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Live Loved

DSC00421When I first heard a friend talk about the idea that a relationship with Jesus boils down to a chance to live loved, I was hooked.

Two words. So simple. So profound.

Since then, while working with a variety of texts, plots and characters of the Bible I’ve repeatedly come back to those 2 words. Over and over I’ve tried to see how the such a simple idea helps to tell the story of our God.

It was just this morning, however, that I took the time to  Google the words “live loved” to see who’s been using them. One of the first things I found was that much loved author, Max Lucado, has a book and a devotional App titled “Live Loved.”

Then I stumbled on a YouTube clip by a young follower of Jesus that expresses how taken he has been since hearing someone talk about such a simple but life changing idea. Here’s that link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltP0Wh3GEQ


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161 Responses to “Live Loved”

  1. SFDBWV says:

    It is interesting Mart through no earthly design that your new topic and my last one on the last topic have a ring of being a segue from fear to love.

    Steve

  2. SFDBWV says:

    If it were only that simple, to live life loved, but there are many complications in a love relationship.

    When we feel loved we also create expectations from the one we feel loved by. Sometimes those expectations are amiss and when we don’t get what we expect we are hurt, and trust is damaged.

    Love relationships require the balance of give and take between each individual as well as mutual respect.

    It is said that God is no respecter of man and that if we are to please Him we must have faith. Faith in what, that He loves us?

    So here we are again, what happens to that faith when horrible, terrible things occur in ones life? Does that mean He doesn’t love us or that like Job He just allows these painful events in our lives to make a point?

    Like most of us I have seen too many ugly events done to innocent and deserving alike to feel the relationship between God and man is as simple as that song “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. Yet this is what *faith* tells us to do. Don’t worry be happy, because you are loved.

    What I have learned in life is that real true love puts no expectations on the one you love; you love them anyway and in spite of them.

    Steve

  3. tracey5tgbtg says:

    Thanks for reminding me what a great band tenth avenue north is.

  4. tracey5tgbtg says:

    I believe Mike Donehey did go through a bad experience of being in a car wreck and having his back broken. That’s when his faith in God became very real to him.

    Please check me on this because I’m sure I’ve got the particulars wrong since I just typed this off the top of my head without going back to research it.

  5. remarutho says:

    Good Morning All —

    It is a pleasure to consider the photo accompanying this post. To me, it is a wintered-over bird’s nest. When the time is right, the birds will return and mate and lay eggs in the nest. By then, there will be a nice covering of leaves over the nest to protect it from predators and plenty of food for parents & babies.

    If conditions allow, a new generation of birds will be reared and will learn to fly among these branches. Then, the gift of new life will continue on and on by God’s provision. (Matthew 6:25, 26, 27)

    It may be that some tortured soul will wander by this place and hear the birdsongs and see the activity of the creatures — and will consider how loved (s)he truly is by our Creator God. (Luke 12:6, 7)

    Maru

  6. oneg2dblu says:

    Good day all… perhaps this being loved, being worthy of being loved, knowing you are loved regardless, are the very highest needs for the human psyche to settle all its other difficulties, for without love many things do not fully flouruish, they are flawed or disfunctional, and mankind is certainly part of those many disfunctional things which can not fully flourish without accepting and following God’s design and His love.
    We see the evidence of that success or failure to accept and follow in the church, in the family, and in the world.
    Basically we can see that this thing called love is both the greatest and the most minute part of all realationships.
    God is Love…

  7. Bill says:

    Now you’re playing my song, Mart!

    Good Morning All (and Happy New Year, too!),

    A couple of comments, which I doubt will be brief. (Am I ever?)

    1. I hadn’t heard of Mike Donehey or Tenth Avenue North prior to Mart’s post. I watched the clip. I like what I see. He seems genuine. I checked out Tenth Avenue North on iTunes. Not a fan of that sound. (Although their album The Struggle and the song “Where Life Will Never Die” is pretty catchy. Has enough interesting elements to hold my attention.)

    Mike says in the YouTube clip: “Can you imagine giving up fear, giving up pride, giving up guilt, changing over those motivations for new ones of love and gratitude?”

    Amen.

    2. @Steve, I think you got really close to grasping what Mart wrote, what Mike Donehey said in the YouTube clip, and what Max Lucado’s book is about.

    But, as Maxwell Smart used to say in the 1960s TV series Get Smart!, you “missed it by that much.”

    You wrote:

    * If it were only that simple, to live life loved, but there are many complications in a love relationship.

    When we feel loved we also create expectations from the one we feel loved by. Sometimes those expectations are amiss and when we don’t get what we expect we are hurt, and trust is damaged.

    Love relationships require the balance of give and take between each individual as well as mutual respect. *

    The title of Mart’s blog, Max Lucado’s book, and what Mike said in the YouTube clip is “live loved.” Not “live loving, but wanting love in return, because life is filled with hurt, lack of trust, and damage.”

    Your last paragraph came very close to nailing it:

    * What I have learned in life is that real true love puts no expectations on the one you love; you love them anyway and in spite of them. *

    But it, too, didn’t quite get to the heart of the matter.

    I think the point is this:

    Live loved.

    Live filled with the joy and lightness and hope that comes from being loved. Already being loved.

    That’s the key: already being loved. Continually. Not expecting to be loved. Not waiting around for someone else to love me. Not figuring out how to love others unconditionally.

    Already being loved.

    And, yes, I wrote that in the passive tense: already being. Not already loved, which is an active voice, past tense.

    If we live our lives already being loved, that means we are always infused with love. And, therefore, we live our lives accordingly — not wanting anything more, especially from anyone else, buoyed by joy, confident, content, whole.

    It’s that simple.

    It’s really that simple.

    No need for complex theology, scripture citations, analogies, explanations, what-ifs and yes-buts.

    Live. Loved.

    When “horrible, terrible things occur in one’s life” we weather it because we are loved. We are whole. We lack nothing.

    Remember Psalm 23? “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

    Why shall we not want?

    Because we are loved.

    A person who lives loved wants nothing because he/she lacks nothing.

    Such a person is overflowing with joy, gratitude, confidence, peace, and an unshakable faith – in God, in oneself, in others.

    3. This is why I believe love is THE most important, most powerful, most transformational feeling (although it’s vastly more than that) on earth.

    Love is the one unifying force in all the world. Regardless of skin color, ideology, world view, age, gender – you name it — love is the one emotion we cannot live without.

    I am often amazed by hardline, fundamentalist Christians who constantly berate, criticize, condemn, point out the faults of others and try to beat people with different opinions into submission — all under the guise of “holiness.” All it really is is forced conformity.

    And certainly not love.

    Mart’s blog, one of his most important, tells another story entirely.

    Live loved.

    4. By the way, Tenth Avenue North is playing at the Van Andel Arena tonight in Grand Rapids. I had never heard of them before. But I was so moved by Mart’s blog post that I looked them up, checked out their web site with the thought in mind, “I wonder if they’re touring nearby?”

    They are. Tonight. About 12 miles from where I sit right now.

    Coincidence?

    I don’t think so.

    I’m going.

    Have a wonderful day, all!

    Live loved!

    Much Love,

    Bill

  8. oneg2dblu says:

    I see in every life or well formed nest a legacy left, for others.

    Romans 14:7 (NIV) “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one does for himself, for of we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therfore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

    1 John 4:16 (NIV) “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God.”

  9. oneg2dblu says:

    “Everything that lives, lives not alone, nor for itself.” William Blake

    To me, there are no accidental meetings, and when we encounter even an empty nest, we can see that life and love has flourished abundantly, and we can be blessed to encounter anything that God has made.

    Be Blessed, Gary

  10. BruceC says:

    Reminds me of that song “What The World Needs Now” is love sweet love….

    But not a worldly love. But the love of God. Something humanity has rebelled against since the beginning.
    That was an excellent clip Mart.

    BruceC
    Soli Deo Gloria!

  11. cbrown says:

    Bill, I was reading your comments but being a member of a Southern Baptist church I felt “profiled” by the following comment;”I am often amazed by hardline, fundamentalist Christians who constantly berate, criticize, condemn, point out the faults of others and try to beat people with different opinions into submission — all under the guise of “holiness.” All it really is is forced conformity.”

    And certainly not love.

  12. Bill says:

    I certainly hope you’re kidding, cbrown.

  13. Artle says:

    God is more than a feeling.

    PM: Good to see you, Bill.

  14. poohpity says:

    I agree Bruce “not a worldly love” most often we try and base God’s love on what we think is love and most often that to us is an emotion but to God it seems to take place in actions towards us, His beloved. Emotions are like the sea tossing around at a whim or still and absent, hot or cold, full or empty. God’s love seems to be solid, steady and sure not dependent on anything we do. We can not earn it, freely given to all His very own creation.

    He does not seem to treat us like spoiled children giving us everything we want but giving us everything we need. When He created out of love He provided everything contained within this thing we call earth then put gravity around to hold us close. We walked away from Him and He came looking for us to bring us back repeatedly and in finality, eternally secure.

    Bill, you told Steve that he missed understanding by “this much” do you think you understand or did you miss it by “this much” as well? Hats off to anyone who understands it totally that is much like understanding the whole truth, impossible. There is to me nothing wrong with citing scripture, from the greatest love story ever told, isn’t that where we learn in our limited capacity a small understanding of the enormity of God’s love as well in creation itself. I have faith in God not myself or in others, only God is worthy of that.

  15. Artle says:

    I should have noted the “Live Loved” idea and clip were good and a simple way to introduce anyone and reinforce another’s faith.

    cbrown, My take was Bill was referring to so-called fundamentalist Christians and not true fundamentalist Christians.

  16. poohpity says:

    Luke 7:47 NIV Living with that kind of thinking we will ultimately “Live Loved” and it will be reflected in how we extend that to others.

  17. quietgrace says:

    Beautiful post Mart, thank you.

    A thought I’ve been pondering for a while is something also attributed to William Blake, that “We are here to endure the beams of love”. In my own journey it’s been God’s love that has saved and kept me from falling away many times. God IS love. I never even knew human love until I met Jesus. He showed me the way to God and that it is His love that endures through all situations, and, looking ahead, it is God’s enduring redeeming love that rebuilds bird nests and human nests for the new generations to come. Love leaves us quite a legacy to fulfill in our own time. Always amazing. Always built because of Grace.
    Have a God blessed day everyone!

  18. poohpity says:

    Artle, what is the difference in so-called fundamentalist Christians and not true fundamentalist Christians? Isn’t “so-called” and “not true” the same thing?

  19. quietgrace says:

    Sorry, I misquoted Blake. It should say “We are here to learn to endure the beams of love”.

  20. poohpity says:

    Both are meant to degrade in some way.

  21. oneg2dblu says:

    Steve… thanks for your right-on comment. You brought everyday reality into the love quotient, with its expectations and its disappointments, and that’a real to anyone who has ever loved another, and knows these are all part of the total which we all seem to miss just a little.
    Unless we build that “love nest” like a perfect triangle within the biblical reality of what a family should look like as God defines, Him at the top, first and foremost in the minds and heart, then, one man and one women at the bottom, all connected together equally as is represented in a well ballanced equally sided figure but with God as the aligning primary source and primary focus.
    That may well fall short of some of man’s expectations where man wants to feel only the “no guilt” part, as defined in, scripture, “All a man’s ways seem right to him.
    But, they do not agree with the second part which says, but in the end leads to death.”
    Scripturally speaking if you will… but of course, God’s words don’t always align with man’s desires, or his definition of love either.
    Gary

  22. Artle says:

    Pooh, My take was Bill was referring to so-called fundamentalist Christians, not true fundamentalist Christians.

    Does that make more sense?

  23. poohpity says:

    oohh! But isn’t the tagging of the fundamentalist before Christian putting one in some sort of a judgmental, condemning way and pointing fingers? Can’t we just be Christians who are loved no matter if we are fundamentalists whatever that is supposed to mean. If our eyes are on other Christians like Oswald Chambers puts it, “Many of us have a mental picture of what a Christian should be, and looking at this image in other Christians’ lives becomes a hindrance to our focusing on God.” That seems to be what Bill was doing. Like the pot calling the kettle silver.

  24. poohpity says:

    I believe that was what cbrown was saying. So is that living like we are loved?

  25. SFDBWV says:

    Bill, most excellent friend, I am so glad to see you post. You have been missed.

    My time in the United States Marine Corps was a good growing place for me as a young man learning confidence and being tested all the time, as life is certainly a proving ground of what you’re made of.

    However just to underscore your thoughts about my comment, I was only able to qualify as a sharpshooter; expert was always just out of my grasp.

    I have seen and known people who have killed over love, lied over love, stole over love, went insane over love, many who wasted away their lives on alcohol over love and some who died of heartbreak all because of love.

    Too many people throw the word love around as if it is just a word, but real love is found always in action.

    Real love is almost certainly defined as sacrifice and while there have been many who have died for others, no one except God died for the sins of every man.

    How then do we show God that we love Him? The quick answer is by showing love to others, all others; but do we.

    I will have to leave it there for tonight as I never have time in the afternoon for this luxury, but was happy to see you post Bill and wanted to say hello.

    It is 04 degrees as I write and 04 was our high for yesterday, it did get to 08 earlier this morning, but soon dropped back into where we are presently. Today is worse as there is a howling wind with these temperatures and that makes it very dangerous.

    Hope this finds every one warm and safe.

    Steve

  26. blestsparrow says:

    Apostle John on 4 different occasions referred to himself (the beloved disciple whom Jesus loved) (John 13:23) John knew love and John lived loved.
    John’s idenity was never again known as the son of thunder but the beloved disciple “whom Jesus loved”.

    Rather than thinking that my identity comes from my accomplishments or my pedigree, I now think about my identity as the way Christ see’s me, that I am just simply a recipient of undeserved love, then my life is more likely to reflect him.
    Apostle John “lived so loved” and he knew he had a special place of received favor. Each of us as God’s child has a special place in Jesus’s heart it is his gift to us, he said “love one another as I have loved you”.

    Apostle John “lived so loved” he was at total comfort to lean his head on his Master’s bosum.

    Jesus said “the greatest commandment which all the law and the prophets hang on is…. Love God supremely and love your neighbor as yourself”

    I wasn’t priivledged to grow up in a Walton Family environment, I had always heard about who Christ was when I went to church, but the truth is I never really saw who Christ was until God blest me with my wonderful husband.(who is now in heaven). He had such an abiding assurance of knowing who he was in Christ it made me so hungry and thirsty to know the same Lord he knew.

    Why? Because he lived loved, it wasn’t his words, it was his life, his motives were almost always generated from love. He would say so often and I quote…. “honey, you can give without loving, but you can never love without giving”
    Many people do good things, good deeds, give much time, talents, money etc…… but if it is not lived generated or motivated from love it is of no value in God’s eyes. I believe God always checks our motives from whence we act.
    Live Love when I wash the dishes, do laundry, or my older sister blesses me out. Live love when I stand in a long check out line at walmart.
    Only by and through his grace are we able to “Lived Loved and Live Love”

  27. oneg2dblu says:

    Here’s a couple of quotes that capture much of the essence of love,
    “Love grants on a moment, what toil can hardly achieve in an age.” Geothe

    and to bring this into balance…

    “If you love me you will obey my commands.”
    Jesus Christ

    Also…

    “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?”
    He said;
    “My child do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.
    For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
    Hebrews 12:5,6 (NLT)
    God

    So, there are many facets which can be attached to these two simple words, “Live Loved.”

    Be Blessed, Gary

  28. oneg2dblu says:

    So love says, “Yes,” in a moment and forgives…
    Love says, “No,” in discipline and punishes…
    Love says, “Wait,” and show me your obedience…
    Then, I will know you love me.

  29. belleu says:

    Nice to see you again, Bill.

    After reading and watching the video; I started thinking about my husband’s love for me. I know I am loved and it gives me feelings of trust and peace in my marriage. I know he will never leave me and we will be together until death. I know he is always there for me.

    If I can believe that about God also, then I will be filled with peace and trust. It takes more faith for me to believe “God is love” because I don’t see God physically every day. I have no trouble in knowing God is here with me, guiding my steps and watching out for me. It is the “love” I have trouble with. His love is different from my idea of love. However, He knows this and understands my confusion.

  30. remarutho says:

    Good Evening All —

    It seems to me there are many, many evidences of God’s great love all around us. Our problem, as creatures who insist on our own sovereignty, is that we have endless ideas and beliefs about the nature of things. The birds and other creatures teach us how to “live and move and have our being” in the God of Creation.

    Mart, you wrote:
    “Over and over I’ve tried to see how such a simple idea helps to tell the story of our God.”

    Can it be humans fear being utterly humble? The result of such humility is to get no glory. All glory and all praise to go God in Christ. To “live loved” is to surrender to God. We are rooted and secured in God’s love at all times — and even beyond time. (Luke 12:24)

    Maru

  31. remarutho says:

    Hoped to say: All glory and all praise go to God in Christ. Maru

  32. foreverblessed says:

    What a very important principle, we are loved. But live loved, is knowing that you are loved.
    God loves the whole world, so much that He died for it.
    Most do not know this, how much they are loved.
    SO this means that God’s love is unconditional, He loved us while we were still sinners!
    This unconditional love.
    I pray that we as christians are founded and grounded in this love, Eph 3:17
    LOve to all, and be blessed, thanks Quietgrace for your blessing.

    I pray that we as christians all over the world, will show this love. Show this love to the world.

  33. SFDBWV says:

    Yesterday Bill informed me that I had missed the point of what it means to “Live Loved”; that has given me reason to revisit the topical concept of what it is that is actually being said in this *simple* statement.

    Always only speaking for myself of course, I have to look at my life and the lives of those I know and love and look for the evidence that says I and they are *loved*.

    Not loved by the people around us or them, but loved by God.

    Here a few topics ago we discussed how it was we explained such things to little children. So I ask this question; how do you explain to a child that just lost a parent or both to death that God loves them and wants only the best for them?

    I suppose you could tell them now that they are orphaned that God is still and always there for them.

    Or how do you tell a parent who is burying a child that God loves them and wants only the best for them?

    I suppose you could tell them that God understands their pain and one day He will take away the pain they now feel.

    I only raise these two points to say that these people may not believe that God loves them and our trying to convince them only makes it worse.

    For the record, I feel God loves me as well as Matthew, Glenna and my 95 year old mother in law. I can see how God has given and taken good care of them. I can see it because I recognize His place in the otherwise awful circumstances of their lives.

    But that isn’t true for everyone.

    I can easily tell you Matthew doesn’t feel as though God loves him, so how can any of you expect him to *live loved* by God.

    I am sorry I feel I am not being very encouraging, rather I see this as another opportunity for people to feel left out and not belong to that privileged few who can “Live Loved”. Because they don’t feel as though they are loved.

    What I think is that only God can make a person feel loved by Him, not our trying to convince someone that they should live as though He does while still harboring doubts and feeling as though they are once again not truly experiencing anything but pretending as if they do.

    Steve

  34. poohpity says:

    Where did love first originate? What was there before love? Void! Those who do not see the beauty of the sky, vegetation, animals, sea creatures, flying things, people, stars and plants would not understand God’s love. I taught my children just as I learned that God’s love is seen all around and in everything created on/in this earth and above the earth. Appreciating even oxygen for without it there would be no life. Enjoying a bite of a pear as the juice runs down your chin and the sweetness is tasted that is God’s love. Everything we need is contained within this thing called earth, that is God’s love. Being taught how to do things that will not cause harm to others or ourselves, that is God’s love.

    It is hard to explain something when we do not believe it our self. We can focus on the negative and the things we do not have like the glass half empty rather than half full. Life can get very boring when we do not go out of our little world or our small thoughts to experience all there is to experience held captive by our own choosing or by the choices someone else makes for us to see God’s love in action.

    Yes there will be trials, sorrows and suffering and because of God’s love He told us that there would be all those things while here in this life but also taught us that He would be right there with us through it all and would help us overcome. Well unless we chose to not overcome and let those trails, sorrows and suffering overcome us and stay stuck. God did not have to explain anything to us but because of His love He revealed the secret that would give us peace, joy and comfort to carry us through when things do not make sense.

    Everyone has to be taught what love looks like and how it is to be shown.

  35. remarutho says:

    Good Morning All —

    It seems to me, Steve, a great many people feel left out of the love of God. At the moments you mention: a child losing her parents or parents losing a child — words about the Lord’s ultimate triumph over death and loss are not helpful.

    What I have experienced is quiet support from the believers (and non-believers) around me — silently supporting me in the journey. The simplicity of a home-baked pie on the porch — or more firewood on the pile — can bring tears of gratitude in the long dry journey from overwhelming grief to spiritual healing.

    Just the non-anxious presence of an old saint gives much comfort, in my opinion. Simply saying, “We are praying for you.” God’s love streams in by these windows and doors to heaven.

    Maru

  36. poohpity says:

    How can anyone know about the love of God unless they are taught. We have the Bible and if left unread no one will know of God’s great love. Romans 10:14-17 MSG

  37. Artle says:

    I do like the sentiment: Live Loved. It uses a simple truth to make a larger than life point. But something was nagging at me which I could not put a finger on until reading Steve’s comment this morning.

    Live loved is a good way to view life and how to live it, but when offered entirely alone, it falls short of the Everything which God is. God is all of love, but love is not all of God. If love was God alone, we would not have all the other words to describe Him. God is Love and So Much More.

  38. remarutho says:

    Hello All —

    L = Lord of the Universe

    O = Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent

    V = Victor over Death and Evil

    E = Eternal Creator, Savior and Sustainer

    Love is not kid stuff, it seems to me.

    Maru

  39. Artle says:

    Pooh, generally speaking, a fundamentalist Christian is simply a person who views the bible as literal. If you view Bill’s comment as literal then it could be considered a profile. I just did not think that was Bill’s intent, so I offered cbrown a note of possible clarification which might lessen the impact of the comment. I am only guessing at Bill’s intent and why cbrown commented on it. I do know my intent was to wave a yellow flag between two people I would call friend.

  40. cbrown says:

    Last night I was sharing with a prisoner in a maximum security prison and I asked him if he knew where he would spend eternity. He said yes that he would spend it in hell.I asked him if he would like to know that he would spend it in Heaven? He indicated yes. I said that if he would acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God and that He has paid the price for his sins,accept Christ’s redemption and repent of his sins he would be saved. He did that.I then told him that God would never leave him or forsake him.I explained to him how to start his day each morning with a daily devotional. Each morning to ask God to teach him. He had an old Daily Bread so I showed him how to use it until he could get a new one from the Chaplain. Praise God for His Mercy!

  41. remarutho says:

    Amen CBrown! Another soul seeking the Lord!

  42. oneg2dblu says:

    Perhaps what we express to others will show them what they fail to see for themselves, as we Christians get to live for Christ, as God reveals to us, just how to live for Him.

    If we live for Him, we live to Love God and People.
    We get to love all life, and we live loved.

    “To live is so startling it leaves little room for anything else.” Emily Dickenson

    We could just as well put the word “love” where this quote uses “live,” because to be alive is to be loved by the One who created all life.

    Jesus Loves Us this we know, for the bible tells us so.
    How blessed we are to have God’s word living in us, and we get to share.
    Gary

  43. quietgrace says:

    Steve after reading your post I must say I agree with you. For some it is hard to believe they are unconditionally loved by a God Who is only able to do it perfectly. My conversion story is no the typical Evangelical story. I was sitting in a Lenten service in a Methodist church minding my own business when suddenly the only way I can explain it is that God came down from the sky and hugged me and I felt the greatest love I had ever felt. I blubbered like a baby and all around knew nothing of what was happening to me or why I was crying. What I found out later was their were a handful of Christ followers that were praying for the rest of the congregation. Several of us were saved that year. It was a beautiful thing, and one I can’t explain. But knowing and having ‘felt’ God’s love has sustained me through many many heartaches and trials. When my daughter died suddenly in an accident when she was 20 the first thing I did was fall to my knees and thank God that He was in control and loved her more than I ever could, even the pain was horrific. And that no matter what, God was still my God and I would always serve and honor Him. Only knowing the power of Love could have elicited such a response, I believe.

    Reading Oswald this morning as I have for many years I had to ask God to forgive me for once again “leaning on my own understanding” as I prepare to rejoin the church. My battle is to love others as I have been loved. I pray God will do that through me, (that I can get out of God’s way anyway) and I pray you, my new friends, will receive the grace to do that too.

    God’s richest blessings in Christ Jesus to you all!

  44. quietgrace says:

    My apologies for all the typos-left out words in my previous post, I didn’t read it before I submitted!

    cbrown what a wonderful thing you did last night! I will be praying for this man and you for the important work you do!

  45. poohpity says:

    cbrown, that is loving God. Being so motivated to share what we have found in the Lord, sharing the good news is one way to show our gratefulness because we are so excited to tell everyone of God’s greatest love as seen in the Cross. Being forgiven and living like we are, wow!

  46. belleu says:

    I think if we have the feeling God loves us, that is great. But, if we don’t feel it and keep on giving our lives to God each day then that is okay too. I try not to rely on my feelings. They change with each passing moment. The Bible says, “God is love,” and I choose to believe it even if I don’t feel it. And as Peter say, “Who else can we go to? You have the words of eternal life.”

    I know the Bible has the words of eternal life. I know I want to be like Jesus. His life here was so beautiful. So, I make the choice each day to follow him, whether I feel like he loves me or not.

  47. quietgrace says:

    Belleu that is why studying the scriptures is so important! That’s how I learned that God’s love was more than just a feeling. I don’t always feel God’s love either, but I have studied a long time and actually have a degree in Bible and know and believe what others say about God as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

    Music is one way I feel God’s love. Many times I have been lifted out of depression or sadness by beautiful songs. My favorite song is The Deep Deep Love of Jesus. It brings me into Heaven and God’s presence every time.
    I can feel a joyfulness in spite of my negative emotions. And knowing that Jesus felt everything any of us can feel brings me great comfort.
    God bless you! Grace

  48. BruceC says:

    belleu and quietgrace,

    How very true that we do not “feel” God’s love always and we in faith believe what He says when He says He loves us.

    And also how true it is that praise music can lift us out of ourselves and a depressed mood.
    If you ever get a chance listen to “All The Earth” by the original Parachute Band, not the one that exists now. So many great praise songs…too many to list.
    But it’s not the songs of praise but rather the One who is lifted up in praise.
    Have a great day all….and stay warm my friends.

    BruceC
    Soli Deo Gloria!

  49. belleu says:

    Thanks so much for the advice to listen to good music and how it can lift our mood. I have just started saving music from youtube. My favorite right now is “I Believe” by Lenny Le Banc.

  50. SFDBWV says:

    Quietgrace you are indeed not only filled with grace, but show it. Thank you for just being you.

    I have known many people who have suffered the death of a child and I know of none that ever recovered from it. Always there is a sadness in their eyes and quietness in their spirit.

    Often here we get caught up in semantics and our points of contention ends up just being word play and I don’t wish to go there.

    In 1John 5:14 John uses the word *confidence*, I like that word as this is what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives us, a confidence in God and in His love. Confidence is something we also *feel* as in the same way we no longer *feel* afraid, alone or unloved once we are joined together with the Holy Spirit of God.

    We can live then through all the disasters of life confident that God is God, is in control and sees past our present circumstances to a happier existence for ourselves and those we love.

    You can know this in your head, but feel it in your heart. It is what enables us to go on.

    How does one suppose a dog knows his master loves him, it is intelligence or how the dog feels he is treated?

    I agree with those who like praise music, as it is written that the devil flees from the praise of God.

    Steve

  51. saled says:

    The idea that a relationship with Jesus boils down to a chance to live loved. Wow. So simple, but so powerful.

    Steve and others have mentioned that the circumstances of our lives often make us question if God really loves us. This happens to me also. When the heaviness of a serious illness in a family member, job loss, or something else weighs us down, it feels like we are being singled out for punishment. Not true, of course. These troubles are common to man.

    From Been Thinking over the past years I have picked up an idea that has freed me: When God’s people were sent into captivity, it was for the purpose of restoration. Trouble doesn’t mean God hates us: trouble is meant to bring us back to him.

    Live Loved. Live knowing we are loved. Live helping someone else know they are loved. Maru’s example of hearing the song of a bird and realizing that we are loved is a good example of how this evidence is all around us. And the home-baked pie, the firewood on the pile that Maru mentioned are great examples of how we can help other’s know they are loved.

    Live loved. What a freeing idea.

  52. oneg2dblu says:

    Good morning all… to me, reading these posts is love’s evidence in writing, enough so that we are loved and possibly ushered in by love and sharing here for a reason.

    I for one do not beleive in any happy coincedence or lady luck, I believe in providence ever since the God of all Creation introduced me to His Son, a meeting that I could not make happen or avoid.
    Before that meeting God had all creation as His witness
    showing itself, but the world had all its distractions as well.
    This first meeting of Jesus Christ as bieng alive and real, is the greatest mystery to the world, and the greatest Hand of Providence to the New Believer.

    It is the knowing with all confidence that your reality is “Divinely Changed,” and that you are now “living and loved,” by a Holy God.
    Praise God!

  53. quietgrace says:

    AMEN!!!!

  54. poohpity says:

    How I live my life shows how much I have or have not trusted God. I have no idea what God is doing in the life of another or the journey that He is taking them down. God has a plan and that plan seems to entail getting to a place that I can understand the enormity, complexity, stability, never changing and merciful love of God, it is a journey well worth the adventure. I can trip over the feet of others or get entangled in my own and lose footing but when I follow in the footsteps of Jesus no matter the tripping, stumbling, falling I “know” from experience He searches me out and reinforces the fact that I am loved. It is like a waterfall effect learning of His love and knowing it is real flows out from the source. Sometimes I can not believe I have been trusted with something so valuable.

  55. oneg2dblu says:

    Thanks for sharing, “I Believe,” “All the Earth,” “The Deep Deep love of Jesus” ..all have just freshly blessed me.
    While we are sharing this blessed music that lifts and loves,
    I’ll chip in and give you this one,”One Thing Remains” Jesus Culture
    Gary

  56. quietgrace says:

    Poohpity, yes, free gifts are sometimes the hardest for people to accept. You have been give the free gift of salvation because of Gods’ love and grace. You didn’t have to earn it in any way shape of form. For those of us who have always tried to get the love we were lacking one of our greatest hurdles is putting down our tools and trusting God for all the love we need or could want.
    Be blessed today in His love my friend!

    Gary thanks for the One Thing Remains video. I shared it on my fb page! It is so meaningful and especially with the pics of snow! Ha! Blessings to you also!

  57. poohpity says:

    One of God’s many gifts that keeps on giving. The more we give it away the more we get. It seems when we think we have to earn it, pride creeps in. I think that is when we start to hold others to our self-imposed, self-righteous standards.

  58. remarutho says:

    Good Afternoon All —

    “All things came into being through him (Jesus), and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.”

    There is nothing that draws the breath of life apart from the life given by the breath of God. Whether humans acknowledge this or not, it is the true ground of all being.

    What has reality is that God thinks of his creatures, not that his creatures think of him. This is the meaning of “Our God Reigns.” We live loved because God is love — and all being exists by his grace.

    Blessings,
    Maru

  59. SFDBWV says:

    Yesterday after I got the roadway plowed and all such duties done, Crick, my soon to be 95 year old mother in law wanted to come up to visit Matt.

    So I took the car down to her house and helped her out and into the car and then reversed the matter and got her safely in my house.

    She sat beside Matt in his wheel chair and he sat in his recliner. She held his hand and rubbed his arm and talked of when he was a little fellow and how much she loves him.

    He told her he loved her too and only wants what is best for her.

    She hasn’t been able to be alone now for about three weeks and Glenna has lived with her night and day. She slips in and out of reality and gets very confused, but has never forgotten who Matt and I are, though sometimes she confuses Glenna for her dead daughter Rita, my deceased wife and Matt’s mother.

    Her other daughter Connie is coming today weather permitting to take her over to Shinnston to live with her. Something Crick really don’t want to do, but knows it is best.

    We all know when she leaves most likely we will never see her alive again and it is very sad to say goodbye.

    One thing about love it comes with pain.

    We got another 7.4 inches of snow yesterday and it looks like more this afternoon, but the story is more severe cold weather coming for the next few days. This winter is a lot like the winters we had in the 70’s, almost that whole decade saw plenty of cold weather and snow. It is amusing to me to remember, as the news magazines were wondering if we were entering a new ice age and now they think the earth is warming.

    Just as a way of keeping in line with this topic; we all for the most part live lives with people around us whom we love and are loved by them as well. For me I can tell you all of my life I have been blessed and have lived loved; how could it ever be any different with God?

    Steve

  60. poohpity says:

    Haven’t you ever gotten angry with anyone and carried a grudge? Have you ever been prejudice against another race or religion? Loving those who return love is easy anyone can do that but loving those one feels is an enemy is different and takes some Cross help.

  61. poohpity says:

    Praying and asking God to show us the breathe of His love which is higher, wider, deeper and longer than anything our human lives can fathom and it seems the more we seek that and walk with God, He begins to change us. I wonder if we really want to know that kind of love because that would mean we have to let go of much of our human understanding which seems to tend to make things harder. Asking God, do you really want me to treat that person the way you do but they did so and so to me or to someone I love or to another person and you want me to love them; they do not deserve it? God’s response may sound like but you did not deserve it either, it is not about you or what you think love is, know Me and I will teach you of My love.

  62. quietgrace says:

    Steve thank you for sharing a bit of your life. Yes, you have been blessed and have lived love. God IS love. This is a harsh winter I agree. So thankful that Matt has a safe, warm, loving place to be. God bless you and your wife for the sacrificial love you show everyday for him.

    Hello pooh! Praying you have a blessed day and can rejoice in the One who loves you and who’s mercies are new every morning!

  63. poohpity says:

    Thank you quietgrace for the prayers I always need them. I do rejoice in the One who loves me better and more complete than I have every been loved in my life and I experience His mercies which are new every morning with a confident joy, peace, hope and comfort. That is the only thing that keeps me going. Praising God with you all for that faithful, wise, secure and eternal love that was shown to us through Jesus Christ.

  64. SFDBWV says:

    What does a person who doesn’t feel loved by God or anyone look like?

    Sad, brokenhearted, angry, bitter, lonely; always grasping for love, but never able to believe any one loves them. Constantly pushing for attention by any means, believing that any attention is better than none, pushing away rather than drawing in.

    These are the people God loves and the ones He wants us to love as well and most importantly show love to.

    There is a vast abyss between what we say and what we do. We can say we love others, but what we do to show it is very often the opposite.

    The road from birth to death is for most of us a struggle at best. How I sometimes envy the simple minded that just lives and has no interest in solving life’s mysteries or concerns about learning the deeper matters of knowing about anything.

    Oblivious and unconcerned they just believe God loves them and that is enough to carry them their entire lives.

    It is very difficult if not impossible for some of us to find that place where we can just rest.

    Yet this is where Jesus wants us to be, at peace, and at rest within our spirits.

    Life will still be a struggle and there will be pain from just being alive, but God is still there and will always love us more than we can ever understand.

    I recall a small line from the movie “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves”, “Men speak of love when it is convenient for them.”
    There is a great deal of truth in that statement.

    If you believe you can *live loved* then show it in your actions towards others…always.

    Steve

  65. poohpity says:

    I wish it were possible to live loved always but right when I think I have it down the Lord shows me how often I fail. Not to shame me or guilt me but to teach me to rely on Him.

    Yes talk is cheap. Leaning on God but still acting like His love depends on me and the things I do negates the work of the cross. While deepening the understanding and depending on the finished work of the Cross I comprehend what Jesus taught “love others as I have loved you”. While we were still sinners He died for us, speaking of that often we remember the “while” part it helps me to see I can not always do anything but the more practice in dependence the better at it I get.

    I think when we expect something back when we love others it shows we have not yet learned to love as He loved us. Recognizing my own areas that fall short and admitting them to others we can help each other learn of how much we need the love of the Master.

  66. phpatato says:

    Steve

    “How I sometimes envy the simple minded that just lives and has no interest in solving life’s mysteries or concerns about learning the deeper matters of knowing about anything.”

    Child-like faith and Keep it simple-stupid. One day and one step at a time. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Say things with love and respect. Admit when you wrong another, saying sorry. Forgiving to start all over again. Forgetting to avoid carrying a grudge. For me, my day is full just trying to live these.

  67. 1000yrsofpeace says:

    Live Loved —Receiving
    Live Loving —Giving

  68. oneg2dblu says:

    1000yrs… thanks for that revealing yet brief post.

    I must stir up the pot of possibilities here as I post a little longer one. :0

    I can understand our receiving God’s love, as a love that we do not deserve, being that we are now Living Under His Grace/Love as substitutionally granted through the cross of Christ, for all beleivers to first receive His Grace as love, and then live loved.

    I get that.

    Now, if we could only consider that applying any law and the letter of that law which are really given to us as guidelines for right living, and like Steve knows all to well, we must at times make judgments according to the law we are serving.

    Was that judgment in using the law also showing Love?

    When God passed judgments on those who refused to obey His Law, being they were under His Law as He sentenced many of them to death, was that also the receiving of His Love?

    Or, is loving another “only” when we ignore their sin,
    excuse their sin, and refuse to pass any judgment?

    Or, is every thing to be “weighed upon the circumstances first,” and depending upon which position of authority we are granted or the amount love we have been granted or received, do we judge.

    Depending which one of those we elect to then render, and only due to our circumstnace first and applied the circumstances of others?

    Who, or what, decides and then grants or judges?

    Does it not have all to do with the authority we are given, the law we are given, and the circumstance we are given first, and then in the making of any judgment?

    God must certainly be a Judge, a parent must certainly judge, the church must judge, and every Christ Follower must also judge for themselves what they will and will not allow or tolerate if they are truly directed by the Holy Spirit, then, Is it not the Wriiten Law of God that is the authoritive guideline that will be used?

    We who follow Jesus Christ by his example, who also was directed by the Holy Spirit given as an authority to us, where his only reply to all temptation He was under, replied… “It is Written!”

    Christ having never sinned did so because He obeyed the Law of God which was also the Will of God for Him, and why should we not allow that standard to also be the Will of God for us?

    If not, why do we live like there is a double standard?

    Although we have a clearly written law in God’s Word, to which we now claim, “none of us who are saved,” are either subject to, or judged by?

    No law, no standards, no judgment?

    I can see why the world around us is always going to be confused by our living this double standard?

    I find a better witness is to live as though we are under the law, and as law abiding Followers of Christ.

    Does that position seem harsh, impossible, unjust, unloving, or as living unloved?

    What will be seen by the world in our living witness today?

    Will we walk as Christians in name only living our own way, or living right and trluy free to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and God’s Law, which to me, is living in His Will, and in His Love?

    Be Blessed, Gary

  69. belleu says:

    I understand what you mean, Steve, about wishing to be at rest as some Christians are. My mother is like that. She has peace and joy in life and rarely questions things about life. I, however, question everything and I’m constantly seeking for answers. I guess humans are all different in their approach to life.

    About the law, Gary. I doubt any true Christians think we should go around breaking the Ten Commandments willy-nilly. I think we are all convicted by the Holy Spirit when we do wrong. I think when we talk about Law vs Grace we are just using different words and slants on that. In the end none of us here want to murder, lie and steal because God has come into our hearts.

    When we give our lives to God the law is written in our hearts. It has been this way from day one. I don’t think in ancient days believers were saved by keeping the law and neither are we.

    “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33

    There is no use gritting your teeth to obey God. He will change your heart so you will want to do his will.

  70. SFDBWV says:

    It is no small wonder that the legal experts of Israel had Jesus executed.

    He taught an entirely different approach to the law and lived such a life as well.

    He offered people an easy way out and the legalists and hard liners were offended and stung to such a fury they cried out for His crucifixion.

    The young woman that was caught in adultery was clearly guilty of a death penalty according to the law, but Jesus said he would not judge her and set her free.

    Who was it that Jesus did have harsh words for? It was the legalists and those who used religion as a means of control and financial gain.

    Jesus said “what is it to you” in answering about Judas; this is what always comes up in my mind when I think that some of us think we, or at least our input should be included in God’s judgment of some other person; what is it to us?

    Let God judge and if it is that He should decide to love enough to forgive, why can’t we?

    In becoming a Christian we now chose to follow Jesus’ approach to being a child of God, we now live under the season of grace, not the law.

    Be at peace and accept that we “live forgiven”.

    Steve

  71. remarutho says:

    Good Morning All –

    I confess we may have chunked, diced and minced this pretty finely here.

    Mart, you wrote:
    “Two words. So simple. So profound.”

    Live = Without the Creator God, there is no Light, waters, universe of planets and stars, land, plants, little creatures, big creatures or humankind. (Gen 2:7)

    Loved = The love of God is unspeakably immense – it is the cause of everything material and spiritual. (Heb 11:3) And, the Creator God has given Jesus to wash away our pride, guilt, fear and sin. (John 3:16)

    God cannot be dismayed, but if God could be, he might shed a tear when am tempted to reject the Messiah he has so lovingly sent to me. (Jeremiah 31:31, 32, 33, 34) We have been given the best deal in the universe: We live loved.

    Blessings,
    Maru

  72. poohpity says:

    “for it was through reading the Scripture that I came to realize that I could never find God’s favor by trying—and failing—to obey the laws. I came to realize that acceptance with God comes by believing in Christ.
    I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not one of those who treats Christ’s death as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping Jewish laws, then there was no need for Christ to die.” Gal 2:19-21 LB; Gal 2:14-18 LB

  73. remarutho says:

    Thanks for the “real life” mention, Pooh.

    Real, eternal, absolute, unending Life. This is our heritage in Jesus. I am so grateful! Maru

    PS Plus the Holy Spirit to guide, inspire, protect. It just gets better and better all the time. :-)

  74. cbrown says:

    After asking God to teach me this morning,I read the Daily Bread. It hit me where I am at right now so I read all of Ephesians Chapter 5. I could see a glimmer of each of the contributors of this blog in those verses. The Light does shine here. Praise God!

  75. poohpity says:

    I guess our ego’s want so bad to say we can have something to do with God loving us and continuing to love us but it is not about us, it is about a heavenly love that has to do with God. He is the source and the only One who can teach us to live loved by knowing, deepening and growing our understanding of what that kind of love looks like. As we live within the bounds of God’s love it begins to rub off on us. We develop patience, kindness, gentleness, joy, peace, meekness, self control and long-suffering following the law does not bring any of that it brings hardness of heart, criticism, pride and self-righteousness.

  76. poohpity says:

    We are supposed to reach 80 today so with the lack of coldness that means our summer will be blazing hot like 120. :-( Praying for all those back east and mid America to be safe, warm and continue to have power, wood and gas.

  77. remarutho says:

    Wow Pooh!

    80 deg!. We may make it to 50 today and rain. Will head over to the Arid-zona when I need to warm up and dry out! We can have iced tea together!

    Prayers for those on the streets and in shelters from the mid-west to the east. Mercy and provision. Maru

  78. poohpity says:

    My door is always open with the welcome mat out. :-)

  79. poohpity says:

    The iced tea is already made!

  80. quietgrace says:

    Pooh-How many people can you take in? It was -20 this morning with wind, of course. Really could use a vacation, but, like someone said it only makes it harder to come home to the cold so may as well stay here.
    I would love to visit with you over ice tea (my favorite) sometime, but, alas, don’t drive much like I used to. I will make some tea and think of online friends and turn up the heat!
    Praying also for those struggling with high heat costs this winter. blessings, quietgrace

  81. poohpity says:

    I will make room for as many as can find their way here. I once took in a mother and her 3 children who were homeless in a 650 sq ft apartment with me and my 2. Talk about intimacy, lol.

  82. oneg2dblu says:

    Maru says: “Pooh, Thanks for the “real life” mention.”

    But, Pooh also mentions: “I am not one of those who treats Christ’s death as meaningless.”

    I wonder just who are “those” who Pooh mentioned in her real life comment about treating Christ in that way?

    It must be those who mention anything about Christian accountibility.

    Maru says:
    “PS Plus the Holy Spirit to guide, inspire, protect.”

    It seems funny to me whenever anyone mentions the Holy Spirit’s conviction, or any possible accountibility standrads for a Christian, especially to certain Christian beliefs, the one who mentions such becomes labeled as being legalistic, pridefilled, and as only being an accuser of the brethen.

    I wonder why those are only labeled and rarely seen for their sharing the rest of the story instead?

    Are we saying Paul must not have gotten the whole salvation thing right either?

    Was Paul treating Christ that way as well by giving Christians a standard to live by?

    Were not Paul’s very words the divine by-product of the Holy Spirit’s conviction upon him, coupled with guidence,inspiration,and protection, as Maru mentioned, all given to compel him to, (hold Christians accountable?)

    Or, like others are thinking in their hearts of expression voiced here today, was Paul just being one of those, unloving, intolerant, legalistic, prideful, and accusing others on his own, or even treating Christ in that way which was mentioned earlier?

    If we read the “whole chapter” of Ephesians 5, we get the rest of the story, that we are to be living without certain things in our lives, (because those things,) as per Paul said … “there must not even be a hint of,” which although they are listed for us, I will not belabor your eyes here.

    I only want to mention, according to Paul and the Holy Spirit within him, exactly what he revealed in those verses, like in verse 6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”

    Make of his warnings what you will, believe what you must, but, they are there for a purpose, and perhaps should not be avoided or weakened to being as insignificant or unworthy of mention, or taking away the death of Christ as meaningless either, because Paul was writing to those in the church who were already saved, just like Paul, and just like we are.

    Thanks to cbrown, for reading the rest of the story in Ephesians 5 that shows us maybe we are all contributing something very vital here, a thing cbrowen expresses as being light.

    Bless you cbrown and the Spirit in you that led you to see such.

    May God Bless all who read the rest of the story and see the light as well.

    Obedience, or accountibility to God’s word and law, not our weakening of itto only being only a Jewish word/ law, will “never weaken” the position of Christ on the Cross for our sin, and to use it in that way, may also be the by-product of false teaching, false doctrine, and resultant wrong thinking.

    Be Blessed, Gary

  83. remarutho says:

    Good Afternoon All —

    Thank the Lord we am not called to judge anybody for “false teaching, false doctrine, and resultant wrong thinking.” It is a great blessing. Jesus taught on the hillside: “For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” Wesley said, “Think and let think.”

    Jesus’ blood covers all who believe in him. We live loved simply because he loves us.

    Yours,
    Maru

  84. remarutho says:

    Hoped to write “We are…” (me too!)
    Have a great day, Brother Gary.
    Maru

  85. oneg2dblu says:

    Pooh… I would use the common vernacular for any company that is coming to my house in saying, “I’ll put the pot on,” but, in your neck of the woods that particular word also plays as a double standard as well.

    It may be legal there to put some pot on, but it is illegal here, and coming soon to children everywhere according to our President’s helpful words and undermining meaning, “No worse than drinking,” which certainly weakens the law’s original purpose even further.

    Wrong teaching and thinking never result in right living.

    But, if you want to beleive it is as the President says, and see no peril, then you believe in false teaching at its best.

    I am not blaming you for the legalization of pot in your state, but the state of this nation is rapidly falling prey to changing all our older laws into becoming useless for supporting anything other than wrong thinking.
    IMHO
    Gary

  86. oneg2dblu says:

    Maru… that is a great teaching you share, thanks.
    Luke 17: 1,2,3 (NIV)
    1 John 5:16,17 (NIV)
    But, can we ever follow these verses without first judging another brothers actions?
    Gary

  87. oneg2dblu says:

    Also, 2 Timothy 2,3,4 NIV

  88. oneg2dblu says:

    2 Timothy 3:1,2,3,4,5 NIV
    2 Timothy 4:2,3,4 NIV
    Sorry!

  89. poohpity says:

    Gary, did I say at any point that I would put the pot on? Could it be the same way you misinterpret what I wrote also be how you read what is written in the Bible? Also the quote of Paul mentioned in my 9:37am post was from the LB(Living Bible) as he addressed those who would like to put the heavy burden of the law back on those who were freed from it that now live under grace, you seem to also have misunderstood that as well. Just wanted to clarify since you pointed out from your 2 Tim 4:2 that is what we are to do for those we love so they will not be lead astray.

  90. belleu says:

    I think Mart told us to quit arguing about the law.

    I’ve never read anyone here say they wish to be disobedient and take no responsibility for their actions. In fact, I’ve heard the opposite of that.

    I used to smoke pot and I’ve drank heavily. To me, the President is right about pot except I would say it is even better than drinking alcohol. People can get violent drinking whereas pot keeps you calm. Drinking too much can kill you – smoking too much pot puts you to sleep.

  91. Regina says:

    Good Morning All,

    I hope all is well with you! It so REFRESHING to wake up in the morning and read godly comments about “living loved” on a Christian blog! It does my heart and mind good…it’s like a spiritual super vitamin. I’m glad I’m able to share a thought or two on this blog topic as it’s still up. I thought Mart had already posted a new topic.
    Blestsparrow – I enjoyed reading your comment on “lived loved.” You referred to John, the beloved disciple, and I, too, believe that he mastered the very spiritual concept/truth/attribute to “live loved.” When you shared your thoughts on John, Enoch came to my mind. He (obviously) mastered the ability to “live loved” because he had such a close relationship with God that he was taken (away from his life and relationships here on earth) to heaven to live with God! :-) *Thank you* to all who share your wisdom on this blog site.

    22 degrees right now in Texas (high will be 46 degrees).

    Love to all…

  92. Regina says:

    Enjoyed reading your comment too, Steve…the one in which you said hello to your friend, Bill and said that you only had time to share a few thoughts.

  93. SFDBWV says:

    I usually like to start my day here by trying to say something that may either encourage others or at least bring something to the table to make us think about. Too often my intentions fail, for that I am sorry for then as the day presses on I have no time for the luxury of setting here and just talking.

    Being overly bold I also too often say exactly how I may feel about some subjects and that too may sometimes be a mistake, but I am at least being honest about who I am and how I feel.

    I have to feel comfortable here or I can’t feel free to express myself. So I have to give that same freedom to all who may join in the conversation.

    I don’t like what I call those little *church* sayings and I apologize if I offend, but that is what I see in this little *simple* statement “Live Loved”. Life isn’t simple and certainly being Christian isn’t simple either.

    That statement comes with a book and that Book is called the Bible; a complex and complicated assembly of history and teaching meant to enlighten and strengthen our faith.

    The only simple statement for me that comes from knowing scripture is that “Jesus is Lord” and even in that statement comes endless discussion and the potential for disagreements amongst us all.

    I personally believe every warning in Scripture is meant as a warning for me, not as a platform for me to judge others.

    I just felt I needed to say that.

    Minus 8 degrees as I write and it will continue to go down before daylight. Matt and I have doctors appointments this morning and will be traveling early, unavoidable, but Matt is looking forward to seeing someone he can brag to about his weight loss. He is now down to 256 and at 6’5” that ain’t all that bad.

    Hoping the subject has changed by the time we get home.

    Steve

  94. tracey5tgbtg says:

    I am also surprised that this topic is still up, but I will take a chance that it will stay up a little longer and add another comment.

    When the speaker says, “Live loved,” I believe he is talking to people who are already Christians. If you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and believe that He is God, then you should know that you are loved. You should live with the knowledge that God loved you so much that He became man and carried the weight of your sins in order to give you eternal life.

    A Christian should reflect that knowledge with their life and their interactions with others. We can let go of so much baggage that we carry around, because God loves us. We have been saved from eternal death – what in life do we have to fear?

    I know those are simple words that don’t really convey much to the world. I don’t think the speaker was telling the “world” to “live loved” as a way of becoming acceptable to God. I do think he was trying to say that people see Christianity as following rules that God has laid out and will send you to hell if you break and that’s not the way to look at it.

    God loves us and Christians should live that way. When Christians live in the truth that they are LOVED by God, they reflect that to an unbelieving world and maybe the world will see that God is good. God loves sinners and He longs to have them come to Him and accept Him as God.

    Another problem is how the word love is so misused. Obviously, in this day and age, it is equated with pleasurable things. For instance, “I love ice-cream” or “my new car” or “that pretty girl” or whatever thing it is you see that is going to bring you pleasure and happiness.

    I think love is so much more than that; thus to love means you care for someone other than yourself, and you always work to ensure that that person gets your best. You work for that person’s good. Not because you have to in order to escape punishment, but because you choose to, simply for love.

  95. foreverblessed says:

    Tracey, I too think that this guy was talking to christians. ANd more exact the christians who are God fearing and law abiding. The law abiding christians can easily be like the older brother in the lost son parable. I was like him, and hope that I am not anymore. BUt the older brother is doing his very best, is working so hard, but he is not enjoying life.
    He does not see how great his life is with his Father, he is just working. He is not at ease, he is not relaxed.
    NO, he is so busy to do well, to not sin, to follow the laws.
    But he misses the real life, he is not even happy when a sinner repents. He is jealous that the one who has lived in sin gets such a great feast.
    This line: live loved is for him, and is for me.
    Live loved, be happy, enjoy what you have already received, everything that is in Christ is in you. All the blessings in heavenly realms that are Christ’s are also mine, for us, the ones who believe in Him.
    We, who are living in faith in Christ, live in the Spirit, and when we live in the Spirit we will not live after the flesh. be confident of that! Gal 5:16,24-25
    Yes, we are loved, and lovable and of great treasure to God, and I should say, to one another, if we have the eyes of Jesus!

  96. foreverblessed says:

    In my country a ministry has started a series this new year, a 2 minute message for 40 days, telling each day who we are in Christ. I believe that it has the same impact as: live loved!
    If we believe that we are sinners, we tend to live like that. But if we believe what our state is in the heavenly realm: we are already holy, righteous IN Christ. That is the heavenly reality, now in our daily living we have to work this out, like Oswald Chambers wrote: work Out in our lives what God in Christ has already worked In our lives.
    If we do believe our new identity, we will also live in it. Rom 5:5, Rom 15:13, Eph 1:13
    Eph 1:18

  97. foreverblessed says:

    I am not done talking yet,
    this line: live loved, is also for the lost son!
    He must know that God has forgiven him, he should not look to his old ways anymore, the ways having lied in sin!
    He is forgiven, in the blood of Christ he is washed and made clean, all the sin is gone, as far as east is from the west, so far are his sins removed from him. He is a new creature in Christ, holy , righteous in Gods sight. A new being living in the life of the Spirit, not living in the flesh anymore, he has crucufied the flesh, or is busy crucifying the flesh, he now lives in the Spirit, and is free from the bonds that ties him to sin. He is a fre man in Christ Jesus, his Lord and Master.

  98. remarutho says:

    Good Morning All —

    We may rejoice every morning that Jesus has removed the millstone from our neck (Luke 17:1-2) That passage is Jesus telling us, “…and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” (vv 3-4) Through God’s love, we live abundant life — sowing peace, not strife.

    I thank the Lord Jesus for the power to forgive!
    May we all live loved,

    Maru

  99. quietgrace says:

    Good morning all! Steve be sure to tell Matt congratulations on his weight loss. I too have a son that is 6’6 and is struggling with 360lbs at the moment with back problems, of course. If Matt would think of him in his prayers I would greatly appreciate it!

    This morning I thought of the work I did for many years with people with disabilities. The hardest people to work with were those with dual diagnoses, mental illness and drug dependency. Many had been in jail/prison. Many had been abused as children. But in my thinking it was the command Jesus gave in Matthew 22:37-40 that propelled me. I often had to look hard for something to love about the other person, but when I looked into their pain I always saw Jesus in His pain. Loving was much easier too when I remembered my own scars and was reminded that ‘there but for the Grace of God, go I’. I think that to “Live Loved” entails accepting who we were but rejoicing in who we are now in Christ, and showing that love to those who don’t know how loved they are.

    God’s richest blessings in Christ Jesus to all this fine wintery day!

  100. Artle says:

    Live Jesus

  101. poohpity says:

    I think how we react to problems, trials and suffering shows us if we really believe that God loves us. When we are faced with a debilitating illness in our own life or in the life of one we love, loss of a loved one before what we feel is their time, loss of a job, loss of a home, experiencing a natural disaster(i.e. hurricane) or any of the other challenges in life can we honestly say we know God loves us? When all is going well it is so easy to claim we know God loves us. Can His love be known behind the tears?

    Max Lucado wrote of how his dad was suffering with ALS yet lead others to Christ because of his faith that God loved him no matter what. The young man who wrote “How He Loves” just lost a friend in his early twenties but still wrote that song and helped someone who’s child was born with a fatal birth defect know of God’s great love. Because they knew God’s love was bigger than any hassles, sorrows, suffering, pain, trouble or trials they brought Glory to God and lead others to Christ “Live Loved”. Do you really believe that God loves you? That seems to be the only way to “Live Loved”.

  102. oneg2dblu says:

    pooh… please forgive my words that you felt were aimed at you in offense.
    When I make tea/ iced tes/ coffee for company it involves filling a pot and boiling some water.
    So… “I’ll put the pot,” on is a common way in my family to tell others we are preparing for their arrival. Nothing but sharing some truth.
    Then, I made a joke about the word “pot” which ha a double standard where we all live today, and where you live today with different laws about its use.
    Sharing some truth again.
    Sorry that it offended you personally.
    Please forgive me, as that was not my intention.
    Making levity does not always play well in these somewhat limited circumstances.
    Another truth.

    The President’s words howver, are not found to be so enlightening by many others in this country, with his saying, “Pot is no worse than drinking.”

    Of course, his default position, he being a smoker, may think smoking anything else is no worse than drinking as well.

    I on the other hand, having lost my father to lung cancer with his history of forty plus years of smoking, may have tainted my opinion about smoking, and the surgeon general’s warnig on every pack, like the warnings in the bible, are put there for a rerason.

    So, I am soory if my way of thinking is not your way.

    But, I can not, not have, an opinion about things that have impacted my life so dramtically, like smoking, drinking and drugs included, or like knowing Christ, once you experience it, it is very hard to just put it aside as if it has no value to others as well.

    So, we all must share through our life experience, through our exposure to the word of God given to us, and whatin that wordly and godly exposure, we know as being true for us.

    Not everyone gets our truth, and I realize that fact, but I share all in love and not to offend.
    Gary
    PS Today even the mention of Christ offends!

  103. oneg2dblu says:

    Now, as far as the law is concerned, or preferably the Ten Commandments given from God, not those added by man as to support only his religion, although they also are found in the word of God, they would be the Jewish ones.
    The law I see, or living under the confines and direction of the law I see as valid for godly living, are exactly where personally I find such an amazing freedom to live.

    When I live within that blessed law, finding for myself that right living is for me, but does not happen automatically outside of that law, because it is truth which guides, inspires, protects,(and convicts) me, into being more Christ-like then any other words I’ve ever read.

    Most would find them too restrictive, overbearing, oppressive, unresonable, and paralizing, but they free me from accepting what the rest of world defines as freedom.

    Through Christ, I bleiev we can overcome even the world, and in Him all things are possible, even our obeying the law.

    Not reaching perfection and not without ever failing, but living victoriously free to obey/love, in Christ.
    Gary

  104. oneg2dblu says:

    bleiev? Oops….:)

  105. oneg2dblu says:

    This makes obeying the law not because we “have to,”
    (oppressive) to live, but because we who want to show Him how much we truly love Him, “get to” (freedom) to obey, to share, to serve, and to love” all through Him.
    What in this world gets any better than that?
    Gary

  106. poohpity says:

    Gary, what offends me is the constant misquoting, assuming, accusations and trying to hinder those of us who live under grace. It also offended me when you used my testimony and then lied about what I said just to prove your point. As far as forgiveness that was given before you even asked for it because I totally know you are not aware nor do you understand the harm you actually cause by your rants and if I waited every time until you apologized I would have one foot in the grave. :-)

  107. oneg2dblu says:

    Pooh… I must say that following the law for me, developes in me exactly what you say it does not develope, so in that premise we do not agree. :(

    Although, through Christ we are always developing for the better, so in that we do agree. :)

    pooh posted: “We develop patience, kindness, gentleness, joy, peace, meekness, self control and long-suffering following the law does not bring any of that it brings hardness of heart, criticism, pride and self-righteousness.

    I do not believe that God gave mankind this law to follow, knowing it would harden his heart, make him critical, give him pride, or cause self-righteousness,
    or take away meekness just by following it.

    To me, the law’s soul purose, “pun intended” was to convict of us our already sinful human condition.

    Upon us then seeing that condition… should soften the heart, cause us to swallow our pride, make us less critical, and less self-righteous.

    So, I tend to think completely opposite.

    Following God’s Law, is like Following God’s Son, they are where both take the same narrow path, both are avoiding all sin not promoting it, and only promoting right living, simply through obedience to God’s word.

    I truly wish we could agree on that as well.
    Gary

  108. foreverblessed says:

    Gary, (this is about the law, so everybody else can skip this comment) it is the use of the law which I am having trouble with.
    What does Paul say about the use of the law?
    He says, the law was added
    ” Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.” Gal 3:19
    when we have come to Christ the duty of the Law is done, it has done its work.
    ” Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” Gal 3:23-24
    Could it be any clearer?
    Then Paul says somewhere else, can we break the law because we are under grace, and then immediately he answers that this is a foolish question, (or some other words), of course not. Rom 6:15
    When you have been freed from sin, would you go back to it and be enslaved to it again.
    Now you state: lets be under the law!
    Rom 7:4
    “So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”
    Is this clear enough? We died to the law, and we now belong to another: Jesus
    Yes, and that means we are under grace.
    We do not need the 10 commandments to keep us from sinning, we do not want to do all these things, just as others have written here: the Spirit in us, changes our heart, and guides us.
    We live in the Spirit, and that means we are guarded by Christ, led by Him.
    And indeed we uphold the law, the 10 commandments, we do not break them at all. But we far exceed them.
    Because as Jesus Himself says, if we just keep the laws, I think He means the 10 commandments we are called the least in the Kingdom.
    Following Jesus is so much more then the 10 commandments, it far exceeds it:
    love those who hate you
    bless those who persecute you
    bless and do not curse
    give in overflowing measure
    We might miss the whole plan of our lives if we just keep the 10 commandments, not to make you feel incapable, but to make you realise we have to look to Jesus as our goal, not the 10 commandments.
    Have you eyes fixed on Jesus, and follow Him.

    Having been myself in a church which preached keeping the law, I know it is hard to understand what it means:
    -fix your eyes on Jesus-
    this was totally talking in mystery to me.
    Not being able to know what to do, it was easier back then to look at the 10 commandments,
    yes so do keep them,
    do not stop keeping them, but have in mind there is a higher way, and if you follow Jesus He will show you this by and by, as He did to me.

  109. poohpity says:

    foreverblessed, Jesus was unable to convince the Pharisees or religious people that it was believing in Him plus nothing that made people right with God. It is the same today and there is nothing but God Himself that can convince them otherwise. He referred to them as blind guides and whitewashed tombs which also explained why they did not recognize who Jesus was. They trust in themselves not God and their thinking they can live out the law with success and are justified before God which is thinking that Christ died for nothing as explained by Paul.(Gal 2:16 NIV; Gal 2:21 NIV) The Cross is meaningless to those who think they can follow the law the problem is they do not know in how many areas they actually break the law with that type of thinking.

  110. poohpity says:

    The sad part about those who think they can follow the law are usually folks who can not get their minds around the fact they do not have to earn God’s love. Probably throughout their lives they felt like they had to earn their parents love, or a spouse or their friends and family. They seem to think all on their own they are not worth being loved unless they perform to earn it.

  111. blestsparrow says:

    By the deeds of the law there shall be NO FLESH JUSTIFIED – (Romans 3:20) / that is we shall not be acquitted, discharged or be made righteous (in a legal sense) by the Law. The law was our school master to bring us to Christ. The laws accuses, condemns and sentences /
    Abraham believed God and because of his faith, it was accounted unto him for righteousness. The law came 400 years after Abraham.
    We live in a world of performance driven zealots, look at me, I did this, and I will find favor with God because I am so good / Once we finally come to the end of ourselves and realize that we have ZERO merits of standing before a righteous and holy God, once we have been emptied of self, then and only then can Christ take up residence in our souls and can we truly live on an hourly – minute to minute life of unmerited GRACE and mercy.

    Not by WORKS of righteousness we have done, but according to his MERCY he saved us. We must realize we are absolutely nothing and that the law contains the evidence of our guilt and condemnation. It is designed to drive us into the arms of our Savior.

    By the deeds of the Law NO FLESH shall be Justified.

    Christ walked, talked, lived and fulfilled the law and as he died he said “It is Finished”

  112. Artle says:

    Considering both the topic offered and the ever-present tangent:

    On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:40 NASB

    The whole law, not just this law or that law, but the whole law, and not just the whole law, but the whole Law and the Prophets. And what is it on which they depend?

  113. belleu says:

    “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13

    The Lord knows who are His and he will guide them into all truth. I think we need to let each other have our own beliefs. They may be different from one another, but this is where the Lord has led us thus far.

    We are all on the highway to heaven but we are not all at the same place along the highway. Some are farther ahead than others. Let’s not try to hurry them or hinder them with arguing and judging.

    As a little girl, my father burned my hands on the stove because I had disobeyed him. Yes, I have trouble believing in trust or love. God understands that. My feelings about Him will not get me into heaven nor keep me out. It is the blood of Christ that covers me that will bring me into his presence.

    This is why we cannot judge others. People don’t know enough about each other to judge, but God does. I have a mental illness I struggle with each day. Most people don’t know that. I also smoke. I am praying to quit but I am not going to worry about it – God will take it when I am ready. Let us not judge one another.

  114. oneg2dblu says:

    Thanks to all who have shared their beliefs about how useless the law is for those who are saved today.

    I get that because I am saved as well.

    Just as saved as anyone posting here.

    I have the Holy Spiritt living in me just as much as you have it living in you.

    But, the Spirit in me that convicts me, convicts me on the very things that are contained within that useless law.

    I wonder why that is, that the Spirit would use the very law you deem as useless for us today, to also convict us today?

    I participated in killing my own baby, and the Holy Spirit convicted me for it, saying, Thou Shall Not Kill.
    So, I became Pro-life.
    I stole something and the Spirit convicted me saying, Thou Shall Not Steal.
    I never felt the right to steal again.
    Shall I go through the entire useless Ten, or are they still just too useless for us to bear even hearing?

    What other standard could this Holy Spirit possibly use than those Ten Commandments that Christ himself said, he did not come to take away, but to fulfill?

    I for one, will never cut them out of my bible, or my thinking either, as long as the Holy Spirit in me still uses them to convict me in this way.

    “Go and sin no more,” was something I remember reading somewhere in my bible, but, “Ignore the Ten Commandments for they are useless for producing right living,” that I have not seen no matter where I look.

    What I do see and understand about the word, that so small amount that I can absorb in my limited ability, is that the word of God never returns void, and the word of God will stand forever.

    Back then, in the Old Testament days, breaking the law had the punishment of death, physical death, and spiritual death for the trespasser, that was the only part of the law taken out of the equation for breaking the law, which is still considered a sin because that part has never changed, and never will.

    Choose to sin , choose to suffer, is a law within itself.

    God does not change His Commandments to suit man’s newly fostered desires.

    So, if you by chance have sinned at all, ever, you have also by chance certainly lived outside the Ten Commandments to do so.

    For against those ten laws, reduced if you will to love, where against that love defined in the first two commandments, there is no law, no death sentence, no physicakl death or spiritual death is to be found there.

    But, the law was never taken away, it has however been banned from posting in many places, and I’m afraid to say this is one of them.

    Now if we set aside the good sense written in those divine guidelines for right living, which will always produce right living if obeyed, then, we truly have made them useless for us, and others as well.

    Useless for producing right living?

    I think not.

    Yes’ they are not to persuade God to love us, not to produce any salvation in another form other than through Christ, and not to render anyone blameless, righteuos or perfect, those are the groundless ineffective arguments of only protecting a certain Doctrine.

    The doctrine of any accountiblity, or any challenge against already forgiven, once saved always saved,
    unconditional security, it has so many deceptive labels, and they must all be met contested with fury, lest they be challenged by any other possiblity.

    I’ll take my corrupted thoughts to my grave, unless the Holy Spirit in me grants me free trespass, and says to me there is no longer is any conviction, no repentance, no restoration, no place at the Table of God, and the Feast of Heaven awaiting.

    Then, I will fearlessly trample upon those commandments at will, relentlessly with wreckless abandon, like those who fear never losing their high standing.

    But, that place where you grow ups fearlessly now stand, keeps my wanting to be an obedient child forever.

    But, I will keep on reading, trusting, and loving those commandments whenever, and where ever, the Holy Spirit says, to me, If you love me, obey my commands.
    Sorry to make so many people angry, but that anger is not a righteous anger, for it only protects your current beleifs.
    Gary

  115. poohpity says:

    With that amount of childhood abuse damaged emotions often follows. I can understand the inability to trust and a skewed view of what love looks like when those we depend on to take care of our needs fail. Often times boundaries are enmeshed one often either trusts to easily by sharing everything with people who have not gained our trust or by not trusting or letting people in at all.

    Learning about the love of God and learning to trust Him can be difficult but you are so right that He works with us depending on our individual needs. During school I learned that many base God especially on the dad figure in our families of origin. It is like God re-parents us being very patient in the process to show that His love is way, way different and way, way better than anything we can imagine.

  116. poohpity says:

    Gary, what I was saying is not what I think about the law but what the bible teaches about it. That is available for all to read.

  117. poohpity says:

    Gary, there are more than only 10 laws in the OT there is approximately 613 and one has to follow all of them.

  118. Artle says:

    Gary,

    If a person truly loves the Lord our God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind, and they love their neighbor as their self, would they be able to break a commandment or otherwise be disobedient?

    Keep it short and simple please. I cannot follow the long multiple point comments.

  119. oneg2dblu says:

    To keep it short, “Ask God not man.”
    All that past ranting made me late for church… so I’m out of breath. (Ha! Ha!)

    Now for trying to answer this issue and all this opposing energy from others, in trying to settle, “What is the value of the law to a saved believer?”

    You believe what you believe, but remember this very challenging thought, and a very true verse, “All a man’s ways seem right to him,”

    So your beleifs seem right for you, (which is biblical) and mine are right for me, but, where it really gets sticky is when it says further, “but in the end leads to death.”

    That’s where the rubber meets the road, and each one must find that place they can live with.
    No pun intended!

    Some feel they live just fine ignoring the Ten, some find they can’t live right without them, to each his own and to each contesting my thoughts here, remember we are on the same winning team, for there is only one God, one Saviour, one Word, and God’s word is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He never changes.

    Beyond that folks, we are all playing word games to fit our docrtine and to support our current beliefs.

    I believe repentence is still available for those who sin even after salvation, but, if you beleive you are already forgiven, then repentence is no longer of any use to you, nor are the commandments convicting you when they are broken.

    That doctrinal belief gives a false freedom to sin and is without conviction because of absolute forgiveness, past, present, and future.

    So it is deceptively abused when accepted by many today, it is such a loss for me to understand how the word has changed into this type of thinking, it is incomprehensible.

    Where Paul says,”By no means,” that means to me, by “no” means.

    Not even this modern doctrinal position, one clearly not held by Paul, which is just another means today to allow mankind a twisted freedom from the seriousness of sin in our lives and in our world, by having lost all accountibilty, and conviction to change one’s direction, which is the whole purpose of repentence.

    “When he came to his senses”… which is the most powerful statement for me in the prodical son story, and which is also still our need today if we are still living outside the Ten, because then we see our sin for what it is, then, we are turning from our wicked ways and are headed back to the father’s house asking for forgiveness.”

    The bible says something like this, “We have not for we ask not.”
    Gary

  120. blestsparrow says:

    Artle hope this post isn’t too long.

    I think about the rich young ruler who told Jesus that he kept all the commandments from his youth up, and Jesus told him “one thing thou lackest” even though he kept all the commandments he still was lost and without Christ” he was not rich towards God.

    Then another incident is where the Pharasee and the Publician went up to the temple to pray and the Pharasee boasted about all his (selfrighteous) goodness of how he kept the law and prided himself saying ” I Tithe, I fast and so on and so on”…maybe he said I never miss church, I’m always there when the doors are open, I don’t gossip, I pay all my debts etc….

    The Pharasee had a me, myself and I syndrome……while the Publican was poor and despised and cried “Lord be merciful to me a sinner” It was the Publican who was justified because he realized his spiritual poverty. Those who feel they are great lawkeepers do not recognize how destitute they are.

    We have two natures living inside of us, the old man and the new man and there is a constant battle going on. Apostle Paul said “that which I want to do, I do not and that which I don’t want to do, that is what I do” Paul knew the struggle that goes on in the inward man. Paul was a Pharasee of the Pharasee’s, he was the top dog of the top dogs in law keeping, he prided himself of how he kept the law, that is until he met Christ.
    After Christ opened his eyes and heart he said “he was the chiefest of sinners” but now since he after he had an encounter with the living Lord Paul said the law has died and Christ now lives through him.

  121. Artle says:

    blestsparrow, thanks for the consideration. Your comment was easy to follow. It is more a combination of length and spontaneous multi-faceted digression that discourages my interest.

    Gary, I really don’t think there is much difference in the various ideas I have heard presented here, just mostly different ways to express similar beliefs. I figured Matthew 22:37-40 NASB might be common ground.

    There are some ideas that you seem to attribute to others here that I have never heard anyone here say. I don’t get the connection between love and disobedience. I don’t get the connection between Grace and sinful living.

  122. foreverblessed says:

    Yes Artle, that is what I do not see either,
    If I say that I am under grace I nowhere mean to say that I break the 10 commandments.
    But I do know that Jesus led us into a higher way:
    Moses said, when the Prophet comes listen to Him
    Deut 18:15,18-19
    So it is apparent that we head what Jesus was teaching.
    Jesus said, -I give you a new command-
    a new command!:
    -Love others as I have loved you.-

    And that command is way higher than the older one:love others as you love yourself.

    See, by following the 10 commandments, which I do anyway, I do not break them, but they are not the real life:
    that is living in faith in Jesus, and following where He leads us. And He leads each one personally.
    We all keep the 10 commandments, no worry, but we surpass this way by far, in following Jesus,
    to love one another as Jesus has loved me. No word about that in the 10 commandments.
    Nowhere does it say that we have to lay down our lives for one another, it does not say so in the 10 commandments.
    And besides, we cannot do that unless Jesus gives us the love, godly love, the power, the Spirit to live like that.
    We should live in Him, do everything in Him, live in His love, be surrounded by His love, feeling safe, and loved and cherished by Him, and ask for His power the power of the Holy Spirit, Rom 8:9-10,11-17
    I so agree

  123. foreverblessed says:

    Sorry, I am not yet done talking again,
    Some say, following the law is the same as following Jesus, the bible says that the law is powerless, and that is why Jesus had to come:
    Rom 8:1-14
    Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

    If the law could help us the law would have been enough, but the law is powerless, it does not help us, the flesh is dead though sin that has entered the world, we are dead. We do need new life, and that is in Jesus Christ.
    I tried to live according to the 10 commandments, trying hard, I was looking to the 10 commandments to guide me through life, read Psalm 119 making this poem about the 10, and read studies of each one of them, how good they are.
    But they do not help you, they sit there and stare you in the face, not giving one hand to make you stronger.
    And what happens, you get very tired, worn out. My old church should have taught me to look to Jesus for my strength, not to the law, the 10. Powerless-
    That is why Jesus had to come, He would give us New Strength, Power through the Holy Spirit. A new life, the old has gone. And yes, we will obey Him,

  124. oneg2dblu says:

    foreverblessed…. your ability to adhere, or your failure to adhere to the Ten Commandments of God, was not where you lost your way, it was that you blame your church for not teaching you to look to Jesus for your strength, and not the law.

    Praise God, that the law does not provide strength.

    It never has, never will.

    Its purpose was never to give strength, but to expose our sin nature, our inability to follow it to the letter, and to fail in trying to do so by ourselves.

    The Law very simply took what God sees as compellingly honest, perfectly just, completely holy, and without error, exactly how to live life by keeping within His Guidelines.

    What it also provided for those who it was directed to, was in showing “God’s Chosen People” their current failures which were what separates them from God, or their sin, and the Wages of that Sin which are their death.

    Sin had the Power of Death, Sin had the Power of Separation, Sin had the ability to not be seen by man alone, without God bringing it to light.

    The Ten Commandments brougth all that God considered to be lacking in mankind, and brought it into focus.

    Yes, it can be reduced down to two commands today, but it was never presented as only two, because it had to also expose and convict.

    I’ll add more later…

  125. oneg2dblu says:

    Pooh… what a great dig of information to settle the value of the Ten Commandments issue.

    “Gary, there are more than only 10 laws in the OT there is approximately 613 and one has to follow all of them.”

    We can drop approximately 603 of those immediately then, and we can continute to discuss only the ten given, those that God gave his people in the Ten Commandments.

    Are you still stuck on all those “added” Jewish laws for a reason?

    If I remember where we left off, Paul was refering to those added laws.

    I thought Paul was speaking about physical manifestations like circumcision to be added for a person to become a Christian?

    Or was he advocating that we forget the Ten?

    Am sorry if I forgot where we left off, because,
    I’m dodging soo many arrows here.
    Gary

  126. poohpity says:

    It seems that most of the arrows are the one’s from your own Quiver. The law was given for unbelievers to show their need of a Savior so if it is used for that then it is good. After we have received Jesus as Savior He changes our lives and our desires turn from what once was our life to desiring to know God better and His great love and mercy for all mankind (Good News). The law is no longer relevant to the believer because we have found who it was pointing us to. If you want to continue in the law do it and show how it is done but make sure before you accuse anyone else that you are following it all for yourself. No lying.

  127. poohpity says:

    If you desire to know what Paul advocated then I suggest you read Acts and his letters along with the Gospels since that is what he preached.

  128. oneg2dblu says:

    Pooh…Sorry to see that you see me apparently lying again.

    Just because after my receiving Christ the Ten Commandments became real to me, the very same I avoided in the past as anything of value.

    Just like all the rest of the word of God it was of no value until they became real to me, including Paul’s letters/teachings. So, does that qualify me as a lier?

    Fortunately, God’s words are what I carry in my Quiver as they are a the Lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

    Galations 4:8,9,10,11 NIV tells us that Paul is speaking about some of those the added religious laws, which are only acting to enslaving them again, he is not talking about forgetting the Ten Commandments.
    In Galations 6:12,13 NIV talks of other added things, not forgetting the Ten Commandments.

    Paul advocated this about the law to the believers in Christ, in Galations 5:16,18,22 NIV.

    16.)”So I say live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

    18.)”IF you live by the Spirit, you are not under law.”

    22.)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fathfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

    I see that there is according to Paul, a condition which clearly says,(“If”) and if we know he is writing to the saved believers there in that church, then why would he need to list behaviors that he claims at the end of verse 20,
    “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

    Paul did not advocate any once saved always saved, he instead, gave believers some very precise warnings for a reason.

    A list of behaviors which Paul calls the acts of the sinful nature.

    If those who were saved, were actually free from those acts as some claim we are today, or possess no sin nature, then, why are they posted as a warning to those believers from Paul?

    Perhaps we have avioded seeing any value in those verses for a reason?

    Is it to protrect us, or to protect a certain doctrine?

    What does your current truth going to say about all the warnings?

    Are they valid words as if from God, or just a waste of words as if from some sin nature?

    Again, we will not satisfy the sin nature in us
    unless we continue to sin.

    Nor will we satisfy the Spirit in us, if we do.

    As Paul clearly says, they are in opposition to eaach other.

    Sound familiar?

    Have a Jesus filed day.

  129. oneg2dblu says:

    Typos are the flesh speaking :)

  130. poohpity says:

    Most of it sounds like flesh speaking.:) I was saying the ability to live the law that you preach to us and not to lie about whether you do it or not. Paul seemed to be describing in your example the difference in the old life and the new life which are clearly in opposition to each other. What happens to those who may drift away back to the old life? I would say they come back to the better life of mercy and the Lord welcomes them back with open arms. That is grace and mercy.

    So those who find themselves after being saved going to pornography or lying and because they know the Lord ask for His help to overcome. The oh so wonderful part is they now know God and know they can come to Him no matter how badly they have fallen and He will restore them to a right relationship through Jesus Christ. In the OT they had to bring a sacrifice to the priest for forgiveness after they had sinned but Jesus took the place of all those sacrifices once and for all, it is finished through the blood of the Lamb. So when we sin and we will, not that we want to but because while in this flesh we will. That is why it is so important to know we all stand a chance at some time to fall into sin, so learning the meaning of being merciful is basic to our faith and shows we understand the mercy we have received.

  131. oneg2dblu says:

    Thanks pooh… I am a sinner just like the rest of us.

    Why you want “me” to first be without fault or keeping all the commandments, or stuck in the perfection box just because I’m sharing my living with and for the Ten Commandments instead of deaming them useless for right living, baffles me.

    They are God’s words.

    Then, redirecting or ignoring the warnings that Paul was directed to share about the consequences of certain behaviors to the salvation of the Galatian Christians, is also quite revealing.

    Perfection… is not attainable while we live in these earthly tents, shall I say it another way?

    Seems more like dodgeball now instead of arrows, because now you have thrown sacrifice into the playing field.

    Now you are off and running toward sacrifice issues,
    or is it forgiveness, they both seem to be running in this race to divert us away from the warnings.

    Yes, we all know, there is no other sacrifice required or available to those who are in Christ, because Christ is our sacrifical lamb.

    Paul was not talking about sacrifice or forgiveness, he was speaking to those behaviors which clearly were given to warn those Christians living outside of the Will of God, which according to him, if you are living those behaviors, they would qualify to keep one from ever entering the kingdom of heaven.

    Saying those behaviors will cause the loss of their salvation, that was the issue, which of course is something we must play down or ignore here, just to support one particular doctrine that says such can never happen.

    Paul and the Spirit that led him, seemed to think otherwise about the consequences to a Christian when living a lifestyle of certain behaviors.

    One possible position is to lie about the mwessage in Paul’s teaching, and the other is to place a doctrinal point of deception to fill that possibility, and each Christ follower today must for themselves choose, was Paul wrong, or is that doctrine saying something more than the bible actually says about one’s salvation?

    This doctrine held today, claims there are saved people who can engage is such behaviors as a lifestyle, yet are without any fear of not entering the kingdom.

    Which is in direct oppostion to Paul’s teaching?

    Gary

  132. Artle says:

    Gary,

    You mentioned: “This doctrine held today, claims there are saved people who can engage is such behaviors as a lifestyle, yet are without any fear of not entering the kingdom.”

    Has this doctrine been stated as someone’s belief here on this blog or are you referring to beliefs of people away from here?

  133. oneg2dblu says:

    Artle… I only speak to those who will no longer listen and understand, what the bible says in many places, that false teaching has penetrated the church today in the form of, many deceptions, one of which to me is, Once Saved Always Saved, or, How you live your life after, first recieving the word and believing is of no consequence, and that you will never change your current beliefs or condition, once you hear the word and beleive, you will never die.

    But, then there is, “The Rest of the Story,” that part which must be ignored to follow that doctrine’s premise.

    Yet, the seed sower himself, Christ, taught that many who first believed, sprang up, and had latter dryed up, or where taken away by others, or lost their belief when the testing came.

    All three of those conditions taught by Christ, say to me, One “can” loose their first faith hearing, or belief condition, or their salvation, and will certainly perish, if they are part of that seed and that teaching.
    So I speak to all, but only “for” those who may be set upon a foundation of false teaching, which is a place where they will not continue to thrive, unless they take to heed the full word and the warnings and apply them to their lives.

    Remember all the seed sprang to life, all had life, and many were regenerated, or saved, but not all survived.

    That message,along with any warning other than unconditional security, which teaches one will never perish if at first they have first beleived.

    It stands in direct opposition to the teaching of Christ and the warnings of the Apostles that say, how you live, how you follow,and what you follow, will make an eternal differnce.

    So, please be open to the possibilities that scripture means what is says, and the warnings are there for a purpose, as evidenced throughout the entire bible.

    So in my error according to many here, I live on the let’s be obedient side of the house, and other’s say it can not make a difference.

    May God Help Us All, those who adhere to the warnigs and those who think they are of no use to them.

    Be Blessed, Gary

    PS Sorry it takes so many words to further alienate myself from those believing that certain doctrinal belief. :0

  134. poohpity says:

    So you still did not answer the question of who you think is living a false doctrine.

  135. Artle says:

    Gary,

    Let us assume that I believe as you apparently think I believe. How will you win me over with endless words that I cannot follow? Should not you be trying to reach me where I am? Skip the attempt because I am not where you apparently think I am and if you do get there, you likely will not find anyone we know from here.

    Here is a thought for your consideration. What I perceive you believe will fit into what I know I believe and there are no contradictions. The biblical beliefs that you have stated and that I have understood are all within the boundaries of my faith. How is this possible??

    My faith is in Jesus Christ and not in myself, so in some respects, even what I think is of little value to me. I am not one that anyone need be concerned with, so look to your own salvation and when you are certain of it, work to reconcile others to God.

    Jesus is Our Lord and Our Common Ground. I am your friend.

  136. oneg2dblu says:

    Artle… yes a friend, you may be my friend, but as far as the biblical term that was expressed by Christ, I would rather say you are my brother. :)

    The whole point I make is only this, that what believe, we do, or what we do not do with our beleifs may make a huge difference in our eternity.

    I believe that we should, we need to, and really must, be involved in the process, we must participate in the struggle against sin, resist evil and do good, be in the race to the finish, with our hand to the plow, eyes fixed forward and not looking back, not turning to the left or the right, pressing on toward the goal, in due time and with due diligence and striving come much more blessing, we are to be holy, and in obedience and Under Discipline to God’s word which says, that all those things do have a place in our lives after our initial salvation.
    Lest we fall away, lest we are led astray by false teaching, lest we believe in vain, lest we choose to walk away, lest we cause a little one to go astray, lest we blaspheme the Holy Spirit, lest we forget how far we have fallen, and lest we have not love.

    They to me are the basics and all part of the divine command, “Follow Me!”

    Your brother in Christ

  137. foreverblessed says:

    This topic is about love:

    God at eventide of Jan 30
    “More Love

    I come, a truly willing guest. Love always draws.

    Remember that. Love is the magnetic Power of the Universe. God is LOVE, the Power that draws all men by various ways unto Himself.

    Remember that your Love too, being of God, has the same magnetic Power. Love, and you will draw to you those whom you desire to help.

    When you fail to do so, search your life. Love is deficient. More love is necessary.”

  138. foreverblessed says:

    Gary thanks for your explanation.
    I have explained before that in my youth I have heard these warnings exactly as you give them my whole young life in church.
    And what I missed is the positive message of the Gospel, that if I believe in Jesus I am saved, and my faith, which is also a gift from God, is my life line to Jesus. Holding on to Jesus in all circumstances may be seen to you as fruit, work, things done by ourselves, so help us God. And if I continue to believe this works will follow, if no works follow, I should check what I believe: am I sure I am a child of God, that I can ask all things to Him to sustain me in my growth. Yes, and the more I ask the more I grow, the more I am dependent on Him the more I am fruitful.
    Anyway, that is positive encouragement, to those who need the warnings of hell, to those it is meant,
    So I hope you will tell at the beginning of your comment it is positive so I will read it, otherwise I skip it, sorry, but that is because all these warnings ring in my head anyway, and I want to replace it with the message of the Gospel,
    that all those who believe in Jesus are saved
    (whether by the skin of their teeth, as the saying goes in dutch, or with gold and silver 1 Corinthians 3:11-14,15)

    What I want to say is this, I do not need this belief that I can loose my salvation as a garantue that I will keep it.
    Because that is what I think you are trying to say all the time, “believe that you can loose your salvation, lest we fall”.
    Maybe a person can loose his salvation, that might be true, but…
    I do not need this warning, because I love Jesus so much, I do not want to let Him go. My whole desire is to follow Him. And I do believe that God looks at the heart, at the desire of the heart. “if the eye is good the whole body is good” my own wording Matthew 6:22

    Let me say this, I do not hang on to Jesus to not enter hell, but I hold on to Jesus because I want to be with Him, because it is heaven to be with Him.

  139. foreverblessed says:

    To come back to Love is the power of the Universe…
    That is the message that is so powerful.
    And as I said, in my former church, love could not be mentioned without a warning, and grace could not be mentioned without a warning: take heed lest you fall.
    Wow, what a fear of falling.
    Looks like
    1 John 4:18
    “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

    Being afraid of the punishment!
    What I have said before,
    look at the writings of CH Spurgeon (Charles Haddon),
    He talks about Jesus, as being a Great Treasure, full of power and love about Him, 20 lines, and then 1 line of warning, and finishing again with positive encouragement.

  140. Artle says:

    Gary,

    I agree completely with the substance of your ideas, but there is a subtle yet profound difference in our urgencies. I have no concern for myself* and I really do not care where anyone else happens to be (Luke 14:23 NASB). My only task is to lead, urge, nudge, and in some cases maybe drag others to the foot of the Cross. Once their eye is on Jesus, there is little else need be done by me.

    Though Paul speaks of many things worth noting, the focus of his ministry is reconciling the world to God thru Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NASB). To this end, it is unnecessary to get cleaned up before taking a bath and no one who experiences the shower of His Love will want to go back to the mire. Trustworthy case in point: do you want to go back to the mire? Jesus is waiting, not for perfection, but only for hearts to look His way. He’s got them from that point and none that are His will be able to escape.

    Those who speak of the Love of God are not necessarily casting aside anything else. It is simply the way they have discovered to stay constantly connected to Jesus.

    It is clear that we may fail ourselves, but it is not something that concerns me enough to focus on it.

    There are many needs of the body of Christ and I see nothing wrong with your exhortations to lead a godly life. Your comment of January 31, 2014 at 9:36 pm was very well expressed and no doubt better received than many others.

    * I am His to do with as He pleases. There is no obedience equal to or greater than complete surrender. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…” Job 13:15 KJV.

  141. oneg2dblu says:

    foreverblessed… I’m glad you agree with the warning that Paul gave about false teaching, being that you claim you were not taught correctly yourself. (so they bring confirmation)
    As you say, in your youth, you were a victim of false teaching and thinking you were falsely striving.

    That life experience has grown you into who you are today.

    So, you read the word with a filter of life experience different then mine where I lived my life completely unaffectd by the word of God, never striving to apply the word to my life. In fact my striving was to avoid it.

    So, where you were striving to be good, I was striving to be bad.

    But at some point in our lives, we each changed direction,repented from the way we were going, and found our path renewed.

    Truth is we were both on the path that was set for us, just as we are today.

    I do not find obedience to be anything but a blessing, and some think of it as works based salvation, or worthless striving.

    What contributes to that extreme opposite?

    Our life experience, our world view, our exposure to certain teaching, our belief system, our reaction to how the word penetrates us each differently, and the Hand of God upon our lives.

    Some only focus on their own salvation, (which strangely could be pride) some focus only on others salvation, ( which strangely could be being a busybody)and some focus on showing others the difference. (which could be their blessed calling).

    Paul had the calling to be all of those, to be holy himself,to giving us the proper foundation, the right path and the warnings that keep us on it, as they were all part of his calling.
    Be Blessed, Gary

  142. oneg2dblu says:

    Artle… all well said my brother.
    We each search out those portions of the word that first give us our salvation, then, our constancy to remain with and in Chrst, and finally also support our current, expanding, maturing beliefs.
    Like others may have mentioned, but not with these exact words, the word is both very simple and complex, totally understood in places and yet laced with complete mystery in others, without error, yet with many conflicts.
    It is like one not yet having all the answers for themselves, and yet able to answer all others needs and questions.
    Blessed by God, yet cursed by the world.

  143. oneg2dblu says:

    What amazes me is how Paul planted the word everywhere he went, how he planted many churches, he believed those he wrote to were saved because of his teachings, and yet, he still felt the need to not let them wander off, or be led astray, or seek their own way.
    He never stopped discipling them. :)

  144. poohpity says:

    Isn’t what is being said like a lack of trust in God’s power and abilities? It is God who keeps us on the path, who gives us faith and who works in the lives of His people. Doesn’t Live Loved mean trusting and resting in God or is it still up to you and your performance? I read nothing about depending on God.

  145. quietgrace says:

    Hi all, hope nobody minds that I put in my 2cents worth of thought on this matter. I think, Pooh, that we need the scripture and all of Paul’s teaching along with the others’ to help us learn that we CAN depend on God. God gave me free will to walk away from Him or with Him. The amazing mystery is, though, that He never walks away from us! I can’t tell you how many times I have been warned by scripture when I was unknowingly wandering away from God. Sometimes God speaks to me directly through the H.S., the WOG, friends, preachers, teachers, even my little grandchildren, nature, etc, etc etc.

    Hope I didn’t muddy the conversation too badly. Or, maybe I just said what everyone is saying, or, maybe I’m just dreaming? Oh well, it’s a good dream anyway!
    Blessings to all and please forgive me if I have offended you.

  146. poohpity says:

    I agree that scripture is our help because that is God’s Word and our guide. It is God that uses it to deepen our relationship with Him and the closer we get to Him the more we learn to trust in His omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience. He works with us through a process of learning to trust and depend on Him and how great His love actually is. I am a very strong proponent of reading God’s Word and I know that He uses whatever means to talk to us and get our attention. BUT we have to get out of the way and let Him work and learn it is not about anything we can do to earn that love or keep it, it is all about God not us. When we learn we are weak and broken vessels knowing we do not have the ability to change or heal ourselves then we will not try to do that in others but as we depend on God to do it in our lives we will depend on Him to do it in others. Humbly admitting our need we will not tell others what or how to do things we will walk beside them as fellow sojourners in need of God’s mercy.

  147. poohpity says:

    After being on drugs and alcohol for 21 years of my life and trying multiple times to quit, it was God who filled me with new desires and a new life as I trusted and depended on Him. After years of walking with Him I started to develop a legalistic attitude about God’s Word and His requirements only for the rug to get pulled out from under me to bring me back to a place of trusting, depending and resting in Him again just like when He pulled me from that old life. I am still in the process of letting go of me, my will and the way I think things should be but His love and grace never let’s me go. Everyday there are things I see that I need to ask for forgiveness and they keep me humble and depending on God. If I am looking at others and how bad they mess up then I will miss the lessons I am being taught. I know it is not about following the law not saying that it does not come naturally in our lives the more we depend on God but it is not about me trying to keep them it is just Jesus living in me and changing me. I don’t even noticed until one day I wake up and those behaviors that are not pleasing to the Lord are no longer there. It is God’s work that changes us the closer we walk with Him. The process will not be complete until we go home and be with the Lord.

  148. quietgrace says:

    Pooh thank you for sharing your journey! It is so awesome to see God in your life doing His will, that is, allowing Him to change you from glory to glory!
    I like how O.Chambers defines doing the will of God, that we ARE the will of God. You certainly are a Christ follower and one who is full of the Holy Spirit, and, a shining example of Jesus’ ministry continuing today.
    I’m proud and blessed to know you, sister, and thank you for the work and ministry you do to carry out your purpose and calling.
    Blessings, Grace

  149. oneg2dblu says:

    quietgrace… thank you for leaving God some wiggle room in how you see God changes people, and being open to all His methods even the voice of others whom we do not want to hear, for we only recieve it as judgmental or prideful on their part, thinking it is none of their business how other live.
    Even those methods we think will not work, God can use, for He uses all things together for the good of those who love Him.
    So, even all our (dirty rags) or work, if done for Him, work together for the good.
    Why limit the possibilities and our growth just because we do not believe some paths, that did not work for us in the past, could not work for God in our future.
    It may be in those very failures and trials of our past that He grew us, even though we think they do not work.
    Why should limit God, to fit into our box of possibilties?
    Gary

  150. quietgrace says:

    Gary thank you.
    I have learned so much about myself in this blog about Living Loved. The big thing, though, as I fearfully return to church is that I BELONG. Not belong in church, but as in I am just as good, bad, ugly, or whatever as the rest of Jesus’ crew of misfits. Billy Graham played Just As I Am when he gave altar calls. I did that once but didn’t think anything had changed, although when I look back I smoked at the time and through circumstances suddenly quit. I had no idea it was God working in me at the time. The same with drinking, although by then I had a sneaking suspicion that God was doing something because I started seeing Him in my circumstances. I was not in a church that talked about what a Christian should look like, just focused on simple repentance, prayer, and worship. It takes some a long time to form an idea of what God looks like though, when you’ve been only battered and bruised your whole life.
    But, He certainly is AMAZING, isn’t He !!!!

    Thank you for the idea that all the failures and trials of my past were stepping stones to growth and not the end. I did have my own idea of what I thought God wanted of me. I was wrong and right. I ended up doing what I thought He wanted, just in a different venue from what I had imagined my life would look like.
    I’ve felt like I’ve failed God and the church. Maybe I haven’t, maybe I’ve been right where God wanted me all along. Wow!
    Thank you brother and many blessings, Grace

  151. poohpity says:

    Please do not ever feel like you have failed God. He knows everything that you have done and will ever do yet loves you with such a great love that you can hold your head high in confidence that it will never fail or forsake you because of His faithfulness even when those times come when we are not so faithful. God’s love does not depend on us.

  152. quietgrace says:

    Thank you Pooh for your kind words. Now, if only PEOPLE would not be in church, ha ha. Honestly, I do have ptsd and my brain reacts poorly to most situations and after years of struggling to push through the stressors I am just getting old and tire more easily! But, I am going to push myself one more time and go to church tomorrow. Although it may take a couple weeks to recover! Oh well, what’s time anyway? A day is as a thousand years to the Lord. So glad He’s patiently waiting for me! Ha!

  153. poohpity says:

    But those people that go to church are the one’s who are seeking a Savior, to learn about and worship Him. They all have faults just like me.

  154. quietgrace says:

    Pooh it’s not about their faults, its about me and my ptsd, and how that causes me to see and feel things from the past. It’s not about you, either. I know how imperfect we all are and I am probably more accepting than most, however, my disorder triggers automatic stress and panic as memories from the past parade through my mind. My ptsd is fueled by years of abuse starting at infancy and continuing until I was about 30.

    If I were paralyzed or physically impaired people could understand, but it is hard for people to understand a mental illness because they can’t see into anothers’ mind or lack the knowledge of what mental illness does to a person.

    Jesus is the only One who can do that, and others trained to listen and watch like psychologists/psychiatrists, but the average Christian doesn’t.

    However, I can see how God has used my brokenness to help and understand others. I have been given a rare and amazing gift because of all the abuse I suffered. God is good, always and forever.

    Bless you, my friend for caring! Grace

  155. poohpity says:

    Grace, I understand. Studying human behavior is one of my delights and the reason I went to college.

  156. foreverblessed says:

    This topic is on live loved, with a picture of a nest in a tree. I believe it is a nest.
    Today we were looking in our back yard, and a squirrel was going in and out a tree. It took a while for me to see that he was taking little peace of little branches from one tree and keep it in his mouth, and climb in the other tree, high up.
    A squirrel building a nest? So he lives in a nest, like a bird. Never knew that.
    But he was quite busy going up and down.
    And I was thinking, this is what we are doing, we live loved, but we are busy, like the squirrel, he does not worry, he is loved by His Creator, and he works. We can make a nest in the arms of God, we can abide in His shadow, and be secure, it takes some effort on my part, to acknowledge God is in charge, and me not worry, or if I do, to give all my worries to Jesus, over and over again, actively, maybe better is starting to praise God, that is powerful in living a life of victory in Christ.
    Gary, I pray for you, that you will be a powerful bringer of peace, of bringing many to a deeper and greater awareness and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Grace. 2 Peter 3:18

  157. foreverblessed says:

    Quietgrace,
    It dawned upon me a little later what you have shared here, and I want to tell you:, and I lift you up in prayer, ask God to restore you, in body mind and spirit, that you may be a source of hope in Christ for many others!

  158. foreverblessed says:

    Gary, to stay on speaking terms, it is also good to really read what the other has written. Jan 29, 6.20 pm
    Here you write something that absolutely echoes what I have been trying to say:
    we are under the Law of the Spirit! And what you say there, I get it, you are too! It was the Holy Spirit that convicted you that you should not kill, it was not you reading the 6th commandment that you did at the end of the day, thinking, well now, what has God has to say to me.
    If you love under the Law of the Spirit, then you WILL obey the 10 commandments, you see, the Holy Spirit will upholds them.
    But….
    here comes the but, Jesus did not send the Holy Spirit only to let us keep the 10, He is bringing us to a much higher way.
    As I said, Moses told us, when the Prophet comes, listen to Him.
    We should study Jesus’ life in the Gospels, and check it with our own life. And if things are not in line, we should not try to fix it ourselves, but ask the Holy Spirit to help us, do everything in th epower of the risen life of Jesus Christ. A life yielded to Jesus, is a life that keeps the 10, but does sooooo much more.
    Do you get what I try to say?

  159. quietgrace says:

    Foreverblessed: I could not wait to go online this morning to tell you I had the most wonderful dream this morning about 7:30am just before I woke that has been a vital healing in my life. I won’t go into it here, but it held the key to my feelings of not feeling accepted by people; Christians or non-christians. The dream allowed me to confront the person that rejected me as a child and to explain to them why I did the things I did. That I had no choice, as a child. Wow! Is all I can say, and praise God for answering your prayer. And thank you for not condemning or criticizing me for not being in church as the devil has been on my case for the past couple years about it. But always with extreme guilt and fear. I am still amazed and in kind of shock. But then whenever I encounter God through any means I feel this way. What a blessing you have been to me! What a prayer ministry you have. Bless you! Grace

  160. oneg2dblu says:

    foreverblessed… you found me out, the law of the H.S. is exactly what we are under.
    Not the hundreds of added laws which serve only a religion, and keep one captive to serving it instead.
    That is wasted works!
    Today ODB cites that we are not to hold others to account on what they eat, or what day they see as holy.
    They are the stumbling blocks that were cited and added back in after salvation from them. They are religion’s law.
    So, we must know the if we walk out side the law of the Spirit, we then walk in the flesh. For there are only two places to serve, according to scripture, the flesh or the Spirit.
    Christians who live as if they have no Spirit, where there is no change, a lifestyle of continued sinning, walk as if they have no Spirit guiding them, they walk outside the Spiirt, and outside the will of God.
    Of course, we need to recognize the difference, and not just hold God accountalbe for our making continued wrong lifestyle choices, saying if He wants me to change He alone must do the work, that is hopelessnes, especially since He deposited His Helper the Holy Spirit in us, if we are truly walking saved.
    We start our walk in the Spirit with a freshly cleaned slate, all past sin and its guilt, removed, forgiven and released, not captive.
    We are never directed to go back into the sins of the past, those we are to put behind us, or they will stumble us again, and again, lest we return to our vomit and be poisoned again.
    Yes, it is a process of shedding the old, although for some it may be immediately obvious they are dramatically changed.
    Never sinless, never perfection, but certainly sinning less and not hopelessly adrift in the world of their past sin either.
    Walk the Talk, or walk defeated, but we certainly can’t do both and be serving the Law of the Spirit.
    IMHO

  161. foreverblessed says:

    Quietgrace, Thank God, He is good His mercy endures forever, I am so thrilled for you,
    If we knew how much our prayers have done in the heavenly spheres we would pray a lot more now! SO it is very good news to hear about this dream to brought you relief. God bless you on your way, go girl (sorry for this young age term but that is how I feel about you: God will renew your youth)!
    Persevere! you remain in my prayer, to hold on to Jesus

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