Roy Lessin/Meet Me in the Meadow

[Judy Harder]

The Joy of being Forgiven: Justification
Nov 02, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


Justification
The blood of Jesus signifies the washing away of our sin and our justification before God.

Who being the brightness of his  glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; In whom we have redemption through his blood, even  the forgiveness of sins: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 5:9, Titus 3:5, Colossians 1:14, Romans 5:9

One of the most amazing things that the shed blood of Jesus Christ has accomplished is our justification before God—God receiving us just as though we had never sinned. Because of Christ's shed blood God can look at our lives no matter how dark, how sinful, or how unclean they may have been, and declare us guilt free!

In justification our debts are not only canceled, they are wiped clean; our sins are not only forgiven, they are remembered against us no more. Justification is a legal term. If we are brought before a judge to be tried for a crime and proven innocent, we have been justified. If we are proven guilty we cannot be justified, and we must pay the price for our crime. The only way we could ever be declared justified once we've been proven guilty is to have someone meet the full demands of the law by taking our punishment for us.

Christ's blood justifies us, not because we are innocent, but because He has taken our judgment. He is the spotless lamb offered up for the transgressor—the obedient Son taking the place of the rebellious child—the caring Creator yielding His life for His fallen creation.

Lord, I praise You that I can stand before You guilt free. What a great salvation! You didn't just pity me, You came to take every judgement I deserved; You haven't just forgiven my past, You regard it as though it had never happened. You are my wonderful Savior and I am so grateful!

—

This post in part of a series called The Joy of Being Forgiven.

There are three main reasons for this series:

To help those who are burdened by sin to enter into the joy of being forgiven.
To remind those who have been forgiven to live each day in thankfulness for the gift of His forgiveness and the joy it has brought your heart.
To provide for those who know the joy of being forgiven, a way for them to share the message of God's forgiveness with others.
Click the links below to read previous posts in this series..

Darkness
Guilt
Repentance
Grace
Change
Strength
Holiness
Redemption
Rightousness


Please feel free to print out these postings or share them online as the Lord may lead you.

[Judy Harder]

 

Complete
Jesus is the Redeemer
You are rescued!
Jesus is the Bread of Life
You are fed!
Jesus is the Light of the World
You are guided!
Jesus is the Door of the sheep
You are accepted!
Jesus is the Good Shepherd
You are cared for!
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life
You are filled with hope!
Jesus is the Mighty God - You are safe!
Jesus is the Way - You are secure!
Jesus is the Life - You are whole!
Jesus is the Truth - You are certain!
Jesus is the True Vine - You have everything you need!

You are complete in Him. Colossians 2:10 NKJV

- Devotional by Roy Lessin, from his blog Meet Me In The Meadow

[Judy Harder]

The Joy of Being Forgiven: Worship
Nov 05, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


Worship
The beauty of the Lord's character and nature bring us to a deep place of worship and adoration for Him who is the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, and the Bright Morning Star.

I am  the rose of Sharon, and  the lily of the valleys.

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is  thy Lord; and worship thou him.

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Song of Solomon 2:1, Psalm 95:6, Psalm 96:9, Psalm 45:11, Revelation 4:10, Revelation 4:11, Revelation 5:9

What does Jesus look like? When the Bible tells us what Jesus looked like it doesn't describe His physical characteristics— the reference in Isaiah about His physical appearance tells us, "...He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is  no beauty that we should desire him." Isaiah 53:2.

The Bible describes what Jesus looked like by telling us about His character and His actions. He went about doing good. He had compassion on the multitudes seeing them as sheep in need of a shepherd. He healed the sick and freed the oppressed. He comforted those who mourned and touched the lives of those who were untouchable.

Jesus looked like love; He looked like joy; He looked like the fruit of the Spirit. In His face the glory of God was reflected, through His eyes the heart of the Father was seen, from His smile the favor of God was manifest.

Jesus looked like purity and holiness. He looked like everything good and right. The closer we draw near to Jesus and learn His heart the more beauty we see. Like the rose, it is in its closeness that the fragrance is the strongest and sweetest. As we draw close to Him in worship we will see His beauty more clearly, and as we delight ourselves in His presence the fragrance of the Lord will intoxicate our souls.

Lord, You are beautiful. I honor You. I want to draw close to You and learn Your mind; I want to walk close to You and understand  Your ways; I want to be close to You and know Your heart. Increase my capacity to comprehend the height, depth, length, and width of Your amazing love. Each day I want to gaze upon Your face, see Your glory, and become a worshiper of who You are and all You do.

—

This post in part of a series called The Joy of Being Forgiven.

There are three main reasons for this series:

To help those who are burdened by sin to enter into the joy of being forgiven.
To remind those who have been forgiven to live each day in thankfulness for the gift of His forgiveness and the joy it has brought your heart.
To provide for those who know the joy of being forgiven, a way for them to share the message of God's forgiveness with others.
Click the links below to read previous posts in this series..

Darkness
Guilt
Repentance
Grace
Change
Strength
Holiness
Redemption
Rightousness
Justification

[Judy Harder]

What It's All About?

Nov 06, 2012 04:00 am | Mandy


It's not about following our career path;
It's about following His call upon our lives. Matthew 16:24

It's not about our self-efforts to live for Him;
It's about letting Him live His life in us. Galatians 2:20

It's not about our attempts at self-improvement;
It's about His transforming grace. 2 Corinthians 5:17

It's not about our self-image;
It's about being conformed to His image. Romans 8:29

It's not about our abilities to serve;
It's about His power to equip us. Acts 1:8

It's not about our human resources;
It's about His sufficiency. 2 Corinthians 3:5

It's not about wanting the approval of others;
It's about having His approval. 2 Timothy 2:15

[Judy Harder]

The Joy of being Forgiven: Growth
Nov 07, 2012 08:27 am | Roy


Growth
Because Jesus is alive in us, His life will produce fruit for His glory.

I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. But grow in grace, and in  the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be  glory both now and for ever. Amen. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Hosea 14:5, 2 Peter 3:18, Colossians 1:10, John15:5, Galatians 5:22-23

The wonder of a seed is that it only produces life after it has been planted in the ground and dies. The message of the Gospel is that life has come out of death. He died that we might live. He was buried that we might be raised to newness of life.

When we come to Jesus Christ by faith, turning from our personal darkness of sin, and receive His grace and forgiveness, He cleanses us and comes to live within our hearts. We are born again of His Spirit. The resurrection life of Jesus Christ enters us and we are changed. He plants within us the seeds of His kingdom, and through our faith and obedience the new life begins to grow.

The life of Christ is not produced by studying how Jesus lived and then trying to copy Him. It is not a script we study and attempt to act out. His life is a real life, a whole life, a fulfilling life, a true life, a worthy life, a meaningful life...it is His life lived out through us. It is His beauty that others see and it is His fragrance that others are drawn to. He is your life. He is all there is. He is all that is worth knowing and all that really matters.

Lord, thank You for the good work that You have begun in me. Thank You I am alive in You because of the life of the Holy Spirit within me. I want to rest in Your love, and abide in Your presence. I want to grow in faith and see Your life formed in me. Feed me through Your word, and  water the seeds that are planted in my heart. Make me a fruitful branch that can feed others, and that daily glorifies You.



How To Be Forgiven

One of the greatest joys that the heart can every experience is forgiveness. Nothing else can set you free from the guilt of the past, and place your feet on a new path of hope. Forgiveness comes to you as a free gift from God. You cannot earn it in anyway, you must only receive it. Forgiveness is not based on what you have done, how good you have tried to be, or how sincere you have been. Your forgiveness is based on the sacrifice that Jesus Christ has made for your sins. It is by His blood alone that you can be made clean.

Your forgiveness is only a prayer away. Turn your heart to God, confess and forsake your sins, and ask Him to cleanse and forgive you. His word says that He will do it by His grace and mercy. He will wash you and make you clean. As you pray, ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and live with you. He will be your Lord and Savior, and His life will make you new on the inside.

Ask Him today and start all your tomorrow's with the joy of being forgiven.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9,10

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14



—

This post is the last post in the series called The Joy of Being Forgiven.

There are three main reasons for this series:

To help those who are burdened by sin to enter into the joy of being forgiven.
To remind those who have been forgiven to live each day in thankfulness for the gift of His forgiveness and the joy it has brought your heart.
To provide for those who know the joy of being forgiven, a way for them to share the message of God's forgiveness with others.
Click the links below to read previous posts in this series..

Darkness
Guilt
Repentance
Grace
Change
Strength
Holiness
Redemption
Rightousness
Justification
Worship

[Judy Harder]

Fret Buster #107
Nov 09, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


Lean Hard

Child of my love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the pressure of thy care.
I know thy burden, for I fashioned it—
Poised it in My own hand, and made its weight
Precisely that which I saw best for thee.
And when I placed it on thy shrinking form,
I said, "I shall be near, and while thou leanest
On Me, this burden shall be Mine, not thine."
So shall I keep within My circling arms
The child of my own love; here lay it down,
Nor fear to worry Him who made, upholds,
And guides the universe. Yet closer come;
Thou art not near enough. Thy care, thyself,
Lay both on Me, that I may feel My child
Reposing on My heart. Thou lovest Me?
I doubt it not: then, loving Me, LEAN HARD."

-The Christian

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalm 55:22 NLT

[Judy Harder]

Wouldn't You Rather?
Nov 12, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


Wouldn't you rather follow His way than lean upon your own understanding?
Wouldn't you rather find His rest than be heavy laden?
Wouldn't you rather obey His word than go your own way?
Wouldn't you rather believe in His timing than work things out for yourself?
Wouldn't you rather stand on His truth than your own assumptions?
Wouldn't you rather know His peace than have your mind filled with anxious thoughts?
Wouldn't you rather have His wisdom than proceed with what seems good to you?
Wouldn't you rather rely upon His strength than your own efforts?
Wouldn't you rather know His joy than the pleasures of the world?
Wouldn't you rather see His smile than have the approval of others?
Wouldn't you rather enjoy His blessing than have the best the world can give?
Wouldn't you rather trust in His goodness than anything else?
Wouldn't you rather have Jesus than anyone else?

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. Psalm 73:25 AMP

[Judy Harder]

Rescued
Nov 14, 2012 04:00 am | Roy




When we were in a horrible pit and our feet ensnared in miry clay, we needed a hand powerful enough to pull us out.

When we were stained by sin that soiled every aspect of our nature, we needed a cleansing agent potent enough to purify us and wash us clean.

When we were lost, without direction, stumbling about in the darkness, and not knowing where to turn, we needed a light for our pathway and a guide to direct our steps.

When we were confused, perplexed, frustrated, anxious, worried, and fearful, we needed to hear the voice of peace, the voice of hope, and the voice of promise saying, "I am the way."

When we were bound by Satan's deceit and deception, held captive by his accusations, and oppressed by his evil working, we needed a redeemer who was mighty enough to set us free from the enemy's enslavement.

When we were dead in our trespasses, without God, under condemnation, and without hope in this world, we needed life—eternal life—entering in to our innermost being to make all things new.

That hand, that purity, that light, that guide, that voice, that redemption, that life is Jesus Christ!

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7 NKJV

[Judy Harder]

Hiding Place
Nov 16, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


Although the following poem was written over 200 years ago, it still speaks powerfully to us today...

Hail, sovereign love, which first began
The scheme to rescue fallen man!
Hail, matchless, free, eternal grace,
Which gave my soul a Hiding Place.

Against the God that built the sky
I fought with hands uplifted high—
Despised the mention of His grace,
Too proud to seek a Hiding Place!

Enwrapt in thick Egyptian night,
And fond of darkness more than light,
Madly I ran the sinful race,
Secure—without a Hiding Place!

But thus the eternal counsel ran:
Almighty love, arrest that man!
I felt the arrows of distress,
And found I had no Hiding Place!

Indignant Justice stood in view;
To Sinai's fiery mount I flew;
But Justice cried with frowning face,

This mountain is no Hiding Place!
Ere long a heavenly voice I heard,
And mercy's angel soon appeared:
He led me, with a beaming face,
To JESUS as a Hiding Place.

On Him almighty vengeance fell,
Which must have sunk a world to hell!
He bore it for a sinful race,
And thus became their Hiding Place.

Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll,
And shake this globe from pole to pole,
No thunderbolt shall daunt my face,
For Jesus is my Hiding Place.

-Major Adre

[Judy Harder]

Fret buster # 108
Nov 19, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


We desire...that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will. Colossians 1:9

The will of God touches us at every point in our life, because He is interested in all its details. God is among His people gathering up their tears, ordering their steps, knowing their going out, their coming in, their down-sitting, and their uprising.

God has intense interest in the smallest detail of the life of His children, in what we eat, in what we wear, in our recreation, in our homes, in the hidden facts of character. He is so interested that He takes us one by one, and thinks of, and arranges for, every detail of our life. To Him there are no little things. -G. Campbell Morgan



Thou openest Thy hand, and satisfies the desire of every living thing. Psalm 145:16 KJV

Who considers these words enough? The hand of God being my chief provision and storehouse, is it not a shame to be anxiously careful for anything? Has the Lord all things in His hand? Then surely I shall receive what He has for me; none will be able to withhold it...you need not, says Christ, seek those other things; they shall be brought to you, if ye only abide in Me. If this does not comfort and strengthen us, nothing else will. –Carl Bogatzky