Author: Kimberly

free lance photographer, jewelry designer, writer, gardener, & seamstress

Restored Relationships

This week I found out that two people who had not spoken in almost ten years, mended their relationship. I’ve been praying for restoration since their grievance, because both are dear to me. I was so excited to hear they had renewed their friendship, but think how much more excited God is! God wants us to be in union with each other, without arguing or belittling. Those who carry past grievances, real or perceived cannot live in peace when they carry grudges. Many times they each tried to complain about the other and I wouldn’t give ear to their complaints. I told them I didn’t want to hear either one. A grievance is what someone holds onto and complains about. Both parties must be willing to lay aside their issues for any healing to occur and thankfully in this incident, they did.

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:14-15

When the offense is minor or a one-time event, we should overlook the behavior; but those who continually slander or verbally attack us should not be allowed to continue in their behavior. If they cannot be peaceable, we must distance ourselves from their destructive behavior. When Jesus’ is truly a part of a person’s life, they should be able to reconcile their differences. If you are right with God and someone continues to carry resentment towards you, walk away. Allow the Holy Spirit to heal the relationship.

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – Jesus (John 14:17)

The only way to walk in the peace of God is to accept Jesus into your life as your savior and allow him to guide you into all truth. We must be open to correction and not live a life full of deceit. When we live in close relationship with Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, Jesus’ blood covers all sin.

blood of Jesus

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

Prayer: Father I thank you for restored relationships, both with you and each other. I thank you for working on the hearts of those who carry ill will, rancor, or resentment towards others, related or not. I thank you that you are the restorer and healer, and that you sent Jesus to die on the cross and gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us daily as long as we submit. Amen

Our Anchor

anchor: (noun) a device dropped by a chain, cable, or rope to the bottom of a body of water for preventing or restricting the motion of a vessel or other floating object; a person who can be relied on for support, stability, or security; (in media) the main broadcaster on a news program, who usually also serves as coordinator of all other supporting broadcasters during the program.

anchor

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. –Hebrews 6:19-20 NLT Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. – KJV [Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it—a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil, Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. – Amplified Bible We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek. – The Message

This verse came to my memory a couple of weeks ago, when I saw an anchor and knew the Bible talks about God as our anchor. It had always been such a tangible reminder to me regarding how God is always there, for us to hold onto in all the storms of life, if we just Trust him and believe in him. Both small and large sailing vessels; even ships use an anchor to secure their boats, either when they arrive at a destination where they want to stay or to ride out a storm, when they are too far from shore. Once the anchor is secured, the vessel will not go anywhere. The anchor keeps the vessel in the same location, not allowing it to drift off course, even during extreme turbulence. If you tried to just drift with the tides during a storm, you most likely would end up way off of your intended course or destination. In this message, hope is linked to the anchor, they are symbiotic; You cannot have hope without the anchor and you cannot hold onto or trust the anchor without hope. Those who drop the anchor expect it to keep them secure and on-course. I had not remembered the following verse. But what a message it tells, regarding how Jesus, our high priest, made entry, he was the trailblazer for those who follow him, to enter into the holy of holies, the place where God dwells. Weeks before I had been telling God that I didn’t just want to enter the inner court, but that I wanted to stay there… IN HiS Presence!! How do we get there? We get there by fully trusting on God in all situations and by having a desire to know him as intimately as possible. It is by reading the word and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal its meaning and truths to us. God has already opened the door by Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, all we have to do is to enter.

Grace

I was thinking this morning of the phrase WWJD? It is a good reminder many times of how we should behave, but it is so incomplete. A better reminder might be WDJD? (What DID Jesus Do?) He died on the cross, which is true, but what did that mean? Was it simply a sacrifice for our sins? Was it our ‘ticket’ to eternal life? While those are also true, it is so much more.

He abolished the law that man interprets (and misinterprets) and that man uses to guide his way through life. In its place, he supplanted us with His Spirit that directs us into Truth. The law can only reprove and correct, but the acceptance of his Mercy and Grace redeems us and imparts his Spirit. Words spoken from an obedient son:

“Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” – John 14:23-26

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate[a] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me… When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’” John 16: 7-9&13-15

Posted below is a blog I wrote on Grace a couple of years ago at this time, it bears repeating.

Grace.