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God’s love

Safe in God’s Love

by TerryLema

One thing I enjoy doing is reading my Bible. And one thing I enjoy most is reading different translations. I have a shelf full of Bibles in various translations, but I also have a Bible App that allows me to instantly change translations for comparison. I did that this morning reading in Jude.

Jude is an interesting letter, warning that evil prophets had brought false doctrine into the church and the saints were in danger of being deceived. It is a warning of the danger of apostasy – the abandonment of truth faith. It is certainly a book relevant for our times as we grow closer to the End Times.

Jude warns that we need to know the true Gospel if we are going to protect it against false doctrine. We need to personally have a life changed by surrendering to the LORDship of Christ Jesus. We must have an authentic faith that produces Christlike behavior.

All that to say that while reading verses 20-21 in a new translation, I came across a lovely, comforting thought. “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will KEEP YOURSELVES SAFE IN GOD’S LOVE.” [emphasis mine NLT]

Amid the dangers of the End Times, we can “keep [our]selves safe in God’s love” by building each other up in holy faith, praying in the power of the Holy Spirit and eagerly awaiting the return of our LORD Christ Jesus.

Wow! “Safe in God’s love.”

 

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How Great a Love

by TerryLema

One of the most touching experiences is when God gives us a glimpse of how much He loves someone. That has happened to me quite a few times.  It is as if He draws back the curtain for a moment and you feel deep in your soul just how much He loves someone before you even get to know them. That happened to me recently. Twice.

I saw a young man in church at CFC Caldwell one Sunday morning sitting on the opposite side of the row in front of me. As I saw him, I immediately felt God’s love (and also His sorrow) for the young man. God gave me a short word of encouragement and after service I went over, hugged him, and told him how much God loved him. He was struggling. We prayed then and God has led me to pray for him ever since.

I met another young man at CFC Middleton. Immediately I felt God’s love (and also His joy) over this man. I have seen him several times since and every time, my heart is overwhelmed with love and joy. I know in my spirit just a small portion of that overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love that God has for him. I know that God is going to lead him to great things on the Middleton campus.

“Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children.” [1 John 3:1 HCSB]

John reminds us to “look” at that great love that the Father has given us. We are to see people, those struggling and those on the verge of great things, as God’s children.

As I am writing this, an odd thought arose … maybe as we look in the mirror, we should see one of God’s children looking back … whether we are struggling or whether we are on the verge of great things … and embrace God’s great love for that one in the mirror too.

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Oh, So Loved!

by TerryLema

As I was walking the other day, I thought about how much we are loved by our Father God. The words of Romans 8 began to flow through my mind with each step, with emphasis on the word separate.

“Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Rom 8:35, 38-39 CSB]

As I walked, I thought about God’s love. Paul asked first, “Who (or what) can separate us?” Then he answered his own question … nothing can. There is nothing in this life, nor the next, that is able or will be able to separate us from the love of God that we have seen demonstrated in Christ Jesus our LORD.

Since that walk the other day, there have been several times when the love of God just overwhelmed me—once in the car as I was driving to a prayer meeting, once as I sat leisurely in my lounge chair reading, another time when I was simply walking around the house. Out of the blue, I could simply sense God’s presence with me. I had done nothing in those moments to seek Him, He simply came to me.

And that beloved, is truly the most incredible of all truths. God seeks us. God wants us. It all originates in Him.

I have been struggling physically. What is going on in my body is not going to kill me … probably. It does, however, make everything I do more difficult. I, like so many others, battle fatigue and pain, and the side effects of medications. Too often that claims my focus. Then, as if a veil parts for only a moment, I sense God’s love and presence overshadow me. When that happens, it all becomes all right. He is with me. He loves me.

To know, to sense, God’s love for us will overwhelm every earthly problem we ever may face. His love is all we need.

 

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Reckless!

by TerryLema

Recently at The Way we sang one of my favorite songs, “Reckless Love,” by Cory Ashbury. I was singing along with the worship team, enjoying the music and the opportunity to worship when I sensed God giving me one of those “nudges.”  You know those “nudges” don’t you?

God “nudged” me into paying attention to what I was singing. He did that so that my praise would be based on substance. So, I listened to what I was saying.

“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine. I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah.”

There are two things to think about when we view that word “reckless.”

First, Pastor Laura reminded me of its definition, “without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action.”

The second thing is that one of the opposites of the word reckless is “cautious.”

God nudged me so that I might fully appreciate that His love for me was given recklessly – He gave no thought or concern for what it would cost Him to pour out His love upon me. He pours out His love on all men and women even while knowing we might reject Him.

Romans 5:5: “God’s love has been poured out in our hearts [recklessly!] through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” [HCSB]

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I Am Persuaded

by TerryLema

I was just listening to an acapella rendition of an old hymn, written by George Matheson and published in 1882, “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.”  (Link below)

As I listened the power of those words brought my heart to its knees.  “O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.”

God’s love … I am overwhelmed. It is 4:30 AM, I am sitting in my chair with my laptop. It is quiet, Bob is still asleep. The words keep echoing, “O Love that will not let me go …”

We speak so much of God’s “will.” We want to be in the center of it. Sometimes we are not sure of it. Too often we think we just bounce in and out of it, one day we are in His “will” and the next day we are not. This morning I realized that I am always in His “will.”

His “will” is His “Love that ‘will’ not let me go …”

Paul wrote it this way.  “For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” [Romans 8:38-39 HCSB]

Nothing “will” have the power to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is His “will” for us … a strength of love that is unbreakable, unmovable, that can never be conquered or vanquished. His “will” is His Love for us that never lets us go!

How can I ever thank You enough LORD!

David Phelps, Bill Gaither, Marshall Hall, Guy Penrod - O Love That Will Not Let Me Go [Live] - YouTube
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Dutch Bros Loves Me!

by TerryLema

On the way back from “Rehab for the Elderly,” I stopped for a Dutch Bros coffee. I figured I would reward myself for the giant effort it took to lift myself up and down off a chair eight times in 30 seconds as well as some of the other exercises. I do not stop for coffee often; it is just too expensive.

I called Bob and asked him what he wanted and placed my order with the young woman who came to my car. The line was long, and I figured I had a bit of a wait. As I got closer to the window, about four cars back, another young woman came out the side door carrying two coffees.

She was grinning as she approached my car and handed me Bob’s hot Americana, black, and my iced cold brew, black. She laughingly told me that the crew at the counter loved me because my drink order was so “simple.” Black coffee, one hot and one iced.

I do love my coffee “simple.” I want to taste the coffee! If I want milk, I will grab a glass. If I want sugar, I will eat a cookie. If I want fruity flavor, I will eat fruit.  What I like about coffee is the coffee! Simple. Pure. Strong. Bold.

I guess I might say that is the way I also like my relationship with God. Simple. Pure. Strong. Bold. There is a passage of Scripture in John’s first letter, Chapter 4:7-19, which talks about knowing God through love. When John gets to the end of the passage, he sums all he has said up with a couple simple, pure, strong, bold words. “We love because He first loved us.” [HCSB]

His love is what enables me to love Him. (I can love Him because He first loved me.)

His love is what enables me to love others. (I can love others, no matter how unlovable they may be, because God loves them.)

His love is what enables me to love myself.  (I can love myself, as undeserving as I am, because God loves me and calls me His child. Perhaps of all things, this is the hardest to do, to see myself through the eyes of God’s love, but who am I to refute my worth if Christ sacrificed His precious blood for a wretch like me.)

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God Loves Me

by TerryLema

I was sitting in my rocker in my living room the other morning. Bob was off doing some banking and other errands. The house was quiet. I was thanking God for a good report from my bone scan. In spite of being almost 75 and spending nearly 2 years on Prednisone, my bones are “very strong” according to the scan. That is a marvelous blessing.

As I sat there thinking about what I’ll be “doing” next year after The Way, my God reminded me that He loves me for who I am, not what I do.

Who I am?  I am His child.

John 1:12: “But to all who did receive Him, [Christ Jesus] gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name.” [HCSB]

Because I believe in His name and have received the salvation He offered, Christ Jesus has given me the “right” to be God’s child. The word John used for “right” is exousia, which means power to act, or authority.

I heard that word described once in relation to the Greek word for power, dunamis. The speaker said that when a bank robber with a gun meets a police officer with a gun, both have power (dunamis), but only one has authority (exousia) to use that power. The police offer has been given the authority by right of the one he represents. His badge symbolizes that exousia.

I have been given the authority by right of the one I serve, Christ Jesus. I am a child of God, not because I claim to be, but because He says I am.

As I sat in my rocker, taking all this in, I knew that I knew that I knew I am His child. And that He loves me, not because of what I can do, but simply because I am His.

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” [Romans 8:16 HCSB]

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Love Me

by TerryLema

I am not sure how I was directed to Psalm 143 recently, but as I read through it, I was captured by David’s thoughts.  In my Bible it is titled, “A Cry for Help,” and in the first seven verses David outlines the attack of the enemy and his own weakness and dismay.

Then in verse 8 there is a re-focus on the LORD (something David does often). From there until the end of the song, David lists his prayer requests, which we could outline with just two words each.  There are six of those two-word phrases. The first is “love me.”

“Let me experience Your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in You.” [vs 8a HCSB]

The NKJV version renders it, “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,” and the NIV says it this way, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love.” But I like the way the Holman translates it, “Let me experience Your faithful love.”

The Bible is quite clear that God loves us. In fact, the Bible is God’s unconditional love story for His creation from beginning to end. Repeatedly we are told about God’s love and how it is so different from the way the world loves, but none of that matters until we experience it.

When God’s love becomes real to us as individuals it changes everything. It gives us worth, purpose, and a future. To know we are loved by the Almighty Creator, not just as a part of “mankind,” but as individuals is the greatest experience we can have.

God knows me. God loves me. To wake up each morning with that thought should make each day the best ever!

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My God, How Amazingly Wonderful You Are!

by TerryLema

As I was combing my hair a few mornings ago, I was reminded to read the Psalm sequence for that day. I mark that sequence in my Bibles every time I get a new one. Five Psalms per day, so Psalms 1-5 on the first day of the month, Psalms 6-10 on the second day, reserving that wonderful long Psalm 119 for the 31st day. I began reading the psalms like this in the 1980’s! They have taught me so much—how to pray, how to worship, the wonderful character and love of my LORD.

The Psalms God directed me to that day were Psalms 36-40. When I opened my Bible to read, I did not get past the first one. Psalm 36, written by David, is labeled in my Bible as “Human Wickedness and God’s Love.” The opening four verses and the last two are directed at Human Wickedness. Verses 5 through 10 are all about God’s love.  (Suffice it to say, those are my favorite.)

Human wickedness is summarized simply. “There is no dread of God before his eyes, for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to discover and hate his sin.” [v1a-2 HCSB]

Then David tells us that the wicked person’s words are malicious and deceptive, and their actions are unwise. They have stopped doing good and have set themselves on evil paths. They even spend nights thinking of more maliciousness.

Suddenly David turns his attention from wicked persons to the LORD, and his vision soars. “LORD, Your faithful love reaches to heaven, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your rightness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments, like the deepest sea.”  [v5-6a HCSB]

Stop and read that again. What a wonderful, faithful, holy God we serve. David goes on in the remainder of those middle verses to describe just a few of the blessings that flow from our wonderful, faithful, holy God. If you have a moment, open your Bible and read Psalm 36. Savor the words and the descriptions about our LORD. Meditate on how David’s words apply to your life today … no matter what you are facing!

God’s promises! God’s Faithful love! God’s righteousness! Amen.

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Ever Wondered … ?

by TerryLema

Have you ever wondered why God loves any of us?

It certainly cannot be because of our goodness or our wonderful character or natures. It cannot be because we have such great smiles or are always positive or are kind to children and animals.  I am certain it is not because of our education, social standing, or political affiliation.

God loves us because He chooses to love us. It is all according to His own purpose and His grace.

“He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” [1Timothy 1:9 HCSB]

We cannot do anything to earn that love … it is not according to our works.

There is a supreme difference between Christianity and religion. Religion’s favorite word is “do.” It commands us to “do” in order to appease God with our good works and win His acceptance and love.

Christianity’s favorite word is “done.” Everything has been done for us … not according to our works but according to God’s purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus.

Yes, as Christians we are commanded to “do” good things, but that is after we have been saved and called. Christ has “done” everything for our salvation, now what we “do” is in thanksgiving for everything He has already done.

Christianity is the only way to God that give you the reward first!  Amen & Amen!

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