Tag Archives: Jesus

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I Choose- Everything

Quote - Sacrificial Love[1]

Luke 12:22-34 (Message), “ He continued this subject with his disciples. “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more. Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can’t go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.”

Jesus was talking to his disciples about “things” or clothes and food and He tells them “fear not” or in another version, “don’t be anxious” about those things. I like the messages version- “don’t fuss”. Babies and toddlers fuss. They get fussy because they are hungry or thirsty and it’s the only way to express this, or they can’t verbalize what they need. We shouldn’t be fussy. Also the message says to relax, don’t be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving.”He wants to give us all we need and even things we don’t need, but really want. The Israelites always had a sense of entitlement. Their title of “God’s chosen people” made them think that they alone were entitled to His goodness, even when they rebelled against Him and behaved like fussy toddlers.

The spirit of entitlement is rampant in the United States. We leave jobs, churches, marriages, friend ships, and sometimes even our country because we think we haven’t received what “we are entitled to.” A common phrase is, “they owe me!” Whether it is used in regards to our parents, pastor, boss, or our government. There are some that even go as far as to think their children owe them “for all we’ve done for them.” Entitlement causes laziness and an “it’s not my job” mentality. How many of us walk past garbage on the sidewalk, or our church parking lot and don’t bend to pick it up? How many of us on our jobs refuse to do anything that isn’t in our job description? In fact that is part of the problem of modern day unions. They breed the entitlement mentality.

The opposite of entitlement is a quiet confidence that God will provide what I need. We need to keep our eyes on God, our source, not on our boss, the government, or our pastor. Now, don’t get me wrong, we need people! No man is an island. God put us together in families, and He told us to bring our petitions before Him. To ask and keep on asking, but keep your attitude right. He doesn’t bless us because we deserve it, or because we are entitled to it. Nope, His only motive is love.

“The only way to break the spirit of entitlement is thru service. Allowing God to use us in any way He asks us.” Pastor Isaac Litke

This world has nothing for us. God is our provider.

Galatians 4:1-7 (NIV), “ What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”

Jesus came so that we could be adopted into the family. Now we are joint heirs with Him. What does Jesus need? What does He lack? We have what He has, no really! You might not see it in the natural, but isn’t that what faith is all about?

Hebrews 11:1 (KJB), “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Think of it like the money you have in your checking account. You may not have it in your hand, but you know it is there. In fact you are so confident in this fact that you use your debit card to get gas and write checks to pay your bills. We have an account in heaven with “treasures old and new” (Matthew 13:52). Before we can ever see it with our natural eyes, we have to see it with our spiritual eyes.

Who gets everything? Everyone- who surrenders themselves to Him. Surrender isn’t a bad word! When we aren’t God’s we are Satan’s. You can’t serve two masters. So which “Father” do you want to surrender to? Which mission do you want to work under (that’s what the word submit means)? I choose to serve a loving Father. I tried it the other way, even though I didn’t fully understand who I was serving, and it didn’t work too well for me.

I choose God.

I choose Love.

I choose Everything!

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Be an Heir Head

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Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT), “ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

Before God made this world we live in, he predestined us, or decided in advance to adopt us into His family! He didn’t walk into the orphanage and stroll past all of us who were raggedy, dirty, angry, bitter, and resentful just to pick that pretty little, perfect blonde girl. No, He chose us when we were at our worst. He chose us before we even knew our life was horrible, when we were content to live in rebellion and steeped in sin. He chose us before we ever heard His name. Why?

Because God is LOVE.

Ephesians 2:1:-10 (NIV), “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” (emphasis mine)

He is rich in mercy. He lavishes us with His mercy. No one has the compassion that our Father does. How many of us watch those commercials asking us to send money to those sad little ones with distended bellies, fly encrusted eyes, with tears running and think, “I need to do something!” God did! He saw us, abused by our true father, Satan, and living with less than His best for us. Those little ones on those ads didn’t choose to live that way, we did, and He still brought us up out of the mud into His home. Peasants adopted by the King! He made us a joint heir with His dearly beloved Son.

So why do we still live like the orphans in “Oliver Twist” or “Little Orphan Annie”? Are we like the Egyptians who had to be delivered from more than just slavery? Sure they were taken out of Egypt, but a whole generation had to die in the wilderness because they wouldn’t give up their lusts for more. Living as slaves taught them that someone else was responsible for them, they were provided for, if barely enough to keep them alive. They complained “we had cucumbers and watermelon back in Egypt”. They preferred to give up their freedom for some veggies and fruits or for a bite of mouthful of meat. They never recognized their freedom, or Who gave it to them. They never pressed in to get to know their deliverer, but instead sent Moses to do it for them.

We have been adopted. Are we living like our new Father or still expecting the abuse, or provision from our old one? Do we truly believe we are free? Free from our past, free from sin, and free to get to know the Father in the exact way that Jesus did? We have so much junk in our heads and not enough treasure in our hearts.

In the 80’s there was a term “air head” that meant someone who didn’t have a lot of common sense, or someone who had taken too many drugs and had nothing but empty space between their ears.

One of our associate pastors used this term for someone who truly believed they had been adopted by the Creator of the Universe, Almighty God, “Heir head”. I like that one better. Of course our heart has to believe it first before we can fill our minds with the fact that we belong to Him. That we can have what Jesus had, do what He did, and live in constant communication with our Father.

I Corinthians 2:9 (NASB), “ but just as it is written , “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”

We might never be able to understand it, or wrap our minds completely around it. The good news is that we don’t have to! You don’t have to explain to a toddler why you love them, what you do for them, and how important they are to you. They just believe it. Mostly because of your words and actions towards them. What are the Father’s word and actions towards you? Read that verse again.

Then take a look at these:

Jeremiah 19:11 (NET Bible), “For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the LORD.’I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.”

Psalms 40:5 (NASV), “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.”

Mark, Matthew, and Luke all tell us that “Nothing is impossible for God.”

So let’s summarize, God loves You, He has adopted you, you are a joint-heir with Christ, (everything He has is yours), He has great plans for you, and nothing can stop His plans except your refusal to be in a relationship with him.

Be an Heir Head!

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Access Granted

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Ephesians 2:4-7 (AMP), “ But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, [and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption]. For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].”

How many of us as children wanted to belong to a “club”? We put signs on our bedroom doors, or the latter of our tree houses that read something like, “for girls only,” or “club members only.” Maybe we even had a secret handshake or a password to get in.

Heaven has a password… no really. It is the same password that gets us victory over any circumstance and sets the enemy running. I am sure you guessed it by now. Our password is “JESUS”.

Now, not just anyone who uses that name is part of the club. Even He said that some would knock on the door saying, “Lord, Lord, let us in,” yet not be able to pass through. He said that just knowing His name isn’t enough; we have to know Him in a close relationship. (Luke 27, Matthew 25)

The good news is that this club isn’t for just a special group. It’s open to everyone and anyone that chooses to get to know their Creator, anyone who is willing to open their heart to His love. We don’t earn entry, there is no exam, no great quest, no change of behavior, no dress code, or any conditions whatsoever. Well, maybe one… admitting our need for Him. As soon as we realize we have messed things up all on our own, or just come to the realization that there is Someone who really, truly loves us, and we give up, then we belong to the club.

Ephesians 2 tells us that salvation, accepting Jesus’ work on our behalf, is a free gift! That we were actually created to be like Him, to do good works that God has prearranged for us to do. It tells us that we are seated in Heaven, right now! Not just getting to go there someday, no, at the time I am seated at my computer writing this, I am also seated in Heaven with Him. When I am working, driving, sleeping, and yes, even when I have a bad day and am nagging my husband, I am still seated there with Him. I have access to the Father through Christ’s shed blood. I am living from Heaven because I live there. Access to all the Father has for me has been granted. All I have to do is believe it and accept it.

Religion can’t do that for me, laws, rules, sacrifices, and bribes can’t do it.

Only a relationship with the Father can.

Ephesians 1:3-7 (KJB), “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

His good pleasure? It was to pour out His blood to redeem us so that we can abide in Him forever. Jesus is in me, I am in Him and we are both seated in Heavenly places. No enemy can take me away from my home, no sin can keep me from my position. If I mess up, I fess up and plead the blood over my life. God sees His Son in me and forgives it all. We don’t have to be perfect, just honest and real before Him.

He loves us that much. I am adopted into His family. He calls me “beloved.”

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Period

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I am going to try and set the record straight.

God does not hate anyone. Not liars, thieves, adulterers, murderers, rapists, child molesters, abusive people, transsexuals, homosexuals, Muslims, terrorists, politicians, idol worshipers, Satanists, cannibals, witches, warlocks, witch doctors, porn stars, prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers, addicts, or crooked cops. He isn’t out to get anyone. He isn’t mad at people. He isn’t going to “punish” anyone, or even send anyone to Hell. If Hell is in our future it’s because we chose it instead of Him and Heaven. He doesn’t send us there. Contrary to popular opinion, God didn’t send His son to judge the world. The scripture that is touted at ball games, and on t-shirts doesn’t read, “For God so hated the world that He sent His Son to condemn it. This is what it really says,

John 3:16-17 (NASB), “ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Before you start spouting off Old Testament scripture, let me remind you that the only people Jesus railed at where the hard hearted, stiff necked, self righteous religious leaders of his time. (Four times in Matthew 23 Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”) To the woman caught in adultery, He said, “Where is your accusers…I don’t accuse you…go and sin no more.” To Zacchaeus, the crooked tax collector, He said, “I must stay to your house today!” He ate with sinners, and people of bad reputation. The religious people of His day found fault with this, but His answer was that well people didn’t need a doctor.

Who needs a Savior? People who are broken, lost, and unable to face this world on their own. Who needs a redeemer? People who are slaves to their own desires, greed, lust, and those who have chosen to drown their sorrows in alcohol, or take a permanent vacation through the latest designer drug. Who needs the Truth? Those who have believed the lie that they aren’t loved, aren’t wanted, and aren’t worthy.

Those are the people He came for.

I know it is popular in today’s culture to say that all believers are judgmental and critical, and those are the nice things people say. Again let me set the record straight. Religion judges. Why? Because religion is based on our performance, how we can follow the rules and long lists of do’s and don’ts. That is NOT what Jesus came to do. He set us free from the law of performance. We could never do enough to earn our place in the Father’s heart or family. Jesus came for one reason, to show us the Father’s love. Those that say people who go to Church, or Christians are some of the meanest people they met, have simply been misinformed. Those people were religious people, not followers of Christ. Those who truly know Him, aren’t tolerant, tolerance means I don’t like you or what you do, but I will tolerate sharing oxygen with you. Followers of Christ, those who love Him, love others. Big difference. Love says, I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done, I will love you anyway. Love says, you don’t have to be like me, look like me, or talk like me, I can still love you. Religious people draw a circle and say, “stay out!” Those who love draw a circle and say, “come in, I have someone I’d like you to meet,” and then introduce them to Jesus and the Father’s love.

Religion sets laws, tells you how to live, who to love, and what do believe. Relationship gives you direct access to God’s heart. You don’t need someone to tell you what to do, you will know what pleases Him and because you will be overwhelmed by His love, you will want to please Him. Religion makes you look down on others and criticize. Relationship makes you compassionate and wanting to help others. Religion promises a reward for certain behavior after you die, relationship is full of blessings right now. Religion holds signs at a funeral that say, “God hates Gays.” Love comforts those who are hurting and treats people with compassion and respect. Law kills, love heals. Law was only ever instituted because of the terrible condition of man’s hearts. It was to keep us from harming ourselves and others. On the other hand, relationship with God had only one law. Love. That’s it. Love Him and love others. There is no performance. We love Him, accept His love and then He does all the work of changing our hearts and minds. It isn’t us trying to clean ourselves up, that’s what Jesus called the Pharisees on. He said they were “whitewashed graves” clean on the outside but full of dead man’s bones. A relationship changes us on the inside. His love convinces us of who He is and who we are. We are loved, and cherished. Even when we sin!

Think of the one person who personifies evil, living or dead.

God loves that person.

God loves us so much that He would never force us to do anything. He lets us choose to love Him, or not, to choose heaven or hell, to heal or to try to put a big bandage on the gaping wounds. His arms are open, He is attentively watching, and always listening for your call, be it a shout or a whisper.

Are you a stranger to God and always believed that yielding to Him meant following a list of rules? Stop believing the lie! He requires nothing but your heart.

Are you a “religious” person who has strived to live by a list of rules, or found little love for others in your heart? Stop believing the lie! You can’t make God love you less, or more by anything you do or say.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV), “ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (emphasis mine)

We live in dark times, but His light should be shining in us in such a way that people are drawn to it. We should be showing the Fathers heart.

His heart is full of love.

PERIOD.

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A Son is Given

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Isaiah 9:2-7 (NIV), “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned… For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

Darkness. Not just turn off the lights, or lets go into that tunnel, or even a miner without his light, but spiritual darkness. Nothing is blacker, nothing is colder, nothing is as hopeless… until…

A SON was given. The Sun of God, the Light of the World, Immanuel (God with Us), was born in a manger. Not a hall of kings, the Hilton, or even a modest home of a blue collar worker, but in a stable, in a feed trough. “Humbly He came to the earth He created.”

What a great picture of love. A bonnie boy lying in those swaddling clothes. Two proud parents looking on in quiet admiration. Angels adoring, shepherds astonished, and a bright northern star shining in that dark night!

The angels sang a song that night… “Glory to God in the Highest!”

Does your day seem dark? Is your heart filled with sadness? Is hope an illusive thing? Take heart, take a peek into that manger, look on the Face of Hope!

A Son was given. He came, He lived, He showed us the Father’s love, He died, He rose again, He sits in Heaven, and He LOVES YOU!

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Some Christmas Love

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Luke 2:8-15 (AKJ), “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, see, the angel of the Lord came on them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said to them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

I think that is good news don’t you? God’s message that night? “Peace on earth and good will towards man.” Aren’t you glad is wasn’t “Chaos and trouble on earth and I sure am angry with men.”

He had reason to be irritated with His creation. He could have left us to our own wicked devices and allowed the world to “go to Hell in a hand basket.” However, His message that night wasn’t that we get what we deserved, no! It was “I love you.”

Sure He knew how wicked man had become, that’s why He made a way, from before the foundation of the worlds, to show us Ultimate Love. God hanging on a tree. His love poured out to us, just like the blood that flowed from His broken body.

With God, we may reap what we sow, but we don’t get what we deserve. I deserved Hell, how about you? But, I won’t see it! Nope, the closest thing to Hell I will ever experience was my life without Him, before I surrendered my heart to His love. That was bad enough.

Now that we know this “good news” and have experienced it first hand- go and tell someone else!

Isaiah 52:7 (NIV), “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

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My LOVE is Hanging On a Tree

jesus on cross at night

What a beautifully, horrible sight to see,

My LOVE is hanging on a tree.

No mortal man has hung him there,

They couldn’t keep Him, though they dare.

No nail or spike could hold Him tight,

The love that held Him pierced the night.

That precious blood, the body broken,

A lavish gift, yet just a token.

What kind of love so strong and free,

Would hang itself upon a tree?

A love that lasts, that spans all time,

Then goes beyond its set confines.

Peace my heart, don’t fret or cry,

For now my LOVE sits on high.

On heavens throne He now resides,

And I am sitting by His side.

copyright Jodi A. Woody 2015