He paid for our sin

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name

For the Son of God, who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

“Full atonement!” can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

“It is finished!” was His cry;

Now in Heav’n exalted high.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew His song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

--Philip P. Bliss

See, Hymns that Preach, Ralph M.Petersen

Kindness is free!

I have heard this sentence recently, and it was significant to me.  

Kindness should be one of the normal things we do in life. We are all sinners, but one of our normal instincts should be to be kind. Unfortunately, this is far from reality.  

Kindness is far from some people's minds as we treat our peers, parents, teachers, co-workers, and strangers unkindly. We live in a culture, in a world which has become more and more cut-throat.  It has become all about "me" and this is all which matters to so many people. We tend to think that life is all about us, who cares who we hurt to get what we desire.

In my life I have discovered that certain Christians can also be the meanest people out there.  Many are stuck on themselves, believing they are more holy than all others.  They live to take whatever they want from others, giving only emotional, and spiritual wounds back. Control and manipulation is their forte, and their selfish lives continue on as they live unkindly to all those with whom they interact.

Selfishness, meanness, cruelty is not what the LORD desires from us.  We are to be holy as He is holy.  Holiness means being set apart, sanctified for the LORD.  

So as Believers let's be set apart, holy, as God is holy.  We need to follow the LORD's ways in love as we live out our lives for Him, not living selfishly for ourselves as so many people do.

1 John 4:7-21

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; 
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent 
His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live 
through Him.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us 
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, 
God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 

By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, 
because He has given us of His Spirit. 

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son 
to be the Savior of the world.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, 
God abides in him, and he in God. 

We have come to know and have believed the love 
which God has for us. God is love, and the one who 
abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have 
confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, 
so also are we in this world. 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, 
because fear involves punishment, and the one 
who fears is not perfected in love. 

We love, because He first loved us. 

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, 
he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother 
whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 

And this commandment we have from Him, 
that the one who loves God should love his brother also."

We must be vigilant!  Do not put yourself up on a pedestal thinking you are the highway to holiness! Seek the LORD's face in His truth, humble yourself before our mighty God! 

Be humble, be kind.

Kindness is free!

Picture book, Green Eyes, by A. Birnbaum

Here is another sweet picture book to share with young ones.  The beautiful, simple illustrations from this book written in 1953 recounts a little kitten's life while going through the seasons.

The little kitten, Green Eyes, first remembers being in a big box in which he eventually can climb out to discover the world around him.  He then discovers each wonderful season until he is one year old and loved by his family as another year begins for him. It is a delightful story!

Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away to the mountains and be at rest!

Psalm 55:1-14, 16-23

"Give ear to my prayer, O God;

And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.

Give heed to me and answer me;

I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,

Because of the voice of the enemy,

Because of the pressure of the wicked;

For they bring down trouble upon me

And in anger they bear a grudge against me.

My heart is in anguish within me,

And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fear and trembling come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.

I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

“Behold, I would wander far away,

I would lodge in the wilderness. 
“I would hasten to my place of refuge
From the stormy wind and tempest.”

Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues,

For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they go around her upon her walls,

And iniquity and mischief are in her midst.

Destruction is in her midst;

Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets.

For it is not an enemy who reproaches me,

Then I could bear it;

Nor is it one who hates me 
who has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.

But it is you, a man my equal,

My companion and my familiar friend;

We who had sweet fellowship together

Walked in the house of God in the throng.

As for me, I shall call upon God,

And the Lord will save me.

Evening and morning and at noon, 
I will complain and murmur,

And He will hear my voice.

He will redeem my soul in peace 
from the battle which is against me,
For they are many who strive with me.

God will hear and answer them—

Even the one who sits enthroned from of old—
With whom there is no change,

And who do not fear God.

He has put forth his hands 
against those who were at peace with him;

He has violated his covenant.

His speech was smoother than butter,

But his heart was war;

His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.

Cast your burden upon the Lord 
and He will sustain you;

He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

But You, O God, 
will bring them down to the pit of destruction;

Men of bloodshed and deceit 
will not live out half their days.

But I will trust in You."

Glory to Your Name! I trust in You no matter what comes.
*

Wise words

"Success is not final,

failure is not fatal.

It is the courage 

to continue that counts."

--Winston Churchill

*

"Red Flags": contemplate with whom you are involved

Seek the LORD while He can be found!

Psalm 17:8-9
"Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of Your wings
from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me."

A heart can be broken and keep on beating.

Remembering with grateful hearts

Thankful to the LORD for His mighty hand in the outcome of WW2, and for our freedom in Him-- which was paid with a price, Jesus' sacrifice!

Thankful for our freedoms in this country, bought with a  price by all those who have served and continue to serve.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit 
who is in you, whom you have from God, 
and that you are not your own? 
For you have been bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body."

Kindness, Faithfulness

“Where you tend a rose, 

a thistle can not grow”

*

—“Ben Wetherstaff” ,  

The Secret Garden, 

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

*

Grace abounds all the more!

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,

Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;

What can we do to wash it away?

Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,

Brighter than snow you may be today.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face,

Will you this moment His grace receive?

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

--Julia H. Johnston
*

Romans 5:20-21
"The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; 
but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign 
through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
*

Walk in Love

“God is love” 

His children please Him only so far as they are like Him, and “walk in love” 

--Robert C. Chapman


1 John 4:16
"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. 
God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, 
and God abides in him."

Ephesians 5:2
"walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, 
an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."