Cartas De Amour

Hey, this is Cartas de Amour.  Got a minute?  

I'd like to sit with you here and describe in the best words that I can,

what I've come to know.  Its not a quick clip or a one liner,

but It is the biggest treasure!  Thanks, Cartas

 

Dear Friend,

If we were talking Calculus at the core, I could say "2 + 2 = 4".   Yes, that would be an accurate display in some ways, but that would not be a very good explanation of what the vastness of the subject really is.

So here, in a few words, let me tell you about the biggest thing there is!  Ready?  I would like to introduce you to Father God.  Here's why:  God loves you and wants to relate with you through Jesus His Son, and teach you to live empowered by The Holy Spirit, by The Word of God! 

This Good News:

You might ask, "What's in my way of my relating with God?"  As humans, we all fail.  The Bible says it this way, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)  OUCH!  No matter how hard we work to improve ourselves, we aren't ready to relate with God, or get to Heaven on our own - because God is Holy, and we fall short.  God did something fantastic though:  Because God loves us so much (see John 3:16-17 in The Bible) He gave us a Savior in Jesus Christ, so we wouldn't have to be apart from Him!  I love that welcome!!  He is working behind the scenes to bring us to Himself.  We get to come as we are to Him... and let Him help us with the details.

Notice the emptiness inside, feel His stirring...  We just need to decide to receive His love, and decide to love and serve God and not live for ourselves anymore.  The Holy Spirit draws us to God, and we become transformed! 

Right now, you can invite and welcome Jesus to be your Savior - "Jesus save me!"  is a fabulous prayer! 

"Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved."  Romans 10:13 explains.  That is the best news ever!!!!!!!!!! 

Jesus took your life so seriously, that He gave up His own life for you and was crucified on a cross, wow - let that sink in!!  He died for us because of love!  But - He didn't stop there, because He wanted to show us the greatest victory!!  He rose from the dead and came back to life and He lives forever!!  Jesus modeled a power-filled life, staying connected to The Father.  Are you ready to come back to Him?

Let's pause right here...  With just this information, you can assess your life.  You can come to Father God with a humble heart.  You can tell God that you are very sorry for the wrong thoughts or actions you have done, and ask for His forgiveness.  Talk to Him honestly; that's called prayer.  You can turn to Him, and turn away from other things, and begin to live your life from now on with His strength and with Jesus as your focus!  "Jesus I ask You to save me right now."  He promised that He will.   And ask Jesus to fill you with the Holy Spirit and power.

It doesn't stop here - this is just the beginning of your new life in Christ!  You will have His dear friendship on earth, and a home in Heaven to look forward to later on!  You can learn more about Him through His Word, The Bible; it's like the 'Owner's Guide' on God and living in Christ, and navigating this world with new vision.  You can also learn a lot about God by being around loving believers who have found hope in Jesus Christ too.  You will be amazed with what He will do through you, once your heart is surrendered to Him.

You may feel deep peace, for the first time, as you prayed to receive salvation here.  For some, it is a very quiet, reflective moment.  You might even cry, or laugh with great relief when you lay down your past or your pains.  Each person's encounter with God is so special and so custom.  It's your new beginning!  This custom encounter lifestyle is what its like to walk daily with Him. 

If you welcomed Jesus into your heart and life today- CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  Let someone know!  You are now God's child!  If you still have questions,  give Him time to show you who He is...  See the More, Deeper Life and Resources sections below. 

Thank you for hearing my heart on this, yes, "One day will change the end",

Cartas de Amour

Psalm 27

 

Tell me more...

Here is 'more of the math' so you understand even better the decision to follow Christ as your Savior and Lord.  You can refer to this later on as well.

Father God, has existed forever and He always will.  His Words in The Bible, are for everyone.  The Holy Spirit has been preparing your heart for this moment, when you will hear the Truth - maybe for the first time, and encounter God! 

God is not a religion, not a dogma, not a side-dish.  He is everything.  He is Majesty, Power, Lordship, Dominion and so much more.  We won't understand everything about Him until we are in eternity with Him, because He is God.  Yet, He is a tender Daddy, and walks with us as a friend through this world, and prepares a place for us to live in Heaven with Him in the life to come too - if we are His.  It's also crucial to note:  "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord".  Romans 6:23.  Our need for God is non-optional!  God reached my heart when I was just 4 years old and I am still in awe of Him! - actually more so all the time!!  

Someone said it this way:  "There is a 'God-shaped' hole in our hearts."  We all need to find the way to God - Jesus Christ is the Only Way to Father God, and The Holy Spirit leads us into all Truth and draws us to Father God. 

Jesus said many things in the Bible, and of Himself He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to The Father, except by Me."   John 14:6.  

For thousands of years, The Almighty God has been described as Love and Song.  He is our Hope and Peace, He is altogether lovely and Holy and Worthy, He is the Beginning and the End...  We can know His sound!  He owns silence and His voice is so still and small, yet it thunders and can break giant trees.  One word, or thought, from Him changes everything!!  He leads and guides the willing through big and small details of our days and how we interact to bring hope to others.  He knows all things and is all powerful, yet He longs to be known, and to know each of us and to talk with us as friends.  Make time for Him.  You will discover He is WONDERFUL!

Jesus came to earth from Heaven as fully God and fully man, yet born of a virgin.  (You might like to start reading the Bible in the Book of John.)  One of Jesus' names is "Emmanuel" which means 'God with us'.  He came to help us understand 'son-ship'.  Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin, The Bible says.  What else was He saying? 

Jesus came to demonstrate a super-natural life, alive in unison with Father God!  That's wild - and that's for us too.   He cleansed the lepers, healed the sick and He commissioned us to preach His good news and share His power!  And, He made a way for us to go to Heaven, free of charge, when we die or when He returns, whichever comes first.

You don't have to be 'good enough', follow a formula, jump through hoops or complete 72 steps to be saved.  You can simply cry out:  "Jesus, save me!"  and you will encounter Him, and you can begin to live for Him.  He will help you.

Believing is about trust in, cling to, and rely on.  What is your foundation built on?

Friend, Father is waiting for you.  He has His own custom plan for you and wants to be nearer to you.  He wants to hear about your questions and what matters to you, and hear what you dream about.  One word from Him changes everything!  He makes all things new, He changes our perspectives, motives and direction, and He heals our broken hearts.  Check out the promises in the Bible, God wants to be active in your life! 

Most importantly, God wants you to spend eternity with Him, and the only way to do that is through salvation through Jesus Christ as we have detailed here from The Bible.  Once you repent, you can be baptized in water, as a public, outward sign of what has taken place in your heart.

GOD is a lifetime experience, not a one day event. 

Maybe you have heard of God or Jesus before, or maybe you haven't.  In this little place, I want to be sure that you know who He is, so that you can welcome, worship and adore Him in your own life!  Its not about what we can do for Him, or working our way somewhere.  Don't miss out on Jesus, The King of Kings!  Salvation is His free gift to us!  Its about opening your heart to Him, He is knocking at the door... 

Jesus is a real person.  He is fully God and fully man.  When we ask Jesus to save us, we start a journey about learning about Him and life in His Kingdom.  The Holy Spirit is Our Comforter and Teacher and more...  God gives us real power to be done with lesser things in this life!  Just remember that if everything falls down, run to God - not away from Him.  (Job in the Bible was a great example of this in Job 1.)  Once we have faith in Jesus Christ, we learn to listen to and treasure other people better too.  We are in touch with God's grace and mercy and we can bring Hope as He directs us to into this world!

Once you are saved, life is all about staying connected to Him with a heart of devotion toward Him, and living to know Him more!!!  (See Psalm 27:4 and Phil. 3:8)  And, that leads to fun reaching out to other people too, like I get to do in song, spontaneous conversation, or in simple words written here, because God cares, and so do I.  He loves to speak to our hearts!  This is a lot of words -- how can we fit HIM into a page?

God is waiting for your return with open arms.  Maybe you have never known that happy kind of love -  It's yours today!! 

My friend, God is way more than the "2 + 2 = 4" above, yet salvation is oh so simple.  I wanted to make it plain for you, because it is so vitality important.  Sometimes people can go to church all their lives and know about God, but not really know Him and choose Him and hear Him!!  Some people, may not even know that they can know Him like this!  All of these precepts come from The Bible and have been proven through the lives of millions of believers for thousands of years.  You can make a fresh commitment to Him, or renew your faith today!  So once again, here is your opportunity to assess your eternal destiny:

Talk to God like a friend:  "Jesus, I believe who You are based on the Truth of The Bible.   Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross and rose from the dead to forgive my sins, and make a bridge to Father God for me.  Thank you!!  I surrender control of my life to You Jesus, please be my Lord.  God, please forgive my sins, where I have strayed from You, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit.  Give me a new beginning.  Jesus please save me.  Father, please help me to understand Your Word, and to treasure it and apply it.  Please help me to enjoy You, to hear Your voice and follow Your instructions.  I want to live for You.  Heal me and free me now in Jesus' Name.  Thank you for saving me!!!  I love You Jesus, Amen."  (Amen means:  Let it be so.) 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!  Woohoo!!!  All of Heaven is rejoicing with those who make this most crucial decision today!  Praise God that you invited Jesus to live in the command center of your heart!!!  Please let someone know that you are going to go all out for Jesus and walk with Him!!  Now, you have something to sing about! - share Jesus with your family and friends!   Tell someone today:  "I asked Jesus to save me and He did!"

Learn more about your new faith in Jesus Christ

in the Deeper Life section below!

DEEPER LIFE:  Some thoughts on following Jesus 

Learning about God, and walking with Him is an outrageous ongoing discovery, and it will stir the dearest devotion in your heart for Him!   And a cool aspect of that is that we become more like Him, by being around Him...

'Deeper Life' is kind of a 'Real Christianity 101' that I've written for you here, like a coaching page of essentials to get you started.  Hopefully it will save you some time and pitfalls! 

Your new beginning:  So, now that Jesus is your Savior, you are part of the family of God! "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:"  John 1:12 explains.  

Becoming a believer is kind of like giving God the car keys of your life, and asking Him to drive...  That's a big trust - but He is proven Faithful!  This is actually pretty wild and pretty fun!  Sometimes it is like a tapestry, looking up at it from underneath, it's not quite clear yet, but one day we will see the full picture.  He is always with us to guide and to strengthen us.  Stay hungry and determine to be a life-long learner.  God does gives us glimpses along the way, so be prepared to smile at your progress.

Jesus gave a great picture of what the life of a Christ-follower looks like, Jesus said it Himself, " 'You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all  your mind.' This is the greatest and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor, as yourself.'  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 22: 37-40 NASB.   Jesus saw the power of loving yourself, and knew the attacks of darkness that can buffet a soul.  When we are filled with Godly confidence, rejoicing with our Creator in who He made us to be, we are going to be looking for the treasure in one another.  This was His point.  Being sold out, fully surrendered, to God has got to result in terrific love, or there is something wrong.  (See also Romans 12, I Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5:22-23)

As you respond to The Holy Spirit, and His drawing you to God, you might cry about past things and then feel great relief and even tears of joy, that your sins are literally gone!  "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions (sins) from us"  Psalm 103:12  is so hope-filled!  AND, living in His nearness is the best of goodness there is!  From this place, He will empower you to reach out to others.

Christian:  A Christian is a believer in Jesus Christ, someone that lives for Him, and sets their heart to become like Him.  A Christian, - Not a 'church-ian'.  That is a very important distinctive. 

To keep things clearly on Jesus here, there is an intentional low emphasis on church in what I have written.  Church is great!  Church and God however aren't the same thing, although Jesus is 'The Head of the Church'. 

Going to church and having a relationship with Jesus are totally different, yet hopefully they do intersect.

What we are after is a relationship with Jesus our Savior and Lord.  Going to Church won't get you into Heaven.  Only Jesus Saves.  Jesus began the Church and is convinced of its overcoming, lasting power on earth.  You'll find imperfect people there, but anybody can be a Becomer!  Read the seven letters to the churches in the book of Revelation for a unique view of God in relationship to The Church (Revelation is the last Book in The Bible).  There is much to be learned about what God thinks great church is.  

In America, there are many churches.  As you are looking for a church to attend, look for earnest, lively people.  Ones that enjoy learning The Bible, like to pray for people, and are applying The Word of God to their lives.  A Pastor that says the Name of Jesus often and explains salvation each week somehow should be a good clue!  Look for people who love deeply and are kind.  Chances are that they are sold out to Jesus and following Him.  If there is pressure and religious systems and anything that detracts from Jesus as Lord, that's not it.  You will know His Sound.  Developing your relationship at home with God and The Bible, worshiping Him on your own, with your words and singing to Him, will help you discern what church or group has His flavor.  You can start by singing Psalms from the Bible with your own simple melodies.

 

Jesus - "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature

and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. 

After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high..." 

 Hebrews 1:3  (ESV) 

 

Expectation - The good kind!  Now you have a direct connection to God!  It is so cool!  Jesus is our example.

Jesus was all about the Father and doing the Father's business on earth.  That is what He prefers that we do, now that we are His.  Not everyone notices this.

Jesus explained that He was devoted to not doing His own thing.  This was maximum impact!  (You will enjoy reading His earthly life described in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in The New Testament of the Bible.) 

Jesus would get alone with God to pray.  He was out among the people.  He was in the Temple.  He trained His inner circle, 12 guys, referred to as 'the disciples'.  And He always turned the conversation back to 'Our Father'.

And now, He walks with you through this wild world and He increases your impact exponentially! 

Fear dissipates... For example, He shows me which grocery to go to, because He knows what's on sale, and knows I like that.  He leads me to people that He'd like to have a conversation with, or that I can be kind to, or encourage.  He is bold!  We write songs together and do life together.  I wish I would have kept track of everything He has done and said - it is astounding!!!!!!!  Yes, He is that detailed and yes He is omnipotent! 

It is so empowering and humbling, as we learn to see from His perspective, which is actually quite different from ours.  We can sense His nearness and its wonderful to respond and just talk to Him:  "Wow Lord, that was great today!"  or "Gosh, that really hurt, I am going to need your help in forgiving them for that..." 

Real God, real people, real connection, real hope and inspiration!  Stay inspired!!  Be expecting Him to heal any brokenness, inside or out.  He wants you and I to be renewed and refreshed!  Sometimes the journey will feel a bit dusty... yet a huge part of overcoming is to learn to apply the Promises in God's Word to your life!  Cultivate His nearness, His presence is beyond description!  Begin to add what He says in His Word to your faith and watch what He does!  There is a ton of praise music and it will help you sing to the Lord songs of love and keep your perspective on Him.  It's great to have it playing in the background in your home...

Because we welcome Him, we begin to hear Jesus' voice in our heart.  Make time to be in The Bible each day, and be expecting His guidance. 

Even one Bible verse can set the tone of your day.  Other voices that are not of The Light, begin to fade as we don't 'feed them', because we don't follow them anymore.  Before you know it, you've been delivered of things, or your attitude or appetite for 'lesser things' is changed.  Remember He is funny - so if you hear Him joke with you, or give you a zesty chicken BBQ recipe - yep!  He is ALLL THAT!  Remember He created love, laughter, marriage, joy, happiness, and the beauty and grandeur of nature, all within the Beauty of His Holiness - why wouldn't He be the coolest person to hang out with!!??

Gather:  Like the men on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35 said, "Didn't His Words burn in our hearts..."  They were doing life, and Jesus came along and something happened!  They were stirred by the encounter they had had with Jesus!  That's our life too...

Be looking for opportunities to gather with other believers and talk about verses or promises from The Bible that really speak to your situation or season.  It can be at dinner, or on the phone with someone. 

Make time to have coffee with other people.  Listen to their heart, show them care, pray for them, and talk about your walk with the Lord and prayers you've seen Him answer recently.  Include God, by listening in your heart as you speak. 

Expect that He will be there with you. "Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them",  Jesus said (Matthew 18:20). 

When believers come together - God is there!  It may be in a church building, on the street, in your home, at work, while reaching out to the homeless or training your Home-school child...  He is stirred up and wanting to be active.  This is church too, because we are His Church, we all have a wonderful part to play in His plan.  Serving God isn't only volunteering at your local church, it's like we have described here.  The original church was daily.  He likes a lot of things, and He is a whole lot more adventurous and free flowing, as well as Majestic, than we have all understood!!

God Life:  God is our life!  Worship isn't something we do on Sunday morning only.  God is our life.  Worship is our moment by moment lifestyle.  It's not all musical, but even God sings!  (See Zeph. 3:16-17) 

Psalms says:  "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord..." and "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise..."  "Be thankful unto Him and bless His name...for the Lord is..."  And when we have lifted our praise and knelt in worship and reverence, don't go!  Expect to open your heart and hear Him...  It's exciting!  (See Psalm 95)  King David in the Psalms of the Bible, described many of the ups and downs of His life - but His heart was determined to pen beautiful praise and worship to the Lord!  He had spent time with God as a shepherd first, and later God made Him King.  But, He really knew who the Lord is and that affected His praise!  

Living to know God more means we want to spend time with Him.  He is our life and our life line.  He welcomes us.  And we can return and keep returning to the Lord as we need to.  David lived out great victories and great defeats, but He knew how to 'encourage Himself in the Lord', Psalms says.  He ran back to God.  And, through it all David was said to be 'a man after God's own heart'.  (See Acts 13:22)  Wow!  How much more can we do - we have Jesus and our Bible to help us with our faith!!

We can spend time with God at specific times of the day, and throughout the week.  And, all through out the day while whispering a prayer, just thinking about and acknowledging Jesus, while we go about life.  We might be peppy in our prayer, even loud sometimes, and at times enjoy soothing quiet listening.  You can feel His peace come near; His presence is like nothing else.  That might be at home, in the car or at Church.

Use your time, energy, character, gifts, and dreams wisely.  Take your time and let the Lord direct your relationships and career.  You might serve in the local church in a large or small way.  In a while, you might also begin a ministry that does outreach or strengthens people or both. 

A lot of churches have Pastors that like to meet individually with people if they need specific advise.  Some offer New Believers classes and Pre-Martial counseling, or other spiritual growth classes or Sunday School.  There are also Christian counselors your friends or Pastor might know of.  They can give you some names perhaps, if you have a special need for additional advise. There are many wonderful resources online such as griefshare.org. 

This is the 'Body of Christ'... we are part of something all over the world!  You will find all kinds of ways to share your faith with your friends, family and co-workers when the time is right.  Pray for the people around you to come to know Jesus!  You can share your story and lead them in a simple prayer. 

Always find a way to incorporate Romans 12 into your life, and Isaiah 58.  Psalm 27:4 is our God Life quest! 

God is so captivated with our hearts!  He loves it that He created us each so uniquely, "knit us together..." and "Counts our hairs..." The Bible says.  Listen for His direction and timing on how and where to connect and serve others and do it out of devotion to Him. 

What is it that you do that is special?  What is it about you that would bring joy to others? 

I always wanted to be 'the best chicken casserole lady' at the church, but that's not always my gift -  and that's o.k.  But, I have been called an 'Encourager', and I am thankful that it works for me and others. 

If your gift is one thing, don't let anybody step on it, and don't criticize what they can do or how God has blessed them.  Some real good advise there from Romans 12.  You can sort through the phrases in Isaiah 61 too, and see if you see a direction to reach out with from there. 

Now, let's talk about money, it too is part of our God Life.  (By the way, there is no Donate button on this page, that was intentional.)  The Bible actually talks quite a bit about money.  God is the source of our finances and all we have.  We need to thank Him often!! and hold onto material things loosely.   Look at how others get ahead in the corporate world, see if it lines up with 1 Corinthians 13... "Love is patient, love is kind..."  Make adjustments to your style where you need to.  Loving God will affect your focus and your relationships.  Hmm... it sounds like right attitudes about money are connected to love...   

What does pure love look like from here?  You might treasure the people close to you in a whole new way as a believer, especially as you begin to understand more and more just how much God treasures you, and them! 

As you grow to understand how much Father God treasures you, it will help you treasure yourself and form relationships with people who treasure you.  Pray for your spouse to be saved, if you are married to someone who is not yet saved.  God can be very creative with love and show your how to better reach their heart.  

God may lead you to forgive some specific people; He will show you how.   "Keep short accounts" as they say. 

As you begin to know God's heart, you will recognize and welcome the amazing sweetness in His voice!!!!!!!!!  You'll see the power and potential that God created in people, and you might get to pray into that or stir that up!

When you hear the sweetness of God's voice, you'll be changed.  This is so exciting! (And sadly, many Christians miss this vital part of God!)  By hearing Him and listening to His Word, you'll begin to want to please Him most, even with money or the things you consider the dearest in your life.  This is called surrender!  It really becomes an art form, and loving Jesus can become the driver for everything in your life!! 

Jesus said "Give and it shall be given to you..."  (Luke 6:38) and "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"...  (Matthew 6)  God is always looking at our hearts, and encouraging them to become bigger, to trust Him more, to believe and not doubt.  Even about money.  It's 'loving the money' that's the issue; don't go there.  Keep God first in your life.  Almost anything can become 'an idol', and that is not what you want.

We all know that money can be a tremendous source for good.  Money can have a real pull on us, because it is quite handy in our world.  Would you give to support His work in the earth?  Find people that exemplify Christ, and churches that He directs you to and be generous with yourself, your earnings and your talents.  Its empowering to give by His direction always.  Give in spontaneous moments too.  It's precious to feel a nudge to give to someone behind you in the line at the grocery store and watch their face light up... 

Watch for the God moments in your God Life, and you can't go wrong.  He may surprise you and give you some extra money at times too!  (See, now that talk about money wasn't bad.) 

Thanks!!:  "A thankful heart is a happy heart, I'm glad for what I have, that's an easy way to start..."  Sang Larry the Cucumber,  in a song from the adorable Christian Children's series 'Veggie Tales'. 

"In everything give thanks :  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  (1 Thessalonians 5:18) 

When you hold a door for someone or you see someone smile when you've simply thanked them - It's so good!  Yet, thanks is an even more powerful spiritual weapon against the pressures and powers of this world! 

So, when things go right - thank God.  When things aren't how you want them - yet - thank God.  Watch what happens!  Faith is about seeing beyond the present reality and connecting with God and what He says is True - that is always higher than earthly facts.

Since 2012, after hearing a friend speak about thanking God, I determined to be more intentional about being thankful, and staying thankful.  It's really been good!  Directing my thanks to God more often really changes me, and has definitely sustained me!  There were a lot of things I didn't like about my life going on some time after that training.  So, one day I was so determined to find something to be thankful for that I thanked God for the legs on the kitchen table lol!  We had a good laugh, but this truth is really special.  It's like it cuts through the mire.  When we get back to thanks, it is so much easier to overcome, or find the wisdom we need.

Thanks is a point of contact for our faith!  It is like fuel for a miracle!  It gets us out of ourselves and lifts our eyes.  Thank You Lord for giving us the ability to thank You!!  (See Psalm 100:4)

Jesus took the little loaves and fishes, gave thanks and had plenty to feed 5000 people and had leftovers!  (see Matthew 14:19-21.) 

What is our thanks (or lack of it  - oops!) doing behind the scenes.  FYI - God's kids, the Children of Israel, got in trouble for grumbling in the Old Testament.  Just sayin...  "For what we are about to receive, let us be truly grateful." is an old fashioned table grace.  I like that one!  There is really something to be said for that.  It may take a minute to learn this in your heart and that's o.k., but we can tune our soul there, and head in that direction.

We may not have to like everything to be able to be thankful that God is with us, or find hope and have faith that He will intervene.  Thanks takes us into praise... He can work with that.  It really is an offering at times!!   It really can be a sacrifice and that's kind of pretty.  Let me hear from you on how thanks works out for you!

God's Kingdom:  One thing to keep in mind, God's Kingdom doesn't function the same way as this world.  Just like 'thanks' described above is opposite from what our soul or emotions may be saying!  Yet, we get to learn to live in unison with Him and bring His Kingdom to the earth- this brings great joy!  It's kind of like we are the newscasters, wired to an earbud with the command center, waiting for further instructions to do and speak.  If we set our sites on The Kingdom, we won't be so glued to the earth.

Jesus often spoke in parables, and about the Kingdom and He demonstrated The Kingdom here on earth, as our example...  "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..."  "A sower went forth..." 

He will keep us guessing at times too - maybe He just loves the chase!

Those that believe on Jesus and choose to follow Him and learn His ways can expect to hear His voice as we've talked about.  It never gets old!  There is real power there and a whole lot of 'surfing' the wonders of who He is and what He wants to do at any given time!  He is timeless but loves to connect us into 'divine moments' where we bring His power and presence to others.  Like walking out of the restaurant speaking words of healing and life and hope to a man who was in great pain... because we were there at the right time!  Taking the stage and singing a song He wanted to hear, and having people be so touched by the message of it.  This is Kingdom Life.  

Remember that God created the world with His words, and He is always speaking.  Measure what you have an impression of, or are hearing, with The Word of God.  Sometimes it's like a slide show or a picture rather than words with an impression.  You can step out where He invites you and He will direct the conversation.  I said to a friend one time, "Does a __________ mean anything to you..."  the conversation unfolded, and God did wonderful things that day.  I had 'seen' a specific piece of furniture and we went with that...  He is with us!

There is something else you should know about the Christian Life - it is not without persecutions.  There is a war between darkness and Light.  The Kingdom vs the enemy of our souls.  Jesus is already victorious because He overcame, death, hell and the grave when He rose from the dead after His crucifixion.  Then, He ascended to Heaven and sits at the Right Hand of God and prays for us also.  We are pilgrims in this life.  Waiting for "At the Name of Jesus, every knee will bow... and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" like Philippians 2:9-11 shares with us.

Now that you know what is REALLY going on, can you imagine not knowing Jesus and being on His team?

The Kingdom might be described as a 'happy exchange'.  We surrender gladly to Christ who has given us His all, and give to Him our all.  It is at times costly.  We agree to learn to live differently here, because there is another Kingdom with Jesus as The King!  This is not all for just the moment, it's really going somewhere!!   Can you envision that you are now connected with the biggest anything, anywhere!!!  

Jesus' example of prayer He taught His disciples, we call it The Lord's Prayer, is in Matthew 6:9-13.  It invites God's Kingdom to come, and His will to be done 'on earth as it is in Heaven... ' That will take some time to consider what is going on up there!!  In the meantime, let's pray, "THY KINGDOM COME!!!"  

Happy Surrender:  A little bit of advice from two 'spiritual mothers' of mine, can really keep us in Kingdom mode: These items are powerful!  They took me a while to grasp, but I still refer to these all the time.  Wonder what the world would be like if we all did this all the time:

• "Keep your joy!"   (no matter what is going on)  
• "Die to it Sister/Brother"   (anything we are whining about, let it go, turn it over to God and trust He will work it out for His glory!)
• "Take every opinion to the Cross!"   (The best advise ever, it is so good to live free of opinion, saves a lot of time too.  If I need an opinion, He will speak to me.  This is a place of real power!  I would rather be a vessel to pour out His words than my own.  It can be our goal to never be 'right' -yes!.  That saves us from a lot of arguments and makes way for great communication.)
• "I'll pray about that Brother/Sister"   (Really pray about unsolicited advice you are randomly given.  Affirm the person by assuring them that you will pray about what they said.  Sincerely ask Father God to show you how it might apply to your life.  Follow what the Lord says about the information they shared.  This is so cool!)  

LOVE:  Understand that God's expectation for you is love.  Be loved!  He loves us!  And, we get to love Him!  And out of that, our focus is on Him, and His love flows out to others.  Right living will follow as you begin to pray to understand His love for you.  Ephesians 3: 16-19 has a great prayer about that!  If you start with love, you will excel!!!!  And, I Corinthians 13 is a great training in love, what it looks like.  Its not carnal, worldly love, but real, genuine, enduring love.  "Love is patient, love is kind..."   It is not wimpy, love has a 'back bone' "Love is not happy with evil, but rejoices with the truth",  one translation says.  You will see, and you will know.

Can we become love?  One lovely believer died and went to heaven and returned with a message that is a good question and mission for all of us:  "Did you learn to love?"  Spirit directed love can be very different.  Be unafraid. I hope you have felt Love here in His words, and mine. 

Cartas de Amour

February 2022

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"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart man believes and with mouth confession is made unto salvation."  Romans 10:9-10