Miscellaneous ramblings from my harried brain -

I think I need to stop using the word "worship" when I really mean "adore". You can worship God without adoring Him, but you can't adore without worship. To worship something or someone is only an acknowledgement of their superiority or authority by bowing down. It doesn't say anything about the heart or attitude. Ah, but to adore...one dictionary says "To regard (To hold in esteem or respect) with deep, often rapturous love." Now that's what I want to do when I worship the Lord.

Sometimes I judge someone or something and give myself a pass by calling it "my opinion". The word "judge" means: To form an opinion or evaluation. And one who judges: One who makes estimates as to worth, quality, or fitness.

Opinion means: A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing.

Hmmm...sounds pretty much the same doesn't it? I can like or not like something or someone, but I shouldn't pass judgement on it's or their worthiness or righteousness. Here's an example: "I don't like her hairstyle" verses "That hairstyle makes her look awful." Or how about and example with a person "I don't think what she is doing is pleasing to the Lord." verses "She is an adulterer and needs to repent." (Ok, the last one is a little close to home! ;))

I, too often, judge or give my "opinion". Here is a list of usuals:

That hairstyle makes her nose look so big!

She is ruining her children's life!

He needs to lose weight.

She should get a facelift.

That perfume she is wearing is awful.

His glasses don't flatter him at all!

She shouldn't wear sleeveless with her arms!

He doesn't deserve respect after what he's done!

She can't expect a relationship with me after her awful behavior!

That outfit is hideous!!

Well, I could go on and on. But, thankfully I won't.

I am so thankful and grateful that it is God's judgement that will prevail and not mine (or even yours). Because He judges with righteous judgement, which means through the blood of Christ!

2 Cor. 9:12 - Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (His grace!!)

Overwhelmed by His Mercy

Today I am overwhelmed by the knowledge of the goodness of God. The fact that He cares about me and my burdens, that when I cried to Him, He answered me. God is merciful, abounding in Love and Grace. He has shown his mighty power and Love to me, one who doesn't deserve anything, yet He, God, has shown Himself gracious. I also know that God is no respecter of people, that what He has done for me, He will do for you. That He longs to show himself strong in your weakness. He loves you and me more than either of us can imagine. Let Him love you and be merciful to you. Let go.

Matt. 9:13 - But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Receiving?

I've decided to live in the state of Forgiveness, Love and Mercy. That means that to receive forgiveness, love and mercy, I MUST give it. It is not a "pick and choose" thing. I can't decide to hold a grudge (unforgiveness) against someone because they have hurt me and haven't suffered long enough or haven't properly asked forgiveness or been repentant, and then expect to live in the state of Mercy. No, to receive mercy, you must give it, to all. You either live in the state of Mercy or you don't, you can't have it both ways. So, I must have mercy and forgiveness towards those I don't think deserve it. Period.

The same principle applies with Love. If I am not loving towards those who don't deserve it or who are unlovable, I am not living in the state of Love. I believe that Forgiveness, Mercy and Love are not only actions, they are states of being. I can't receive love unless I give it, or mercy or grace or forgiveness. The Bible says that I will reap what I sow. Not only the type of crop (wheat, corn, etc.) but the quality and quantity. If I sow only a few bits of love or sow it grudgingly, I will only reap a poor quality and quantity of love. So if you or I am not getting the love, mercy and forgiveness of people we wish for, we must ask ourselves, "what have I been sowing?"

What about other areas of my life? Respect? Honor? Generosity? What have I sown? It is something to ponder.

So, right now, I choose to sow a bountiful crop of mercy, grace, love and forgiveness. I can't wait for the harvest!

2 Cor. 9:6 - Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Life or Judgement? Choosing to live outside the Curse

God originally made man to have no knowledge or awareness of good and evil. He held that particular knowledge for Himself. He never equipped man to handle it. God did not make us to make judgements, but to look to Him and and take on His judgements as our own.

Adam and Eve's beginnings were so envious to me. Imagine walking in the cool evening with the Lord and sharing your day with Him and He with you. Just like I will walk on the beach with Sam and we talk about the beauty surrounding us, the wonder of God's goodness, or sit and drink in the amazing sunset, so I imagine God and His creation walking and talking about the same things. Simply enjoying each others company. Doesn't that sound awesome? I believe that part of Jesus' gift of salvation is the returning to that simple enjoyable relationship with the Godhead. To take away our proclivity through sin, towards judgement. To give us back our life.

You cannot live in the state of Judgement and the state of Life at the same time. You cannot exist in both places at once, you either live in Judgement OR Life. Just as when Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (hereafter called the TKGE*) their eyes focused on their nakedness and not their communion with their Father, so also we, when judging, focus on the sin (thus living in the State of judgement), instead of the Redeemer (the state of Life).

How did we get here (the state of sin) and what is to be done about it?

Gen. 2 15) Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16)And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." 25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make [one] wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8) And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9) Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where [are] you?" 10) So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11) And He said, "Who told you that you [were] naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"... 3:22) Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"-- 23) therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24) So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

First and foremost came unbelief. Adam and Eve chose to believe the serpent instead of the loving, caring God from whom they had receive life. The quest for wisdom, through unbelief, brought the original sin curse - by having the knowledge of good and evil, they became aware that they were naked. Then they judged nakedness as evil and therefore tried clothing themselves by their own hands. Adam and Eve had always been naked, but didn't see it as evil, because they took God's judgement as their own. Once they ate of the TKGE*, they began to see through their own eyes and make their own (unrighteous) judgements. They then saw they were different than God, they were human, they judged themselves as lacking. Thus began the cycle of trying to cover up humanness, judging it as evil. I believe that trying, by our own hand, to cover up our humanity is the evil. To not see ourselves as God originally made us, and instead, see ourselves through our own unrighteous judgement, is the evil. Our humanity isn't the sinful nature. The sinful nature comes through our trying to set things right by our own hands, by our own force of will. Trying to cover up the fact that we aren't God, that we are human, instead of embracing how God made us and believing Him when He called it "good".

Gen. 1:31 - Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed [it was] very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

We were cursed when we chose unbelief and independence. But thank God He sent Jesus to become that curse (see following verses for examples) for us, taking on all the curses of the Old Testament (the Law) that rightfully belong to us.

1 Cor. 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Gal. 3:3 - Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:

Deut. 21:23 - you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Deut. 26:27 - "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

Ezra 7:26 - Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether [it be] death, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.

When we live in the sinful nature, we make our own judgments to do or not do, be or not be, say or not say, instead of existing in Christ, through His Spirit. It is that Spirit who knows what to do and will make the right judgement. We might know, because of the TKGE*, what is good and what is evil, but we cannot, on our own, make a righteous judgement. If Christ himself would not judge on his own, who are we to judge?

John 5:3 - (Jesus said) I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

I Pet. 2:23 - (Jesus) who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed [Himself] to Him who judges righteously;

John 7:24 - Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

I believe that Jesus' death and resurrection set us free from the curse, the law, and returned us to the original state of fellowship and communion with Him. To Life.

Rom. 8:2 - For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Anytime we judge by own unrighteousness, that is evil, that is the curse of the law, the "falling short", as is the definition of sin. We cannot, by any of our own effort, make ourselves righteous, give ourselves salvation or any thing else. We can't even breathe on our own. Our very existence comes from and through God. If we can't save or clothe ourselves, who will?

Rom. 7:18, 24 & 25a - I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature...What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I have chosen to live outside the curse, to let Jesus take on the curse I deserve. I have chosen to walk in the garden in the cool of the evening with my Lord. I CHOOSE LIFE!!!!

Deut. 13:9 - This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

* theTKGE - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

Response to "Anonymous"

Anonymous, I'm not sure what your response to me really is. Is it a mixture of disagreement with what I've done, how I did it, what I'm blogging about, me personally and the pain I have caused others? You are kind of jumping from one thing to another, that is, if most of the Anonymous' are the same person. You said in your first post that God gave me a gift in my first spouse, but in this last post you said that no one disagreed with WHY I left, just HOW. Sounds like opposite thoughts to me. It doesn't really matter though. I like to read others thoughts and weigh them and see if they have substance. You said that "hate" comes through - I don't see that, but maybe there is a blind spot there. What I think comes through is pain. I do have pain, and by responding to my own pain, have caused pain in others. It isn't fun or comfortable, but it happened. I am not asking for approval from you or anyone else, all I am asking for is love and mercy. The Bible says that before his own master a servant stands or falls, so I stand before God, not man. Here is a question I must and do ask myself regularly "Is this done in Love?" You may not agree with the answer, but yes, this was done in love. Love for my well-being, for my own soul. I was dying inside, I was "mostly dead". A dead person can't love their family or friends. I was just going through life, walking in what I thought was faith, but really was death. Here is what I fear about my staying in my marriage as long as I did. Did I teach my daughter that her husband can cheat and lie to her and she must stay? Did I teach my son that he can lie, cheat and treat his wife with dishonor and it is fine. I hope not, I hope that God in his mercy has covered my stupidity. Here is an excerpt from a friend's blog. This was asked to her husband by her pastor.

“What if one day you asked your wife to go jogging with you. While you were jogging you tripped her and broke her leg. You said, ‘I’m so sorry’ and she said, ‘I forgive you; however, my leg is broken and it needs time to mend. After it mended, you asked her to go jogging again and again tripped her and broke her leg. Again, you profusely apologized. She said, ‘I forgive you; however, it will take longer for my leg to heal. Then, when she was healed you asked her to go jogging a third time and again you tripped her and broke her leg. You, again, profusely apologize. She says, ‘I forgive you; however, my leg has been broken too many times and I can no longer jog with you.” Then he looked at me and said, “What if we lived in a land that had a law stating you MUST jog every day? What if you went to the law-giver of this land and stated, ‘My leg has been broken too many times, I can no longer jog.’ The law says you must jog…but Grace says, ‘your leg has been broken too many times, of course you cannot jog.”

I feel that I had been expected and expected myself and others to keep jogging. Put this way it sounds ludicrous doesn't it? The comment that "God designed marriage to make us holy, not just to make us happy." sounds so good and right, but what does it really mean? Do you think that if I just "kept jogging" somehow it would make me holy? No, I am holy because of Jesus. If I "kept Jogging" I would be crippled, not "holy". Is that what God wants? Would you want that for your children? As far as the remark about "What you are "preaching" is MORAL RELATIVISM"...for those of you who don't know what the heck that means, here is a definition:

Moral relativism is the view that ethical standards, morality, and positions of right or wrong are culturally based and therefore subject to a person's individual choice. We can all decide what is right for ourselves. You decide what's right for you, and I'll decide what's right for me. Moral relativism says, "It's true for me, if I believe it."

Sounds scary and wrong! The fact is that we all practice some form of moral relativism. Examples:

Prov. 23:20 says, "Do not mix with winebibbers, [Or] with gluttonous eaters of meat"

. How often do we overeat or over drink and make excuses for it, saying "It's ok, it's my birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, St. Paddy's day, Thursday, well you get my drift.

Rom. 13:1 - "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God"

Do you exceed the speed limit? How about your taxes, do you declare everything? How about overtime or unemployment compensation you get but don't qualify for?

Rom. 13:8 - "Let no debt remain outstanding..."

Do you have outstanding debt? I know I do! I can hear some of you say "That's the least of her sins!" Do you speak against authority? The Bible tells us not to. Do you criticize and talk bad about others? What does the Bible say about that? The point I am trying to make is, we all condone behavior in ourselves that the Bible doesn't, or others wouldn't if they knew. So stop with the pointing fingers already! It is all about Love! God's love! We must stop being Job's friends who knew all about God and who He was (they thought!). God summarily chastised them for there religious sayings.

Job 42:7 & 8 - "And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me [what is] right, as My servant Job [has]. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you [according to your] folly; because you have not spoken of Me [what is] right, as My servant Job [has]."

If you know anything about Jobs friends, what they had to say is eerily like what we hear from the pulpit or from my own mouth! Kinda scary!

I've made the decision to live in Love. Much simpler than judging.

1 Cor. 13:13 - And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Law or Love?

I’ve heard many people say, “God does not break or go against His own law!” First, the Mosaic laws were not given to God; they were given by God for man’s well being. God is not subject to anyone or anything. Here are a few examples of God “breaking” his own laws or approving when they were broken:

God made the Sabbath for man, so he would rest and cease from his labor, and be restored for the days ahead, and enjoy what his labor had brought him. Men turned it into a burden by making the keeping of it more important than the man it was made for. Jesus said about the Sabbath:

Mt. 12:10 – 12 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--that they might accuse Him. Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift [it] out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Jesus was very clear about the Sabbath being made for man. As soon as the reason for keeping the Sabbath started destroying the person it was meant to help, the person became more important than the law (keeping the “rules”). This is always true. Any law that God made, was made with us in mind, for our protection and well being, but many have turned the keeping of the law into the proof of our righteousness, instead of the lawgiver being our righteousness.

Do we really think that we earn the position of standing before the Lord God Almighty in holiness by keeping the rules? By our own “righteousness or right-ness”? Doesn’t Scripture in Isaiah call our righteousness “filthy rags” and abominable to God?

In Matthew Jesus gave a personal example of man’s need being more important than the keeping of law:

Mt. 12:1 – 5 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

People and their well being always come before the law. This follows through to every part of our lives, including marriage. God made marriage as protection (especially for the children), enhancement and enjoyment for people. This relationship that was made by God as an enhancement for each of the partner’s wellbeing has become a prison for some, which it was never meant to be. What happens when the relationship is only a shell? What about when there is no love and the “cleaving” in Gen. 2:24 (Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.) never took place? It is neither fulfilling for us or what God meant it to be. Just as when the keeping of the Sabbath became destructive to man, man’s (or even an animal’s, as seen in Mt. 12:10-12) wellbeing superseded the keeping of the Sabbath. When a marriage becomes destructive instead of succoring or nourishing, than the person or persons become more important than the covenant of marriage. Because, in the first place, the tenets of the commitment or covenant were never fulfilled, which makes (if we are talking law) the commitment or covenant void.

When a law or covenant has become destructive to the person it was sent to uphold, things will change. Another example of this kind of change is in Acts when Peter was given a vision,

Acts 10:10-15 - Then he (Peter) became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." And a voice [spoke] to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."

Here God made the salvation (which means to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction) of people (Cornelius’ household specifically and Gentiles in general) more important the continuance of the law given in the Old Testament as seen in Lev. 11:41 & 42:

'And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth [shall be] an abomination. It shall not be eaten. Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on [all] fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth--these you shall not eat, for they [are] an abomination.

On top of all of that, Jesus came and fulfilled the law. Mt. 5:17 says:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill (to do what is necessary to complete or bring something to an end) them.

That is why Paul says:

1 Cor. 10:23 - All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

Jesus left us with two commandments:

1) Believe in Him

2) Love one another

John 13:34

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 14:1

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

1 John 3:23
And this is his (God's) commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

These are the only things that have to be done by us, and even with these the Lord will give us help when we ask. We seem to have taken the Jewish laws and given them a Jesus sticker. Meaning, we still have to abide by them (or at least the ones that we think are good) and then ask Jesus to help us in our endeavors to keep them. Aren’t we making His death of no consequence? Didn’t Jesus say, “It is finished”? Why are we so insistent on laws and rules? Is it our own will and righteousness that is required, or His?

Rom. 8: 1-4

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh (our righteousness), but according to the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh (our righteousness), that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

God, in His mercy and grace sent us the Holy Spirit to be in us, what we are incapable of being.

John 14:26 - But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

So the question is, why do we try and add our own righteousness to Christ’s? Isn’t his enough? I’ve heard all my life, “That isn’t a good witness to others!” when my or someone else’s behavior doesn’t fit within the Christian sub-culture’s definition of acceptable. I started thinking, “Witness of what?” Would it be of Christ’s mercy and love, or my own “righteousness”? The accepted behavior is only pretend, because it is not a part of who I am, so I am being false. Is pretending really what Christ wants from me? Or is it dependence on His righteousness, and not my own? I’m not saying that bad or unloving behavior is good, I’m saying that behavior, does not equal righteousness or get us in any more of a right standing with God. The question always follows “So we can do anything we want?” Well, yes, but it would be really stupid to do things that are harmful to us or to those we love. Jesus’ sacrifice has covered our sins, but sorry to say, there may still be earthly consequences to pay for the choices we make. Like Paul said in 1 Cor 6:12 -

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

And again in 1 Cor 10:23 - All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

So, using a question that Francis Schaffer asked, “How then shall we live?” By standards that were man-made, or by the law of love? The wonderful thing about Christ is that He loves us no matter what; He has an unconditional love for us that never ends. It is our choice, law or Love. I choose Love.

More? or Enough...

So many people I know have felt so dissatisfied with their walk with the Lord. Not with the Lord himself, but with how they were relating to Him (or not, as the case may be). What is the problem? Are we not doing enough or maybe doing what we shouldn't and He is keeping Himself aloof because He is not pleased with us? What is wrong?

I have a theory, not surprising to those who know me. My theory is that it is we who are keeping ourself aloof from Him. We feel that we, somehow, have to measure up by reading our Bibles more, praying more, listening to Christian radio or sermons more. More, always more. We can never seem to do enough to make us feel accepted and loved by our Father in heaven. But, what if, as He's asked us too, we don't do a thing other than accept the Father's gift of His Son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for us? We come to Him with the filthy rags of our own righteousness, and He covers us with His righteousness. We say "Thank you Lord for your Grace and Mercy" and move on in the knowledge that Christ is enough. We too often think that after we accept His sacrifice for our sin, that somehow we are no longer human, no longer sinners. Suddenly we have become someone else entirely. Yes, we have become "new creations in Christ...", but notice the "IN CHRIST" part. We act as if suddenly the filthy rags of our own "right-ness" are somehow now clean and we proudly gather them up around us and try to use them to begin cleaning up our lives. It never works for long, soon we begin asking ourselves "what's wrong with me? Why can't I do what I know I should? Where is the power for my life?"

Romans 7: 15, 24 - I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. What a wretched man I am!... Who will rescue me from this body of death

You can see from these verses, nothing is new. Paul the Apostle dealt with this himself and in others. What do we do than?

Galatians 3: 1-3 -Oh, foolish Galatians! What magician has cast an evil spell on you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I had shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ. Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?

I think this is where the "Peace that passes understanding" passage comes in. We say "Thanks. I know I am not worthy in and of myself, but through your precious blood, you've made me accepted. I don't understand how this works, but I thank you for you grace and mercy to me." As Paul said in the 25th verse of Romans 7

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Father in heaven loves you and me. We have been redeemed. There is no more price to pay or works to do to earn this gift. It was and is free to us, it cost Christ a great price, but He gave it to us free. Thank you Father! Thank you Jesus!

Simplicity of Love

Waking up this morning, I found that I had realized the simplicity that is called Love. Not that Love is easy, actually it has cost me almost everything, but it should be simple. When you come from a foundation of Love, your decisions are already made, you don't have to grapple or wrestle over them. You do because you Love. Simple.

The kind of Love that I am speaking of is the love that makes the two one, makes the selfish give. It is not the kind of love that you have to "choose". You know what I'm saying, not the kind when you must say "I choose to love this person" or "I choose to act in a loving manner". You just love because that is what Love does.

I no longer have to choose to act or do a certain thing because it is the "right" thing to do, I do it because, flowing from Love, I have no choice. Love is the only course, the only path set before me, it just flows.

In my previous life, there was not that kind of love. I had to choose daily to act in love, or respectful, or kind, or giving, etc. It was because there was never the "oneness", the foundation of Love. The heart that overflows with Love and flows to the other was not there. It was complicated, exhausting. I told myself regularly, "don't say that, it wouldn't be nice" or "don't do that, it wouldn't be kind". Now if I ever choose to act unkindly or dishonoring, it's the same as being unkind or dishonoring myself. It isn't natural.

I now understand my relationship with my Savior, Jesus, better than I ever could before. I love Him because He first loved me. My love for Jesus flows from the foundation of His love for me. I understand now that I no longer need to perform to make Him happy, I now act from my heart of Love and He is pleased. It is not my right-ness, (righteousness), it is His. God sent His Son; Jesus gave His life for my sin. Now I walk with Him on the foundation of His right-ness. Simple, and wonderful!

Love to me is no longer a verb, something you do, it is now a person. I don't know how this kind of Love happened, it just did, it just was. I feel like I have found my home, whose foundation is Love. Simple. Blessed.