A love note

A Love Note from Your Father,

Taken from the Psalms

My dear child,
I am with you. Stop striving and know that I am God. I have chosen your inheritance for you. I rule over everything. Remember Isreal - they didn't possess the land by their own swords. It wasn't their hand that saved them. It was my right hand and my arm and the light of my presence. I favored them. So it is with you - I have poured out grace on your lips and will bless you forever.

I will always guide you, until the day you die. You thought I was just like you. But my lovingkindness endures all day long, every day. Know this - I am for you. My lovingkindness toward you is higher than the heavens. Stay with me and take refuge under the shelter of my wings.

Trust in me at all times and pour out your heart before me. I am the one who bears your burdens. I am your salvation and am the God of deliverance for you. I will show Myself strong in the way I act on your behalf. Just trust me and praise me more and more.

Listen to what I am saying - I speak peace to you, my godly one. Your springs of joy are to be found in me. I will satisfy you every morning with my lovingkindness. When you find anxious thoughts multiplying in your mind, my consolation will delight your soul. So be glad.

I never change. My sovereignty rules over all. Meditate on that and I'll be pleased. I have sent my word and healed you and delivered you from your destructions. I am God. I do whatever I please and it pleases me to be gracious and compassionate and to preserve you. What I have said is settled in heaven.

I don't count sins, or else nobody could stand. You are forgiven and my lovingkindness is everlasting. My lovingkindness is everlasting! I will accomplish the things that concern you. I know you - when you sit down and get up, what you think. I carefully watch over you as you move through your day and then sleep at night. I am intimately acquainted with everything about you. I wrote the script for every day of your life before you lived a single one of them. I know your path and the way where you will walk.

And my child...I so take such pleasure in you!

With eternal love,
Your proud Father

(Taken from The Grace Walk Experience by Steve McVey)

Jesus: The Gospel

I believe Jesus is
Lord of all
And judge of all

He came to earth
Died for the forgiveness of sins
Was raised to life
And is seated with the Father

We must
Believe in Him
Repent
And receive forgiveness

Greatest Gift

Today I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Many years before he was born, prophets said that he would be a "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) He is all of these to me. The prophets wrote of his birth, his life, and his death. He was born as a baby, lived a perfect life, and died for me. He fulfilled all that had been prophesied about him. He is true, He is King, He is Lord of my life.

As I give gifts to friends and family today, I am reminded of the greatest gift that was given to me. "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:9-10)

My Savior is born

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Praying the truth

Psalm 119:28-30
My soul is weary with sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word.

Keep me from deceitful ways;
be gracious to me through your law.

I have chosen the way of truth;
I have set my heart on your laws.

These are the words that I am praying for myself right now. They depict how I am feeling right now and what the Lord is doing in my life.

Truth Tuesday

This morning I got on the bus to head to my office and saw one of the first-year students in my program. I sat across from him and noticed that he was reading a Bible. I asked him if he was a follower of Jesus. He said yes and I responded enthusiastically that I was too. He asked what church I went to, I told him and returned the question. He replied that he went to the LDS church. He moved the conversation to another topic, but my brain was screaming STOP!

Truth.

There we were both professing to be followers of Jesus but we actually have very different views of who Jesus actually is. The truth is, I hope that I will get to tell him about the actual truth.

I know that Jesus is the Son of God.
I know that God the Father sent his Son to the earth.
I know that Jesus lived a perfect life.
I know that He died on the cross.
I know that Jesus came back to life.
I know that He is now with the Father in heaven.
I know that all of this was for me.

I don't just believe I know.
I know because this is what the Bible says.
I know because I see the works of God all around me.
I know because the Holy Spirit is in my life.

It is not fiction. It is fact. It is not a story. It is truth.

Truth Tuesday

"This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16

So often I find myself standing at crossroads. There are so many choices always before me concerning both everyday decisions and decisions that will dictate the direction of my life. As I stand at the crossroads, Lord I ask that You will direct me. Show me the way that is good. Lord, I desire to walk in Your way.

Truth Tuesday

Here are three pieces of truth that I have been thinking about a lot lately.

Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, not anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 139:13-14
For you created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed be the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will.