/ I know your strength is enough / Jesus, there is no one like you / You died in my place / so I can live /
You too could Live. Are you?
- Scandal of grace -
United
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Monday, 1 April 2013
Friday, 29 March 2013
This is what love is [4]
Grace surpassing all knowledge.
Jesus life is and was a life beyond understanding. Why would someone come to this earth, just to die? But there was so much more to Jesus's life than just death. Before, he already could be found in the synagogue. This excellent student was eager to spend time studying the way to Life. Not just a way of life, but the only way to Life. Many religions do agree on a somewhere existing God or gods. Many religions do not agree on something else.
Where can you find grace?
What do you do after you have messed up? You try and hide the fact it happened? You try to pretend nothing much happened? What about shame, pain? If you want to move forward again, it draws you back. It lingers in the back of your mind. Your thoughts and ideas are shaped by this. You know it. God says, this is exactly why my son came to earth to die.
You are to die for.
When Jesus died, something extraordinary happened. He himself was sinless, shameless and he actually feared to take this on. But as we say, he took the weight of the world upon his shoulders. All our burden... it's his. All our mistakes and mess-ups... it's his. All our pain is His. Not because we are lovely people God wanted Him to die for us. God wanted Him to die for us, because Jesus, while wholly innocent and not to blame for anything in God's eyes, was the only one who could bear the punishment for our mistakes. And that is where:
Love comes kicking in.
Love is much more than a feeling. It is the feeling of attractiveness. But it also is the knowledge, the decision and mostly the faithfulness. God is all of this and want to be so much more to you still. Because, you see, if Jesus died on the cross (and he did, it's a historical fact), how does it affect your life? If he was punished on my behalf, it means that I can go free. I can go free! No fear to live, nor fear to die.... That gift called grace might be hard to grasp and likely even harder to unwrap. Letting go of my pride, earthly desires to expose own strength and beauty, and to know that I am so deeply loved.
Run freely.
Freedom to choose for the good or the bad. The beautiful or the ugly. But don't forget, decision-making is responsibility-taking. Do you want to carry on your mistakes from past and future? Keep calm. There's is a better solution to this. You can run freely. Compare it to a heavy item you carry, the rucksack of your life. At first we can be proud. Look at us! We are a Gucci. A Prada. An Eastpak. A Converse All Star. But after a while, the strings start getting loose. The zip breaks. We are worn out. The outside is just a cover. Inside the rucksack of our life we store many things and they get heavier each step we take. The love of God offers you an amazing deal. Cast your burden unto Jesus. He takes care of it. He already did. Indeed some 1983 years ago. But today he is spiritually living on inside of us, those who call themselves christians, pupils of Jesus Christ. Those who took on the deal to a lighter life. Not a life without problems, but a Life filled with power and love, strength and courage. Because with God our life is so much more. The burden of our failure has been taken away. We, though, still have the responsibility for our decisions. Whichever active or passive, decision lead to action.
I dare you to run freely.
God, you know I make so many mistakes still. I can try to improve my life, but all the effort goes to waste. Real change comes from the inside. I am hoping to live an inside-out life everyday of my life. When I see you, you change my heart completely. In the good and the bad, in you I can stand strong. Thank you for the love you have for me. It's only by the gift of grace you have given me - and which I need time after time again - I now am finally able to enjoy life to the full. The sky is not the limit when I am with you. You are all I can dream of and so much more.
Can I live this life beyond with you, Jesus?
Jesus life is and was a life beyond understanding. Why would someone come to this earth, just to die? But there was so much more to Jesus's life than just death. Before, he already could be found in the synagogue. This excellent student was eager to spend time studying the way to Life. Not just a way of life, but the only way to Life. Many religions do agree on a somewhere existing God or gods. Many religions do not agree on something else.
Where can you find grace?
What do you do after you have messed up? You try and hide the fact it happened? You try to pretend nothing much happened? What about shame, pain? If you want to move forward again, it draws you back. It lingers in the back of your mind. Your thoughts and ideas are shaped by this. You know it. God says, this is exactly why my son came to earth to die.
You are to die for.
When Jesus died, something extraordinary happened. He himself was sinless, shameless and he actually feared to take this on. But as we say, he took the weight of the world upon his shoulders. All our burden... it's his. All our mistakes and mess-ups... it's his. All our pain is His. Not because we are lovely people God wanted Him to die for us. God wanted Him to die for us, because Jesus, while wholly innocent and not to blame for anything in God's eyes, was the only one who could bear the punishment for our mistakes. And that is where:
Love comes kicking in.
Love is much more than a feeling. It is the feeling of attractiveness. But it also is the knowledge, the decision and mostly the faithfulness. God is all of this and want to be so much more to you still. Because, you see, if Jesus died on the cross (and he did, it's a historical fact), how does it affect your life? If he was punished on my behalf, it means that I can go free. I can go free! No fear to live, nor fear to die.... That gift called grace might be hard to grasp and likely even harder to unwrap. Letting go of my pride, earthly desires to expose own strength and beauty, and to know that I am so deeply loved.
Run freely.
Freedom to choose for the good or the bad. The beautiful or the ugly. But don't forget, decision-making is responsibility-taking. Do you want to carry on your mistakes from past and future? Keep calm. There's is a better solution to this. You can run freely. Compare it to a heavy item you carry, the rucksack of your life. At first we can be proud. Look at us! We are a Gucci. A Prada. An Eastpak. A Converse All Star. But after a while, the strings start getting loose. The zip breaks. We are worn out. The outside is just a cover. Inside the rucksack of our life we store many things and they get heavier each step we take. The love of God offers you an amazing deal. Cast your burden unto Jesus. He takes care of it. He already did. Indeed some 1983 years ago. But today he is spiritually living on inside of us, those who call themselves christians, pupils of Jesus Christ. Those who took on the deal to a lighter life. Not a life without problems, but a Life filled with power and love, strength and courage. Because with God our life is so much more. The burden of our failure has been taken away. We, though, still have the responsibility for our decisions. Whichever active or passive, decision lead to action.
I dare you to run freely.
God, you know I make so many mistakes still. I can try to improve my life, but all the effort goes to waste. Real change comes from the inside. I am hoping to live an inside-out life everyday of my life. When I see you, you change my heart completely. In the good and the bad, in you I can stand strong. Thank you for the love you have for me. It's only by the gift of grace you have given me - and which I need time after time again - I now am finally able to enjoy life to the full. The sky is not the limit when I am with you. You are all I can dream of and so much more.
Can I live this life beyond with you, Jesus?
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Off the album: Hymns (take the world but give me jesus)
Light the fire in my heart
I'll burn for you
Love seeks through the pain
Your promise is not in vain
Trace the rainbow through the rain
- Love that won't let me go -
Ascend the hill
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Friday, 30 November 2012
Stories: Rada
Toen ik je foto bestudeerde, moest ik er weer aan denken. Verwachtingsvol kijk je uit je prachtige oogjes, je leuke lachje op je lippen. Je weet wat komen gaat en kunt niet wachten. Jouw stille schreeuw is zo ongrijpbaar groot. Ik wil je in mijn armen nemen en nooit meer laten gaan. Maar deze keer is anders. Ik pak de spijlen vast en laat een van de zijdes van je gevangenisje naar beneden zakken. De beste en de slechtste zijde, want je kunt er zowel mee bevrijden als opsluiten. Je valt in mijn armen en we zijn dichter bij elkaar dan ooit. Ik ben je toevlucht. Hoe kan ik dit aan je uitleggen? Deze keer is anders en je hebt geen idee wat je overkomt. Ik breek. Ik breek, zoals ik ook nu telkens weer breek. Na bijna 9 maanden is de tijd gekomen dat ik je moet laten gaan. Dat jij mij moet laten gaan. Rada, de naam die betekent: "ik ben blij". Jij was zo verdrietig toen je binnenkwam. Ontroostbaar. Maar je koos ervoor mij in je hart te laten. We werden vriendinnen. Enorm jaloers voor aandacht als je was hebben samen heerlijk genoten. Jij van mij, ik van jou.
Eerste keren zijn enorm eng en al helemaal als je door je zuster naar buiten wordt getild en in een groot en blauw gevaarte mag schommelen, maar ik heb jou nooit meer zien stralen dan toen. Laatste momenten, flarden van herinneringen. Een poosje na mijn laatste werkdag zag je me écht voor de laatste keer. Wat een heerlijke verraste blik op je gezicht. Je speelde lekker verder. Je hebt net je eerste losse stapjes aan mij laten zien! Ik verdwijn naar de achtergrond. Een stapje terug, en nog een. Fading out. Ik kan er niets aan toevoegen. Het moment niet verlengen of verkorten. Het is tijd. Ik wil je niet achterlaten, maar ik moet gaan, een maand voor je eerste verjaardag. Ook jij bent inmiddels gegaan. Het weeshuis is nu je thuis. Je verdient zo veel meer lieve meid. Heb geduld en volhard, eens zal je beloning komen. Ontwikkel je en wees blij, beweeg je in en vanuit Zijn liefde voor jou... Het is sterker dan al het andere. Ga met God. Zijn liefdevolle armen houden je heel dichtbij. Eens zien wij elkaar weer terug. Dan zal ik je weer in mijn armen nemen en we zullen weer dichter bij elkaar zijn dan ooit. Eén van hart en Geest. Ongekende verbondenheid. Gods liefde voor jou.
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| Jij en ik & ik en jij. |
Off the album: Beautiful Things
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Life is being found in You
Life is being found in You
- Beautiful Things -
Gungor
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Feel free!
What whenever things are holding you down... Don't let them! Feel free to live. Maybe you cannot change what is happening in your life, but you can change your attitude towards it. Maybe it sounds cheap, maybe it sounds like pretending that something's not there. But it is, you are not ignorant by changing your attitude, you are actually paying attention and considering the best way how to handle the situation. Choose to live worry-free... Impossible? When we are in charge, yes, it would. But God is in charge and He likes to carry your burdens... He likes to lift you up and see you delighted in Him...
Don't let circumstances make who you are today.
You are in control of your choices. Choose to Live!
Feel free.
Hallelujah! We are free to struggle,
we do not struggle to be free...
- Tenth Avenue North -
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