Happy Easter from all of us at New Song! We celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus today, and always, with all of you both near and far in very interesting times!
Do yourself a favor and read Colossians 1:9-23
(I’m sharing just 12-14, 22) which led me to make this art Saturday morning.
Give joyful thanks to the Father, WHO HAS QUALIFIED YOU! For HE HAS RESCUED US from the kingdom of death and transferred us into the Kingdom of His Son He loves. Jesus PURCHASED our freedom and forgave our sins. HE HAS RECONCILED YOU TO HIMSELF through the death of Christ in his physical body. HE B(r)OUGHT YOU into His own presence, and YOU ARE HOLY AND BLAMELESS as you stand before Him WITHOUT A SINGLE FAULT.
Jesus did not simply give us freedom (14), nor did He:acquit/discharge/discount/dismiss/disregard/excuse/exempt/pardon
our sins.
He PAID/PURCHASED them, each and every one HIMSELF. HE qualified you! HE rescued you! HE purchased you! HE forgave you! HE reconciled you! HE died for you! HE made you holy! HE made you blameless! HE made you without fault. *SPOILER* HE gave you new life (coming Sunday).
HIS life is now yours! And it cost Him EVERYTHING. Meaning that YOU ARE WORTH EVERYTHING to Jesus.
Where do we get off, thinking we have any merit in what God has done for us?
The only thing we merited was being valuable enough to be paid for,
and it was God alone who put “HIS JOY” as our price tag.
I pray that we would fix our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. Fix our eyes on the cross, and realize (perhaps for the first time, or again, or deeper than ever before) He purchased our freedom, He paid each and every sin; nothing was excused or discharged – HE PAID IT HIMSELF! We don’t have to fix our eyes on that, but IF WE DO: IF we stare straight at that Man, look him dead in the eye, up there on that cross, realizing what He did and Who He is, we will see that HIS EYES ARE (AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN) FIXED ON US – A PIERCING, IMMOVABLE STARE at you, the joy set before Him. Yes, YOU, the reason he endured the cross.
WARNING!!! IF our eyes meet there, EVERYTHING CHANGES! He transforms us entirely. Don’t take this lightly, once you see it you can never unsee it; you have been warned. But I hope you see it, and He hopes you see it EVEN MORE!
Ever since I saw this painting, over a year ago, I identify the child as my son, Freedom, (currently 4 years old) and it still wrecks me every time I see it.
With so many places we can fix our eyes (ears, and minds) today, especially in these trying times worldwide, I pray we take the advice given in Hebrews 12: Fix our eyes (ears, and minds) on Jesus. The choice is yours (but the most astounding part, oh this is rich) We don’t have to fix our eyes on Him, and even if we choose not to, HIS EYES ARE NEVER FIXED ON ANYTHING ELSE!
His eyes, ears, and mind are ALWAYS ON YOU! He cannot keep His eyes off you, you are always on His mind. HIS LOVE WON’T LET HIM BE ANY DIFFERENT! IT IS WHO HE IS, AND HE CANNOT FIX HIS EYES ON ANYTHING ELSE! YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING, TO MAKE HIM THINK OR SEE YOU ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM!
And if you question Him, was it worth it? With the most beautiful smile you’ve ever felt He would say, OF COURSE YOU WERE, AND YOU STILL ARE! And the fact that His answer is the same for whosoever DOES NOT believe in Him – WHAT A LOVE!?!?!?
I love you, & JESUS LOVES YOU SO MUCH MORE!
and everyone at New Song Mission Nicaragua
This morning a dear friend, and hero (brother in faith), Ralph Harris, shared this newsletter with me. I would love for you to check it out, if you want to see a co-message (click the picture to read, or video to watch).
You will be blessed to subscribe to his almost daily emails: it is a “great starting point”
 
New Song Mission Nicaragua
Transforming Nicaragua with Christian Community Development by empowering local leaders through the New Covenant of Jesus Christ |
Jesus Did Not GIVE us Freedom, or PARDON our Sins
Do yourself a favor and read Colossians 1:9-23
(I’m sharing just 12-14, 22) which led me to make this art Saturday morning.
Give joyful thanks to the Father, WHO HAS QUALIFIED YOU! For HE HAS RESCUED US from the kingdom of death and transferred us into the Kingdom of His Son He loves. Jesus PURCHASED our freedom and forgave our sins. HE HAS RECONCILED YOU TO HIMSELF through the death of Christ in his physical body. HE B(r)OUGHT YOU into His own presence, and YOU ARE HOLY AND BLAMELESS as you stand before Him WITHOUT A SINGLE FAULT.
Jesus did not simply give us freedom (14), nor did He:acquit/discharge/discount/dismiss/disregard/excuse/exempt/pardon
our sins.
He PAID/PURCHASED them, each and every one HIMSELF. HE qualified you! HE rescued you! HE purchased you! HE forgave you! HE reconciled you! HE died for you! HE made you holy! HE made you blameless! HE made you without fault. *SPOILER* HE gave you new life (coming Sunday).
HIS life is now yours! And it cost Him EVERYTHING. Meaning that YOU ARE WORTH EVERYTHING to Jesus.
Where do we get off, thinking we have any merit in what God has done for us?
The only thing we merited was being valuable enough to be paid for,
and it was God alone who put “HIS JOY” as our price tag.
I pray that we would fix our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. Fix our eyes on the cross, and realize (perhaps for the first time, or again, or deeper than ever before) He purchased our freedom, He paid each and every sin; nothing was excused or discharged – HE PAID IT HIMSELF! We don’t have to fix our eyes on that, but IF WE DO: IF we stare straight at that Man, look him dead in the eye, up there on that cross, realizing what He did and Who He is, we will see that HIS EYES ARE (AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN) FIXED ON US – A PIERCING, IMMOVABLE STARE at you, the joy set before Him. Yes, YOU, the reason he endured the cross.
WARNING!!! IF our eyes meet there, EVERYTHING CHANGES! He transforms us entirely. Don’t take this lightly, once you see it you can never unsee it; you have been warned. But I hope you see it, and He hopes you see it EVEN MORE!
Ever since I saw this painting, over a year ago, I identify the child as my son, Freedom, (currently 4 years old) and it still wrecks me every time I see it.
With so many places we can fix our eyes (ears, and minds) today, especially in these trying times worldwide, I pray we take the advice given in Hebrews 12: Fix our eyes (ears, and minds) on Jesus. The choice is yours (but the most astounding part, oh this is rich) We don’t have to fix our eyes on Him, and even if we choose not to, HIS EYES ARE NEVER FIXED ON ANYTHING ELSE!
His eyes, ears, and mind are ALWAYS ON YOU! He cannot keep His eyes off you, you are always on His mind. HIS LOVE WON’T LET HIM BE ANY DIFFERENT! IT IS WHO HE IS, AND HE CANNOT FIX HIS EYES ON ANYTHING ELSE! YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING, TO MAKE HIM THINK OR SEE YOU ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM!
And if you question Him, was it worth it? With the most beautiful smile you’ve ever felt He would say, OF COURSE YOU WERE, AND YOU STILL ARE! And the fact that His answer is the same for whosoever DOES NOT believe in Him – WHAT A LOVE!?!?!?
I love you, & JESUS LOVES YOU SO MUCH MORE!
and everyone at New Song Mission Nicaragua
This morning a dear friend, and hero (brother in faith), Ralph Harris, shared this newsletter with me. I would love for you to check it out, if you want to see a co-message (click the picture to read, or video to watch).
You will be blessed to subscribe to his almost daily emails: it is a “great starting point”
New Song Mission Nicaragua
Transforming Nicaragua with Christian Community Development by empowering local leaders through the New Covenant of Jesus Christ