God Initiates

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me” (Psalm 139:1 NKJV). One of God’s attributes that I greatly appreciate is that He pursues us; He is ever attentive to our hearts and thoughts; He understands us completely; He wants us; He woos us: “The Lord has appeared to me of old saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’” (Jer. 31:3 NKJV) “I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.” (Hos. 11:4 NKJV) “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16 NKJV). I know that I would have never initiated a relationship with Jesus; I didn’t trust that He’d give me a happy life, and I was too concerned with being popular with my peers. But He sent Christians to me, put the fear of hell in me so that I would at least think about Him, and then He convinced me that He really did care about little old ordinary me and my well-being. My salvation was all His idea; I merely responded to His loving call. Lord, thank You so much that You draw us with your love. Thank You that You have searched us and known us, and that You understand us completely. We praise You that You are with us every minute, giving us Your loving and undivided attention. No matter where we are, Your hand leads us and holds us (see Psalm 139:9-10). We love You.

The Lord's Compassion

Shortly after breakfast at the school cafeteria where I work, I heard small sounds of distress. I turned to look, and there was Taylor, a kindergartener, struggling to put on her hoodie. All the other children had left the cafeteria and it was time to get to class. I turned her sleeve right side out, and she was on her way. I was left wondering how a small child gets left behind like that. I’m not blaming anyone; it was surely an unintentional oversight. But what is wrong with a world where you either march in step or you’re left all alone? The world is full of bosses, cops, teachers, even pastors who tell us when we don’t measure up, right at the moment when we most need a word of encouragement. One time I backed into a car and left a twelve-inch scratch. That cost us $500. I felt so bad. We all mess up; it shouldn’t be so painful to be imperfect. Part of this is from the wrath of those who suffer from our goof-ups. We need to learn to give each other a break. The other part is that we really don’t believe that God cares enough to work it all out for good, like He promised. He is a kind-hearted God; He does care, very much. He was watching out for little Taylor—He sent me to help. His children are the apple of His eye, and He is ever-present to comfort, encourage, turn messes into blessings. “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust” (Psalm 103:13-14 NASB).

Love Edifies

I tend to think that since I don’t have a charismatic personality and I’m not the life of the party, then I’m not the type of person that others like to be around. It’s not true. Christians, the Spirit of God lives in us. God is love. Love edifies. Love meets the need of the human heart. If we let Jesus love others through us, we will make a positive difference in their lives, no matter what kind of personality we have.

FORGIVEN

Everybody has regrets. I regret all the pain I’ve caused to others. I was unable to let the Lord carry this burden, and I realized that I wasn’t seeing things the way He was. I had confessed, repented, apologized. But I wasn’t owning my forgiveness. This is the Lord’s message to every one of His children: I am the Lamb of God who took away your sin (John 1:29). I have pardoned ALL your iniquities. My blood cleanses you from all sin. I have crowned you with covenant love and tender mercies. As far as the east is from the west, so far have I removed your transgressions from you (Psalm 103: 3, 4, 12, 1 John 1:7). As I let these words sink in, my burden of guilt was lifted. May we never stop believing that we are forgiven.

BEAUTIFUL HEART

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV). The above verse speaks of the beauty that God has put into His children’s hearts. Yet it is hard for me to believe this, since I still sin. When I took this to the Lord, He said that it was His pleasure to make me His child (see Ephesians 1:5), and He wants me! He said that I am His bride, and He chose me. He said that He will be with me forever, not just in the next life but also in this earthly life right now. Beloved believer, this is how He feels about all of us. He delights in us (Isaiah 62:4)! By the way, it’s interesting to note how the Lord doesn’t speak to my mind but to my heart. He knows that my mind knows and accepts the truth; it’s my heart that gets plagued by the lies, and Jesus dispels those lies with His love.

Grace

I was anxious about my upcoming performance evaluation at work. After two months as assistant manager at the kitchen at Rolling Hills Elementary, I’ve come to realize that this is a tougher job than I expected. Worrying about my performance wears me out. When I brought this to the Lord, He showed me (in my mind’s eye) His face shining on me with His love and grace. He was not at all concerned about my performance. He was just happy that I’m His child. He reminded me of Romans 5:2 which says that Christians stand in grace. Another time I had a day in which I made stupid mistakes at work. The next day I was reading Psalm 63 and I came to verse eight which says, “Your right hand upholds me.” We are in God’s hand! And when we behave imperfectly and make mistakes, we are still in His hand.

Sword Wielder

I was feeling utterly scorned, unloved, left out, alone in obscurity--like Cinderella alone in the ashes, cleaning the fireplace forever. I asked Jesus about this, and He told me I was fighting a spiritual battle against lies. I saw myself as Eowyn from the Lord of the Rings movies, wielding a sword. The sword was the word of God. And God's word said to me: "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing(from Zephaniah 3:17). This message is for all of us, not just for me. We are not invisible, unloved, or alone. Jesus is always with us, and He loves exuberantly!

CHILDLIKE

“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 18:2-4).

When I was about five years old, I was at a picnic with my family and four or five other families.  There were several picnic tables pushed together end-to-end, with the food and beverages placed at one end.  I was in the middle of my meal when I decided to go get a kool-aid refill.  I took my cup and was on my way, but somehow I got confused and very lost in the crowd of unfamiliar picnickers at the park.

This memory came back to me recently, and my mind could vividly recall little Sandra with the pixie haircut, cup in hand, looking very scared.  I, and some friends to whom I was recounting this stressful moment in my past, asked Jesus to speak to this frightened little girl who didn’t know what to do. Immediately the Lord came into my mental picture, knelt down and put his arm around me and told me it was going to be OK.

This snapshot from my childhood has become precious to me, not only because of Jesus’ comforting presence in it, but also because of the helpless expression on my little-girl face.  I get the impression that this utter desperation is pleasing to the Lord, and that He deeply desires to father us as we in our lostness look up to Him.

FEAR OF OTHERS’ OPINIONS

“Come to Me, all you who….are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NKJV).

In the book The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer speaks of heavy, exhausting burdens we put on ourselves because we have a sense of shame that nags at us.  We worry about what others think of us; we work endlessly to project a good image; we get jealous and envious.  These things are not unfamiliar to me; I experience them every day, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

There are lies at the root of this, such as:

 “I’m not good enough.”

“There’s something wrong with me.”

“I’m unworthy if I don’t look good, and say and do the right things”

We may not even be aware that we believe these lies, but at a moment of anxiety, ask yourself if any of the above statements seem true.

Here is the truth:  If we are in Christ, we are holy (2 Corinthians 5:21), not because of our looks or behavior, but because God has given us the gift of righteousness.  We are God’s workmanship, and He has made us glorious (Ephesians 2:10, 2 Corinthians 3:18).  If we think we have to make ourselves amazing, of course we’ll be insecure, because we can’t do it.  We are GOD’S workmanship, and He makes us awesomely amazing!  The pressure is off, and we can rest.

OVERCOMING IN MOMENTS OF TEMPTATION

 

There are a couple of Biblical truths that are extremely useful for resisting temptation:

1) Believe it’s possible, and that we are not slaves of sin.

2) Want what Jesus wants.

Believing it’s possible:  Romans 6:13-14, 8:2 addresses this:  “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.  For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace….the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (NKJV).  The Spirit of God in us believers sets us free from sin.  We CAN make right choices.

Wanting what Jesus wants:  In Matthew 15:18-20, Jesus points out that sin comes from the heart.  We can get deceived into thinking that something other than God will satisfy the desires of our hearts.  Psalm 63:1, 3-5 tells us the truth that our souls thirst for God, and He satisfies:

“O God, You are my God;….my soul thirsts for You….Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.  Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips” (NKJV).

If we believe that sin will satisfy our hearts’ desires, we will sin.  But we will be selling ourselves short, because sin doesn’t satisfy for very long (and then there are those blasted consequences!)  Only God will fill the emptiness in the heart.  When tempted to sin, ask yourself, “What is the deepest desire of my heart?”  Then look in God’s word and you’ll find that God is aware of that desire, and He Himself is the satisfaction of it.

SEEING HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE

 

“He endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27 NKJV).  Moses could endure suffering because he saw God.  Moses only got to see His back (Exodus 33:23).  What do we get to see?

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV).  The “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” means that somehow we know God’s glory because He has revealed it to our hearts.  The verse mentions the face of Jesus.  When we look into someone’s face, we get a clue about what’s in their heart.

What is in the Lord’s heart?

After Solomon built a temple for the Lord, this is what the Lord said:  “Now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually” (2 Chronicles 7:16 NKJV).  First Corinthians 3:16 says that Christians are the temple of God.  So these days God’s eyes and heart are always turned toward us.  He’s in love with us!  Really.  Many times God says, “I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Leviticus 26:12, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Hebrews 8:10, Ezekiel 11:20,36:28; 37:23, 27, Zechariah 8:8, Jeremiah 24:7, 30:22, 31:33, Revelation 21:3, NKJV).  Does that not read like a valentine? Or a marriage proposal?  He’s saying, “I have given myself completely to you; be Mine.”

“I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me” Song of Solomon 7:10 NKJV).  Now that will motivate us to walk with Him even through suffering.

 

 

GOD HAS GIVEN US HEARTS THAT WORSHIP

 

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12 NKJV).  This is an exciting statement, since God has freely given us ALL things (Romans 8:32), including “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 NKJV).  We’ll spend all eternity plumbing the depths of that.

Here’s just one of the gifts God has given His people:  worshiping hearts.  Even people who don’t worship God do worship something—relationships, power, knowledge, whatever—because worshiping is an automatic part of being God-created humans.  But the Bible says that Christians worship God in the Spirit (Philippians 3:3).  Because God’s Spirit is in us, we love Him, we are in love with Jesus, we burst into songs of praise (Ephesians 5:19).  That’s what worship is.  We want to know the glory of who God is.  We join King David in saying, “Your face, Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8b).  We “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2a) and see in His eyes that He loves us and wants us.  And our hearts are captivated.

 

 

WALKING IN FORGIVENESS

I work as a sales associate at a store that sells jewelry.  One day I unlocked the jewelry case and walked away while the customer was still looking at rings.  My boss reprimanded me for leaving the open case unattended, and I felt terrible.  It wasn’t a willful sin, just a dumb mistake, but I felt just awful.  I’ve spent decades of my life being afraid of making mistakes and feeling bad about sins that had been confessed and repented of.  All of this stress-filled living has been unnecessary.  The Bible says that when a Christian sins, not only is (s)he forgiven, but also, Jesus is her ally, not her condemner.  So when our hearts condemn us, we need to remember:  “if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1-2).  In the past I often felt like maybe the Lord would get tired of my sin and ditch me (not in the send-her-to-hell sense, but in the we’re-no-longer-friends sense).  But if we look at Luke 15, we see the unconditional love of God in the parable of the prodigal son. In this parable, a man’s younger son wastes his inheritance on sinful living.  When the money is gone, he finds himself starving.  He remembers his father’s kindness and abundant provision, and this is what brings him to repent, to return to his home where he belongs.   His father, who represents our heavenly Father, runs to the miserable fellow, falls on his neck and kisses him.  Then he joyfully gives his son the best robe and puts a ring on his hand, signifying his acceptance back into the family. He kills the fatted calf, a very extravagant gesture, and declares, “Let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15: 23-24).  The whole point of this parable is that God is very quick to forgive, and He is thrilled when we come to Him, even when we’re coming because we need to escape from the consequences of our sin.

Almost more amazing is how the father deals with his older son.  This son has problems with self-righteousness, and he makes it clear that he’s not going to repent of that.  Yet the father pursues this son and pleads with him, showing no signs of withdrawing his love or giving up on the obstinate young man.  What a tender heart God has!  He doesn’t walk away from us when we sin; He pursues us with His love.  And He rejoices greatly when we reconnect with Him!  He’s OK with where we’re at in the maturing process, and He’s there to perfectly love and comfort us, casting out our fear of messing up.

“There will be…JOY in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7).

 

 

GLORIFYING GOD

“Christ will be magnified in my body…” –Philippians 1:20 NKJV

“I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith.” –Philippians 1:25 NKJV

Paul was confident that he would glorify Christ and help others grow spiritually.  Was it arrogant of him to assume that his life would bear so much fruit?

No, Paul wasn’t blowing his own horn.  He was just acknowledging the truth that the God who is love was living in him, and as the Lord’s love flowed through His follower, others would be built up and God would be honored.  This is the norm for all who follow Jesus.

Isaiah 50:4 shows us how this looks in day-to-day life:  “The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.  He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.”  This verse is speaking of Jesus, but also of us, since Jesus lives in us!  God is the one who gives us ears to hear His truth, and words to meet the needs of those around us.

 

 

OUR SHEPHERD

 

I woke up in the morning with fear in my heart.  Because I didn’t have a full schedule for the day, I was afraid that I’d make poor choices and not do what God wanted me to do.

Part of this is a fear that making mistakes makes me a bad person.  To which God says that He has given his people the GIFT of righteousness in Christ (Romans 5:17), and mistakes and sins don’t change the fact that those who are in Christ are holy, indwelt by God Himself.

The other reason I’m afraid of failure is that though I know that the Lord is my Shepherd, at the heart level, I doubt that He’s going to show me the way, and I know for sure that the perfect will of God is too hard for me to figure out by myself.  In Psalm 32:8 (NKJV) God promises:  “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.”

We may fail to pay attention to our Shepherd, and we may go astray.  But He won’t let us wander alone.  Even if we make our bed in Sheol [the nether world], He is there with us (Psalm 139:8).

The Lord also gives a big hint about what His will is:  “Let all that you do be done in love”(1 Corinthians 16:14 NKJV).  So as you and I walk through our day, we can be asking, “Lord, how do You want to love someone through me right now?”  The people in my life are very busy, and I can show them love by helping them out, even if it’s just washing dishes or other small tasks.  The Lord can show us a million ways to love others.  As we go where love leads us, we will be walking with God, because God is love.

 

 

GOD IS LOVE

 

God brought us into being and sustains us.

God is present in every moment of our lives. 

God lives in His people and teaches us how to love.

Since God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), we can replace the word “God” in these statements with the word “love”:

Love brought us into being and sustains us.

Love is present in every moment of our lives.

Love lives in His people and teaches us to love.

The whole Bible could be read that way.

 

 

JESUS LOVES ZACCHAEUS

 

“Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.”

“And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him.  ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’” (Luke 19:2-5 NKJV)

Jesus wanted to befriend the short man, apparently just because the guy went out of his way to get a glimpse of Him.

We see the Lord’s heart for us again in Revelation 3:20, when He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”  I like to picture myself across the table from Jesus at a café, chatting over coffee and dessert.  It would so thrill my heart to look into His eyes and take in all that love. 

His loving gaze is always on us (Psalm 34:15).  He understands our every thought (Psalm 149:2) and accepts us as we are. 

If we want to be friends with Jesus, we can be sure that He wants it too.

 

 

LOVING JESUS

 

“A woman in the city who was a sinner…brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with …fragrant oil.”

“’Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.’”

“Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace.’” (Luke 7:37-38, 47, 50 NKJV)

The woman was forgiven because she loved much?  What about repentance?  The tears were surely tears of remorse; she was probably thinking, “Why would Jesus want to have anything to do with someone like me?”  But Jesus never even asked her if she was willing to leave her life of sin; He seemed to know that her life had taken a turn in the right direction.  And He fully appreciated her love for Him, which she expressed so poignantly.  Hmmmmmm.  Maybe Kenny Rogers was right when he sang, “Love will turn you around.”

 

God's Approval

I have struggled with wondering if God doesn't approve of me since I don't do everything perfectly.  I have doubted the existence of unconditional love.  I talked to Jesus about this.  I sensed His sadness that I would feel so much pressure to be what I can't be.  He assured me that I don't ever have to try to earn His approval, that He approves of me as a person even when I fail, sin, struggle, or learn slowly. He's totally pleased with His people no matter how poorly we're doing.  He approves of us because we belong to Him;  we're in His family.  He delights in watching us be transformed from glory to glory.  He takes pleasure in those who fear Him, who hope in His mercy.
I like Psalm 116:13:  "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?  I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord."  God gives salvation, life, everything.  What do we give Him?  Nothing.  He's OK with that. He knows we have nothing except what He gives us. We receive His gift and look to Him for everything, and believe that He is merciful.  Now THAT I can do.

Christmas Memory/Serving

Christmas Memory
Even though Christmas is far past, I was blessed to remember something that happened when I was working at Lifeway bookstore during the holiday season.  One evening a customer called in and asked if we had Michael W. Smith's Christmas cd.  The inventory said we had one, but I couldn't find it.  Turns out it was being played in the store; my manager said we could sell it, but of course, it would be used.  He was concerned that we'd have an unhappy customer.  And I was concerned that I'd have an unhappy customer and an unhappy manager.
But when the man who had called arrived at the store, my fears were put to rest.  He wore a red knit hat that had a Christmas greeting on it.  He also wore a big smile.  He bought some greeting cards and left the store without a cd.  But he didn't show even the slightest sign of disappointment; no one and nothing was going to take away this man's happiness.  This is what happens when Jesus moves in to the human heart.

Serving
I read about Jesus washing His disciples' feet.  Jesus said that we'd be blessed if we serve.  But I often have no sense of blessing when I serve; in fact, when I pick up other people's clutter, I tend to complain.  Today Jesus showed me that the blessing is in walking with Him.  As He said in John 12:26:  "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."  If I can see that Jesus is with me, leading me as I serve, and that our Father honors me even for the littlest tasks I do, then I am blessed, both by the fellowship with the Lord, and also by getting to know Him better.  When I think of Him leading me to the chores, I get excited about doing them with Him!

Treasure

At Theophostic training yesterday, we were practicing Theophostic prayer ministry, and I was being ministered to.  We were praying about my fear of being a bad person if I fail to meet impossible expectations.  When Jesus spoke to me, He told me that He made me good, and He gave me an awareness of the presence of His Spirit in me.  This "awareness" felt like the joy of being given the greatest and most precious gift, the kingdom of heaven within me (Matthew 13:44), Jesus within me (Luke 17:21).  I've been thinking about this, and I keep getting a mental picture of me as a bride in a white wedding dress, and King Jesus is my Bridegroom.  He is thrilled that I am His forever, and He throws His arms around me and holds me tight.  "The two shall become one...I speak concerning Christ and the church!" (Ephesians 5:31-32, exclamation point mine).  It doesn't get any better than this.

Our Friend

My Theophostic class was Saturday, and when it was time to practice TPM, I was the one who got to receive ministry.  I was dealing with fear of rejection, and I was remembering my elementary school days when I was very quiet and shy and not popular.  I was quite intimidated by one popular girl; she was never mean to me, but I didn't have her social skills and considered myself inferior to her. I was always afraid I'd be rejected if I said or did anything dumb. The Lord gave me a picture of me as a little girl, standing in front of the other girl.  Then Jesus put his arm around me.  It made me realize that His friendship is unconditional; He's my friend even if I say or do dumb things.  This was very powerful!
After the ministry session ended, I mentioned a verse in John 15 where Jesus said that we are His friends if we do what He commands.  This verse freaks me out because of my perfectionist flesh.  Pat, who teaches my Theophostic class, said that my interpretation of this verse might change in light of what the Lord just showed me.  After meditating on it, here's what I came up with:  It's very obvious that the Lord's friendship is unconditional.  The verse that helped me with this is Romans 5:10, which says, "when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son."  Jesus is a friend to every Christian, no matter what.  So when Jesus said we are His friends if we keep His commandments, He must have been saying that obedience is a way of us expressing love to Him; certainly it means that we'll experience our friendship with Him more if we obey His commands.  But it doesn't mean that He stops being our friend when we sin, hallelujah!  When we sin, He is for us (1 John 2:1)
I pray that we will all be blessed by the Lord's unconditional friendship.

What Do You Think?

I've been reviewing my Theophostic prayer ministry manual, written by Ed Smith.  Dr. Smith says that much of what we call Christian spirituality and maturity is behavior that unbelievers can do.  Why do you think that is?  If Jesus lives in us, why isn't He making much of a difference?  I'm not trying to discourage anyone; I think there's a solution to this.  (Ed Smith does too.)

Prayer/Being a Comforter

PRAYER

Here is some good Scripture about prayer:
Psalm 34:9-10  There is no want to those who fear Him.  The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
Luke 11:10 He who seeks finds.
Psalm 40:16 Look up at the Lord with gladness and smile. (NAB)
Psalm 62:8 Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
This last verse is particularly encouraging to me, because it tells me that instead of just praying through a prayer list, I can ask the Lord to put the important things on my heart, and then I can pour out my heart to Him.


BEING A COMFORTER

Empathy, gentleness, compassion, and comforting others are not my strengths.  My apologies to any of you who have suffered as a result of these character flaws of mine.  I was feeling bad about this, and the Lord brought this verse to mind:  "If there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy..." Philippians 2:1.  There is consolation and comfort in Christ, and Christ lives in His people; so then I must conclude that He has made me a comforter.  All I need to do is learn from Him how to be who He's already made me.  This is true for all character qualities:  we who are in Christ are Christlike in our spirits.  We just need to grow into the loving people we already are.
"For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified"  Hebrews 10:14.  I pray that we will keep this truth in mind and be blessed by it.

It's OK to Struggle

There was a year or two of my life when I wondered if I had committed the unforgivable sin and had lost my salvation.  I don't struggle with this as much any more, but this week I've been wondering about it again.  I've given up on trying to define what Jesus meant by "blasphemy against the Spirit" (Matthew 12:31).  It has helped me a lot more to look at His character and His way of thinking.
The sin I'm wondering about is when God doesn't do things the way I think He should and I get angry and accuse Him of wrongdoing.  I always repent of this quickly, but I have worried that this disrespect for the Lord might be repaid with His wrath.  Today He quieted my heart with 1 Samuel 16:7 which says that the Lord looks at the heart.  The Pharisees in Matthew 12 had no desire to honor the Lord, but only to accuse Him.  I, on the other hand, had no desire to dishonor God; I was merely having a moment of struggle in my faith.  After my brief anger, I chose to continue to believe in God's goodness.  I don't think the Lord kicks people out of heaven for struggling, hallelujah!  Rather, I think He saw this as a victory for me, since in the end I gave him my vote of confidence.  Also, it was a great opportunity for Him to work on jarring me out of my legalistic thinking.
About legalistic thinking:  what a burden!  Every moment I'm anxious because I'm afraid I'll sin or make a mistake and someone will be angry at me.  But because the Lord made me His child when I trusted in Jesus, He never gets angry at me (Isaiah 54:9, Hebrews 8:12).  His  forgiveness is so complete and before-the-fact (meaning that He forgave my future sins at the moment of my salvation) that He's still delighted with me even when I've just sinned.  Often I can picture the smiling face of Jesus, and this is especially comforting when I've just committed sin.  Amazing grace!
I pray that we will all experience this grace more in 2013.