us all. <br /><br /><strong>CHRIST IN ME</strong><br /><em>by Max Lucado</em><br /><br /><em>Like Mary, you and I are indwelt by Christ.<br /><br />Find that hard to believe? How much more did Mary? No one was more surprised by this miracle than she was. And no one more passive than she was. <strong>God did everything</strong>. Mary didn't volunteer to help. What did she have to offer? She offered no assistance.<br /><br /><strong>And she offered no resistance</strong>. Instead she said, "Behold, the bond- slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to Your word" (Luke 1:38).<br /><br />Unlike Mary, we tend to assist God, assuming our part is as important as his. Or we resist, thinking we are too bad or too busy. <strong>Yet when we assist or resist, we miss God's great grace.</strong> We miss out on the reason we were placed on earth-to be so pregnant with Heaven's Child that He lives through us. To be so full of Him that we could say with Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal. 2:20)<br /><br />What would that be like? To have a child within is a miracle, but to have Christ within?<br /><br />To have my voice, but Him speaking.<br />My steps, but Christ leading.<br />My heart, but His Love beating<br />in me, through me, with me.<br />What's it like to have Christ on the inside?<br /><br />To tap His Strength when mine expires<br />or feel the force of Heaven's fires<br />raging, purging wrong desires.<br />Could Christ become my self entire?<br /><br />So much Him, so little me<br />That in my eyes it's Him they see.<br />What's it like to a Mary be?<br />No longer I, but Christ in me.</em><br /><br /><br />These days are filled with so much right now and coming from all directions. Everyone is affected. Let us encourage one another daily to remember that we are not alone....that there is a GREAT AND LOVING GOD WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE NOR FORSAKE US. Herein is the Good News! Merry Christmas!<br /><br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lnNK4Alwbsw&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lnNK4Alwbsw&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-13876196075500134632009-10-12T09:17:00.000-07:002009-10-12T09:24:27.417-07:00And Again I Say, "Rejoice!"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHtDESUYnMlEIuYlrqG3UL9hwPu326QQjiyo3QNITIQCOScF9aFXepQ9jvxheNX5A32diZRkKegO0IWe7geeHifK0Kpwcp5EP0SZSDiPFcAYut97sV5tW4Q0eUc9bFxDJQPrIpoB7Hrs/s1600-h/waiter.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHtDESUYnMlEIuYlrqG3UL9hwPu326QQjiyo3QNITIQCOScF9aFXepQ9jvxheNX5A32diZRkKegO0IWe7geeHifK0Kpwcp5EP0SZSDiPFcAYut97sV5tW4Q0eUc9bFxDJQPrIpoB7Hrs/s320/waiter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391749079283683538" /></a><br /><br /><br /><u>Rejoicing Always!</u><br />By: Graham Cooke<br /><br />Living in Christ makes us vulnerable to laughter. Laughter is more than a choice; it’s a requirement for us that we be happy. God’s highest plan for our lives includes a desire for us to find, live in, and love the joy that is in Christ. God is good news! His love and presence is an absolute tonic for us.<br /><br />“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full,” Jesus said in John 15:11. Every time God speaks to us, or reveals more of His nature to us, joy is part of that equation. Beholding Him and becoming like Him is an invitation to party and celebrate with Him. Everything God says to us is designed to bring us into joy. Everything in the Kingdom of Heaven is about gladness, joy, happiness, and laughter. God wants to bring a smile to our faces.<br /><br />God is joyful because He knows what’s coming next. He knows the final score. When you know the end from the beginning, you can’t help but laugh at all of evil’s schemes and tricks. They become irrelevant when you know that you win. There is a continuous joy in Christ that runs so deep that no one else can even touch it. But to access it, we need to learn how to rejoice in all things.<br /><br />For me, joy is a safeguard. It’s a shield against the enemy. When the enemy comes, we can laugh in his face—because God laughs at him first.<br /><br />I once had a dream where I was on a battlefield. We had just fought off the enemy, but we had lost a lot of good people. There weren’t many of us left; we were small and pitiful, to be honest. Every one of us was wounded. I myself had at least a dozen sword gashes on my arms. I was bleeding badly, and was absolutely exhausted.<br /><br />Suddenly, a trumpet blew, and I saw another enemy army take the field in front of us. I looked around but saw no reinforcements for our battered side. The enemy was powering up. Their ranks were swelling with every passing moment. It was a hopeless fight, but our ragtag band of survivors gathered close together and got ready.<br /><br />As I set my feet and gritted my teeth in preparation for the enemy’s charge, I noticed a man next to me was dressed as a restaurant waiter. Perfectly-pressed black trousers, a bowtie, a crisp, white shirt, and a white towel slung over his arm.<br /><br />“What are you doing?” I asked incredulously.<br /><br />“Would you like the melon or the soup?” he replied.<br /><br />“What?” I asked.<br /><br />“Melon or soup?” he said.<br /><br />“How can you talk about food at a time like this?” I demanded.<br /><br />The waiter ignored me and went from person to person, asking, “Melon or soup?”<br /><br />“Are you mad?” I said. “Don’t you see what’s happening? Don’t you see the blood all over the ground? Don’t you see the enemy over there? How can you talk about lunch at a time like this?”<br /><br />“Mmm-hmm,” he answered. “Melon or soup?”<br /><br />I lost my temper completely. “Are you stupid or something?” I screamed. “You want to talk about food at a time like this?”<br /><br />Suddenly, I woke up to find myself shouting, “Talk about food!” in my bedroom. In that instant, I received a powerful revelation, found in Psalm 23:5—“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”<br /><br />When we’re on the battlefield just trying to survive the next wave of the enemy, God is thinking about menus. He looks around and says, “What a great place for a picnic! We can have sausage rolls, meat pies, cheese sandwiches. This will be perfect.” He is so secure in who He is and in His power to defeat any enemy that He can feed us in the middle of the worst battle of our lives. And that confidence should be a source of pure joy in our lives.Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-76044205359202506332009-10-07T13:48:00.001-07:002009-10-07T13:52:26.120-07:00All Men Have Clay Feet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjU5hx3C7I9VNm5ibXmxIxC7g8tbuyZVKUeh-aT4NxbZPv4qirK_CNJoHTPSmEWouM-j_UZ-HefRcc9UqX-o4LC58ze3opiYXUuhFZ6gpolq8kyv8PIH7mASYz_mESM-YC6BTG2he1HI/s1600-h/clay+feet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjU5hx3C7I9VNm5ibXmxIxC7g8tbuyZVKUeh-aT4NxbZPv4qirK_CNJoHTPSmEWouM-j_UZ-HefRcc9UqX-o4LC58ze3opiYXUuhFZ6gpolq8kyv8PIH7mASYz_mESM-YC6BTG2he1HI/s320/clay+feet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389963094440435346" /></a><br /><br />We have not chosen God, He has chosen us (John 15:16). <br /><br />It is God Who wills in us to do His good pleasure (Phillipians 2:13). <br /><br />It is God Who gives to every man his measure of faith (Romans 12:3). <br /><br />It is God Who orders the thoughts of a righteous man (Proverbs 16:3). <br /><br />The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23). <br /><br />The Holy Spirit gives gifts to men as He chooses (I Corinthians 12:11). <br /><br />God has mercy on whom He chooses to have mercy (Romans 9:15).<br /> <br /><br />Anything and everything that a Christian might accomplish is by grace, and God's Holy Spirit. It is not of works that any should boast.<br /><br /><br />No one should inflate themselves, have confidence in self, or think highly of himself. All of this is pride and pride blinds us to the truth. When the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch (Luke 6:39).<br /><br /><br /><b>Be wary of following men,</b> the doctrines of men and denominations. There is but ONE ROLE MODEL, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will lead each of us into all truth.<br /><br />All men have clay feet.Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-34931119104020071582009-09-30T10:41:00.000-07:002009-09-30T11:02:04.957-07:00God's Good Will For You!<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KGr-WdRzdYM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KGr-WdRzdYM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />Don't go to the city of Morality and TRY to become a good person . . . you can never learn to be a moral person and earn Heaven. Anyone who tells you that is a liar and deceiver. It is another gospel. Performance teaching will crush you,it is a HEAVY YOKE. Rather, listen to Evangelist and to the message of Redemption . . . good deeds are the effect, not the cause. They are the response to Grace. <br /><br />It is God's Good Will and pleasure to GIVE you His Kingdom! And once you are on the other side of the Gate, you are perfectly safe! But stick to the true path of God's Grace and Redemption. . . .<br /><br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jz_ECmuQ6oc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jz_ECmuQ6oc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />Jesus Christ, the Son of God, He is the ONLY Person that God ever gave authority to to be our Guide . . . Remember this well, for others have made false claims to speak for God . . .BUT THEIR WAYS ALWAYS LEAD TO DEATH.<br /><br />You can't cleanse your dusty heart on your own . . .you need the water, which is the Gospel of Christ. Your heart is cleansed only by the Gospel of Christ.<br /><br />Jesus is feeding the fire of God within you and it will never go out! Religion will try to put it out, and you may weaken, but God will not allow it to go out. Good News! <br /><br />The self-righteous man was so satisfied with himself. I've been there. And as soon as you fall, you are in despair and doubting castle. Christ gives you HIS righteousness through faith . . your saving faith. It is a Gift of the Father's Grace. It's all about GRACE! Grace is a Holy Thing! Legalism will kill your joy!! As you received Christ, so walk in Him. :) You bear the mark of Christ. Go in peace!Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-45758920712910401102009-09-16T22:06:00.000-07:002009-09-16T22:21:33.700-07:00New Wine in New Wineskins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKDOqFDfI7k7NNhjWpwWyX6unh2gVaoJ8NF1n6lYwp6NvgUj8DAFgtCCUGk2lOBZp0CYgMgFLHh0pMHSSYIIsDq73AOveBQxp-qOiLDibt1FYOH3F3H7uPrRGc_E738py9ANcGAGYalM/s1600-h/Jesus+is+the+Vine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382298757689415186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 256px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKDOqFDfI7k7NNhjWpwWyX6unh2gVaoJ8NF1n6lYwp6NvgUj8DAFgtCCUGk2lOBZp0CYgMgFLHh0pMHSSYIIsDq73AOveBQxp-qOiLDibt1FYOH3F3H7uPrRGc_E738py9ANcGAGYalM/s320/Jesus+is+the+Vine.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />New Wine in New Wineskins<br /><br />By Fred Pruitt<br /><br />All my Christian life I've heard people say, and I would often be in agreement, that we should do our best to do things like the "early" or "primitive" church. One of the first things I heard from someone close to me was that at His church, "We do things like the Bible."<br /><br />And interestingly, just like every car dealer who advertises on TV has the "LOWEST PRICES -- GUARANTEED" (something which can't be true for every one of them), most churches will make that claim or at least admit to that as their goal.<br /><br />I've become convinced that is a completely wrong focus. We cannot reproduce the early church, and though some may claim it, I do not believe the New Testament lays out "how to do church" in the same way Moses was given the pattern for the tabernacle on the mount. That temporary tent gave way to Solomon's Temple, which was destroyed, and then subsequently rebuilt here and there until the time of Jesus of Nazareth when it was updated by King Herod, and then completely destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.<br /><br />As the book of Hebrews states, that institution, which always was meant to be symbolic and representative of the true temple which is the body of Christ, has been overridden in the once for all sacrifice of Jesus our great High Priest, who interecedes eternally for us in the heavens, thus abolishing any need for the earthly temple and its rites for all time.<br /><br />The new temple of God is we ourselves, humanity brought back through the Cross into the paradise of God, where the New Testament is fulfilled in us by the Spirit of God who dwells in us, where Ezekiel's word is fulfilled:<br /><br /><em>"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.<br />And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.<br />And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God."</em> (Ezek 36:26-28)<br /><br />He has given us a <em>new heart </em>because the heart of man, previously given only to wickedness because of our old master and indweller, has been cleansed and made new since Christ has come into our hearts and now dwells there. And further He has given us His Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead which now enlivens our bodies and souls. He has taken away our hearts of stone, hearts which had no regard nor compassion for anyone else and sought only to lift ourselves up and feed ourselves at the expense of everyone around us, and replaced them with His own Heart of flesh, which suffers with those who suffer, weeps with those who weep, mourns with those who mourn, and also rejoices with tears at the overwhelming boundlessness of the love and grace of God, which manifests out of our lives not in judgment and criticism of others, but in all things having only one desire and goal: to lift others into the love of God.<br /><br />And even further, in filling us with His Spirit, He has promised something much more than we can think or imagine or scarcely believe ( because it is so WONDERFUL), because He (GOD) has said He will CAUSE us to walk in His statutes and to keep His judgments and do them. This flies into the face of everything we've ever learned or been taught our whole lives, and <strong>shatters into pieces the hundred-foot thick wall of self-pride that guards us all which says, "I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14), which is self-idolatry at its core, and throws our precious imaginary self-responsibility (which is also known as "our righteousness") into the stinking cesspool where it belongs, so that God may be All in all IN US!</strong><br /><br />In so doing, He has brought us back into the land of our fathers, the land of Promise, and <strong>gives us rest from our labors even while we take up His easy yoke and carry His light burden.</strong> Again, we find ourselves incredulous because this stirring in our bellies we have felt for so long but have been afraid to let go, has finally erupted into an outflowing river which we know we were promised in the beginning but we had no way to believe -- for how could we have known? It is exceedingly above all we dared to ask or think!<br /><br />And here we have come home again, because the Lover of our Souls has taken us into His bosom. We have been made one with the Father even as Jesus is one with the Father. (Jn 17:20-21). THE GOD has become OUR GOD, which means our whole spirit, soul and body vibrates and resonates at every level, from the subatomic particles that vibrate in all the atoms of our physical beings to the intangible thoughts that shoot through our consciousness like the wind -- we don't know where they come from nor do we know where they go. Since He is now OUR GOD, meaning our All in all, our hope, our life, our faith, our desire, our heart, our goings out and our comings in, the government has now been eternally established on HIS shoulders, and we need no more temple, no more sun, no more moon (light from outside us to guide us -- Rev 21:22-23) because now the true Inner Light has come, the Daystar from on High, and has permeated every fiber of every part of us, whether we have realized it or believe it -- or not.<br /><br />And that is the New Covenant!<br /><br />This is not some refurbished old covenant, where we are always trying to recreate something which went on in the past. New wine has to be put into NEW WINESKINS -- i.e. new forms to hold and express it. That is why it is impossible to take this move of the Spirit of our time, Christ living in us AS US, and put it into the old forms and traditions of the past. It will only burst and destroy them.<br /><br />This is a new time and this is the wave of God's spirit for our time. God's people are being raised up to know who they are in a living and conscious way. Not in rigid dogma and complicated theology. Not in more seminars and programs. Not in bigger and more modern buildings. Not in further and further separating ourselves from the hurting people of the world by having a sickening proliferation of more and more "Christian" things, things by which we testify to the world not that we love it as the Father loved it and sent His only Son into it that He might reconcile all things to Himself, but things which testify to the people of the world that we have only disdain for them and we are better and more moral and more righteous than they are and we reject them and all that they do.<br /><br />This is the time that we throw away the old forms if they have no life in them. This is the time when we dare to believe that we are HE living in the world, and that in all that we do there is a living river of living water flowing out of our midst. We dare to believe that that river waters all the world around us with blessing and with grace and joy. We dare to believe that we are those who lift others up. We dare to believe we are sent not to condemn and put down, but to bring life and to save. We dare to believe we make plants grow in a dry desert -- where it has been impossible for them to grow. We dare to believe that we have no more need for the religious traditions of the past and break out into new ways and new forms which have never been heard or seen before.<br /><br />What made the "early church" vital and electric and spread like wildfire weren't sets of techniques we can figure out and emulate. It wasn't because they in their time were so close to the original Apostles and Paul. It was because it was a new thing GOD was doing. It was God, living and vital in the PRESENT MOMENT. They had no traditions from the past to draw from, so they dared to believe that like Abraham, everywhere they put their foot God was doing that new thing, that it was their land to possess, and they were free to develop it as the Spirit moved in them.<br /><br />We don't recreate the early church by trying to figure out how they did what they did and then trying to copy that. We have no need to do that, because God is in us NOW -- TODAY -- to will and to do of His Good Pleasure.<br /><br />The NEW covenant has no form except that which we give it in the living out of our lives. Now that He has come to make US His dwelling place forever, and to walk in us and be our God, He TRUSTS US -- YES US! -- to put on any skin we please, any dress, any suit will do, and we thus possess the land, and it even now is flowing with the milk and honey of the Lord.<br /><br />We are walking in the living fulfillment before our eyes of God's promises, that we have been made absolutely, completely, totally NEW CREATIONS, and that now ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD. He has given us a ministry of reconciliation, where we declare to the world that which God has sent us to say, that because of Christ Jesus he imputes no more sins unto men, we say again -- HE IS NOT IMPUTING TO MEN THEIR TRESPASSES (and we dare not hold them in their sins if God does not). This is THE WORD of reconciliation he has sent us to say and to live. (2 Cor 5:17-20) We are the living forgiveness and reconciliation of God in the world. We only open our eyes and our hearts and believe, speaking it out with our mouths and pens.<br /><br />This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty. Heaven and earth are full of THEE!Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-91007170935355402612009-09-06T08:46:00.000-07:002009-09-07T05:30:46.848-07:00The Truth and Good News About Curses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6mQZTtr9SlQr2aJwO6KOtmN4AV5rsdXS_dGa5TNhSfUg3XzKVEaUaagPRDbmDD59YHxGuXk66YpGExIh5n0TU4EnibkTZ7Kv4V1ttE88f6gYp_ENR5anJ8ldTu5HRDcPJaULyPC-auc/s1600-h/5205-Evil-Wicked-Witch-Casting-A-Magical-Spell-On-Someone-Clipart.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6mQZTtr9SlQr2aJwO6KOtmN4AV5rsdXS_dGa5TNhSfUg3XzKVEaUaagPRDbmDD59YHxGuXk66YpGExIh5n0TU4EnibkTZ7Kv4V1ttE88f6gYp_ENR5anJ8ldTu5HRDcPJaULyPC-auc/s320/5205-Evil-Wicked-Witch-Casting-A-Magical-Spell-On-Someone-Clipart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378400674216306866" /></a><br /><br /><br />Okay...it's been a long time coming, but the truth must be proclaimed and Jesus must be glorified. <br /><br />So many "Christians" are living scared, and are hiding, isolating themselves (bunker mentality) avoiding contact . . afraid of one another. Lies are told by leadership in order to induce fear. Wrong doctrines and mind sets are taught. Why? Because that's one way to control. Legalism + fear = control! <br /><br />It becomes the "Salem Witch trials" all over again! They would judge, try and convict innocents based upon false teachings about "curses." Whenever something BAD happened to someone within the village, they would point fingers to anyone they could convince others that that person is to blame for their trial or misfortune. Stay away from that person! WATCH YOUR BACK! The SCARLET LETTER system was enforced, along with shunning, discrediting, slandering and burning at the stake! Superstition, elitism, unbelief, wrong teaching, fear and lack of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ were, and still are, behind these evil acts. (And these definitely are not the "Acts" of the Holy Spirit!) <br /><br />Here's the Good News people of God: <em>"Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified)."</em> ~ Galatians 3:13 Jesus not only removed the power of sin over and within us, but also the system of curses that was behind the Law that He fulfilled for us. In Christ, we become a NEW Creation . . ALL THINGS PASS AWAY, BEHOLD ALL THINGS ARE NEW! This includes not only the dominion of sin, but any curses that come from living a broken law. <br /><br />Unless, of course, you follow another "gospel." Then, out of your own choice and unbelief, you are "accursed." The Apostle Paul warned in strongest possible way about the attitude of God toward those who would pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can understand this, as it cost God His only Son, and Jesus a horrible death by crucifixion. He stated<em>:"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."</em> Galatians 1:8, 9 <br /><br />Okay, so if you feel you are being "cursed," and you are a believer in Christ, I would first look at your beliefs. Is your Christianity based and maintained on <strong>your</strong> performance? Or is it a <strong>Gift</strong> from God, rooted and maintained on <strong>Jesus'</strong> performance? Do you believe in the "If . . then" doctrine of the Law or are you in the liberty of Christ's "Yeah . . .and Amen?" Is it Good News, or fearful existence? ARE YOU UNDER A HEAVY YOKE, OR CHRIST'S EASY YOKE? <br /><br />Once you've established and walking in the Grace and Truth of Christ's salvation, you will have to then realize that He is <strong>ADEQUATE</strong> and <strong>SUFFICIENT</strong>! He is ENOUGH! He covers you, keeps you and you are under His inheritance of <strong>blessings</strong>, not curses. Our identities must be IN Him and based upon HIS OBEDIENCE and HIS PERFECTION, we have the favor of God, and are blessed, and kept blessed and sin no longer is our master. Therefore, curses cannot "alight" upon you because IN CHRIST you are hidden and there is no cause, no more legal right. You are COVERED by the Blood! <br /><br />If Christians believe that anyone (believers or unbelievers) can send curses to them, then I would challenge their gospel. <br /><br />Why do you fear? Why are you so afraid? Is your God not strong enough? Is Jesus <strong>IMPOTENT</strong>? Is He not your Shepherd?. . . He Who never sleeps nor slumbers? Is He a weak Savior? Your fears mark your blasphemous unbelief in an all-sufficient Christ!! You do not glorify Him. You glorify the Law and your glorify darkness and satan. Hello! You do not have the love of the Father in you as you self-righteously accuse, marking others as "witch" (just as in the Salem era) and believe that they have more power over your life than Christ. Do not follow these doctrines and false teachings that cause such fear and unbelief to rule and control. But, rather, allow the love of God to be shed abroad in your heart. What happened to love your enemies? But you run from each other! . . . and from brothers and sisters in the Lord. So many act like the Pharisees, who avoided defilement by contact. And so many of you try to prevent the powers of slander, but you have already allowed it and have become proponents of the worst kind of slander by listening to leaders who lie and teach this heresy. <br /><br />Now as far as the cursed doctrine of "Generational Curses" . . . consider and believe this truth that <em>"God shows mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep my commandments (which Christ did for you!)"</em> ~ Deut. 5:10 The GC doctrine may sound good on the surface to some Christians but this is a heretical doctrine that suggests that salvation through Jesus Christ is NOT ENOUGH and that somewhere, the born again believer needs deliverance from the generational curses based upon the iniquities of their ancestors. So many are falsely taught that receiving Jesus is NOT ENOUGH to be free from the curses and penalties for iniquities of ages past. THIS IS BLASPHEMY! There is no such thing as a generational curse for the believer in Christ Jesus! Never does Paul or any of the disciples or apostles in the New Testament describe the activity of "breaking generational curses" or even "soul ties" for that matter. It is a false teaching that one must dig and go back into their ancestory "work on" iniquities they have inherited and could "pass on" to their children . . .IN THE LIGHT OF the truth of Deuteronomy 5:10. Here's the truth: PASSING THROUGH THE DOOR OF CHRIST, WHO IS THE GATE AND THE WAY, IS OUR <strong>ESCAPE</strong> FROM ALL PENALTY OF SIN OR CURSE OR BROKEN LAW AND ALL THINGS BECOME NEW AND YOU BECOME A NEW CREATION . . .ALL THE OLD THINGS IN YOUR LINEAGE, ALL THE GENERATIONAL INIQUITIES <strong>PASS AWAY</strong>. You are in the NEWNESS of CHRIST! You know OWN HIS lineage. And this why Paul commands us to rejoice! <br /> <br /><br /><br />Hebrews 2:14-15 ~~ <em>"that through death He (Jesus) might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;" </em><br /><br />Romans 8:2 ~~ <em>For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE from the law of sin and death. </em><br /><br />Galatians 3:26 ~~ <em>For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. </em><br /><br />Galatians 3:27 ~~ <em>For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ Jesus have put on Christ. </em><br /><br />Colossians 1:12-14 ~~ <em>Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath DELIVERED us from the POWER OF DARKNESS, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, IN WHOM we have redemption through HIS BLOOD, even the forgiveness of sin. </em><br /><br />Now as a side note: Anything is possible with nonbelievers . . . curses, demon possession, etc. The Bible says the unbeliever serves the devil and is a servant to sin. The devil has ownership of them because they have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. BUT believers in Jesus cannot have generational curses. Surely only goodness and mercy <strong>follow them</strong> all their life. Believers in Jesus cannot BE cursed, either, and do not have the power to curse other believers. Christians have authority over the darkness . . the power to bind and to loose. But they do not have power over one another. The Lord is our song and our SHIELD, our HIGH TOWER, and our REFUGE. <br /><br />We have been bought with a price! ISN'T THE BLOOD OF CHRIST ENOUGH COVER FOR YOU? Do you need to add along with it your fears and cold love? Jesus never feared and He loved even His enemies. Why? Because He knew WHO covered Him. He didn't<strong> panic </strong> in the boat during the storm. He slept. In faith. . knowing. And then He asked the disciples, <strong>"Where is your faith!" </strong><br /><br />If you are a believer in Christ, no CURSE, no POWER OF DARKNESS can come near you without first receiving permission from the Father. It is impossible. Unless, of course, you are under another gospel. . . the old system of accountability to the Law. That gospel denies the FINISHED WORK Jesus did on the cross. That doctrine instills fear into the believer, making him believe in all kinds of worldly superstition. The devil wants the Christian to live in fear of him and to walk defeated. <br /><br />Well, all I can tell you is there is a better place . . .called GRACE! And we are MORE THAN conquerors because of what Jesus did for us at the cross. We are not to live in fear of anything or anyone! The Lord protects us and KEEPS US. We are not subject to a curse from any individual or from something in our family 200 years ago. We are new creatures in Christ . . old things have passed away and are now new! <br /><br />John 8:36 ~~ <em>"If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." </em><br /><br />2 Thess. 3:3 ~~ <em>But the Lord IS FAITHFUL, Who shall STABLISH you, and KEEP YOU FROM EVIL! </em><br /><br />Galatians 3:10 ~~ <em>"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Gal. 1:8 ~~ "But though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach ANY OTHER Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." </em><br /><br />Thank God, Jesus Christ has REDEEMED us from the curse of the an unfulfilled law as well as from the power of darkness. If you think anyone has more power than your Savior, I would reconsider which Gospel you follow and repent of unbelief and in an ALL-POWERFUL GOD! <br /><br /><strong>OBLITERATE</strong>! Obliterate means <strong>to destroy every trace of; wipe out completely . . .mark for deletion, rub off, or erase . . .take out or remove . . .cause to change; make different; cause a transformation . . .remove completely from recognition or memory . . .do away with completely, without leaving a trace! </strong><br /><br />This is exactly what Jesus Christ has<strong> done</strong> for us! <strong>OBLITERATED all the works of evil and all darkness in and around our lives!</strong> That's Good News! What a relief! Be courageous . . fear"less", and full of His Faith and His LOVE. Be radiant and confidently shine His Light! And may Jesus Christ be glorified! AmenFreedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-6710458594995277942009-08-29T16:35:00.000-07:002009-08-29T17:42:19.550-07:00Our Redeemer Lives!<p><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5cwoXr27XGY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5cwoXr27XGY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></p><p><strong>GOOD NEWS!! </strong>There is a Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Who lives and loves us. To know this truth is very freeing from the <strong>pressure </strong>that can come through various ways. The pressure to live up to someone else's standards. The pressure to do everything right! The pressure and heavy load and yoke from those who have no faith in the redeeming power and love of Jesus. Many spiritual performers would enforce upon you their yokes. They want you to believe that whatever decisions you make are final and you must live with the consequences of any wrong decisions. This is not true. In Jesus, He lives and can and WILL redeem any wrong decisions or choices in life. We have a Redeemer! He will fix anything we break. He will make right, anything we made wrong. He knows that we are but dust, and as we look to Him for the answers, sometimes wrong decisions are made, but the Good News is: Our Redeemer lives! The pressure is off! His yoke is easy! And His burden is light! Only unbelieving spiritual performers will put that kind of pressure on you. </p><p>Let me give the definition for <em>redeem . . .</em></p><p>1: to buy back : repurchase : to get or win back</p><p>2: to free from what distresses or harms: to free from captivity by payment of ransom: to <strong>extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental</strong> : to release from blame or debt : clear : <strong>to free from the consequences of sin</strong> </p><p>3: to change for the better : reform</p><p>4 : repair, restore</p><p>5: to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby : to remove the obligation of by payment: to exchange for something of value: to make good : fulfill.</p><p>6: to atone for: <strong>expiate<redeem></strong>: <strong>to offset the bad effect of</strong>: to make worthwhile : retrieve.</p><p>Before I became a Christian, when I was very young and impulsive, I made a poor decision. I was foolish and wrong. I decided to have plastic surgery -- breast implants! I wanted to please my fiance'. I had insecurity and I thought the surgery would give me more confidence as a woman. </p><p>A few years later, Jesus saved me! He gave me His Light and Life and a New Heart! I believed and I received His freedom, fruit and righteousness. I could SEE! Amazing Grace! Once I was blind, but now I could see! :) And then it hit me! OH MY GOSH! I realized what a mistake I had made having the surgery. I realized that it wasn't God's Will for me. (Please realize that having breast implants is not a sin in itself . . .but for me, I knew in an instant that I made a wrong decision.) </p><p>I cried out to the Lord to forgive me. I realized that I was perfect just the way He created me . . and I didn't need to add a thing to His work. :) I asked Him to forgive me. I felt terrible. Now, I will have to live with this decision the rest of my life! </p><p>BUT!! THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SPOKE TO ME . . .<strong><em><span style="color:#003333;">"Holly, do NOT look back with REMORSE! But, look forward to My REDEMPTION!" </span></em></strong></p><p>Yes! He didn't shove my face in the error I had made. He didn't even click His beloved tongue at me! He promised me that He would fix it. . . HE WILL REDEEM THE ERROR! And no condenmation . . only tender mercy was felt in His promise. This is Jesus! </p><p>It wasn't long after that, and it is a long testimony of a series of events which included a car accident and then surgery to remove the implants . . . as well as perfect precision of the right doctors and hospitals, including the $18,000 paid by insurance! (I would have had to pay for it myself due to the fact that it would have been a cosmetic choice.) </p><p>He delivered me! He redeemed me! He removed all remorse . . . all consequences . . even the cost! He repaired! He restored! He triumphed over the decision . . . and even made it better!</p><p>If this wrong decision, this error, is redeemable by Jesus before I knew Him, HOW MUCH MORE now, as I walk and follow Him, responding to His Grace and leading, will He cover me from any mis-steps. The pressure is off folks! Look up! Relax! Follow Jesus! And believe, that your Redeemer lives and knows you and will cover you! </p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#003333;"></span></em></strong> </p>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-37708415386774306332009-08-16T22:25:00.000-07:002009-08-16T22:36:54.256-07:00Holy Spirit Protection<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JEt6xx0GEa3crpGdT0fYRfHSu05uZWTaX82IgnHPy0QCIczdW5C5bqNCizswINzNzyT3WdMKhnrVdwRG4f7Q8atAR1YL7-Ns9EcWJyST3P4d3mzYATS4SWhVP9DcHRCTRYE3yFbtF1w/s1600-h/2%2520Thessalonians%25203%25203.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370800706141241874" style="WIDTH: 375px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JEt6xx0GEa3crpGdT0fYRfHSu05uZWTaX82IgnHPy0QCIczdW5C5bqNCizswINzNzyT3WdMKhnrVdwRG4f7Q8atAR1YL7-Ns9EcWJyST3P4d3mzYATS4SWhVP9DcHRCTRYE3yFbtF1w/s400/2%2520Thessalonians%25203%25203.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Spiritual Virus Protection</strong> ~ by Steve McVey<br /><br />I have a subscription to a Broadband ISP for my computer, so that I can use the Internet without tying up my phone line at home. One day recently, I accidently left home without logging off. When I came home at the end of the day, I discovered that my computer had been online all day. My first thought was concern about the many hackers who attempt to access computers these days.<br /><br /><br />I immediately went to my Firewall Protection program to see what, if anything, had happened during my absence. I was shocked to discover that during the time I had been gone from home, there had been 488 <strong>intrusion attempts</strong> on my computer. Most of the attempts were of the same type. It was an attempt to introduce a virus called the Backdoor/Subseven Virus, one that allows someone else to secretly gain complete access to your computer, as if they were sitting at your desk in control of your keyboard.<br /><br /><br />At first, a sense of horror came over me as I thought about someone being able to steal my banking information, personal letters and other data on my computer. Then I saw a statement that gave me an instant sigh of <strong>relief</strong>. On the status page of my firewall program, it said, “Norton Personal Firewall is protecting your system.” As I explored further, I learned that this program running in the background had protected my computer all day from what might have been a cyber-disaster for me. It had prevented all 488 attacks from being successful!<br /><br /><br />As I thought about what had happened, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and reminded me that He works in my life in the same way. As Christians, we are targets in the spiritual battle which exists in this world. There are countless times when we would be destroyed – were it not for one simple truth: <strong><span style="color:#663366;">The Holy Spirit dwells within us and protects us from being destroyed</span>.</strong><br /><br /><br />As we move about our daily routine, <strong>He faithfully works in the background guarding us against the evil intent of the Enemy</strong>. There is no way that we could anticipate and be prepared for the great number of attacks that would destroy us <strong>if it weren’t for His continuous protection.</strong> We could drive ourselves to exhaustion and debilitating anxiety if it were up to us to fight our own battles against the “intruders of this word,” which the Bible calls “powers and principalities, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).<br /><br /><br />Thank God, we don’t have to worry. We can just go about our daily lives, <strong>resting in the confidence that the Spirit of the indwelling Christ is doing what only He can do. He is lovingly caring for our needs to ensure that we are kept safe from spiritual destruction.</strong> There is indeed a battle going on around us, but the battle is the Lord’s. Our part is to simply rest in Him, knowing that He has already conquered death and hell and that the victory is always ours in Christ.<br /><br /><br /><strong>A sovereign Father loves you passionately. A compassionate Son guards you jealously. And an omnipotent Spirit protects you continuously.</strong> There may be 488 attempted attacks against you in a day, but don’t worry. <strong>Divine Life runs through you</strong>, always operating in the background of your daily affairs to ensure that you won’t ever be fatally infected.<br /><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Hallelujah! Good News!</span>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-12301866350703943042009-08-11T11:40:00.000-07:002009-08-11T11:51:55.703-07:00The Weak Are FIT for the Holy Spirit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistwPeWXE72kqvY_IdgQRTsLnF_9LusYHhj4kxPg5OHoI2Pw79AYkCpcvCstbKLraYFU0npC1mgpSh6aqhNYSniBsuVbTdPXi9fEr4nhtu9efpvpWzO2ewpxf1mFZy5QV2Rb-bDJiKAdg/s1600-h/Holy+Spirit+and+Fire.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368778271433951362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistwPeWXE72kqvY_IdgQRTsLnF_9LusYHhj4kxPg5OHoI2Pw79AYkCpcvCstbKLraYFU0npC1mgpSh6aqhNYSniBsuVbTdPXi9fEr4nhtu9efpvpWzO2ewpxf1mFZy5QV2Rb-bDJiKAdg/s400/Holy+Spirit+and+Fire.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The glorious Good News and Truth below by Reinhard Bonnke helps revive what religion kills....<br /><br /><span style="color:#663366;">THE WEAK ARE FIT (THEY ALREADY QUALIFY) FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT!!</span><br /><p><span style="color:#663366;">Being filled with the Spirit doesn’t mean being super holy, and it does not mean you have to spend <strong>years becoming very holy and fit for God’s Spirit</strong>. If you are weak then you are fit – because the power of God is for the weak. His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9).</span></p><p><span style="color:#663366;">You need the fullness of the Holy Spirit. If you are saved, born again, and washed in the Blood of Jesus, <strong>you have everything that makes you fit to be filled with the Spirit</strong>. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. <strong>Do not be misled</strong>: “All” does not mean “some,” but <strong>every</strong> bit, <strong>every</strong> smear, and <strong>every</strong> dirty mark, leaving our robes glistening pure and white. We are righteous in Christ, and <strong>you can never be more righteous, more sanctified, or more holy than that. In Christ we stand complete and ready. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#663366;">The power of the Spirit <strong>cannot</strong> be worked up, pulled down, manufactured, or generated by hard work and much praying. The Holy Spirit does not wait till you sweat before <strong>giving </strong>you His power. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be <strong>given</strong> to you ... Everyone who asks receives” (Mt 7:7-8). Nothing could be simpler! </span></p><p><span style="color:#663366;"><strong>God only has GIFTS!</strong> He has nothing for sale. He has no bargains, and you can forget all about negotiation, haggling, and compromise agreements. He is absolutely unilateral, one-sided; He just <strong>gives,</strong> and we can only do one thing – receive. <strong>He wants nothing from us by way of payment.</strong> If you are a dead coal, become a living coal. Now – just ask and receive. Are you ready?</span> </p><p><span style="color:#663366;">Love, REINHARD </span></p><p><span style="color:#663366;"></span> </p>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-72839643391371333092009-06-24T12:52:00.000-07:002009-06-24T14:08:19.525-07:00Discerning Teachers, Pastors, Prophets, Preachers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRrj3plTMHH5UduInh9e-Y92C4hCci3uI9DNWHab3AKXMKSTbHocyT1mAr0lAVxjJ7DX8jPcjVAPhSzTXovjgGggTH9Zd0vm9ZBciafIMISapqD06AN03pzb3Jnezff2dCQ2hM5l3ODM/s1600-h/Reinhard+Bonnke.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350998639063494962" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 244px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRrj3plTMHH5UduInh9e-Y92C4hCci3uI9DNWHab3AKXMKSTbHocyT1mAr0lAVxjJ7DX8jPcjVAPhSzTXovjgGggTH9Zd0vm9ZBciafIMISapqD06AN03pzb3Jnezff2dCQ2hM5l3ODM/s400/Reinhard+Bonnke.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lately, I've been easily directed by the Holy Spirit to some wonderful teachers and preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord is giving me clear discernment lately between "performance" preachers (spiritual performers = legalism) and redemption preachers (grace and faith and Good News).<br /><br />The performance preacher will stress what YOU HAVE TO DO. . .always making YOU the object of your faith. With little help from God, YOU are expected to tow the line and walk that narrow road. Their topics are always about cleaning up your act, "ruthless" repentance, etc. and never focus on the FREE GIFT of Jesus Christ and what has already been DONE on your behalf. One is about YOUR performance. . . the correct one is about JESUS' performance. One has a heavy yoke . . the latter has the easy, light yoke that we are instructed to REST in it's RELIEF.<br /><br />The Scriptures explain <strong>what's behind</strong> these false "performance-you-gotta-get-circumsized-preachers". . .the Bible says, the following is their MOTIVATION:<br /><br /><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#330099;"><strong>Galatians 6:12 says, "Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that <span style="color:#990000;">the cross of Christ</span><span style="color:#660000;"> alone</span> can save. 13 )And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves.</strong> <strong>They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples."</strong></span></em><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Performance, legalistic, teachers always want YOU to make THEM look good. They may not even be conscious of this, but it is a mark of a false leader and all of God's people need to beware and alert. Jesus even said to watch out for these leaders who preach another gospel. This false</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">gospel <strong>sounds</strong> humbly spiritual. Nevertheless, it's wickedness is revealed in it's lack of fruit and even spiritual death. God is blasphemed so often by these false teachers, as they paint Him as an austere, quick to punish, banish, destroy, reprove kind of God. Not at all the truth about Him. They slander His very character and break the third commandment . . . they blaspheme His Holy Name. And they want to make you IMPOTENT, weak, powerless, ineffective and worse of all . . . completely DEPENDANT on them!! Rather than abiding in the Vine (Christ), their teachings and agendas and twistedness cause you to abide in them! </span><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#330099;">(Look in my earlier posts for "God Is Easy To Live With" with quotes from A.W. Tozer)</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">But a Redemption preacher/teacher will always point out the Gift of God, Jesus Christ. He will remind you of what has been done, what has been given and what is promised. He will reassure your faith in a loving and gracious God. There will be no more morbid introspections. No more Old Testament Covenant living, but rather New Testament New Creations! Hallelujah!</span><br /><br /><br />Reinhard Bonnke is one of the Redemption preachers I have lately been indulging in . . . Here is a sampling of what he SINGS to all who'll hear:<br /><br /><br /><br />"<span style="color:#330033;">THE WILL OF GOD - <strong>Christ’s Lordship is not a dictatorship</strong></span>"<br /><br /><strong>Holy Spirit-baptised believers hear God for themselves</strong>. Some try resorting to prophecy as a means of telling others what God wants. If God has not fallen out with me, why should He tell somebody else prophetically what I should do? <strong>That approach conflicts with what the Bible says:</strong> “<em>No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord’, because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest” (Jeremiah 31:34).</em><br /><br /><br /><br />Before Christ there was no open vision. Prophets were anointed to hear God and to pass on what he had to say. <strong>Now, since Pentecost, Holy Spirit-baptised believers hear God for themselves</strong>. Many people prophesied, telling Paul what was going to happen to him, <strong>but he was not impressed.</strong> “None of these things move me,” he said, for he was “bound in the Spirit” (Acts 20:24, 22 NKJV).<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#330099;">Christ’s Lordship is not a dictatorship and the kingdom of God is not totalitarian</span></strong>. Christ emphasised this in John 8:35: “A slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it for ever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” In his letter to the Galatians, Paul similarly lays tremendous stress on the freedom of sons in the household of God.<br /><br />~~ WOW!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p>Joy!!! There is such joy in knowing the Truth of the Grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings such RELIEF! An oasis from the FUTILITY of religiousity and "spiritual performance."I get so tired of the same 'ole, same 'ole messages that reflect the Old Covenant of "trying hard to do what God commands." As a recovering legalist, I turn off now to messages of any kind that endorses this sometimes subtle, yet damaging deception, and very popular form of legalism -- a PERFORMANCE-BASED Christianity.<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><p>Legalism endorses unbelief and it minimizes the mercy of God!<br />The Old Covenant falls short in glorifying the merciful God we really do have! BUT, Jesus IS HIS GlORY! </p>Legalism is like constantly trying to "get into a room" that you are already in. That's why it seems so hard. Have you ever seen someone trying really hard to get into a room he's already in? What freedom comes when that person realizes that he's already in! Then he can REST and RECEIVE and I know, as a recovering legalist, that person will never want to leave that glorious room. No teaching or mindset or scripture or anything will draw a recovering legalist out of the room of relief and grace . . . he/she is firmly planted. The Truth of God's Grace has set us free from that heavy yoke of OT spiritual performance, requirements and qualifications! YAHOO!<br /><br />We have the Spirit of God within us (greater is He!) so that we may discern between true and false teaching. True shepherds point to the Chief Shepherd! False teachers are preoccupied with performance. . . using OT Scriptures most of the time. <strong>Works righteousness glorifies man!</strong> <strong><span style="color:#003300;">Grace righteousness glorifies God!</span></strong> Grace eliminates boasting ("I have a big ministry because I pray 5 hours every day!" or "God gave me this great job and/or money because I tithe." or "God answered my prayer because I fasted." How 'bout God takes care of me in all ways because of Jesus!<br /><br />Here's a simple rule of thumb I've learned for discerning teaching: <span style="color:#330033;">The actual source of all teaching and doctrine is revealed in whom it glorifies.</span> In other words, teaching that emphasizes success through YOUR great discipline or even success through YOUR great faith also tends to aim the glory at YOU. Thus, it is frequently true that faith in faith glorifies your faith, and faith in self-discipline glorifies your self-discipline. BUT faith in God's grace and in the gift of His righteousness glorifies God, because A GIFT CANNOT BE BOUGHT OR EARNED; it can only be received.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Thank you, Reinhard, for pointing to the Good News and the Good Shepherd!<br /><br />Here's one more "sample" from Reinhard's "Table" . . . .<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#330033;">"The Will Of God - Puppets on a string?"<br /></span></strong><br /><br />We have to admit that our own desires do get in the way. We often pray in the hope that what we want turns out to be what God wants, too. If we pray long and hard enough, it will ultimately look as if God complies with our wishes. Some pray for direction until they feel they have it – the direction they had always wanted. Actually, God may have no change of direction for them.Suppose God is silent. What is wrong? Usually nothing! God is silent because he has nothing to say. God does not chatter 24 hours a day. He may be perfectly happy with what we are doing. He does not issue new plans daily and have us all scurrying back and forth like rabbits. It is very important to grasp one particular aspect of this matter – God respects decisions that we make with the intention of glorifying him. God made man in his own image – with a sovereign will. Broadly speaking, he allows us freedom. We are not God’s puppets. <strong>Nor do we serve God as slaves, constantly anxious in case we have slipped up somewhere. </strong>The Lord makes us an amazing promise: “I will do whatever you ask in my name” (John 14:13).We can see the pattern in Christ’s relations with his disciples. <strong>He did not order them about, lording it over them, dictating their daily lives, what to do, where to live or what to buy. He treated them as responsible enfranchised adults, not commanding them to come to heel like unthinking animals. Their status was not one of employees, and he was not their boss or managing director</strong>. What boss would wash his employees’ feet? His fundamental contract is to be with us wherever we go and bless the work of our hands.<strong> As Jesus did not lord it over his followers, Christian leaders have no mandate to exert Lordship authority over anyone. In fact, Christ explicitly forbade such behaviour, saying, “One is your Master, even Christ” (Matthew 23:8 KJV)."<br /><br /><br /><br /></strong><strong></strong>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-66015054982697253172009-06-20T21:36:00.000-07:002009-06-21T07:40:30.860-07:00My Eyes Are On YOU, Jesus!<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/osJUMFX7OaU&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/osJUMFX7OaU&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />God has shown Himself true by telling the future before it came to pass. He has promised us that Christ Jesus will return and will gather those who are Born of and Sealed by the Holy Spirit and are New creatures . . . Believers in Christ Jesus as their Righteousness and their Covering. Who have put their hope and trust in His perfect performance. . . His perfect Life and sacrificial death.<br /><br /><p></p><p>LOOK UP! Your Redemption is nigh. . . .even at the Door!<br /><br /></p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Mark 13:29 ~ "Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door."</span></em></strong></p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /><br />VICTORY IS YOURS, JESUS!</span> </span></em></strong></p><p></p><p></p>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-44024009215364816652009-05-19T10:22:00.000-07:002009-05-19T10:46:23.403-07:00We Were Bought With An Unspeakable Price!<p><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m7Lx0kBF170&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m7Lx0kBF170&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />ALL THAT MATTERS . . . .JESUS!!<br /><br /><br /><br />Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. (1Timothy 6:17b)~~<br /><br /><br />"Our Lord Jesus is ever giving, and <strong>does not for a solitary instant withdraw his hand.</strong> As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil shall not be stayed. </p><p>He is a Sun <strong>ever-shining</strong>; He is Manna <strong>always falling round the camp</strong>; He is a Rock in the desert, <strong>ever sending out streams of life</strong> from His smitten side; the rain of His grace is <strong>always</strong> dropping; the River of His <strong>bounty</strong> is <strong>ever-flowing</strong>, and the well-spring of His Love is <strong>constantly overflowing.</strong> </p><p>As the King can never die, SO HIS GRACE CAN NEVER FAIL. </p><p>Daily we pluck <strong>His</strong> Fruit, and daily His branches bend down to our hand with <strong>a fresh store of Mercy</strong>. There are seven feast-days in His weeks, and as many as are the days, so many are the banquets in His years. </p><p>Who has ever returned from His door unblessed?</p><p>Who has ever risen from His table unsatisfied, or from His bosom un-emparadised? </p><p>His mercies are <strong>NEW every morning and fresh every evening</strong>. Who can know the number of His benefits, or recount the list of His bounties? Every sand which drops from the glass of time is but the tardy follower of <strong>a myriad of mercies</strong>. The wings of our hours are covered with the silver of His kindness, and with the yellow gold of His affection. The river of time bears from the mountains of eternity the golden sands of His Favour. The countless stars are but as the standard bearers of a more innumerable host of blessings. </p><p>Who can count the dust of the benefits which He bestows on Jacob, or tell the number of the fourth part of His mercies towards Israel? How shall my soul extol Him who<strong> daily</strong> loadeth us with benefits, and who crowneth us with loving-kindness?</p><p> <strong>O that my praise could be as ceaseless as His bounty!</strong> O miserable tongue, how canst thou be silent? Wake up, I pray thee, lest I call thee no more my glory, but my shame. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early." </p><p>~~Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)<br /><br /></p>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-2843025171165867472009-04-27T11:34:00.000-07:002009-04-27T15:59:47.088-07:00Believing and Resting in JesusJohn G. Patton was a Bible translator in the South Sea Islands.<br /><br /><br /><br />While translating, he came to the word “<strong>believe</strong>” and searched for a word that the native people could truly understand. He wanted something that meant commitment and trust, but he couldn’t think of a word.<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30437135&op=1&view=all&subj=99445391998&aid=-1&oid=99445391998&id=1018649683"></a><br />Then one day, a messenger rushed into Mr. Patton’s room out of breath. Needing to rest, he flung himself into a big chair and <strong>leaned back in complete relaxation</strong>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Patton asked the native for a word to describe what he did when he sat down and <strong>completely trusted in the chair to hold him so he could relax. </strong>That’s the word he used for “believe.”<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329441776618846978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFphxrLC23mWSeO1aAHlsJ3Q2F2k0yE3noCh7MqdhboAaZYYWd08ukd9cp__9hu4PzYI46dHmiwHbTG9jvZq8_JNr_-Sk8HX0BrB-kFQQMONP6a2aoRu8_0SStM5m-2IAoBmsFAXCdcQ/s320/Resting.bmp" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><p>When a person <strong>quits trying</strong> and begins to trust the Lord Jesus, that’s “belief.” ~~ Adrian Rogers (Love Worth Finding)</p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Quit trying? Yes. When we give up and rest from our own attempts at righteousness and fully rely on Christ's Performance, then we are resting in <span style="color:#003300;">saving</span> faith. </p><br /><p><span style="color:#330033;"><em>Isaiah 30:15 ~~ This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to Me (repentance) and <strong>resting in Me</strong> will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength . . . "</em></span></p><br /><p>But don't we need to work? Build? DO? Yes. Our faith, as James the Apostle wrote, is dead without good works. However . . .</p><br /><p><em><span style="color:#330033;">PSALM 127:1 ~~~<br /><br />Unless<strong> the Lord</strong> builds a house, <strong>the work of the builders is wasted</strong>. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2 It is <strong>useless for you to work so hard</strong> from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; <strong>for God gives rest to his loved ones.</strong></span></em></p><br /><p>Many Christians spend their time involved in "religious" activities—prayer groups, Bible studies, outreach ministries— sometimes hyperactively running the "hamster wheel" of what they believe are good and commendable deeds. However, according to Psalm 127:1-2, they are useless and wasted energy if the Lord did not initiate them. </p><br /><p>So HOW do we not "do" but live out a "live" faith? Simple. . . so simple. . . we RESPOND.<em><span style="color:#330033;">"For as many as are <strong>led by the Spirit of God</strong>, they are the sons of God." ~~ Romans 8:14</span></em></p><br /><p><span style="color:#000000;">All religious and spiritual performers can think up wonderful projects and good, commendable things to "do". . . but if the Lord is not the initiator through a new and regenerate heart, guiding and prompting and inspiring, it is worth nothing. If you see one family adopt an orphan and you think to yourself, that would be a "good" thing to do, but the Lord didn't direct you . . .you are following your own heart, not His. He may want you to do something different. Jesus said to Peter, "<strong><em><span style="color:#330033;">You follow Me</span></em></strong>." (John 21:22)</span></p><br /><p>We may hear a preacher's message suggesting good things to "do" for God, but they are usless and a waste of lots of time and energy if it isn't Jesus leading you to do and act and be. We must simply REST, ENJOY GOD, RECEIVE FROM HIM AND RESPOND AS HE LEADS US (and He will) DOWN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Take off the heavy yoke of "I should." And trust in His leading as you follow His desires. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. </p><br /><p>One of the greatest benefits of our redemption is the privilege of being led by the Spirit of God. Children of God can be expected to be led by the Spirit of God. One of the greatest needs is to have the wisdom of God to make the right decisions. This comes through being led by the Spirit of God.</p><br /><p>I'll never forget the first days of my New Birth experience. It was cold outside and my husband and I were driving in the city and I noticed an old, homeless woman not wearing a coat. The Holy Spirit instantly directed me to give her my coat. We were in a warm car and I had more coats at home. . . I KNEW what He wanted me to do. Being led of the Spirit is an exciting adventure through the Personality and Heart of God. We learn more about Him as we respond to Him. You know it isn't your idea and you take no glory. Following His Heart and doing His Will has been one of the most blessed components of being His child. </p><br /><p>It is not the mind, which gives man understanding. It is the spirit in a man. You see, Job’s friends used their minds to try to enlighten them regarding Job’s sufferings. They were dead wrong. In this passage Elihu explains the reason they were wrong. He says, "It is the spirit in a man…that gives him understanding." Not your mind, but your spirit. This is why Solomon wrote, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and <strong>lean not on your own understanding</strong>" (Prov 3:5).</p><br /><p>When we are <strong>born again</strong>, our spirits are saved. Our spirit is the part of us that has been saved. So becoming a child of God enables the Holy Spirit to testify with our spirit that we are God’s children. The Spirit does not testify to our minds. Our minds may not receive this testimony, but our spirits can.</p><br /><p><strong>Resting in His finished work is our strength</strong>. I highly recommend a little book by Max Lucado called, "<span style="color:#330099;">Safe in the Shepherd's Arms". . .</span><span style="color:#000000;">here is a quote from the book that really blessed me recently and gave me such <strong>relief. </strong>(As a recovering legalist, I want to be alert to His Relief. To me, His relief is the Good News and Grace He purchased for me on Calvary.) So here is some relief:</span></p><br /><p><span style="color:#003300;"><em>"Sheep cannot find pasture or food. They need help. They need a shepherd to "lead them" and help them "lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:2)." Without a shepherd they cannot <strong>rest.</strong> WITHOUT A SHEPHERD, NEITHER CAN WE. <strong>He leads me . . . He makes me. </strong>Notice the two pronouns. Who is the <strong>active</strong> one? Who is in charge? The shepherd. The shepherd selects the trail and prepares the pasture. The sheep's job -- our job -- is to <strong>watch the shepherd. </strong></em></span><span style="color:#330033;">"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You." (Isaiah 26:3)</span></p><br /><p><em><span style="color:#003300;">For you to be healthy, you must rest. Slow down and God will heal you. He will bring rest to your mind, to your body, and most of all to your soul. He will lead you to green pastures. </span></em></p><br /><p><em><span style="color:#003300;">Green pastures were not natural terrain of Judea. The hills around Bethlehem where David kept his flock were <strong>not </strong>lush and green. Even today they are white and parched. Any green pasture in Judea is the work of some shepherd. He has cleared the rough, rocky land. Stumps have been torn out, and brush has been burned. Irrigation. Cultivation. Such are the work of a shepherd.</span></em></p><br /><p><em><span style="color:#003300;">Hence, when David says, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures," he is saying, "<strong>My Shepherd makes me lie down IN HIS FINISHED WORK.</strong>" <strong>With His own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul. He tore out the thorny underbrush of condemnation. He pried loose the huge boulders of sin. In their place, He planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy. ("It is Finished!") And He invites us to rest there. </strong></span></em></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRi0rOBbxD2YfKkkla9btk6eaOcIkzaXMcBX2gzikP5Lm5oboC-Mh28jlN3aSWjzTTIqKQKc8jwY4hCpBRK7PkgoRXmDe8DtGTPo1ohTEMUj5c6Sqq-FhZf21nJe-Roc0B0ZMGH0fMFQ/s1600-h/white-sheep-resting-1.jpg"></a><br /><p><em><span style="color:#003300;">Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of the shepherd when, with work completed, he sees his sheep rest in the tender grass? Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of God when we do the same? <strong>His pasture is His GIFT to us!</strong> This is not a pasture that you have made. Nor is it a pasture that you deserve. It is a GIFT of God."</span></em></p><br /><p><span style="color:#000000;">False shepherds/hirelings will drive the sheep and make the sheep work. True shepherds will encourage the sheep to rest, receive, respond and enjoy the Chief Shepherd. . . . listen to His Voice...get to KNOW HIM as a Friend and Follow Him.</span></p><p>The Lord is my Shepherd . . . I shall not want! It's time to nestle in His finished work, His lush and green pasture, His light and easy yoke. . . Delight yourself in the RELIEF of God.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-20696745535885075832009-04-22T09:13:00.000-07:002009-04-22T10:15:37.382-07:00He Stands By Me and It Is WellWhen the storms of life are raging<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYFAlmQiv3H_zWI9iuMzB12tnQcUn0SItxJpqEeOR7IEqgWZSXc5Xtn4rV5WdJWeAx8h9d4gB8AKU3wvHY2q8GBRUimVuJeRcD5eWGhyLHCVLzvAL7dLkGsO9KNPbmjf6oA06uzUIdp4/s1600-h/lighthouse+big+storm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327551766010552834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 358px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYFAlmQiv3H_zWI9iuMzB12tnQcUn0SItxJpqEeOR7IEqgWZSXc5Xtn4rV5WdJWeAx8h9d4gB8AKU3wvHY2q8GBRUimVuJeRcD5eWGhyLHCVLzvAL7dLkGsO9KNPbmjf6oA06uzUIdp4/s320/lighthouse+big+storm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Stand by me<br />When the storms of life are raging<br />Stand by me<br />When the world is tossing me<br />Like a ship out on the sea<br /><strong>Thou who rulest wind and water</strong><br /><strong>Stand by me</strong><br /><br /><br />When I'm growing old and feeble<br />Stand by me<br />When I'm growing old and feeble<br />Stand by me<br /><strong>When I do the best I can</strong><br /><strong>And my friends misunderstand</strong><br /><strong>Thou who never lost a battle<br /></strong><strong>Stand by me </strong><br /><strong>Thou who never lost a battle </strong><br /><strong>Stand by me ~~ </strong>hymn<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A friend is someone who stays with you in the bad weather of life, guards you when you are off your guard, restrains your inpetuosity, delights in your wholeness, forgives your failures, <strong>does not forsake you when others let you down . . . . Jesus is my Best Friend Forever.</strong> He stands by me. He will never leave me, remove me, forsake me, block me from His Presence or Friendship. Anyone who comes to Him, He will in no wise cast us away. Even when our faith seems a little "shipwrecked" by circumstances and life, we are not cast away from Him. He is our Anchor of Hope. He is steady and firm in His unwavering Love. He is faithful, even when we are not. He is immutable . . .unchangeable in His love and devotion as Savior toward us.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>My God and Friend</strong><br />By Bob Gotti<br /><br />He’s my God, my Lord, and <strong>a friend, who sticks closer than a brother</strong>,<br />He is one in whom you can depend, for comfort, <strong>more than any other</strong>,<br />He is a friend through thick and thin, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,<br />Who saved us from all of our sin, by becoming for us God’s sacrifice.<br /><br /><br />And for this, He became our Savior, but my friend He’s so much more,<br /><strong>As Christ my friend</strong>, He’s our Creator; one good reason He is our Lord.<br />However, <strong>Jesus lords not over us</strong>, and by God’s Grace we understand,<br />That all of those who in Him trust, He guides them with His gentle hand.<br /><br /><br />Dear friend, as our Creator God, there’s not one thing He doesn’t know,<br />And knowing all this earth we trod, Christ directs us in which way to go.<br />And Christ knows just how He will, provide for us each and every need,<br />And every need for our Lord to fill, is for our Creator a tiny task indeed.<br /><br /><br />The Lord God does all of this in love, from His Glorious Eternal Throne,<br />Reaching down from Heaven above, to care for those He calls His own.<br />But dear friend, before any of this, I stood all alone, lost and depraved,<br />I then received Christ’s Righteousness, when by His Grace I was saved.<br /><br /><br />It was on that day, which I believed, by faith in Christ Jesus as my Lord,<br />And from God the Father I received, new life through Christ forevermore.<br />So now He is my God and <strong>my friend</strong>, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,<br /><strong>In a relationship, which has no end</strong>, as through Jesus I enter Eternal Life.<br /><br /><br /><br />Gandhi once said, "I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christians. They are so <em>unlike</em> your Christ."<br /><br /><br /><strong>What a strange breed of Christianity the Law has ushered in! What little resemblance it bears to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! </strong>Personally, right now, I would rather spend five hours in a bar sharing a drink with a pre-Christian, than 5 minutes in "fellowship" at any church.<br /><br />Jesus is my all-sufficient Friend Who sticks closer than any brother, sister, son, daughter, husband, pastor, or fellow believer. There is NONE like Him. No, not one. When everyone else is friendless and cold, He is warm and inviting.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL<br /><br />By Horatio Spafford and Phillip Bliss<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm">http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm</a><br /><br /><br /><br />When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,<br />When sorrows like sea billows roll;<br /><strong>Whatever my lot</strong>, <strong>Thou has taught me to say</strong>,<br />It is well, it is well, with my soul.<br /><br /><em>It is well, with my soul,</em><br /><em>It is well, with my soul,</em><br /><em>It is well, it is well, with my soul.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><br /><strong></strong>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-37165520579480700082009-04-07T03:50:00.000-07:002009-04-07T05:12:52.605-07:00JUST THE WAY I AMI've mentioned a few times that I am a recovering legalist. Many times it takes just one "drink," and my walk in Liberty wavers. Especially after a few bad days. Legalism makes you feel distant to the Lord whenever your "performance" doesn't seem to you (or to others) to have "cut it." Words, like "struggle," "standards," "hard heart," "stiff necked" and "backslider," ring mercilessly in your head. Shame becomes your heavy robe. Legalism makes you "feel" you need to work back into His graces some how (as if that's what got you there in the first place)!<br /><br />We start believing, legalistically, that WE have to maintain and stay in the love of God, stay in His good graces. . . rather than the truth . . . <strong>He maintains us and keeps us</strong>. The mindset of the law is probation. The mindset of grace is complete unconditional pardon! The <strong>Lord's </strong>Salvation has nothing to do with our performance. He already "performed" on our behalf. Now it's by faith in His performance that we stand in God's Grace.<br /><br />The battle some times is just in staying convinced and knowing His heart and grace when you <em>feel</em> faithless. The battle is His, however, and when He breaks through . . . WOW! <strong>The depth of the Savior's heart and love is AMAZING! </strong>It takes all the weight of shame and standard and conditions off and your exalted response is "<strong>I am Yours forever</strong>!" He has won my heart by His great mercy. And it's that same great Mercy that <strong>keeps me</strong> <em>convinced</em> and <em>relieved</em>. It makes me <strong>want</strong> to be like Him. . . rather than <strong>have</strong> to be like Him.<br /><br />About 3 a.m. this morning, I was calling out to the Shepherd of the Hills. Some times the only word left you can say is just, "HELP!" He knows that code word for a crisis moment. . . of unbelief, troubled times, and the prison of legalism. Then I went back to bed. I want to share this because I know that I'm not the only one in Christiandom who is in this battle to <strong>stay convinced</strong> of the Good News of the Gospel.<br /><br />A little while later, after falling back to sleep, the Lord of Love and Life, "Great Heart," straightened out my <em>helmet of the hope of salvation</em> by singing this Billy Joel song to me . . . .<br /><br /><strong>JUST THE WAY YOU ARE ~~</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><em>Don't go changing, <strong>to try and please Me</strong>,</em><br /><em>You never let me down before,</em><br /><em>Don't imagine, you're too familiar,</em><br /><em>And I don't see you anymore.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><em><strong>I would not leave you, in times of trouble</strong>,</em><br /><em>We never could have come this far,</em><br /><em><strong>I took the good times, I'll take the bad times,</strong></em><br /><em><strong>I'll take you just the way you are.</strong></em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Don't go <strong>trying</strong>, some new fashion,</em><br /><em>Don't change the colour of your hair,</em><br /><em><strong>You always have my, unspoken passion</strong>,</em><br /><em>Although I might not seem to care.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><em>I need to know that you will always be</em><br /><em>The same old someone that I knew,</em><br /><em><strong>What will it take till you believe in Me,</strong></em><br /><em>The way that I believe in you?</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>I said I love you, and <strong>that's forever</strong>,</em><br /><em>And <strong>this I promise from the heart</strong>,</em><br /><em><strong>I couldn't love you, any better,</strong></em><br /><em><strong>I love you just the way you are</strong>.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>I don't want clever, conversation,</em><br /><em><strong>I never want to work that hard</strong>,</em><br /><em><strong><span style="color:#330033;">I just want someone, that I can talk to</span></strong>,</em><br /><em><strong>I want you just the way you are.</strong></em><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><br />Ahhhhh, back to the Relief of God and resting in His acceptance . . . not based on performance . . .not conditional. . . .no strings are attached . . . there is no "small print" to surprise me. . . just the Gift of Salvation purchased by The Lord of Love, Jesus Christ.<br /><br />You might want to grab a kleenex, enjoy the video and take hold of this Word for yourself. . . that the Lord Loves you<strong> just the way you are</strong>! He just wants someone that He can talk to. He'll never leave you even in times of trouble. He takes the good times with the bad. You don't need to "try" or "change." You'll always have His undying passion. His love is forever, that's a promise from His heart. And He can't love you any better than He loves you right now!<br /><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ounJsqomcv8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ounJsqomcv8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />May our response be the same as the great hymn by Charles Elliot (1841), "<strong>Just as I Am, Without One Plea</strong>" . . . .<br /><br />Just as I am,<br />Without one plea,<br />But that thy blood was shed for me,<br />And that thou bidd'st me come to Thee,<br />O Lamb of God, I come, I come.<br /><br />Just as I am, and waiting not<br />To rid my soul of one dark blot,<br />To Thee, Whose Blood can cleanse each spot,<br />O Lamb of God, I come, I come.<br /><br /><strong>Just as I am</strong>, <strong>though tossed about</strong><br /><strong>With many a conflict, many a doubt;</strong><br /><strong>Fightings and fears within, without,</strong><br /><strong>O Lamb of God, I come, I come.</strong><br /><br />Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;<br />Sight, riches, healing of the mind,<br />Yea, <strong>all I need, in Thee to find</strong>,<br />O Lamb of God, I come, I come.<br /><br />Just as I am, Thou wilt receive;<br />Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, <strong>relieve</strong>,<br />Because Thy promise <strong>I believe!</strong><br />O Lamb of God, I come, I come.<br /><br />Just as I am, Thy love unknown<br /><strong>Has broken every barrier down</strong>;<br /><strong>Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone</strong>,<br />O Lamb of God, I come, I come.<br /><br />Just as I am,<br />Of that <strong>free love</strong><br />The <strong>breadth, length, depth, and height</strong> to prove,<br /><strong>Here for a season, then above</strong>:<br />O Lamb of God, I come, I come.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#330033;"><strong>I'm here, Lord! Fully-accepted, fully-convinced, and fully-kept! Amen! </strong><br /><br /><strong><em></em></strong></span>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-77617744051226602092009-03-29T22:13:00.000-07:002009-03-30T10:01:51.728-07:00Blessed Holy Spirit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ot8VOQnrs5WsfQaQElmA9Aslmlh5naMtz7_UcKogCjsDQvVZ4hyBKQGAPbcCIy1URY5OeMeSxYWgjFnKh74yJmgYl_SzX7nGUS7GpGgSiWNbT5otiReMb5LCJhVGQdsKk-h47mLPL9Q/s1600-h/Fire+Dove.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318870976967244722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ot8VOQnrs5WsfQaQElmA9Aslmlh5naMtz7_UcKogCjsDQvVZ4hyBKQGAPbcCIy1URY5OeMeSxYWgjFnKh74yJmgYl_SzX7nGUS7GpGgSiWNbT5otiReMb5LCJhVGQdsKk-h47mLPL9Q/s320/Fire+Dove.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I love the Third Person of the Holy Trinity . . .the Blessed Spirit of God. He always points me to Jesus. He fills me with His fruit. He teaches me. He guides and directs me. He loves me. He communicates and influences me. He is my Helper and Comforter. He opens my eyes and heart to hear and know the Truth. He gives me discernment. He convicts me lovingly if I sin. He speaks to me and communicates the Father's mercy and comforts me. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that I stay faithful to God.<br /><br />He is a Gift from God to me. He is the Promise of the Father, paid for by the Blood Atonement of the Son. Jesus said in John 16:7, <span style="color:#660000;">"However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the <strong>Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby</strong>) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; <strong>but if I go away, I will send Him to you</strong> [to be in close fellowship with you]." </span><br /><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#000000;">Verse 13 & 14,</span> "But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].<br />He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."</span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#000000;">He is the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4) and Jesus Himself had to leave and go back to the Father in order for the Holy Spirit to come. It is because of Jesus alone and His perfection and Atoning Sacrifice on the Cross that we can be born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, Moses had to instruct the children of Israel NOT to touch the mountain upon which the Spirit of God was resting. They would die if they did. Why? Because He is Holy and we are not. But now, because of the Blood of Christ <strong>we are made holy</strong> receivers of a Gift of this same Spirit of God . . . not only to recreate a new heart, imparting the Divine Nature within us, but also to become a <strong>Temple</strong> for His Spirit to <strong>rest within us</strong>. And we do not die!! His Spirit can rest within us without killing us because Jesus makes us Holy with His Blood. That is how wonderful the Blood and Life of Jesus is! </span></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#000000;">And then, on top of all this wonderful Good News, Jesus <strong>BAPTIZES</strong> us with the Holy Spirit. "For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." ~~ Acts 1:5 He recreates and gives us a New Heart within by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (the anointing<strong> within</strong>) and then, Jesus baptizes us with the Holy (Fire) Spirit of God (which is the anointing <strong>upon</strong>). The anointing <strong><em>within</em></strong> is for our personal walk with God . . .and our relationship with others. We watch His fruit (joy, peace, love, faith, etc) growing within and being produced by the Holy Spirit. The anointing <strong><em>upon </em></strong>is for laboring in the harvestfield of this world, proclaiming His glorious Gospel (And God confirms this Gospel with miracles, signs, and wonders. He gives us boldness . . . and powerclothes); and for the building up of the Body of Christ (for the edification, exhortation and comfort of His saints). Both "anointings" are a <strong>GIFT </strong>from His majesty, King Jesus and our Father in Heaven.</span></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#000000;">I cringe whenever I hear a cheap interpretation of something so Holy and wonderful and so FREE! It is a great sin to the Blood of Christ to think that we can earn or qualify in any way to receive either one of these anointings. Jesus paid the price so that the Father could send the Promised Comforter to us. So He could indwell us and make us holy Temples.</span></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#000000;">"You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? . . . . God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple." ~~ 1 Corinthians 3:16</span></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#000000;">How can you receive the Holy Spirit in your life? Only one way. . .<strong>ASK</strong>! and believe that it is the delight of the Father to <strong>give</strong> you the Kingdom. Jesus said in Luke 9:11-13<span style="color:#660000;">,“And so I tell you, keep on <strong>asking</strong>, and <strong>you will receive what you ask for</strong>. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. <strong>For everyone who asks, receives</strong>. <strong>Everyone</strong> who seeks, finds. And to <strong>everyone</strong> who knocks, <strong>the door will be opened</strong>."<br />“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, <strong>how much more</strong> will your heavenly Father <strong>give</strong> </span></span><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>the <em>Holy Spirit</em> to those who ask Him.”</strong></span></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#000000;">We are incredibly proud and selfish people if we even begin to believe that we receive the Holy Spirit on any merits of our own. Jesus has fully qualified us to receive . . . Hebrews 1 says about the Son of God, Jesus Christ: </span></span></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#330033;">1) In many separate revelations [</span><span style="color:#330033;">each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,<br />2) But in </span><span style="color:#330033;">the last of these days, He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, <strong>Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things</strong>, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].<br />3) He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the </span><span style="color:#330033;">out-raying or radiance of the Divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] Nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. <strong>When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on High,<br /></strong>4) Taking a place and rank by which He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs.<br />5) For to which of the angels did [God] ever say, You are My Son, today I have begotten You [established You in an official Sonship relation, with kingly dignity]? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He will be to Me a Son? [II Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7.]<br />6) Moreover, when He brings the firstborn Son </span><span style="color:#330033;">again into the habitable world, He says, Let all the angels of God worship Him.<br />7) Referring to the angels He says, [God] Who makes His angels winds and His ministering servants flames of fire;</span><span style="color:#330033;"><br />8) <strong>But as to the Son, He says to Him</strong>, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (to the ages of the ages), and the scepter of Your Kingdom is <strong>a scepter of absolute righteousness</strong> (of justice and straightforwardness).<br />9)<strong>You have loved righteousness [You have delighted in integrity, virtue, and uprightness in purpose, thought, and action] and You have hated lawlessness (injustice and iniquity). Therefore God, [even] Your God (</strong></span><span style="color:#330033;"><strong>Godhead), has anointed You with the oil of exultant joy and gladness above and beyond Your companions."</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#330033;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong></strong>God is speaking to His Son in Hebrews 1:9 -- because of Jesus' uprightness, because HE hated lawlessness, God has anointed HIM. And those who rest in Him, receive the same inheritance {freely} for that which he wrought.</span></span></span></span><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#330033;"> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="color:#330033;">John 7:38-39 Jesus says, "<strong>Anyone</strong> who <strong>believes in Me</strong> may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39) (When He said “living water,” <strong>He was speaking of the Spirit, Who would be given to everyone believing in Him</strong>. But the Spirit had not yet been given, <strong>because</strong> Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)"</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">The Holy Spirit is a Gift and Promise from the Father and released by the glorification of Jesus. Anyone who believes in Jesus and asks may receive the Blessed Holy Spirit . . . both within and upon. Anyone can be a living Temple of the Holy Spirit, have the Divine Nature and Living Water flowing out as well as be an instrument in the Hands of the Redeemer for His glory. Amen.</span><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#330033;"></p></span></span></span>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-18261663938418367982009-03-16T12:58:00.000-07:002009-03-24T12:52:58.800-07:00Give Me Jesus<p><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IfVmsZNBKR8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IfVmsZNBKR8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />"<strong>Religion will put a new suit on your back<br />But a relationship with Him will put a new man in that suit</strong>" ~~ Jeremy Camp </p><p> </p><p>The Holy Spirit reminds me daily, as I recover from legalism, to look at Jesus! And I am reminded what A.W. Tozer said . . . "that <strong>looking IS believing</strong>." And in the age-old battle of sin-consciousness vs God-consciousness, Tozer has hit the nail right on the head. This is very helpful to me and would be to anyone who would like some freedom from their religion. . . . Here is some of the best of Tozer:</p><p> </p><p>"In the New Testament an important bit of history is interpreted for us by no less an authority than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is explaining to His hearers how they may be saved. <strong>HE TELLS THEM THAT IT IS BY BELIEVING</strong>. Then to make it clear, He refers to this incident in the Book of Numbers. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, <strong>even so must the Son of man be lifted up</strong>: that <strong>whosoever </strong>believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14, 15). . . .one would notice that "look" and "believe" were synonymous terms. "<span style="color:#000066;"><strong>Looking" on the Old Testament serpent is identical with "believing" on the New Testament Christ. That is, the looking and the believing are the same thing.</strong></span> And he would understand that while Israel looked with their external eyes, believing is done with the heart. I think he would conclude that faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God. <span style="color:#000066;">BELIEVING, THEN, IS DIRECTING THE HEART'S ATTENTION TO JESUS. It is lifting the mind to "behold the Lamb of God</span>," and never ceasing that beholding for the rest of our lives.</p><p> </p><p> At first this may be difficult, but it becomes easier as we look steadily at His wondrous Person, quietly and without strain. Distractions (especially religion) may hinder, but after each brief excursion away from Him the attention will return again and <strong>rest upon Him</strong> like a wandering bird coming back to its window.</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#000066;">~~~Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it <strong>rests</strong> and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves---blessed riddance! The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience <strong>REAL RELIEF</strong> when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do. ~~</span></p><p> </p><p>Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self where God should be . . .<strong>Faith looks out instead of in</strong> and the whole life falls into line. </p><p> </p><p>Since believing is looking, <strong>it can be done without special equipment or religious paraphernalia.</strong> God has seen to it that the one life-and death essential can never be subject to the caprice of accident. Equipment can break down or get lost, water can leak away, records can be destroyed by fire, the minister can be delayed or the church burn down. All these are external to the soul and are subject to accident or mechanical failure: <strong>but looking is of the heart and can be done successfully by any man, woman or child standing up or kneeling down or lying in his last agony a thousand miles from any church</strong>.</p><p> </p><p>~~Since believing is looking <strong>it can be done any time</strong>! No season is superior to another season for this sweetest of all acts. God never made salvation depend upon new moons nor holy days or sabbaths. A man is not nearer to Christ on Easter Sunday than he is, say, on Saturday, August 3, or Monday, October 4. As long as Christ sits on the mediatorial throne every day is a good day and all days are days of salvation. </p><p> </p><p><strong>Neither does place matter in this blessed work of believing God</strong>. Lift your heart and <strong>let it rest upon Jesus</strong> and you are <strong>INSTANTLY IN A SANCTUARY</strong> though it be at home or at work or on vacation. You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.</p><p> </p><p>Ransomed people need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push on into His Presence and live our whole life there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. <strong>It is more than a doctrine to be held</strong>, it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day.Wherever we turn in the church of God, there is Jesus. He is the beginning, middle and end of everything to us .... There is nothing good, nothing holy, nothing beautiful, nothing joyous which He is not to all His servants. No one need be poor, because, if he chooses, he can have Jesus for his own property and possession. No one need be downcast, for Jesus is the joy of heaven, and it is His joy to enter into sorrowful hearts. We can exaggerate about many things; but we can never exaggerate our obligation to Jesus, or the compassionate abundance of the love of Jesus to us. </p><p> </p><p><strong>All our lives long we might talk of Jesus, and yet we should never come to an end of the sweet things that might be said of Him. Eternity will not be long enough to learn all He is, or to praise Him for all He has done, but then, that matters not; for we shall be always with Him, and we desire nothing more. </strong></p><p>Between the scribe who has read and the prophet who has seen there is a difference as wide as the sea. We are today overrun with orthodox scribes, but the prophets, where are they? The hard voice of the scribe sounds over evangelicalism, but the Church waits for the tender voice of the saint who has penetrated the veil and has gazed with inward eye upon the Wonder that is God. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">And yet, thus to penetrate, to push in sensitive living experience into the holy Presence, is a privilege open to every child of God</span>."</strong></p><p> </p><p>"They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed" (Psa. 34:5).</p><p> "I lift my eyes to you,O God, enthroned in heaven.We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal." (Psalm 123:1-2)</p><p>Believing, then, is directing the heart's attention to Jesus.. . .looking at Him. It is lifting the mind to "behold the Lamb of God," and never ceasing that beholding for the rest of our lives.<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30385198&op=1&view=all&subj=76253266998&aid=-1&oid=76253266998&id=1018649683"></a><br /></p>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-53016567121908052632009-02-20T22:32:00.000-08:002009-02-20T23:26:16.774-08:00My Chains Are Gone!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJTeWYlIqes6NJwTsoNHb72bkC2m2D45XeLRjEXfDkQojT1jTxQh5xD0nmZm2-9auGTZyMTDnbOoa_yKUyBwC3wIdVfYfS0RgUul3ivt5AzJfuUciCIV1VaXtj2VfwvByn8733BlvxvE/s1600-h/AmazingGrace.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305135824836171266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 350px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 350px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJTeWYlIqes6NJwTsoNHb72bkC2m2D45XeLRjEXfDkQojT1jTxQh5xD0nmZm2-9auGTZyMTDnbOoa_yKUyBwC3wIdVfYfS0RgUul3ivt5AzJfuUciCIV1VaXtj2VfwvByn8733BlvxvE/s400/AmazingGrace.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#663333;">"Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)"<br /><br />Amazing grace<br />How sweet the sound<br />That saved a wretch like me<br />I once was lost, but now I'm found<br />Was blind, but now I see<br />'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear<br /><strong>And grace my fears relieved</strong><br />How precious did that grace appear<br />The hour I first believed<br /><strong>My chains are gone<br />I've been set free<br /></strong>My God, my Savior has <strong>ransomed</strong> me<br />And like a flood His mercy rains<br /><strong>Unending</strong> love, Amazing grace<br /><br /><strong>The Lord has promised good to me</strong><br /><strong>His word my hope secures</strong><br />He will my shield and portion be<br />As long as life endures<br /><br />The earth shall soon dissolve like snow<br />The sun forbear to shine<br /><strong>But God, Who called me here below<br /></strong></span></em><em><span style="color:#663333;"><strong>Will be forever mine<br /></strong>Will be forever mine<br />You are forever mine </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#663333;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#663333;"></span></em><br />Romans 5:9 in the Amplified Bible says, "Therefore, since we are now justified (ACQUITTED, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ's Blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God."<br /><br /><br />The Wikipedia Encyclopedia states: "In criminal law, an ACQUITTAL is a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that <strong>terminates it</strong> with prejudice <strong>without a verdict of guilty being entered against the accused</strong>."<strong><span style="color:#003300;">Christians, therefore, are fully pardoned</span>. <span style="color:#003300;">They have not only escaped penalty, but have been declared "Not Guilty</span></strong>!" Also according to the Wikipedia: In the common law tradition, <strong>an acquittal formally certifies the innocence of the accused</strong>, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi. <strong>Under the rules of double jeopardy </strong>and autrefois acquit,<strong> an acquittal operates to bar the retrial of the accused for the same offense, even if new evidence surfaces that further implicates the accused</strong>."<br /><br /><br />What does all this mean? <strong><span style="color:#003300;">It means Grace is greater than all our sin! </span></strong>Romans 5:15-20 (Amp) explains more: 15) But God's free gift <strong>is not at all to be compared</strong> to the trespass [<strong>His grace is out of all proportion to the fall of man</strong>]. For if many died through one man's falling away (his lapse, his offense), much more profusely did God's grace and the free gift [that comes] through the undeserved favor of the one Man Jesus Christ abound and overflow to and for [the benefit of] many.<br /><br />16) Nor is the free gift at all to be compared to the effect of that one [man's] sin. For the sentence [following the trespass] of one [man] brought condemnation, whereas the free gift [following] many transgressions brings justification (an act of righteousness).<br /><br />17) For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] <strong>reign as kings in life</strong> through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).<br /><br />18) Well then, as one man's trespass [one man's false step and falling away led] to condemnation for all men, <strong>so one Man's act of righteousness [leads] to acquittal and right standing with God and life for all men.</strong><br /><br />19) For just as by one man's disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by one Man's obedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him).<br /><br />20) But then Law came in, [only] to expand and increase the trespass [making it more apparent and exciting opposition]. <strong>But where sin increased and abounded, grace</strong> (God's unmerited favor) <strong>has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded</strong>!"<strong><span style="color:#000066;">SUPERABOUNDED</span></strong>! <strong><span style="color:#000066;">Grace superabounds all our sin</span></strong>. <span style="color:#000066;">We have been completely and fully pardoned. And now that we are pardoned</span>, <span style="color:#000066;">His grace rules our hearts and sin no longer has dominion. </span><span style="color:#000066;">Grace superabounds within the heart of the Believer</span>! <span style="color:#000066;">It has increased and surpassed the dominion of sin in our hearts.</span><br /><br /> Believers who feel that they are "<strong>on parole</strong>," are being effected by legalism, by religion that is a cruel dictator and places the heavy yoke and burdon of their salvation upon themself. Salvation is a Gift and a Gift cannot be earned. Justification is a Gift, and <strong>cannot be revoked</strong>. <strong>Sanctification is a Gift of Grace working in your heart</strong>. It is a Gift and is i<strong>ndelible</strong>! <strong><span style="color:#000066;">Your callings, destiny, giftings and Salvation itself are all irreversible and completely maintained by Grace.</span></strong> <strong><span style="color:#660000;">When a prisoner is pardoned, he is free, unconditionally, no strings or red tape attached.</span></strong> But when a man is paroled, there are conditions. We are fully pardoned, even our guilt is gone. We are not "on parole." earning or maintaining our freedom, and/or continuing to pay the debts for our crimes.<br /><br /> When we do occasionally sin, we have <strong><span style="color:#330033;">a Holy Resource</span></strong> offered to us by Grace . . . . the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son (which) cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [<strong><span style="color:#330033;">and keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations</span></strong>].(1 John 1:7) I remember years ago watching Benny Hinn on TV. And I remember him "warning" people who had just had marvelous healing experiences that they better not sin, "or they would lose their healing!" He would adivise them to go to church, read the Bible, do this and do that or else! Or else they would lose their healing. What blasphemy! What slander to the Character of God and His loving and kind heart. I remember there being no light, only fear, in my heart after hearing that. This is an example of toxic and abusive legalism. The healing was a Gift from God. And the Word of God says in <strong><span style="color:#000066;">Romans 11:29, "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."</span></strong> You can contemplate for days on just the "gifts of God's Grace" . . .there are so many. . . but let's focus on healing, deliverance, and salvation! and what IRREVOCABLE really means. <strong><span style="color:#330033;">Irrevocable means: "that cannot be revoked, recalled, or undone; unalterable." Some synonyms for irrevocable are: permanent, unalterable, irreversible, indelible!</span></strong> I like indelible myself! :) <strong><span style="color:#330033;">The Gifts and the callings of God are permanent . . are unalterable . . .are irreversible . . . and are indelible!</span></strong> This is Good News. Yes, I believe now more than ever, as a recovering legalist, that <strong><span style="color:#330033;">"once saved, always saved</span></strong>."<br /><br /><br /> Why? Because of the above. <strong>His grace is greater than all my sin</strong>. <strong>He has removed the dominion of sin from my heart and His Grace <span style="color:#000066;">SUPERABOUNDS</span> in it's place</strong>. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20) and His Gifts and callings are <strong><span style="color:#000066;">irrevocable</span></strong>.<br /><br />No, He will never revoke your healings, your deliverances or your salvation. You have been fully pardoned and fully acquitted. . . .no penalty, no guilt, you are completely justified and you have the blessed assurance that His grace will lead you Home. No longer are we to be cringing, fearful slaves, but free children who have nothing left against us for Him to even chide us for (Colossians 1:22b - LBV).<br /><br /><br /> The Good News of the Gospel is simply, good news and brings relief to the sinner. John Newton wrote "Amazing Grace." Newton celebrated the <strong>greatness</strong> of God’s grace because it replaced the dominion of sin in his heart. <strong></strong><br /><br />"<span style="color:#003333;">Thru many dangers, toils and snaresI have already come.</span><br /><span style="color:#003333;">‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far,</span><br /><span style="color:#003333;"><strong>And grace will lead me home</strong>."</span><br /><span style="color:#003333;"></span><br /><span style="color:#003333;"></span><br />No roadblock, no obstacle of Satan, no mountain of struggle is too big, too powerful, too overwhelming to counter the reconstructing character of God’s grace. Those who stand in it cannot be overcome or snatched away from the Father’s hand. “<strong><span style="color:#330033;">My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness”</span></strong> (2 Corinthians 12:9a). Furthermore, what this grace has done for us in the past, <strong>we can count on it</strong> to do for us during the remaining part of the journey until we safely arrive at home in our Father’s House. Amen!<br /><br /><object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXl9nWLsJtk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXl9nWLsJtk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-87422313222788724142009-02-10T00:56:00.000-08:002009-02-14T13:24:48.507-08:00"Neither Do I Condemn You"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmMnrYj0LTvAMg0kyV1aZmuZV53c8z74gqL-uezOd_qQk2P2icAezSACGWM3UY6CQNwDegKWIEkWSe8EHB-ryvR7oo-aB6B0iQCaa2O8Qk9IpP784OKG0G_uXwOq5DC5AcUze7WIl2dM/s1600-h/Passion_of_the_Christ_1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301101551888965794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmMnrYj0LTvAMg0kyV1aZmuZV53c8z74gqL-uezOd_qQk2P2icAezSACGWM3UY6CQNwDegKWIEkWSe8EHB-ryvR7oo-aB6B0iQCaa2O8Qk9IpP784OKG0G_uXwOq5DC5AcUze7WIl2dM/s400/Passion_of_the_Christ_1.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Legalists thought they had Jesus pinned in a corner the day they brought the woman who was caught in the act of adultery to Him. According to the Law, she had to be stoned.<br /><br />John 8:3-11: <em><span style="color:#330033;">The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.<br />But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, "<strong>If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her</strong>." Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.<br />At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? <strong>Has no one condemned you</strong>?"<br />"No one, sir," she said. "<strong>Then neither do I condemn you</strong>," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#330000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#330033;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br />There is only One Who has never sinned and He is the only One Who can condemn us. But He does not, rather He came to save us. "<span style="color:#000066;"><em>For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to <strong>reject</strong>, to <strong>condemn</strong>, to <strong>pass sentence on</strong>) the world, but that the world might find salvation and <strong>be made safe and sound through Him</strong>." (John 3:17) </em></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;">And here is an awesome truth <em>. . .</em></span> "</span><span style="color:#333300;"><em><strong>Even the Father judges no one</strong>, <strong>for He has given all judgment (the last judgment and the whole business of judging) entirely into the hands of the Son" (John 5:22) </strong></em></span><span style="color:#000000;">The only One the Father has judged was His Son while He took our place on the cross. Therefore, Jesus is the only One who can condemn us . . . yet according to Romans 8:1 --</span><span style="color:#330033;"><em> "there is <strong>no condemnation</strong> for those who belong to Christ Jesus." </em></span><br /><em><span style="color:#000066;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#000000;">The legalists thought they had trapped Jesus. They didn't know that He was the Second Adam, the One who fulfilled all righteous requirements of the Law on our behalf. As God's Son, He had the authority to negate the letter of the Law in order to expose the Heart of God. </span><br /><br />I believe the interpretation of all Scripture needs to pass through Jesus. He told the Legalists that they search for eternal life in them, but they really speak of Him! John 5:39 . . . "<span style="color:#000066;"><em>You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me!"</em> <span style="color:#000000;">In Christianity today, there is sometimes a tendency to view Scripture as God and ultimate Truth, rather than something pointing to God and ultimate Truth (Jesus). In other words, we start to worship, idolize Scripture... and that is precisely what Jesus was critical of.<br /></span><em></em></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Legalism is a TRAP! Legalists want to trap everyone. They want to keep you from entering into <strong>the rest of Christ</strong>. Matthew 23:13 -- "</span><span style="color:#330000;"><em>For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either."</em></span><br /><em><span style="color:#330000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#330000;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Another time the Law of God went through a "revision," was when Peter was hungry (in a trance) on his roof and had a vision of defiled animals and was told by the Lord to "eat." Acts 10:11-15 -- <em><span style="color:#003300;">He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”<br />14) “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.</span>”</em> And basically God said, “What I call holy is holy." Mark 2:27, </span><span style="color:#330033;"><em>Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath." </em><span style="color:#000000;">Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. . . He's the Lord of the Law. He "broke" the law continually and frustrated the legalists. He wanted them to see, but they were blind.</span><em><br /></em></span><br /><br /><br />I don't know which way I'm going here. I seem to be trying to convey two things at once:<br /><br />1) the Law was meant to serve man, not man to serve the Law. This applies to the Scriptures, as well. They were meant to serve us, to point us to God's plan of Salvation through His Son. . .they were not meant for us to serve them. We serve Christ.<br /><br />2) Jesus is the only One Who can condemn or judge us and He's the One Who came to save us. That, to me, is such a relief.<br /><br />I've been on the end of a stone throwing and I can relate with the woman's experience of Jesus' heart of compassion. Stones were thrown and landed hard. Would they have been able to throw them if they heard the Master say, "You without sin, cast the first one?" Absolutely not. After they left . . . after they all walked away . . . One was still standing with me. I asked Jesus, "Your still here?" And He told me, "I will NEVER leave you NOR FORSAKE YOU. You are Mine." I am <strong>so grateful</strong> to have found my True Friend. I would go through it all again, just to have what I have in Christ so solidly now. I am fully convinced . . . .Thank you Jesus. I love you!<br /><br /><br />2/14/09 -- Adding this complementary and recently found video:<br /><br /><object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dooif2-yAoI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dooif2-yAoI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-48344697324409438142009-02-08T12:15:00.001-08:002009-02-10T03:55:21.175-08:00God's Love Expels All Fear<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-koLAXTjPk5mbOQwXZc5UGLCE3lm7d8QW1tHQdtE5rFNyhCByrxkcLi9aXsAUlgTpmQzR-cpgCzT8JlDSee8tie8P3RAuSoZ8nYDlLbxLOh1oSSBp_Ijv_bOptYWf9dTv6twwsho1w0/s1600-h/nogreaterlove.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300524290381030562" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 365px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-koLAXTjPk5mbOQwXZc5UGLCE3lm7d8QW1tHQdtE5rFNyhCByrxkcLi9aXsAUlgTpmQzR-cpgCzT8JlDSee8tie8P3RAuSoZ8nYDlLbxLOh1oSSBp_Ijv_bOptYWf9dTv6twwsho1w0/s400/nogreaterlove.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="color:#6600cc;"><em>There is no fear in love [<strong>dread does not exist</strong>], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and <strong>expels every trace of terror</strong>! For fear brings with it <strong>the thought of punishment</strong>, and [so] <strong>he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love </strong>[is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]. —1 John 4:18 </em><span style="color:#000000;">You don't believe how much God loves you, if you are afraid of judgment, punishment or even afraid of Him. Fear comes from unbelief. Faith believes in the Good News that it is finished!</span><br /></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="color:#000000;">There is so much joy and peace in believing in the Love of God through His Son, Jesus. Incredible relief is found in the Good News (Gospel). The love and mercy of God in Jesus washes away all fear of judgment and punishment. Knowing Him and the love that Paul describes in Ephesians 3:17-19 erases all torments and every trace of terror.</span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;">Some legalists/spiritual performers will quote scriptures from the Bible in order to control. Fear mixed with legalism will control. Scriptures like "working out your salvation with fear and trembling," (Phil. 2:12) and the story of Ananias and Saphira (in Acts 5) are used often by abusers to manipulate and support their own agendas and feed their desire for power. But we must remember that the Holy Spirit within <strong>every </strong>believer promises to give clarity and interpretation (the anointing within us so that no man may teach us -- (1 John 2:27). . . and Wisdom (James 1:5). He will faithfully and generously supply it so that we don't have to rely on another man's interpretation alone. We can easily go to the Writer and hear clearly what His heart and mind (the Mind of Christ) and intentions are conveying in His Holy Word.</span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div></div><div></div><div>Recently I asked the Lord regarding Philippians 2:12 and His first response to me was the Scripture quoted above . . <strong><span style="color:#330033;">1John 4:18</span></strong>. And He also reminded me to read everything within it's context. The 13th verse of Philippians 12 states: <em><span style="color:#663366;">"[<strong>Not in your own strength</strong>] for it is God Who is all the while </span><span style="color:#663366;">effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you <strong>the power and desire</strong>], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and </span></em><span style="color:#663366;"><em><span style="color:#663366;">delight</span>." </em><span style="color:#000000;">What, at first (v 12 alone), would seem to be a heavy yoke of personal performance and standards that need to be met, is actually (v13) a <strong>promise </strong>that this is not required to be done in your own strength. He gives us both the desire and the will to work for His good pleasure, satisfaction and delight . . . what a relief! </span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#663366;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#663366;"><span style="color:#000000;">I let the peace of God . . . what I refer to as the RELIEF OF GOD . . . rule (or govern) my heart. Colossians 3:15 --<em><span style="color:#663366;">And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (govern, control . . .<strong>act as umpire</strong> continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which . . .you were called to live.</span></em>" When I feel His relief, I know I am standing in the grace, love and Good News of Jesus Christ. . . the easy yoke of the Gift of Eternal Life. This is the message of God given to us by His Son. </span></span></div><div>All Scripture must be interpreted through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit. Too many have indulged in abusive interpretations, including satan himself in the desert of Christ's temptations. </div><div></div><div>I end this entry with two blessed verses that I hope and believe will give us all relief and encouragement as well as strenthen our faith:</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><em><span style="color:#330033;">Romans 8:15 -- "<strong>So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves</strong>. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16) For His Spirit joins with our spirit to <strong>affirm</strong> that we are God’s children. 17) And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. </span></em></div><div></div><div><em><span style="color:#330033;">v26)" And the Holy Spirit <strong>helps us in our weakness.</strong> . . . 28) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. v 31)What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? <strong>If God is for us, who can ever be against us</strong>? 32) <strong>Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else</strong>? 33) Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. 34) Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died <strong>for us</strong> and was raised to life <strong>for us</strong>, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading <strong>for us</strong>.<br />35) Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?. . . 37) No, despite all these things, <strong>overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.<br /></strong>38) And <strong>I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."</strong></span></em></div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#330033;"></span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#330033;"></span></em></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div><em><span style="color:#330033;">Epeshians 3:16-20 --"May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].<br />17)May Christ <strong>through your faith</strong> [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be <strong>rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,<br /></strong>18)That you may have <strong>the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp</strong> with all the saints [God's devoted people, <strong>the experience of that love</strong>] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];<br />19[That you may really come] to know [practically], through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, <strong>which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience</strong>]; <strong>that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!<br /></strong>20)Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that <strong>is at work within us,</strong> is able to [carry out His purpose and] <strong>do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]--"</strong></span></em></div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#330033;"></span></em></strong></div><div><span style="color:#000000;">May this perfect love of God remove all fear, condemnation and every trace of torment as you walk in faith and the blessed assurance that is ours in Christ Jesus. Amen.</span></div><div><span style="color:#663366;"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></span></div>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8922557804557534936.post-64418890180667281892009-02-03T04:49:00.001-08:002009-02-03T06:36:50.057-08:00His Fruit . . .Not Mine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXp6VErZZ1YOdC0RyvE905LXAcGStVkccfto4xSMqZPORVxHMNlCMhnoPTX5fIsZSArJeNNRmrAGYrH0KluXG9byWgly1TsKM7FY7PlI9pH3MCIzpUAaLRTRW2wDWdqJoEwzCVabVqtE/s1600-h/Purple+Fruit.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298576605520048402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXp6VErZZ1YOdC0RyvE905LXAcGStVkccfto4xSMqZPORVxHMNlCMhnoPTX5fIsZSArJeNNRmrAGYrH0KluXG9byWgly1TsKM7FY7PlI9pH3MCIzpUAaLRTRW2wDWdqJoEwzCVabVqtE/s200/Purple+Fruit.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is: Love, Peace, Joy, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. (Galatians 5:22) </div><br /><br /><div>What did God do for us? In the Old Testament, He sent the Jews His Law, His Covenant with them. . . a list of "dos and don'ts," a schoolmaster enforcing external control for a time. The Law was meant to show us that we are sinners. Apart from the Law, we wouldn't know our sin. The function of the Law of God is a holy function. It brings conviction and wisdom . . . knowing right from wrong. But it cannot save us! God's better plan for the salvation of fallen man was not to be in His Law -- external control, but rather thru His Son and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit -- internal control. In many ways, we raise our children in this way. We instruct them and through love and discipline focus on the external behavior while waiting for the promise of the salvation through their personal faith and then the best thing that could happen to any of our children . . . the Holy Spirit born in their hearts, bringing them freedom and internal control. The Holy Spirit becomes their internal parent. Not only that, He brings the anointing of God that breaks every yoke! He illuminates everything from the inside! The personality of God, the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, begins to flow from the inside out, freely. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ojQWhu-Vp90r1whBzG7pBgdfSk3c13zfkdJsemyDKzllucu4NLwmJf9oEpTA04l3zo1PEVpcNuMrCoqewKd8ZX5J2OPev805qB47VpEK01JJWnHgfW61nOgg-5bIyRVnv_JTO1LkpYY/s1600-h/anointingbreakseveryyoke.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298563757445984562" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 243px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 118px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ojQWhu-Vp90r1whBzG7pBgdfSk3c13zfkdJsemyDKzllucu4NLwmJf9oEpTA04l3zo1PEVpcNuMrCoqewKd8ZX5J2OPev805qB47VpEK01JJWnHgfW61nOgg-5bIyRVnv_JTO1LkpYY/s200/anointingbreakseveryyoke.gif" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div>It's the difference between incarceration (external control) and transformation (internal control). It is prison vs. freedom. The external control was needed for a time . . . just until the Deliverer came. Then the freedom just flows, without striving or struggling, but rather by faith through grace. This is Good News! This is the Relief of God! </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Jesus describes this new way and life in John 15. It's called, "Abiding." He describes Himself as the Vine and His Father is the Vinedresser (the Gardener). He teaches us that we are just the branch; and that apart from Him, <strong>we can do nothing.</strong> Verse 4, <span style="color:#330033;">"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." Verse 5, "I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#330033;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#330033;"><span style="color:#003300;"><strong>HOW do we abide? The very same way we came to Christ, Paul says in Galatians</strong></span><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;">Galatians 5:5 -- "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness <strong>by faith</strong>.</span> For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision (what we do externally or not do externally); but <strong>faith</strong> which worketh by love. . . But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law."</span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;">He bemoans the Galatians in chapter 3, verse 2: "Let me ask you this one question: <strong>Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not</strong>! <strong>You received the Spirit because you believed</strong> the message you heard about Christ. 3) How foolish can you be? <strong>After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?</strong> 4) Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?<br />5) I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is <strong>because you believe</strong> the message you heard about Christ."</span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The Fruit of the Holy Spirit, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, our Callings and ministries and the miracles of God are a gift to us by faith through the Father's Grace and Mercy in His Son Jesus. We can never earn them or achieve them through our own striving or performance. If we try, Paul says in Galatians we will fall from Grace and even live under a curse . . . v10) "But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under His curse, for the Scriptures say, 'Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.' 11) So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.' 12) <strong>This way of faith is very different from the way of law. . . </strong></div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#003300;">HOW do we abide? We plug into the Vine by faith. The same way we received this Life, we abide. Much like plugging into an outlet. You must plug into, by faith, the source of Life, fruit and power. </span></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to live the Chrisitan life.</strong></div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div>"The Vine is Christ. I am the branch. The Holy Spirit is the "sap" that runs through the Vine (Jesus) and into the branch (me). The branch lives, grows and bears fruit NOT BY STRUGGLES and EFFORT . . .but simply by abiding." (Charles Stanley) "We are the BEARERS of His fruit, not the PRODUCERS." </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>"<em>How does the branch bear fruit? NOT by incessant effort for sunshine and air; NOT by vain struggles for those vivifying influences which give beauty to the blossom, and verdue to the leaf; </em><strong><em>it simply abides in the vine, in silent and undisturbed union, (rest) and (I love this) SPONTANEOUS GROWTH. How, then, shall a Christian bear fruit? By efforts and struggles to obtain that which is freely given? By meditations on watchfulness, on prayer, on action, on temptation (accountability), and on dangers? NO: THERE MUST BE A FULL CONCENTRATION OF THE THOUGHTS AND AFFECTIONS ON CHRIST (set your full concentration on Him); a COMPLETE surrender of the your own works; a CONSTANT LOOKING AT HIM FOR GRACE</em>."</strong></div><div>(Hudson Taylor)</div><div></div><div>The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is spontaneous! Sometimes it even surprises us. "That wasn't me! That was Someone living inside of me!" :)</div><br /><div><span style="color:#330033;">"<strong>It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives</strong> IN ME</span><span style="color:#000000;">!" (Gal. 2:20) It is no longer I who is expected to produce patience, self-control and love in my life. This is the job of the Holy Spirit! It is NO LONGER I who is expected to produce joy in the midst of stress. That, too, is the Holy Spirit's responsibility. It is no longer I who is expected <strong>to produce anything in the way of character. It is Christ (the Vine), working through the Holy Spirit (the Sap), producing character (blossoms and fruit) in me (the branch). WHAT A RELIEF!</strong></span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="color:#330033;"><strong>His yoke is easy and His burden is light</strong></span><span style="color:#000000;">. If you think about it, branches were not designed to produce fruit -- they were designed to have fruit produced through them (to bear the fruit only). And by faith, I have accepted the relationship of abiding. To abide by faith is simply to live in Christ -- from Him every need is supplied! He is my Shepherd and I shall not want of anything. His is the all-sufficient Christ. . . and firmly adequate to carry me, keep me unto that Day and make me fruitful. Yes, He prunes, that too is His job . . . not mine. And it's not my job to prune others, either. We are all His work, His creation and work . . .hands off ourselves . . .hands off others. Eyes on Christ! Hearts fixed for the second coming! Ears open for His Voice and Song! </span></div><div> </div></div>Freedom Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08111085976362258297noreply@blogger.com0