Category: love | Page 3 | Spiritual Abuse Blogs

Religion or Christ?

When your salvation depends on what you do rather than what Christ did, it is not salvation at all but just another doctrine of men. When your church promotes pride in identity of their own brand rather than the love of God to all mankind, it is not of God.

When you are taught to shun, look down on, attribute rebellion and bitterness to those who leave your particular group, it is not the family of God. When your leaders are held in awe, elevated above the membership, seen to stand in God’s stead, paid to perform, they are not men of God. When your church loves money and demands it of their members including the widows, the poor, the indigent while your leaders live in luxury, it is not following God’s plan. When you are afraid to question your church, your leaders, your organization, you are in the wrong place.

God is love, he embodies all the attributes of love, he is no respecter of persons, his mercy endureth forever, he looks on the heart, not on the outward appearance, he died that we might live, he proclaimed the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and love thy neighbor as thyself- that all else is based upon these simplistic commands. Love is the missing factor in the ‘religion’ I grew up in as well as many other institutional churches in our world today. There is peace, joy, . . . . . . . In living by faith in God’s love and grace.

I am convinced

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

I am the only one who can separate me from God. No one else can. Nothing else can. Death will only bring me closer to Him. Life will only teach me to be more like Him. The devil can’t keep me from God- the devil is only a fallen angel. No one has enough power or authority to keep me from God. Not anyone in government. Not anyone in leadership or business. If my parents try to stop me, they cannot. No spouse, no child can keep God from loving me. No pastor, no saint. No one can keep me and God apart. If I am on the mountain, He’s still above me. If I sink to the depths He’s been there before me, and He’s there with me, too. He will be with us always, even to the end of the world. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Others fail; God doesn’t. Troubles come; God will see us through. Jesus is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He sits by our bedside when we’re sick. He reaches out a healing hand when we’re wounded. He speaks and calms the storms in our lives.

Jesus loves you. He loves me. If you think God is punishing you, remember that He loves you. Trust Him. If you’re facing a difficult situation, look up for your redemption draweth nigh. It isn’t that Jesus has turned His back on you. Next time you think He has, take a good hard look at that back. See those scars? Jesus’ back isn’t the back of a judge, but a Savior.

It is no secret

There is a wonderful old song:

It is no secret what God can do, what he’s done for others, he’ll do for you! With arms wide open, he’ll pardon you, it is no secret what God can do.

God’s plan is no secret. You don’t need some special revelation, validated by some self important board of narcissistic men. His plan is so simple, a wayfaring man, though a fool need not err therein. For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son . . . . . .THAT is His plan- believe! Have faith because without faith it is impossible to please Him. . . he who cometh to God must believe that He IS and the He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him. Jesus said He came that we might have peace, fear not!

My parents used to sing a song titled WHO. . .

Who lights the stars at night, who guides the moon in flight, who makes the sun so bright? Nobody but my Lord! Who gave me saving grace, who died to take my place, who did my sins erase? Nobody but my Lord!

Yes, he made the earth, he made the sea and land, fastened them together by His mighty hand, under His control, they move at His command, Nobody but my Lord . . .could do it!

Nobody, nothing, not things present, nor things past, not any creature can separate us from the love of God or from His plan. God is good and His mercy endureth forever.

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Appreciating Love: God Gave Me Biff

To fully appreciate the love of God, one needs a reference point. Often this may be one’s father who in his demonstration of unconditional love, lays a foundation of experience that would allow a belief in an all loving God. Unfortunately, many of us did not have this kind of earthly father. I always knew my dad loved me but it was a complicated, flawed love that would bear little relationship to the kind of love the Bible promises we can expect from God. For much of my life, I saw God as harsh, critical, demanding and yes also loving.

Then Biff came into my life. It took years of marriage to realize how much of a gift God had given me when he gave me Biff. No Biff is not perfect; he’s a bit of a cowboy, likes being the ‘class clown’ and can irritate me beyond comprehension BUT Biff has shown me a glimpse of the kind of love God must have for us. Biff’s love is unconditional. He has loved me through my skinny minny period to my tubby tilly period and back again. He loves me when I make ridiculous mistakes. He loves me when I spend too much money, make bad choices, cry, scream, and even when I am angry and unfair with him. Biff would rather spend time with me than do anything else in life. I truly can’t understand this.

But because of Biff, I can believe that God loves me even when I am not perfect and that he loves me more than I can ever comprehend.

I hope God has a special reward for people like Biff. May you have a Biff or Biffette 🙂 in your life!

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