Grace & Truth Came Through Jesus

 ~ The law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ~

Jesus came and fulfilled all of the requirements of the law because we could not. The law was given to man to show us where we fell short because we were blind to this truth. The Law is a tool. We are born into darkness and can't understand the truth of our condition until God reveals it to us. He used The Law as a bridge to get us to what we must have.

Our blindness and ignorance to the state of our fallen existence doesn't change the fact of our eternal death. We are still in danger of spending eternity, the life when we leave this earth, in separation from God, in desolation. We are still under penalty though we don't understand. 

God, in his perfect love, revealed the truth to man in two parts. Sin is the strength of the law. When God gave man The Ten Commandments, the first part of the revelation, sin in man was revealed to man. Man found that he could not totally perform the law because his thoughts were wicked. 

As we often succeed in being good, our thoughts are consistently breaking The Ten Commandments. God in his mercy showed this to man. Satan wanted man to be ignorant to the truth of their condition. God's plan was for his cherished creation to come into the knowledge of the truth of his condition.

The 2nd part of God's revelation to man was redemption, salvation from the curse of The Ten Commandments, restoration to fellowship with Our Creator. He provided the only sacrifice that could fulfill the requirements to destroy the works of the devil, the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. The Law is man's bridge to Jesus.

Jesus accepted Our Father's request to take the penalty for our condition, for every single human past, present and future. Through Jesus' suffering, death, burial and resurrection, the power of The Law over us was destroyed forever. Jesus became the first to be resurrected from eternal death into eternal life. Because he lives, those who love him will live also. 

Jesus and the Father are one, and separate. God came to earth in the form of His Son, both divine and of the flesh, born of a virgin yet fathered by the will of Our Father. The pure Blood of Jesus and his unblemished Body covers us, when we choose to believe and accept his sacrifice for us. Sin is the strength of The Law and Jesus Christ is the destroyer of the power of sin over us. 

We may fail, but we are covered. We may transgress but we are covered. We may stumble, but we are covered. We can come boldly and respectfully to God because Jesus is on his right hand interceding for us. We can talk with God at any time because Jesus restored our fellowship with Him. We can live in confidence that we have eternal life, that we will live and not die because Jesus is The Resurrection and the Life! 

 ~ The law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ~

How To Be Saved

If you would like to be sure that you are Saved, 

if you would like to be a Christian, say this simple prayer:

Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God, that you died for me, that God raised you from the dead and that you are alive today. Save me so that I can live in the light of God. I believe that my sins are forgiven and that I don't have to fear death anymore. I have moved from darkness into the light. Thank you, Jesus, for Eternal Life. 

Now tell someone about what you have done.

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Witness In Peace

 

Don't stress yourself or press yourself into pressuring others to come to Jesus. There is no one way or perfect way to witness. 

Sharing salvation should flow with your spirit and personality type. God reveals our personality types to us and how we are most inclined to share The Gospel. 

Every person who knows Jesus can witness. It is talking at the appropriate time, to anyone who is receptive, about our relationship with God and what his Son Jesus Christ has done for us. The Holy Spirit reveals to us those who are ready. 

It is not we who bring people to salvation. It is the Holy Spirit. God prepares the heart of a person to receive. If it's not the right time and God's Holy Spirit has not yet prepared that person's heart, then he/she will not accept Jesus.  No amount of cajoling, pressuring, threatening and shaming that person will work. He or she will only become stubborn in spirit and be pushed further from God. 

Be at peace. Work with God, not against him. Let the Holy Spirit do his work and go with God's flow in talking to people about Jesus. Witnessing should always be done in peace.

With God All Things Are Possible

Do you believe or do you need Our Father to increase your faith? 

The Holy Word tells us over and over again...ALL things, not some things, not a few things, but ALL things are possible to him who believes. 

If we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, he hears us. IF we believe that he hears us, then we know that we have what we have asked for, BECAUSE we asked according to HIS will. (I John 5:14-15)

All of the scriptures that encourage us to believe in the impossible, including Matthew 21:21-22, Matthew 17:20, John 15:7 and Mark 9:23, are explicit in stating that ALL things, ANYTHING is possible.

I don't believe that the Bible states things just because they sound good or that it doesn't mean what it is plainly saying. Our problem is that in our fleshly minds we demote The Word.   

Choose to believe today! Ask Our Father to increase your faith today so that you can start promoting The Word to where God intended it to function in your life.

This plaque, Nothing Is Impossible With God, was made by a young lady who presented it to me, many years ago, when I was moving away to a new start in life. She was apologetic because when she made it some of the glaze that she added ran down the front. I assured her that it was beautiful. I cherish it. No matter where I am, I display it so that I can see it.

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Tomorrow Could Be The Day

God sometimes seems late but in the end, he's right on time.

It's darkest before the dawn.

Just when we think we can't take anymore, God delivers us.

If the deliverance is not total, it's enough to give us saving relief.

It's enough to encourage and strengthen us.

It's enough for us to feel that we can go on.

It's enough for us to understand that he is aware of what's going on with us.

Our Father is always aware of how much we can take.

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New Prayer Book In The Works

I am working on a new prayer book called God, I'm Tired Of Praying: What To Think About How You Feel. Though it will have some pages in the back to record your thoughts, it is not a journal like my recently published book I Am Prospering Everyday: Scripture Declarations & Prayer Prompts. 

God, I'm Tired Of Praying includes my blog prayer series You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary as well as new content not shared here at my blog. 

It's all about acknowledging that you are struggling in your prayer life, you're losing hope in prayer and you no longer feel like doing it. The greatest message in this book of encouragement is that in your heart you don't want to forsake your prayer life. You are seeking an answer to an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness about prayer.

This will be a good book for you and others that you know to have handy in the valleys as you grow in your prayer walk.  Watch for me to announce the publishing.

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Letter Of Love To The LGBTQ+ Community

You want to be a Christian but you are scared because of other Christians? You've been attacked with hatred for who you are? You have cried because you have been treated so viciously? You want to be a Christian but you don't feel accepted for who you are? Some Christians want you to think that God hates you and that you are going to Hell? You have read some in the Bible and you just want to love God without being in constant fear that God hates you and won't accept you? 

Don't be afraid. Christians are just humans. Haters will always hate at the drop of a hat. This is because many Christians don't grow in God's love for themselves, so they can't love anyone else. There are many Christians, however, who love you because they have accepted the Love of God into their hearts. God loves you just as you are. He is not surprised by who you are. He knew long before you were born what was going to happen. He doesn't judge any of us by sexual orientation. 

You want so badly to be a Christian? Being a Christian is based in Christ you know, right? Christian = Christ-Centered. You have just as much of a right to The Son Jesus and The Father God as any one else.

God has only one requirement for you to get to him. It's to accept his only son as the only way to him. You don't have to clean up your life first, or change yourself or anything. God Our Father knows everything about you already. All the whys, hows, whens and whats about you are known already by him who loves you.

Jesus The Christ is the only bridge from God to man, Once you accept Jesus as your Savior you become a Christian. You become saved despite your LGBTQ+ status or anything else about you. You are moved into position to begin to know God personally, through the sacrifice of his Dear Son. All because of Jesus. I understand why you want to know God so badly. It is truly wonderful to be in the Kingdom of His Dear Son. 

I hope that this has helped. Just remember that Our Father is not an unfair God and it would be unfair for him to reject you because of who you are. He's a just God but most of all, he's a God of unrelenting, immeasurable love. Nothing can separate you from his love, except rejecting his Precious Son Jesus. 

Love in Christ. 

Pray Without Ceasing Christian Products

 

Rejoice evermore.

Thank you to the Redbubble buyer who bought this Pray Without Ceasing design on a sticker. 

Pray without ceasing.

Pray Without Ceasing from I Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

In everything give thanks.

This Christian life design is available on 82 products.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

The will of God in Christ Jesus.

Christian living.

Faith-filled life.

How to worship God.

Popular scriptures.

How to obey God.

Fill your life with reminders of Christian living. 

Spend your money on merchandise that glorifies God Our Father and Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. 

Surround yourself with products that invite in The Holy Spirit, Our Comforter and Guide everyday.

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  As a self-taught designer, crafter, writer and artist, like Lydia in Acts 16, I design and make beautiful things.

 

My creative ability comes from God and I worship the Lord day in and day out. 

In order for God to bless us through our talents, skills and creativity, we have to put our work out there. That's why I share here at Draw Nigh To Hope.

 

 I want Christians, who may not otherwise know about them, to have a chance to buy my products that lift up Christ-centered living.

  
Proverbs 22:29 states:

 

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings;

he shall not stand before mean men.

 (KJV)

 
  Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings;

He will not stand before unknown men.

 (NKJV)

 

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If you or anyone you know sells handmade products or designs merchandise that glorifies God, let me know so that I can take a look. I may do a feature here.

Giving Is A Choice In Freedom

The practice of tithing was under the Law of Moses. Christians today don't have to fearfully practice it because we don't have to do anything to be accepted by God after we accept his Son Jesus as our Savior. The tithing principle, however, is a good guideline for those who need structure in giving. 

While tithing required 10%, the scriptures teach that it is good to give more than that when we feel free to do so. However freely we give it will be freely given back to us (Matthew 7:2). This is a statement on how much we can expect back, not on how much we need to give. 

Today, it's not about tithing. It's about giving abundantly to others out of our own feeling of abundance. It's giving in freedom. The type and amount of that free-spirited giving varies from Christian to Christian. Our Father wants us to give from the heart, in the amounts and the frequency that we feel comfortable to do. Give how, when, in what way, in what amount and to where you are inspired to give.

If anyone attempts to make us feel ashamed because of our monetary giving or the lack of, their spirit is not of God. If you are not giving today but would like to, don't despair. God sees your heart and he will surely help you to get to your goal. He works with us, not against us. He does not push us, he understands us. Giving is a choice in freedom. Be comfortable and at rest in your freedom in Christ Jesus.

It Doesn't Matter How He Looked

If you don't know Jesus in the beauty of holiness, in the essence of spirituality, then how he looks to you will not save you. 

If knowing him is dependent upon how you think he should look, then it's possible that you could be as lost as the person who does not know Jesus and, therefore, does not know God.

If you cannot accept Jesus Christ as looking like all ethnicities, all skin colors and all races, and ultimately as none of them, then do you truly know Him? Do you really understand who he is and why he came?

Image #4

The ignorance and darkness is not in choosing to see Jesus as white, brown, red or yellow and having images like that in your home. The darkness is in insisting that he CANNOT exist in any other way than how you choose to see him. 

The Father sent him to began his life here on earth in the Hebrew race. He is part of the Israelite lineage according to the Holy Bible. 

We have a good idea, and much more evidence has come to light, but we don't know exactly how he looked. We can surmise based on his environment, genetics, recent discoveries and the absence of the world pollutants that exist today. 

Image #7

He was physical but mainly spiritual and divine. He was never restricted by the flesh. However he looked, he belongs to everyone who chooses to believe in him. 

One thing is for sure. He walked this earth for only 33 years. The images that depict him as mature, or with grayed hair, or with skin untouched by any elements, or as a ferocious aged person, etc., can't be accurate. Those who are 33 years of age today look much older than 33-year-olds did in Biblical times, when bodies endured life for hundreds of years. 

Jesus Christ is God of all and no one color, race or ethnicity has an exclusive claim on his characteristics. It doesn't matter how he looked or looks. Ultimately, he is the image of Our Dear Father God and we are the image of them.

Image #9

If we go into an Asian person's home and see an Asian Jesus on the wall, we should be able to say, That's my Jesus! Hallelujah! 

If we go into a Caucasian person's home and see a Caucasian Jesus on the wall, we should be able to say, That's my Jesus! Hallelujah! 

If we go into a Native American person's home and see a Native American Jesus on the wall, we should be able to say, That's my Jesus! Hallelujah! 

Image #12

If we go into a Kenyan person's home and see an African Jesus on the wall, we should be able to say, That's my Jesus! Hallelujah! 

A Scandinavian Jesus! A Chinese Jesus! An Aleut Jesus! A Brazilian Jesus! JESUS! JESUS! JESUS! HALLELUJAH!!!

Jesus Christ is all in all. He is everything that we all need, through the love of Our Father who sent him.

Image #4  http://www.intermix.org.uk/news/news_291205_02.asp Jesus Intermix 

Image #7 https://jesuswithoutbaggage.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/pondering-the-many-faces-of-jesus/

Image #9 Vatican Museum Icons Jesus Blessings  https://www.europeanproceedings.com/article/10.15405/epsbs.2020.10.05.105/image/6

Image #12 Vincent Barzoni’s “His Voyage: Life of Jesus.”  https://richmondfreepress.com/photos/2020/jul/16/294950/

Other images from the usual Pixabay.