Love Is About God

 

The greatest gift to receive that signifies love on Valentines Day or any day is one from God.

Sometimes I honestly do not see God as ultimate love due to him allowing me to exist in a world I did not ask to come to with people and things that he knew beforehand I would not have preferred to be around or within.

Nevertheless, I cannot deny the magnificent ways I have been blessed and protected by God. So, this all has to account for something even if I do not always like/agree with the way things are or fully understand his ways and plans.

I am not glad to be a part of his creation but I do appreciate the design that God created within me and one day I will get to meet him face to face to uncover certain revelations unveiled.

God is within me and within those of us who accept him so that is the greatest essence and tangible expression of love available.

 

and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. -Jude 1:21 NLT

 

There Is Purpose To Our Life

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT 

 

 

There is nothing special about a new year within itself. It is just a regular ongoing natural spectrum of time, an inevitable unstoppable occurrence among us as we live day by day.

The only thing truly special about a new year is the fact that we are still here into the onset of the next 12 months to fulfill our purpose on the planet.

Every day that we have life is a new day to start fresh. Fresh in whatever brings us closer into our relationship with God and the newness of refreshing our spirits to the glorification of being made holy.

 

 

He Ascended The Destiny Of The Past, Present And Future

That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with. Ephesians 4: 8-10

 

 

Even though by faith the saints of the Old Testament were saved they were not allowed to go directly into heaven immediately after dying prior to Jesus’s death and resurrection.

The reason is because Jesus had not yet made atonement for our sins to be cleansed through his crucifixion.

In the meantime, God furnished the saints of the Old Testament in a part of Sheol which was called “Abraham’s Bosom”- a comfortable atmosphere of peace and rest. There they would wait until Jesus arrived.

Within a separate (opposite) part of Sheol was a place of suffering and torment. This place was called Hades- where the souls of the unbelievers without faith, and wicked resided upon their deaths.

When Jesus died on the cross, he descended in the earth where he preached to the saints of the Old Testament while they continued to wait in Abraham’s Bosom.

As the Messiah they in faith one day expected he described to them God’s plan of salvation then set them all free within three days after Jesus himself ascended into heaven by directly escorting them.

 

 

That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit. 1Peter 4:6

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 1 Peter 3:18-19

 

True Love

 

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

I know what genuine love is. I was given plenty of it as a child all the way up unto adulthood.

As a result, I was able to love, and to give love within return.

Love is one of the most beautiful feelings in the world. Love is the strongest power within existence. Nothing can restrain or annihilate the force of love.

Love does not cause harm, love restores, love protects.

Love is true, love is fierce, love is tender, love is sacrificial.

Love exhibits the best in a person.

Love is the reason we are all alive and why we survive.

Without love there is death.

Love resides within the light the same light that illuminates our life.

Life is within love, and love is God who is eternal. –latoya lawrence 

 

The Prayer Of Jesus

I was indulging in my usual reading of scripture late last night into the early morning after midnight and was inspired to share this beautiful passage:

After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.

And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”  -John 17:1‭-‬26

 

New Life

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. –2 Corinthians 5:17

Those of us fortunate enough to have awaken to another day of life today have entered into another new year.

There is nothing greater to celebrate upon newness than to become a genuinely new creation in Jesus Christ.

These years on earth will eventually come to an end. This life we live here in the world now is only temporary. Do you know where your spirit/soul will go and be once you depart from this life? Why not let it be eternally spent with our wonderful heavenly father.

Instead of looking forward to new better years to come here on the earth- a place that is definitely not going to last- anticipate a future of greater hope and assurance by reserving a place truly to call home.

Let this new year of 2021 be a time to accept Jesus Christ into your life. Totally surrender everything to him and get to receive his promises of love, security, and true life.

All that you have to do is honestly believe in him, tell him you want him to become your lord and savior, repent for all your wrong doing, allow his holy spirit that will come to dwell within you to help you obey his beneficial instructions for you, pray to him constantly and read your bible/scripture daily so that you develop a deep personal relationship with God and you will be on your way!

Thank and praise the Lord for his grace, mercy and pure goodness. Be overjoyed for having made the best and most crucial decision of your life because you will have an eternity to be forever grateful for.

Above all, spend quality time with God. Include him within everything you say and do. Let him continuously be your guide and provider, he will always come through.

Get to know God intimately. You do this by talking to him (through prayer) and reading your bible/scripture as often as possible.

God loves you extremely, and he only wants the ultimate best for you and you will obtain this care by pure faith. Put all your trust in God then wait on him.

Losing A loved One

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -Matthew 5:4

Speaking honestly, If we don’t care about someone it may not bother or affect us when it comes to something that concerns them.

Many do have regard or compassion toward people who they don’t know as fellow humankind and their hearts may go out to the unfortunate or tragic events that effect the lives of other individuals.

When we grieve the loss of someone it is only because we have sincere feelings for them.

The more love we have for the person the greater the pain we endure through our intense affection toward them.

When we miss and hurt tremendously over someone who has departed from us that is the most beautiful expression and example of how much we loved and truly cared about them.

The tears we cry during our mourning and bereavement is a very healthy and relieving process in the release of these intense emotions.

There is absolutely no set limit or time limit on how one should or how long one should grieve their loss. Each of us individuals are different and experience grief uniquely and depending and according to our own state of being.

We’ll often be hit by wonderful or not so wonderful memories of our loved ones that we’ll look back on and treasure or wish that we could have changed because our loss can put us in a nurturing mode with an even deeper feeling of concern for what went on in that person’s life.

Yes, we do hurt badly and miss terribly the ones we loved through their death. However, for us believers in Jesus Christ, of course, we know that death loss it’s sting when he paid the penalty for our sins by dying for all of us on the cross.

So we as children of God don’t mourn as others who do not believe because we know that our loved ones who were also believers in Christ are no longer in our past, but they are in our future to come.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” -Revelation 21:4

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Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. -Thessalonians

 

A Peace That Is Not Of The World

When Jesus spoke, he often said “Peace be with you“. Peace is something many people do not have. I’m talking about a genuine peace. The kind of peace where you find happiness when there is turmoil. The peace that is not disturbed by the hectic happenings created upon a havoc world.

The peace I speak of is a calm of the mind that illuminates from the spirit.

Like I’ve said before many times before within the past: “The world didn’t give it to me and the world cannot take it away from me“. It is pure and refreshing, unable to be sullied by upheaval.

I have been through a lot from a very early age and nothing was able to shake me or break my spirit. No matter what arose or entered into my life. I stayed intact mentally, physically and spiritually. I remained steadfast in the process continuing to learn and grow. I was maintained by the essence of the Holy Spirit.

“All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you“.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me,”

The Lord Is My Shepherd

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. -Luke 15:4-5

 

 

I can actually identify with the verses above as they play out so descriptively true within my life. Jesus came looking for me-a major event that I never actually expected to happen.

I didn’t think he cared whether or not I had distanced myself from him.

Anger, and the misconceptions I developed about Jesus/God through out the ups and downs of my life had kept me from wanting to be bothered anymore. There are certain things I hadn’t learned or understood up until now.  Jesus approached me in such a very strong way. At first, his entrance seemed harsh, considering the situation that was at hand. My attention was fully grasped and focused strictly back upon him. 

Jesus arrived to me with an extreme seriousness, one I initially took as a retribution for having turned away from him with animosity.

Then, I soon realized off and on during the process that Jesus was just being a stern, but solicitous parent/father. Although I was hurt by the circumstance in which arose he wasn’t at all trying to hurt me. In fact, he’s been nothing but a tremendous help, comfort, protector, and loving guide through out it all.

Jesus wasn’t messing around this time. He’s got me in an intimate one on one relationship with him. One that is stronger and more intense than ever before and it is continuing to grow beautifully. I’ve also noticed that our relationship is guarded. Jesus is attentive and I am eager and hungry for all of his love, grace, knowledge and instruction. You have to ardently love someone to come at them that hard and keep them under a tight grip. I am utterly shocked. I really shouldn’t be after all Jesus/God has done for me in the past, however, that is what built up the faith that I had to instantly trust in him.

I feel genuine love in my heart for Jesus and I enjoy spending quality time talking to him in my prayers and reading the scriptures along with my devotionals day to day.

Sometimes we go by what we feel or see in the natural sense and when it comes to God we shouldn’t do that. We are to walk by faith and not by sight because even though we don’t see the lord we know that he is everywhere. And just because we may not feel he cares we know he does from the extraordinary acts that he does in our lives no matter how big or small and he does them with a consistency.

Like I said before, I didn’t think it fazed Jesus that I departed communication with him for several years when all along he was there and working it out for my own good and as a part of his plan.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.-Proverbs 16: 9

 

 

 

A Letter From Jesus

During the 1980’s, when I was around eleven or twelve years old, there was a Christian bookstore that opened up around the corner from where I lived.

At this store, my mother and I would pick out and purchase hand crafted religious plaques.

 

We bought a large-size, dark wood carving, scripted and pictured with the beauty of the sky, ocean, and sand, adorning the words of the timeless “Footprints” inspirational.

The Footprints poem, is one of the most wonderful reminders of the comfort we receive from the Lord within the certain times we may not feel he is around us.

There were a few other religious plaques that had caught our attention and spoke to our hearts, but one that I remember buying in particular was a favorite of mine.

I purchased this lovely plaque when I was about fourteen. I had bought two of them, one for myself, and one as a gift for someone else.

Over a decade later, I ran into the lady who told me she still had the plaque that I had given her all those years ago, and I still had mine at home too

The Plaque was an attractively designed carving on light-colored wood scripted as, “The Letter from Your Friend Jesus”:

Dear Friend,

How are you? I just had to send a note to tell you how much I care about you. I saw you yesterday as you were talking with your friends. I waited all day hoping you would want to talk with me too. I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you — and I waited. You never came. It hurt me — but I still love you because I am your friend.

I saw you sleeping last night and longed to touch your brow so I spilled moonlight upon your face. Again, I waited, wanting to rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for you! You awoke and rushed off to work. My tears were in the rain.

If you would only listen to me! I love you! I try to tell you in blue skies and in the quiet green grass. I whisper it in leaves on the trees and breathe it in colors of flowers, shout it to you in mountain streams, give the birds love songs to sing. I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature scents. My love for you is deeper than the ocean, and bigger than the biggest need in your heart!

Ask me! Talk with me! Please don’t forget me. I have so much to share with you!
I won’t hassle you any further. It is YOUR decision. I have chosen you and I will wait — because I love you.

Your friend,

Jesus

This is such a beautiful inspirational! And oh, so timeless indeed. It was always enough to bring tears to my eyes as I discerned the heavy meaning of the recitation. The message is very touching, still to this day.