When we are “in Christ” not only are we a new creation (where the old has passed away), but we have a protected status that is brand new.

Similar to the “protected” status of the wetlands where we walked this morning, nothing on earth can rob us of our eternal protection (inheritance) based of the forgiveness of our sins.

Not only does God forgive, but he chooses not to remember because of His Son’s finished work on the cross- aka atonement for mankind.

This is stated so eloquently on the Biblehub.com site speaking of Jeremiah 31:4, (the forgiveness of sins is) “the basis of the New Covenant”.

God’s people are not made up of only believing Israel but all of the Church worldwide. He will be honored by multitudes of believers who have given up glory in this world to honor the most glorious One.

Lord, may we be caught up in devotion to you and not bogged down by worldly expectations. May we always bring honor to your name for we realize that Christ Jesus the Lord is the name above all names.

As far as the east is from the west…remember to live as those who has been forgiven and freed. – Teresa

Jeremiah 31: 31-34 ESV (Emphasis added)

³¹ “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. ³² This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

³³ “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴ And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

Our distress is great, O Lord, and there were times when your people of old did not turn to You.

May that not be Your Church today. We need You to notice, to hear our cry for help and remold us into useful vessels for You.

Help us to be reliable for the sake of Your name. Help us to repent of our evil ways and practices, so that we may be blessed with Your Holy Spirit’s comfort. #steadfastlove

We abhor stubbornness, willful sins and muddied paths. Please restore Your highway of salvation through the wilderness. Do not turn Your back on us.

We are the work of Your hand. Please give us a willing heart. -Teresa

Jeremiah 18:5-17 (ESV)

⁵ Then the Lord gave me this message: ⁶ “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. ⁷ If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, ⁸ but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.⁹ And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, ¹⁰ but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.

¹² But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”

¹¹ “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”

¹³ So this is what the Lord says:

“Has anyone ever heard of such a thing,
    even among the pagan nations?
My virgin daughter Israel
    has done something terrible!
¹⁴ Does the snow ever disappear from the mountaintops of Lebanon?
    Do the cold streams flowing from those distant mountains ever run dry?
¹⁵ But my people are not so reliable, for they have deserted me;
    they burn incense to worthless idols.
They have stumbled off the ancient highways
    and walk in muddy paths.
¹⁶ Therefore, their land will become desolate,
    a monument to their stupidity.
All who pass by will be astonished
    and will shake their heads in amazement.
¹⁷ I will scatter my people before their enemies
    as the east wind scatters dust.
And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them
    and refuse to notice their distress.”

Psalm 138:7,8 (ESV)

[7] Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. [8] The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Being fruitful for God’s kingdom also means strength. The deliverance bought for us through Christ’s redemption is the foundation for a new beginning.

It’s like starting over, where our past has been written over with His powerful presence that is not only glorious but can endure for the long haul.

Look at Paul’s life (who wrote this letter to the church at Colossae). He was able to endure through mind-boggling hardships for the joy of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. Not to mention it was also for the goal of bringing many to glory who would have otherwise missed their life’s purpose.

After all, being a religious Jew was not what the Lord had in mind for Paul. Instead, he was converted on the road to Damascus from radical zealousness for the Pharisaic traditions to no longer persecuting Christ Jesus, the head of the church.

When God’s glory left the temple, it allowed a new way for God to be represented to the world John 1:14. How impactful was the early church on the Roman world? Beyond a doubt, it went way beyond Jerusalem and Judea even to the outer limits of civilization at that time.

Why should we be surprised when God continues to show up in every nation and people group where lives are being transformed, bearing good fruit by the power of the gospel?

Fruit is not hidden but is witnessed in a life whose sins are forgiven, living in way that is pleasing to God. -Teresa #lightson

Colossians 1: 9-14 (ESV)

⁹ And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; ¹² giving thanks^[d] to the Father, who has qualified you^[e]to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

This morning, our walk after coffee ended up at Home Depot where we found this treasure. I prayed about what plant to buy (since they are all part of my prayer garden and represent something amazing).

The reason “breath of heaven” was significant is not only because my husband loved it but because it represents God’s work on my emotions this week. I’ve been attending a Theology of Emotions course through BWGI institute .

If you listen to this wonderful song that I added to my playlist today, by Amy Grant, you may gain a small glimpse into my feelings of God’s greatness in sending such a refreshing breath of heaven, our Savior and Redeemer, through a teenage girl.

When we realize how much rejection our Savior experienced for us, then we can be grateful for His ability to not just hold us together (like Mary’s song and prayer) but to redeem us from the curse of a sin-sick world.

Thank you, Father, for giving us a most precious gift- Your Son, so that we could be healed. He is worthy of so much honor. “All glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)

If you are feeling that you may not make it safely home, savor this thought…He has issued a welcome invitation that will always be open for those who need healing from Him. -Teresa

Isaiah 53:3-5 (NLT)

³ He was despised and rejected—
    a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
    He was despised, and we did not care.

⁴ Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
    it was our sorrows^[m] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
    a punishment for his own sins!
⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion,
    crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
    He was whipped so we could be healed.

This memory from when our kids were in high school reminds me of my husband’s passion for mountain climbing.

There were several adventures that he embarked on with various athletic people. On one particular excursion, he was reminded how even one misstep by anyone in the party could mean demise for everyone.

In the body of Christ (the church), we are part of a living and breathing organism, dependent on the head (Christ Jesus the Lord). The Holy Spirit indwells each believer in the body, sealing them for the day of redemption.

By keeping in step with the Spirit, we are united in the advance of God’s kingdom and purpose on earth. Lord, help us to avoid conceit and anything that breaks our unity with You.

The desires of the flesh are opposed to those of the Spirit. Whenever the law is at the helm, we are emboldening the flesh and plenty of missteps can happen.

Whenever our Lord, Christ Jesus, is at the helm we are reminded of the crucifixion. Yes, His suffering for our forgiveness puts it all in perspective. It is not my puny works of righteousness but His death, burial and resurrection that seal my salvation.

How willing am I to yield myself to such a selfless love? Which begs the question, how will the world know we are Christians? They will know it by our love for one another in the church, worldwide.

Let’s keep in step today (with the Spirit) because the watching “world” is waiting for a reason more compelling than law bound, intellectual arguments to be saved. -Teresa #heartofGod #John3:16

Galatians 5: 16-26 (ESV)

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy,^[a]drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do^[b] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Galatians 5:21 Some manuscripts add murder
2. Galatians 5:21 Or make a practice of doing

We saw the rabbit on our way to coffee but there was no sign of him on the walk back, only a coyote on the hunt!

While visiting mom this past week, she asked me this, “how do I know who to trust?” My answer was: “you raised us right, mom. Your children are not criminals.”

Those who trust the Lord with all their hearts by acknowledging him -will be given direction.

Ask someone you trust when unsure of life’s direction. Those who listen to wily coyotes (aka those who tickle their ears), may end up as a choice morsel.

Many of us learned this from Saturday morning cartoons. Anymore, the professors and teachers of the highly intelligent are winning over those with a deeper need. This need to “belong” is so great that it woos them into a web of lies.

Human understanding can get us so far but the leap of faith is what decides our eternal destiny. (Read C.S.Lewis’s first book after his conversion to illustrate this point, “The Pilgrim’s Regress”)- be sure to get the annotated version to explain some of his complex language describing various worldviews. #scholar

All week I had to ask God for strength, direction and His love to guide me. The culmination of His answer came when I prayed in my hotel room (the last morning at the Marriott), listening to Chris Tomlin’s “Good, good Father”. God the Father gave me an understanding of how much I was loved. The amazing “turn around” I experienced brought me out of heart-wrenching grief to joy and peace, making me grateful beyond all measure.

We may not always understand why things happen the way they do but we can trust our Father’s heart of love. – Teresa

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

[5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Sometimes we must partake in a bountiful feast to remember that refreshing comes from God.

He created us, He understands that our constitution is fragile (but dust), yet He has loved mankind in an amazing way. Even the spirit world is in awe of God’s treatment of mankind, allowing redemption for His eternal home (Isaiah 52: 13-15).

What brings God glory? Have you ever heard someone praise God when they just found out they have terminal cancer? Their brokenness and desire to weep as David did, fully drenching their bed with their tears brings glory to God.

Why? Because they know how valuable their life is to Him. Their faith buoys my soul with grateful longing to also value my life.

Maybe what you are facing this week is hard, to the point of death. Remember to value the gift of life you’ve been given. Without it, you would not have an opportunity for eternal redemption.

His love pursues us in amazing ways. It is pure and from the heart of desire- buying us back for His glory. -Teresa

Song of Solomon 2:16,17 (NLT)

¹⁶ My lover is mine, and I am his.
    He browses among the lilies.
¹⁷ Before the dawn breezes blow
    and the night shadows flee,
return to me, my love, like a gazelle
    or a young stag on the rugged mountains.^[f]

Isaiah 52:13-15 (ESV)

He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions[13] Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. [14] As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— [15] so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

Jesus said that at the end of the age, God will separate the sheep from the goats. Those who don’t recognize Christ (the goats) have been blinded by the “god” of this world. They don’t hear the shepherd’s voice. The shepherd is…God’s glorious Son, Christ Jesus the Lord.

The fragile shell of our human body may not be glorious, in fact it may crack under pressure. The good news (although hidden from those on the broad path to destruction) is that God’s glorious treasure is found within all who are chosen by Him. #sheep

We have a pastoral print in our dining room picturing sheep grazing peacefully on a hillside. Occasionally, my husband will look at it and say “you’re beautiful”. It reminds us of the shepherds in New Zealand who care tenderly for their flocks, even speaking to each individually-calling them beautiful. That’s how God sees each one of us. We may be in need of a shepherd but we also have the capacity to know His voice. #faith

Thankfully, Paul never gave up speaking about this good news, the gospel. It was a ministry of love that was all-consuming. Paul himself describes it as God’s merciful way, having experienced its transforming power on the road to Damascus.

Instead of murdering the Christians, Paul became one of them. #theway

If you’re feeling fragile today, remember Paul’s example and let the light of God’s treasure shine through. -Teresa

#forHisglory

2 Corinthians 4:1-7 (NLT)

Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars

4 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,^[a] we never give up. ² We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

³ If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. ⁴ Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

⁵ You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.^[b] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Footnotes

1. 4:1 Or ministry.
2. 4:7 Greek We now have this treasure in clay jars.

I took this picture before sunrise last week. It shows the sunlight in the east but also how torched our iris plants are after a long summer. They endured the brunt of the western sun during the heat and long summer days.

Radiant purple iris flowers are the first of our garden to show God’s glory each spring (see pic below). In the same way, Christ was first in a great harvest of those being resurrected for God’s glory.

Everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life!! #resurrection

Because Christ Jesus the LORD conquered all his enemies (the last being death), we can trust in Him. #spiritualbirth

As we walk in the newness of life, today becomes another chance to be a witness for Him. #Christinme

Eventually, our physical bodies will feel no more pain or tears or sadness. In the meantime, let us remember our Savior who is a kind of first fruit showing us how to live. (James 1:18) #intruth

When we take off the old and put on the new, we can indeed reflect the first of the harvest while still in our earthly bodies (Colossians 3:5-17). -Teresa #grateful

1 Corinthians 15:20-26 (NLT)

²⁰ But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

²¹ So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. ²² Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. ²³ But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

²⁴ After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.²⁵ For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. ²⁶ And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

Colossians 3:5-17 ESV (bold added)

[5] Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] On account of these the wrath of God is coming. [7] In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. [8] But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. [9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

[12] Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [13] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. [14] And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

James 1:18 (ESV)

[18] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

This verse really struck me today, as I’ve spent much time over the past month convincing mom that her boyfriend is telling her “stories”.

We would circle back to the truth of her accident, long recovery and finally being “home” again. How delighted she was to see her boyfriend when she was back at her apartment. They both uttered, “I love you’s”, with tears of joy.

Today, she called to tell me of their “move in” date. I responded with, “I’m so glad you’re home mom”. Outside her window is the church with a school for the children. She loves the view and it helps ground her.

Where do we keep our gaze fixed? Is it on the truth or does it stray to a “fake” story that tickles our fancy?

Common sense means it may not always “feel good” but it is the right thing to do.

In Star Camp this week (aka VBS for my grandchildren), I asked the question, “what does ‘love’ look like”? They gave some of the cutest answers- usually ending with kisses and hugs.

When I suggested that another form of love is “discipline” (The Lord disciplines the one He loves- Hebrews 12:6), they could not comprehend this. How could someone who loves them not treat them to all their favorite things? Or let them do what they want?

One of my co-workers gave me this advice (when my kids were in their “difficult” years), “I discipline them so the law doesn’t have to.”

To be a disciple is to learn something. We can also be discipled, even as those who loved their Rabbi were willing to be taught.

Lord, please give me a spirit of willingness to endure those things that are allowed though your hand- experiences that are hard but will also make me stronger. I want to learn and know your life in me. -Teresa #truth

Proverbs 22:16 (NLT)

¹⁶ The person who strays from common sense
    will end up in the company of the dead.