Something New - December 22, 2013

All of these verses relate to the following devotional:

Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”

And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”   (Luke 5:33-39)

The scribes and the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the Jewish people at the time) could not comprehend why the disciples of Jesus were eating and drinking - almost partying! - while the followers of other men were seemingly more somber: fasting, praying, doing things the more traditional way.  Was this something new for them to behold?   In fact, Jesus' response appears to indicate as much, as he offers an explanation using the illustration of a celebration between a bridegroom and his friends, and a comparison that suggests that when something new has come (i.e., "new wine") often there will be a different way ("new wineskins") that results.  For those who have ears, let him/her hear (Matthew 13:8-12).  And this is certainly not the first or last time the exciting revelation of "something new" happening through the entrance of Jesus-as-man onto this earth: through His life-and-times altering, monumental-turning-point death on the cross to his mortality-shattering, eternal life-giving, explosive resurrection from death...the whole Scripture resounds with it.  Please take some time to meditate on the following verses announcing a "new thing":

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”   (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.   (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.   But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  (Galatians 5:16-18)

For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.  (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)
 
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.  (Hebrews 12:18-24)

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...

You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart...

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven..."   (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 20)

But I say to you...

I guess it is appropriate at this time, when we are hearing a lot and talking about Jesus coming to Earth as a little baby, to shine a light on the fact that His earthly birth was the "first step" toward all of mankind having the opportunity to partake in a NEW, heavenly birth (John 1:12-13):

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:5-8)

Celebrating instead of fasting...

A NEW covenant...

A NEW birth by the Spirit...

God's Son entering into our world as a living, breathing human being  - the "Word made flesh" (John 1:14) - opened wide the windows of heaven (Mark 1:9-11) to a banquet to which everybody is invited...to the opportunity for anyone who receives to be able to become a son or daughter of the Magnificent, Living God of all creation.  No longer do we have to be slaves to our flesh (Romans 6:1-11), to the world's enticements (1 John 2:15-17), or to satan (James 4:7; Mark 1:34)...but we now have a heavenly Counselor who comes to fill us with Himself and to break us free from the OLD way of seeing and responding to things (John 8:35-36, 14:15-19, 16:5-15; Romans 6:4) ...Walk in the Spirit (and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh)...to transform us into a NEW creation (2 Corinthians 3:15-18, 5:17)...AND to enable access through this new creature to eternal life with God NOW (John 3:16, 10:10) and forever when Jesus returns to once again be visible to all (Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-8; John 3:16).  

Were the scribes and the Pharisees beholding something new?  That the Word was now flesh; had a heart; and came to live, die, and then live again for all humanity (so that we could be made new) - although certainly God's Plan from the very start - was now a "new way" made available to all of mankind.  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."  (John 14:6)    Hallelujah!

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”   (Revelation 21:5)

"... the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.  To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory..."  (Colossians 1:26-27)

Thank you, Awesome and Beautiful Jesus.

In His Love,  
Terri

Enveloped by the Living Word - December 11, 2013

Hello.  I should be going to bed right now; but when something as been blazed into your heart by God, you want to share while the flame of it is still supernaturally burning.   It's still burning (even though I'm only flickering at this point)! 

Today at work, while sitting quietly at lunch with co-workers (and sort of staying in my own little "zone" due to the direction of some of the conversation), I was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of thankfulness for not just what is written in the Bible, but more so for being able to truly experience a connection with those words when I think about them or read them: that (unless my heart is turned away) they make me feel satisfied, washed, clean (even radiant at times), alive, and at rest.  A sense of being just where you need to be.  It then occurred to me that THAT is what makes them "Living"  words, and that those words could have breath in them only because of the One Who gives everything Life and Breath: Jesus - Who IS the Living Word.  

And as I sat there, this prayer started to form...I wish I could have captured it at the time to share it exactly as it was with you all.  But it went something like this:  

Thank you that right now the Word of God is enveloping me, surrounding me, protecting me.  Thank you that because I am here with You right now, I have hope and am safe and sound.  Thank you that I do not have to rely anymore on the many other ways that are out there which people use to find life, hope, peace, rest...because none of them will work...they just don't know that yet...or maybe they do; and if so, I hope they come to find You.  Then we'll be able to be in that same "zone" together...away from the oppression of this world...and Home Safe where we belong.  Thank you, Father, that Your words are SO rich, and truthful, and protecting, and alive.  I love Your words.  And thank you for Jesus, who IS the One Who makes those words alive: the Living Word.  Thank you, dear Jesus, for enveloping me right now...

Just wanted to share that...

Love,

Terri 

Joy - November 29

I have found truly joyous Christians only in the Bible, in the Underground Churches, and in prison...

(p. 102, Tortured for Christ, Richard Wurmbrand)

I had an experience today in which I approached a woman and handed her a tract I happened to have in my purse.  She gladly accepted it, stating that she too was a Christian.  However, following immediately on the heels of her proclamation, this same woman point-blank asked me if I was a Jehovah's Witness!  I reassured her that I wasn't, but shared with her how her automatic assumption (that I might be a Jehovah's Witness) certainly seemed to indirectly reveal how "unusual" it was for a follower of Jesus (at least here in the U.S.) to be handing someone a tract about the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) as compared to another religion.  How indescribably sad.  If I may be so bold to applaud the Jehovah's Witnesses right now, if only for their dedication to sharing their firmly-held beliefs.

So what about us?

I'm positive Reverend Wurmbrand's statement above is not all-inclusive.  I even thought of a few of you who might end up reading this, and the joy which you so often exude due to your relationship with Jesus your Risen Messiah.  Of course the Reverend's observation does not include you (unless you are in the Bible, in the Underground Church, or in prison right now!).  But for the rest of us (and I do say "us" -- including me big time!), I hope this truly penetrates our soul and spirit; even dividing them from each other (Hebrews 4:12), especially when the soulish parts of us become a severe blockade to the functioning of the Holy Spirit within (1 Thessalonians 5:19). 

Seriously, as I write this, I am realizing that there is really not much more that needs to be said about Reverend Wurmbrand's explosive declaration above.  It acts as a mirror for me, and maybe for some of you, in which to gaze and inquire why, when I happen NOT to be in the Bible (well, God DID knit "me" together in my mother's womb [Psalm 139:13]!), in the Underground Church, or in prison, is my joy in the Lord...my love and dedication to Him...so wavering...so circumstances and emotion-based...so "up and down" (James 1:2-8)...and frighteningly yes, so lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16)?  Man, I can open the fridge and see that there is no more milk for my coffee, or have a planned-out day suddenly "infiltrated" by changes and all of a sudden my faith (would it then actually BE faith?) seems to get wobbly beneath my feet.  If that is the case, I guess the question then that should follow is on what, or whom, am I really standing...am I truly believing...if even a modicum of joy tends to rely on milk or a sturdy and successful agenda? 

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”  (Matthew 7:26-27)

Jesus tells us that unless He is the foundation from which anything and everything arises (1 Corinthians 3:10-11), our life will overall be one big precarious house, whose uprightness relies pretty much solely on "good weather."  Hard rains, floods, heavy winds...and good-bye "safe and sound" home.  It is the same with having joy.  True joy can only come when Jesus is He Who supports us (even carries us at times); and we can not only recognize that, but LIVE in the awareness of HIM within and around us: rejoicing in and doing battle with Him in both easier and harder times, and refusing to give satan that foothold (which can come in a variety of ways: through circumstances, emotions, feelings to name a few) that will almost inevitably begin to drain us of joy (Ephesians 4:26-27; John 10:10)...

...Thus the reason why those in the Bible, the Underground Church, and in prison (for Jesus' sake) were and are able to experience and retain true joy: they KNEW/KNOW "face to face" and heart-to-heart (Psalm 27:4) He of Whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote (John 1:45)!  Jesus of Nazareth...the son of Joseph...the Son of God (Luke 1:30-35)...the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53)...the Crucified One (for us - Galatians 3:13)...the RISEN and LIVING Savior of the world (Mark 16:1-7)...He Who comes to give us ETERNAL Life (John 10:10) (who in fact IS eternal life made manifest - John 17:1-3)...and Who promises that if we believe that (John 6:28-29) and hold on to the hem of HIS garment (Matthew 9:19-22; Mark 6:56), we can have an inexplicable yet everlasting joy... 

...come rain or come shine...
 
(When) Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph," Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (And) Philip (offered) to him, "Come and see."  (John 1:45-46)...
 
...Jesus said to his disciples before He went away:

"Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you..."  (John 16:22)

Come and see...I will see you again...THAT is why those in the Bible, in the Underground Church, and in prison (and many of you) can say the following (or similar):

"In our darkest hours of torture (or emotional upheaval, or physical pain, or spiritual attacks, or...), the Son of Man came to us, making the prison walls shine like diamonds and filling the cells with light.  Somewhere, far away, were the torturers below us in the sphere of the body.  But the spirit rejoiced in the Lord..."  (p. 81, Tortured)

They can see Him...He wants us all to see Him:

Come rain or come shine...

In His Precious Love,  
Terri 


 

Walking Through the Acorns - November 23

Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them,  “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to..."   (Luke 13:23-24)

This is a hard saying (John 6:53-61) and can actually likewise (like the verse referenced here from the book of John) be very offensive.  What does it mean that "many...will try to enter and will not be able to"?  Is this fair?!

It keeps coming back to mind the example of a worksheet we sent home with a group of fourth graders the other day.  They actually had a hard time comprehending how to do it; and thankfully, I was given some insight on how to make it clearer to them.  And as I adapted this homework paper for their understanding, a spiritual reality came alive in this cute little math maze assignment.

A squirrel had to find his way through a bunch of acorns that were lined up in rows across the entire page.  HOWEVER, the path the critter followed had to go in between ONLY the acorns that displayed a multiplication problem that resulted in a multiple of three.  I have to admit, at first it did seem a little overwhelming (seeing a whole page splattered with acorns with numbers on them); but as I looked at it, I saw that if the students first circled the appropriate acorns and then drew a line in between the marked nuts, the task was made a little easier.  O.k., but here is what leapt off the page spiritually and continued to do so until this very moment...

That path the squirrel had to follow was SO specifically-defined and SO narrow: he (or she) could  go in between ONLY certain acorns, and the space in between the correct ones was SO tight that barely even a pencil-drawn line could fit through them.  This is the narrow door (or gate, or road...Matthew 7:13-14) through which one must enter and on which one must walk in order to be on the CORRECT path with God.  And what are the requirements for staying on that path...?  In this case, each "acorn" would have written on it one of the many love-filled commandments given to us by God in His Word; here are just a few:

- Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another...  (Romans 14:13)
- Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice...  (Ephesians 4:31)
- But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts... (Romans 13:14)
- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength... (Deut. 6:5)
- And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself."...   (Mark 12:28-31)

As long as our journey follows the line drawn between these Living Words from God, we know we are in the right place; but if one of our acorns does not have a multiple of three on it...that is, if It goes against anything that is given to us by God's Holy Word, we are going in the wrong direction and need to get back on course as quickly as possible...and Who helps us with that...?

Jesus offers, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me..."  (John 14:6)

No one can (nor even desires to) stay on that right path with God unless he or she has had a personal encounter with Jesus and observes the beauty of walking the way He did (and does) in utmost righteousness (read almost any part of Psalm 119).  And even with a yearning to do so, no one can remain on that narrow road "in between the acorns" very long unless he or she is empowered by the Holy Spirit of Messiah to do so (Romans 7:18-25, esp. v. 25):   

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Thank you, Father, for giving us Jesus - who IS the Way to walking between those acorns! 

In His Love,  
Terri

Be Still...Oh My Soul - October 27

Be Still…Oh My Soul 

"Be STILL, and know that I am God..."  (Psalm 46:10)

WHAT???!!! 

Be STILL?   Be STILL in this world that pushes and pulls and takes us from one place to another, many times much more than we would ever want to be???

But God is not necessarily talking about a physical stillness as the context within which we can better acknowledge Him, be with Him...KNOW Him...

I was listening to a song on the radio yesterday which somewhat elaborated on the scripture above.  The words proclaimed, "Oh be still, O MY SOUL and know that the Lord that you love is Lord over all..." (The City Harmonic, "Be Still, O My Soul" from I Have a Dream [It Feels Like Home]).

Be still, oh my SOUL...

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”   (Luke 10:38-42)

When Jesus rebuked Martha for her grumbling that she was having to do all of the work and that her sister Mary seemed to just be lounging around, He did not point out that she was too busy in her physical movements.  The fact that Martha was doing a lot of activity was not the problem.  The obstacle to Martha's peace, and therefore the catalyst for her complaints, was that her SOUL was off kilter -- she was distracted in the serving (not being blessed in or by it) and her mind and heart apparently were worried and troubled about many things.  THIS is what kept her from being able to enjoy the Presence of Jesus...THIS is what was preventing her from being able to truly KNOW Him as He came to spend time in their home.   

It is critical to realize that it is our soul in which our thoughts, emotions, and will live (Matthew 26:38; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Peter 2:11).  And it is as, if not more, urgent to acknowledge that those are the very parts of us (thoughts, emotions, choices we make) that when quieted can open up the possibility of being able to sit in the Presence of God and to enjoy a personal relationship with Him...to KNOW Him.  On the other hand, when those have been distracted, it paves the way not only for less of a chance of being able to hear God's still, small voice speaking to us (1 Kings 19:11-12; Isaiah 30:21-22), but it also opens up wide the doors to other forces being able to enter in and having their say in our lives (1 Peter 5:8):

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody...
(Bob Dylan, "Gotta Serve Somebody," from Slow Train Coming)

...and there are a multitude of ways these day in which our thoughts, emotions, and will are being invaded (and we go right along with it):

- Our agenda doesn't go the way we wanted or expected it to...
 - Someone says something to us we don't agree with...
  - We "wake up on the wrong side of the bed"...
    - Our body hurts...
     - We feel like there has been an injustice against us...
      - Someone hurt someone we love...
       - Too many people want something from us...
        - The phone rings too much...
         - The car dies...
          - Something slips from our hand and breaks...
           - Someone cuts us off in traffic...

IT'S JUST TOO MUCH TO TAKE...!!!!!

 And (Martha) had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

Be still, Oh my soul...and know that the Lord that you love is Lord over all...

Be STILL, and know that I am God...

Be still...

Lord, please help us - our mind, emotions, and will - to be still; and then we can be just where we need to be...and then we can be in and enjoy Your Presence.

Love in Him,  
Terri  

For the Glory of God - October 13

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days...     (John 11:5-6)

WHAT?!  His dear friend Lazarus was sick, but Jesus decided to hang out for a while???!!!

One of the hardest things to understand, whether one is a follower of Jesus or not, is why certain events occur the way they do, especially when they seem to make life harder in one way or another.  Reading this section of scripture this morning, I was reminded of an incredibly hopeful, loving, and life-giving reason.  If you are going through something this morning, ask the Lord to please show how this marvelous motivation can be applied to your situation.

Nearly all of the translations of the passage above make it clear that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus deeply (see also 11:33-36).  They also reveal a similar startling reality: that even though he had learned that Lazarus was very sick (and probably was going to die) and had the power to restore him (as we know from countless other miraculous healings surrounding this event); Jesus deliberately chose to stay where he was, only several miles away from Bethany where Lazarus was ailing.  Even some of the Jews who had gathered to offer Martha and Mary comfort after their brothers death recognized, "Could not He Who opened a blind man's eyes have prevented this man from dying?" (11:37).  It is ironic that this mention of Jesus restoring a blind man's sight probably refers to a miracle that had just recently occurred (John 9:1-7), and the reason given for this man's lack of vision and subsequent healing is similar to why Jesus tarried before he went to Lazarus's rescue:

"...in order that the workings of God should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in him (the blind man)..."  (John 9:3)   

"This sickness is not to end in death; but (on the contrary) it is to honor God and to promote His glory, that the Son of God may be glorified through (by) it."   (John 11:4)

In both situations, the harsh circumstances involved - a man being without natural vision from birth and a dear friend's physical death - were used to bring glory to God...

AND (before God is accused of being tremendously selfish for doing this):

...to restore sight to someone who was blind...

...and to bring life to the dead...

It is sometimes hard to understand why certain things happen the way they do...and as a result it is all-too-easy to think that we have been abandoned, to feel that we are being punished or even condemned, or to fall into what seems to be a pool of quicksand called despair.  But whatever it is, God is so merciful that He is able to transform the event that feels like a putrid, stinking death (John 11:39) into one that can actually facilitate New Life (John 11:41-44)...if we are willing to allow Him to use it in that way (John 12:23-25).  It's not easy to see severe life-impacting situations like this...but it is possible if, with the supernaturally-given power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 19:26), we believe...

Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?"  (John 11:40)

May God get the glory through whatever harder circumstance you may find yourself in this morning, and may He make it manifest to you soon just how that glory will be revealed!   ( :

In His Love,    

Terri

Amazing Love - September 6

And now, says the Lord—Who formed me from the womb to be His servant to bring Jacob back to Him and that Israel might be gathered to Him and not be swept away, for I am honorable in the eyes of the Lord and my God has become my strength—

He says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors [of the judgments] of Israel; I will also give you for a light to the nations, that My salvation may extend to the end of the earth.    (Isaiah 49:5-6)

Wow.

This was the Isaiah devotional that came to heart, and that I wanted to share, a few days ago - prior to the last one written and sent out entitled "Trusting God."  It hit me so hard how amazing...how truly, extraordinarily AMAZING...God's love is, and how this is mightily manifested in these verses from Isaiah. 

It is true that ultimately Jesus came to reconcile the Jewish people to their God (Romans 11:25-27 - see footnotes also): Jesus was born into a Jewish home, and his disciples were also of Hebrew descent.  He Himself declared that he "was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel" (Matthew 15:21-24) and cried out his longing to gather them back "as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings"  (Luke 13:34).  BUT...

He (God) says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors [of the judgments] of Israel...

WHAT?!

TOO LIGHT?!...TOO LIGHT?!...TOO LIGHT a thing to redeem and sanctify a group of people...to rescue them from eternal condemnation and to bring them back to the bosom of the God?!  Oh my goodness...I was awe-struck when I read this.  But to God, who desires that ALL should be saved, this was not enough...

He says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors [of the judgments] of Israel...

...I will also give you for a light to the nations...

...that My salvation may extend to the end of the earth. 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.   (John 3:16)

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants ALL people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for ALL...  (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

...that My salvation
       may extend
            to the end of the earth. 
 
How does that song go...?
 
Amazing love,
 How can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
 
(for all of us)

Amazing love...
 
In His Precious (and amazing) Love,
Terri