A Burst of Love March 13

Seek God’s kingdom, and all the
other things you need will be given to you.
Luke 12:31

Sometimes God is so touched by what he sees that he gives us what we need and not simply that for which we ask.

It’s a good thing. For who would have ever thought to ask God for what he gives? Which of us would have dared to say: “God, would you please hang yourself on a tool of torture as a substitution for every mistake I have ever committed?” And then have the audacity to add: “And after you forgive me, could you prepare me a place in your house to live forever?”

And if that wasn’t enough: “And would you please live within me and protect me and guide me and bless me with more than I could ever deserve?”

Honestly, would we have the chutzpah to ask for that?
Jesus already knows the cost of grace. He already knows the price of forgiveness. But he offers it anyway. Love burst his heart.

He Still Moves Stones

Posted from WordPress for Android by Steve Larsson

Secret Service Agents

Secret Service agents investigated for crash outside White House via Yahoo News Digest

Get the app and the day’s need-to-know news. https://yho.com/newsdigestall

Posted from WordPress for Android by Steve Larsson

Slaves to Goodness. March 12

Now you are free from sin and have
become slaves of God. This brings you a life that is
only for God, and this gives you life forever.
Romans 6:22

How could we who have been freed from sin return to it? Before Christ our lives were out of control, sloppy, and indulgent. We didn’t even know we were slobs until we met him.
Then he moved in. Things began to change. What we threw around we began putting away. What we neglected we cleaned up. What had been clutter became order. Oh, there were and still are occasional lapses of thought and deed, but by and large he got our house in order.
Suddenly we find ourselves wanting to do good. Go back to the old mess? Are you kidding? “In the past you were slaves to sin—sin controlled you. But thank God, you fully obeyed the things that you were taught. You were made free from sin, and now you are slaves to goodness” (Rom. 6:17–18).

                          In the Grip of Grace

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Behold His Mercy! March 11

Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.
Ephesians 4:32

[Jesus] wraps a servant’s girdle around his waist, takes up the basin, and kneels before one of the disciples. He unlaces a sandal and gently lifts the foot and places it in the basin, covers it with water, and begins to bathe it. One by one, one grimy foot after another, Jesus works his way down the row.…
You can be sure Jesus knows the future of these feet he is washing. These twenty-four feet will not spend the next day following their master, defending his cause. These feet will dash for cover at the flash of a Roman sword. Only one pair of feet won’t abandon him in the garden. One disciple won’t desert him at Gethsemane—Judas won’t even make it that far! …
Behold the gift Jesus gives his followers! He knows what these men are about to do.… And when they do, he wants them to remember how his knees knelt before them and he washed their feet. He wants them to realize those feet are still clean.… He forgave their sin before they even committed it. He offered mercy before they even sought it.

Just Like Jesus

Posted from WordPress for Android by Steve Larsson

Led by the Spirit March 8

The true children of God are
those who let God’s Spirit lead them.
Romans 8:14

To hear many of us talk, you’d think we didn’t believe that verse. You’d think we didn’t believe in the Trinity. We talk about the Father and study the Son—but when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we are confused at best and frightened at worst. Confused because we’ve never been taught. Frightened because we’ve been taught to be afraid.
May I simplify things a bit? The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in our lives, carrying on the work of Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us in three directions—inwardly (by granting us the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5:22–24), upwardly (by praying for us, Rom. 8:26) and outwardly (by pouring God’s love into our hearts, Rom. 5:5).

Posted from WordPress for Android by Steve Larsson