Knowing love

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have I put my trust in God’s love? Or have I continued without the full realisation of His love?

Coming from a Catholic background and growing up in a critical family I did not know love like Jesus gives. I searched for it for 19 years but when He found me, I was the happiest girl alive.

At times I know I need more of an awareness of His love for me, especially as the greatest critic of all plays upon my sensibilities. He comes to condemn, shame and destroy, but my Jesus gives me life in His love.

Daily I must choose love, I must decide to live in His love irregardless of what others may feel towards me or do. I am loved by the King of heaven, He died for me, He saved me from my sins. I am wholly trust Him. Amen!

The promise

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Your name may not be Martha, however, you could insert your name here. I am now in my 70’s and am, perhaps closer to eternity than you. I have the joy of knowing Jesus paid for my sins, and made a way for me to be in heaven with Him when my earthly body relinquishes its hold.

Nonetheless, right now I can live a resurrection life, I have a new heart, a heart that seeks God and not it’s own way. I can walk in the position of a child of God and know my prayers will be answered. I am positioned in Jesus in the heavens, right now.

I am known, I am accepted, I am blessed with a heavenly blessing. All that is in my Father’s house is mine to use. His goodness and grace are mine, His miracles are mine, His abundance is mine. I am His daughter. Amen!

Bread of life

“Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty.”John‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Jesus is talking to the crowd who followed Him after He fed them through a miracle. He fed 5,000 people with 5 barley loaves and two fish. Jesus steps up His revelation by telling them He is the bread that f life. He tells them in verse 51:

“I alone am this living Bread that has come to you from heaven. Eat this Bread and you will live forever. The living Bread I give you is my body, which I will offer as a sacrifice so that all may live.”John‬ ‭6‬:‭51‬ ‭TPT‬‬

The people were thinking naturally. They could not fathom how Jesus’ body could be bread, and how could they eat Him every day. 

Yet, we know Jesus also is called the ‘word of God’. John refers to this in chapter 1:1,2:

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.”John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus offended these natural thinkers by telling them:

 “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.”John‬ ‭6‬:‭53‬-‭54‬ ‭NLT‬‬

For us New Testament believers we know He was not telling the people they must be cannibals, but rather that ‘all of Him’ represented the food from heaven, He was the living word of God, He embodied all there was need for eternal life, He was enough.

 When Jesus asks the twelve disciples if they would also leave, Peter declares: ‘where would we go? You have the words of eternal life! We have come to believe and know Hou are the Holy One of God!’(v 68,69)

Jesus is all we need! Amen!

Treasures

“For your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure.”Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭21‬ ‭TPT‬‬

I once said, ‘I do not need diamonds and jewels, people are my treasures!’ I love winning friends, souls and making disciples; I love Jesus and want my friends to know Him and His way.

Today is my birthday and I awoke to a message from my son in Australia wishing me a very happy birthday and telling me he loves me lots. My flatmates knocked on my door and when I went out they had baked a cake and had gifts for me. They also greeted me with a shooting candle and song. My family and friends on Facebook all wished me a happy birthday and it is now only 7am.

I am promised lunch with my flatmates, and who knows what else. Most importantly I can spend time with my Jesus and read His word. I value loving relationships above all. My Jesus loves me with a pure and fathomless well of love. Amen!

A clean heart

“But we thank God for giving us the victory as conquerors through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.”1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭57‬ ‭TPT‬‬

What do we need victory over? Our enemy Satan’s wiles and our flesh. Fleshly attitudes can dominate, I, me, mine the biggest attitude traps along with offense when others interfere.

Always, when someone is offended by my behaviour I have to ask: is it true that I have caused this offence, or is the offence in the other their problem? Our flesh would like it always be the other’s problem, however, if there is an element of truth then I need to find repentance. Sometimes it is both.

Over the weekend this came up, I was caught in the middle of friends; one being offended at the other. I then had insight into my own processing as I watched  the friend who was blamed for the cause process the accusation. She was now, herself, battling offence. I counselled that it is best to go to the Holy Spirit for insight and take His decision.

Allowing Holy Spirit to guide and give insight is important otherwise all we have is offense circulating around and around. The Holy Spirit’s insight will lead to freedom and repentance. A clean heat will result. Amen!

The light

“And this Light never fails to shine through darkness— Light that darkness could not overcome!”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭TPT‬‬

In Australia there are caves called the Jenolan Caves not far from Sydney. When in the caves you need a light to guide you. Once when I was in the caves the guide turned off the lights and it was pitch black. To proceed without certainty of death would not have been possible. 

We live in a very dark world, one that darkens every day. Without a light to guide us we are fearfully lost. This scripture from the gospel of John tells us there is a light. Who is that light? The previous verse relates: “A fountain of life was in him, for his life is light for all humanity.”John‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Who was John speaking about? Jesus. Jesus said of Himself:  “I am light to the world, and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”(John‬ ‭8‬:‭12‬ ‭TPT‬‬)

He also said: ‘I way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but through Me’(John 14:6)

We have a light, a safe and non-extinguishable light in Jesus. Yielding to Him is the best thing we can do. Amen!

He emptied Himself

“Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion!”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭TPT‬‬

We do not grasp the immensity of what Jesus did when He chose to become a man child, the God of glory lay aside His power and chose to become a vulnerable, dependant human baby. Satan tried to kill Him through inciting jealousy in Herod. Herod ordered all baby boys two years of age and under in the Bethlehem area to be slaughtered. He failed, as the Lord warned Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt until told to return.

Before Jesus began His ministry, Satan again tried to destroy Jesus through tempting His with power and glory, again he failed. Next Satan incited the religious leaders to hate Jesus for challenging them and their ways. He thought he’d won when Jesus died on the cross, but Jesus again took up His glory and defeated Satan’s power over all humanity. 

Now, for all who believe in Jesus, He offers us His sacrifice as freedom from sin’s domain. For all who choose to make Him Lord, He welcomes into His eternal dwelling place in glory. No longer do we need to fear death. Amen!