Love In The New Year

 

I know what you’re thinking! It’s only September 30th! Well, it is the Jewish New Year. So Happy New Year! 5780. Leshana tovah tikatevee v’tichatemee. May you be written and sealed for a good new year. So what will love look like in the coming year? Well, Jesus love never changes, the same, yesterday, today and forever. What is in store for us?

Only the Lord knows for sure but we are expecting good things simply because He loves us. Love that never ends, so the beginning of a New Year, could be a good new beginning for love. Do you need love today? Of course you do? And so do I, and so does everyone really, but not all people understand true love, or show to give it or receive it.

Enter Jesus, He knows all about love. God is love. He created everyone with the capacity to love His kind of love, selfless, giving, and even forgiving. Nothing separates us from His love. So why do we want to confuse it? God is the author of peace, and His banner is the marriage canopy ( chuppah ) over us.

He has brought me to the banqueting table and His banner over me is love. He is getting ready to return. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb to His beloved, figurative bride the church, is ahead. What a wonderful love that would be in the New Year.

Ionos zoe, eternal life in eternal love. I’m looking forward to it. So if you don’t know Jesus as Lord, now is the time to receive His precious love. What could love look like in the New Year? It looks like Jesus! Love is not the reality shows or silly and poor excuses for romance movies. There are a few good ones, but most are lacking.

Jesus is tender and loving. He is not just the baby in the manger. He grew into a man that gave His life for us, if we would believe. That sounds simple doesn’t it? It was meant to be. I think we have complicated love. We put our ideas on it and tend to look at people, who are flawed, instead of the one who is flawless.

So when you start to look at Jesus, you see thing differently, with His eyes. I hope we will all soon be looking into those eyes of love throughout eternity. But until we can let’s focus on Him now and see what love looks like in the New Year. It looks like Jesus!

……looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…..Hebrews 12:2

I might have an apple myself, and I have cooked zimmes, it i so good. Enjoy my Hebraic Study board, I added New Year cards and food. And please to the shofar, what believers will hear at the Rapture or catching away of the church.

Christine Murphy / Unsplash

 

Resisting Temptations

I know a lot of people have a hard time resisting things, the evils that we have been taught as Christians, a lot of people fall back into the same behaviors as the Bible says they people will, without the Spirit to guide them.

When the going gets tough, the tough yield, not to temptation but to the Spirit, They wield the words of Jesus as a sword. I’m not even talking about the big things we consider sin. I don’t have to tell you what a foolish flirtation can cause.

The enemy is subtle, and he will sneak in gradually. You may have thoughts like, it won’t hurt me not to read the Bible, I already know it. Guilty! I was saying that a lot a long time ago. I was quoting healing verses. I’m glad I never stopped that. Actually, I read a lot, until the fine print got to me. But there is a larger one.

We are not wrestling flesh and blood, though it feels like it sometimes. I wondered, was I not even contending with Jesus for a blessing like Jacob. He sometimes appeared as the Angel of the Lord. I don’t think that was really the case, in fact, I may have been resisting Him, instead of the enemy. He is trying to grow me, prune me and ouch! I should have yielded to the one who knows me best.

We are so often tempted to quit, I hated a course I was taking in the 80’s  but I stuck it out, but no, I never became a manicurist. I’m a writer. I should have quit, took the money and went on with writer’s classes, I tried. Something or the enemy of my soul would be trying to talk me away from writing away and from faith.

It isn’t wrong to give up something, especially if you  are under extreme pressure as I was. You don’t have anything to prove to Jesus, He knows your heart. He can help you be still and let go of what or who you need to.

All those little digs at your soul, ” What am I going to do? ” ” How can  I fix this? ” ” It’s hopeless. ”  You rest, let Him be God. You can’t, He can. He is our hope. The enemy is a nagging, critical and condemning fallen angel and he would step all over your glory as a believer, if you let Him.

It is time to step us as a believer, stand up for Jesus. Resist temptations, big or little,  the worry, fear or anger, Don’t speak that into your life, rather His peace. It probably was not an apple in the Garden, we don’t know what Eve actually ate. But it was a lie, a twist of words, and submitting to God was over, and chaos entered.

The Good News is, the Prince of Peace came to redeem us and will one day return for His church, are you ready? Get back into submission. Here’s how. Know your weaknesses.

But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. James 1:14

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:7

https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/4.htm

Read the account of Christ’s temptation bring full of the Spirit.

For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. Hebrews 4:15

We are still talking about the love of Jesus, and He endured it all, every temptation and without sin, He never fell into adultery, never lied, was so exceptionally good at not losing His temper, even when does it is not a sin.

He was tempted when He was physically hungry and spiritually. Fasting, or a partial one as I have done is good but don’t go overboard, none of us are Jesus even if we try to be. He was tempted to give up and not go to the cross, He had to trust His Father, He was not going to bow to the enemy, who offered Him everything, he would not have given it anyway, and yes, he had Adam’s authority over the world. And yes, even suicide which I hear way too much about, he tempted Jesus to thrown Himself from a roof.

I’m so glad He Himself took my place, Isaiah 53 and that He, Himself, is my peace. Ephesians 2:14

Renato Abati / Pexels  Excellent work!

Focused On The Beauty Of Christ

We are told in Hebrews 12:2, to look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. As a writer, I have written so many poems and posts, lots of work in various types of writing, what I have never finished is a novel. I start them, I never finish them. Now, I think, maybe He has something to do with that, He wants to finish my book, and it’s not just a short story like I am writing now, it’s epic, and ends happily ever after. Sounds great to me!

I have been writing short stories for fun, just a writing exercise, I have taken true stories, in some instances and gave them a happy ending, and you know what that is just what Jesus does, like turning water into wine, He takes the bad and turns it for good. He makes the heavy burdens light. He calms the storms.

That is why He has to be the focus, the center of our world, the first one on our mind and in  our heart each day  If we look at ourselves we will get into trouble, condemnation, worry and fear. If we look to Jesus we will fix our focus on the beauty of His sacrifice, His love and His grace, and we will see Him as altogether lovely.

When we look at Him we are seeing pure love, agape, mercy and peace. We see forgiveness and rest. We behold the Lamb of God, who takes away sin and remembers it no more, not because He can’t but because He doesn’t want to, He redeemed us, chose us, we can do nothing without Him.

When you delve or even plunge yourself into Psalms or the Song of Solomon, you are embraced in the beauty of the words God breathed into the hearts of the writers, the Holy Spirit moved on so many to get us a divinely inspired book, full of grace and truth as Jesus is being revealed over time.

We don’t have to focus on what is against the laws, or the past or even the future, as a believer, it is secure in Him. It is eternal in Him and we are His beloved. Read Isaiah 53 and see what all He actually took. Women are constantly shaming themselves over their appearance that we are too this or that, Jesus took shame. He looks at hearts.

Now shame may come from wrongdoing and blame from ourselves or others but He bore it and as a believer, He forgives and never condemns, He is firm and will correct you by His Word and Spirit. As we fall in love with Jesus and wait for autumn to show its colors, the purples, reds and golds, let’s see Jesus in His true colors, the purple majesty, the crimson blood shed for us, the golden glory of our beloved Lord.

When you look at Him, He takes your breath and captivates you, there is no one like Him, and we all need to behold Prince of Peace, our knight in shining armor, who writes the end of our story. Our natural love fails but His will never fail us. We can breath in His heavenly fragrance, know He made the ultimate sacrifice for us and loves us unconditionally.

Let’s find some verses to read and write or journal. You choose. What verse stands out to you as the beauty of Christ and which one helps you focus on HIm and not circumstances?

I would like for us to reread Hebrews 12, and put our focus on the great High Priest, Jesus. His death caused the temple veil to torn, and it was four inches thick, about the depth His flesh, no doubt. He opened the way to the Father, He was the sacrifice, and we can always look to Him and see the beauty in it.

Elina Sazanov / pexels

Nothing Separates Us From His Love

I thought of a woman with upraised arms standing on a bridge in the light as my photograph, but this one caught my eye as we move into the High Holy Days.  Jesus is our High Priest, and with the New Year and day of Atonement on the Jewish calendar just ahead, I decided to boldly go to the throne room.

That’s what Jesus died for us to do, have access to the Father, through His death on the cross. That is the love that nothing separates us from now. He made the way. Imagine, walking right through a pure white hallway and asking the Father to do something in His name, Jesus said He would do it for His glory. His, not ours. Remember, He knows every thought and intent of the heart.

And then since Jesus’ sacrifice made us a way to ask. Hebrews explains His priesthood and tells us to be bold, we are no longer slaves to sin but sons and daughters. And then we have the promise of Romans 8:38…..

Nothing separates us from His love.

Not death or life.

Nothing high or low. Seen or unseen.

Not angels, not demons or the devil.

Nothing! Not a thing! Are you persuaded?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39.

One more time. I like the New Living translation.

And 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.

And here’s a link, if you care to compare notes, and I don’t believe I would be adding to His word if I filled in a few things of my own, after all, it says nothing. To me the only thing that separates us is us, by not receiving Him as Lord in the first place or by not following and walking in the Spirit.

https://biblehub.com/romans/8-38.htm

Miriam Espacio/ pexels

Becoming the Beloved

As indeed He says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” Romans 9:25

Oh wow, to make her was not beloved, beloved. If you care to read Hosea, he continually went after his unfaithful wife, Gomer. It is a spiritual picture of God’s figurative marriage to Israel. Time and time he takes her back and woos her. The story of Penninah and Hannah comes to mind. Hannah  was loved but tormented by Penninah, so He gave her Samuel.

But the real phrase is in Genesis 29:31, When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. and she repeats that the Lord heard she was unloved, when she has Simeon. There are even laws about it in Deuteronomy. That was a problem, having two or more wives.

God intended marriage for one man and one woman, and Him the head of both. He knows people have legitimate reasons for divorce, and He will send another love. But the plural marriages and relationships that are not His plans, someone is bound to be unloved and get hurt.

The beauty of it is that God sees who is unloved, and He will do His best to win you completely over. Jesus is a wonderful love, attentive, passionate, romantic, even. He is as the Bible states our figurative bridegroom, our love may fail but His never will and why anyone would not choose to receive Him is beyond me. We wouldn’t know anything about love at all, had He not laid down His life, we have to know God in order to know real love for He is love.

So many women have come from broken homes, many have no clue and no knowledge of how to parent. It is also true of men, without the benefit of a loving mother and a father who is a good example, they are surely not ” husband material ” , not all but so many, fathering children with multiple partners, and the women who are always with a new man in their life, that is not God’s plan for love at all. And having children or opening wombs is not the only way He shows love, it was by the sacrifice of Jesus.

And yet, He sent Hosea to woo Gomer back, while you life may not be reflecting a nation’s spiritual state, it is reflecting yours, are you unloved? Do you want to be beloved? Then ask forgiveness of past mistakes and don’t go back to sin but in peace. If you have not accepted Jesus, the father will accept you into the the beloved if you believe on Him.

There will never be anyone will loves you like Jesus, He can wash away sin, purify you with the water of His Word, cleanse anything that needs to go from your life, though your sins were scarlet, He will wash you white as snow, and He is coming soon, so it is an important decision to make. Is He calling you to be beloved if you are unloved?

And for those of us who are long time believers in Christ, maybe we are a little weary and wounded, the attacks on the women of faith I know have been tough, even severe. We need to rest as the beloved of Psalm 127:2, let Him fight for us. Exodus 14:14,  God has a heart for women and has our tears. Psalm 56:8

Why beloved? God’s voice spoke at the baptism of Jesus. And the dove of His Spirit came upon Him. He says ” This is my beloved Son. ” also  to hear Him and that is pleased with Jesus. Some people heard the voice, some thought it was thunder and others nothing. We want to hear His voice, it will be the same at the Rapture or catching away of the church before the Great Tribulation. Many won’t hear, so today if you hear His voice calling you be His beloved, don’t turn away, let Him make the unloved, beloved, and the beloved even more beloved in His peace and rest.

Rebecca Jones

Pixabay

First Love

I can remember my first crush of sorts, well, maybe a few. And then, though I tried to talk sports and the normal guy stuff, most were mean to me and that was that. I wasn’t interested anymore. Not for a long time, while teasing you may be the boys was of showing affection at times, it is no way to act or mature. I believe girls should expect to be treated better. And it works both ways.

The childish and silly teasing turns to self loathing, people pleasing and even the self deprecating sense of humor I developed to counter being criticized or the butt of a joke, hid my hurt from others but not from me or God.  He saw the tears. Then as an adult there were tears again, thinking someone was right, God had me praying and that never worked. He always has a better plan and He was my first love.

Long before I was born or sang and danced on the sidewalk, or strolled baby carriages, ran my tricycled down a hill. He was there with the Shirley Temple blonde moppet that had had a stinky home perm, read her same books over and over. I had never even been to church but has a children’s Bible, and then I was eleven and His love melted me into tears. I hated that He had to do through that for me and I still do.

I have never forgotten my first love and He has never forgotten me, even though I had times felt widowed or orphaned I wasn’t , He has never left or forsaken me, not for a moment. He has had to step aside as I tried to fix things myself and maybe go my own way, thinking it was His but it wasn’t, perhaps the right path and wrong time or right path and leaning on HIm. As we are ever closer to His return, and since our topic is Falling In Love With Jesus, I wanted to remember my first love.

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Revelation 2:4

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

For rarely will anyone to die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Revelation 2:2, you have abandoned the love you had at first, He says to the church of Ephesus and what a shame because they had done so well. We don’t want to be that way do we? We have to remember our first love and let Him take care of us and never lose hope, for He is our hope and Micah 5:5, and Ephesians 2:14 says not only is He our peace, but He Himself, is.

As we study the love of Jesus, let write some verses, journal or memorize them, we want to keep that fire of first love burning brightly in us. You may also want to read the admonishments against the seven churches. I hear people say we are in the Laodicean age, neither hot or cold, that’s not good to be either. But we certainly never want to abandon our first love.

Where were you when you gave your heart to Christ? How old? Or young? Were you baptized? Do you have a picture? Can you revisit the place?

I was eleven, with a friend, in a chapel at a church in Atlanta, I have been back. I was baptized Catholic and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in my 30’s, wish I had known about spiritual gifts sooner, I was afraid of His power, but not of His love, and I needed His power to overcome, and there is no fear in His love.

 

The Deepest Part of the Heart

Words I know are from the Holy Spirit rushed over my soul. ” Go to the deepest place of your heart and live there. ” And sure enough Jesus said to remain, abide or live in love didn’t He? In fact, everything we do should be in love. If anyone has a doubt that Christ has a tender heart, well, I just may have to say I’m sorry for you.

No one else could have done what He did for us, and I know things happen but that does not mean He is not there for us. He will not leave or forsake us we are not to be widows or orphans, even if we are. Jesus steps in, His heart is tender toward women, He understands the roles of both men and women. And He wants to be the center of the home and family, even marriage.

If you doubt His love, do you not remember that He wept and He bled, and still overcame all so that we might live forever in His kingdom. Thomas was not there when Jesus appeared to His disciples, later he would doubt and ask to plunge his hand into the Lord’s side. That is doubt, Love was Jesus letting Him.

I know we can go to that place in our hearts and not ever get into doubt or having an unbelieving heart, believers can fall prey to it. Hebrews 3:12. So what if you cry, wear it on your sleeve, as long as it is tears to Jesus. You don’t have to cry to just anyone, they may not understand but the one with the most tender heart of all does.

He allowed His tender heart to be pierced for you and me to know His love eternal, and receive good things from God. So where is this place. It is where Jesus is. He sits on the mercy seat of our heart, the Holy Spirit is the glory and we are to be the temple.

It is a secret place of the Most High, the shadow of the Almighty. It is a place of rest and communion with Him. It is a place of safety and peace, His peace, the precious gift He left us in John 14:27. And what is it not? Well, maybe it is not our prayer closet. Or even a war room.

I pray all the time, there is one place I like to pray but can’t go there everyday. It is not a place outside or in, a favorite spot in the garden or at the lake, not even taking a walk. Jesus prayed in lonely places, Gethsemane was one place or Judas would not have known where He would be, by the Sea of Galilee.

He prayed in lonely places but wasn’t always alone. The disciples were asleep, or panicking as their ship sank. We do it too. The place I believe the Spirit is saying to go is where Jesus is, stay there, remain close, no matter the storm or challenge. And if we don’t know what to pray He does, and He is praying for us I’m sure.

Whether or not you operate in spiritual gifts the Spirit is there and the love of Jesus, go to the tender heart, that is in your heart, and rest.

 

Love Without Limits

We all want unconditional love, don’t we? The trouble is we do put conditions on it, whether we know it or not. If you hurt me, do I forgive you or be angry, hold a grudge. We all hold pent up things we may not even realize, thing we thought we had forgiven or maybe even had. The evil one will cause old things to resurface and we question ourselves and God.

His love is infinite, and it is just. He forgives and forgets, and isn’t accusing us. He will chastise us because He loves us. His love is limitless. He gives everyone every chance to be saved and though there are those who don’t believe in God or blame Him, they have little or no understanding of Him, even if well versed in Scripture, dare I say even in ministry, they can lack a personal relationship. He has really poured out the grace, so don’t insult the Spirit with a pretense.

Love, agape, is unconditional. Divine love, and you can hurt that love, by not receiving Him, accepting His peace, joy wisdom and gifts. Love should never be abused, and we should not abuse God’s love. Why would we think we could get away with that?

We don’t have to question, we have to trust. And we’re all in the same boat as believers,and we are all like Peter, we step out on faith, we sink. Jesus saves us. These stories play out in lives on a daily basis. Jesus wasn’t angry at Peter, more at the enemy, but He firmly rebuked him nonetheless and warned him about his coming trials.

How often do we allow His warnings or rebukes slip by, or out of our mouth. How often we fail to speak His love and peace. Even if they are not personally spoken to us by the Spirit, but printed on the pages of the Bible.

I feel like my love is limited, I know I have pushed the envelope and boundaries though, I have done my best to love some people and I can’t  always say it was successful, I can’t imagine anyone not wanting love, even with the correction. Would you rather go the of the way?

There is some guilt at letting go, but even God will have to do that when His love is refused. I have often felt it was not reciprocated and that is true to an extent. We are all at different faith levels and you may love someone more than they ever will you. Maybe, that is just being made in the image of our Father.

You can’t make people love you, but He will send you people who will understand, and we must tell about His love, when He says His grace is enough it is, He has really, really, overloved, overprotected and overdone for us, that agape, over redeemed us and we should keep that in mind and do everything in love even if we have to let go ,of something to receives something better. How do limit Him? By our words, saying yes and no to what He would do for us, this way or that, when He knows best. The children of Israel wanted to go back, I don’t do you?

Our minds and hearts are limited, but with a capacity to fill a God given, born again spirit to overflowing. We think there is only one solution to problem, one way to do something, but the one who created all things, has the power  to defy gravity, slow the speed of light, bend the laws of physics. His love is amazing, pure, holy and powerful, and He isn’t limited.

We are loved by the one without limits.

Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. Psalm 78:41

 

Fall In Love With Jesus

As the season of fall or autumn says goodbye to summer, although not always where I live, are you ready to fall in love with Jesus? It is not hard when you know Him, really know Him. What’s not to love? He is loving. strong, attentive. He knows your need better than you do, and has already made the sacrifice for them. And what do we have to do? Just love Him and believe Him.

He has saved us from way more than we know as believers. I can promise you that, and His promises are so much better than mine or the old covenant, His covenant more secure than the old one. It was His sacrifice that replaced all others once and for all.

I still don’t understand people abusing His grace.  And I don’t like hearing people call grace cheap, it wasn’t. it cost Him everything. Still. I know people who have recovered from heart attacks that should have killed them, other diseases and have cheated death, while I am walking around appreciative and thanking Him, they appear nonchalant, and I’m not judging by any means, but Jesus even questioned the nine lepers not returning to thank Him, only one of them went to the temple to pronounced clean. We have better than that! Jesus, Himself pronounces your clean. That is something shout about and tell others about, that is love.

And I know people who should be in jail or hell, and they just don’t get it. They have no remorse and no concept that they have done anything wrong. They do not know grace, and the believers, some, not all, may like the ” other nine “, who never thanked Jesus, I am concerned about those of you like the rich young ruler, clinging to the law and walking away sorrowful, but those who don’t know that love at all, the words Jesus says to depart, that He doesn’t know you, should be calling you to repentance.

I praise Him everyday for every step and every breath. I know what He saved me from, and it is a continual process. His mercies are new each day. And if we are to receive His blessings and peace, we need to fall in love with Him over and over each day.

So few the next few days, we will be talking about that, and I am still considering what to do for the holidays. I have a lot going on, and though I am getting rest, I may take some time off. I have seriously done a lot of writing, and overcome through Him alone, many attacks, His love never fails me, No matter how much you think you fail Him, He never will you and sometimes, we are just trying too hard to please Him, He is pleased if we love Him and rest in His love. It’s not hard to write posts about Him, so we will see where this goes.

But please join me as we fall in love with Jesus.

Linked with Anita Ojeda and LMM.

Renato Abati / pexels

Close To You

Can you believe the summer of angels is over? Don’t worry, I still have a few more autumn angels around. And I adore this picture. I love the old Carpenters song, Close To You.

” On the day that you were born, the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true. ” So they go and sprinkle moondust and starlight, and well, that’s why everyone wants to to be close to you.

Angels want to be close to you for another reason, they are not saved. They have no need to be. Fallen angels will never be. So how blessed are we with a chance. No, angels are just curious about how our lives look and work in concert with God’s plans.

They go about their commands to bring us into His perfect will. So they are close to us. Yes, they long to be close to you, because it is God’s will for them to be. And I believe they are a part of our strength and rest as believers.

Remember how they ministered to Jesus after the temptation, and in Gethsemane? If He needed them we certainly do. Have you been through an illness or trial? Maybe, they are building up on you. Sometimes, if you are a firm believer, attacks will come in more than one at a time.

As we close our study on angels, I pray He blesses you with restful angels to be close to you. and for the Lord, Himself to be also. May we rest in the Lord’s love, joy and peace, and continue to enjoy His presence and that of the holy angels.

Be at rest my soul, the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7

He has been good to mine how about you? Now, let’s get ready to fall in love with Jesus.Thank you so much for reading and following my blog.